‘Ndinauluka Pamwamba ndi Mapiko Monga Ziwombankhanga’

Monga momwe inasimbidwira ndi Ingeborg Berg

NDINABADWA zaka zoposa zana limodzi zapitazo, pa June 5, 1889, pafupi ndi Fredensborg Castle, chakumpoto pang’ono kwa Copenhagen. Pamene banja lachifumu la ku Denmark linali ndi alendo, kuphatikizapo olamulira ochokera ku maiko a ku Ulaya, adona ochokera ku mabanja okhupuka m’Fredensborg ankaitanidwa kukathandiza ndi chakudya ndi kukaperekera. Monga msungwana wachichepere, ndinali kutengedwa kaŵirikaŵiri ndi kuloledwa kuseŵera ndi kuthamangathamanga m’nyumba ya chifumuyo.

Chosaiwalika koposa ndicho chikumbukiro changa cha Czar Nicholas II wa ku Russia ndi banja lake. Kunja kwa chipinda chake chogona kunaimirira msilikali womlonda, katswiri wokwera kavalo atasolola lupanga. Akatswiri okwera pakavalo ankakonda ana, ndipo nthaŵi ina mmodzi wa iwo anayesayesa kundikupatila. Nditawopsedwa, makamaka chifukwa cha ndevu zake zazitalizo, ndinathawa kudzera m’malikole aatali anyumba yachifumuyo.

Panthaŵi ina Czar Nicholas II, Wolamulira Wilhelm II wa ku Jeremani, ndi mwana wa mwamuna wa Mfumukazi Victoria, amene pambuyo pake anadzakhala King Edward VII wa ku Mangalande, anachezera mfumu ya ku Denmark Christian IX. Pamene anali kuwongola miyendo m’makwalala a Fredensborg, kulankhula mokoma mtima ndi anthu, Czar Nicholas anandisisita pamutu pamene ndinamtewera. Imeneyo inali nthaŵi ya mtendere, ndipo atsogoleri a maiko sanaope kutetezereka kwawo monga mmene amachitira lerolino.

Mtendere Uchotsedwa

Mu 1912 ndinayamba kugwira ntchito monga namwino mu South Jutland, ndikumatumikira anthu ochilikiza Denmark kumbali ya Jeremani ya malirewo. South Jutland inali kulamulidwa ndi Jeremani chiyambire nkhondoyo mu 1864 pakati pa Denmark ndi Prussia. Ndinathandiza anakubala ndi makanda awo obadwa chatsopano ndipo ndinazolowerana bwino kwambiri ndi ambiri a mabanja a achichepere amenewa.

Mu 1914 ndinakwatiridwa ndi mlonda wa malire a Denmark ndipo tinadzakhala kumbali ya Denmark ya malirewo. Mwamsanga pambuyo pake nkhaondo inaulika. Pambuyo pake inadzatchedwa Nkhondo Yaikulu ndipo, potsirizira pake, Nkhondo Yadziko I. Mmaŵa ena, waya ya minga inafunyululidwa m’mbali mwa malire, kuletsa kuyenda momasuka kuwadutsa. Mtendere ndi chisungiko zimene tinali nazo kufikira panthaŵiyo zinatha.

Kuwopsa ndi nkhalwe zankhondo zinayandikira kwambiri kwa ife pamene tinamva kuti atate achichepere m’mabanja onse amene ndidachezamo monga namwino anali kuitanidwa kuutumiki wa nkhondo. Ndipo onse kupatulako mmodzi anaphedwa ku Malire Akummadzulo ku Marne! Kunali kochititsa mantha kulingalira za akazi amasiye achichepere, akumataikiridwa ndi amuna awo ndipo ana achicheperewo kutaikiridwa ndi atate awo. Kodi akazi achichepere amenewa akasamalira bwanji mafama awo? “Kodi Mulungu alikuti?” Ndinafunsa motero.

Mkati mwa nkhondo, kaŵirikaŵiri mkhalidwewo kumalire unali wochititsa mantha kwambiri pamene othawa anayesa kulumpha malire. Ndinapatsidwa gawo la kusecha akazi amene analingaliridwa kukhala akuba zinthu. Kaŵirikaŵiri, chinali chakudya chimene ananyamula, ndipo kaŵirikaŵiri ndinachinyalanyaza ndi kuwalola kupita. Nkhondoyo inatha mu 1918, ndipo mu 1920 South Jutland anagwirizanitidzwanso ndi Denmark.

Kupeza Chikhulupiriro mwa Mulungu

Ngakhale kuti chikhulupiriro changa mwa Mulungu chinafoka chifukwa cha zosalungama zonse zimene ndinawona, ndinali kufunafuna tanthauzo m’moyo. Alfred, mwamuna wanga, ndi ine tinafika ku tchalitchi mokhazikika, koma mafunso athu anali osayankhidwa.

Mu 1923 tinasamukila ku tauni yaing’ono yogwirira nsomba ku Flensburg Fjord, ndipo Alfred anayamba kugwira ntchito monga msodzi. Mwamsanga tidazoloŵerana ndi banja lina limene linali Lachibabatist. Ngakhale kuti ife tinali Aliterani, tsiku lina tinavomereza chiitano chawo ku nkhani ya Baibulo ku Ferry Inn ku Egernsund. Tisanapite, ndinagwada ndi maondo anga ndi kupemphera kuti: “Ngati inu Mulungu muliko, chonde mvetserani pemphero langa!”

Nkhaniyo inkanena za mkazi wapachitsime cha ku Sychar, ndipo inandipatsa chikhumbo cha kuŵerenga Baibulo. Monga chotulukapo, kunena kwake titero, ndinafikira kukhala munthu watsopano! Ndinalembera amai kuti: “Inu nthaŵi zonse munanena kuti ndiyenera kutembenuzidwira kwa Mulungu. Ndinaganiza kuti zimenezo tsopano zachitika; ndakhala ndikuchita mantha kukuuzani kuwopera kuti chisangalalo chimene ndinali nacho chingazimilirike. Koma chikalipo!”

Nthaŵi ina pambuyo pake, mu 1927, m’tsindwi mwa nyumba yathu ndinapezamo kabukhu kotchedwa Freedom for the Peoples. Kanagwira chisamaliro changa, ndipo ndinamwererekera kwambiri m’zolembedwamo kotero kuti ndinaiŵala nthaŵi ndi malo. Ndinasiya kukaŵerenga pamene ana anadza kunyumba kuchokera kusukulu nafuna kudya.

Pamene Alfred anadza m’nyumba madzulo amenewo, ndinamuuza ndi chidwi chachikulu zimene ndinali nditaŵerenga. Ndinamuuza kuti ngati zimene kabukhuko kadanena zinali zowona, pamenepo tchalitchi sichinali nyumba ya Mulungu, ndipo tiyenera kuchokamo nthaŵi yomweyo. Alfred anaganiza kuti kutero kukakhala kuchita thuku pang’ono, ndipo anatero. Koma tinavomerezana kulembera ofesi yanthambi ya Watch Tower Society mu Copenhagen ndikupempha mabuku owonjezereka.

Kuyankha pempho lathulo, woyang’anira woyendayenda, Christian Rømer, anatumidwa kudzatichezera. Tinampatsa chipinda cha ana ndikuika mibedi yawo m’tsindwi. Mmawa ndi mmasana, Mbale Rømer anapita kukalalikira khomo ndi khomo, ndipo mmadzulo mulimonse anaphunzira nafe. Anakhala masiku anai, ndipo tinalidi ndi nthaŵi yokondweretsa. Pamene anachoka, kachiŵirinso ndinapempha Alfred ponena za kuchoka mtchalitchi. nthaŵi ino anavomereza motenthedwa maganizo.

Chotero Alfred anapita kwa minisitala ndi kalata yathu yochoka. Minisitalayo anaganiza kuti Alfred anadza chifukwa chakuti kunabadwa mwana wina woti abatizidwe. Komabe, pamene anamva chifukwa chimene Alfred anadzera, sanakhulupirire. “Kodi tchalitchi chalakwanji?” iye anafuna kudziŵa. Alfred anatchula ziphunzitso za Utatu, kusakhoza kufa kwa moyo, ndi chizunzo chosatha. “Baibulo simaphunzitsa zinthu zimenezi,” anatero Alfred. Pamene modabwitsa minisitalayo anayankha kuti sakanalankhula nkhani zoterozo kwa anthu amene anali oganiza mwa iwo okha, Alfred ananena mwamphamvu kuti: “Tifuna kutuluka m’tchalitchi!”

Kusotsa Kozizwitsa ndi Ubatizo

Msonkhano unali kudzachitikira mu Copenhagen, koma tinalibe ndalama ndipo sitikanatha kupanga ulendowo. Ndinapemphera kwa Mulungu kuti atisonyeze njira yopitira konko, chifukwa chakuti tinafuna kukabatizidwa. Mwamsanga msonkhanowo usanachitike, Alfred anakwera ngalawa kunka panyanja kukasodza. Anagwira nsomba zambiri kotero kuti bwatolo linadzadza, ndipo tinali okhoza kulipilira ulendo wathuwo. Asodzi a malowo anazizwa, chifukwa chakuti panyanjapo sipanagwidwe nsomba zambiri chakacho. Kwenikweni, zoposa zaka 50 pambuyo pake, asodzi a mmalowo akadalankhulabe za “chozizwitsacho.” Tinakutcha kugwira nsomba kwa Petro. Chotero pa August 28, 1928, tinabatizidwa.

Ubatizowo unali wosiyana ndi maubatizo amakono. Kutseri kwa chochinga ndiko kunali dziwe lobatizira. Pamene chochingacho chinatsegulidwa, Mbale Christian Jensen anali chikonzekere kumiza. Anali atavala mkhanjo, ataimirira pakati pa dziwepo madziwo akufika m’chiuno. Ife oyembekezera ubatizo tinavala minjiro yoyera. Choyamba amuna anabatizidwa ndiyeno akazi.

Mnthaŵi ya msonkhano wa ku Copenhagen, tinali kukhala ndi makolo anga. Pamene ndinafika kunyumba madzulowo, atate anafunsa kumene ife tinali.

“Tinali kumsonkhano,” ndinatero.

“Kodi kwachitikanji?”

“Tinabatizidwa,” ndinayankha motero.

“Iwe amene unabatizidwa?” iye anatuluma. “Kodi ubatizo umene unalandira uli mwana ngwosakwanira?”

“Ayi, Atate,” ndinayankha. Ndiyeno anandiomba khofu pakhutu, akumafuula kuti: “Ndidzakubatiza!”

Chotero ndinali wa zaka 39 zakubadwa ndi amai wa ana asanu pamene ndinaombedwa khofu lotsirizira pakhutu kuchokera kwa atate, amene kwakukulukulu anali abwino kwambiri ndi achifundo. Iwo sanatchulenso chochitikacho. Mwamwaŵi, Alfred anali asanafike panyumba, ndipo sindinamuuze zimene zidachitika kufikira zaka zingapo pambuyo pake.

Nthaŵi Yakuungusula

Pamene tinafika panyumba, ndinachezera munthu wina amene ndinamulingalira kukhala mlongo ndipo motenthedwa maganizo ndinamuuza za msonkhanowo ndi ubatizo wathu. Anakhala chete kwambiri ndiyeno anati: “Kalanga ine, kalanga ine Mlongo Berg. Usakhulupirirenso zimenezi. Masiku ochepa alinkudza mbale wina wochokera ku Flensburg adzafika, ndipo adzalongosola chowonadi kwa ife.”

Ndinachita kakasi. Ndinali wosakhoza kupalasa njinga kunka kunyumba. Belu la tchalitchi chapafupipo linali kulira, ndipo kuwomba kulikonse kunali ngati kuti ndinali kumva “imfa, imfa” m’makutu mwanga. Chamkati ndinalirira kwa Yehova kaamba ka chithandizo, ndipo mawu a Salmo 32:8, 9 anakumbukika m’maganizo mwanga: “Ndidzakulangiza ndi kukuphunzitsa iwe za njira ukayendayo: ndidzakupangira ndi diso langa la kuyang’ana iwe. Musakhale monga kavalo, kapena ngati bulu, wopanda nzeru: zomangira zawo ndizo chamkamwa ndi chapamutu zakuwakokera, pakuti ukapanda kutero sadzakuyandikiza.”​—King James Version.

Pamene ndinafika kunyumba, ndinatenga Baibulo ndi kuŵerenga Pemphero la Ambuye. Ndinapatsidwanso chitsimikiziro. Fanizo la ngale ya mtengo wapatali linakumbukika mmaganizo mwanga. (Mateyu 13:45, 46) Ufumuwo unali ngati ngale imeneyo. Ndinafuna kulepa zonse zimene ndinali nazo kuti ndipeze Ufumuwo. Malingaliro amenewa anali chitonthozo kwa ine. Ndipo panali madalitso ena.

Mu 1930 magazine a The Golden Age (tsopano Galamukani!) anayamba kufalitsidwa m’Chidanish pansi pa dzina lakuti The New World. Ndipo chaka chotsatira, ife Ophunzira Baibulo tinakondwera kulandira dzina lakuti Mboni za Yehova. Tinalimo ochepekera m’chigawo chathu panthaŵiyo, ndipo panthaŵi ndi nthaŵi misonkhano inali kuchitidwira m’nyumba mwathu. Popeza khwalala limene tinalimo linali kutchedwa Staircase, tinali kutchedwa Mpingo wa Staircase.

Kupirira Ziyeso Zina

Mu 1934 ndinachitidwa oparesheni yaikulu ndipo monga chotulukapo, ndinafa ziŵalo. Ndinabindikiritsidwa pabedi kwa zaka ziŵiri ndi theka, ndipo sing’anga ananeneratu kuti ndikabindikiritsidwa pampando wa magudumu kumbali yonse yotsala ya moyo wanga. Inali nthaŵi yovuta kwambiri kwa ine, koma banja langa linali lothandiza kwambiri.

Alfred anandigulira Baibulo m’zilembo zazikulu, ndipo mwana wathu womalizira analipangira choimikapo kotero kuti ndikanagona pakama ndikuliŵerenga. Koma ndinafunanso kulalikira, chotero Alfred anaika chikwangwani pamsewu chimene tinalengeza magazine atsopano. Kwa awo amene anali okondwerera anafika kudzandiwona, ndipo ndinalankhula nawo. Chipambano cha chikwangwani chimenechi chinali chakuti anthu m’chigawocho anatcha banja lathu Adziko Latsopano.

Oyang’anira oyendayenda anali ogalamuka kundichezera. Chotero ndinafikira kukhala wozoloŵerana bwino lomwe ndi abale okula msinkhu ndi achidziŵitso amenewa, ndipo ndinalimbikitsidwa kwambiri ndi iwo. Ndiponso, ndinagwiritsira ntchito nthaŵiyo kuphunzira Baibulo, ndipo chidziŵitsocho chinandichilikiza. Ndinamva ngati kuti ‘ndinamera mapiko monga chiwombankhanga.’​—Yesaya 40:31.

Pamene, mu 1935, “khamu lalikulu” linadziŵika bwino lomwe, abale ambiri ndi alongo m’gawo lathu, kuphatikizapo mwana wathu wamwamuna wamkulu koposa ndi mwana wathu wa mkazi, anasiya kulandira mkate ndi vinyo pa Chikumbutso. Komabe, ochepekera a ife sitinakaikire chiitano chathu cha kumwamba. Komabe, tinalinso achimwemwe ponena za chidziŵitso chathu chatsopano cha chifuno chachikulu cha Yehova chonena za khamu lalikulu ndi mphoto yawo ya moyo wosatha padziko lapansi.​—Chivumbulutso 7:9; Salmo 37:29.

Pang’ono ndi pang’ono thanzi langa linawongokera, mosiyana ndi zimene madokotala anayembekezera, ndipo ndinalinso wokhoza kukhala ndi phande mokwanira mu ntchito yofunika ya kulalikira ndi kuphunzitsa.

Nkhondo Yadziko II ndi Pambuyo Pake

Patsidya panyanjapo tinali okhoza kuwona Jeremani, ndipo tinayamba kumva ndi kuwona chisonkhezero Chachinazi. Ena a anansi athu anafikira kukhala Anazi, ndipo anatiwopseza kuti: “Yembekezerani kufikira Hitler atadza. Pamenepo mudzaikidwa mumsasa wa chibalo kapena pachisumbu chobindikiritsira!”

Tinakuwona kukhala bwino koposa kusamuka. Anthu ena aubwenzi anatithandiza kupeza chipinda mu Sønderborg, tauni yaikulu kwambiri yosakhala pamtunda wapatali koposa. Nkhondo Yadziko II inayamba mu September 1939; tinasamuka mu March 1940; ndipo pa April 9, magulu ankhondo a Jeremani anafunkha Denmark. Komabe, modabwitsa, Mboni za Yehova mu Denmark sizinakhale mkhole wa Jeremani.

Pamene potsirizira pake loto la Hitler la kugonjetsa linalephera, ndinali ndi maphunziro a Baibulo ndi Ajeremani ogwiritsidwa mwala ambiri okhala mu Sønderborg. Chinali chisangalalo chotani nanga osati kokha kuwona ambiri a ophunzira Baibulo amenewa akupereka miyoyo yawo kwa Yehova komanso kukhala ndi unyinji wa ana anga ndi zidzukulu ali okangalika mu utumiki Wachikristu!

Ndinataikiridwa ndi mwamuna wanga mu 1962, m’dzukulu mu 1981, ndipo mwana wanga wamkazi wamkulu koposa mu 1984. Kukhala wokangalika mu utumiki wa Yehova ndiko kumene kwandithandiza kupyola nthaŵi za chisoni zimenezi.

Kwakhala kodabwitsa kuwona kupita patsogolo kwa ntchito ya Ufumu mu Denmark kuyambira panthaŵi imene ndinayamba mu 1928. Panthaŵiyo tinali ndi ofalitsa pafupifupi 300 okha, koma tsopano pali oposa 16,000! Ndikuyamikira kuti ndingathe kukhalabe wokangalika mu utumiki, pamsinkhu wa zaka zana limodzi. Ndawonadi kukwaniritsidwa kwa mawu a pa Yesaya 40:31 akutiwo: “Koma iwo amene alindira Yehova adzatenganso mphamvu; adzauluka pamwamba ndi mapiko monga ziwombankhanga; adzathamanga, osalema; adzayenda, osalefuka.”