Kusumika Maso ndi Mtima Pamphoto
YOSIMBIDWA NDI EDITH MICHAEL
Cha kuchiyambi kwa ma 1930, tinkakhala kunja kwa St. Louis Missouri, U.S.A., pamene mmodzi wa Mboni za Yehova anafika. Pomwepo chingwe choyanikapo zovala chinaduka, ndi kugwetsera zovala za Amayi zoyera mbee m’thope. Analandira mabuku amene anapatsidwa, kungoti mkaziyo achoke, ndipo anawaika pa shelufu, ndi kuwaiŵala.
ZIMENEZO zinali zaka za mavuto a zachuma, ndipo Atate anawachotsa ntchito. Tsiku lina iwo anafunsa ngati m’nyumba munali chilichonse choŵerenga. Amayi anawauza za mabukuwo. Iwo anayamba kuwaŵerenga, ndipo patapita nthaŵi yaing’ono iwo anati: “Mayi, ichi ndicho choonadi!”
“Aaa, changokhala chipembedzo chinanso basi chimene chikufuna ndalama ngati zinazi,” iwo anayankha motero. Komabe, Atate anawalimbikitsa kukhala pansi ndi kuŵerengera limodzi nawo malemba. Atatero, iwonso anakhutiritsidwa mtima. Pambuyo pake anayamba kufunafuna Mboni ndipo anapeza kuti amakumana m’nyumba yalendi pafupi ndi pakati pa St. Louis, holo imene ankaigwiritsiranso ntchito kaamba ka madansi ndi zochitika zina.
Atate ndi Amayi anamka nane kumeneko—ndinali ndi zaka ngati zitatu—ndipo tinaipeza holoyo, koma munali dansi. Atate anafufuza za nthaŵi yamisonkhano, ndipo tinabwererako. Tinayambanso kupezeka paphunziro la Baibulo la mlungu ndi mlungu pafupi ndi kumene tinkakhala. Linkachitikira panyumba ya mkazi amene anafika kwathu pachiyambi. “Kodi nchifukwa ninji simubweranso ndi anyamata anu?” anafunsa motero. Amayi anachita manyazi kunena kuti analibe nsapato. Potsirizira pake pamene anamfotokozera, anawapatsa nsapato, ndipo alongo angawo anayamba kupezeka pamisonkhano pamodzi nafe.
Amayi anapatsidwa gawo lolalikiramo pafupi ndi nyumba yathu, ndipo anayamba kupita mu utumiki wa kunyumba ndi nyumba. Ndinapita nawo, ndikumabisala kumbuyo kwawo. Asanaphunzire kuyendetsa galimoto, tinkayenda mtunda woposa kilomita imodzi kuti tikakwere basi imene imatifikitsa kumisonkhano ku St. Louis. Ngakhale pamene kunali madzi oundana ndi chipale chofeŵa, sitinaphonyepo misonkhano.
Mu 1934, Amayi ndi Atate anabatizidwa. Inenso ndinafuna kubatizidwa, ndipo ndinaumirira zimenezo mpaka Amayi anapempha Mboni ina yachikulire kukambitsirana nane zimenezi. Inandifunsa mafunso ambiri m’njira imene ndinakhoza kumva. Ndiyeno inauza makolo anga kuti sindiyenera kuletsedwa kubatizidwa; zingawononge kukula kwanga kwauzimu. Motero m’chilimwe chotsatira ndinabatizidwa, pamene ndinali ndikali ndi zaka zisanu ndi chimodzi.
Ndinakonda kwambiri kabuku kakuti Home and Happiness, kamene ndinali kukhala nako nthaŵi zonse, ngakhale kukaika kunsi kwa mtsamiro wanga pamene ndinali kugona. Mobwerezabwereza, ndinapempha Amayi kundiŵerengera, mpaka nditakaloŵeza pamtima. Chikuto chake chakumbuyo chinali ndi chithunzi cha kamtsikana m’Paradaiso katakhala ndi mkango. Ndinkanena kuti kamtsikanako kanali ine. Chithunzi chimenecho chandithandiza kwambiri kuyang’anabe pamphoto ya moyo m’dziko latsopano la Mulungu.
Ndinali wamanyazi kwambiri, koma ngakhale kuti ndinali kunthunthumira, nthaŵi zonse ndinali kuyankha mafunso pa Phunziro la Nsanja ya Olonda.
Mwachisoni, Atate anawopa kuwachotsa ntchito, chotero analeka kuyanjana ndi Mboni. Alongo anga nawonso anachita chimodzimodzi.
Utumiki wa Nthaŵi Zonse
Amayi analola apainiya, kapena kuti atumiki a nthaŵi zonse, kuimika ngolo yawo kuseri kwa nyumba yathu, ndipo nditachoka kusukulu ndinkagwirizana nawo mu utumiki. Posapita nthaŵi ndinafuna kuchita upainiya, koma Atate anatsutsa zimenezi, akumati ndiyenera kupitirizabe maphunziro akudziko. Pomalizira pake Amayi anawachititsa kundilola kuchita upainiya. Chotero mu June 1943, pamene ndinali ndi zaka 14, ndinayamba utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse. Kuti ndithandize pazosoŵa za panyumba, ndinkagwira ntchito ya maola ochepa ndipo nthaŵi zina ndinkagwira ntchito ya nthaŵi yonse. Komabe ndinkafitsa chonulirapo chapamwezi cha maola 150 m’ntchito yolalikira.
M’kupita kwa nthaŵi ndinapeza wotchita naye upainiya, Dorothy Craden, amene anayamba upainiya mu January 1943, pamene anali ndi zaka 17. Anali Mkatolika wamphamvu, koma pambuyo pa miyezi isanu ndi umodzi ya phunziro la Baibulo, anabatizidwa. Kwa zaka zambiri anali wolimbikitsa ndi wopereka nyonga kwambiri kwa ine, ndipo ndinalinso chimodzimodzi kwa iye. Tinadzakhala oyandikana kwambiri kuposa paubale wakuthupi.
Kuyambira mu 1945, tinachitira pamodzi upainiya m’matauni aang’ono ku Missouri kumene kunalibe mipingo. Ku Bowling Green tinayeretsa nyumba ina yake kukhala yosonkhaniramo; Amayi anabwera natithandiza. Ndiyeno tinafikira nyumba zonse m’tauniyo mlungu uliwonse ndi kuitanira anthu kunkhani yapoyera imene tinalinganiza kuti abale a ku St. Louis azibwera ndi kuipereka. Mlungu uliwonse tinali ndi opezekapo 40 mpaka 50. Pambuyo pake tinachita chimodzimodzi ku Louisiana, kumene tinachita lendi kachisi wa a Mason. Kuti tilipirire lendi ya maholowo, tinali kuika mabokosi a zopereka, ndipo mlungu uliwonse tinali kupeza ndalama zake zonse zolipirira.
Ndiyeno tinapita ku Mexico, Missouri, kumene tinachita lendi chipinda chakuseri kwa sitolo. Tinachiyeretsa kuti mpingo waung’ono kumeneko uchigwiritsire ntchito. Nyumbayo inali ndi zipinda zina, mmene tinkakhala. Tinathandizanso kupanga makonzedwe a nkhani zapoyera ku Mexico. Ndiyeno tinapita kulikulu la bomalo, Jefferson City, kumene tinkalankhula ndi akuluakulu a boma m’maofesi awo tsiku lililonse la mkati mwa mlungu. Tinkakhala m’chipinda chapamwamba pa Nyumba ya Ufumu ndi Stella Willie, amene kwa ife anali ngati mayi.
Kuchokera kumeneko atatufe tinapita kumatauni a Festus ndi Crystal City, amene anali oyandikana. Tinkakhala mu limene kale linali khola la nkhuku kumbuyo kwa nyumba ya banja lina lokondwerera. Popeza kunalibe amuna obatizidwa, tinachititsa misonkhano yonse. Ntchito yathu ya maola ochepa inali yogulitsa mafuta odzola. Tinalibe zambiri zakuthupi. Kwenikweni, sitinali kutha kukonzetsa ziboo za m’nsapato zathu, chotero mmaŵa mulimonse tinkaikamo mapepala atsopano, ndipo usiku aliyense wa ife anali kuchapa diresi lake limodzi lokha lomwe anali nalo.
Kuchiyambi cha 1948, pamene ndinali ndi zaka 19, ineyo ndi Dorothy tinalandira makalata otiitanira kumka ku kalasi ya 12 ya Sukulu ya Gileadi ya Baibulo ya Watchtower ya amishonale. Pambuyo pa maphunziro a miyezi isanu, ophunzira zana limodziwo anamaliza maphunziro awo pa February 6, 1949. Inali nthaŵi yachimwemwe kwambiri. Makolo anga anali atasamukira ku California, ndipo Amayi anadza kuchokera kumeneko kudzapezekapo.
Kupita ku Gawo Lathu
Omaliza maphunziro 28 anagaŵiridwa ku Italy—asanu ndi mmodzi, kuphatikizapo ineyo ndi Dorothy, kumzinda wa Milan. Pa March 4, 1949, tinanyamuka ku New York pasitima yapamadzi yachitaliyana ya Vulcania. Ulendowo unatenga masiku 11, ndipo nyanja ya mafunde inadwalitsa ambirife. Mbale Benanti anafika kudoko la Genoa kudzatilandira ndi kutipititsa ku Milan pasitima yapamtunda.
Pamene tinafika panyumba ya amishonale ku Milan, tinapeza maluŵa amene kamtsikana kachitaliyana kanaika m’zipinda zathu zonse. Patapita zaka mtsikanayu, Maria Merafina, anapita ku Gileadi, nabwerera ku Italy, ndipo iyeyo ndi ine tinatumikira limodzi tili m’nyumba ya amishonale!
Mmaŵa mwake titafika ku Milan, tinayang’ana panja pazenera lachipinda chosambiramo. Pamsewu wa kumbuyo kwa nyumba yathu panali nyumba yaikulu yophulitsidwa ndi bomba. Ndege yogwetsa mabomba yachimereka mwangozi inali itagwetsa bomba limene linapha mabanja 80 onse omwe ankakhala mmenemo. Panthaŵi ina, fakitale ina inaphonyedwa ndipo mabomba anaphulitsa sukulu ina ndi kupha ana 500. Chotero anthu sankakondwera ndi Aamereka.
Anthu anatopa ndi nkhondo. Ambiri ankanena kuti ngati nkhondo ina itayamba, iwo sadzapita kunyumba zobisaliramo mabomba koma adzakhala panyumba ndi kudzithira gasi ndi kufera mmenemo. Tinawatsimikizira kuti tinali kumeneko kudzaimira Ufumu wa Mulungu umene udzathetsa nkhondo zonse ndi mavuto amene zimabweretsa, osati United States kapena boma lina lililonse lopangidwa ndi anthu.
Mumzinda waukuluwo wa Milan, mpingo wokhawo wa anthu ngati 20 kapena kuposapo ankasonkhana panyumba ya amishonale. Magawo okalalikirako anali asanalinganizidwe, chotero tinayamba kulalikira m’nyumba ina yaikulu yokhalamo anthu ambiri. Pakhomo loyamba tinaonana ndi a Giandinotti, amene anafuna kuti akazi awo achoke m’tchalitchi, chotero analandira chimodzi cha zofalitsa zathu. Mkazi wa a Giandinotti anali mkazi woona mtima, wamafunso ambiri. “Ndidzakondwera mukadzaphunzira Chitaliyana,” anatero, “kotero kuti mudzandiphunzitse Baibulo.”
Denga la m’nyumba mwawo linali pamwamba kwambiri ndipo getsi lake linali losaŵala kwambiri, chotero usiku ankaika mpando wawo pathebulo kuti akhale pafupi ndi getsi kuti aŵerenge Baibulo. “Kodi ndingamapitebe kutchalitchi ngati nditi ndiziphunzira Baibulo ndi inu?” anafunsa motero. Tinawauza kuti zinali kwa iwo kusankha. Pa Sande mmaŵa ankapita ku tchalitchi ndi kufika kumisonkhano yathu masana. Ndiyeno tsiku lina anati, “Sindidzapitanso kutchalitchi.”
“Chifukwa ninji?” tinafunsa motero.
“Chifukwa chakuti saphunzitsa Baibulo, ndipo ndapeza choonadi mwa kuphunzira Baibulo ndi inu.” Anabatizidwa naphunzira ndi akazi ambiri omwe ankapita kutchalitchi masiku onse. Pambuyo pake anatiuza kuti tikanawauza kusapita kutchalitchi, akanaleka kuphunzira ndipo mwina sakanaphunziranso choonadi.
Magawo Atsopano
M’kupita kwa nthaŵi ineyo ndi Dorothy, limodzi ndi amishonale enanso anayi, tinatumizidwa ku mzinda wa mu Italy wa Trieste, umene panthaŵiyo unali wokhalidwa ndi asilikali a ku Britain ndi a ku America. Munali Mboni pafupifupi khumi zokha, koma chiŵerengero chimenechi chinakula. Tinalalikira ku Trieste zaka zitatu, ndipo pamene tinachokako, kunali ofalitsa Ufumu 40, mwa amene 10 anali apainiya.
Gawo lathu lotsatirapo linali mzinda wa Verona, kumene kunalibe mpingo. Koma pamene tchalitchi chinakakamiza akuluakulu a boma, anatikakamiza kuchoka. Ineyo ndi Dorothy tinatumizidwa ku Rome. Kumeneko tinkakhala m’nyumba ya lendi nyumba yokhala ndi zonse, ndipo tinkagwirira ntchito m’gawo lapafupi ndi Vatican. Ndi pamene tinali kumeneko pamene Dorothy anakakwatiwa ndi John Chimiklis ku Lebanon. Tinali titakhala pamodzi kwa zaka pafupifupi 12, ndipo ndinamlakalaka kwambiridi.
Mu 1955 nyumba yatsopano ya amishonale ku mbali ina ya Rome inatsegulidwa pamsewu wotchedwa New Appian Way. Mmodzi wa anayi m’nyumbamo anali Maria Merafina, mtsikana yemwe anaika maluŵa m’zipinda zathu usiku umene tinafika ku Milan. Mpingo watsopano unapangidwa m’derali la mzindawo. Pambuyo pa msonkhano wamitundu yonse ku Rome m’chilimwe chimenecho, ndinali ndi mwaŵi wa kukapezeka pamsonkhano ku Nuremberg, Germany. Kunali kosangalatsa chotani nanga kukumana ndi awo amene anapirira zizunzo zambiri m’boma la Hitler!
Kubwerera ku Amereka
Mu 1956, chifukwa cha kudwala, ndinabwerera ku United States patchuthi chakudwala. Koma sindinaleke kuyang’ana pamphoto ya kutumikira Yehova tsopano ndipo kosatha m’dziko lake latsopano. Ndinalinganiza zobwerera ku Italy. Komabe, ndinakumana ndi Orville Michael, amene ankatumikira pamalikulu a Mboni za Yehova ku Brooklyn, New York. Tinakwatirana pambuyo pa msonkhano wa mitundu yonse wa mu 1958 ku New York City.
Mwamsanga pambuyo pake tinasamukira ku Front Royal, Virginia, kumene tinasangalala kutumikira pampingo waung’ono. Tinkakhala m’nyumba yaing’ono kwambiri kumbuyo kwa Nyumba ya Ufumu. Pomalizira pake, mu March 1960 kunakhala kofunika kuti tibwerere ku Brooklyn kukapeza ntchito yolembedwa kuti tilipirire zofunika zathu. Tinkagwira ntchito yoyeretsa usiku m’mabanki osiyanasiyana kotero kuti tikhalebe mu utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse.
Pamene tinali ku Brooklyn, atate wanga anamwalira, ndipo amayi a mwamuna wanga anali ndi sitroko yaing’ono. Chotero tinasankha kusamukira ku Oregon kukakhala pafupi ndi amayi athu. Tonse aŵirife tinapeza ntchito ya maola ochepa ndi kupitirizabe mu utumiki waupainiya kumeneko. Chakumapeto kwa 1964, ifeyo ndi amayi athu tinayenda pagalimoto kudutsa dzikolo kukapezeka pamsonkhano wapachaka wa Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society ku Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Pamene tinali kucheza ku Rhode Island, tinalimbikitsidwa ndi woyang’anira woyendayenda wina, Arlen Meier, ndi mkazi wake kuti tisamukire kulikulu la bomalo, Providence, kumene kunali kusoŵa kwakukulu kwa ofalitsa a Ufumu. Amayi athu anatilimbikitsa kulandira gawo latsopano limeneli, chotero titabwerera ku Oregon, tinagulitsa zambiri za zinthu zathu zam’nyumba ndipo tinasamuka.
Kupitanso ku Sukulu ya Gileadi
M’chilimwe cha 1965, tinapezeka pamsonkhano wachigawo ku Yankee Stadium. Kumeneko tinafunsira kuloŵa Sukulu ya Gileadi monga okwatirana. Pafupifupi mwezi umodzi pambuyo pake, tinadabwa kulandira mafomu ake ofunsira, amene anafunikira kubwezedwa m’masiku 30. Ndinali ndi nkhaŵa ya kupita kudziko lakutali popeza Amayi sanali ndi thanzi labwino. Koma iwo anandilimbikitsa kuti: “Dzaza mafomuwo. Ukudziŵa kuti nthaŵi zonse uyenera kulandira mwaŵi uliwonse wa utumiki umene Yehova wapereka!”
Zimenezo zinathetsa nkhaŵa yanga. Tinadzaza mafomuwo ndi kuwatumiza. Tinadabwa chotani nanga kulandira kalata yotiitana kukaloŵa kalasi ya 42, imene inayamba pa April 25, 1966! Panthaŵiyo Sukulu ya Gileadi inali ku Brooklyn, New York. Pambuyo pa miyezi yochepekera pa isanu, 106 a ife tinamaliza maphunziro athu pa September 11, 1966.
Kutumizidwa ku Argentina
Masiku aŵiri pambuyo pa kumaliza maphunziro, tinali paulendo wopita ku Argentina pa Peruvian Airlines. Pamene tinafika ku Buenos Aires, woyang’anira nthambi, Charles Eisenhower, anakumana nafe pabwalo la ndege. Iye anatithandiza kulembetsa pa kasitomu natitengera kunthambi. Tinali ndi tsiku limodzi loti timasule katundu ndi kukhazikika; ndiyeno maphunziro athu a Chispanya anayamba. Tinaphunzira Chispanya maola 11 patsiku mwezi woyamba. Mwezi wachiŵiri, tinaphunzira chinenerocho maola anayi patsiku ndipo tinayamba kuchita utumiki wa kumunda ndi ena.
Tinali ku Buenos Aires kwa miyezi isanu ndiyeno tinatumizidwa ku Rosario, mzinda waukulu pamtunda wa pafupifupi maola anayi pasitima kumpoto. Titatumikira kumeneko kwa miyezi 15, tinatumizidwa kutsogolonso kumpoto ku Santiago del Estero, mzinda wokhala mu chigawo chachipululu chotentha. Pamene tinali kumeneko, mu January 1973, amayi anga anamwalira. Ndinali ndisanawaone zaka zinayi. Chimene chinandilimbitsa pamene ndinali ndi chisoni chinali chiyembekezo chotsimikizirika cha chiukiriro limodzinso ndi kudziŵa kuti ndinali kutumikira kumene Amayi anafuna kuti nditumikire.—Yohane 5:28, 29; Machitidwe 24:15.
Anthu a ku Santiago del Estero anali aubwenzi, ndipo maphunziro a Baibulo sanali ovuta kuyambitsa. Pamene tinafika kumeneko mu 1968, kunali pafupifupi 20 kapena 30 amene ankapezeka pamisonkhano, koma zaka zisanu ndi zitatu pambuyo pake mumpingo mwathu munali oposa zana limodzi. Ndiponso, kunali mipingo iŵiri yatsopano yokhala ndi ofalitsa pakati pa 25 ndi 50 m’matauni oyandikana nawo.
Kubwereranso ku Amereka
Chifukwa cha kudwala, mu 1976 tinatumizidwanso ku United States monga apainiya apadera—ku Fayetteville, North Carolina. Kumeneko kunali anthu ambiri olankhula Chispanya ochokera ku Central ndi South America, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, ndipo ngakhale Spain. Tinali ndi maphunziro a Baibulo ambiri, ndipo m’kupita kwa nthaŵi mpingo wachispanya unayambidwa. Tinatha zaka pafupifupi zisanu ndi zitatu kugawo limenelo.
Komabe, tinafunikira kukhala pafupi ndi apongozi anga, amene anali achikulire kwambiri ndi opuwala. Iwo ankakhala ku Portland, Oregon, chotero tinalandira gawo latsopano kumpingo wachispanya ku Vancouver, Washington, umene suli kutali ndi Portland. Mpingowo unali waung’ono pamene tinafika mu December 1983, koma tikuona ambiri achatsopano.
Mu June 1996, ndinakwanitsa zaka 53 za utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse, ndipo mwamuna wanga anakwanitsa zaka 55 pa January 1, 1996. M’zaka zambirizi, ndakhala ndi mwaŵi wa kuthandiza mazana ambiri kukhala ndi chidziŵitso cha choonadi cha Mawu a Mulungu ndi kupatulira moyo wawo kwa Yehova. Ambiri a ameneŵa tsopano akutumikira monga akulu ndi atumiki a nthaŵi zonse.
Nthaŵi zina ena amandifunsa kaya ngati ndimamva kuti ndinaphonya mwaŵi wa kukhala ndi ana. Chenicheni ndicho chakuti, Yehova wandidalitsa ndi ana ndi adzukulu akuuzimu ambiri. Inde, moyo wanga wakhala wolemera ndi wodzala mu utumiki wa Yehova. Ndinganene kuti ndili ngati mwana wamkazi wa Yefita, amene anathera moyo wake mu utumiki wa pakachisi ndipo sanakhale ndi ana chifukwa cha mwaŵi wake waukulu wa utumiki.—Oweruza 11:38-40.
Ndikukumbukirabe ndikudzipatulira kwa Yehova pamene ndinali kamtsikana. Chithunzi cha Paradaiso chikali choonekera bwino m’malingaliro anga tsopano monga momwe chinalili panthaŵiyo. Maso anga ndi mtima wanga zikali zosumikidwa pamphoto ya moyo wosatha m’dziko latsopano la Mulungu. Inde, chikhumbo changa ndicho kutumikira Yehova, osati kwa zaka 50 zokha, koma kosatha—mu Ulamuliro wake wa Ufumu.
[Chithunzi patsamba 23]
Dorothy Craden, ataika manja ake pamapeŵa anga, ndi apainiya anzathu mu 1943
[Chithunzi patsamba 23]
Ku Rome, Italy, ndi amishonale anzanga mu 1953
[Chithunzi patsamba 25]
Ndi mwamuna wanga