Ndazalelwa eBilbao, ekumantla eSpeyin. Ndandingowesibini kubantwana abane. Ekhaya sasingamaKatolika azinikeleyo, ndisiya kuMthendeleko yonke imihla. Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-23, ndaba ngutitshalakazi, umsebenzi endandiwuthanda kakhulu nendawenza iminyaka eyi-40. Phakathi kwezifundo endandizifundisa, ndandikuvuyela ukufundisa ubuKatolika, yaye ngeengokuhlwa ndandikhonza njengomfundisi wamantombazana, ndiwalungiselela umthendeleko wawo wokuqala.

Emva kweminyaka eyi-12 ndikumtshato owonwabileyo, ndaba ngumhlolokazi yaye ndandinabantwana abane ekwakufuneka ndibanyamekele. Ndandineminyaka eyi-33 kuphela! Ndazama ukuzithuthuzela ngokholo lwam lobuKatolika, kodwa ndandinemibuzo emininzi. Ndandizibuza ukuba: ‘Kutheni abantu beqhubeka besifa xa uKristu wasifelayo? Kutheni sithandazela ukuba uBukumkani bukaThixo bufike ukuba kanti abantu abalungileyo baya ezulwini?’ Ngaphezu kwayo yonke eminye, ndandizibuza: ‘Ukuba uThixo usigweba xa sisifa, kutheni kuza kufuneka kamva, emva kwexesha elide sifile, sishiye izulu okanye isihogo size siye kumgwebo wokugqibela?’

Abefundisi endidibana nabo ndandidla ngokubabuza le mibuzo. Omnye wathi xa ephendula: “Andazi. Buza kubhishophu. Uyihoye ngantoni wena? Uyakholelwa kuThixo andithi? Nantso eyona nto ibalulekileyo!” Kodwa ndaqhubeka ndifuna iimpendulo. Ndandisiya kumamela iintetho ezinikelwa ngabefundisi bamaKatolika, amaPentekoste kunye neenkcuba-buchopho zonqulo. Kodwa akukho mntu wayiphendula ngokwanelisayo imibuzo yam.

Xa ndandimalunga neminyaka eyi-60, umfundi oneminyaka esixhenxe wandimemela kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina kaYehova. Ndayithanda into endayibonayo nendayivayo apho, kodwa kuba ndandixakekile, andizange ndiphinde ndithethe namaNgqina ngelo xesha. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, uJuan nomkakhe uMaite abangamaNgqina, bafika endlwini yam. Kangangeenyanga ezintathu sasisiba neengxubusho zemibuzo  neempendulo, kwaza oko kwakhokelela kwisifundo seBhayibhile.

Kwakuba ngathi ayisafiki ingxubusho elandelayo! Ndandiphanda yonke into kakuhle, ndisebenzisa iinguqulelo ezintathu zeBhayibhile ukuze ndiqiniseke ukuba amaNgqina kaYehova afundisa inyaniso. Ndakhawuleza ndaqonda ukuba kangangamashumi eminyaka bendingazi nowathwethwa ngonqulo. Ndandikhathazwa ngumahluko okhoyo phakathi kweenkolelo zam kunye noko ndandikufunda eBhayibhileni. Kwaba ngathi ziye zasiphulwa neengcambu ezo nkolelo.

Umyeni wam wesibini wagula kakhulu waza wafa. Malunga nelo xesha, ndathatha umhlala-phantsi ndaza ndemka ithutyana eBilbao. UJuan noMaite bafuduka nabo. Into endizisola ngayo kukuba ndayeka ukufundelwa iBhayibhile ngelo xesha. Emazantsi entliziyo ndandisazi ukuba ndifumene into exabisekileyo. Zange ndiyilibale.

Kwiminyaka emalunga neyi-20 kamva, xa ndandineminyaka eyi-82, uJuan noMaite babuyela eBilbao baza bandityelela. Ndavuya kakhulu ukubabona kwakhona! Ndaqonda ukuba uYehova akazange andilibale, ndaza ndaqalisa ukufundelwa kwakhona. UJuan noMaite babenomonde kakhulu, kuba ndandidla ngokubabuza umbuzo omnye kaninzi. Ndandifuna ukuva oko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile ngokuphindaphindiweyo ukuze ndikwazi ukwahlukana neenkolelo zam zangaphambili. Ndandifuna nokukulungela ukucacisa inyaniso eseBhayibhileni kwizihlobo nentsapho yam.

Ekugqibeleni ndade ndabhaptizwa, ndineminyaka eyi-87, yaye olo suku lwaba lolona lumnandi ebomini bam. Ndabhaptizwa kwindibano yamaNgqina kaYehova. Umdala ongumKristu wanikela intetho esekelwe eBhayibhileni eyayilungiselelwe abo baza kubhaptizwa. Le ntetho yandichukumisa. Njengoko ndandiphulaphule, kwaba ngathi uYehova uthetha nam. Emva kokuba ndibhaptiziwe, amaNgqina amaninzi eza aza andincoma—nangona amaninzi awo ndandingawazi!

Ndandisoloko ndisazi ukuba uYesu Kristu ‘yindlela.’ (Yohane 14:6) Kodwa isifundo sam seBhayibhile sandinceda ndazi uYehova, lowo uYesu asikhokelela kuye. Ngoku ndingathandaza kuThixo njengoBawo wam noMhlobo wam. Ukufunda incwadi ethi Sondela KuYehova * kwabutshintsha ubomi bam. Ndayigqiba ngobusuku obunye ukuqala kwam ukuyifunda! Kwandichukumisa ukufunda ngendlela uYehova anenceba ngayo.

Xa ndicinga ngokufuna kwam unqulo lokwenyaniso, kuthi qatha amazwi kaYesu athi: “Qhubekani nicela, niya kunikwa; qhubekani nifuna, niya kufumana; qhubekani ninkqonkqoza, niya kuvulelwa.” (Mateyu 7:7) Ekubeni ndizifumene iimpendulo endandizifuna, kuyandivuyisa ukuxelela abanye ngazo.

Nangona ndineminyaka eyi-90, ziseninzi izinto endifuna ukuzifunda ngoYehova. Sihlandlo ngasinye ndisiya kwiintlanganiso eziqhutywa kwiHolo YoBukumkani ndiba nemincili—ngenxa yolwazi oluxabisekileyo endilufumanayo, nokuba kunye nabazalwana noodade endibathandayo. Ndilangazelela ukuba ngutitshalakazi kwihlabathi eliyiParadesi. (ISityhilelo 21:3, 4) Ndikhangele phambili ekuboneni abantu endibathandayo abafayo nokufumana ithuba lokubafundisa inyaniso eseBhayibhileni. (IZenzo 24:15) Ndikulangazelela ngokwenene ukubacacisela ngesipho esixabisekileyo uYehova andinike sona ebudaleni bam!