Ntchito Yodabwitsa

Zaka 57 za Moyo wa Umishonale

Monga mmene yasimbidwira ndi Eric Cooke

M’KUWALA kotumbuluka kwa mbandakucha, ndinayedzamira ku chitsulo chochinjiriza cha boti lodutsa ngalande ndi kuyang’anitsitsa kadontho m’chizimezime. Mbale wanga ndi ine tinanyamuka ku Southampton, England, madzulo apita ndipo tinkapita ku Saint-Malo, France. Ochezera maiko? Ayi, tinali ndi cholinga cha kupereka uthenga wa Ufumu wa Mulungu ku France. Pofika ku Saint-Malo, tinatenga njinga zathu ndi kupalasa kulinga kum’mwera.

Chinali motero kuti mbale wanga wachichepere John ndi ine tinanyamuka kaamba ka ntchito ya umishonale wa kudziko lachilendo zoposa zaka 57 zapitazo. Kodi nchiyani chomwe chinatsogolera ku kuloŵa kwathu utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse? Nchiyani chomwe chinatikakamiza kusiya moyo wokhazikika m’nyumba yabwino ya Chingelezi?

Chimene Chinasonkhezera Moyo Wathu

Mu 1922 amayi anga anapezekapo pa nkhani ya poyera yakuti “Kodi Akufa Ali Kuti?” Iwo anasangalatsidwa nayo ndipo mwamsanga anakhala mtumiki wodzipereka wa Yehova. Koma Atate sanakondweretsedwe. Iwo anali chiwalo cha Tchalitchi cha Anglican, ndipo kwa zaka zingapo anatitenga ife ku tchalitchi pa Sande m’mawa pamene Amayi anatiphunzitsa kuchokera m’Baibulo masana.

Mu 1927 John anakhala ndi zaka 14 ndipo anayamba kupezeka pa misonkhano limodzi ndi Amayi ndi kugawanamo m’kuchitira umboni wa ku khomo ndi khomo. Koma ine ndinali wokhutiritsidwa mwaumwini, pokhala ndi ntchito yabwino mu Barclay’s Bank. Komabe, chifukwa cholemekeza Amayi, m’kupita kwa nthaŵi ndinayamba kuphunzira Baibulo, limodzinso ndi zofalitsidwa za Watch Tower Society. Pambuyo pa icho, kupita patsogolo kwauzimu kunali kwa mwamsanga, ndipo mu 1930 ndinabatizidwa.

Posiya sukulu mu 1931, John anayamba utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse monga mpainiya. Pamene analingalira kuti ine nditsagane naye mu ntchito ya upainiya, ndinasiya ntchito yanga ya mu banki ndi kugwirizana naye. Chigamulo chathu chinalimbikitsidwa ndi dzina lathu latsopano, Mboni za Yehova, limene tinali titangolilandira kumene. Gawo lathu la ntchito loyambirira linali tauni ya La Rochelle ndi gawo lozungulira pa malire a kumadzulo a France.

Kuchita Upainiya ndi Njinga mu France

Pamene tinali kuyenda pa njinga kulinga kum’mwera kuchokera ku Saint-Malo, tinasangalala kuwona minda ya mitengo ya zipatso ya ma apple ya Normandy ndi kununkhiza fungo lokoma kuchokera ku malo opangirako zakumwa za maapple. Tinazindikira zochepa kuti madoko a Normandy apafupiwo zaka 13 pambuyo pake, mkati mwa Nkhondo ya Dziko ya II, akawonongedwa ndi zina za nkhondo zoipitsitsa m’mbiri; sitinazindikirenso kuti utumiki wathu wa nthaŵi zonse ukatenga nthaŵi yaitali chotero. Ndinanena moseka kwa John kuti: “Ndiganizira kuti tingakhoze zaka zisanu monga apainiya. Armagedo singakhale kutali kwambiri!”

Pambuyo pa masiku atatu a kuyenda pa njinga, tinafika pa La Rochelle. Tonse aŵirife tinali ndi chidziŵitso cha chiFrench, chotero tinalibe vuto kupeza chipinda cholinganizidwa modekha. Pa njinga zathu, tinakwaniritsa midzi yonseyo mkati mwa malo a utali wodutsa wa makilomita 20, tikugawira mabukhu a Baibulo. Kenaka tinapitiriza ku mzinda wina ndi kubwerezanso njira imodzimodziyo. Kunalibe Mboni zina zake m’mbali imeneyo ya France.

Mu July 1932, John, yemwe anali ataphunzira chiSpanish ku sukulu, anatumizidwa ndi Sosaite kutumikira mu Spain. Ndinapitirizabe kum’mwera kwa France ndipo kwa zaka ziŵiri ndinali ndi kusinthasintha kwa ogwira nawo ntchito ochokera ku England. Chifukwa panalibe kugwirizana kwina ndi Mboni, pemphero lokhazikika ndi phunziro la Baibulo zinali zofunikira kusungirira mphamvu yathu yauzimu. Tinkabwereranso ku England kamodzi pa chaka kaamba ka misonkhano ya pa chaka.

Mu 1934 tinathamangitsidwa kuchoka mu France. Tchalitchi cha Roma Katolika, chimene panthaŵiyo chinali ndi chisonkhezero champhamvu, chinali cha thayo. M’malo mobwerera ku England, tinagwirizana ndi apainiya ena aŵiri a Chingelezi, ndipo tinayamba ulendo kupita ku Spain​—pa njinga zathu monga mwa nthaŵi zonse. Usiku umodzi tinagona pansi pa ziyangoyango, winawo pansi pa udzu wakudya ng’ombe, winawonso pa gombe. Potsirizira tinafika mu Barcelona kumpoto cha kum’mawa kwa Spain ndi kugwirizana ndi John, yemwe anatilandira.

Chitokoso cha Spain

Munalibe mipingo ya Mboni za Yehova mu Spain pa nthaŵiyo. Pambuyo pa kugwira ntchito miyezi yoŵerengeka mu Barcelona, tinapitirizabe ku Tarragona. Kunali kumeneko kumene tinagwiritsira ntchito kwa nthaŵi yoyamba chiwiya choseŵerera mauthenga ojambulidwa chonyamulika ndi zojambulidwa za nkhani za Baibulo zazifupi mu chiSpanish. Izi zinali zokhutiritsa kwambiri, makamaka m’malo odyera ndi malo omwera moŵa okhala ndi khamu la anthu.

Mu Lérida, kumpoto cha kumadzulo, tinagwirizanitsidwa ndi Mboni ya kutali, Salvador Sirera. Wolimbikitsidwa ndi kukhala kwathu m’malowo, iye anatumikira kwa kanthaŵi monga mpainiya. Mu Huesca, Nemesio Orus anatilandira motenthedwa maganizo kunyumba yake yaing’ono pamwamba pa shopu yake yopanga mawatchi. Kunali kwa iye kumene tinatsogozako phunziro lathu la Baibulo la panyumba loyamba, kugwiritsira ntchito kamodzi ka timabukhu toyambirira ta Sosaite. Tinachita ilo kwa maora angapo tsiku lirilonse, ndipo mwamsanga anagwirizana nafe monga mpainiya.

Mu mzinda wotsatira umene tinagwiriramo ntchito, Zaragoza, tinali ndi chisangalalo cha kuthandiza Antonio Gargallo ndi José Romanos, achichepere aŵiri m’zaka zawo za pakati pa 13 ndi 19. Madzulo aliwonse iwo anabwera ku chipinda chathu chaching’ono kaamba ka phunziro la Baibulo limene tinatsogoza m’bukhu lakuti Government. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, onse aŵiri anagwirizana nafe mu ntchito ya upainiya.

Kupatsidwa Mlandu wa Kukhala a Fascist

Pa nthaŵiyo, mavuto anali m’njira. Nkhondo ya Chiweniweni ya Spanish inali pafupi kuwulika, kukanthana m’kumene mazana a zikwi potsirizira pake anayenera kufa. M’mudzi wina pafupi ndi Zaragoza, Antonio ndi ine tinaloŵa m’mavuto. Mkazi wina yemwe analandira timabukhu tathu molakwika anatitenga ito kukhala tochirikiza Chikatolika ndi kutipatsa ife mlandu wa kukhala a Fascist. Tinamangidwa ndi kutengedwa ku polisi. “Nchiyani chomwe mukuchita m’mudzi muno?” anafunsa tero mkulu wapolisi. “Anthu kuno ali akomyunisiti ndipo samafuna ziphunzitso za chiFascist!”

Pambuyo pa kulongosola ntchito yathu, iye anakhutiritsidwa. Mokoma mtima anatipatsa chakudya chamasana ndi kutilangiza kuchoka m’mudzimo mwakachetechete mkati mwa nyengo ya kupuma ya masana. Koma pamene tinatuluka, gulu linali kudikira. Iwo analanda mabukhu athu onse. Unali mkhalidwe woipa. Tinali oyamikira, ngakhale kuli tero, kuti mkulu wapolisiyo anafika ndi kulankhula mochenjera kwa gululo. Iye anawakhutiritsa iwo pamene anadzipereka kutitenga ife kupita ku Zaragoza kukawonana ndi olamulira. Kumeneko iye analankhula motikomera kwa nduna ya mzinda, ndipo tinamasulidwa.

Mu July 1936, pamene nkhondo ya chiweniweni inayamba, Antonio anakana kumenya nkhondo ndi magulu ankhondo a Franco ndipo anaphedwa. Chidzakhala chisangalalo chotani nanga kaamba ka John ndi ine kumulandiranso iye m’chiwukiriro ndi kuwona kumwetulira kwake kofatsa kachiŵirinso!

Kutchedwa Akomyunisiti mu Ireland

Mwamsanga nkhondo ya chiweniweni isanawulike, John ndi ine tinabwerera ku England kaamba ka tchuthi chathu cha pa chaka cha nthaŵi zonse. Nkhondoyo kenaka inachipangitsa kukhala chosatheka kwa ife kubwerera ku Spain, chotero tinachita upainiya kwa milungu yoŵerengeka mu Kent, pafupi ndi kumudzi kwathu mu Broadstairs. Kenaka gawo lathu lotsatira linabwera​—Ireland. Prezidenti wa Society, Joseph F Rutherford, anakonza kaamba ka ife kupita kumeneko ndi kugawira trakiti yapadera yokhala ndi mutu wakuti You Have Been Warned. Kunalibe mipingo kum’mwera kwa Ireland, kokha Mboni zoŵerengeka za kutali.

Pa nthaŵiyo, pansi pa chisonkhezero cha mtsogoleri wa chipembedzo wa Chikatolika, tinapatsidwa mlandu wa kukhala akomyunisiti​—chosiyana kwenikweni ndi mlandu umene tinapatsidwa mu Spain! Pa nthaŵi imodzi gulu lokwiya la Akatolika linaloŵa m’nymba mmene tinkakhala, kutenga makatoni athu a mabukhu, ndi kuwatentha. Tinavutika ndi zochitika zoŵerengeka zofananazo tisanabwerere ku England mu chirimwe cha 1937.

Nkhondo ya Dziko ya II ndi Kupita ku Gileadi

Pamene Nkhondo ya Dziko ya II inalengezedwa mu September 1939, John anali kutumikira mu Bordeaux, France, ndipo ine ndinali woyang’anira wa mpingo mu Derby, England. Apainiya ena, kuphatikizapo John, omwe anagwirizana nane, anapatulidwa ku utumiki wa nkhondo wokakamiza, koma ena, mofanana ndi ine, anakanizidwa kupatulidwako. Chotero ndinali kuloŵa ndi kutuluka m’ndende mkati mwa nkhondo. Chipiriro chinali chofunikira kuchita ndi mikhalidwe m’ndende za m’nthaŵi ya nkhondo zimenezo, koma tinadziŵa kuti abale athu mu Europe anali kuvutika moposerapo.

Pamapeto pa nkhondo prezidenti watsopano wa Watch Tower Society, Nathan H. Knorr, anachezera England ndi kukonza kaamba ka apainiya ena kupezeka ku Sukulu ya Gileadi ya Baibulo ya Watchtower mu New York, kaamba ka maphunziro a umishonale. Chotero May 1946 inapeza John ndi ine tikudutsa Atlantic pa sitima ya pamadzi ya Liberty yopangidwa mu nthaŵi ya nkhondo.

Kalasi ya Gileadi yachisanu ndi chitatu inali yoyamba yeniyeni ya mitundu yonse. Chinali chokumana nacho chotenthetsa maganizo chotani nanga kuphunzira ndi kuyanjana ndi apainiya akale mkati mwa kosi ya miyezi isanu! Potsirizira pake, tsiku la kumaliza maphunziro linabwera, ndipo pomalizira tinadziŵa magawo athu. Ine ndinagawiridwa ku Southern Rhodesia, tsopano yodziŵika monga Zimbabwe, ndipo John anatumizidwa ku Portugal ndi Spain.

Utumiki wa Umishonale mu Africa

Ndinafika mu Cape Town, South Africa, mu November 1947. Boti lina linabweretsa anzanga a mu kalasi Ian Fergusson ndi Harry Arnott. Mbale Knorr mwamsanga anachezera, ndipo tinapezekapo pa msonkhano mu Johannesburg. Kenaka tinapitiriza kumpoto ku magawo athu​—Ian ku Nyasaland (tsopano Malawi), Harry ku Northern Rhodesia (tsopano Zambia), ndipo ine ku Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe). M’kupita kwa nthaŵi Sosaite inakhazikitsa nthambi, ndipo ine ndinaikidwa monga woyang’anira wa nthambi. Tinali ndi mipingo 117 ndi ofalitsa chifpifupi 3,500 m’dzikolo.

Mwamsanga amishonale atsopano anayi anafika. Anayembekeza gawo lawo kukhala la timanyumba ta matope, kubangula kwa mikango usiku, njoka pansi pa kama, ndi mikhalidwe ya kumudzi. M’malomwake, ndi mitengo ya maluŵa yondandama m’makwalala a Bulawayo, zimango zamakono zokongola, ndi anthu okonzekera kumvetsera ku uthenga wa Ufumu, analitcha ilo paradaiso ya apainiya.

Kusintha Kuŵiri Kwaumwini

Pamene ndinabatizidwa mu 1930, panali kumvetsetsa kochepera kulinga kwa awo omwe akakhala ndi moyo wosatha pa dziko lapansi. Chotero aŵirife John ndi ine tinadyako ku ziphiphiritso pa nthaŵi ya Chikumbutso, monga mmene anachitira aliyense pa nthaŵiyo. Ngakhale mu 1935, pamene “khamu lalikulu” la pa Chibvumbulutso mutu 7 linazindikiridwa monga gulu la “nkhosa” la pa dziko lapansi, kulingalira kwathu sikunasinthe. (Chibvumbulutso 7:9; Yohane 10:16) Kenaka mu 1952, Nsanja ya Olonda pa tsamba 63 inafalitsa kuwongolera kwa kusiyana pakati pa chiyembekezo cha pa dziko lapansi ndi chiyembekezo cha moyo wa kumwamba. Tinazindikira kuti sitinali ndi chiyembekezo cha kumwamba, koma kuti chiyembekezo chathu chinali cha moyo wa paradaiso ya pa dziko lapansi.​—Yesaya 11:6-9; Mateyu 5:5; Chibvumbulutso 21:3, 4.

Kusintha kwinako? Ndinakulitsa chikondwerero mwa Myrtle Taylor, yemwe anakhala akugwira nafe ntchito kwa zaka zitatu. Pamene chinakhala chowonekera bwino kuti nayenso anadzimva mofananamo ponena za ine ndi kuti aŵirife tinayamikira utumiki wa umishonale mozama, tinatomerana ndipo tinakwatirana mu July 1955. Myrtle watsimikizira kukhala mkazi wochirikiza kwambiri.

Utumiki mu South Africa

Mu 1959 Mbale Knorr anachezera Southern Rhodesia, ndipo Myrtle ndi ine tinagawiridwanso ku South Africa. Pasanapite nthaŵi tinayamba kuyenda m’gawo langa mu ntchito yadera. Amenewo anali masiku okoma koposa. Koma ndinali kukula, ndipo umoyo wa Myrtle unadetsa nkhaŵa. Pambuyo pa kanthaŵi sitikanakhozanso kuyendera pamodzi ndi liŵiro la ntchito yadera, chotero tinakhazikitsa nyumba ya amishonale mu Cape Town ndi kutumikira kumeneko kwa zaka zina. Pambuyo pake, tinapatsidwanso gawo ku Durban, mu Natal.

Gawo lathu kumeneko linakhala Chatsworth, mudzi waukulu wa Amwenye. Limeneli linali gawo la ku dziko lachilendo mkati mwa gawo la ku dziko lachilendo​—chitokoso chenecheni kwa ife amishonale achikulire. Pamene tinafika mu February 1978, kunali mpingo wa Mboni 96, unyinji wa iwo Amwenye. Tinafunikira kuphunzira kuganiza kwa chipembedzo kwa anthu a Chihindu ndi kumvetsetsa miyambo yawo. Kafikiridwe komwe kanagwiritsiridwa ntchito ndi mtumwi Paulo m’kuchitira umboni mu Atene kanatumikira monga chitsanzo chothandiza kwa ife.​—Machitidwe 17:16-34.

Madalitso a Utumiki wa Umishonale

Tsopano ndiri ndi zaka 78 zakubadwa, ndi zaka 57 za utumiki wa umishonale kumbuyo kwanga. Chiri cholimbikitsa chotani nanga kuwona kuwonjezeka kochititsa chidwi m’maiko amene ndinatumikiramo! France yafikira alengezi a Ufumu 100,000, Spain iri ndi oposa 70,000, ndipo South Africa yawonjezeka kuchokera pa 15,000 pamene tinafikako kufika ku oposa 43,000.

Achichepere inu, kodi mikhalidwe yanu imakulolani kuloŵa mu utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse? Ngati ndi tero, ndingakutsimikizireni kuti iri ntchito yabwino koposa. Siiri kokha chinjirizo kuchokera ku mavuto ndi ziyeso zimene zimagwera anthu achichepere lerolino koma ingawumbe umunthu wanu kogonjera ku maprinsipulo olungama a Yehova. Uli ubwino ndi mwaŵi wotani nanga kaamba ka ponse paŵiri achichepere ndi achikulire kutumikira Yehova tsopano!

[Chithunzi patsamba 29]

Mlendo abwera ku kichini ya mu msasa ya Myrtle Cooke