Ndinalabadira M’nthaŵi Yakututa

MONGA MOMWE YASIMBIDWIRA NDI WINIFRED REMMIE

“ZOTUTA zichulukadi koma antchito ali oŵerengeka.” Mawu ameneŵa a Ambuye wathu Yesu anasonkhezeredwa ndi lingaliro lachisoni chachikulu kaamba ka anthu okambululudwa ndi omwazikana monga nkhosa zopanda mbusa. Ndakhala ndi lingaliro lofananalo, ndipo kwazaka 40 zapitazo, ndayesayesa nthaŵi zonse kulabadira moyanja chiitano cha Ambuye cha kugwira ntchito yakututa.​—Mateyu 9:36, 37.

Ndinabadwira Kumadzulo kwa Afirika m’banja la ana asanu ndi aŵiri, asungwana okhaokha. Makolo athu anali okoma mtima, koma ankhokera; analinso opembedza kwambiri. Kufika kutchalitchi ndi Sande Sukulu mlungu uliwonse kunali kokakamiza. Kwa ine limenelo silinali vuto chifukwa chakuti ndinakonda zinthu zauzimu. Kunena zowona, pamsinkhu wazaka zakubadwa 21, ndinaikidwa kukhala wochititsa makalasi a Sande Sukulu.

Ukwati ndi Kuwona Zachilendo

Mu 1941, pamsinkhu wa zaka 23, ndinakwatirana ndi Lichfield Remmie, wosunga mabuku a ndalama m’boma. Kunena za chuma, ayi tinali okhupuka ndithu, koma kukonda kukawona zachilendo ndi kufuna kupeza chuma zinatipereka ku Liberia mu 1944. Kusintha kwa moyo wa mwamuna wanga ndi wanga kunachitika mu 1950 pamene mwamuna wanga anakumana ndi Hoyle Ervin, mishonale wa Mboni za Yehova. Ataphunzira kwa milungu itatu yokha, mwamuna wanga anayamba kukhala ndi phande m’ntchito yakulalikira.

Ndinakwiya pamene mwamuna wanga analeka kupita ku tchalitchi. Ndiiko komwe, iye anali Mprotestanti wachangu amene anasala kudya ngakhale m’nyengo ya Lent. Nthaŵi yoyamba pamene ndinamuwona akupita kukalalikira, atanyamula chola m’dzanja, ndinakwiya kwambiri. “Kodi chalakwika nchiyani?” ndinafunsa. “Mwamuna wolemekezeka ngati inu kumapita kukalalikira ndi anthu opulukiraŵa!” Iye anangokhala chete ndi kudekha m’nthaŵi yonseyi yakumzazira.

Mmaŵa mwake, Mbale Ervin anafika kunyumba kwathu kudzaphunzira ndi Lichfield. Monga mwachizoloŵezi, ndinatalikirana nawo mkati mwa phunzirolo. Mwina ndicho chifukwa chake Mbale Ervin anandifunsa ngati sindinadziŵe kuŵerenga. Chiyani? Ine kusadziŵa kuŵerenga? Kunali kulalatira chotani! Ndikamsonyeza kuti ndinali wophunzira koposa! Ndikasonyeza chipembedzo chonyenga chimenechi!

Kuvomereza Chowonadi

Sipanapite masiku ambiri pambuyo pa izi, ndinawona bukhu la Mulungu Akhale Wowona pathebulo m’chipinda chochezera. ‘Unali mutu woseketsa chotani,’ ndinalingaliro motero. ‘Mulungu wakhala wowona nthaŵi yonse, kodi iye sanatero?’ Pamene ndinatsegula bukhu limeneli, mwamsanga ndinapeza chifukwa china chotsutsira. Linanena kuti munthu alibe moyo, iye ndiye moyo! Ngakhale agalu ndi amphaka alinso miyoyo! Izi zinandikwiitsa kwambiri. ‘Nchiphunzitso chaumbuli chotani nanga!’ ndinalingalira motero.

Pamene mwamuna wanga anafika kunyumba, ndinayang’anizana naye mwaukali. “Onyengaŵa amanena kuti munthu alibe moyo. Ali aneneri onyenga!” Mwamuna wanga sanalongolole; mmalomwake, anayankha modekha: “Winnie, zonse ziri m’Baibulo.” Pambuyo pake, pamene Mbale Ervin moleza mtima anadzandisonyeza m’Baibulo langa kuti ife ndife miyoyo ndikuti moyo wathu umafa, ndinazizwa. (Ezekieli 18:4) Limene linandikopa mtima kwambiri linali lemba la Genesis 2:7, limene limati: “Munthuyo [Adamu] anakhala wamoyo.”

Ndinali wolakwa chotani nanga! Ndinawona kuti ndinanyengedwa ndi atsogoleri achipembedzo ndipo sindinapitenso kutchalitchi. Mmalomwake, ndinayamba kufika pamisonkhano Yachikristu ya Mboni za Yehova. Kunali kochititsa chidwi chotani nanga kuwona chikondi pakati pawo! Chimenechi chinayenera kukhala chipembedzo chowona.

Kututa mu Cape Palmas

Pafupifupi miyezi itatu pambuyo pake, mwamuna wanga anakhala ndi mpata wakuba ndalama zambiri pakampani yake​—koma sanatero. Anzake anamtonza nati: “Remmie, udzafa wosauka.”

Komabe, chifukwa cha kuwona mtima kwake, anakwezedwa pantchito ndi kutumizidwa ku Cape Palmas kukatsegula ofesi yatsopano kumeneko. Tinalalikira mwachangu ndipo pambuyo pa miyezi iŵiri yokha, tinali ndi kagulu ka okondwerera kumva uthenga wa Baibulo. Pambuyo pake, pamene Lichfield anapita ku likulu ku Monrovia, kukatenga mtokoma wa ofesi yatsopano, anabatizidwa. Anapemphanso chithandizo ku Sosaite chakusamalira anthu a ku Cape Palmas amene anasonyeza chikondwerero m’chowonadi.

Sosaite inayankha mwakutumiza Mbale ndi Mlongo Faust ku Cape Palmas. Mlongo Faust anandithandiza kwambiri, ndipo mu December 1951, ndinachitira chizindikiro kudzipatulira kwanga kwa Yehova mwakubatizidwa. Tsopano, kuposa ndi kalelonse, ndinali wotsimikiza ‘kusonkhanitsa zipatso kaamba ka moyo wosatha.’ (Yohane 4:35, 36) Mu April 1952, ndinayamba uminisitala wanthaŵi yonse monga mpainiya.

Mwamsanga, zoyesayesa zanga zinadalitsidwa ndi Yehova; m’chaka chimodzi chokha, ndinathandiza anthu asanu kudzipatulira ndi kubatizidwa. Mmodzi wa iwo, Louissa Macintosh, anali msuwani wa prezidenti wapanthaŵiyo wa Liberia, W. V. S. Tubman. Iye anabatizidwa ndi kuyamba uminisitala wanthaŵi yonse ndi kupitirizabe ali wokhulupirika kwa Mulungu kufikira imfa yake mu 1984. Panthaŵi zingapo analalikira kwa prezidenti.

Kupita ku Lower Buchanan

Mu 1957, mkati mwa kuchezetsa kwa woyang’anira chigawo, mwamuna wanga ndi ine tinaitanidwa kukhala apainiya apadera. Pambuyo pakukambitsirana kophatikizapo mapemphero, tinavomereza gawolo. Lichfield anafunikira miyezi ingapo kuti amalize ntchito yake mu Cape Palmas, chotero ine ndinatsogola kumka ku Lower Buchanan, gawo losafoledwapo chikhalire, kukatsegula ntchito.

Nditafika, ndinapatsidwa malo okhala ndi banja la Maclean. Tsiku lotsatira, monga mwa chizoloŵezi, anandipereka kwa mfumu yaing’ono ya fuko la Pele. Mfumuyo ndi banja lake anandilandira ndi manja aŵiri, ndipo ndinalalikira kwa kagulu ka anthu panyumba pakepo. Anthu okwanira asanu ndi mmodzi amene ndinalankhula nawo tsikulo, kuphatikizapo mfumu yaing’onoyo ndi mkazi wake, pambuyo pake anafikira kukhala Mboni.

Mwamsanga ndinayamba kutsogoza phunziro la Nsanja ya Olonda kwa anthu ofikapo oposa 20. Ndinafunikira kudalira kwambiri pa Yehova, ndipo anandipatsa nyonga yofunikira ndi luso lakusamalira nkhosa zake. Pamene ndinatopa kapena kupereŵera, ndinakumbukira okhulupirika akale, makamaka akazi monga Debora ndi Hulida, amene sanachite mantha pochita mautumiki a Yehova.​—Oweruza 4:4-7, 14-16; 2 Mafumu 22:14-20.

Mu March 1958, pambuyo pamiyezi itatu yokha mu Lower Buchanan, ndinalandira kalata yondiuza za kuchezetsa kwa woyang’anira dera, John Charuk. Ndinabwereka chipinda chapansi cha nyumba chokhoza kusonkhana anthu ambiri. Ndiyeno ndinapita ku Upper Buchanan kukachingamira Mbale Charuk, koma sanabwere. Nditayembekezera mpaka kutachita kamdima, ndinabwerera ku Lower Buchanan ndiri wotopa kwambiri.

Chapakati pausiku, ndinamva kugogoda pachitseko. Nditatsegula, ndinawona osati woyang’anira dera yekha komanso ndi mwamuna wanga, amene kufika kwake kodzidzimutsa kunachita malunji ndi kuchezetsa kwa kwa Mbale Charuk. Kodi iwo anandipeza bwanji? Anakumana ndi mlenje ndipo anamfunsa ngati iye anadziŵa mkazi amene analalikira kwa anthu za Yehova. “Inde,” anayankha motero, ndiyeno anawalongoza kumalo ndinali kukhala. Ndinali wokondwa chotani nanga kuwona kuti m’miyezi itatu yokha, kuunika kwanga kunali kuŵala kwambiri mu Lower Buchanan!​—Mateyu 5:14-16.

Tinakondwa kukhala ndi chiŵerengero chapamwamba cha osonkhana 40 pakuchezetsa kwa Mbale Charuk. Mkupita kwanthaŵi mpingo wokangalika unakhazikitsidwa, ndipo tinakhoza kumanga Nyumba Yaufumu yokongola. Komabe, moyo sunakhale wopanda mavuto nthaŵi zonse. Mwachitsanzo, mu 1963 chizunzo chachipembedzo chinabuka m’Kolahun, ndipo mwamuna wanga anagwidwa ndi kuponyendwa m’ndende. Anamenyedwa mowopsa kotero kuti anafunikira kugonekedwa m’chipatala.

Pasanapite nthaŵi yaitali atatulutsidwa m’chipatala, chaka chimodzimodzicho, tinali ndi msonkhano wachigawo ku Gbarnga. Patsiku lomalizira, asilikali anazinga omvetsera onse ndi kutilamula kuchitira sawacha mbendera. Pamene tinakana, asilikaliwo anatikakamiza kutukula mikono yathu m’mwamba ndi kuyang’ana mwachindunji padzuŵa. Iwo anamenyanso ena a ife ndi zidenene za mfuti zawo. Kudzithandiza kuti ndisunge umphumphu wanga kwa Mulungu, ndinaimba nyimbo ya Ufumu yakuti “Musawaope!” Pambuyo pake asilikaliwo anatiponya m’ndende yauve. Masiku atatu pambuyo pake Mboni zochokera kumaiko ena zinamasulidwa, ndipo Lichfield ndi ine tinathamangitsidwira ku Sierra Leone. Mboni za m’dzikolo zinamasulidwa tsiku lotsatira.

Mwaŵi Wowonjezereka ndi Mfupo

Tinagaŵiridwa kukagwira ntchito ndi mpingo wa Bo, kum’mwera kwa Sierra Leone. Tinatumikira kumeneko zaka zisanu ndi zitatu tisanasamutsidwire ku Njala. Pamene tinali ku Njala mwamuna wanga anaikidwa monga woyang’anira dera wogwirira malo, ndipo ndinali ndi mwaŵi wakutsagana naye muutumiki umenewu. Ndiyeno, chapakati m’ma 1970, tinagaŵiridwanso ku Mpingo wa East Freetown.

Ndakhala ndi dalitso lakuwona ambiri amene ndinaphunzira nawo Baibulo akuvomereza kulambira kowona. Ndiri ndi ana auzimu ndi zidzukulu zauzimu zoposa 60 monga ‘makalata achivomerero.’ (2 Akorinto 3:1) Ena anafunikira kupanga masinthidwe aakulu, monga momwe anachitira Victoria Dyke, amene anali mneneri wachikazi wa mpatuko wa Aladura. Pambuyo pakumbitsirana 1 Yohane 5:21, mkaziyo anataya mafano ake ndi zizimba zina zimene analambira. Anachitira chizindikiro kudzipatulira kwake mwakubatizidwa ndipo pambuyo pake anafikira kukhala mpainiya wapadera, akumathandiza achibale ake ambiri kuvomereza chowonadi.

Mu April 1985, mwamuna wanga anamwalira, miyezi ingapo tsiku lofikitsa chaka chathu chaukwati cha 44 lisanafike. Koma sindinasiidwe ndekha. Ndapitirizabe kutumikira Mthandizi wanga, Yehova, monga minisitala wanthaŵi yonse. Ndipo ndiri ndi unansi wapadera ndi anthu amene ndinathandiza kumdziŵa iye. Iwo ali banja langa m’lingaliro lapadera. Ndimawakonda, iwonso amandikonda. Pamene ndidwala, amabwera mwamsanga kudzandisamalira, ndipo nanenso ndimawathandiza.

Mosakaikira konse, ngati ndikanati ndiyambirenso, ndikadakondwa kutenga zenga langa ndi kutsagana m’kututa monga wantchito mnzake wa Yehova.

[Chithunzi patsamba 23]

Winifred Remmie lerolino