Ndawona kuti Yehova Ali Wabwino

Monga yasimbidwira ndi Lennart Johnson

PA SANDE, July 26, 1931, prezidenti wachiŵiri wa Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, J. F. Rutherford, anapereka nkhani yakuti “Ufumu, Chiyembekezo cha Dziko” pa bwalo lamaseŵera mu Columbus, Ohio. Banja lathu mu Rockford, Illinois, linamvetsera ku iyo pa wailesi. Ndinali kokha ndi zaka 14, koma programu imeneyi inatukula, monga mmene kunaliri, chophimba chochindikala kuchokera m’maso mwanga.

Ngakhale kuti atate anga anali osangalatsidwa m’uthenga wa Ufumu, ndipo pambuyo pake mbale wanga, mayi wanga nthaŵi zonse anali osiyanako. Atate anamwalira chaka chotsatira, mu 1932. Zowulutsidwa zina za Watch Tower zinapitiriza kundidyetsa ine mwauzimu, koma, munali mu April 1933 pamene ndinapeza malo kumene Mboni za Yehova zinali kusonkhana, mamailosi ambiri kutali kumbali ina ya mtsinje.

Chinali chozizwitsa chotani nanga kwa gulu laling’ono kumeneko kuwona wachichepere wowonda akupalasa njinga ku misonkhano yawo kaamba ka phunziro mu Bukhu Lachiŵiri la Vindication! Pa msonkhano uliwonse, ndinapitiriza kuphunzira zowonjezereka ndipo ndinali wachimwemwe miyezi iŵiri yotsatirapo kuyamba kupita ku khomo ndi khomo ndi uthenga wa Ufumu. Ndinabatizidwa pa msonkhano wadera lonse (tsopano wadera) chaka chimodzimodzicho.

Tsiku lirilonse pambuyo pa sukulu, ndinali kuwononga ora limodzi kapena opitirirapo kuchezera anansi m’dera lozungulira nyumba yathu ndi uthenga wa Ufumu. Ndinalinso ndi mwaŵi wakuchitira umboni pa sukulu. Mwachitsanzo, phunziro limodzi linafuula moto wa helo ndi nthanthi ya chizunzo. Ichi chinandifulumiza ine kupereka chitsimikiziro cha m’Malemba kuti akufa sakuvutika koma, m’malo mwake, sadziŵa kanthu ndipo kuti ali m’manda mwawo ndi chiyembekezo cha chiukiriro. Mphunzitsi anandilola ine kuŵerenga nkhani yanga yaitali pamaso pa kalasi lonse.

Utumiki wa Nthaŵi Zonse

Mu May 1935, ndinapezeka pa msonkhano mu Washington, D.C., kumene upainiya (utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse) unagogomezeredwa. Kubwerera kunyumba, ndinalembera Watch Tower Society, ndipo iyo sinatumize kokha ndandanda ya magawo omwe analipo, komanso, kukudabwitsidwa kwanga, kuphatikizapo makonzedwe osiyanasiyana a kumanga nyumba zokhala ndi chikochikali. M’masiku amenewo kuchita upainiya kaŵirikaŵiri kunatanthauza kupita ku malo atsopano, ndipo chikochikali chinapereka kwa wina malo okhalamo. Chotero ndinalingalira za kugwira ntchito kulinga ku kupeza galimoto ndi chikochikali kotero kuti ndingalondole utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse.

Panthaŵiyo, ndinakhala wokhudzidwa m’kugwiritsira ntchito galimoto ya mawu imene mpingo wathu unali utapeza kubukitsira uthenga wa Ufumu. Pamene mbale wina ndi ine tinaitanidwa kupita ku Monroe, Wisconsin, kukaigwiritsira ntchito, ndinakumana ndipo mwamsanga pambuyo pake ndinakwatira Virginia Ellis. Tsopano tinakhoza kugwira ntchito limodzi kuti tipeze galimoto limenelo limodzi ndi chikochikali chogwiritsira ntchito m’ntchito ya upainiya!

M’chirimwe cha 1938 amayi wanga anamwalira, ndipo chifupifupi panthaŵi yomweyo Harold Woodworth anatilembera ife kuchokera ku New Mexico: “Bwera kuno; kusowa kuli kokulira.” Chotero tinanyamuka kupita ku New Mexico, womwe unali ulendo wa pamtunda wa chifupifupi mamailosi chikwi. Pa keyala imodzi m’njira, telegramu inatipeza. “Bwerera kunyumba,” iyo inakakamiza. Ndinapatsidwa ntchito ya malipiro abwino yokhala ndi mwaŵi wapamwamba kwambiri wopita patsogolo. Ndinaing’amba telegramuyo. Ngati Yehova anatithandiza kukonzekera kaamba ka upainiya, sindikanalola chirichonse kusokoneza!

Mu March 1938 tinayamba ntchito yathu ya upainiya pa Hobbs, New Mexico. Iri linali dziko la ng’ombe; panalinso nyumba zambiri zatsopano za munda wa mafuta zoti zifikiridwe m’gawo limeneli. Mpingo waung’ono unali ndi misonkhano pa Lachisanu ndi Sande, chotero tinkatenga mabukhu, madzi, chakudya, kachitofu kakang’ono, ndi kama yokhoza kupinda ndi kuthera Lolemba mpaka Lachisanu masana kulalikira m’madera a kumidzi. Pamene usiku unafika, tinagona m’nkhalango ndi mitambo monga denga ndi “totchi” ya kumunda wa mafuta chapafupi kuwopsyezera marattlesnake. Tinathera kothera kwa mlungu m’tauni kugwira ntchito ndi mpingo.

Pambuyo pa miyezi ingapo ya ndandanda imeneyi, Society inatitumiza ife ku Roswell ndipo kenaka ku Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kuno tinagwiritsiranso ntchito galimoto ya mawu, yomwe mwapadera inali yokhutiritsa m’kuchitira umboni ku midzi ya chiIndia m’gawolo. Pamene ntchito yatsopano ya kuchitira umboni m’khwalala ndi magazini inayamba kumayambiriro kwa 1940, tinali achimwemwe kugawana mu iyo ndi abale a mu Albuquerque.

Chitsutso Mkati mwa Zowawa za Nkhondo

Nkhondo ya dziko yachiŵiri inayambika mu Europe September wapita, ndipo nyengo ya chitsutso chowopsya inatsatira chifukwa chakaimidwe kathu ka uchete kulinga ku kutenga mbali m’nkhondo. Kamodzi malaya anga anang’ambidwa kumsana kwanga pamene ndinali kutenga mbali mu utumiki.

M’chirimwe cha 1940, abale anali kugwira ntchito ndi magazini pafupi ndi El Paso, Texas, ndipo ambiri a iwo anamangidwa. Lolemba lotsatira, Harold Woodworth ndi ine tinapita kukawathandiza iwo mkati mwa kuyesedwa kwawo. Mwa kuwafunsa abalewo pamaso pa bwalo la milandu, ndinali wokhoza kutulutsa nsonga zenizeni zowachinjiriza. Pamene onse a iwo analengezedwa kukhala opanda liwongo, nyuzipepala inasimba kuloza kwa ine monga “loya wolonjeza wachichepere wochokera ku Albuquerque.” Koma ndithudi, anali Yehova amene anapatsa atumiki ake chipambano pa tsiku limenelo!

Mofananamo, abale athu anaikidwa m’ndende kaamba ka kulalikira m’mzinda wina. Pambuyo pa kuima pamaso pa bwalo la milandu m’chinjirizo lawo, Mbale David Gray ndi ine tinatenga kalata kwa nduna iriyonse ya mzinda. Kalatayo inazindikiritsa kuyenera kwa lamulo kwa Mboni za Yehova kwakuchita ntchito yawo, ndipo inachenjeza kuti ngati Mboni zipitiriza kuvutitsidwa, ndunazo zidzakhala ndi thayo kaamba ka kusakaza kulikonse komwe kungatulukepo.

Woyang’anira mzinda analandira kalata ndi kuiŵerenga popanda ndemanga, koma mkulu wa polisi anatiuza kuti: ‘Kuno Kumadzulo, anthu amatenga ulendo kupita ku mzinda, ndipo . . . chabwino . . . ena amafunafuna iwo pambuyo pake, ndipo iwo samapezekanso.’ Chiwopsyezo sichinatengedwe, komabe; m’malo mwake, zinthu zinakhala bata, ndipo kachitidwe ka bwalo la milandu motsutsana ndi abale kanasiidwa.

Chifupifupi panthaŵi imeneyo ndinaikidwa ndi Watch Tower Society monga mtumiki wagawo (tsopano wotchedwa woyang’anira wadera). Gawo langa linakwaniritsa mbali yaikulu ya New Mexico ndi mbali ya Texas.

Gileadi ndi Gawo Lachilendo

Mu 1943 Virginia ndi ine tinalandira chiitano chakukapezeka pa kalasi yachiŵiri ya Sukulu ya Gileadi ya Baibulo ya Watchtower. Pambuyo pa kumaliza maphunziro mu January 1944, choyamba tinagawiridwa kukagwira ntchito ndi Mpingo wa Flatbush mu Brooklyn, New York. Tinali kukhala kumbuyo kwa fakitale ya Sosaite m’nyumba yakale imene pambuyo pake inagwetsedwa kufutukula fakitale ya pa Adams Street.

M’kupita kwanthaŵi, ngakhale kuli tero, tinalandira gawo lathu mu Dominican Republic, kumene Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina anali kotheratu wolamulira wankhanza. Pamene tinafika pa Sande, April 1, 1945, Virginia ndi ine tinali Mboni zokha m’dzikolo. Tinapita ku Victoria Hotel ndi kupeza malo ogona​—$5 pa tsiku kwa aŵiri a ife, kuphatikizapo zakudya. Masana amodzimodziwo tinayamba phunziro lathu la panyumba la Baibulo loyamba.

Chinachitika m’njira iyi: Akazi aŵiri a chiDominican amene tinaphunzira nawo Baibulo mu Brooklyn anatipatsa ife maina a anansi ndi anzawo, mmodzi wa amene anali Dr. Green. Pamene tinamuchezera iye, tinakumananso ndi mnansi wake Moses Rollins. Pambuyo pa kuwauuza iwo mmene tinapezera maina awo ndi makeyala awo, iwo anamvetsera mosamalitsa ku uthenga wa Ufumu ndipo anavomera kuphunzira Baibulo. Mwamsanga Moses anakhala wofalitsa wa Ufumu woyamba wa kumaloko.

Usiku umodzimodziwo Dr. Green anatitenga ife kufunafuna nyumba kuchokera pamwamba pa denga la basi ya zipinda ziŵiri zosanjikizana. Pomalizira tinachita renti nyumba yaying’ono ya sementi m’mzinda waukulu kumeneko, Ciudad Trujillo (tsopano Santo Domingo). Mu June amishonale anayi owonjezereka anagwirizana nafe. Nyumba yachiŵiri ya amishonale inatsegulidwa, ndipo kenaka amishonale ambiri anafika. Kufika mu August 1946 tinali ndi chiŵerengero chapamwamba cha ofalitsa 28. Mwamsanga amishonale ambiri owonjezereka anafika, ndipo nyumba zinatsegulidwa kaamba ka iwonso. Chiwonjezeko chinayambika!

Kutumikira Pansi Pa Chiletso

Kufika mu 1950 tinali titachuluka kufika ku chiŵerengero cha ofalitsa oposa 200. Komabe, popeza kuti Mboni za Yehova zimasunga kaimidwe kosamalitsa ka uchete, boma la Trujillo linayamba kuika abale athu achichepere m’ndende. Kenaka, kuti athetseretu icho, chiletso chotheratu chinaikidwa pa ntchito ya Mboni za Yehova pa June 21, 1950.

Osakhoza kukumana m’Nyumba za Ufumu, abale anayamba kukumana mwakachetechete m’magulu a ang’ono m’nyumba zapadera. Kumeneko tinali kuphunzira nkhani za Nsanja ya Olonda zomwe zinatulutsidwa mwakuchepetsa malemba. Okhulupirika onse anayamikira mokulira chilimbikitso chauzimu chimene Yehova anapitirizabe kuwapatsa m’magulu ophunzirira a ang’ono amenewa.

Sande linali tsiku lathu la kuchezera ambiri a abale a ku Dominican m’ndende za Trujillo. Polowa tinali kufufuzidwa thupi lonse, okhala ndi chidziŵikitso chathu chonse chozindikiridwa kotheratu. Nthaŵi zina asilikari anali kutizinga ife pamene tinali ndi abale amenewa, kumatiyang’ana mosamalitsa. Pa chochitika chimodzi tinagwirizana ndi Stanley Aniol kuchokera ku Chicago, yemwe anali kuchezera mwana wake wa mkazi wa chimishonale (tsopano Mary Adams, akutumikira ku Brooklyn Bethel). Ofulumizidwa ndi kusunga umphumphu kwa abale achichepere a ku Dominican, Mbale Aniol mwachikondi anampsompsona iwo onse pamaso pa asilikari oyang’anirawo.

Pamapeto akuchezeraku, pamene tinali kuyenda kutsika ndi khwalala lalikulu la ku malo a malonda, galimoto lodzaza ndi amuna a Trujillo linatitsatira ife pa liŵiro longa kuyenda kwa nkhono. Iyi inali imodzi ya njira zodziŵika kwambiri za Trujillo za kuyesera kuika mantha mwa anthu. Pamene tinauza Mbale Aniol chimene anali kufuna, sichinamudetse nkhaŵa iye ndi pang’ono pomwe. Ndithudi, chinali choyenera kunyalanyaza zoyesayesa za Trujillo za kuyesa kulowerera ndi kuika chidaliro chathu chotheratu mwa Yehova.

Panthaŵi zina otsutsawo, azondi a Trujillo, anaitanira pa khomo lathu, kudzinenera kukhala abale. Chotero tinayenera kukhala “ochenjera monga njoka ndi owona mtima ngati nkhunda.” (Mateyu 10:16) Tinali kuyesa anthu oterewa mwa kuwafunsa mafunso ofufuza kuti titsimikize kuti kaya iwo analidi abale athu kapena ayi.

Mkati mwa chiletso alankhuli osiyanasiyana anali kupereka aliyense nkhani za Chikumbutso pa magulu aphunziro atatu osiyanasiyana, akumayenda mobisala monga momwe kungathekere kuchokera ku malo ena kupita ku ena. Kaŵirikaŵiri tinali ndi mvula yamphamvu pa tsiku la Chikumbutso, ndipo popeza kuti khamu la azondi a khamu la Trujillo linali lamantha ndi mvula yamphamvu monga mmene amachitira anthu ku malo ena ndi mphepo ya mkuntho ya chipale chofewa, iyo inali dalitso kwa ife.

Popeza kulowanso m’dzikolo kukanakanidwa ndi boma la Trujillo, ambiri a amishonale sanapezekeko ku misonkhano ya mitundu yonse m’Mzinda wa New York mu 1950 ndi 1953. Tinayenera kukhala okhutiritsidwa ndi kukwaniritsidwa kwa msonkhano mu The New York Times, yomwe inapereka zithunzithunzi zokongola za msonkhano ndi kulongosola kwatsatanetsatane kwa programu ya tsiku ndi tsiku. Ndiponso, bwalo lowonetserapo kanema la kumaloko linapereka kuwonetsera kwakutali kwa ubatizo waukulu wa pa msonkhanowo mu 1953.

Mu 1956 Roy Brandt ndi ine tinaitanidwa kaamba ka kufunsidwa mwalamulo. Nduna za boma la Trujillo poyambirirapo zinali zitaitana Mbale Manuel Hierrezuelo kupita ndi kuwona iwo. Koma pambuyo pake Manuel anabwezedwa ku banja lake monga mtembo. Chotero tsopano, kodi zinthu zikayenda bwanji ndi ife?

Pamene tinafika, tinafunsidwa aliyense payekha, mayankho athu mwachiwonekere akujambulidwa. Palibe china chowonjezereka chimene chinachitika, koma miyezi iŵiri pambuyo pake manyuzipepala analengeza kuti boma la Trujillo linali kuchotsa chiletso pa Mboni za Yehova ndi kuti tikanayambanso kuchita ntchito zathu poyera. Nyumba za Ufumu zinapezedwanso, ndipo ntchito ya Yehova inapita patsogolo.

Ngakhale kuli tero, mu June 1957 funde latsopano la chiwawa la chizunzo linayamba, ndipo amishonale onse anachotsedwa mu dzikolo. Kuchoka kwathu kunalidi tsiku lomvetsa chisoni kwa ife. Virginia ndi ine tinali titatumikira zaka 12 mu Dominican Republic ndipo tinawona chiŵerengero cha Mboni chikukula kuchokera ku kokha aŵiri a ife kufika ku chiŵerengero choposa 600. Mu 1960 chiletso chachiŵiri chinachotsedwa, ndipo chiŵerengero cha ofalitsa chinapitiriza kukula kufikira tsopano chiri chifupifupi 10,000!

Kutumikira mu Puerto Rico

Pamene tinafika mu Puerto Rico mu August 1957, abale athu Achikristu limodzinso ndi amtola nkhani a nyuzipepala anali pafupipo kudzatilandira. Nkhani zofalitsidwa zotulukapo zinapereka umboni wokulira. Panthaŵiyo, kunali ofalitsa a Ufumu ochepera pa 1,200 mu Puerto Rico; tsopano iwo ali chifupifupi 22,000!

Mu 1958 Sosaite inandiitana ine kukhala woyang’anira woyendayenda. Chotero, mkati mwa zaka tinafika ku kudziŵa ndi kugwira ntchito limodzi ndi abale ambiri okhulupirika kuchokera kumbali zonse za Puerto Rico ndi ku Virgin Islands. M’kupita kwanthaŵi, mkazi wanga ndi ine tinakhala ziwalo za banja la Beteli la kumaloko. Ndipo kuyambira pa kukhazikitsidwa kwa Komiti ya Nthambi kuno, Yehova anandiyanja ine ndi kukhala chiwalo cha iyo.

Chimandidzaza ine ndi chimwemwe kulandira mwaumwini kuchokera kwa Yehova “makumi khumi tsopano . . . abale ndi alongo ndi amayi ndi ana onenedweratu.” (Marko 10:30) Sindikanafuna kuwononga moyo wanga m’njira ina iriyonse kuposa mu utumiki wake. Ndipo tsopano, pamene ndikuyang’ana m’mbuyo ku zaka 48 kuyambira pamene ndinayamba kuchita upainiya, ndimasangalala kunena kuti, ndithudi, ndawona kuti Yehova ali wabwino!​—Masalmo 34:8.

Pamene Nkhani iri pamwambayi ya moyo wa Lennart Johnson inali m’makonzedwe ake omalizira, Virginia Johnson anafa mwamtendere m’tulo take pa January 31, 1987

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 27]

Anali Yehova amene anapatsa atumiki ake chipambano!

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 28]

Okhulupirika onse mokulira analandira chilimbikitso chauzimu chimene Yehova anapitiriza kuwapatsa

[Chithunzi patsamba 29]

Virginia ndi ine tinagwira ntchito limodzi ndi abale ambiri okhulupirika kuchokera kumbali zonse za Puerto Rico