Ndinakulira mumzinda wa Puerto Limón komanso m’madera ena oyandikana ndi mzindawu. Mzinda umenewu uli m’mbali mwa nyanja chakum’mawa kwa dziko la Costa Rica. M’banja mwathu tinalipo ana 8 ndipo ine ndine wa nambala 7. Bambo anga anamwalira ndili ndi zaka 8. Choncho tinaleredwa ndi mayi athu okha.

Kuyambira ndili mwana, ndinkakonda kwambiri masewera a baseball. Nditatsala pang’ono kukwanitsa zaka 20 ndinalowa m’timu ina imene inkachita masewerawa pofuna kungosangalala. Nditakwanitsa zaka 20 ndinayamba kusewera mu ligi ina. Kenako munthu wina anandiuza kuti ndizikasewera mu timu ina ya m’dziko la Nicaragua. Koma popeza pa nthawiyi ndinkasamalira mayi anga omwe ankadwala, ndinakana kusamukira ku Nicaragua. Patapita nthawi munthu winanso anandipempha kuti ndizikasewera mu timu ya dziko lathu ndipo ndinavomera. Osewera a mu timu imeneyi anali ochokera m’matimu osiyanasiyana omwe ankasewera mu ligi ija. Ndinasewera m’timuyi kuyambira mu 1949 mpaka 1952 ndipo timu yathu inasewerapo ku Cuba, ku Mexico ndi Nicaragua. Pamalo amene ndinkasewera ndinkasonyeza ukatswiri kwambiri moti nthawi ina ndinasewera magemu 17, osalakwitsa kalikonse. Ndinkasangalala kwambiri ndikamamva anthu akutchula dzina langa pondichemerera.

Koma ndinalinso munthu wachiwerewere. Ngakhale kuti ndinali ndi chibwenzi chimodzi, ndinkayendanso ndi akazi ena. Kuwonjezera pamenepa, ndinalinso chidakwa. Tsiku lina ndinaledzera kwambiri moti nditadzuka m’mawa sindinkakumbukira n’komwe kuti ndinafika bwanji kunyumba. Ndinkatchovanso juga ya mitundu yosiyanasiyana.

Pa nthawiyi mayi anga anali atayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi a Mboni za Yehova. Ankandiuza zimene ankaphunzira n’cholinga choti nanenso ndiyambe kuphunzira. Koma ndinalibe nazo chidwi chifukwa mtima wanga wonse unali pa masewera a baseball. Ndikakhala kuti ndili kokonzekera masewerawa, sindinkamva njala moti nthawi ya chakudya inkadutsa ine osadziwa. Ndinkangoganiza za masewerawa ndipo ndinkawakonda kuposa chilichonse.

Koma ndili ndi zaka 29 ndinavulala kwambiri ndikusewera. Nditachira, ndinasiya kuchita masewera a baseball. Komabe  ndinayamba kuphunzitsa anthu a kudera lathu amene ankachita masewerawa kuti azingosangalala.

Mu 1957 ndinavomera atandiitanira kumsonkhano wachigawo wa Mboni za Yehova. Msonkhanowu unachitikira kusitediyamu imene pa nthawi ina tinachitirako masewera a baseball. Zimene ndinaona kumeneko zinali zosiyana kwambiri ndi zimene zinkachitika pa nthawi ya masewera ija. Tikamachita masewera, kusitediyamuku kunkakhala chipwirikiti koma ndinaona kuti a Mboni anali anthu aulemu kwambiri. Zimenezi zinandikhudza zedi moti ndinayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi a Mboni komanso kupita kumisonkhano yawo.

Ndinachita chidwi kwambiri ndi zimene ndinaphunzira m’Baibulo. Mwachitsanzo, ndinaphunzira kuti Yesu anati ophunzira ake azidzalalikira uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu padziko lonse. (Mateyu 24:14) Ndinaphunziranso kuti Akhristu oona sachita utumiki wawo n’cholinga choti apeze ndalama. Amatsatira mawu a Yesu akuti: “Munalandira kwaulere, patsani kwaulere.”—Mateyu 10:8.

Ndikamaphunzira Baibulo ndinkayerekezera zimene limanena ndi zimene a Mboni amachita. Ndinachita chidwi kuona kuti iwo amalalikira mwakhama uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu padziko lonse. Ndinaonanso kuti amatsatira lamulo la Yesu loti Akhristu ayenera kukhala ndi mtima wopatsa. Choncho nditawerenga lemba la Maliko 10:21 n’kuona mawu a Yesu akuti, “Ubwere udzakhale wotsatira wanga,” ndinaganiza zokhala wa Mboni za Yehova.

Panatenga nthawi kuti ndisinthe khalidwe langa. Mwachitsanzo, kwa zaka zambiri mlungu uliwonse, ndinkabetcha ndalama pa masewera ena a lotale. Koma kenako ndinaphunzira kuchokera m’Baibulo kuti Mulungu safuna kuti atumiki ake akhale adyera komanso azilambira “mulungu wa Mwayi.” (Yesaya 65:11; Akolose 3:5) Choncho ndinaganiza zosiya kutchova juga. Lamlungu la sabata yomweyi, nambala yanga inachita mwayi pa masewera a lotale aja. Anzanga anandinyoza kwambiri chifukwa choti mlungu umenewo sindinasewere ndipo ankandikakamiza kuti ndisewerenso koma ndinakana. Kungochokera nthawi imeneyo ndinasiyiratu kutchova juga.

Kenako ndinabatizidwa n’kukhala wa Mboni za Yehova. Pa tsiku limene ndinabatizidwalo ndinakumana ndi mayesero okhudza “kuvala umunthu watsopano.” (Aefeso 4:24) Madzulo a tsiku limenelo, nditafika kuhotelo komwe ndinkakhala, ndinapeza mtsikana wina yemwe kale anali chibwenzi changa akundidikira pakhomo. Atangondiona anandiuza mokopa kuti: “Sammy, ndabwera kuti tidzasangalale.” Koma ndinamuyankha kuti, “Ayi!” Kenako ndinamuuza kuti: “Paja ndinakuuza kuti ndinasintha ndipo panopa ndimatsatira mfundo za m’Baibulo.” (1 Akorinto 6:18) Atamva zimenezi anati, “Chiyani?” Kenako anayamba kunyoza zimene Baibulo limanena pa nkhani ya kugonana ndipo anayamba kundikakamiza kuti tiyambirenso chibwenzi. Koma ine ndinangolowa m’chipinda changacho n’kukhoma chitseko. Ndikusangalala kuti kungochokera pamene ndinabatizidwa mu 1958, ndikuyesetsa kutsatira mfundo za m’Baibulo.

Nditati ndifotokoze zonse zimene ndapindula chifukwa chotsatira mfundo za m’Baibulo ndikhoza kulemba buku. Zina mwa zinthu zimenezi ndi monga kukhala wosangalala, kupeza anzanga apamtima komanso kudziwa kuti chofunika kwambiri pa moyo ndi kutumikira Yehova.

Panopa ndimasewerabe masewera a baseball koma sikuti ndimawakonda ngati kale. Pamene ndinkasewera masewerawa ndinkapeza ndalama zambiri ndipo ndinali wotchuka, koma zinthu zimenezi zinali zosakhalitsa. Tsopano ndili pa ubwenzi ndi Mulungu komanso a Mboni anzanga padziko lonse ndipo zimenezi sizidzatha. Baibulo limanena kuti: “Dziko likupita limodzi ndi chilakolako chake, koma wochita chifuniro cha Mulungu adzakhala kosatha.” (1 Yohane 2:17) Panopa ndimakonda kwambiri Yehova komanso anthu ake kuposa chilichonse.