Nkhakulira mu msumba wa Los Angeles, ku California, U.S.A. Nkhakhalanga mu vikaya vyakupambanapambana ivyo mukaŵa magulu gha ŵanthu ŵakusuzga kweniso ŵakumwa minkhwala yakutimbanizga wongo. Pakwithu tikababika ŵana 6, ndipo ine nkhaŵa wachiŵiri.

Amama ŵakalutanga nase ku limoza mwa matchalitchi gha evangelical. Kweni nkhati nafika pa unyamata, nkhaŵikangako mtima chomene yayi ku vya tchalitchi. Pa Sabata, nkhimbanga kwaya ku tchalitchi. Kweni mukati mwa sabata nkhatandaranga ku vikondwelero, kumwa minkhwala yakutimbanizga wongo, na kugona na ŵanakazi umo nakhumbira.

Nkhaŵa na mtima wakunjoŵe, munthu wakanilongoranga kamunwe yayi. Chilichose icho nachisanga nkhatimbiranga munthu. Ivyo nkhasambiranga ku tchalitchi vikanovwira yayi. Nkhatemwanga kuyowoya kuti, “Kuwezgera nkhwa Fumu, ndipo ine ndine muzga wake kuchita ntchito iyi.” M’ma 1960 apo nkhaŵa ku sekondare, nkhatoleka mtima na fundo za gulu la ndyali lakuchemeka Black Panthers. Gulu ili likalweranga wanangwa wa ŵanthu. Kufuma apo, nkhanjira gulu la ŵana ŵa sukulu la kuvikilira wanangwa wa ŵanthu. Kanandi tikachitanga viwoneskero mwakuti sukulu ŵakajaranga dankha.

Nkhawona kuti viwoneskero navyo vikunovwira yayi. Mbwenu ine na ŵanyane tikamba kusuzga na kutimba ŵanthu chifukwa cha sankho. Mwachiyelezgero, ulendo unyake ine na ŵanyane tikaluta kukawonelera mafilimu. Mafilimu ghanyake agho tikawoneleranga ghakalongoranga umo ŵanthu ŵafipa ŵakasuzgikiranga mu United States vyaka vyakumasinda. Ine na ŵanyane tikakwiya, ndipo tikatimba ŵanyamata ŵazungu awo ŵakaŵa umo tikawoneleranga mafilimu. Kufuma apo, tikamba kwenda mu vikaya vya ŵazungu ivyo vikaŵa kufupi na ise, kupenja ŵanthu ŵakuti tiŵatimbe.

Apo nkhaŵa na vyaka vyapakati pa 17 na 19, ine, mukuru wane na ŵanung’una ŵane ŵaŵiri tikachitanga viheni vinandi chomene. Kanandi tikaŵanga mu mawoko gha ŵapolisi. Munung’una wane munyake wakaŵa mu gulu linyake lakumanyikwa chomene, ndipo nkhamba kwenda nawo. Umoyo wane ukafika paheni chomene.

Nkhaŵa na munyane uyo ŵapapi ŵake ŵakaŵa Ŵakaboni ŵa Yehova. Ŵakanichema kuti nilute ku tchalitchi kwawo, ndipo nkhaluta. Nkhati nafika, nkhawona kuti Ŵakaboni ŵakupambana chomene na matchalitchi ghose. Waliyose wakaŵa na Baibolo ndipo wakajuranga. Nkhazizwa kuwona kuti ŵanyamata nawo ŵakusambizga. Nkhakondwa kumanya kuti Chiuta zina lake ni Yehova, ndipo nkhapulikanga ŵanthu  ŵakulizunura. (Salmo 83:18) Mu tchalitchi mura mukaŵa ŵanthu ŵa mitundu yinandi, kweni pakaŵavya kusankhana mitundu.

Pakwamba nkhakhumbanga yayi kusambira Baibolo na Ŵakaboni, kweni nkhatemwanga waka kukasopa nawo. Usiku unyake apo nkhaluta kukasopa na Ŵakaboni, ŵanyane ŵakaluta ku dansi. Kwenekura ŵakatimba munyamata munyake na kufwa chifukwa chakuti wakakana kuŵalekera fomubaki (sikumba) yake. Machero ghake, ŵakajihayanga kuti ŵakoma munthu. Ŵakati ŵatolekera ku khoti, ŵakawonanga nga kuti ivyo ŵakachita vikaŵa viwemi waka. Kweni ŵanandi ŵakapika chilango chakuti ŵakakhale mu jele umoyo wawo wose. Ine nkhakondwa chomene kuti nkhaŵa nawo yayi usiku wura. Nyengo yeneyiyo nkhaŵikapo mtima kuti nisinthe umoyo wane ndipo nkhamba kusambira Baibolo.

Pakuti nkhani ya kusankhana mitundu yikaninjira chomene, vinthu vinyake ivyo Ŵakaboni ŵakachitanga vikanizizika. Mwachiyelezgero, ulendo unyake Kaboni munyake muzungu wakafumapo kuya ku charu chinyake. Ŵana ŵake wakasungiska ku Ŵakaboni ŵanyake ŵafipa. Kweniso Ŵakaboni ŵanyake ŵazungu ŵakatora munyamata munyake mufipa na kwamba kukhala nayo chifukwa wakaŵavya kwakukhala. Apa nkhakhorwa kuti Ŵakaboni ŵa Yehova ŵakuchita ivyo Yesu wakayowoya pa Yohane 13:35, apo pakuti: ‘Na ichi, wose ŵamanyenge kuti ndimwe ŵasambiri ŵane, usange muli na chitemwa pakati pinu.’ Ntheura nkhamanya kuti nasanga nadi ŵabali ŵane ŵeneko.

Apo nkhasambiranga Baibolo, nkhamba kumanya kuti nkhwenera kusintha maghanoghano ghane. Nkhasintha maghanoghano ghane mwakuti nikhalenge mwamtende na ŵanthu kweniso nkhawona kuti ndiwo umoyo uwemi chomene. (Ŵaroma 12:2) Pachokopachoko, nkhamba kuchita makora. Mu Janyuwale 1974, nkhabatizika na kuŵa Kaboni wa Yehova.

Kweni nkhakhumbikwiranga kulutilira kujikora, nangauli nkhabatizika. Chiyelezgero, ulendo unyake apo nkhapharazganga nyumba na nyumba, nkhachimbizgana na munkhungu uyo wakanibira wayilesi mu galimoto yane. Wakati wawona kuti nili pafupi kumukora, wakataya pasi wayilesi yira na kuchimbira. Nkhati naŵaphalira ŵanyane awo nkhaŵa nawo umo nkhaponoskera wayilesi yane, mulara munyake pa gulu lithu wakanifumba kuti: “Stephen, uŵenge kuti wamukora munkhungu yura mphanyi wanguchita nayo wuli?” Fumbo ili likanovwira kuti nighanaghanirepo kweniso likanikhukiska kuti nilutilire kusambira kuŵa wamtende.

Mu Okutobala 1974, nkhamba upayiniya (panji kuti nkhamba kumalira nyengo yinandi pakupharazga), nkhamaliranga maora 100 mwezi uliwose kusambizga ŵanthu Baibolo. Pamanyuma, nkhaŵa na mwaŵi wakugwirako ntchito mwakujipeleka ku likuru la Ŵakaboni ŵa Yehova ku Brooklyn, New York. Mu 1978, nkhawelera ku Los Angeles kuti nkhapwelelere amama awo ŵakalwaranga. Pakati pajumpha vyaka viŵiri, nkhatora Aarhonda kuŵa muwoli wane. Muwoli wane wakanovwira chomene pakupwelelera amama m’paka apo ŵakafwira. Nyengo yikati yajumphapo, tikaluta ku sukulu ya Giliyadi ndipo paumaliro ŵakatituma ku Panama, uko tichali kuchita umishonale.

Kufuma apo nkhabatizikira, nakwiyiskikapo kanandi waka na vinthu vinyake mwakuti pakakhala pachoko kuti nikumbuske chikale. Kweni nasambira kuti ntchiwemi kufumapo waka para munthu wakwavya panji kumazga waka nkhani iyo mu nthowa yinyake. Muwoli wane, na ŵanthu ŵanyake ŵanandi ŵaniwongapo chifukwa cha umo namazgirapo nkhani zanthena izi. Nane nkhuzizwa na umo nili kusinthira. Nkhuwona kuti nili kusintha chifukwa cha kulimbikira kwane yayi. Kweni nkhuwona kuti uwu mbukaboni wakuti Baibolo lili na nkhongono kusintha ŵanthu.—Ŵahebere 4:12.

Baibolo lanovwira chomene pa umoyo wane kweniso lanisambizga kuŵa munthu wakutemwa mtende. Lero nkhutimbaso ŵanthu yayi. Kweni nkhuŵawovwira kuti ŵaŵe ŵabwezi ŵa Chiuta. Nkhukumbuka kuti nkhasambirapo na munyamata munyake uyo tikatinkhananga chomene apo tikaŵa ku sekondare. Wakati wabatizika, nyengo yichoko waka tikakhalanga chipinda chimoza. Tichali kutemwana m’paka sono. Kuzakafika sono, ine na muwoli wane tasambizga Baibolo ŵanthu ŵanandi chomene, ndipo tawovwirapo ŵanthu ŵakujumpha 80 kuŵa Ŵakaboni ŵa Yehova.

Nkhuwonga chomene Yehova chifukwa wali kunovwira kuti umoyo wane uŵe uwemi kweniso nkhukondwa kuŵa pakati pa ŵabali ŵeneko.