Ndikhulele eLeipzig, eMpuma Jamani, kufutshane nomda weCzech nePoland. Xa ndandineminyaka emithandathu, utata kwafuneka aye kusebenza phesheya kolwandle—eBrazil nase-Ecuador.

Xa ndandina-14, ndaya kufunda eJamani, bona abazali basala ngasemva kuMzantsi Merika. Ngenxa yokuba ndandikude nabo, kwafuneka ndizinyamekele. Loo nto yenza ukuba ndicinge ngesiqu sam kuphela. Ndandingayikhathalelanga indlela izenzo zam ezibachaphazela ngayo abanye.

Xa ndaba neminyaka eyi-17, abazali bam babuyela eJamani. Ekuqaleni ndahlala nabo. Kodwa kuba ndandiqhele ukuzilawula, andizange ndivane nabo. Ngoko kunyaka olandelayo, ndaphuma ekhaya.

Ndandingonwabanga ndifuna ukwazi ukuba iyintoni kanye kanye injongo yobomi. Emva kokujonga imibutho eyahlukahlukeneyo neendlela abantu abaphila ngazo, ndabona ukuba eyona nto indilungeleyo mna kukukhenketha amazwe ngamazwe ndibuka indalo, ngaphambi kokuba abantu bayitshabalalise.

Ndayishiya iJamani, ndathenga isithuthuthu, ndaza ndasinga eAfrika. Noko ke, kungabanga thuba lide, kwafuneka ndiphindele eYurophu ukuya kulungisa isithuthuthu sam. Ngokukhawuleza emva koko, ndanduluka kwakhona, ndaya kugaleleka kunxweme lwasePortugal. Ndagqiba ekubeni ndisishiye isithuthuthu sam ndize ndikhenkethe ngesikhitshane.

Ndadibana neqela lolutsha elalilungiselela ukuwela uLwandlekazi lweAtlantiki ngesikhitshane. Apho ndaphandlwa ligqiyazana uLaurie. Saluqala uhambo lwethu njengeqela ngokuya kwiziqithi zeCaribbean. Emva kokuhlala ithutyana ePuerto Rico, mna noLaurie sabuyela eYurophu. Saqalisa ukufuna isikhitshane esasinokukwazi ukuhlala kuso. Kodwa emva nje kweenyanga ezintathu, laphanza iphulo lethu, xa ndathunyelwa kumkhosi waseJamani.

Ndachitha iinyanga eziyi-15 kumkhosi wolwandle waseJamani. Ebudeni belo xesha, mna noLaurie satshata saza salungiselela ukuqhubeka nokhenketho lwethu. Ngaphambi nje  kokuba ndiye emkhosini sathenga igobhogobho lesikhitshane. Ngoxa ndandisemkhosini, salithela chu elo gobhogobho salakha laba sisikhitshane esincinane esisebenzayo. Sasiceba ukuhlala kuso, size sikhenkethe sibuka ubuhle bendalo. Kulelo thuba kanye—ekubuyeni kwam emkhosini kodwa ngaphambi kokugqiba kwethu ukwakha eso sikhitshane—esathi sadibana namaNgqina kaYehova, aza asifundisa iBhayibhile.

Ekuqaleni, andizange ndikubone kuyimfuneko ukutshintsha indlela endandiphila ngayo. Ndanditshatile nebhinqa endandihlala nalo, ibe ndandisele ndiyekile ukutshaya. (Efese 5:5) Ndandiqiqa ngelithi sasisele siyenza eyona nto ibalulekileyo, kuba sasikhenketha sibuka indalo emangalisayo kaThixo.

Noko ke, kwakusafuneka ndenze utshintsho—ingakumbi kubuntu bam. Njengoko ndandingumntu ozingcayo, ndandikhathalele ubuchule bam nempumelelo yam kuphela. Ndandicinga ngesiqu sam kuphela.

Ngenye imini ndafunda iNtshumayelo edumileyo kaYesu yaseNtabeni. (Mateyu, isahluko 5-7) Ekuqaleni ndandingaluqondi olu yolo uYesu wayethetha ngalo. Ngokomzekelo, wathi banoyolo abo balambileyo nabanxaniweyo. (Mateyu 5:6) Ndandizibuza ukuba umntu olambileyo angaba nalo njani uyolo. Njengoko ndandiqhubeka ndifunda iBhayibhile, ndaqonda ukuba sonke sidalwe sanomqweno wokulambela imfundiso yeLizwi likaThixo, kodwa simele sithobeke size sikuvume oko ukuze sincedakale. Watsho njalo uYesu, esithi: “Banoyolo abo bayiphapheleyo intswelo yabo yokomoya.”—Mateyu 5:3.

Sathi sisasanda kuqala ukufundelwa iBhayibhile eJamani mna noLaurie, safudukela eFransi, saza kamva sagqithela eItali. Naphi na apho sasisiya khona, sasidibana namaNgqina kaYehova. Kwandichukumisa gqitha ukubona indlela amanyene ngayo. Ndabona ukuba amaNgqina ayathandana emhlabeni wonke. (Yohane 13:34, 35) Ethubeni, mna noLaurie sabhaptizwa saba ngamaNgqina kaYehova.

Emva kokuba ndibhaptiziwe, ndaqhubeka ndibutshintsha ubuntu bam. Mna noLaurie sagqiba ekubeni sihambe ngesikhitshane, sehla ngonxweme lwaseAfrika, sawela uLwandlekazi iAtlantiki, saya eUnited States. Ngoxa sasikolo lwandlekazi—sisobabini nje kuphela kweso sikhitshane sincinane—ndabona indlela esibancinane ngayo xa sithelekiswa noMdali wethu obalaseleyo. Njengoko ndandihleli nje ndingenzi nto (kaloku akukho nto yokwenza embindini wolwandle), ndachitha ixesha elininzi ndifunda iBhayibhile. Ndachukunyiswa ngokukhethekileyo yingxelo yobomi bukaYesu emhlabeni. Wayefezekile yaye enobuchule obungummangaliso, kodwa wayengazingci. Wayengacingeli isiqu sakhe, kodwa wayesoloko ekholisa uYise wasezulwini.

Njengoko ndadicamngca ngomzekelo kaYesu, ndabona ukuba kwakufuneka ndibeke uBukumkani bukaThixo kuqala ebomini bam endaweni yezilangazelelo zam zobuqu. (Mateyu 6:33) Sathi sakufika eUnited States, mna noLaurie, sagqiba ekubeni sihlale apho size sinikel’ ingqalelo kunqulo lwethu.

Ngoxa ndandiphila ubomi bokuzingca, ndandisoloko ndisexhaleni lokuba izinto zisenokungahambi ngendlela endicebe ngayo. Kodwa ngoku ndikhokelwa bubulumko bukaThixo. (Isaya 48:17, 18) Ndikwaphila ubomi obunenjongo, nto leyo endandingayazi ngaphambili—ubomi bokukhonza uThixo nokufundisa abanye ngaye.

Ukusebenzisa imigaqo yeBhayibhile kuye kwawomeleza umtshato wam noLaurie. Kwakhona siye sasikelelwa ngentwazana entle, emaziyo nemthandayo uYehova.

Oku akuthethi kuthi ubomi bethu bebusoloko bulula. Kodwa ngoncedo lukaYehova, sizimisele ukuqhubeka simkhonza yaye sikholose ngaye.—IMizekeliso 3:5, 6.