“Chifundo Chanu Chiposa Moyo”
Yosimbidwa ndi Calvin H. Holmes
Munali mu December wa 1930, ndipo ndinali nditangotsiriza kumene kusenga ng’ombe pamene Atate anafika kunyumba kuchokera kocheza ndi achinansi apafupi. “Ili ndi buku limene Wyman wandibwereka,” anatero uku akutulutsa buku la bluu m’thumba mwawo. Linali ndi mutu wakuti Deliverance, lofalitsidwa ndi Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Atate, omwe ankaŵerenga zinthu mwakamodzikamodzi, anaŵerenga bukulo mpakana usiku kwambiri.
KENAKA, Atate anabwerekanso mabuku ena okhala ndi mitu yakuti Light ndi Reconciliation, ofalitsidwa ndi afalitsi omwewo. Anapeza Baibulo lakale la Amayi ndipo anali kuŵerenga mpaka usiku kwambiri ndi nyali ya parafini. Atate anasintha kwambiri. Kwa maola ochuluka m’nyengo yozizira imeneyo, atate anali kucheza nafe—ine, amayi anga, ndi alongo anga atatu—pamene tinali kuwotha moto wankhuni pambaula yathu yakutha.
Atate anati anthu amene anali kufalitsa mabuku amenewa anali kutchedwa Ophunzira Baibulo ndi kuti iwo anali kunena kuti tinali kukhala “[m’]masiku otsiriza.” (2 Timoteo 3:1-5) Anafotokoza kuti dziko lapansi silidzawonongedwa pakutha kwa dziko koma kuti mu Ufumu wa Mulungu lidzasandutsidwa paradaiso. (2 Petro 3:5-7, 13; Chivumbulutso 21:3, 4) Zimenezo zinali zosangalatsadi kwa ine.
Atate anayamba kumandilankhula pamene tinali kugwira ntchito pamodzi. Ndikukumbukira kuti tinali kusenda chimanga pamene anafotokoza kuti dzina la Mulungu ndi Yehova. (Salmo 83:18) Choncho, m’ngululu ya 1931, pamene ndinali wazaka 14 zokha, ndinasankha kuima kumbali ya Yehova ndi Ufumu wake. Ndinapemphera kwa Yehova m’dimba lakale la zipatso za maapulo kuseri kwa nyumba ndi kulonjeza mwalumbiro kuti ndidzamtumikira nthaŵi zonse. Mtima wanga unali utasonkhezeredwa kale ndi chifundo cha Mulungu wathu wodabwitsa.—Salmo 63:3.
Tinkakhala pa munda womwe unali pamtunda wa makilomita pafupifupi 30 kuchokera ku St. Joseph, Missouri, U.S.A., ndi makilomitala ochepera pa 65 kuchokera ku Kansas City. Atate anabadwira m’kanyumba ka mitengo kamene agogo awo anamanga pamundapo cha kumayambiriro a zaka za zana la 19.
Kuphunzitsidwa Utumiki
M’chilimwe cha 1931, banja lathu linamvetsera pawailesi nkhani yapoyera yakuti “Ufumu, Chiyembekezo cha Dziko Lapansi,” imene inaperekedwa ndi pulezidenti wa Watch Tower Society wa panthaŵiyo, Joseph Rutherford, pamsonkhano mu Columbus, Ohio. Inasonkhezera mtima wanga, ndipo ndinali wokondwa kuthandizana ndi Atate kugaŵira timabuku timene tinali ndi nkhani yapoyera yofunikayi kwa anthu amene tinali kudziŵana nawo.
M’ngululu ya 1932, ndinapezeka koyamba pamsonkhano wa Mboni za Yehova. Anzathu oyandikana nawo nyumba anatiitana ine ndi Atate kuti tikamvetsere nkhani ya George Draper, woyang’anira woyendayenda wa Mboni za Yehova, ku St. Joseph. Tinafika msonkhanowo uli pakatikati ndipo ndinapeza malo okhala kumbuyo kwa munthu wa chithupi chake, J. D. Dreyer, amene anandithandiza kwambiri m’moyo wanga.
Mu September 1933, ndinapita kumsonkhano ndi Atate ku Kansas City kumene kwa nthaŵi yoyamba ndinalalikira nawo poyera. Atate anandipatsa timabuku titatu ndipo anandilangiza kuti ndizikanena kuti: “Ndine mmodzi wa Mboni za Yehova, ndikulalikira uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu wa Mulungu. Mosakayikira mwamumvapo Judge Rutherford pawailesi. Nkhani zake zikuulutsidwa mlungu uliwonse ndi nyumba zoulutsira mawu zoposa 300.” Nditatero ndinali kugaŵira kabukuko. Madzulo akewo, pamene ndinali kusenga ng’ombe kumunda kuja, ndinalingalira kuti limeneli ndi tsiku losaiŵalika m’moyo wanga.
Posapita nthaŵi, nyengo yozizira inafika ndipo sitinali kuyenda kwenikweni. Koma panthaŵiyi tinachezeredwa ndi Mbale Dreyer ndi mkazi wake amene anandipempha kuti ndikapite kunyumba kwawo Loŵeruka madzulo ndi kukagona konko. Ulendo woyenda pansi kwa makilomita khumi umenewo kupita kwa a Dreyer unalidi wofunikira chifukwa tsiku lotsatira ndinali wokhoza kutsagana nawo mu utumiki ndiponso kukapezeka pa Phunziro la Nsanja ya Olonda ku St. Joseph. Kuyambira nthaŵi imeneyo sindiphonyaphonya utumiki pa Lamlungu. Chiphunzitso ndi uphungu wa Mbale Dreyer zinakhaladi zaphindu kwambiri.
Pa September 2, 1935, ndinakhoza kusonyeza kudzipatulira kwanga kwa Yehova mwa ubatizo wa m’madzi pamsonkhano ku Kansas City.
Kuyamba Ntchito ya Moyo Wonse
Kumayambiriro a 1936, ndinafunsira utumiki waupainiya, kapena kuti utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse, ndipo ndinaikidwa pa mpambo wa awo ofuna anzawo ochita nawo upainiya. Mosapita nthaŵi ndinalandira kalata kuchokera kwa Edward Stead wa ku Arvada, Wyoming. Anati anali kuyenda panjinga ya anthu olemala ndipo anali kufuna chithandizo kuti azichita upainiya. Mwamsanga ndinavomera ndipo ndinaikidwa kukhala mpainiya pa April 18, 1936.
Ndisanakakhale ndi Mbale Stead, amayi anga anandiitanira pambali. “Mwana wanga, kodi watsimikizadi kuti ukufuna kuchita zimenezi?” anandifunsa.
“Ngati sinditero moyo sukhalanso wosangalatsa,” ndinayankha. Ndinali nditafika pakuzindikira kuti chifundo cha Yehova chinali chopambana chilichonse.
Kuchita upainiya ndi Ted, monga mmene tinali kumuitanira Mbale Stead, kunandiphunzitsa zambiri. Ted anali wachangu ndipo anali kulalikira uthenga wa Ufumu mogwira mtima. Koma zokha zimene Ted akanatha kuchita zinali kulemba ndi kulankhula; nyamakazi inamgwira mfundo zonse. Ndinkadzuka mmamaŵa ndi kumsambika ndi kummeta ndevu, kukonza chakudya cha mmaŵa, ndi kumdyetsa. Kenako ndinkamveka ndi kumkonzekeretsa utumiki. Chilimwe chimenecho tinachita upainiya ku Wyoming ndi Montana, usiku tinkamanga msasa. Ted anali kugona m’kanyumba kapadera kamene kanali pa galimoto yake, ndipo ine ndinkagona pansi. Chakumapeto kwa chaka chimenecho, ndinapita chakummwera kukachita upainiya ku Tennessee, Arkansas, ndi Mississippi.
Mu September 1937, ndinakapezeka pamsonkhano waukulu koyamba ku Columbus, Ohio. Makonzedwe anapangidwa pamsonkhanowo akupititsa patsogolo ntchito yolalikira mwa kugwiritsira ntchito galamafoni. Tinali kuŵerenga nthaŵi iliyonse imene tagwiritsira ntchito galamafoniyo. Mwezi wina ndinaigwiritsira ntchito kwa nthaŵi zoposa 500, ndipo anthu oposa 800 anamvetsera. Nditachitira umboni m’matauni ambiri a kummaŵa kwa Tennessee, Virginia, ndi West Virginia, ndinapemphedwa kukatumikira monga mpainiya wapadera pa malo antchito atsopano, ndinali kugwira ntchito mogwirizana ndi mtumiki wadera, mmene woyang’anira woyendayenda ankatchedwera panthaŵiyo.
Ndinachezera mipingo ndi timagulu takutali ku West Virginia—ndinkatha milungu iŵiri kufikira pa inayi pampingo uliwonse—ndipo ndinkatsogolera mu utumiki wakumunda. Kenako, m’January 1941, ndinaikidwa kukhala mtumiki wadera. Panthaŵiyo nkuti Amayi anga ndi alongo anga atatu—Clara, Lois ndi Ruth—ataima kumbali ya Ufumu. Choncho chilimwe chimenecho banja lathu lonse linakapezeka pamsonkhano waukulu mu St. Louis.
Patapita nthaŵi pang’ono msonkhanowo utachitika, atumiki a madera anauzidwa kuti ntchito yadera idzatha kumapeto kwa November 1941. Mwezi wotsatira dziko la United States linaloŵa mu Nkhondo Yadziko II. Ndinapatsidwa ntchito ya upainiya wapadera imene inafuna kuthera maola 175 mu utumiki pamwezi.
Mwaŵi Wapadera Wautumiki
Mu July 1942, ndinalandira kalata yondifunsa ngati ndingakonde kukatumikira kunja. Nditavomera, ndinaitanidwa ku Beteli, malikulu a dziko lonse a Mboni za Yehova, ku Brooklyn, New York. Abale osakwatira pafupifupi 20 anaitanidwa panthaŵi imodzimodziyo kaamba ka maphunziro apadera.
Nathan H. Knorr, pulezidenti wa Watch Tower Society wa panthaŵiyo, anafotokoza kuti ntchito yolalikira inali itabwerera m’mbuyo ndi kuti tidzaphunzitsidwa mmene tingalimbikitsire mipingo mwauzimu. “Sitikufuna kumva chabe kuti muli mavuto otani mumpingo,” iye anatero, “komanso kuti munachitapo chiyani.”
Pamene tinali pa Beteli, Fred Franz, yemwe analoŵa m’malo mwa Mbale Knorr ngati pulezidenti mu 1977, anakamba nkhani mmene anati: “Nkhondo Yadziko II idzatha ndipo ntchito yaikulu yolalikira idzatseguka. Mosakayikira anthu mamiliyoni ochuluka adzasonkhanitsidwa m’gulu la Yehova!” Nkhani imeneyo inasinthiratu kaonedwe kanga ka zinthu. Pamene anatigaŵira kokagwirira ntchito, ndinauzidwa kuti ndikachezera mipingo yonse ya ku Tennessee ndi Kentucky. Tinali kutchedwa otumikira abale, dzina limene linasinthidwa kukhala woyang’anira dera.
Ndinayamba kutumikira mipingo pa October 1, 1942, pamene ndinali chabe wazaka 25. Panthaŵiyo njira yokha yokafikira pa mipingo ina inali kuyenda pansi kapena pa kavalo. Nthaŵi zina ndinali kugona chipinda chimodzi ndi banja lomwe linali kundichereza.
Pamene ndinali kutumikira pa Mpingo wa Greeneville ku Tennessee m’July 1943, ndinaitanidwa kuti ndikachite nawo maphunziro m’kalasi yachiŵiri ya Sukulu ya Gileadi ya Baibulo ya Watchtower. Ku Gileadi, ndinaphunzira chimene kwenikweni “kusamaliradi zimene tidazimvazi” ndiponso nthaŵi zonse kukhala “[wo]chuluka mu ntchito ya Ambuye” kumatanthauza. (Ahebri 2:1; 1 Akorinto 15:58) Miyezi isanu ya sukuluyo inatha mofulumira, ndipo tinamaliza maphunziro pa January 31, 1944.
Ku Canada Ndipo ku Belgium
Angapo a ife tinatumizidwa ku Canada kumene chiletso pa ntchito ya Mboni za Yehova chinali chitangochotsedwapo. Ndinagaŵiridwa ntchito yoyendayenda, imene inali kufuna kuyenda mitunda yaitali pakati pa mipingo ina. Pamene ndinkayendayenda, zinali zosangalatsa kumva mmene ntchito yathu yolalikira inali kuchitidwira panthaŵi ya chiletso mu Canada. (Machitidwe 5:29) Ambiri anali kukamba za ndawala imene, mu usiku umodzi wokha, timabuku tinasiyidwa panyumba iliyonse mu Canada yense. Inali nkhani yosangalatsa chotani nanga mu May 1945 kumva kuti nkhondo ku Ulaya inatha!
Chilimwe chimenecho, pamene ndinali kutumikira pampingo wa m’katauni ka Osage, Saskatchewan, ndinalandira kalata kuchokera kwa Mbale Knorr imene inati: “Ndili kukupatsa mwaŵi wa kupita ku Belgium. . . . Muli ntchito yochuluka m’dziko limenelo. Ndi dziko lomwe lavutika ndi nkhondo, ndipo abale athu akufunikira chithandizo, kuli koyenerera kutumiza munthu kuchokera ku America kuti akawapatse chithandizo choyenerera ndi chitonthozo chomwe akufunikira.” Ndinavomera, ndi kuyankha kalatayo mofulumira.
Mu November 1945, ndinali ku Beteli ya ku Brooklyn kuphunzira Chifrenchi ndi Charles Eicher, mbale wachikulire wa ku Alsace. Ndinaphunzitsidwanso mofulumira kayendetsedwe ka nthambi. Ndisanapite ku Ulaya, mwachidule ndinakacheza kunyumba kwathu ndi kuchezeranso anzanga ku St. Joseph, Missouri.
Pa December 11, ndinanyamuka ku New York pasitima ya m’madzi yotchedwa Queen Elizabeth, ndipo pambuyo pa masiku anayi ndinafika ku Southampton, England. Ndinakhala panthambi ya ku Britain kwa mwezi umodzi, kumene ndinalinso kuphunzitsidwa. Pambuyo pake, pa January 15, 1946, ndinadutsa pamadzi a English Channel pa sitimanso ndi kukatsika pa Ostend, Belgium. Kuchokera pamenepo ndinayenda pa sitima ya pamtunda kukafika ku Brussels, kumene ndinakumana ndi banja lonse la Beteli pasiteshoni ya sitima.
Ntchito Yochuluka Pambuyo pa Nkhondo
Ntchito yanga inali kuyang’anira ntchito ya Ufumu mu Belgium, komatu sindinkatha kulankhula chinenero cha m’dzikomo. Pambuyo pa miyezi pafupifupi isanu ndi umodzi, ndinali kutha kulankhulako Chifrenchi. Unali mwaŵi kugwira ntchito pamodzi ndi anthu amene anaika miyoyo yawo pangozi kuti apitirizebe kulalikira m’zaka zisanu za ulamuliro wa Nazi. Ena a iwo anali atangotulutsidwa kumene m’misasa yachibalo.
Abale anali ofunitsitsa kuti ntchito ilinganizidwe ndi kuti adyetse amene anali ndi njala ya choonadi cha Baibulo. Choncho makonzedwe anapangidwa akuchititsa misonkhano yadera ndi kuti oyang’anira oyendayenda azichezera mipingo. Tinalimbikitsidwanso ndi kutichezera kwa Nathan Knorr, Milton Henschel, Fred Franz, Grant Suiter, ndi John Booth—onsewo ochokera ku malikulu ku Brooklyn. M’masiku oyambirira amenewo, ndinatumikira monga woyang’anira dera, woyang’anira chigawo, ndi woyang’anira nthambi. Pa December 6, 1952, pambuyo pa kutumikira mu Belgium kwa zaka pafupifupi zisanu ndi ziŵiri, ndinakwatira Emilia Vanopslaugh, amenenso ankagwira ntchito panthambi ya ku Belgium.
Miyezi yochepa pambuyo pake, pa April 11, 1953, ndinaitanidwa ku polisi ya kumaloko ndi kuuzidwa kuti ndinali kuopseza chitetezo cha Belgium. Ndinakayembekezera ku Luxembourg pamene nkhani yanga imachitidwa apilo kubwalo la Council of State.
Mu February 1954 bwalo la Council of State la ku Belgium linachirikiza chilengezo chakuti ndinali kuopseza dzikolo. Umboni womwe udaperekedwa unali wakuti kuchokera pamene ndinafika mu Belgium chiŵerengero cha Mboni chinawonjezereka kwambiri—kuchokera pa 804 mu 1946 kufika pa 3,304 mu 1953—motero kuti chitetezo cha Belgium chinali kuopsezedwa chifukwa Mboni zachinyamata zambiri zinali kutenga kaimidwe kolimba ka uchete wachikristu. Choncho ine ndi Emilia tinatumizidwa ku Switzerland kumene tinayamba kutumikira m’ntchito ya dera m’chigawo cha anthu olankhula Chifrenchi.
Sukulu Yautumiki Waufumu—sukulu ya maphunziro owonjezereka a akulu achikristu—inakhazikitsidwa mu 1959 ku South Lansing, New York. Ndinaitanidwa kumeneko kukaphunzira mmene ndizikaphunzitsira sukuluyi ku Ulaya. Pamene ndinali ku United States, ndinakacheza kunyumba kwathu ku St. Joseph, Missouri. Ndinakawaona amayi anga okondedwa komaliza. Anamwalira mu January 1962; Atate anali atamwalira mu June 1955.
Sukulu Yautumiki Waufumu inayamba ku Paris, France, mu March 1961, ndipo tinakakhala kumeneko ndi Emilia. Oyang’anira zigawo, oyang’anira madera, oyang’anira mipingo, ndi apainiya apadera ochokera ku France, Belgium, ndi Switzerland anabwera ku sukuluyo. M’miyezi 14 yotsatira, ndinaphunzitsa makalasi 12 a sukulu imeneyi imene kalasi iliyonse inali yautali wa milungu inayi. Kenaka, mu April 1962, Emilia anakhala ndi pakati.
Kusintha Mogwirizana ndi Mikhalidwe
Tinabwerera ku Geneva, Switzerland, kumene tinali ololezedwa mwa lamulo kukhalako. Komabe, kunali kovuta kupeza malo okhala, pakuti kunali vuto lalikulu losoŵa nyumba. Kupeza ntchito sikunalinso kwapafupi. Ndinaipezabe ntchito pamapeto pake m’sitolo ina yaikulu pakatikati pa Geneva.
Ndinali nditakhala mu utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse kwa zaka 26, choncho kusintha kwa mikhalidwe yathu kunafunikiradi kusintha kwenikweni. Banja lathu nthaŵi zonse linaika zinthu za Ufumu pamalo oyamba mu zaka 22 zomwe ndinagwira ntchito m’sitoloyo ndi kuthandizira kulera ana athu akazi aŵiri, Lois ndi Eunice. (Mateyu 6:33) Nditapuma pa ntchito ya kuthupi mu 1985, ndinayamba kutumikira monga woyang’anira dera wogwirizira.
Umoyo wa Emilia wakhala wovuta, koma amachita zimene angathe mu utumiki. Lois anatumikirapo monga mpainiya kwa zaka pafupifupi khumi. Inali nthaŵi ya zochita zauzimu yosaiŵalika chotani nanga pamene tinasangalala naye pamodzi pamsonkhano wa mitundu yonse wabwino kwambiri ku Moscow m’chilimwe cha 1993! Mwamsanga pambuyo pake, ali kutchuthi ku Senegal, Afirika, Lois anamwalira pamene anali kusambira m’nyanja ya mchere. Chikondi ndi chifundo cha abale athu a ku Afirika ndi amishonale zinanditonthoza kwambiri pamene ndinapita ku Senegal kukaika malirowo. Mmene ndikufunira kudzamuona Lois pa chiukiriro!—Yohane 5:28,29.
Ndili woyamikira kuti kwa zaka zoposa makumi anayi ndasangalala ndi kuchirikizidwa mokhulupirika ndi mnzanga wachikondi. Inde, mosasamala kanthu za kupweteka kwa mtima ndi mavuto anga, chifundo cha Yehova chakhala chokoma ndipo chapangitsa moyo kukhala woyenerera. Mtima wanga umasonkhezeredwa kulengeza za Mulungu wathu, Yehova, mu mawu a wamasalmo akuti: “Pakuti chifundo chanu chiposa moyo makomedwe ake; milomo yanga idzakulemekezani.”—Salmo 63:3.
[Chithunzi patsamba 26]
Ntchito yolalikira inapita patsogolo mwa kugwiritsira ntchito galamafoni
[Chithunzi patsamba 26]
Makolo anga mu 1936
[Chithunzi patsamba 26]
Ulaliki wa m’khwalala m’Belgium mu 1948