Ndikhulele kwisixeko saseMontreal, ibe yayinqabe kakhulu imisebenzi. Utata wasweleka ndineenyanga nje ezintandathu ubudala, ngoko wonke umthwalo wokunyamekela intsapho waba semagxeni kamama. Sasingabantwana abasibhozo ekhaya, mna ndinguntondo.

Ndikhule ndingabazi obunye ubomi ngaphandle kokusebenzisa iziyobisi, ukungcakaza, ubundlobongela, nokuhamba nemigulukudu. Xa ndandineminyaka elishumi, ndaqalisa ukusebenza noonongogo kunye noomatshonisa. Ndandiyinkintsela yexoki nomxhaphazi wabantu, ibe ndandingasakwazi tu ukuzinceda.

Ndathi ndigqiba iminyaka eyi-14, ndabe sele ndingumakhwekhwetha ekukhohliseni abantu. Ngokomzekelo, ndandidla ngokuthenga isixa esikhulu seewotshi, izacholo nemisesane eqatywe ngegolide, ndize ndizigximfize isitampu esenza zibe ngathi zenziwe ngegolide. Ukusuka apho ndandizithengisa ezitratweni nakwiindawo zokupaka iimoto kwiindawo zoshishino. Ndandiyithanda le ndlela elula yokwenz’ imali. Ngesiny’ isihlandlo ndenza i-$10 000 ngemini nje enye!

Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-15 ndagxothwa kwisikolo sokulungisa izimilo, ndaza ndaphela sendilala esitratweni, ezipakini, okanye kwiitshomi zam.

Ngenxa yokuba ndandidume ngobuqhetseba, ayendithe nca amapolisa. Kodwa andizange ndide ndibanjwe, kuba ndandingathengisi zinto zibiweyo. Noko ke, kukaninzi ndihlawuliswa isityhwentywe semali ngenxa yobuqhetseba, ukuxoka nokuthengisa ngaphandle kwemvume. Ndandiligagu elingoyikiyo tu ukuqokelela imali yoomatshonisa. Kwakuyingozi oko, ibe maxa wambi ndandiphatha umpu. Ndade ndaqhogana neqela lemigulukudu.

Ndaqalisa ukuchazelwa ngeBhayibhile xa ndandineminyaka eyi-17. Ndandihlala nesithandwa sam, saza saqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhile namaNgqina kaYehova. Kodwa zange ndiyithande  imilinganiselo yeBhayibhile yokuziphatha, ngoko ndasishiya isithandwa sam ndaya kuhlala nesinye.

Kwathi qwenge xa esi sithandwa sesibini naso saqalisa ukufunda namaNgqina! Kwandichaza ukubona utshintsho ebomini baso, saya sisiba ngumntu ozolileyo nonomonde ngakumbi. Ndavuma ukuya naso enkonzweni kwiHolo yoBukumkani yamaNgqina kaYehova. Ndamkelwa ngobubelekazi obukhulu apho. Zange ndabubon’ ububele obungakaya! Kaloku ndandikade ndingahoywanga yintsapho yasekhaya; ibe ndikhule ndingayazi into yokuphathwa ngothando nangobubele. Ngoko lwandichukumisa gqitha uthando endalufumana kumaNgqina kaYehova, yaye xa andicela ukuba ndifunde iBhayibhile kunye nawo, ndavuma ngoko nangoko.

Oko ndandikufunda eBhayibhileni kusenokuba kwabusindisa ubomi bam. Mna noogxa bam ababini sasiceba ukuqhekeza size sibe imali ukuze ndihlawule amatyala am okungcakaza, awayengaphaya kwe-$50 000. Kodwa ndivuya gqitha kuba ndarhoxa! Oogxa bam bona baqhubeka nokuqhekeza. Ngenxa yoko, omnye wabanjwa, waza omnye wabulawa.

Njengoko ndandiqhubeka nokufunda iBhayibhile, ndabona ukuba luseluninzi utshintsho endimele ndilwenze. Ngokomzekelo, ndafunda ukuba iBhayibhile ithi kweyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 6:10: “Amasela, nabantu ababawayo, namanxila, nabatshabhisi, nabaphangi abayi kubudla ilifa ubukumkani bukaThixo.” Emva kokuba ndifunde le vesi, ndaza ndacinga ngemeko yam, zathi waxa iinyembezi. Ndaqonda ukuba ndimele ndibutshintshe ngokupheleleyo ubomi bam. (Roma 12:2) Ndandindlongo-ndlongo ibe ndiphila ngokuxoka.

Kodwa ukufunda kwam iBhayibhile kwandenza ndaqonda ukuba uYehova unenceba ibe uyaxolela. (Isaya 1:18) Ndathandaza ngokuzingisileyo, ndimbongoza uYehova ukuba andincede ndiphulukane nale mikhwa yam. Ngoncedo lwakhe, ndakwazi ukubutshintsha ubuntu bam. Ekugqibeleni ndawubhalisa ngokusemthethweni umtshato wam.

Ndandineminyaka eyi-24 ukutshata kwam, yaye ndinabantwana abathathu. Ngoku kwakufuneka ndifune umsebenzi osemthethweni. Kodwa ndandingenamfundo ingako ibe ndingenawo namava. Ndathandaza kwakhona ndicela uncedo kuYehova. Emva koko ndaya kufuna umsebenzi. Kudliwano-ndlebe lokufuna umsebenzi ndandichaza ukuba ndifuna ukubutshintsha ubomi bam ndize ndenze umsebenzi osemthethweni. Maxa wambi, ndandide ndichaze ukuba ndifunda iBhayibhile, ibe ndifuna ukuphila ubomi obubhetele. Lahamba ixesha ndigade ndiqeshwe. Ekugqibeleni, emva kokuba ndichazele omnye umqeshi indlela endandiphila ngayo ngaphambili, wathi: “Andazi ukuba kutheni, kodwa kusuke nje kwakho intw’ ethi mandikuqeshe.” Ndikholelwa ukuba le yayiyimpendulo yemithandazo yam. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, mna nomfazi wam sabhaptizwa saba ngamaNgqina kaYehova.

Ndisaphila namhlanje ngenxa yokusebenzisa imigaqo yeBhayibhile nokuphila ngendlela yobuKristu. Ndinentsapho eqhuba kakuhle. Ndiqinisekile ukuba uYehova undixolele, ngoko ndinesazela esimsulwa.

Kangangeminyaka eyi-14 bendikhonza njengomshumayeli wexesha elizeleyo, ndinceda abanye bafunde oko kufundiswa yiBhayibhile, ibe kutshanje nomfazi wam uye wandithelela. Kwisithuba seminyaka eyi-30, ndiye ndanceda abantu abayi-22 endisebenza nabo ukuba bakhonze uYehova. Ndisaya kwiindawo zoshishino—kodwa hayi ngenjongo yokuqhatha abantu njengoko ndandikade ndisenza ngaphambili. Ngoku amaxesha amaninzi ndiya ngenjongo yokubanika okuthile: ithemba lokuphila kwihlabathi elitsha elizayo elingenabo abakhohlisi.—INdumiso 37:10, 11.