Kusintha Gawo la Utumiki Pausinkhu wa Zaka 80

YOSIMBIDWA NDI GWENDOLINE MATTHEWS

Nditakwanitsa zaka 80 zakubadwa, ine ndi mwamuna wanga tinaganiza zolongedza katundu wathu yense m’galimoto yahayala ndi kusamuka kuchoka ku England kupita ku Spain. Sitinkatha kulankhula Chispanya, ndipo tinali kupita kummwera chakumadzulo kwa Spain, dera lotalikirana kwenikweni ndi dera limene ankakonda kufikako oyendera malo olankhula Chingelezi. Ambiri a mabwenzi athu anaganiza kuti sitinali kuganiza bwino, koma ndinakumbukira mwachimwemwe kuti Abrahamu anali ndi zaka 75 pamene anachoka ku Uri.

M’KUPITA kwa nthaŵi, zaka zathu zomwe takhala ku Spain chifikire mu April 1992 zakhala zopindulitsa kwambiri pamoyo wathu. Koma ndisanafotokoze za chifukwa chimene tinasamukira, ndifuna ndikufotokozereni za mmene kutumikira kwathu Yehova kwa nthaŵi yaitali kunatisonkhezera kuti tipange chosankha chachikulu chimenecho.

Choonadi cha Baibulo Chisintha Moyo Wathu

Ndinakulira m’banja lachipembedzo kummwera chakumadzulo kwa London, ku England. Amayi ankakonda kutenga ine ndi mbale wanga popita kumalo osiyanasiyana olambirira pamene anali kufunafunabe chikhutiro chauzimu. Atate anga anali kudwala matenda a TB ndipo anali odwala kwambiri, choncho sankapita nafe. Koma ankakonda kuŵerenga Baibulo, ndipo ankachonga mawu alionse amene anawasangalatsa. Mmodzi mwa katundu wanga wamtengo wapatali linali Baibulo loŵerengedwa kwambirilo limene linali lopindulitsa kwambiri kwa iwo.

Mu 1925, pamene ndinali ndi zaka 14, tinapeza trakiti pansi pa chitseko chathu ndipo linatiitana kuti tikamvetsere nkhani yapoyera m’nyumba yamsonkhano ya ku West Ham. Amayi anga ndi mnansi wathu wina anaganiza zokamvetsera nkhaniyo, ndipo ine ndi mng’ono wanga tinatsagana nawo. Nkhani imeneyo yakuti, “Mamiliyoni Okhala ndi Moyo Tsopano Sadzafa Konse,” inafesa mbewu ya choonadi cha Baibulo mumtima mwa Amayi.

Patapita miyezi ingapo, Atate anamwalira pausinkhu wa zaka 38. Tinapeza mavuto aakulu chifukwa cha imfa yawo, popeza kuti tinavutika maganizo kwambiri ndiponso tinalibe wotithandiza. Pamwambo wamalirowo, umene unachitikira pa Church of England yakomweko, Amayi anakhumudwa kwambiri pamene anamva wansembe akufotokoza kuti mzimu wa Atate unapita kumwamba. Iwo anadziŵa kuti malinga nkunena kwa Baibulo, akufa akugona m’manda, ndipo anakhulupirira kwambiri kuti tsiku lina Atate adzaukitsidwira kumoyo wosatha padziko lapansi. (Salmo 37:9-11, 29; 146:3, 4; Mlaliki 9:5; Machitidwe 24:15; Chivumbulutso 21:3, 4) Ataona kuti kunali koyenerera kuti ayanjane ndi anthu amene anali kuphunzitsa za Mawu a Mulungu, iwo anaganiza zoyanjana ndi Ophunzira Baibulo a Padziko Lonse, dzina lapanthaŵiyo la Mboni za Yehova.

Popeza kuti tinalibe ndalama zoyendera, mlungu uliwonse tinali kuyenda pansi kwa maola aŵiri kuchoka kunyumba kwathu kupita kumisonkhano ya Mboni za Yehova. Tikatero, tinali kuyendanso ulendo wina wa maola aŵiri kubwerera kumudzi. Koma tinapindula kwambiri ndi misonkhano imeneyo, ndipo sitinkalephera kupezekapo, ngakhale pamene mzinda wa London unakutidwa ndi nkhungu yosoŵetsa poponda. Kenaka Amayi analingalira zopatulira moyo wawo kwa Yehova ndi kubatizidwa, ndipo mu 1927, inenso ndinabatizidwa.

Ngakhale kuti tinali kusoŵa ndalama, Amayi ankakonda kundiuza za kufunika kwa kuika zinthu zauzimu patsogolo pa zonse. Mateyu 6:33 linali limodzi mwa malemba awo okondedwa, ndipo iwo ‘anafunadi ufumu choyamba.’ Iwo anamwalira mu 1935 ndi matenda a kansa, ndipo anafa ali osakalamba kwenikweni; panthaŵiyo anali kulingalira zovomera pempho loti akakhale mtumiki wa nthaŵi zonse ku France.

Zitsanzo Zimene Zinatilimbitsa

M’zaka zoyambirira zimenezo, ena amene anali kupezeka pamisonkhano ku London anafuna kumalalikira malingaliro awoawo, ndipo anthu ameneŵa anayambitsa mikangano. Komabe, Amayi ankakonda kunena kuti kungakhale kusakhulupirika kusiya gulu la Yehova limene linatiphunzitsa. Maulendo odzatichezera a Joseph F. Rutherford, amene anali pulezidenti wa Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society panthaŵiyo, anatilimbikitsa kuti tipitirizebe kutumikira mokhulupirika.

Ndimakumbukira kuti Mbale Rutherford anali munthu wokoma mtima, ndiponso wofikirika. Pamene ndinali mtsikana, Mpingo wa London unali pandawala ndipo mbaleyu anapezekapo. Iye anandiona​—nazindikira kuti ndinali mtsikana wamanyazi​—nditanyamula kamera m’manja ndipo anandipempha ngati ndingakonde kumujambula. Chithunzi chimenecho chinali chikumbutso changa chokondedwa.

Kenaka, chochitika china chinandipangitsa kuzindikira kuti panali kusiyana kwambiri pakati pa anthu amene anali kutsogolera mumpingo wachikristu ndi atsogoleri a dziko. Ndinali woperekera zakudya m’nyumba ina yaikulu ya ku London ndipo nthaŵi ina Franz von Papen, mmodzi mwa nduna za Hitler, anaitanidwa kuti adzadye chakudya. Panthaŵi yachakudyayo, iye anakana kuchotsa lupanga lake limene anali kulivalira pamodzi ndi lamba, ndipo mwatsoka ndinapunthwa palupangalo ndipo ndinataya msuzi umene ndinanyamula. Iye analankhula mokalipa kuti kudakakhala ku Germany, kusasamala kotero kukanapangitsa kuti andiwombere ndi mfuti. Sindinamuyandikirenso mpaka mapeto a chakudyacho!

Ndinamvetsera nkhani ya Mbale Rutherford pamsonkhano wosaiŵalika umene unachitikira ku Alexandra Palace mu 1931. Kumeneko tinalandira mwachisangalalo dzina lathu latsopano lakuti Mboni za Yehova. (Yesaya 43:10, 12) Patapita zaka ziŵiri, mu 1933, ndinayamba kuchita utumiki waupainiya, dzina la utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse. Dalitso lina la m’zaka zimenezo limene ndimalikumbukirabe nlakuti tinakhoza kuyanjana ndi anyamata odzipereka amene pambuyo pake anakakhala amishonale kumaiko ena akutali. Ena mwa ameneŵa anali Claude Goodman, Harold King, John Cooke, ndi Edwin Skinner. Zitsanzo za anthu okhulupirikawa zinandisonkhezera kuti ndilingalire zokatumikira kudziko lina.

Kuchita Upainiya ku East Anglia

Gawo langa la upainiya linali East Anglia (kummaŵa kwa England), ndipo pankafunikira khama kuti munthu ukwanitse ntchito yolalikira kumeneko. Kuti tifole gawo lathu lalikululo, tinali kuyenda panjinga kutauni ndi tauni ndiponso kumudzi ndi mudzi ndipo tinali kukhala m’nyumba zalendi. Kunalibiretu mipingo m’dera limenelo, choncho ine ndi mnzanga tinali kuchita tokhatokha mbali zosiyanasiyana za misonkhano ya mlungu ndi mlungu. Mu utumiki wathu, tinagaŵira zofalitsa monga mabuku ndi timabuku mazana ambiri zimene zinali kufotokoza za zifuno za Mulungu.

Ulendo wina wosaiŵalika ndiwo umene tinapita kunyumba ina ndi kukacheza ndi mlaliki wina wa mpingo wa Church of England wa komweko. Nthaŵi zambiri, sitinkafikira mlaliki wa mpingo wa Anglican mpaka kumaliza ulendowo chifukwa chakuti ankakonda kutivutitsa atazindikira kuti tinali kulalikira uthenga wabwino m’deralo. Koma aliyense wa m’mudzimo anali kumnenera zabwino mlalikiyo. Iye anali kukazonda odwala, anali kubwereketsa mabuku kwa aliyense wofuna kuŵerenga, ndipo analinso kukachezera anthu a paparishi yake kunyumba kwawo ndi kukawaphunzitsa za m’Baibulo.

Zoonadi, pamene tinakamchezera, iye anali wachimwemwe kwambiri, ndipo analandira mabuku ambiri. Iye anatitsimikiziranso kuti ngati panali aliyense wofuna mabuku athu m’mudzimo amene analibe ndalama zogulira, iye anali wofunitsitsa kuwalipirira. Tinazindikiranso kuti chifukwa cha mavuto amene anakumana nawo panthaŵi ya Nkhondo Yadziko I, iye anali wofunitsitsa kulimbikitsa mtendere ndi kuchitirana chifundo paparishipo. Tisanachoke, iye anatidalitsa ndi kutilimbikitsa kuti tipitirizebe ntchito yathu yabwinoyo. Mawu ake amene ananena panthaŵi yotsazikanayo anachokera pa Numeri 6:24 amene amati: “Ambuye akudalitseni, ndipo akusungeni.”​—King James Version.

Amayi anamwalira patatha zaka ziŵiri ndikuchita upainiya, ndipo ndinabwerera ku London wopanda ndalama ndi banja. Mboni ina yokondedwa ya ku Scotland inayamba kundisamalira, inandithandiza kuti ndipirire chifukwa cha imfa ya Amayi, ndipo anandilimbikitsa kuti ndipitirize utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse. Choncho, ndinabwerera ku East Anglia pamodzi ndi Julia Fairfax, mpainiya mnzanga watsopano. Tinamangirira kalavani yakale kuti tiziigwiritsira ntchito monga nyumba yathu yoyenda nayo; tinali kugwiritsira ntchito trakitala kapena galimoto pokoka kalavaniyo pamene tinali kupita kumalo osiyanasiyana. Tinapitiriza kulalikira pamodzi ndi banja lina laling’ono la Albert ndi Ethel Abbott, amene anali ndi kalavani yaing’ono. A Albert ndi a Ethel anangokhala ngati makolo anga.

Pamene ndinali kuchita upainiya ku Cambridgeshire, ndinakumana ndi John Matthews, mbale wachikristu wodzipereka amene anali atasonyeza kale kukhulupirika kwake kwa Yehova panthaŵi zovuta. Tinakwatirana mu 1940, patangopita nthaŵi yochepa chiyambire cha nkhondo yadziko yachiŵiri.

Nthaŵi ya Nkhondo ndi Banja

Titangokwatirana kumene, nyumba yathu inali kalavani yaing’ono yofanana ndi kitchini yaing’ono, ndipo tinali kupita mu utumiki wathu panjinga yamoto yodalirika. Patapita chaka chimodzi titakwatirana, John anapatsidwa chibalo choti azikalima m’munda wina chifukwa chakuti anakana kukamenya nawo nkhondo chifukwa cha chikhulupiriro chake chozikidwa pa Baibulo. (Yesaya 2:4) Ngakhale kuti zinapangitsa kuti tisiye upainiya wathu, kutengedwa kwa John kunali dalitso chifukwa chakuti iye anali kundithandiza pamene ndinali ndi pathupi.

M’zaka zankhondo, tinachita misonkhano yapadera imene inachitikabe mosasamala kanthu za mavutowo. Mu 1941, pamene ndinali kuyembekezera mwana wathu woyamba, ine ndi John tinakwera njinga yathu yamoto kupita ku Manchester, mtunda wa makilomita 300. Paulendowo tinapyola matauni ambiri ophulitsidwa ndi mabomba, ndipo tinakayikira zoti msonkhanowo ungachitike m’mikhalidwe yovuta imeneyo. Unachitikadi. Ndipo The Free Trade Hall yapakati pa Manchester inadzaza ndi Mboni zochokera m’madera osiyanasiyana a mu England, ndipo nkhani zonse za msonkhanowo zinakambidwa.

Kumapeto kwa nkhani yake, wokamba nkhani yomaliza ya msonkhanowo anauza omvetsera kuti anayenera kuchoka pamalopo mwamsanga, chifukwa ndege zoponya mabomba zinali kuyembekezeka nthaŵi iliyonse. Chenjezolo linali lapanthaŵi yake. Titangoyenda pang’ono kuchoka panyumba yamsonkhanoyo tinamva kulira kwa mabelu ndi mfuti zolimbana ndi ndege zamabombazo. Titacheukira kumene tinali kuchokera, tinaona ndege zambiri zikuponya mabomba pamchombo pa mzindawo. Tili chapatali, mkati mwa moto ndi utsi tinatha kuonamo holo imene tinasonkhanamo ija itapseratu! Mwamwayi, panalibe mbale kapena mlongo wathu wachikristu amene anaphedwa.

Nthaŵi imene tinali kulera ana athu, sitinkachita upainiya, koma tinali kulandira oyang’anira oyendayenda ndi apainiya amene analibe nyumba yoti azigonamo. Nthaŵi ina, apainiya asanu ndi mmodzi anakhala panyumba pathu kwa miyezi ingapo. Mosakayika konse mayanjano ameneŵa ndiwo analimbikitsa mwana wathu wamkazi Eunice kuti ayambe kuchita upainiya kuyambira mu 1961 pamene anali ndi zaka 15 zokha zakubadwa. Mwachisoni, mwana wathu wamwamuna, David, atakula sanapitirize kutumikira Yehova, ndipo mwana wathu wina wamkazi, Linda, anamwalira mozunzika panthaŵi yankhondo.

Chosankha Chathu cha Kusamukira ku Spain

Chitsanzo ndi chilimbikitso cha Amayi chinandisonkhezera kuti ndilingalire zokhala mmishonale, ndipo ndinali kusinkhasinkhabe za cholinga changa chimenecho. Choncho, mu 1973 tinasangalala kwambiri pamene Eunice anasamuka ku England kupita ku Spain kumene kunali kusoŵa kokulirapo kwa olalikira Ufumu. Ndithudi, tinali achisoni pamene tinamuona akunyamuka, koma tinali okondwanso kuti iye anafuna kukatumikira kudziko lina.

Tinali kukachezera Eunice kwa zaka zambiri, ndipo dziko la Spain tinalidziŵa bwino. Kwenikweni, ine ndi John tinakamchezera m’magawo ake anayi osiyanasiyana. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, mphamvu zathu zinayamba kutha. Tsiku lina John anagwa ndipo zimenezo zinasintha kwambiri thanzi lake, ndipo ine ndinali ndi mavuto a mtima ndi nkhwiko. Kuwonjezera pamenepo, tonsefe tinali kudwala matenda a arthritis. Ngakhale kuti tinafunikiradi chithandizo cha Eunice, sitinafune kuti iye asiye utumiki wake chifukwa cha ife.

Tinakambitsirana za malingaliro athu ndi Eunice, ndipo tinapemphera kaamba ka chitsogozo. Iye anali wofunitsitsa kubwera kunyumba kuti adzatithandize, koma tinalingalira kuti lingaliro labwino ndilo lakuti ine ndi John tikakhale naye ku Spain komweko. Ngati ineyo sindingathe kukhala mmishonale, kunali bwino kuti ndizikathandiza mwana wanga wamkazi ndi apainiya anzake aŵiri a mu utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse. Panthaŵiyo ine ndi John tinali kuona Nuria ndi Ana, apainiya anzake a Eunice a zaka zakubadwa za m’ma 15, monga ana athu enieni. Ndipo iwo anali osangalala kuti tinali kukhala nawo kulikonse kumene anatumizidwa.

Tsopano papita zaka zoposa zisanu ndi chimodzi kuchokera panthaŵi imene tinapanga chosankha chimenecho. Thanzi lathu silinapitirize kufooka, ndipo moyo wathu wakhaladi wosangalatsa. Chinenero cha Chispanya sindinachidziŵebe kwenikweni, koma zimenezo sizindilepheretsa kulalikira. Ine ndi John timakhala osangalala kwambiri pamene tiyanjana ndi mpingo wathu waung’ono wa ku Extremadura, kummwera chakumadzulo kwa Spain.

Kuno ku Spain ndaphunzira zambiri zokhudzana ndi ntchito yathu yapadziko lonse yolalikira Ufumu, ndipo tsopano ndikudziŵa bwino tanthauzo la mawu a Yesu Kristu akuti, “munda ndiwo dziko lapansi.”​—Mateyu 13:38.

[Zithunzi patsamba 28]

Kuchita upainiya cha m’ma 1930