Mbadwo Wanga—Wapadera ndi wa Mwaŵi Wapamwamba!
Monga yalongosoledwera ndi Melvin Sargent
ANTHU ambiri achichepere lerolino anabadwira mu banja la Mboni za Yehova. Koma mu 1896 umenewo unali mwawi wosaonekawoneka ndithu. Kuchokera ku ubwana, ndinaphunzitsidwa ndi mayi wanga kuwopa Yehova moyenerera ndi kuyamikira nsembe ya dipo yopangidwa ndi Mwana wake. Chotero ndiri mbali ya mbadwo wapadera ndi wa mwawi wapamwamba—wamkulu ndithu kuwona chiyambi cha chizindikiro chakukhalapo kwa Kristu mu 1914 ndipo komabe mwinamwake wam’ng’ono ndithu kukhala ndi moyo kudzawona mapeto ake pa Armagedo.—Mateyu 24:3, 33, 34.
Ku Chiyambi Chabwino ndi TLC
Monga mwana, ndinapatsidwa chisamaliro chomwe chimatchedwa TLC, Chisamaliro Chachikondi Chokomamtima (Tender Loving Care. ) Komabe pa nthawi zina chisamaliro choterocho chinasonyezedwa mu njira zimene ena lerolino angazilingalire kukhala zowawitsa. Ndimakumbukira kuti kamodzi Mayi anandimverapo ine ndi kusewera ndi mnyamata wachikulire amene kenaka anayamba kugwiritsira ntchito mawu achilendo ndithu kwa ine. “Amenewo ali mawu oipa amene suyenera kuwagwiritsira ntchito nkomwe,” iwo anandiuza ine, kusindikiza icho pa ine ndi oposa mawu chabe! Koma ndinazindikira kuti chilango chake chinali chisonyezero cha chisamaliro chachikondi chokomamtima, ndipo ndimakumbukira ndikudabwa nchifukwa ninji mayi wake wa Jimmie sanamulange iye. Kodi iye sanamukonde mokulira kwenikweni?
Tinali banja lokha la Mboni mu Jewell County, Kansas. Atate sanali mtumiki wodzipereka wa Yehova, koma iwo anakakamizika kutsogoza phunziro la Baibulo ndi anafe. Mlongo wanga, Eva anali wamkulu pa tonse, ndipo Walter anali wokulira pa ine ndi miyezi 16. Madzulo aliwonse tinayembekezeredwa kugawanamo m’kutsuka mbale. Koma Walter kawirikawiri anapeza chodzikhululukira ndi kupempha kuchokapo. Eva ndi ine, ngakhale kuli tero, tinagwiritsira ntchito ntchito imeneyi monga mwawi wa tsiku ndi tsiku wa kulankhula ponena za chowonadi cha Baibulo, chotero linali dalitso lobisika. Pambuyo pake ndinafika kukuyamikira kuti anthu amene amakana mathayo mu moyo amaphonya pa madalitso ambiri. Ichi chinachitika kwa Walter, amene pambuyo pake anachoka ku chowonadi.
Chisamaliro chathu cha TLC chinatsogoza ku zotulukapo zabwino pa August 4, 1912. Eva ndi ine tinauka mbandakucha ndi kuyenda mamailosi khumi (16 km) pa akavalo ndi ngolo kukapeza sitima yonyamuka m’mawa kupita ku Jamestown, Kansas. Gulu la anthu loyenda paulendo wa Chipembedzo, gulu la Ophunzira Baibulo oyenda paulendo, linali kukachezera kumeneko, ndipo uko kunayenera kukhala kukumana kwathu koyamba ndi Ophunzira Baibulo kunja kwa mudzi wathu. Linalinso tsiku la ubatizo wathu.
Ngakhale kuti ndinali kokha ndi zaka 16, ndinafunsa mbale m’modzi woyenda paulendo wa chipembedzo ngati ndikanatenga utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse, umene unkatchedwa ntchito ya ukoputala. Iye anandilimbikitsa kulembera ku Watch Tower Society. Komabe, popeza ndinali ndinkafunidwa kunyumba, ichi chinayenera kuchedwetsedwa. Panthaŵiyo, ndinagwiritsira ntchito nthawi yanga yapadera mokhazikika kuthandiza Ophunzira Baibulo a ku Jamestown kugawira timatrakiti mkati mwa mizinda ndi matauni ozungulira 75.
Ndinachitiranso umboni panthaŵi zina. Kamodzi pamene mayi wokhala pa malo pathu anabwera kutauni pa bizinesi ndi kukhala ndi ife kwa masiku ochepa, ndinamupatsa iye trakiti. Ichi chiyenera kukhala chinamusangalatsa iye. Koma pambuyo pa kubwerera kwawo ku Iowa, panapita zaka 30 ndisanamuwone iye kachŵirinso. Iye anakhala wa Adventist ndipo sanalinso ndi chikondwerero mu ‘chipembedzo changa.’ Iye anali ndi munda waukulu womwe unafunikira kusamaliridwa, ndipo popeza sanadziwe “mkristu wowona” mu chipembedzo chake mwa amene akanakhala ndi chidaliro, iye anatembenukira kwa ine. Malipiro amene anandipatsa ine anandithandiza kupitirizabe mu utumiki wanthawi zonse kwa zaka zingapo. Ndi chitsimikiziro chotani nanga cha Mlaliki 11:1: “Ponya zakudya zako pamadzi, udzazipeza popita masiku ambiri” Kapena za chimene Yesu kamodzi ananena: “Muthange mwafuna ufumu wake ndi chilungamo chake, ndipo zonse zimenezo zidzawonjezedwa kwa inu.”—Mateyu 6:33.
Nsonga Zosaiwalika
Ndinakapezeka pa msonkhano wanga woyamba mu 1913. Ndinakondweretsedwa kwambiri kuwona atsopano 41 akubatizidwa, ndipo ndinalimbikitsidwanso kulingalira kuti ndi kuyamba kwanga kwapasadakhale (ndinali ndiri wobatizidwa kwa miyezi khumi), ndingakhale ndi chiyembekezo china chakukhala wokhoza kukulitsa mkhalidwe wonga wa Kristu” podzafika 1914, ndi cholinga cha kupanga ‘kuitanidwa kwanga ndi kusankhidwa’ kukhala kotsimikizirika. Ndinasangalatsidwanso kuwona tinsalu tambiri tofiira ndi tachikasu. Makoputala omwe anali kuyang’ana kaamba ka ogwira nawo ntchito anavala tofiira, ndipo aliyense yemwe anafuna kugwirizana ndi iwo anavala tachikasu.
Kwa ine, mfundo yaikulu ya msonkhano wa 1914 inali kuwona Chitsanzo cha Zithunzithunzi za Chilengedwe ndi kumuwonera pafupi Mbale Russell. Iye anali ndi njira yotentha ponena za iye ndipo anasonyeza chikhumbo chenicheni cha kupereka chidziwitso cholimbikitsa kwa amvetseri ake. Iye anali womvera chisoni ndi wofunitsitsa kumvetsera kwa awo omwe anabwera kwa iye ndi mavuto. Koma iye sanali wamkulu koposa kaamba ka nthabwala za kanthaŵri za achichepere a zaka za pakati pa 13 ndi 19. Madzulo amodzi pamene ndinali kugawira uthenga wolembedwa wofotokoza za programu ya Chitsanzo cha Zithunzithunzi, iye anadza mofulumira. Ndinamugawira iye kope, ndi kunamizira ngati kuti sindinamuzindikire iye. Poyamba iye anapitirira, koma kenaka iye anatembenuka ndipo ndi kumwetulira anandithokoza ine, kundilola kudziwa kuti iye waipeza nsonga ya kusekako.
Pomalizira mu 1917, pamene ndinali ndi zaka 21, ndinali wokhoza kutenga ntchito ya ukoputala. Nkhondo ya Dziko I inali kale ikupita patsogolo kwachifupifupi zaka zitatu. Ndi sutikesi in m’manja, mabukhu ambiri, ndi $30. 00 m’thumba mwanga, ndinapita ku Nebraska ndi mnzanga, Ernest Leuba, koputala wachikulire wokhala ndi chizolowezi. Tinali ndi zokumana nazo zonse ziwiri zabwino ndi zoipa. Ndimakumbukira pa nthawi imodzi, mwachitsanzo, pamene tinalingalira kugwiritsira ntchito njira yofulumira ya kugawirira mabukhu. Tinali ndi uthenga wosindikiza pamakardi omwe tinagawira kwa anthu kaamba ka kusanthula kwaulere kwa masiku aŵiri mu bukhu la The Finished Mystery, ndi mwawi wa kulipeza ilo pa 60 cents pamene tidzafikanso. M’mawa wina aliyense wa ife anabwereketsa mabukhu khumi mwanjira imenejri. Masiku awiri pambuyo pake, ndinali wokhoza kugawira mabukhu anga asanu ndi awiri, pamene Mbale Leuba, yemwe anagwira ntchito mu gawo la Chikatolika, anagawira limodzi lokha. Ndi cholinga chofuna kupeza limodzi la mabukhu ake amene anabwereketsa, iye anayenera kupita kwa wansembe Wachikatolika wa kumaloko kwa amene linaperekedwako. Chotero mwamsanga tinalingalira kuti njira yathu yofulumira sinali yabwino kwenikweni koposa kuthera nthawi yochuluka kulankhula ndi anthu.
Komabe, tinali ndi ndalama zochepa, chomwe chinatanthauza kuti nthawi zina tinali odera nkhawa m’kulingalira njira za kukhalira osawononga ndalama kwambiri. Chotero pamene pambuyo pake tinapita ku gawo latsopano mu Boulder, Colorado, tinagula tiketi yopitira kufupi kwambiri ndi kumalo otsikira tisanadutse malire a bomalo. Kenaka tinatuluka mu sitima ndi kugula tiketi ina kaamba ka ulendo wotsalira pa sitima yotsatira. Chifukwa ninji? Chifukwa chakuti mitengo ya mkati mwa bomalo inali masensi awiri pa mailo imodzi, koma mitengo ya pakati pa boma ndi boma linzake inali yokwera kwambiri. Pambali pa kusunga ndalama, tinali okhoza kuthera nthawi yathu ya kuima kuchitira umboni wa mwamwawi.
Mavuto a Nthawi ya Nkhondo ndi Chiyambi Chatsopano
Tsopano munali mu 1918, ndipo United States inali yotanganitsidwa bwino mu nkhondo. Namondwe wa chitsutso anayamba mwapoyera motsutsana ndi Ophunzira Baibulo, kuzindikiritsa awo amene anali amantha ndi awo amene sanali. Abale ena a zaka zokakamizidwa kupita ku nkhondo mwa chikumbumtima, ngakhale kuti anali okana kutumikira mu magulu a nkhondo, anavomereza kuchita ntchito yosakhala yausilikari mwa utumiki wa nkhondo.
Pamene ndinalembetsa, ndinafunsira za kupatulidwa kwanga monga minisitala. Ndinaganiza kuti, zifukwa zanga, zinali zozikidwa bwino, ndipo kutulutsidwa kwanga kunachedwetsedwa pamene nkhani yanga inaperekedwa ku bungwe la apilu. Iwo anaganiza mwinamwake ndipo anakana kudzinenera kwanga. Kuchedwa kumeneku, ngakhale kuli tero, kunathandiza kundiika ine kunja kwa ndende chifukwa tsopano inali nthawi ya kukolola, ndipo ndinasungidwa kufikira ntchito yofunika kwambiri imeneyi inatha pa munda wa makolo anga. Pomalizira nkhani yanga inakhazikitsidwa pa November 15. Nkhondo inatha pa November 11. Ndinaphonya kupita kundende ndi masiku anayi okha.
Ena amene mopanda mantha anatuluka m’kuchirikiza uchete Wachikristu sanakhale bwino nawonso. Pa msonkhano mu Denver, ndinakumana ndi m’modzi wa iwo. Akulongosola nchifukwa ninji anali ndi dazi, mbaleyo anakamba za kukhala atamangidwa ku mtengo ndi khamu la chikhulupiriro chopanda maziko lomwe linathira thala wotentha pa iye. “Akazi mu gululo,” iye anatero, “anali oipitsitsa.” Iye anameta tsitsi lake lonse kuchotsa thalayo. Kenaka iye anayamba kuseka ndi kunena za chokumana nacho chake: “Sindikanaphonya icho kaamba ka china chirichonse.”
Chifukwa cha kaimidwe kawo kosasunthika, ena a oimira a Watch Tower Society anaikidwa mu ndende molakwika. Koma mu 1919, pamene adakali mu ndende, iwo anasankhidwanso ku malo awo mu Sosaite, mosasamala kanthu za kuyesera kwa ampatuko kuwalowa m’malo iwo. Abale okhulupirikawo analandira ichi monga chisonyezero cha chivomerezo cha Yehova. Odzazidwa ndi chimwemwe, olimbikitsidwa ndi kuyenda kwatsopano kwa mzimu woyera, iwo tsopano anali olimba mtima kuposa ndi kale lomwe kutenga ntchito yolalikira Ufumu mwatsopano ndi kuvumbula atsogoleri a chipembedzo kaamba ka kulephera kwawo konyenga kwa kuchirikiza Ufumu wa Mulungu. Kusweka kotheratu ndi Babulo kunayamba.
Pa February 24, 1918 mu Los Angeles, California, pambuyo pa kulowerera mu Nkhondo ya Dziko I kwa United States pa April 6, 1917, Mbale Rutherford kwa nthawi yoyamba anapereka nkhani yosangalatsa yakuti “Millions Now Living Will Never Die.” (Mamiliyoni Omwe Alipo ndi Moyo Tsopano Sadzafa) Ichi mwachiwonekere chinagwira chidwi cha anthu. Chivomerezo cha kunja chinali chochititsa chidwi.
Masinthidwe Ofunika Mkati mwa Zaka
Kwa zaka zisanu ndi ziwiri Lydia Tannahill ndi ine tinasunga ubwenzi mokulira mwa kulemberana makalata. Pambuyo pa kulingalira kwapemphero, tinalingalira mu 1921 kuti chingakhale chabwino kwambiri kwa ife kutenga mwawi wa chigamulo cha Paulo pamene anali kulangiza za kukhala osakwatira kuti, iye amene “akwatitsa mwana wake wamkazi achita bwino.” (1 Akorinto 7:38) Ukwati wathu unali mphatso yochokera kwa Yehova ndipo unapangitsa mitima yathu kusangalala. Komabe, pasanapite nthawi yaitali, tinayang’anizana ndi tsoka. Kuyenda kunapangitsa kupweteka kwakale kwa msana wa Lydia kukhala koipirako, ndipo mtima wanga, ngakhale kuti unali wokhulupirika ndi wachikondi, unali wochedwa m’kugwira ntchito “mtima wotopa” adokotala anautcha iwo. Ichi chinapereka njira ku kuperewera kwa mwazi. Tonse a ife tinali kutha mphamvu. Tinalangizidwa kusintha malo ndi kuchepetsa kuyenda kwathu kwa tsiku ndi tsiku. Nyumba yathu yoyenda inali yabwino m’kutithandiza ife kutsatira uphungu umenewu, ndipo chotero tinathera September 1923 pa msewu kupita ku California.
Kukhala mbali ya mbadwo wa mwawi wapamwamba koposa umene ndiri, ndaloledwa kuwona mmene gulu lowoneka ndi maso la Yehova lapitira patsogolo mkati mwa zaka. Ndinali pamenepo pamene Los Angeles choyamba inakhazikitsidwa mu magawo a pa lokha olalikira, pamene kuchitira umboni kwa pa Sande kunayamba, ndi pamene tinalandira dzina lathu latsopano, Mboni za Yehova, mu 1931. Ndi chosangalatsa chotani nanga kuwona masinthidwe opangidwa mu 1932 ndi 1938 omwe anatsimikizira kuikidwa kwa akulu, kwa teokratiki m’malo mwa demokratiki. Ndipo chakhala chosangalatsa kuwona nkhani zosamveketsedwa bwino ndi mafunso, monga ngati aja a uchete ndi kulemekezeka kwa mwazi, akumveketsedwa.
Ngakhale kuti ndinali ndinasiya ntchito ya ukoputala mu 1923, nthawi zonse ndasunga mzimu wa upainiya. Chotero mu 1943 ndinali wokhoza kulowanso mu mathayo okula mofulumira a upainiya. Mu 1945 ndinali ndi mwawiwakukhala mpainiya wapadera, kutumikira kwazaka zisanu ndi zinayi mu thayo limenero kufikira “mtima wanga wotopa” kachiwirinso unandipambana mphamvu. Chiyambire 1954 ndatumikira monga mpainiya wokhazikika.
Ukwati wanga kwa Lydia unatha zaka 48 kufikira mu 1969 iye anapita kugawo lake latsopano, cholowa chake “chosankhidwa kumwamba,” thayo limene, inenso, ndikuyembekezera kulilandira m’kupita kwanthawi. (1 Petro 1:4) Ngakhale kuti sitinadalitsidwe ndi ana, tinadalitsidwa ndi chimene ambiri amalingalira kukhala ukwati woyenera. Ngakhale kuti kusowa kwanga kunali kwakukulu, kukhala wotanganitsidwa ndi zikondwerero za teokratiki kunandithandiza ine kulaka icho. Kenaka ndinakwatira mpainiya wokhala ndi chizolowezi amene ndinamudziwa kwa zaka zambiri, Evamae Bell. Tinasangalala ndi zaka 13 za chiyanjo chokhulupirika, kufikira iye, nayenso, anamwalira.
Mbadwo Wanga—Wapadera mwa Njira Yapadera
Nthawi zina ndinakhala nditafunsidwa: “Kodi nchiyani chomwe chinakhala chokumana nacho chako chachikulu koposa m’chowonadi?” Popanda kusinkhasinkha ndimayankha: “Kuwona kukwaniritsidwa mkati mwa mbadwo wanga kwa maulosi a Baibulo okonzekeretsedwa ndi amuna owuziridwa ndi odzipereka zaka mazana ambiri zapita.”
Ziwalo za mbadwo wanga kunja kwa gulu la teokratiki, ndithudi, zakhala kwenikwenidi monga mmene Chitsanzo cha Zithunzithunzi cha Chilengedwe cha 1914 chinanenera kuti iwo adzakhala: openga ndi ndalama, openga ndi zosangalatsa, ndi openga ndi ulemerero. Awo a ife amene ali mkati mwa gulu la Ambuye tayesera, mu njira iriyonse yothekera, kutembenuzira chidwi chawo ku uthenga wamoyo. Tagwiritsira ntchito mawu, kusatsa kosindikizidwa pa masamba athunthu, wailesi, magalimoto okuza mawu, makina okhoza kunyamulidwa osewerera mawu ojambulidwa, misonkhano yaikulu ndi khamu lomakulakula la aminisitala a kunyumba ndi nyumba. Ntchito imeneyi yatumikira kugawanitsa anthu—awo a mu chiyanjo cha Ufumu wokhazikitsidwa wa Mulungu kumbali imodzi kuchokera kwa awo amene amatsutsana naye ku mbali ina. Iyi ndi ntchito imene inanenedweratu ndi Yesu kaamba ka mbadwo wanga!—Mateyu 25:31-46.
Kufikira pamene “mtima wotopa” wanga umenewu udzagunda pamapeto ake, udzapitiriza kugunda mu chiyamikiro kaamba ka mwawi womwe ndasangalala nawo wa kukhala mbali ya mbadwo wapadera. Udzapitirizabe kugunda mu chikondwerero kaamba ka mwawi umene ndiri nawo tsopano wa kuwona mamiliyoni a nkhope zomwetulira zomwe zakhazikitsidwa kupitirizabe kumwetulira kosatha.
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Melvin ndi Lydia Sargent, Makoputala, 1921
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Melvin ndi Evamae Sargent, 1976