Chosankha Changa cha Kufikira Ukulu Msinkhu

YOSIMBIDWA NDI CARL DOCHOW

“Kufikira Ukulu Msinkhu Kapena Kubwerera mu Uchimo, Nchiti?” ndiwo unali mutu wa nkhani ya mu The Watchtower ya June 15, 1948. Nkhaniyo inandisonkhezera kusintha kuchoka m’ngozi yauzimu kumafamu a United States ndi kupita kuntchito ya umishonale ku South America imene ndaichita kwa zaka zoposa 43.

NDINABADWA pa March 31, 1914, wachitatu pa anyamata anayi, m’nyumba yamatabwa ku Vergas, Minnesota. Ubwana wanga unali wosangalatsa. Ndimakumbukira kusodza nsomba kumene tinkachita ndi Atate. Komabe, amayi anali kudwaladwala, ndipo ndinachita kusiya sukulu m’giredi lachisanu kuti ndiziwathandiza panyumba. Pamene ndinakwanitsa zaka 13, kunapezeka kuti matenda awo anali kansa ya m’mapapu.

Amayi anadziŵa kuti adzafa msanga, chotero anayamba kundiphunzitsa ntchito za panyumba. Iwo anali kukhala pansi m’khitchini namandilangiza mmene ndingaphikire chakudya ndi kuwotcha mkate. Ndiponso, anandiphunzitsa kutchapa zovala, kulima dimba, ndi kuŵeta nkhuku zana limodzi. Anandilimbikitsanso kuŵerenga chaputala chimodzi m’Baibulo tsiku ndi tsiku, zimene ndinachita ngakhale kuti sindinali kudziŵa kwambiri kuŵerenga. Pambuyo pondiphunzitsa kwa miyezi khumi, Amayi anamwalira pa January 27, 1928.

Nkhondo Isintha Miyoyo Yathu

Nkhondo Yadziko II itayamba mu September 1939, tinali kupempherera asilikali pa Sande iliyonse m’tchalitchi chathu cha Lutheran. Mbale wanga wamkulu Frank anaŵinda kusapha munthu, chotero pamene anakana kumenya nkhondo kuthandiza asilikali, anagwidwa. Pamlandu wake iye anati: “Ndisanaphe anthu opanda liwongo, ndiwombereni!” Anaweruzidwa kuloŵa m’ndende chaka chimodzi ku McNeil Island pafupi ndi gombe la Washington State.

Kumeneko Frank anapeza Mboni za Yehova zoposa 300 zimene zinaponyedwa m’ndende chifukwa chakuti zinaumirira pa uchete mkati mwa nkhondoyo. (Yesaya 2:4; Yohane 17:16) Posapita nthaŵi anayamba kugwirizana nazo ndipo anabatizidwira m’ndende momwemo. Chifukwa cha kusonyeza khalidwe labwino, chilango chake chinachepetsedwa kukhala miyezi isanu ndi inayi. Mu November 1942 tinamva mbiri yakuti Frank anamasulidwa, ndipo posapita nthaŵi anatiuza za uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu wa Mulungu. Titapenda uthengawo mosamalitsa m’ma Baibulo athu, ife tonse tinazindikira kuti Frank anali kutiphunzitsa choonadi.

Zopinga Kupita Patsogolo Kwauzimu

Mu 1944, ndinasamukira kudera la Malta, Montana, kukakhala ndi atate aang’ono. Tinali mumkhalidwe wofanana​—akazi athu anatithaŵa titangokhala nawo muukwati miyezi isanu ndi umodzi. Iwo anakondwa kuti ndiziwathandiza kulima ndi kuphika, ndipo tinali kugaŵana pakati mapindu athu. Atate aang’ono anandilonjeza kuti ndikakhala woloŵa famu yawo ya mahekita 260 ngati ndikakhalabe nawo. Panthaŵiyo ulimi unali wandalama, ndipo ndinaukonda bwanji! Chaka ndi chaka tinali ndi zokolola zambiri, ndipo tirigu amachita $3.16 pa bushel imodzi.

Komabe, atate aang’ono sanafune kuti ndizipita kumisonkhano ya mpingo waung’ono wa Mboni m’Malta. Pa June 7, 1947, popanda kudziŵa atate aang’ono, ndinabatizidwa pamsonkhano wadera wa Mboni za Yehova ku Wolf Point. Kumeneko mbale wina Wachikristu anandipempha kukhala mpainiya, kapena mtumiki wanthaŵi yonse. Ngakhale kuti mtima wanga unafunitsitsa kugwiritsira ntchito moyo wanga mwa njira imeneyo, ndinafotokoza kuti atate aang’ono sakanandilola kuwonongera nthaŵi yochuluka imeneyo mu utumiki.

Patangopita nthaŵi pang’ono, atate aang’ono anatsegula ndi kuŵerenga kalata imene bwenzi langa linandilembera kundilimbikitsa kukhala mtumiki wanthaŵi yonse. Ndiyetu ha, anandiputira mavu, atate aang’ono anandipempha kusankhapo chimodzi​—kuleka kulalikira kapena kuchoka pafamu pawo. Ndi bwino kuti anandipempha kusankhapo chifukwa chakuti ndinali kukonda ulimi kwambiri kwakuti sindidziŵa ngati ndikanachoka mwa ine ndekha. Chotero ndinabwerera kwathu ku Minnesota, kumene banja lathu lonse tsopano linali lobatizidwa ndipo linali kugwirizana ndi Mpingo wa Detroit Lakes.

Poyamba a m’banja lathu anandilimbikitsa kuchita upainiya, koma mu 1948 anayamba kufooka mwauzimu. Ndi panthaŵiyo pamene nkhaniyo “Kufikira Ukulu Msinkhu Kapena Kubwerera mu Uchimo, Nchiti?” inandipatsa nyonga yauzimu imene ndinafunikira. Inachenjeza kuti “pangakhaledi zotsatirapo zoipa ngati ife tikana dala kuyendera limodzi ndi chidziŵitso chopita patsogolo.” Nkhaniyo inati: “Sitingangoima chiriri ndi kubwevuka, koma tiyenera kupitabe patsogolo m’chilungamo. Kupita patsogolo, osati kuima, kuli mphamvu yaikulu koposa yoletsa kubwerera m’mbuyo.”

Ngakhale kuti banja lathu linapereka zifukwa zina zodzikhululukira, ndikhulupirira kuti kufunitsitsa kwawo kukhala olemera ndiko kunali vuto lenileni. Iwo anali kuona mapindu azachuma a kuthera nthaŵi yambiri pa ulimi m’malo mwa ulaliki. Kuti ndisagwidwe mumsampha wa kufuna chuma, ndinaganiza za kuchita upainiya. Ndinadziŵa kuti udzakhala wovuta, ndipo ndinalingaliranso kuti sindikanakhoza. Chotero mu 1948, ndinadziyesa mwa kulembetsa dala kuyamba upainiya panthaŵi yovuta koposa m’chaka​—m’December.

Kuyamba Utumiki wa Upainiya

Yehova anadalitsa kuyesayesa kwanga. Mwachitsanzo, tsiku lina temperecha yokha inafika pa -27 digiri Celsius, kuchotsapo kuzizira. Ndinali kuchita umboni wanga wanthaŵi zonse wa m’khwalala, ndikumasintha manja anga nthaŵi ndi nthaŵi​—kuloŵetsa lozizira m’thumba nditagwirira magazini ndi dzanja linalo kufikira nalonso litazizira kwambiri niliyenerera kuloŵetsedwa m’thumba. Mwamuna wina anafika kwa ine. Atanena kuti anakhala akuona zimene ndimachita kwa kanthaŵi, anafunsa: “Kodi m’magazini amenewo muli chiyani chofunika kwambiri motero? Tandipatsa aŵiriwo kuti ndikaŵerenge.”

Panthaŵi yonseyo, ndinali kuona kuti kuyanjana kwanga ndi banja kunali kuika pachiswe mkhalidwe wanga wauzimu, chotero nditapempha ku Watch Tower Society, ndinapatsidwa gawo latsopano ku Miles City, Montana. Kumeneko ndinatumikira monga mtumiki wa mpingo, amene tsopano amatchedwa woyang’anira wotsogoza. Ndikumakhala m’ngolo ya mamita aŵiri m’lifupi ndi atatu m’litali, ndinapeza zofunika za moyo mwa kugwira ntchito ya maola ochepa palondile ina yake. Nthaŵi zina ndinkalembedwa ganyu ya ntchito imene ndinakonda kwabasi​—kukolola.

Panthaŵi imeneyi, ndinali kumva za kuipiraipira kwa mkhalidwe wauzimu wa banja lathu. Potsirizira pake iwo, limodzi ndi ena mu Mpingo wa Detroit Lakes, anapandukira gulu la Yehova. Pa ofalitsa Ufumu 17 mumpingowo, 7 okha ndiwo anakhala okhulupirika. Banja lathu linali kufunitsitsanso kundichotsa m’gulu la Yehova, chotero ndinaona kuti panali njira imodzi yokha, kupitabe patsogolo. Koma motani?

Kulondola Utumiki wa Umishonale

Pamsonkhano wa mitundu yonse ku New York City mu 1950, ndinapezekapo pamene ophunzira umishonale a kalasi la 15 la Sukulu ya Gileadi ya Baibulo ya Watchtower anali kumaliza maphunziro awo. ‘Ha, sibwenzi ndikanakhala nawo amene akupita kukatumikira Yehova kumaiko akutali,’ ndinaganiza choncho.

Ndinatumiza kalata yofunsira ndipo ndinavomerezedwa kukhala chiŵalo cha kalasi la Gileadi la 17, limene linayamba m’February 1951. Famu imene panali sukuluyo kumpoto kwa New York inali malo okongola. Ndinalakalaka chotani nanga kugwira ntchito m’famu pambuyo pa makalasi, mwina mwake m’khola la ng’ombe kapena m’munda! Koma John Booth, woyang’anira Kingdom Farm panthaŵiyo, anafotokoza kuti ndine ndekha amene ndinali kudziŵa ntchito ya mulondile. Chotero ndinapatsidwa ntchito imeneyo.

Gileadi inali yovuta kwa munthu amene anangofika m’giredi lachisanu. Ngakhale kuti magetsi anayenera kuzimidwa pa 10:30 p.m., kaŵirikaŵiri ndinali kuŵerenga mpaka pakati pa usiku. Tsiku lina mmodzi wa alangizi anandiitana ku ofesi kwake. “Carl,” iye anatero, “ndikuona kuti sukuchita bwino m’kalasi.”

Ine mumtima ndinangoti, ‘Kwatha tsopano, adzandithamangitsa.’

Komabe, mlangiziyo anandipatsa uphungu mwachikondi ponena za mmene ndikanagwiritsirira ntchito bwino nthaŵi yanga popanda kuŵerenga mpaka usiku kwambiri. Mwamantha, ndinafunsa: “Kodi ndine woyenerera kupitiriza ndi Gileadi?”

“Inde,” iye anatero. “Koma sindidziŵa ngati udzapeza dipuloma.”

Mawu a pulezidenti wa sukuluyo, Nathan H. Knorr, ananditonthoza kwambiri. Panthaŵi ina anauza ophunzira kuti zimene zinamkondweretsa zinali “mzimu wakhama” umene anali nawo amishonale amene anapitirizabe ndi ntchito yawo osati kuchita bwino m’maphunziro.

Phunziro limene linali kundivuta kwambiri linali la Chispanya, koma ndinali ndi chiyembekezo chakuti adzanditumiza ku Alaska, kumene kunali machedwe akunja ozizira amene ndinawazoloŵera pamene ndinali kwathu. Ndiponso, ndikakhoza kulalikira m’Chingelezi. Chotero mungayerekezere kudabwa kumene ndinakhala nako pamene chapakati pa maphunziro, ndinalandira gawo lopita ku Ecuador, South America. Inde, ndikalankhula Chispanya, ndipo kumalo otentha kwambiri a equator!

Tsiku lina wa FBI anandichezera ku Sukulu ya Gileadi. Anandifunsa za mwana wamwamuna wa mtumiki wa mpingo yemwe anasiya gulu lathu ku Detroit Lakes. Nkhondo ya ku Korea inali mkati, ndipo mnyamata ameneyu ananena kuti anali mtumiki wa Mboni za Yehova choncho sanayenera kupita kunkhondo. Ndinafotokoza kuti iye sanalinso mmodzi wa Mboni za Yehova. Ponditsazika, iyeyo anati: “Mulungu wanu akudalitseni pantchito yanu.”

Pambuyo pake ndinadzamva kuti mnyamatayo anaphedwa m’kumenya kwake nkhondo koyamba ku Korea. Ndi zotsatirapo zoipa chotani nanga kwa munthu amene akanafikira ukulu msinkhu m’gulu la Mulungu!

Potsirizira pake, tsiku losangalatsa la kumaliza maphunziro athu linafika pa July 22, 1951. Zoona, panalibe wa m’banja lathu aliyense, koma chimwemwe changa chinali chachikulu pamene ndinalandira dipuloma chifukwa cha kupita patsogolo kumene ndinali nditapanga.

Kusintha Malinga ndi Munda Wakutali

Nditapita m’gawo langa, ndinaona kuti kundiphunzitsa kumene Amayi anachita kunathandiza kwambiri. Kuphika, kutchapa zovala ndi manja, ndi kusoŵa madzi akumpope sizinali zachilendo kwa ine. Koma kulalikira m’Chispanya kunali kwachilendo! Kwa nthaŵi yaitali ndinagwiritsira ntchito ulaliki wosindikizidwa Wachispanya. Panapita zaka zitatu kuti ndiyambe kukamba nkhani yapoyera m’Chispanya ndipo ndinatero mwa kugwiritsira ntchito manotsi ambiri.

Pamene ndinafika mu Ecuador mu 1951, panali ofalitsa Ufumu osafika 200. Kupanga ophunzira kunaoneka kukhala kosafulumira kwa zaka zoyambirira pafupifupi 25. Ziphunzitso zathu za Baibulo zinali zosiyana kwambiri ndi miyambo ya Chikatolika yosemphana ndi Malemba, ndipo kumamatira kwathu pa malangizo a Baibulo a kukhulupirika kwa wa muukwati mmodzi ambiri sanakondwere nako.​—Ahebri 13:4.

Komabe, tinakhoza kugaŵira mabuku ambiri ophunzirira Baibulo. Utumiki wathu ku Machala, mkati mwenimweni mwa dera la mafamu a nthochi, umasonyeza zimenezi. Ine ndi Nicholas Wesley ndife tokha tinali Mboni kumeneko pamene tinafika mu 1956. Tinali kunyamuka mmamaŵa kukwera malole onyamula mchenga ndi miyala amene anali kugwiritsiridwa ntchito pomanga misewu yaikulu m’masikuwo. Titayenda mtunda wautali ndithu, tinali kutsika ndi kulalikira kwa anthu tikumabwerera mpaka kumene tinali kukhala.

Tsiku lina, ine ndi Nick tinali kulemba chiŵerengero kuti tione amene adzagaŵira magazini ochuluka. Ndikumbukira kuti masana ndinali patsogolo pa Nick, koma pofika madzulo tinali pamodzi ndi magazini 114 aliyense. Tinagaŵira magazini athu mazanamazana kwa anthu a m’njira yathu ya magazini mwezi uliwonse. Kasanu ndi kamodzi ndinagaŵira magazini chikwi chimodzi pa mwezi umodzi. Tangolingalirani unyinji wa amene angaphunzire choonadi cha Baibulo m’magazini amenewo!

Ku Machala tinalinso ndi mwaŵi wa kumanga Nyumba Yaufumu yoyamba ya mpingo mu Ecuador. Zimenezo ndi zaka 35 zapitazo, mu 1960. Panthaŵiyo, tinali kukhala chabe ndi 15 opezekapo pamisonkhano yathu. Lerolino Machala ali ndi mipingo 11 yaikulu!

Kucheza ku States

Chakumapeto kwa ma 1970, ndinabwerera ku United States patchuthi ndi kukhala ndi mbale wanga Frank kwa maola ochepa. Anandikweza m’galimoto lake napita nane pakaphiri pamene tinakhoza kuona mbali yaikulu ya Red River Valley. Anali malo okongola, ndi ngala zakucha zikumaweyuka ndi mphepo, chinali chimunda cha tirigu wakucha bwino. Chauko kunali kuoneka Sheyenne River ndi mitengo m’mbali mwake. Kusangalala ndi kukongola kumeneko kunadodometsedwa pamene mbale wanga anayamba kulankhula kwake kwa nthaŵi zonse.

“Ngati sunali munthu wopusa wokhala ku South America monga ulilimu, bwenzi mundawu ukanakhalanso wako!”

“Frank,” ndinamdula mawu. “Ingolekera pomwepo.”

Sanalankhulenso mawu ena. Pambuyo pa zaka zingapo, anamwalira mwadzidzidzi ndi sitroko, akumasiya minda yaikulu itatu ku North Dakota wa mahekita okwanira 400, limodzi ndi famu ya atate aang’ono ya mahekita 260 ku Montana imene analoŵa.

Tsopano onse a m’banja lathu anamwalira. Koma ndili wokondwa kuti ku Detroit Lakes, kumene tonsefe tinakhalira Mboni za Yehova zaka zapitazo, ndili ndi banja lauzimu la abale ndi alongo Achikristu oposa 90.

Kupitiriza Kupita Patsogolo Mwauzimu

Zaka 15 zapitazi zakhala ndi zokolola zochuluka m’kututa kwauzimu kuno ku Ecuador. Kuchokera pa ofalitsa Ufumu 5,000 mu 1980, tsopano tili oposa 26,000. Ndapeza dalitso la kuthandiza oposa zana limodzi mwa ameneŵa kubatizidwa.

Tsopano, pa zaka 80, ndimagwira ntchito mwamphamvu kuti ndipeze maola 30 pa mwezi mu utumiki kuposa mmene ndinkachitira pofuna kukwanitsa maola 150 amene anafunika kwa ine mu 1951. Chiyambire 1989, pamene ndinadziŵa kuti ndili ndi kansa ya ku prostate, ndagwiritsira ntchito nthaŵi yanga ya kuchira pa kuŵerenga. Chiyambire chakacho, ndaŵerenga Baibulo lonse nthaŵi 19 ndi buku la Jehovah’s Witnesses​—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom nthaŵi 6. Mwa njira imeneyi ndimapitabe patsogolo mwauzimu.

Inde, ndinali ndi mwaŵi wochuluka wa kupeza chuma chakuthupi m’mafamu a ku United States. Koma mphotho za chuma chakuthupi nzopanda pake poziyerekezera ndi chimwemwe chimene ndapeza m’kututa kwauzimu. Nthambi ya kuno ku Ecuador yandiuza kuti ndagaŵira magazini oposa 147,000 ndi mabuku 18,000 m’ntchito yanga ya umishonale. Ndimaona zimenezi monga mbewu zauzimu, zimene zambiri zaphukira kale; zina mwina zidzaphukira m’mitima ya anthu pamene aŵerenga za choonadi chimenechi cha Ufumu.

Ndiganiza palibe china chilichonse chimene chingakhale chabwino kuposa kupitabe patsogolo mpaka kuloŵa m’dziko latsopano la Mulungu pamodzi ndi ana anga onse auzimu ndi anthu ena ambirimbiri amene asankha kutumikira Mulungu wathu, Yehova. Ndalama sizidzapulumutsa munthu pa mapeto a dziko loipali. (Miyambo 11:4; Ezekieli 7:19) Komabe, zipatso za ntchito yathu yauzimu zidzapitirizabe​—ngati aliyense wa ife apitiriza kufikira ukulu msinkhu.

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Wokonzekera kuchita upainiya ku Miles City, Montana, mu 1949

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Kugula madzi a m’nyumba yathu ya amishonale, 1952

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Kulalikira ku Machala, 1957

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Kuchokera pamene ndinayamba kudwala mu 1989, ndaŵerenga Baibulo lonse nthaŵi 19