Ndazalelwa eCiudad Obregón ekumntla waseMexico. Ekhaya singabantwana abayi-9, mna ndingowesihlanu. Utata wayenefama encinci, sasihlala khona. Kwakumnandi ukuhlala apho, kwaye sasiyintsapho eyonwabileyo nemanyeneyo. Okubuhlungu kukuba xa ndandina-5, kwabakho inkanyamba eyadiliza ifama yasekhaya, kwaza kwanyanzeleka ukuba siyokuhlala kwenye idolophu.

Utata waqalisa ukuba nemali, waza waqalisa nokunxila kakhulu. Le nto yawumosha umtshato wakhe nomama, nobuhlobo bethu naye. Mna noobhuti bam abadala saqalisa ukutshaya icuba esasiliba kutata. Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-6, ndaqalisa ukusela utywala. Emva koko, abazali bam bohlukana, kwaye izinto ezimbi endandizenza zaya zisanda.

Umama waye wahamba nathi xa wayeyohlalisana nenye indoda. Imali awayeyamkela yayingasaneli, futhi le ndoda yayingamniki nesenti umama. Ngoko mna nabantwana basekhaya senza imisebenzi eyahlukeneyo, kodwa imali esasiyenza yayingazaneli zonke izinto esasizidinga. Ndandipolisha izihlangu, ndithengisa isonka, amaphephandaba, iitshephisi, nezinye izinto. Ndandizula nasedolophini ndikhangela ukutya kwimigqomo yabantu abanemali.

Xa ndandina-10, enye indoda yandicela ukuba ndisebenze nayo kwindawo ekulahlwa kuyo inkunkuma. Ndavuma, ndayeka isikolo ndaza ndashiya ikhaya. Wayendibhatala imali engaphantsi kwe-R14 ngosuku. Ndandihlala emkhukhwini endawakha ngezinto endazifumana kwindawo ekulahlwa kuyo inkunkuma. Abantu endandihlala nabo babekrwada, bethetha izinto eziphantsi, beziphathe kakubi ngokwesondo. Abaninzi babengamakhoboka eziyobisi bengawo namanxila. Yayilixesha elinzima kakhulu eli ebomini bam, ndandivuka qho ezinzulwini zobusuku ndingcangcazela luloyiko. Indlala nokungafundi kwakundenza ndizijongele phantsi. Ndandihlala ngasemigqomeni iminyaka emithathu, emva koko ndahamba ndayohlala kwenye indawo eMexico. Apho ndasebenza emasimini, ndiqokelela iintyantyambo, uboya, ummoba ndivuna namazambane.

Emva kweminyaka emini, ndabuyela eCiudad Obregón. Omnye udadobawo wam oligqirha wandinika indlu kwakhe. Ndaqalisa ukuphupha kakubi ndaze ndakhathazeka kakhulu kangangokuba ndade ndacinga nokuzibulala. Ngobunye ubusuku ndathandaza kuThixo ndathi: “Nkosi, ukuba ukhona nyhani, ndifuna ukukwazi ndize ndikukhonze ubomi bam bonke. Ukuba ikhona inkonzo efundisa inyani, ndifuna ukuyazi.”

Ndandisoloko ndinomdla wokufunda ngoThixo. Ndisemncinci, ndaya kwiicawa ezininzi kodwa zonke zange zindanelise. Zonke zazingathethi kakhulu ngeBhayibhile, futhi zange zindincede kumnqweno wam wokwazi uThixo. Ezinye zazihoye kakhulu imali, kanti zona ezinye zinabantu abathi bayakhonza kodwa babe bethandana kwalapha ecaweni nabantu abangatshatanga nabo.

Xa ndandina-19, umyeni kasisi wam omdala wandixelela ukuba amaNgqina kaYehova ambonise ukuba ithini iBhayibhile ngokusebenzisa imifanekiso eqingqiweyo. Wandifundela iEksodus 20:4, 5. Ethi singazenzeli imifanekiso eqingqiweyo. Ivesi 5 ithi: “Uze ungaqubudi kuzo okanye uqhutyelwe ekuzikhonzeni, kuba mna Yehova Thixo wakho ndinguThixo ofuna uzinikelo olupheleleyo.” Waza wandibuza wathi, “Ukuba uThixo usebenzisa imifanekiso ukuze enze imimangaliso okanye ukuba ufuna sisebenzise imifanekiso xa simnqula, kutheni ke esithi masingayenzi?” Loo nto yandenza ndacinga. Emva koko, sancokola kakhulu ngezinto eziseBhayibhileni. Kwakumnandi nyhani kangangokuba ixesha lalingathi liyakhawuleza.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha, wahamba nam saya kwinkonzo yamaNgqina kaYehova. Ndazithanda kakhulu izinto endazibonayo phaya nendazivayo. Nabantwana abancinci babethetha ngeBhayibhile eqongeni. Ndazibonela ngokwam ukuba iyafundiswa iBhayibhile. Nangona ndandineenwele ezinde, ndinganxibanga nakakuhle, amaNgqina kaYehova andamkela ngobubele. Enye intsapho yandimema ukuba ndiyotya nayo emva kwenkonzo.

Xa ndandifunda namaNgqina iBhayibhile, ndafunda ukuba uYehova uThixo unguTata osithandayo, osikhathaleleyo nokuba asinamali, siloluphi na uhlanga, okanye asifundanga. Yinyani into yokuba akakhethi buso. (IZenzo 10:34, 35) Ekugqibeleni, ndayifumana inyaniso ngoThixo. Ndonwaba kakhulu.

Ubomi bam batshintsha ngokukhawuleza. Ndayeka ukutshaya, ukunxila, nokuthuka. Ndaye ndayeka nokuphupha izinto ezoyikisayo ezazindothusa ebusuku, nenzondo endandinayo ukususela ndisengumntwana yaya iphela. Ndayeka nokuzijongela phantsi, okwakungenxa yendlela endikhule ngayo nokungafundi kwam.

Ndinomfazi othandekayo omthandayo uYehova nondixhasa kakhulu. Ndingumveleli ohambahambayo wamaNgqina kaYehova, ndityelela amabandla ukuze ndiwakhuthaze ndize ndifundise abazalwana noodade. Ndimbulela kakhulu uThixo ngelizwi lakhe iBhayibhile elihlaziyayo, nelifundisa eyona mfundo ibalulekileyo, ngoku andisenazintloni ngobuntu bam!