XA NDANDINEMINYAKA esithoba, ndayeka ukukhula. Namhlanje ndineminyaka eyi-43, kodwa ndiyimitha nje ubude. Xa abazali bam babona ukuba andizi kuba mde ngaphezu koku, bandikhuthaza ukuba ndisebenze nzima ukuze ndingahlali ndicinga ngobufutshane bam. Ukuze ndihlale ndixakekile, ndazibekela itafile yokuthengisa iziqhamo phambi kwasekhaya ndaza ndayigcina intle. Loo nto yayisenza abantu bahlale besiza kuthenga.

Kakade ke, ukukhuthala zange kulungise yonke into. Ndandisemfutshane, yaye ndandisoyiswa nazezona zinto zilula ebomini, njengokufikelela kwizinto eziphezulu ezivenkileni. Kwakubonakala ngathi yonke into yenzelwe abantu abade kunam. Ndandizisizela, kodwa yatshintsha yonke loo nto xa ndandineminyaka eyi-14.

Ngenye imini, kweza amabhinqa amabini angamaNgqina kaYehova, athenga iziqhamo aza acela ukundifundela iBhayibhile. Kungekudala ndabona ukuba ukwazi uYehova nenjongo yakhe kubaluleke kakhulu kunobufutshane bam. Yandinceda gqitha loo nto. Esona sibhalo ndasithandayo yiNdumiso 73:28. Inxalenye yokuqala yale vesi ithi: “Ukusondela kuThixo kulungile kum.”

Ekhaya semka eCôte d’Ivoire safudukela eBurkina Faso, baza ubomi bam batshintsha kakhulu. Kaloku kwindawo esasihlala kuyo ngaphambili, abantu babesele beqhelile ukundibona ndimi ecaleni kwetafile yam yeziqhamo. Kodwa kule ndawo intsha, ndandingaziwa, ibe abantu abaninzi babesothuka xa bendibona. Babendithi ntsho ngamehlo, ngoko ndahlala endlwini iiveki ezininzi. Kwathi ke ngenye imini ndakhumbula indlela ekwakundinceda ngayo ukusondela kuYehova. Ndabhalela iofisi yesebe yamaNgqina kaYehova, yaza yathumela umntu. UNani, owayengumthunywa wevangeli, weza kundibona ehamba ngesithuthuthu.

Iindlela zendawo esasihlala kuyo zezomhlaba, ngoko ziyatyibilikisa, ibe xa kunetha, ziba nodaka. UNani wayesiwa kaninzi kwisithuthuthu sakhe xa esiza kundifundela, kodwa akazange ancame. Ngenye imini, wacela ukundisa kwiintlanganiso. Ndaqonda ukuba le nto iza kufuna ndiphume endlwini ndibe ndisindwa ngamehlo abantu. Ukongezelela kuloo nto, ndandiza kusisinda isithuthuthu sakhe ekwakuhleli kunzima kakade ukusiqhuba. Nakuba kunjalo, ndavuma, ndikhumbula inxalenye yesibini  yesibhalo endisithandayo ethi: “Ndisabela kwiNkosi enguMongami uYehova.”

Mna noNani sasidla ngokuwa eludakeni, kodwa sasingakhathali kuba sasizithanda iintlanganiso. KwiHolo YoBukumkani abantu babendincumela benobubele, bengafani nabantu ababedla ngokundithi ntsho ngamehlo esitratweni! Kwiinyanga ezisithoba emva koko, ndabhaptizwa.

Inxalenye yesithathu yesi sibhalo ndisithandayo ithi: “Ukuze ndivakalise yonke imisebenzi yakho.” Ndandisazi ukuba eyona nto iza kuba nzima kukuya entsimini. Ndikukhumbula kakuhle ukuqala kwam ukuya entsimini. Abantwana nabantu abadala babendiqwalasela, bandilandele baze bahlekise ngendlela endihamba ngayo. Yayindikhathaza gqitha loo nto, kodwa xa ndaqonda ukuba nabo badinga iParadesi njengam, ndakwazi ukunyamezela.

Ukuze izinto zibe lula, ndathenga itrayisekile enyovwa ngezandla. Umntu endihamba naye entsimini wayedla ngokunditshova emaqhineni aze akhawuleze akhwele xa indlela isihla. Nangona kwakunzima ekuqaleni ukushumayela, kungekudala ndaya ndikuthanda, kangangokuba ngo-1998, ndaba nguvulindlela othe ngxi.

Ndandiqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile ezininzi, ibe ezine kuzo zabhaptizwa. Ukongezelela koko, omnye woodadewethu wayamkela inyaniso! Ukuva indlela abanye abenza ngayo inkqubela kwakudla ngokundikhuthaza kanye xa ndikudinga ukukhuthazwa. Ngenye imini, ndandinesifo seengcongconi, ndafumana ileta eyayivela eCôte d’Ivoire. Ndandiqale isifundo seBhayibhile emnyango nomfundi waseyunivesithi eBurkina Faso ndaza ndamdlulisela komnye umzalwana. Kamva lo mfundi wafudukela eCôte d’Ivoire. Ndavuya ndisakuva ukuba uye waba ngumvakalisi ongabhaptizwanga!

Mhlawumbi uyazibuza ukuba ndiphila ngantoni. Omnye umbutho onceda abantu abaneziphene wandifundisa ukuthunga. Omnye wabahlohli wabona indlela endikhuthele ngayo, waza wathi: “Wena, kufuneka sikufundise ukwenza isepha.” Bayenza loo nto. Ngoku ndenza iisepha zokuhlamba umzimba nezempahla. Abantu bayayithanda isepha yam ibe bayayincoma nasebantwini. Ndiyisa ngokwam kubo, ndisebenzisa isithuthuthu esinamavili amathathu.

Okubuhlungu kukuba ngo-2004, kwafuneka ndiyeke ukuba nguvulindlela ngenxa yentlungu esemqolo. Ndisaya qho kodwa entsimini.

Abantu bathi ndaziwa ngoncumo lwam. Ndifanele ukuvuya kaloku, kuba ukusondela kuThixo kuye kwandilungela.—Kubalisa uSarah Maiga.