Ndakakomenena ku Los Angelesw, California, ku U.S.A., ooko ikwakali mpuwo yazigwebenga alimwi akubelesya misamu iikola. Bazyali besu bakajisi bana bali 6, mebo ndili wabili.

Twakakomenena mucikombelo ca evangelical, ooko nkobakali kunjila bamaama. Nokuba boobo, nondakali mukubusi, ndakali kupona buumi bwakuupa-upa ameso. Munsondo ndakali kwiimba mukkwaya. Pele mazuba aambi, ndakali kuunka kumapobwe, kubelesya misamu iikola, alimwi akucita bwaamu.

Ndakali kufwambaana kunyema akulwana. Ndakali kubelesya cibelesyo cili coonse cilaafwaafwi kutegwa ndikonzye kumuuma muntu. Nzyondakali kwiiya kucikombelo tiizyakali kundigwasya pe. Kanji-kanji ndakali kwaamba kuti “Kupilusya cibi nkwa Mwami—pele mebo ndendime cibelesyo cakwe!” Nondakacili kucikolo kumamanino aamyaka yakuma 1960, ndakayungwa kusangana bantu ibakali kwiitwa kuti Black Panthers, aaka kakali kabunga kamapolitikisi ikakazyibidwe akaambo kakulwanina lwaanguluko lwabantu. Ndakanjila mukabunga ikakali kulwanina lwaanguluko lwabantu acikolo. Ziindi zinji notwakali kulwanina lwaanguluko, lyoonse cikolo cakali kujalwa kwaciindi cili mbocibede.

Mukuya kwaciindi ndakabona mbuli kuti kulwanina lwaanguluko tiikwakabumana bukali mbondakajisi. Aboobo ndakatalika kutola lubazu mumilimo yabugwebenga. Mucikozyanyo, zimwi ziindi mebo abeenzuma twakali kweebelela mafilimu aakali kutondezya mbobakali kupenga bana Africa ibakali kutolwa mubuzike ku United States. Eeci cakatunyemya kapati akaambo kalunya oolo, aboobo twakatalika kubauma bakubusi bakuwa mumonya oomo motwakali kweebelela filimu. Kumane twakaunka mumaanda aakali afwaafwi aabakuwa, kutegwa tukabaume abalo.

Nindakali afwaafwi kuba amyaka iili 20, mebo abanabokwesu twakazyibwa kuti tuli zigwebenga. Twakaba mumapenzi kuli bamapulisa. Musyoonto wangu umwi wakali mukabunga kazigwebenga zikali, mpoonya andime ndakabasangana. Buumi bwangu bwakali kuyaabwiindila kubija.

Bazyali bamweenzuma umwi bakali Bakamboni ba Jehova. Aboobo bakanditamba kumiswaangano yabo yambungano, eelyo ndakazumina. Kuzwa ciindi eeco, ndakalibonena Bakamboni mbobakaindene abantu bamwi. Umwi aumwi wakalijisi Bbaibbele akulibelesya ciindi camuswaangano. Bakubusi bakali kupa makani ciindi camuswaangano! Ndakakondwa kumvwa kuti Leza ulijisi zina lyakuti Jehova, alimwi akulimvwa kalibelesyegwa. (Intembauzyo  83:18) Mbungano eeyo yakajisi bantu bazwa muzisi ziindene-indene, alimwi cakali kulibonya antangalala kuti kwakanyina lusalululo pe.

Kumatalikilo, tiindakali kuyanda kwiiya Bbaibbele a Bakamboni, pesi ndakali kuyandisya kuunka kumiswaangano yabo. Bumwi buzuba kumangolezya nondakali kumuswaangano wa Bakamboni, kakamu kabeenzuma kakaunka kunkosaadi. Kabali kooko, bakauma mukubusi umwi kusikila wafwa akaambo kakuti wakakaka kubapa jansi lyakwe. Buzuba bwakatobela, bakatalika kulisumpula akaambo kakumujaya. Ciindi nobakali kubetekwa munkuta bakali kuseka akubona mbuli kuti bugwebenga bwabo tanaakali makani mapati. Bunji bwabo bakapegwa cisubulo cakupika ntolongo buumi bwabo boonse. Ndilikkomene kapati akaambo kakuti tiindakali ambabo buzuba oobuya. Ndakaba amakanze aakucinca buumi bwangu akutalika kwiiya Bbaibbele.

Akaambo kakuti ndakalizyibide kubona bantu mbobakali kusalana mubala, ncondakabona akati ka Bakamboni cakandigambya. Mucikozyanyo, Kamboni umwi mukuwa naakaunka kucisi cimbi, wakasiya bana bakwe kuti balanganizyigwe amukwasyi wabantu basiya. Kuyungizya waawo, mukwasyi wabakuwa wakazumizya mukubusi uusiya kuti kakkala ambabo nkaambo wakabulide kwakukkala. Ndakasinizya kuti Bakamboni ba Jehova alabeelela majwi aa Jesu aalembedwe kulugwalo lwa Johane 13:35 aamba kuti: “Eeci nceciyoozyibya bantu boonse kuti muli basikwiiya bangu, ikuti kamujisi luyando akati kanu.” Ndakazyiba kuti ndabujana bunyina bwini-bwini.

Kwiinda mukwiiya Bbaibbele, ndakatalika kubona kuti ndakeelede kucinca mbondakali kuyeeya. Ndakeelede kucinca mizeezo yangu kutegwa nditagoleli buyo akupona muluumuno, pele akubona kuti oobu mbobuumi buli kabotu. (Baroma 12:2) Asyoonto-syoonto, ndakayaambele. Mu January 1974, ndakabbapatizyigwa akuba Kamboni wa Jehova.

Noliba leelyo nondakabbapatizyigwa, ndakeelede kuzumanana kulijata kutegwa kanditanyemi-nyemi. Mucikozyanyo, bumwi buzuba notwakali kukambauka kuŋanda aŋanda, ndakamutandaanya mubbi iwakabbide wailesi mumootokala wangu. Nindakamuswena afwaafwi, wakailosya wailesi akutija. Nondakabalwiida mbotwakali limwi kujatikizya mbondakamunyanga wailesi yangu, mwaalu iwakaliko aawo wakandibuzya kuti, “Stephen, ikuti nowamujata, ino nowacita buti?” Mubuzyo ooyo wakandipa kuyeeya alimwi akundikulwaizya kuti ndeelede kuzumanana kubeleka canguzu kutegwa ndibe siluumuno.

Mu October 1974, ndakatalika kubeleka mulimo waciindi coonse, ndakali kukambauka mawoola aali 100 mwezi amwezi ikuyiisya bantu Bbaibbele. Mukuya kwaciindi, ndakaba acoolwe cakubelekela kumaofesi mapati aa Bakamboni ba Jehova ku Brooklyn, New York. Mu 1978, ndakapiluka ku Los Angeles kuyoolwazya bamaama. Nokwakainda myaka yobilo, ndakakwata ba Aarhonda. Bakandigwasya kapati kulanganya bamaama kusikila nobakafwa. Mukuya kwaciindi, mebo aba Aarhonda twakanjila cikolo ca Watchtower Bible School of Gilead kumane twakatumwa ku Panama ooko nkotwazumanana kubeleka mbuli bamisyinali.

Kuzwa nondakabbapatizyigwa, ndasikilwa bukkale bwiindene-indene ibwakali kukonzya kundipa kulwana. Ndaiya mbondikonzya kulijata naa kuzwa akati kabantu basola kundinyemya. Bantu banji, kubikkilizya abakaintu bangu, balandilumbaizya akaambo kambondacikonzya kulyeendelezya mubukkale buli boobo. Eeci cilandigambya! Alimwi tandililumbaizyi akaambo kakucinca ooku. Muciindi caboobo, eeci cindipa kusyoma kuti Bbaibbele lilijisi nguzu zyakucinca buumi bwamuntu.—Bahebrayo 4:12.

Ibbaibbele lyandigwasya kuzyiba ncondiponena alimwi lyandiyiisya kuba siluumuno ncobeni. Tandicuumi bantu pe; muciindi caboobo, ndilabagwasya kuti babe bantu bali kabotu kumuuya. Mane buya ndakaiya Bbaibbele amuntu iwakali sinkondoma nondakacili kusekondali! Naakabbapatizyigwa, twakakkala tobilo muŋanda yomwe kwaciindi cili mbocibede. Mazuba aano, wakaba mweenzuma ngondisyoma. Kusikila sunu, mebo abakaintu bangu twagwasya bantu bainda ku 80 kuba Bakamboni ba Jehova kwiinda mukwiiya Bbaibbele ambabo.

Ndilamulumba kapati Jehova kuti wandigwasya kuba abuumi bulaampindu alimwi alukkomano akati kababunyina beni-beni.