Jishimikila ja Bwikalo

Natendekele Kupwanañana na Bakikulumpe ba Maana

Byashimikizha ba Elva Gjerde

Myaka 70 yapitapo, muntu umo waishile na kufwakasha pa nzubo yetu wabujile batata bintu byapimpwile bwikalo bwami bonse. Kufumatu pa joja juba, bantu bakwabo bapusana pusana nabo balengejile bwikalo bwami kupimpulwa. Bino bintu byonse byandengela kwikala na bulunda bo nanemeka bingi kukila bintu bikwabo. Pano lekai ndumbulule byo kyajinga.

NASEMEKELWE mu 1932 mu muzhi wa Sydney mu Australia. Bansemi bami baitabijile mwi Lesa, pano bino kechi bayanga ku chechi ne. Bamama bamfunjishe’mba Lesa umona bintu byonse byo nguba, kabiji ne kuba’mba ukankambula umvwe kambule kukokela. Kino kyandengelanga kuchina Lesa. Nangwa byonkabyo, naishile kutemwa bingi Baibolo. Bamama ba bakulumpe byo baiyanga na kufwakasha ku mpelo ya mulungu, bambulanga mashimikila awama a mu Baibolo. Nakebangatu amba beyenga jonse.

Byo nakijinga mwanyike, batata batanganga mabuku apusana pusana atambulanga bamama ku inetu wakikulumpe wajinga Kamonyi wa kwa Yehoba. Batemenwe bingi bintu byo batanganga mu oa mabuku a bena Kilishitu kya kuba baswile ne kufunda Baibolo na Bakamonyi. Juba jimo bufuku byo bafunjilenga Baibolo, batata bammwene saka nteleka mu bufyamfya. Bakebelenga kumpanga amba ngye na kulaala. Pano bino, awa mwanamulume wibafunjishenga waambile’mba: “Mulekai Elva atelekenga.” Bino byambo byandengejile kutendeka kupimpula bwikalo bwami ne kwikala na bulunda na Lesa wa kine, Yehoba.

Palutwe kacheche, amiwa ne batata twatendekele kutanwa ku kupwila kwa bwina Kilishitu. Bintu byafunjile batata bibalengejile kupimpula bwikalo bwabo. Batendekele ne kukepeshako bukaji. Kino kyalengejile bamama ne bakolojami babalume ba Frank, kutendeka kutanwa ku kupwila.a Atweba bonse bana twaubilenga bingi bulongo kabiji kyapeleleko twabatizhiwe ne kwikala Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba. Kufumatu kyokya kimye, bakikulumpe bavula bankwasha bingi mu bwikalo bwami.

PA KUSALA BYA KUBA MU BWIKALO

Byo najinga mwanyike, natendekele kupwanañana na bakikulumpe mu kipwilo. Umo pa bano bakikulumpe, wajinga nyenga Alice Place, wajinga mutanshi kusapwila ba mu kisemi kyetu. Kwi amiwa wajingatu nobe bankambo. Ba Alice bamfunjishe bya kusapwila pa mvula bantu kabiji bo bantundaikile’mba mbatizhiwe. Byo nafikizhe myaka 15, nabatizhiwe.

Kabiji natendekele kupwanañana na ba mulume ne mukazhi bakikulumpe abo ba Percy ne Madge [Margaret] Dunham. Kupwanañana na bano bantu kwankwashishe bingi mu bwikalo bwami bwa kulutwe. Bino natemenwe bingi nsamushi, kabiji nakebelenga namba nkafunjishenga nsamushi. Ba Percy ne ba Madge baingijilepo bumishonale mu ma 1930 mu kyalo kya Latvia. Kimye kyatendekele Nkondo ya Bubiji ya Ntanda Yonse mu Europe, bebechile kuya na kwingijila pa Betele wa mu Australia, uji mu muzhi mukatampe wa Sydney pano bino kechi uji mukachi ka muzhi ne. Ba Percy ne ba Madge bantele bingi muchima. Bambujile mashimikila awama bingi a bintu byo beyowele mu mwingilo wa bumishonale. Ponkapo namwene kuba’mba kufunjisha Baibolo wajinga mwingilo wanema kukila kufunjisha nsamushi. Onkao mambo, nafuukwilepo kwikala mishonale.

Kisemi kya ba Dunham kyantundaikile kwingila bupainiya pa kuba’mba kikampelele kwingila bumishonale. Onkao mambo, mu 1948, byo najinga na myaka 16, natendekele bupainiya pamo na bakwetu bakyanyike jikumi baingijilenga bupainiya na lusekelo mu kipwilo kyetu kya mu Hurstville, mu muzhi wa Sydney.

Pa myaka ina yalondejilepo, naingijile bupainiya mu mataunyi akwabo ana, onse ajinga mu byalo bya New South Wales ne Queensland. Umo pa bo nafunjishanga Baibolo wajinga Betty Law (luno ke Betty Remnant). Betty wajinga nsongwakazhi wawama bingi muchima, kabiji wankijileko myaka ibiji ya kusemwa. Kabiji waishile kwikala painiya ye naingijilenga nanji pamo mu taunyi wa Cowra, palepa makilomita 230 ku muzhika wa muzhi wa Sydney. Nangwa kya kuba kechi twatwajijile kwingijila pamo bupainiya ne Betty pa kimye kyabaya ne, bino bulunda bwetu bwatwajijila kufikatu ne lelo.

Byo bampele mwingilo wa bupainiya bwiikajila, navilukijile ku Narrandera, taunyi waikela ku kabeta ka ku bulenge muzhika wa muzhi wa Cowra palepa makilomita 220. Natendekele kwingila ne Joy Lennox (luno ke Joy Hunter), painiya wabambakana kabiji naye wankijileko na myaka ibiji. Yetu bonka twajinga Bakamonyi mu yewa taunyi. Amiwa ne Joy twaikalanga mu nzubo ya ba mulume ne mukazhi bajinga na muchima wa kutambwila benyi ba Ray ne ba Eshita Irons. Abo ne mwanabo wa mulume ne baana babo babakazhi basatu bakebelenga kufunda bukine. Ku mpelo ya mulungu, ba Ray ne mwanabo wa mulume baingilanga mu bujimi bwa wichi bwajinga kwapela taunyi ko balaminanga ne mikooko. Bino ba Eshita ne baana babo babakazhi batalanga pa nzubo yabo ikatampe mwasonkelanga bantu ba mingilo. Pa juba ja pa mulungu twanengezhanga kajo ka mabanga kavula ka bene bena nzubo ne ba mingilo jikumi na babiji basonkelanga mu ino nzubo, baingilanga ku mashitima. Uno mwingilo ye twaingilanga ye wakepesheko mali o twasonkelanga nzubo. Inge twapwisha kuwamisha byonse, twapanga kisemi kya ba Irons kajo kawama ka ku mupashi, lufunjisho lwa Kyamba kya Usopa lubiwa pa mulungu pa mulungu. Ba Ray, ba Eshita ne baana babo bana bafunjile bukine kabiji bo bajinga batanshi batendekele kipwilo kya Narrandera.

Mu 1951, natainwe ku kushonkena kwa Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba mu muzhi wa Sydney. Pa kuno kushonkena, natainweko ku kusambakana kwiikajila kwa bapainiya bakebelenga mwingilo wa bumishonale. Kabiji bantu kukila pa 300 batainweko ku kuno kusambakana kwaikejile mu tente mukatampe. Mu jashi janji, mulongo Nathan Knorr wafumine ku Betele wa mu Brooklyn, walumbulwijile jibumba’mba, mambo awama akebewenga kusapwilwa mwaya ntanda yonse bukiji bukiji. Twalamine byambo byonse byo aambile. Bapainiya bavula batainwe ku kuno kusambakana, batendekele mwingilo wa Bufumu mu mpunzha ya South Pacific ne mapunzhatu akwabo. Naumvwine bingi bulongo kwikala pa balongo ne banyenga 17 bafumine ku Australia bo baichile kutanwa ku Sukulu wa Gileada wa nambala 19, mu 1952. Byo nafikizhetu myaka 20, kintu kikatampe kyo nakebelenga kuba mu bwikalo kyaubiwe, ko kuba’mba mwingilo wa bumishonale.

KIMYE KYA KUPIMPULA BINTU

Bintu byo twafunjile ne kupwanañana na bakwetu ku Gileada kechi byandengejiletu kuyuka bintu byavula mu Baibolo ne kukosesha lwitabilo lwami ne, bino byankwashishe ne kupimpula bwikalo bwami. Byo nakijinga mwanyike naketekejilengatu kimye kyonse kuba byawama kwa kubula kulubankanya ne. Bintu bimo byo nalangulukanga byamweshanga nobe yami naolokatu bunke. Kyakumwenako, nakuminye bingi kimye kyo namwene mulongo Knorr saka akaya mpila na bakyanyike ba pa Betele.

Kyamweka bafunjishi ba milangwe ba ku Gileada kabiji baingila pa myaka yavula bamwene’mba nji na lukatazho. Bantele bingi muchima kabiji bankwashishe kupimpula ndangulukilo yami. Pachepache natendekele kumona kuba’mba Yehoba wa butemwe kabiji Lesa usanta, kechi ukebela bantu bintu byo bakonsha kubula kuba ne. Kabiji bakwetu bamo bo twajinga nabo ku sukulu bankwashishe bingi. Mvuluka nyenga umo wañambijile’mba: “Elva, Yehoba kechi witukebela bintu byo twakonsha kubula kuba ne. Kange ukilengamo kukosesha bintu ne.” Byambo byo aambile bya kubula kupita mu mbaji byamfikile bingi pa muchima.

Byo twapwishishe Sukulu wa Gileada, amiwa ne bakwetu bana betutumine kuya na kwingijila ku Namibia mu Africa. Kechi papichile ne kimye kyabaya ne, twaikele na mafunjisho a Baibolo 80. Natemenwe bingi kyalo kya Namibia ne mwingilo wami wa bumishonale, pano bino, twifwalamine na mishonale mukwetu ye twajinga nanji ku sukulu wa Gileada ye batumine kuya na kwingijila ku kyalo kya Switzerland. Byo napwishishe mwaka umo mu Namibia, nayile ku Switzerland kwajinga sambe wami. Panyuma ya kwisongola, natendekele kwingijila pamo na bamwatawami mu mwingilo wabo wa bukalama bwa mwanzo.

KIMYE KYO NAPICHILENGA MU LUKATAZHO LUKATAMPE

Panyuma ya kwiyowa myaka itanu mu mwingilo wa kwenda mu mwanzo, betwichile kuya na kwingijila pa Betele wa mu Switzerland. Mu kisemi kya Betele, naumvwine bingi bulongo pa kwikala na balongo ne banyenga bakikulumpe bakoma ku mupashi.

Pano bino, byo papichile bañondo bacheche, naumvwine kintu kyampezhezhe maana. Naishile kuyuka’mba bamwatawami kechi bajinga bakishinka kwi amiwa ne kwi Yehoba ne. Ko kyakayanga banshile. Kino kyanshinkile bingi bulaka. Kechi nayuka byo nakonsheshe kuba na lulwe lukatazho kwa kubula lutundaiko ne butemwe bwa bakwetu ba mu kisemi kya Betele ne. Bantelekanga inge kenebabule lukatazho lwami kabiji umvwe kankebe kwikala nzoo bampanga kimye kya kukokoloka. Byambo byabo bya lutekenesho ne lusa lwabo, byankwashishe bingi kimye kyo napichilenga mu luno lukatazho kabiji byandengejile kufwenya kwipi ne Yehoba.

Kabiji navulukile byambo byaambile bakikulumpe bamo kunyuma bapichilepo mu meseko avula. Bino byambo byavwangamo ne byaambile ba Madge Dunham. Uno nyenga waambile’mba: “Elva, mu mwingilo wobe wa kwingijila Yehoba ukapitanga mu meseko avula, pano bino meseko akilamo kukatazha ke oa akonsha kufuma ku balunda nobe. Kimye kyo ukapitanga mu ano meseko, wafwainwa kufwenya kwipi ne Yehoba. Saka uvuluka’mba ubena kwingijila Yehoba, kechi bantu bambulwakulumbuluka ne.” Byambo bya lujimuno bya ba Madge byankwashishe bingi kimye kyo napichilenga mu ano makatazho. Napwishishe mu muchima wami namba kechi nkaleka byubilo byatama bya ba mwatawami kungabanya ne Yehoba ne.

Pa kupitapo moba, nafuukwilepo kubwela ku Australia kwipi na kisemi kyami kuba’mba nkengilenga bupainiya. Byo najinga mu bwato pa kalunga ka mema pa kubwela kwetu, naumvwinenga bingi bulongo kwisamba bya mu Baibolo na bantu bo naendelenga nabo mu bwato. Pa bantu bo nesambilenga nabo pajinga ne mwanamulume wa ku kyalo kya Norway, wa jizhina ja Arne Gjerde. Watemenwe bintu byo aumvwine. Pa kupitapo moba, Arne waishile na kumona kisemi kyami ne amiwa mu muzhi wa Sydney. Waubilenga bingi bulongo ku mupashi kabiji kechi papichile kimye kyabaya ne, waishile mu bukine. Mu 1963, twisongwele, kabiji byo papichile myaka ibiji twaikele na mwana wamulume, Gary.

KIMYE KYO NAPICHILENGA MU LUKATAZHO LUKWABO LUKATAMPE

Ba Arne, Gary ne amiwa twaikele bingi bulongo. Palutwe kacheche babaisheko nzubo pa kuba’mba twikalengamo na bansemi bami bakotele. Nangwa byonkabyo, pa kupitapo myaka itanu na umo kufuma po twisongwejile, twaikele na lukatazho lukwabo lukatampe. Ba Arne bebakwachile na kikola kya kabe (kansa) ka ku bongo. Nayanga ku kipatela na kwibapempula pa juba pa juba kimye kyo bajinga pa muchi. Kimye kimo baumvwineko bulongo, bino kulutwe na lwendo kikola kyabayile kabiji mwavwangile ne kikola kya kinkanku. Bambujile’mba basakwikalatu na bumi pa milungu icheche. Nangwa byonkabyo, ba Arne bakosele. Kabiji babwele ne ku nzubo ko nebalaminenga kufika ne byo bakosele bulongo. Pa kupitapo moba, batendekele kwendatu bulongo ne kutwajijila na mwingilo wabo wa bukulumpe mu kipwilo. Muchima wabo wa lusekelo ne kubula kwinyengaika ko kwalengejile kuba’mba bakose kabiji kyandengejile ne amiwa kwikala na ngovu ya kwibalama.

Pa kupitapo myaka, mu 1986, kikola kya ba Arne kyabayile jikwabo. Pa kikye kimye bansemi bami saka bafwa kala, onkao mambo, twavilukijile ku mpunzha yawama ya mitumba yajinga kwapela muzhi wa Sydney, kabiji kino kitulengejile kwikala kipi kipi na balunda netu. Palutwe kacheche Gary wasongwele Karin, mwanamukazhi walumbuluka wajinga na bulunda bwawama ne Lesa, kabiji bonse babiji bafuukwile’mba twikalenga nabo mu nzubo yabo. Byo papichile bañondo bacheche, twavilukijile ku nzubo yabo yajingatu kipi kipi na ko twaikalanga na ba Arne.

Pa mwaka umo ne kichika, ba Arne balaalangatu pa mwanya kabiji bakebewenga kwibata muchima kimye kyonse. Na mambo a kuba pa kyokya kimye naikalangatu mu nzubo, pa juba pa juba natanganga Baibolo ne mabuku alumbulula Baibolo pa maola abiji. Kimye kyo naubanga bino, natananga byambo bwawama byankwashanga kuyuka mwa kubila na luno lukatazho. Bakikulumpe ba mu kipwilo nabo baiyanga na kummona, kabiji pa bano pajinga ne bapitapo kala mu meseko a uno mutundu. Kufwakasha kwabo kwankoseshanga bingi. Ba mwatawami ba Arne bafwile mu ñondo wa April 2003, na luketekelo lwa kuba’mba bakasanguka.

KUFUMA BUKWASHO BWAMI BUKATAMPE

Byo najinga mwanyike, namwenanga bintu mu jishinda jingi. Pano luno natana kuba’mba javula bintu byo tuketekela kuba mu bwikalo byaluka mu kuya kwa moba. Neyowa mapesho avula bingi kabiji nachinchika makatazho abiji akatampe, kungalukamo ku bamwatawami batanshi ne kufwisha bamwatawami ba bubiji bakolelwe kikola kikatampe. Mu bino byonse, ntambula bukwasho ne lutekenesho mu mashinda apusana pusana. Pano bino, Yehoba Lesa, “yenkaye Wa-kala-kene” ye mwine unkwasha. (Da. 7:9) Mafunde anji apimpula byubilo byami kabiji andengejile kumona bintu byawama mu mwingilo wa bumishonale. Byo najinga mu makatazho, ‘lusa lwa Yehoba lwankwachile ne kundama kabiji lutekenesho lwanji lwasangajikile muchima wami.’ (Sala. 94:18, 19) Kabiji kisemi kyami kyankwashishe bingi ne kuntundaika kubikapotu ne ‘batemwe basemekelwa mambo a kimye kya kumona bya malwa.’ (Mana 17:17) Bavula pa bano bankwashanga bajinga bakikulumpe.

Mushakulu Yoba waambile’mba: ‘Maana aji mu bakulu ne milangwe iji mu boba baji na moba avula.’ (Yoba 12:12) Inge nalanguluka mwapita bwikalo bwami, kine nakonsha kwamba’mba bino byambo bya kine. Mafunde a bakikulumpe ne lutekenesho lwabo byankwasha bingi kabiji bulunda bwami ne abo bwalengela bwikalo bwami kuwama. Nsanta bingi na mambo a kupwanañana nabo.

Byo nafikizha myaka ya kusemwa 80, ne amiwa ne wakikulumpe. Bintu byo napitamo mu bwikalo byandengela kikatakata kuyuka bintu bikeba bakwetu bakikulumpe. Ne luno natemwa kufwakesha bakikulumpe ne kwibakwasha. Pano bino, natemwa ne bakyanyike. Mambo bakiji na ngovu ne kizaku kya kukwashañana. Inge namona namba bakeba amiwa kwibakwasha, ñumvwa bingi bulongo kwibakwasha.

[Tubyambo twa mushi]

[Kipikichala pa peja 14]

Kimye kyo naingijilenga bupainiya ne Joy Lennox mu Narrandera

[Kipikichala pa peja 15]

Ba Elva ne bakwabo ba mu kisemi kya Betele wa mu Switzerland mu 1960

[Kipikichala pa peja 16]

Kimye kyo nalaminenga ba Arne kasa babena kukolwa