Kusunga Umphumphu Wachikristu mu Liberia—Wokanthidwa ndi Nkhondo
Monga momwe yasimbidwira ndi mboni yowona ndi maso
“PAMENE njovu zimenyana, udzu nawonso umavutika.” Ha, mwambi wa Kumadzulo kwa Afirika umenewo umafotokoza bwino motani nanga zimene zinachitika m’nkhondo yaposachedwapa mu Liberia! Pafupifupi anthu okwanira 20,000 anafa, ndipo theka la anthu a m’dzikomo okwanira 2.6 miliyoni anabalalitsidwa. Ambiri amene anavutika sanali asirikali; anali “udzu”—amuna, akazi, ndi ana osavulaza.
Pamene nkhondo inaulika mu December 1989, Mboni za Yehova zokwanira pafupifupi 2,000 mu Liberia zinali kuwonjezereka mosasintha m’ziŵerengero ndipo zinali kuyang’ana kutsogolo ndi chidaliro. Mwachisoni, zinali mbali ya ‘udzu umene unavutika.’
Kufalikira kwa Nkhondo
Nkhondoyo inayambira kumalire a Liberia ndi Côte d’Ivoire, ndipo posakhalitsa othaŵa kwawo anayamba kuthaŵira kulikulu, Monrovia, mzinda wokhala ndi nzika zoposa theka la miliyoni. Kuyambira March mpaka May wa 1990, pamene kumenyanako kunafika kum’mwera, amishonale a Mboni za Yehova anasamutsidwa poyamba kuchoka ku Ganta ndipo kenako kuchoka ku Gbarnga. Iwo anali pakati pa anthu omalizira kuchoka kumatauni ameneŵa. Nkhondoyo inafika pachimake pamene magulu ankhondo analoŵa m’Monrovia pa July 2, 1990.
Palibe amene anali wokonzekera kaamba ka zowopsa zomwe zinatsatirapo. Magulu atatu osiyana anapitirizabe kumenyana m’makwalala ndi mfuti zamphamvu, mizinga yamoto, ndi zoponyera mabomba aang’ono. Awo omwe sanaphedwe chifukwa chokhala a fuko lodedwa anasautsidwa kosalekeza ndi kufufuzidwa. Usiku wina mu August amuna, akazi, ndi ana oposa 600 omwe anabisala m’Tchalitchi cha Lutheran cha St. Peter anaphedwa ndi gulu lakupha lochita msala ndi nkhondo.
Mazana ambiri anathaŵa nkhondoyo ndi zovala zokha zomwe anavala. Mabanja analekanitsidwa ndipo sanathe kugwirizananso kwa miyezi yambiri. Anthu onse a m’Monrovia anawonekera kukhala akusamuka, m’nyumba mopanda anthu ndimo munali kukhala asirikali ndi othaŵa kwawo omwe anathaŵa m’mbali zina za mzindawo. Loposa theka la anthu a m’Monrovia anabalalitsidwa. Ambiri anataya zonse zomwe anali nazo limodzinso ndi imfa ya wachibale pafupifupi mmodzi. Ena anataikiridwa achibale ambiri.
Mkhalidwewo unafika poipa kwakuti maiko ena asanu a Kumadzulo kwa Afirika anatumiza asirikali kukayesa kubwezeretsa mtendere. Pofika kumapeto kwa October 1990, kumenyanako kunali kutha pang’onopang’ono. Komano njala inaloŵa munzinda wotenthedwawo wowonekera ngati waphimbidwa ndi nsalu yakumanda. Mabungwe opereka thandizo anasimba kuti panthaŵi ina pafupifupi gaŵo limodzi mwa atatu la ana a ku Monrovia azaka zosakwana zisanu anali opereŵera chakudya ndipo anthu oposa zana limodzi anali kufa tsiku lirilonse. Mikhalidwe inaipitsidwa ndi anthu ofuna phindu; ambiri anaba mpunga woperekedwa kuthandiza oyambukiridwa ndi njala ndiyeno anaugulitsa madola 20 kapena kuposapo pa kapu imodzi. Matenda anali osatha, makamaka cholera, popeza kuti madzi, zimbudzi, ndi mautumiki a magetsi a mzindawo anawonongedweratu.
Mboni za Yehova zokwanira pafupifupi chikwi chimodzi zomwe zinali m’Monrovia zinavutikanso moipa. Ambiri anathaŵa mumzindamo kunka kumidzi, pamene ena anakwera zombo kunka ku Ghana ndi Nigeria kapena kupita ndi msewu ku Côte d’Ivoire kapena Sierra Leone. Kuyambira July mpaka December 1990, Mboni zoposa 30 zinaphedwa. Zina zinaphedwa ndi mfuti, pamene zina zinafa ndi ziyambukiro za matenda ndi njala. Kukuwonekera kuti Alan Battey ndi Arthur Lawson, amishonale a ku Amereka omaliza maphunziro a Sukulu ya Maphunziro a Utumiki, anali pakati pa awo amene anaphedwa. Ha, chiyembekezo chozikidwa pa Baibulo cha chiukiriro chiri chitonthozo chotani nanga kwa awo a ife amene anataikiridwa achibale kapena mabwenzi m’nthaŵi yowopsa imeneyo!—Machitidwe 24:15.
Ubale Wachikristu Uli Pantchito
Pamene nkhondo inali mkati, Mboni zambiri zobalalitsidwa zinathaŵa kukabisala ku ofesi yanthambi ya Mboni za Yehova ndi kunyumba ya amishonale kumbali ina ya tauni. Ena anafuna chitetezo chifukwa chakuti anali ziŵalo za fuko limene asirikali anali kupha m’deralo. Ambiri anapatsidwa ntchito zochita panthambipo ndipo anathandiza kwambiri kuphika ndi kuyeretsa, pamene kuli kwakuti ena anagaŵiridwa kukafuna zomera zakudya m’matenjetenje apafupi pamene mikhalidwe yakunja inalola.
Anthu anali kugona paliponse, m’zipinda zogona za amishonalewo, m’malikole, m’Dipatimenti Yotumiza Katundu, ndi m’maofesi. Tinakumba zimbudzi ndi kuzisamalira. Akazi anagaŵiridwa kutumikira monga anesi, ndipo anasamalira mwachipambano matenda a malungo. Kutseguka m’mimba ndiko kunali vuto lalikulu.
Tinapanga makonzedwe apadera a m’nyumba, kuphatikizapo kuyeseza kuthaŵa kuphulitsidwa kwa mabomba. Chotero, pamene magulu olimbana anaphulitsa makombola amphamvu, tinaphunzitsidwa kupita mwamsanga kumalo achisungiko panthambipo. Ngakhale kuti mpanda wakhoma wautali wa mamita atatu unali chitetezo, sunali wokwanira kuletsa zipolopolo zothunyuka. Posakhalitsa denga lathu linawoneka ngati sefa chifukwa cha ziboo zonse zomwe linali nalo!
Ambiri anaika miyoyo yawo pachiswe kufuna kutetezera Mboni zinzawo kwa awo amene anafuna kuzipha chifukwa chokhala za fuko lodedwa. Tsiku lina mlongo Wachikristu anafika pa ofesi yanthambi akulira ali ndi ana ake aŵiri opulumuka, wina anali khanda la milungu iŵiri yakubadwa. Mwamuna wake ndi mwana wamwamuna wazaka zapakati pa 13 ndi 19 anaphedwa mwakuwomberedwa mfuti iye akuwona. Iye ndi ana ake enawo anabisidwa bwino lomwe ndi Mboni ina pamene akuphawo anabwerera kudzawafuna.
Banja lina linafika panthambi ndi wofalitsa wosabatizidwa yemwe anawathandiza mwakuwachinjiriza kuti asaphedwe ndi anthu a fuko lake. Ndiyeno, pamene mkhalidwewo unasintha ndipo wofalitsa wosabatizidwayo anali paupandu, banjalo linampulumutsa kwa anthu a fuko lawo.
Kaŵirikaŵiri, amishonale anali kulankhula ndi amuna onyamula zida pachipata cha ofesi yanthambi kuyesa kuwaletsa kuloŵa kudzafufuza kapena kufunkha malowo. Nthaŵi ina gulu lokwiya linadzangoloŵa mkati, natiimika mwakutiloza mfuti naumirira kuti tinali kubisa mamembala a fuko lakutilakuti. Iwo anadabwa kuwona mmene Mboni zakumaloko zinaliri zabata, zitakhala chete ndikumamvetsera pamsonkhano Wachikristu womwe tinali kuchita. Iwo anafunafuna m’nyumbamo koma sanapeze zimene anali kufuna. Nthaŵi zonse tinali okhoza kutsimikizira oloŵererawo kuti sitinali kubisa asirikali kapena adani awo alionse. Tinasunga uchete monga Akristu.
Panthaŵi ina mkati mwa kumenyana kwamphamvu, gulu la Mboni linafika panthambipo litanyamula mbale yemwe anali ndi kansa yosachiritsika. Mwachisoni, anamwalira mwamsanga pambuyo pake. Manda anakumbidwa pabwalo, ndipo tinali ndi utumiki wamaliro wokhudza maganizo wotani nanga! Mbaleyo anali mmodzi wa akulu abwino koposa akumaloko, wokhala ndi zaka zambiri za utumiki wokhulupirika. Anthu obalalitsidwa okwanira pafupifupi zana limodzi anasonkhana polandirira alendo kuti amve nkhani yachikumbukiro, yomwe inaperekedwa apo mfuti zikumveka kulikitika.
Kupeza Chakudya ndi Madzi
Zakudya zinali zochepa. Ngakhale nkhondoyo isanayambe, amalonda analeka kuitanitsa katundu. Choncho, mumzindamo munatsala chakudya chochepa kwambiri. Chakudya chathu chapanthambipo chikanakwanira ziŵalo 12 za banja lathu kwa miyezi yambiri, koma nthaŵi zina anthu okwanira 200 anali kukhala nafe, kuphatikizapo anansi apafupi omwe sanali Mboni omwe anafuna thandizo kwambiri. Aliyense anapatsidwa mpimo wakudya chakudya chochepa kamodzi patsiku; tinapulumuka ndi chakudya choterocho kwa miyezi ingapo. Aliyense anali ndi njala. Makanda anali owonda kwadzawoneni, akulenjekeka m’manja mwa makolo awo.
Posakhalitsa chakudya chathu chinayamba kutha. Kodi tikachipeza kuti chowonjezereka? Kunalibe mashopu omwe anali otsegula m’Monrovia. Kulikonse kumene munthu anayang’ana, anthu anjala anali kuyendayenda m’makwalala kufunafuna chakudya. Anthu anadya chirichonse—kuphatikizapo agalu, amphaka, ndi makoswe. Amishonale aŵiri apanthambipo anasankha zakuyesa kunka ku Kakata, tauni ya pamtunda wa pafupifupi makilomita 60, kumene nkhondo inali itatha.
Anaika magazini a Nsanja ya Olonda ndi zizindikiro m’mazenera a galimoto kudzizindikiritsa monga Mboni za Yehova. Pambuyo podutsa malo ofufuzira angapo, anaimikidwa ndi kufunsidwa ndi munthu wamkulu, wojintcha wokhala ndi mabomba aang’ono olenjekeka pachifuwa pake ndi kamfuti mchuuno mwake. Iwo anadzizindikiritsa monga Mboni za Yehova ndipo anamuuza kuti anafuna kupita ku Kakata kukafuna chakudya.
“Nditsatireni,” iye anatero. “Ndine kazembe wankhondo kunoko.” Ananka nawo kumalikulu ake. Pamene anamva kuti akusunga anthu obalalitsidwa, analamula anyamata ake kukapereka ku nthambi yathu matumba 20 a mpunga, thumba lirilonse lolemera makilogramu 45! Ndiponso, anapatsidwa chilolezo kuti apite ku Kakata, ndipo msirikali wonyamula chida anauzidwa kuwaperekeza mwachisungiko kudutsa malo ofufuzira otsala.
Ku Kakata anapeza Abraham mbale wathu Wachikristu yemwe anali ndi sitolo. Iye anatiunjikira makatoni a zakudya, kuphatikizapo mkaka waufa, suga, ndiwo zamasamba za m’chitini, ndi zinthu zina zofunika. Kunalidi kosangalatsa kuwona mmene abale athu anasamaliridwira paulendo wawo. Yehova ayenera kuti anakondweretsedwa kuti tinagawana chakudya ndi mabwenzi athu ndi anansi, popeza kuti tsopano zakudya zathu zinali kuwonjezeredwa.—Miyambo 11:25.
Kumbali ina ya Monrovia, amishonale m’nyumba ya amishonale analinso kusamalira anthu obalalitsidwa, ndipo nawonso analandira chithandizo kuchokera ku magwero osayembekezereka. Mwachitsanzo, mishonale anatenga matumba atatu a mpunga kwa msirikali yemwe anamkumbukira kuchokera panthaŵi imene iye anatumikira m’dera la msirikaliyo zaka 16 kalelo. Mishonale wina analandira matumba anayi a mpunga pambuyo pakufunsidwa mwachindunji ndi mtsogoleri wa limodzi la magulu olimbanawo.
Panthaŵi ina kunawonekera ngati kuti tikachoka panthambi chifukwa cha kuchepa kwa madzi. Kwanthaŵi yaitali chitsime chathu ndicho chinali magwero amodzi okha a madzi akumwa kwa anthu ambiri m’mudzimo. Komabe, mafuta oyendetsera generator yamagetsi ya mpopi wathu anayamba kutha. Pamene mwamuna wina amene analandira chitetezo pa nthambi m’masiku oyambirira akumenyanako anamva za vuto lathu, anatipezera mafuta posonyeza chiyamikiro kaamba ka zimene tinamchitira, chotero madzi athu sanathe konse.
Kusunga Nyonga Yauzimu
Pamene amishonale omalizirafe tinafulumizidwa kuchoka m’Liberia mu October 1990, chomwe chinali m’maganizo athu chinali chakuti, Kodi abale athu ndi alongo akachita motani? Kuchokera ku malipoti amene talandira chiyambire nthaŵi imeneyo, kuli kowonekeratu kuti akhala otanganidwa muuminisitala.
Nkhondo isanayambe avareji ya maola a Mboni iriyonse othera muuminisitala anali pafupifupi 17 mwezi uliwonse. Komabe, nthaŵi yankhondoyo, mosasamala kanthu za kufunika kwa kufunkhafunkha chakudya m’thengo, Mbonizo m’mipingo ina zinafikira avareji ya maola 20 pa wofalitsa! Ndiponso, chifukwa cha kuchepekera kwa magazini a Nsanja ya Olonda, alongo athu ambiri anali kulemba pamanja nkhani zophunziridwa kotero kuti pakhale makope ochulukirapo okwanira gulu lonse pa Sande.
Mipingo inayi yapafupi ndi Monrovia inadzaza ndi Mboni zomwe zinathaŵa kumenyanako mumzinda. Mabwenzi ameneŵa anataikiridwa zonse zomwe anali nazo, popeza kuti sanali okhoza kubwerera kunyumba zawo kukatenga kalikonse. Kwenikwenidi, kwa miyezi ingapo ambiri anali kumbali zosiyana za magulu ankhondo ndi ana awo ndi makolo awo! Pa Chikumbutso cha imfa ya Yesu pa March 30, mipingo inayi imeneyi inali ndi chiŵerengero chophatikizidwa cha opezekapo 1,473.
Mboni zokwanira 300 kapena kuposapo zomwe zinatsala m’Monrovia zinapanga zoyesayesa zapadera kuchita upainiya wothandiza m’mwezi wa Chikumbutso, ngakhale kuti milungu yoŵerengeka yokha asanachite zimenezo, anali ofooka mwakuthupi chifukwa cha njala kwakuti sanali okhoza kuyenda. Anagwira ntchito zolimba kuitanira anthu ku Chikumbutso, ndipo okwanira 1,116 anapezekapo.
Mkulu wina Wachikristu wa ku Monrovia analongosola kuti: “Tinasankha kuyambanso kusonkhana m’Nyumba yathu Yaufumu m’December 1990. Chiŵerengero chathu choyamba cha opezekapo chinali 17. Pambuyo pake chinakwera kufika 40, ndipo chinakhala m’ma 40 kwa nthaŵi yaitali. Ndiyeno pa February 24, chiŵerengero chathu cha opezekapo chinakula kufika 65 ndipo mlungu umodzi pambuyo pake chinafika 85. Ndiponso, pafupifupi onse mumpingomo anavomereza chiitano chakuchita upainiya wothandiza m’March.”
Kusamalira Ena
“Abale athu akutchalitchi anali otanganitsidwa kuphana [m’mafuko otsutsana] m’nkhondoyo,” ananena motero wachibale wosakhala Mboni wa mmodzi wa Mbonizo, “analibe nthaŵi yothera ndi okhulupirira anzawo.” Koma mkhalidwewo unali wosiyana motani nanga kwa anthu a Yehova!
Mwachitsanzo, wapampando wa gulu lopereka thandizo wa m’mudzi analembera abale omwe anali kusamalira nthambi mu February 1991 kuti: “Kalata ino iri chizindikiro cha chithokozo ndi chiyamikiro kwa inu ndi bungwe lanu kaamba ka malo osungira zinthu omwe mwapitiriza kutipatsa m’nthaŵi yogaŵira chakudya kwa anthu athu. Kachitidwe kanu kaumunthu kamasonyeza kuti monga Sosaite muli ofunitsitsa kubweretsa mtendere ndi ubwino ku dzikoli. Chonde pitirizani ndi mautumiki anu abwino.”
Mboni za Yehova m’maiko ena zinachitapo kanthu mofulumira pa zosoŵa za abale awo a ku Liberia. Thandizo linaperekedwa kuchokera ku maiko onga Sierra Leone ndi Côte d’Ivoire Kumadzulo kwa Afirika, Netherlands ndi Italiya ku Ulaya, ndi United States.
Msungwana wina wachichepere, amene amayi ŵake anaphedwa chifukwa chakuti anali a fuko lodedwa, anafotokoza chiyamikiro chake kaamba ka thandizo limene analandira. Iye analemba kuti: “Zikomo kwambiri chifukwa cha zinthu zonse zimene mwanditumizira. Mumandipangitsa kumva ngati kuti amayi ŵanga ali pafupi nane. Amayi ŵanga ndi mchimwene wanga wamng’ono anaphedwa m’nkhondo. Ndikupempha Yehova kuti akudalitseni nonsenu. Ndiri ndi zaka 11 zakubadwa.”
Ndiponso poyamikira thandizo lomwe analandira, mbale wokhala ndi banja la anthu asanu ndi mmodzi yemwe mkazi wake anabisala kwa miyezi ingapo chifukwa cha fuko lomwe anachokerako analemba kuti: “Sitinathyoleko nyumba za anthu kuti tifunkhe ndi kugulitsa katundu wawo komabe, mosiyana ndi anansi athu, tiri nako kakudya tsiku lirilonse chifukwa timadziŵa mmene tingagwiritsire ntchito mwanzeru zimene tiri nazo. Zonsezi taziphunzira kwa Yehova.”
Wosangalatsanso kwambiri unali mzimu wa mbale yemwe anathaŵira ku Côte d’Ivoire ndi mkazi wake ndi ana aŵiri. Anasiya nyumba yabwino yomwe pambuyo pake inawotchedwa. Komabe iye anati chimene chinampweteka kwambiri chinali kutaikiridwa, osati kwa nyumba yake, koma kwa laibulale yake yateokratiki!
Maphunziro Opindulitsa Anaphunziridwa
Poyang’ana kumbuyo, ndingayamikire kuti Yehova anatiphunzitsa maphunziro ambiri opindulitsa. Podziŵa mwachindunji anthu ambiri amene anasunga umphumphu wawo ndi kupulumuka, limodzinso ndi ena amene anasunga umphumphu wawo ndi kufa, ndinaphunzira kuzindikira kufunika kwa kukhala ndi mkhalidwe wa maganizo wa mtumwi Paulo, amene analemba kuti: ‘Pakuti tingakhale tiri ndi moyo, tikhalira [Yehova, NW] moyo; kapena tikafa, tifera [Yehova, NW]; chifukwa chake tingakhale tiri ndi moyo, kapena tikafa, tikhala ake a [Yehova, NW].’—Aroma 14:8.
Mishonale wina wotumikira kwa nthaŵi yaitali anati: “M’zonsezi, taphunzira kuti Yehova ndiye Mthandizi wosalingana ndi wina aliyense. Monga momwe Paulo ananenera kuti: ‘Koma tokha tinakhala nacho chisautso cha imfa mwa ife tokha, kuti tisalimbike pa ife tokha, koma pa Mulungu wakuukitsa akufa.’ (2 Akorinto 1:9; Salmo 30:10) Anawonjezera kuti: “Nkhondoyo inamveketsa mfundo yakuti anthu a Yehova alidi abale, ovala chikondi chodzimana chimene Yesu anagogomezera.”—Yohane 13:35.
Kalata yochokera kwa mlongo wa ku Liberia kwa ena a amishonalefe amene tinachoka m’dzikomo mkati mwa kumenyanako mu October 1990 imafotokoza bwino lomwe mphamvu ya ubale wathu Wachikristu. Analemba kuti: “Ndimapemphera kuti nonsenu mudzabwerere ku Liberia posachedwapa ndipo tidzakhalenso ndi msonkhano. Oo! Ndimayembekezera mwachidwi tsiku limenelo. Kungolingalira za ilo kumandipangitsa kukhala wachimwemwe.”
Inde, kudzakhala kokondweretsa kuwona ntchito Yachikristu yanthaŵi zonse ikubwezeretsedwa kotheratu m’Liberia. Mlongo wathu ananenadi zowona; msonkhano woyamba m’Monrovia pambuyo pa kubwerera kwa amishonale ndi othaŵa ena udzakhaladi wosangalatsa. Palibe chikaikiro chirichonse ponena za chimenecho!
[Mapu patsamba 27]
(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi.)
LIBERIA
Monrovia
Kakata
Gbarnga
Ganta
SIERRA LEONE
GUINEA
CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Nyanja Yamchere ya Atlantic
[Chithunzi patsamba 28]
Ana a Mboni zobalalitsida pa ofesi yanthambi m’nthaŵi ya nkhondo
[Chithunzi patsamba 31]
Othaŵa nkhondo a ku Liberia asankha zovala zoperekedwa ndi Mboni mu Côte d’Ivoire