Monga Wothaŵa, Ndinapeza Chiweruzo Cholungamadi

KUDAKALI kuzizira ndipo chipale chili mbuu pansi, ndinavala khothi lolemera. Ndiyeno ndinameza msanganizo wa zinthu zilizonse za poizoni zimene ndinapeza m’kabati mwanga, kuphatikizapo mankhwala oyeretsera zinthu (carbon tetrachloride). Ndinayamba ulendo wanga wopita ku mtsinje wa Charles mu Cambridge, Massachusetts, ndikumayembekezera kuti ndikafera kumeneko. Mmalo mwa imfa, chinthu chokha chimene ndinapeza pakuthedwa nzeru kwangako ndicho kugonekedwa m’chipatala kwa masiku asanu m’chipinda cha matenda akayakaya. Kodi nchiyani chinandichititsa kutenga njira ya kuthedwa nzeru yotero? Tiyeni tibwerere kuchiyambi changa.

Ndinabadwira m’Jaffa, Palestine, mu 1932, monga Mgiriki wobadwira ku Palestine. Ndinaleredwera m’chipembedzo cha Greek Orthodox, zimene zinatanthuza kumka kutchalitchi mlungu uliwonse ndi kusala chakudya pamene kunali kofunika. Koma kwa ine umenewo unali mchitidwe wopanda tanthauzo.

Makolo anga anali achuma ndithu, popeza kuti banja lathu linali ndi kampani yaikulu yogulitsa zakudya ndi moŵa. Pausinkhu wa zaka khumi, ndinatumizidwa ku Friends’ Boarding School ku Ramallah ndiyeno ndinamka ku St. George’s Anglican School ku Jerusalem. Sukulu yotsirizirayo inandichititsa chidwi—kumeneko kunali ophunzira Achikristu, Achiluya, ndi Achiyuda onsewo akumaphunzirira pamodzi mwamtenderepo. Sukuluyo inaphunzitsa mkhalidwe wa kuyanjana, makhalidwe abwino, kulemekeza ena. Koma sukuluyo ndi mkhalidwe weniweni wa zinthu zinali zinthu ziŵiri zosiyana.

Muubwana wanga, kuukirana kwa anthu kunali kofala, Ayuda, Aluya, ndi anthu a ku Britain akumamenyana nthaŵi zonse. Monga mwana wachichepere, ndinaonerera kuphedwa kwa munthu wina kunja kwa nyumba yathu. Nthaŵi zambiri makolo anga anatsala nenene kuphedwa m’kuomberana. Ndiyeno Nkhondo Yadziko II inachititsa Haifa, mzinda wadoko wofunika kwambiri, kukhala chandamale cha kuponyedwa kwa mabomba a Germany—panafa anthu ambiri ndi kuwonongedwa kwa zinthu.

Pamene Britain anali pafupi kusiya kulamulira Palestine mu May 1948, kuukirana kwa anthu kunakula. Mu July 1946, King David Hotel, yotchuka koposa mu Jerusalem, inaphulitsidwa. Imfa yake inali yosasankha—Aluya 41, anthu a ku Britain 28, Ayuda 17, ndi anthu enanso 5. Banja lathu linaganiza zothaŵa kusalamulirika kwa mkhalidwewo. Muusiku wina tinasamukira ku Cyprus, kumene Amayi anali ndi achibale awo. Atate anasiya bizinesi yawo ndi katundu wosiyanasiyana.

Zochitika zimenezi zinaumba mkhalidwe wa maganizo anga wa pachiyambi. Pausinkhu wa zaka 16, ndinakondweretsedwa ndi ndale zadziko ndipo ndinkaŵerenga manyuzipepala tsiku lililonse kuti ndidziŵe zochitika. Mtsogoleri wa Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser, anali ngwazi yanga. Iye anafooketsa chiyambukiro cha ulamuliro wautsamunda m’dziko lake.

Mu 1950 banja lathu linasamukira ku United States. Nkhondo ya ku Korea inali mkati, ndipo ndinafuna kuchita mbali yanga kaamba ka dziko limene linalanditsa banja langa pamkhalidwe wotsendereza. Ndinadzipereka kugwira ntchito mu Gulu la Nkhondo la m’Mlengalenga, kumene ndinakwezedwa kukhala paudindo woyang’anira asilikali ena wotchedwa staff sergeant. Komabe, sindinapite ku Korea—ndinangogwira ntchito m’gulu la nkhondo la m’mlengalengalo ku Omaha, Nebraska.

Wokonzanso Zinthu pa Sukulu ya Zaumulungu

Nditatuluka mu Gulu la Nkhondo la m’Mlengalenga, ndinapita ku Yunivesite ya Texas ndiyeno ku Yunivesite ya Ohio, kumene ndinapezako digiri ya zachuma. Ndinali munthu wodziŵika kwambiri potsutsa chisalungamo ku Middle East ndipo ndinapemphedwadi kukapereka nkhani yonena za mkhalidwewo. Profesa wina wa Episcopal, Dr. David Anderson, amene anandimva ndikulankhula, anapereka lingaliro lakuti ndiyenera kulandira ndalama zopititsira patsogolo kosi ina ku Episcopal Theological School mu Boston pambuyo pa kumaliza maphunziro. Popeza kuti sindinavomereze dongosolo la kulipidwa kwa mtsogoleri wachipembedzo, ndinalibe cholinga cha kukhala mbusa. Komabe, mu 1958, ndinavomerezedwa kuphunzira pasukuluyo.

Maphunziro a kosiyo anaphatikizapo kugwira ntchito m’malo a anthu odwala nthenda za maganizo limodzi ndi abusa. Mbali ya chidziŵitso ndi maphunziro za sukuluyo zinali zokondweretsa kwambiri, koma ndinafuna kuona zinthu zikuchitikadi ndi chiweruzo cholungama m’dziko. Chotero ndinayambitsa kagulu kokangalika kosintha zinthu kotchedwa “Dzina Lake Lidziŵikitsidwe Pakati pa Mitundu Yonse.” Ndinafuna kuti sukuluyo ikhale yokangalika. Ndinafuna kutsatira Yesu, osati kukangoŵerenga za iye kulaibulale, koma kuchitapo kanthu m’dziko.

Komabe, mwamsanga ndinatulukira kuti lingaliro langa la kukonzanso zinthu silikanagwira ntchito. Potsirizira pake, ndinapemphedwa kuchoka m’sukuluyo. Pafupifupi panthaŵi imeneyi ndinakonda msungwana wina amene ndinapeza m’kufunafuna kwanga munthu amene ndidzakhala naye mtsogolo. Ndinaona monga ngati kuti tinali oyenererana. Ndiyeno ndinatulukira kuti sanalabadire malingaliro anga. Kukanidwa koziziritsa nkhongono kwamwadzidziko kunali kwakukulu. Chinali chinthu chotsiriza chimene chinandichititsa kuyesa kudzipha.

Ntchito Yauphunzitsi

Pambuyo pa nyengo ya kuchira, ndinakaloŵa Yunivesite ya Columbia mu New York kukapeza luso la kuphunzitsa phunziro la geography ndi mbiri yakale. M’nthaŵi yonseyi, ndinali kufunafuna chimene ndinatcha kuti Chikristu chenicheni chokangalika. Kuphunzitsa kwanga kunandipititsa ku South Glens Falls, mu New York. Kumeneko kunachitika masinthidwe aakulu m’moyo wanga. Ndinakumana ndi mphunzitsi wina wotchedwa Georgia amene anakhala mkazi wanga ndi mnzanga mu 1964.

Ndinali chikhalirebe wandale ndipo ndinatsatira zolankhula za Senator James Fulbright, amene anali kutsutsa nkhondo ya ku Vietnam. Nanenso ndinali kutsutsa nkhondoyo. Ndinagwidwa chisoni chachikulu paimfa ya Prezidenti John F. Kennedy mu November 1963. Ndinayambukiridwa kwambiri kwakuti ndinakafika pamaliro ake ku Washington.

Kufunafuna Kwanga Chikristu

Mu 1966 tinasamukira ku Long Island, New York, kumene ndinaloŵa malo antchito yauphunzitsi pa Northport High School. Ndinali wovutika maganizo kwambiri ndi zochitika za dziko—inali nyengo ya kubuka kwa mankhwala oledzeretsa, ma hippie, ndi timagulu ta achichepere otengeka maganizo togogomezera kudzipereka kwa Yesu. Ndinafika pakagulu kena kokopa ndi kuchiritsa anthu ndi kuona kuti nakonso kanali kopereŵera pauthenga wowona Wachikristu, kakumagogomezera kwambiri pamalingaliro kuposa pakuchita zinthu. Panthaŵi ina ndinamvadi mbusa wa Episcopal akumachirikiza nkhondo ya ku Vietnam. Ndinayamba kuganiza kuti anthu ena osakhulupirira kukhalapo kwa Mulungu anali achifundo kwambiri kuposa anthu atchalitchi.

Kukhulupirira kwanga Mulungu kunatayika komatu osati kufunika kwa Ulaliki wa pa Phiri wa Yesu m’ndale zadziko. Kwa ine iye anadula chopinga cha udani ndi chiphunzitso chake, ndipo ndinaona zimenezo kukhala chothetsera vuto la ku Middle East. Ndinayesa kuloŵa zipembedzo zambiri—Chikatolika, Salvation Army, Baptist, Pentecostal—koma nthaŵi zonse ndinkachokamo ndili ndi maganizo osakhutira, iwo sanali kutsatira Chikristu cha Akristu oyambirira. Ndiyeno, mu 1974, ndinakumana ndi nthumwi ina ya kampani yogulitsa malo imene inasintha moyo wanga.

Dzina lake linali Frank Born. Ndinali kumfunsa za malo ogulitsa. M’kukambitsirana kwathuko, anatulutsa Baibulo. Ndinalikana nthaŵi yomweyo, ndikumati: “Simungapeze aliyense amene amakhala ndi moyo mogwirizana ndi malamulo amenewo a mkhalidwe.” Iye anayankha kuti: “Tsaganani nane, ndi kukadzionera nokha ku Nyumba Yaufumu ya Mboni za Yehova.” Komano ndinafuna kuti ayankhe mafunso ena aakulu ndisanafike ku Nyumba Yaufumuko.

Loyamba linali lakuti: “Kodi muli ndi atsogoleri achipembedzo olipidwa?” Anayankha kuti: “Ayi. Akulu athu onse ngodzipereka modzifunira amene amadzichirikiza ndi mabanja awo ndi ntchito imene amalembedwa kwina.” Funso langa lotsatira linali lakuti: “Kodi mumasonkhana m’nyumba za anthu monga momwe Akristu oyambirira anachitira kuti muphunzire Baibulo?” Yankho linali lakuti: “Inde. Tili ndi misonkhano ya mlungu ndi mlungu m’nyumba wamba m’mbali zosiyanasiyana za kumalo amene timakhala.” Funso langa lachitatu liyenera kukhala linali lodabwitsa kwa iye. “Kodi tchalitchi chanu chimatumiza mbusa kumiyambo yoika pampando prezidenti kukapempherera prezidentiyo?” Frank anayankha kuti: “Ndife achete munkhani zonse za ndale zadziko ndipo sitimatenga mbali. Timakhulupirira Ufumu wa Mulungu monga chothetsera chokha cha mavuto amene akukantha anthu lerolino.”

Sindikanatha kukhulupirira zimene ndinali nkumva. Ndinafuna kukaona mwamsanga kumene Akristu ameneŵa amasonkhana. Kodi ndinapezanji? Osati mkhalidwe wa kutengeka maganizo koma mafotokozedwe anzeru a Baibulo. Misonkhano yawo inali yophunzitsa, ikumayeneretsa anthu kufotokoza ndi kutetezera chikhulupiriro chawo Chachikristu. Iwo anali gulu lokangalika, akumamka kwa anthu kukafunafuna awo olakalaka ulamuliro wolungama wa Mulungu. Ndinapeza yankho langa pavuto la ku Middle East—anthu a mafuko onse, zinenero, ndi miyambo anagwirizana m’kulambira kwamtendere Ambuye Mfumu wa chilengedwe, Yehova Mulungu. Ndipo anali kuchita zonsezi mogwirizana ndi chitsanzo ndi chiphunzitso cha Kristu. M’gululi munalibe udani ndi ndewu. Munali mtendere wokhawokha ndi umodzi.

Ndinakhala Mboni yobatizidwa mu 1975, ndipo Georgia anandilondola zaka zisanu pambuyo pake. Tili ndi ana aamuna aŵiri, Robert ndi John, amene akulengeza mokangalika mbiri yabwino ya Ufumu wa Mulungu.

Mkhalidwe wa Maganizo Wosinthidwa

M’zaka zonsezo mkhalidwe wanga wa maganizo wafeŵetsedwa. Poyambirira, ndinali wamkhalidwe wokakala wonga wa munthu wankhondo wopanda chifundo kwambiri pazokomera ena. Mofanana ndi mamiliyoni ambiri, kuganiza kwanga kunali kutakhotetsedwa ndi chipembedzo chonyenga ndi ndale zadziko. Tsopano ndikuzindikira kuti Mulungu alibe tsankho ndi kuti anthu owona mtima a mafuko onse angathe kumtumikira mumtendere ndi umodzi.

M’gulu la Mboni za Yehova, ndapezamo anthu okhala ndi ziyambi zosiyanasiyana, anthu amene kale anada ena. Tsopano, mofanana nane, afika pakuzindikira kuti Mulungu alidi chikondi, ndipo chimenecho ndicho chimodzi cha zinthu zimene Yesu anadzera kudzatiphunzitsa. Iye anati: “Ndikupatsani inu lamulo latsopano, kuti mukondane wina ndi mnzake; monga ndakonda inu, kuti inunso mukondane wina ndi mnzake. Mwa ichi adzazindikira onse kuti muli akuphunzira anga, ngati muli nacho chikondano wina ndi mnzake.” (Yohane 13:34, 35)—Yosimbidwa ndi Constantine Louisidis.

[Chithunzi patsamba 13]

Constantine Louisidis wa zaka khumi pa Friends’ Boys School

[Chithunzi patsamba 14]

Ndinagwidwa chisoni chachikulu paimfa ya Prezidenti John F. Kennedy