Kutumba kwa Mtundu Wosiyana M’bahamas

WOWONEKA monga miyala yopondapo powoloka nyanja za madzi obiriŵira pakati pa Florida ndi Cuba, Bahamas anapatsidwa chisamaliro chachikulu koposa ndi zoulutsira mawu zadziko mu 1992. Chifukwa ninji? Chifukwa chakuti akatswiri ochuluka amalingalira Bahamas kukhala mtunda umene Christopher Columbus anafikirako pambuyo pa ulendo wake wapanyanja wopanga mbiri mu 1492, pamene anatumba maiko a Amereka. Chaka cha mazana asanu, kapena chaka cha chi 500, chakufika kwa Columbus pa October 12 chinagwira chisamaliro cha mitundu yonse.

Komabe, kutenthedwera maganizo chaka cha mazana asanu sikunali kopanda zododometsa zake. Polankhula kwa National Conference of Black Lawyers ya 23, John Carew (profesa wamaphunziro amitundu yonse) anachitiridwa lipoti kukhala akunena kuti Columbus “anali ndi thayo lakubweretsa imfa pa nzika zambiri za zilumba za Caribbean.”​—The Nassau Guardian.

Lerolino, palibe ndi mmodzi wa nzika 250,000 za dziko la Bahamas amene angafufuze kuti makolo awo ndiwo nzika za mtendere zimene Columbus anakumana nazo ndi kuzitcha “anthu oumbika bwino, amatupi osalala ndi ankhope zokongola kwambiri.” Kodi chinachitikira nzika za pachilumba zimenezo nchiyani? A History of the Bahamas imayankha kuti: “Pakati pa 1500 ndi 1520 nzika zonse za Bahamas, mwinamwake pafupifupi Alucayan 20,000, zinatengedwa, monga akapolo kukagwira ntchito m’migodi ya golidi ya Spanya mu Hispaniola.

Chotero, Bahamas wosiidwa bwinjayo, “anatumbidwanso” choyamba ndi a British ndipo pambuyo pake ndi timagulu tatikulu ta “atsamunda.” Atsamundawo kwakukulukulu anali eni mafamu ochokera ku North America. Ali okhululupirika ku Ulamuliro wa Britain, iwo anathaŵa nkhondo yakudzigangira imene panthaŵiyo inali itaulika pa kontinenti ya North America. Nzika za lerolino za Bahama ziri kwakukulukulu mbadwa za atsamunda amenewa ndi akapolo awo. Atamasulidwa ambiri a akapolowo anasunga maina a amene kale anali ambuye wawo.

Kutumba kwa Mtundu Wina

Kuli kosakaikira kuti Columbus anadziwona monga mmishonale. Iye akunenedwa kukhala atanena kuti: “Mulungu anandipanga kukhala mthenga wakumwamba kwa tsopano ndi dziko latsopano . . . Anandisonyeza kumene ndikalipeza.” Komabe, chipiyoyo chimene chinatsatira chinatsimikizira zosiyana. ‘Miyamba yatsopano ndi dziko lapansi latsopano’ zolungama zimene Mulungu analonjeza zinafunikira kuyembekezera kutumba kwa mtundu wina.​—2 Petro 3:13.

Mu 1926, Edward McKenzie ndi mkazi wake anafika mu Bahamas. Mosiyana ndi otumba maiko oyambawo iwo asanafike, aŵiri okwatirana a ku Jamaica odzichepetsa amenewa anadzafunafuna anthu owona mtima kwa amene akakhoza kuikizira chuma. Iwo anali oyamba kubweretsa mbiri yabwino ya Ufumu wa Mulungu ku Bahamas. (Mateyu 13:44; 24:14) Pambuyo pake m’chakacho nzika ziŵiri za ku Jamaica zinagwirizana nawo, Clarence Walters ndi Rachel Gregory. Podzafika 1928 m’Bahamas munali ofalitsa Ufumu asanu ndi aŵiri. Zaka zinayi pambuyo pake anagwira ntchito zolimba m’kulalikira mbiri yabwino kwa nzika za pa chilumba.

Ndiyeno panafika E. P. Roberts, wolankhula wamphamvu wa ku Trinidad. Nkhani zake zapoyera m’nyumba zotchuka zochitira misonkhano zinachita zochulukirapo kuchotsa zikhulupiriro zonama ndipo zinasonkhezera mitima ya ambiri ndi chowonadi cha Baibulo. Wokhala pansi monga womvetsera wachidwi pa umodzi wa misonkhano imeneyo anali Donald Oscar Murray, amene pambuyo pake anadzadziŵika mwachikondi kukhala D.O. Potsirizira pake anatenga utsogoleri m’ntchitoyo.

Mmishonale Nancy Porter akukumbukira bwino lomwe mmene D.O. Murray anaperekera mapemphero ake otenthedwa maganizo ofunsira chithandizo m’ntchito yolalikira. Mu 1947, Nancy ndi mwamuna wake, George, limodzi ndi ena aŵiri, anakhala amishonale oyamba otumizidwa ku Bahamas ndi Watch Tower Society. Nancy akukumbukira kuti: “Msonkhano woyamba umene tinapitako ndiganiza kuti uli kanthu kena kamene sitidzaiŵala konse. Panali pafupifupi asanu ndi anayi kapena khumi pamenepo. Mbale Murray anali wapampando ndipo anatsegula ndi pemphero, akumathokoza Yehova kuti amishonale anafika. Iye anati, chithandizo chinali chofunika, ndipo ‘tapempherera chithandizochi nthaŵi yaitali kwambiri.’ Sosaite inali italonjeza kutumiza chithandizo, ndipo tsopano tinali titafika. Pempherolo linali lothutsa mtima kwambiri kotero kuti linatisonkhezera kufuna kukhala ndi kusafuna kuchoka konse.” Tsopano, zaka pafupifupi 45 pambuyo pake ndipo mosasamala kanthu za imfa ya mwamuna wake, Mlongo Porter akali kupititsabe uthenga wotonthoza wa Ufumu ku nzika za pa chilumbacho.

Makamaka kuyambira 1947 ntchito yolalikira Ufumu m’Bahamas yapindula kwambiri ndi aminisitala anthaŵi yonse ndi ena amene acheza ku zilumbaza ndi bwato. Kaŵirikaŵiri iwo anafunikira kuyendetsa bwatolo m’magombe amchenga aupandu ndi kusandamukasandamuka ndiyeno kuyenda m’madzi pokatengera mbiri yabwino kumidzi yakutali. Zoyesayesa zoyambirira zimenezo zikutulutsa zipatso ngakhale lerolino.

Posinthira panafikiridwa mu 1950. Mu December wachakacho, Nathan H. Knorr, amene panthaŵiyo anali pulezidenti wa Watch Tower Society, ndi mlembi wake, Milton G. Henschel, anachezera Bahamas kwa nthaŵi yoyamba. Knorr analankhula kwa anthu 312 odzala thothotho mu Mother’s Club Hall, nyumba yaing’ono m’khwalala lotchedwa Jail Alley. Anthu otchuka kwambiri angapo analipo, kuphatikizapo membala ya nyumba ya malamulo ndi mkonzi wa nyuzipepala ya tsiku ndi tsiku. Usiku umenewo, Mbale Knorr analengeza kukhazikitsidwa kwa ofesi ya nthambi ya Sosaite mu Bahamas.

Kulabadira Kwaubwenzi kwa Nzika za Chilumba

Anthu aubwenzi a ku Bahamas kwakukulukulu atchera khutu molabadira uthenga wa Ufumu. Komabe, kuwafikira onse a iwo, ndiko chitokoso. Kodi nchifukwa ninji ziri choncho? Eya ngakhale kuti anthu ambiri amakhala m’likulu, Nassau, ndi ku Grand Bahama pafupipo, ena ngotalikirana m’zilumba zokulirapo 15 ndi zisumbu zocheperapo 700 zimene zapanga chiungwe cha zilumbazi.

Powona kusoŵako, ziŵerengero zowonjezerekawonjezereka za Mboni zamomwemo ndi ambiri ochokera malo ena asamukira m’zitaganya zachilumba chaching’ono kuthandiza ntchito yolalikira. Iwo atero motaikiridwa ndi zambiri limodzi ndi kudzigwiritsira ntchito kwa iwo eni, izi zikuyamikiridwa. Koma zoyesayesa zawo zafupidwa mokwanira.

Okwatirana ena achichepere anasamukira ku Chilumba chachikulu cha Andros. Tsiku lina polalikira ku nyumba ndi nyumba, anakumana ndi mlendo wina wa ku Haiti. M’Bahamas muli zikwi zambiri za anthu amenewa. Mwamunayo anavomera mosavuta phunziro la Baibulo lapanyumba. Usiku womwewo linayambitsidwa naye, mogwiritsira ntchito makope a Chingelezi ndi Chifrenchi a bukhu la Mungathe Kukhala ndi Moyo Kosatha m’Paradaiso pa Dziko Lapansi. Madzulo otsatira, iye anafika pa msonkhano wake woyamba Wachikristu. Mwamsanga, mwamunayo anasiya kusuta fodya, napanga kupita patsogolo kofulumira ndipo anayamba kukhala ndi phande m’ntchito yolalikira.

M’mamaŵa tsiku limene mwamunayo anali kudzabatizidwa, analandira tepu ya mawu ojambulidwa kuchokera ku banja lake ku Haiti, ngakhale kuti sanamve kuchokera kwa iwo kwa zaka zisanu zapitazo. Kodi iwo ananenanji? Iwo anali kusimba mmene anakhalira Mboni za Yehova. Iwo anafotokoza kuti mlongo wake anali kale mpainiya wokhazikika, kapena mlaliki wa nthaŵi yonse, ndipo anamlimbikitsa kukafunafuna Mboni ndi kuphunzira nazo Baibulo. Komabe, mwamunayo anabatizidwa tsikulo ali ndi chidaliro chachikulu chakuti anali kuchita chinthu cholungama.

Kulabadira kotenthedwa maganizo kofanana ndi kumeneku kwathutsa mitima ya Mboni zamomwemo. Ziŵerengero zowonjezereka mosalekeza za iwo zatenga ntchito yaulaliki wa nthaŵi yonse, ndipo izi zathandizira kuchiwonjezekocho. Chotero kunachitika kuti mu 1988 chiŵerengero cha olengeza Ufumu mu Bahamas chinafika pa 1,000. Lerolino, m’mipingo 19, muli pafupifupi ofalitsa Aufumu 1,300, chifupifupi zilumba zonse zazikulu.

Okonzekeretsedwa Zochitika Zamtsogolo

Chifukwa cha kuwonjezereka kwawo m’chiŵerengero, Mboni zakhala ndi vuto kupeza malo aakulu mokwanira oti athe kuchitiramo misonkhano yawo ya chaka ndi chaka. Misonkhano iŵiri inafunikira kuchitidwa pa zilumba zosiyana kusamalira khamulo. Chotero, makonzedwe anapangidwa akumanga Nyumba Yamsonkhano limodzi ndi ofesi ya nthambi yatsopano. Ntchito inayambidwa mu December 1989. Antchito mazana ambiri odzipereka amitundu yonse ndi amomwemo anagwira ntchito yomangayo “ndi moyo wonse monga kwa Yehova.”​—Akolose 3:23.

Mosakaikira, msonkhano waukulu koposa ndi wopereka chimwemwe koposa wa Mboni mu Bahamas kufikira lerolino unachitika panyengo yakupatulira ofesi ya nthambi yatsopano ndi Nyumba Yaufumu pa February 8 ndi 9, 1992. Chiyembekezo chinali kuwonjezereka pamene abale m’mbali zonse za zilumbazo anachita makonzedwe achochitikacho. Mkhalidwe wakunja unali wozizirira mwapadera, ndipo kunavumba usikuwo tsiku la programu lisanakhale. Koma palibe chimene chikanafooketsa chisangalalo ndi chikondwerero cha khamu la okwanira 2,714 pamene John E. Barr, chiŵalo cha Bungwe Lolamulira la Mboni za Yehova, anakamba nkhani yopatulira, yamutu wakuti “Nyimbo Yakuwonjezeka kwa Teokrase.”

Mitima yosefukira ndi chiyamikiro kwa Atate wawo wakumwamba Yehova Mulungu, chifukwa cha nyengo yotero ya chisangalalo ndi chidwi. Amene analipo anali otsimikiza koposerapo kugwiritsira ntchito nyonga zawo zonse ku ntchito yophunzitsa yauzimu imene inapangitsa chiwonjezeko cha nyumba kukhala chofunika.

Kaya kutumba kwa Columbus kunali posinthira kuti zinthu zikhale bwinopo ku zilumbazi, mwinamwake zidzapitirizabe kukhala zokaikiritsa. Komabe, Mboni za Yehova m’Bahamas ziri zogwirizana m’kuyamikira kwawo Mulungu chifukwa cha kugaŵira olengeza Ufumu amene mzimu wawo wakudzimana unawasonkhezera kupilira zosadziŵika ndi kubweretsa mbiri yabwino yaulemerero mu amene anali madzi osatumbidwa mwauzimu. Ntchito yawo ndi “kutumba” zatulukira m’chuma chauzimu chosayerekezereka kwa ofunafuna chowonadi onse mu Bahamas.

[Mapu/​Zithunzi pamasamba 24, 25]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

Grand Bahama

Abaco

Andros

New Providence

Nassau

Eleuthera

Cat Island

Great Exuma

Rum Cay

San Salvador

Long Island

Crooked Island

Acklins Island

Mayaguana

Little Inagua

Great Inagua

CARIBBEAN SEA

FLORIDA

CUBA

[Zithunzi]

Kulalikira pamsika wotchedwa Straw Market

Kuyenda m’madzi popita kumtunda kukagaŵira mbiri yabwino

Ofesi ya nthambi ili pa chitunda pandunji pa Nyumba Yaufumu