Kulera Ana M’nthaŵi Yovuta ku Africa

YOSIMBIDWA NDI CARMEN MCLUCKIE

Chinali chaka cha 1941. Nkhondo yachiŵiri yapadziko lonse inali mkati. Ndinali mayi wa zaka 23 wochokera ku Australia, koma kuno, ine pamodzi ndi khanda langa la miyezi isanu tinaikidwa m’ndende ku Gwelo, ku Southern Rhodesia (komwe tsopano amati Gweru, ku Zimbabwe). Mwamuna wanga anali kundende ku Salisbury (tsopano amati Harare). Ana athu ena (wazaka ziŵiri ndi wazaka zitatu) anali kusamalidwa ndi ana aŵiri opeza amene anali achinyamata. Lekani ndifotokoze zomwe zinachitika kuti zinthu zifike pamenepa.

NDINALI kukhala ndi mayi ndi bambo anga ku Port Kembla, pafupifupi makilomita 50 kumwera kwa mzinda wa Sydney, ku Australia. Mu 1924, Clare Honisett anacheza ndi amayi ndipo atawafunsa ngati amadziŵa tanthauzo la Pemphero la Ambuye. Iwo anachita chidwi ndi ziphunzitso za Baibulo. Clare anafotokoza zimene kuyeretsa dzina la Mulungu kumatanthauza, ndipo kenako ananenanso mmene Ufumu udzabweretsere chifuniro cha Mulungu pa dziko lapansi. (Mateyu 6:9, 10) Mayi anazizwa kwambiri. Ngakhale kuti bambo anali kuwaletsa, mayi anayamba kufufuza mozama choonadi cha Baibulo chimenechi.

Patapita nthaŵi yochepa, tinasamukira kudera lina lakumidzi la mumzinda wa Sydney. Kuchokera kumeneko mayi ndi ine tinali kuyenda mtunda wa makilomita asanu kuti tikafike ku misonkhano ya Ophunzira Baibulo, dzina limene Mboni za Yehova zinkadziŵika nalo panthaŵiyo. Ngakhale kuti bambo sanakhale Mboni, iwo anali kuvomereza kuti phunziro la Baibulo lizichitikira m’nyumba yathu. Ang’ono awo aŵiri, Max ndi Oscar Seidel, ndiponso ena apabanja la Max komanso m’longo wanga wamng’ono Terry, ndi mng’ono wanga Mylda, anakhala Mboni.

Mu 1930 bungwe la Watch Tower Society linagula boti la mamita 16, limene kenako linadzatchedwa kuti Lightbearer (Wonyamula kuunika). Kwa zaka ziŵiri boti limenelo linkakhala pa malo athu m’mphepete mwa mtsinje wa Georges. Lili pamenepo analikonzetsa kotero kuti Mboni za Yehova zizikweramo pochita ntchito yokalalikira ku zilumba za Indonesia. Ine ndi mkulu wanga Coral nthaŵi zina tinali kutsuka botilo kunja ndi mkati mwake, ndipo timatha kubwereka nyali zake zakutsogolo kupita nazo kokasodza.

Kupita ku Africa, Ndiponso Ukwati

Dziko la Australia linakhudzidwa kwambiri ndi vuto la zachuma chamkati mwa m’ma 1930, ndipo mayi ndi ine tinasamukira ku South Africa kuti tikaone ngati kumeneko kungayanje banja lathu. Tinatenga kalata yotidziŵikitsa yochokera ku ofesi ya nthambi ya Mboni za Yehova ku Australia yopita kwa George Phillips, amene panthaŵiyo anali woyang’anira ntchito yaulaliki ku South Africa. George anali padoko ku Cape Town kuchingamira sitima yathu. Iye anali ndi buku la Watch Tower Society lotchedwa Riches (Chuma) atalinyamula m’dzanja lake kuti tithe kum’zindikira. Tsiku lomwelo, pa June 6, 1936, anakationetsa kwa anthu asanu ogwira ntchito pa nthambi, kuphatikizapo Robert A. McLuckie.a Chaka chomwecho, Bertie, monga tonsefe tinkamutchulira ndi ine tinakwatirana.

William McLuckie agogo ake aamuna a Bertie anabwera ku Africa mu 1817 kuchokera ku Paisley, Scotland. M’maulendo ake oyambirira, William anadziŵana ndi Robert Moffat, munthu amene anayambitsa kulemba m’chinenero chachitswana ndi kutembenuza Baibulo m’chinenerocho.b M’masiku oyambirira amenewo, William ndi mnzake Robert Schoon anali azungu okhawo amene Mzilikazi ankawakhulupirira. Iye anali msilikali wodziŵika m’gulu la nkhondo la Shaka amene anali mfumu yotchuka ya Azulu. Chifukwa cha zimenezo, William ndi Robert anali azungu okhawo amene anawalola kukhala m’mudzi wa Mzilikazi umene tsopano pali mzinda wa Pretoria, ku South Africa. Kenako, Mzilikazi anakhala mtsogoleri wandale, ndipo chamkati mwa zaka za m’zana la 19 iye anagwirizanitsa mitundu yambiri kukhala ufumu wa anthu Akuda.

Pamene ndinakumana ndi Bertie, iye anali mwamuna wamasiye wa ana aŵiri, Lyall, mtsikana wa zaka 12 ndi Donovan wa zaka 11. Bertie anaphunzira Baibulo koyamba mu 1927 patangopita miyezi ingapo, mkazi wake Edna atamwalira. M’zaka zisanu ndi zinayi zotsatira, iye analalikira uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu wa Mulungu ku zilumba za Mauritius, Madagascar komanso m’Nyasaland monse (komwe tsopano amati Malaŵi), Portuguese East Africa (tsopano amati Mozambique), ndi ku South Africa.

Patapita miyezi ingapo Bertie ndi ine titakwatirana, tonse ndi ana athu Lyall ndi Donovan tinasamukira ku Johannesburg, kumene kunali kosavuta kuti Bertie apeze ntchito. Panthaŵiyo ndinali mpainiya, dzina lomwe atumiki a nthaŵi zonse a Mboni za Yehova amatchedwa. Kenako ndinakhala ndi pakati pa Peter.

Ulendo Wathu wa ku Southern Rhodesia

M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, Jack mkulu wake wa Bertie anatiitana kuti tizikayendetsera limodzi bizinesi ya mgodi wamiyala ya golidi pafupi ndi tauni ya Filabusi, ku Southern Rhodesia. Bertie ndi ine pamodzi ndi Peter, amene panthaŵiyo anali ndi chaka chimodzi tinanyamuka ulendowo koma Lyall ndi Donovan tinawasiya ndi mayi anga kuti awasamale mwakanthaŵi chabe. Titafika pa mtsinje wa Mzingwani, unali utasefukira, ndipo tinawoloka pogwiritsa ntchito bokosi loyenda pa chingwe chimene anachimangirira tsidya ndi tsidya. Panthaŵiyo n’kuti ndili ndi pakati pa miyezi isanu ndi umodzi pa Pauline ndipo ndinayenera kugwira zolimba Peter yemwe anali pachifuwa panga! Ndinkachita mantha, makamaka pamene chingwecho chinatsala pang’ono kugunda madzi pakatikati pa mtsinjewo. Kuwonjezera apo, panali pakati pa usiku ndipo mvula inali mkati. Titawoloka mtsinjewo, tinayenda pafupifupi makilomita aŵiri kuti tikafike ku nyumba ya mbale wathuyo.

Patapita nthaŵi, tinachita lendi nyumba yomwe munkakhala mlimi wa ziweto imene inali yowonongeka ndi chiswe. Tinali ndi mipando yochepa ndipo ina inali yopangidwa kuchokera ku mabokosi osungiramo mabomba ophwanyira miyala ndiponso zingwe zimene amayatsa pofuna kuphulitsa mabombawa. Pauline anali kudwala chifuwa pafupipafupi, ndipo tinalibe ndalama zogulira mankhwala. Zinandipweteka mtima, koma tinali oyamikira chifukwa chakuti Pauline anali kuchira nthaŵi iliyonse akadwala.

Ine ndi Bertie Tiikidwa M’ndende

Kamodzi pamwezi uliwonse tinkapita kumzinda wa Bulawayo, pafupifupi makilomita 80 kuchokera komwe tinkakhala, kukagulitsa golidi pa banki. Tinkapitanso ku Gwanda, imene inali tauni yaing’ono pafupi ndi Filabusi, kumene timakagulako zakudya ndiponso kukachita ulaliki. Mu 1940, patatha chaka chimodzi nkhondo yachiŵiri yapadziko lonse itayamba, ntchito yathu yolalikira inaletsedwa ku Southern Rhodesia.

Pasanathe nthaŵi yaitali, ine ndinamangidwa pamene ndinali kulalikira ku Gwanda. Nthaŵiyo ndinali ndi pakati pena pa mwana wanga wachitatu Estrella. Pamene anali kuganizira za apilo yanga, Bertie anamangidwa ndi kuponyedwa m’ndende ku Salisbury, mtunda wa makilomita opitirira 300 kuchokera komwe tinkakhala.

Panthaŵiyo zinthu zinali motere: Peter anali kudwala matenda a chotupa cha pakhosi otchedwa diphtheria mwakayakaya m’chipatala ku Bulawayo ndipo zoti achira zinali zokayikitsa. Ine ndinali n’tangobereka kumene Estrella, ndipo mnzanga ananditenga kuchoka kuchipatala kupita kundende komwe kunali Bertie kukamuonetsa khanda lake lalikazi latsopanolo. Kenako, pamene anakana apilo yanga, mmwenye wina wolemera wogulitsa m’sitolo anandichitira chifundo n’kundilipirira belo. Nthaŵi ina, apolisi atatu anabwera pa mgodi kudzandigwira kuti akandiponye m’ndende. Anandiuza kuti ndisankhepo, kutenga khanda langa la miyezi isanu kupita nalo kundende kapena ndilisiye m’manja mwa ana athu achinyamata Lyall ndi Donovan. Ndinasankha kupita naye.

Ndinapatsidwa ntchito yosoka ndi kuchapa zovala. Panalinso mkazi wina wolera ana amene ankathandiza kusamala Estrella. Iyeyu anali mkaidi mnzanga wachitsikana ndipo dzina lake linali Matossi, anali kugwira chilango kwa moyo wake wonse chifukwa anapha mwamuna wake. Atanditulutsa, Matossi analira chifukwa sakanapitirizanso kusamala Estrella. Woyang’anira akaidi achikazi ananditengera kunyumba kwake kukadya chakudya chamasana ndipo kenako anakandikweza sitima kuti ndikaone Bertie kundende ya ku Salisbury.

Panthaŵi yomwe Bertie ndi ine tinali kundende, ana athu aang’ono Peter ndi Pauline anali kusamalidwa ndi Lyall ndi Donovan. Ngakhale kuti Donovan anali ndi zaka 16 zokha, anapitiriza ntchito zathu za mgodi. Bertie atatulutsidwa kundende, tinaganiza zosamukira ku Bulawayo chifukwa mgodi sunalinso kuyenda bwino. Bertie anapeza ntchito ku kampani ya njanji, ndipo ine ndinali kuwonjezera ndalama zomwe timapeza pogwiritsa ntchito luso losoka zovala lomwe ndinali n’tangoliphunzira kumene.

Ntchito ya Bertie yokonza njanji inali yofunika kwambiri, kotero kuti anam’chotsa ku ntchito ya nkhondo. M’zaka za nkhondo zimenezo, Mboni zachizungu zingapo zinali kusonkhana m’nyumba yathu yaing’ono yachipinda chimodzi ndipo abale ndi alongo athu achikuda ankasonkhana kwinakwake m’mzindawo. Koma tsopano ku Bulawayo kuli mipingo ya Mboni za Yehova yokhala ndi abale ndi alongo achizungu ndiponso achikuda yopitirira 46!

Utumiki Wathu Nkhondo Itatha

Nkhondo itangotha Bertie anapempha kampani yanjanji kuti imutumize ku Umtali (tsopano amati Mutare). Iyo ndi tauni yokongola imene yachita malire ndi dziko la Mozambique. Tinkafuna kukatumikira kudera limene kukusoŵa alaliki a Ufumu, ndipo Umtali anaoneka kukhala malo abwino, chifukwa chakuti kumeneko kunalibe Amboni. Titakhalako nthaŵi yochepa, banja la Holtshauzen, kuphatikizapo ana ake asanu anakhala Mboni. Tsopano muli mipingo 13 mu mzinda umenewu!

Mu 1947 banja lathu linakambirana za kuthekera kuti Bertie abwererenso ku ntchito ya upainiya. Lyall, amene panthaŵiyo anali atangobwera kumene kuchokera kuupainiya ku South Africa anagwirizana ndi mfundo imeneyi. Donovan panthaŵiyi n’kuti akuchita upainiya ku South Africa. Ndiyeno pamene ofesi yanthambi ya ku Cape Town inamva zakuti Bertie akukhumba kuyambanso upainiya, inam’pempha kuti m’malo mwake atsegule depoti yamabuku ku Bulawayo. Chotero anasiya ntchito kukampani yanjanji ndipo tinabwereranso ku Bulawayo. Patapita nthaŵi pang’ono, amishonale oyamba kubwera ku Southern Rhodesia anafika ku Bulawayo, panali Eric Cooke, George ndi Ruby Bradley, Phyllis Kite, ndi Myrtle Taylor

Mu 1948 H. Knorr, pulezidenti wa Watch Tower Society wachitatu, pamodzi ndi mlembi wake, Milton G. Henschel anadzacheza ku Bulawayo ndipo anakonza zoti depotiyo ikhale nthambi, ndipo Mbale Cooke akhale woyang’anira nthambiyo. M’chaka chotsatira, mwana wathu wamkazi Lindsay anabadwa. Kenako, mu 1950 nthambi anaisamutsira ku Salisbury, likulu la dziko la Southern Rhodesia, ndipo ifenso tinasamukira kumeneko. Tinagula nyumba yaikulu imene tinakhalamo kwa zaka zambiri. Nthaŵi zambiri tinkakhala ndi apainiya ndi alendo, kotero kuti nyumba yathuyo ankangoitcha kuti hotela ya McLuckie!

Mu 1953, Bertie ndi ine tinakakhala nawo pa msonkhano wamitundu yonse wa Mboni za Yehova ku New York City mu Yankee Stadium. Unalidi msonkhano wosaiwalika! Patapita zaka zisanu, Lyall, Estrella, Lindsay, ndiponso Jeremy wa miyezi 16 yakubadwa anakhala nafe pamodzi pa msonkhano waukulu wamitundu yonse mu 1958 mu Yankee Stadium ndiponso chapafupi mu Polo Grounds. Chiŵerengero chapamwamba cha anthu pafupifupi 250,000 anamvetsera nkhani yapoyera pa tsiku lomaliza!

Ntchito Yolalikira Yatsopano

Bertie anatumikira kwa zaka 14 pa ofesi ya nthambi ku Salisbury akugonera kunyumba kwake, koma kenako tinaganiza zokatumikira ku Seychelles kumene anali kusoŵa kwambiri alaliki. Tinagulitsa nyumba yathu ndiponso mipando ndipo tinapakira zotsalazo m’galimoto yathu yaing’ono yotchedwa Opel. Ndi Lindsay wa zaka 12, komanso Jeremy wa zaka 5 tinayenda mtunda wa makilomita 3,000 m’msewu wafumbi wamabampu kwambiri kudutsa ku Northern Rhodesia (tsopano amati Zambia), Tanganyika (tsopano mbali ya Tanzania), ndi Kenya, ndipo pomaliza tinafika ku Mombasa mzinda wa padokowo.

Ku Mombasa kunali kotentha kwambiri moti sitikanatha kupirira, komabe kunali magombe a mchenga okongola. Tinasiya galimoto lathu kwa Mboni ina yakumeneko, ndipo tinayamba ulendo wa masiku atatu pa boti kupita ku Seychelles. Titafika kumeneko, tinakumana ndi Norman Gardner munthu amene anamvapo chidziŵitso cha choonadi cha Baibulo kuchokera kwa Mboni ina mumzinda wa Dar es Salaam, Tanganyika. Anakonza zoti tichite lendi nyumba ku Sans Souci imene anaimanga kuti muzikhala apolisi olondera Bishopu Makarios, Bishopu Wamkulu wa chipembedzo cha Greek Orthodox amene anamuthamangitsa m’dzikolo kupita ku Cyprus mu 1956.

 Pokhala kuti nyumba yathuyo inali kwayokha, patatha mwezi umodzi tinasamukamo kukaloŵa m’nyumba ina kumaso kwa gombe la mchenga la Beau Vallon. Kumeneko tinali kuitana anthu kudzamvetsera nkhani zimene Bertie ankakamba m’chipinda chathu chochezera. Tinayamba kuphunzitsa Baibulo banja la a Bindschedler, ndipo m’miyezi iŵiri yotsatira, Bertie anawabatiza iwo pamodzi ndi mwana wawo wamkazi womulera komanso Norman Gardner ndi mkazi wake. Tinayendanso ndi Norman pa boti lake kupita ku chilumba cha Cerf, kumene Bertie anakamba nkhani ku nyumba yokhalanso boti.

Tili ku Seychelles kwa pafupifupi miyezi inayi, mkulu wa apolisi anatilamula kuti tisiye kulalikira apo ayi atithamangitsa m’dzikolo. Ndalama zathu zinali zochepa, ndipo ine ndinali ndi pakati penanso. Tinaganiza zopitiriza kulalikira poyera. Pakuti tinkadziŵa kuti mulimonsemo tichokabe posachedwa. Ndipo patatha pafupifupi mwezi umodzi, boti lotsatira lochokera ku India linafika ndipo tinathamangitsidwa.

Ulendo Woopsa Wobwerera

Titafika ku Mombasa, tinatenga galimoto lathu ndi kuloŵera kumwera m’msewu wamchenga wodzera mphepete mwa gombe. Titafika ku Tanga, galimoto yathu inafa. Ndalama zathu zinali zitatha, koma wachibale ndiponso Mboni ina anatithandiza. Tili ku Mombasa, mbale wina anadzipereka kuti atipatsa ndalama ngati titafuna kupita kumpoto kwa Somalia kukalalikira. Komabe, ine sindinali kupeza bwino, kotero tinaganiza zongobwerera kumudzi ku Southern Rhodesia.

Tinayenda kudutsa ku Tanganyika n’kuloŵa m’Nyasaland kenako kuloŵera kumadzulo kwa Nyanja ya Nyasa, imene tsopano amati Nyanja ya Malaŵi. Ndinadwala kwambiri kufikira poti ndinampempha Bertie kuti angondiponya mphepete mwa njira kuti ndife! Tinali pafupi ndi m’mzinda wa Lilongwe, ndipo ananditengera ku chipatala cha kumeneko. Majakisoni amankhwala ochepetsa ululu otchedwa morphine anandithandiza kupezako bwino. Pokhala kuti sindikanatha kupitiriza ulendowo pagalimoto, Bertie ndi ana anapitirira ulendo wa makilomita 400 kupita ku Blantyre. Masiku angapo otsatira mbale wathu wina anandilipirira ndege kupita ku Blantyre. Ndipo kenako ndinakwera ndege ina kubwerera ku Salisbury, koma Bertie ndi ana anakafika ku Salisbury pagalimoto.

Kunalidi kotsitsimula kwa tonsefe kufika ku Salisbury panyumba ya mwana wathu Pauline ndi mwamuna wake! Mu 1963 mwana wathu womaliza wotchedwa Andrew, anabadwa. Anali ndi mapapu owonongeka ndipo sitinkayembekeza kuti adzakhala moyo, koma mwamwayi anatero. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, tinasamukira ku South Africa ndipo pomalizira pake tinamanga nyumba yathu ku Pietermaritzburg.

Kudalitsidwa ndi Banja Lachikondi

Bertie anamwalira mwamtendere mu chaka cha 1995 ali ndi zaka 94, ndipo kuchokera panthaŵiyo ndakhala ndikukhala ndekha m’nyumba yathu kuno. Komabe sindipukwa m’pang’ono pomwe! Lyall ndi Pauline akutumikira Yehova pamodzi ndi mabanja awo kuno ku South Africa, ndipo ena mwa iwo amakhala konkuno ku Pietermaritzburg. Lindsay ndi banja lake ali ku California, ku United States of America, kumene onse ndi Mboni zachangu. Ana athu aŵiri otsirizira, Jeremy ndi Andrew, anasamukira ku Australia, kumenenso onse ali ndi mabanja achimwemwe ndipo akutumikira monga akulu m’mipingo imene ali.

Ana athu onse asanu ndi atatu panthaŵi inayake anachitapo utumiki wa upainiya, ndipo asanu ndi mmodzi anatumikirapo pa maofesi anthambi a Watch Tower Society. Donovan anamaliza kalasi la 16 la Sukulu ya Gileadi ya Baibulo ya Watchtower mu February 1951 ndipo anatumikirapo monga woyang’anira woyendayenda ku United States asanabwerere kudzatumikira pa ofesi yanthambi ku South Africa. Iye tsopano ndi mkulu wachikristu ku Klerkdorp pafupifupi makilomita 700 kuchokera ku Pietermaritzburg. Estrella amakhala ndi mwamuna wake Jack Jones pa likulu la Mboni za Yehova lapadziko lonse ku Brooklyn, New York.

Peter, amene ali mwana wanga woyamba anathera zaka zingapo ali muutumiki wa nthaŵi zonse, monga mpainiya komanso wogwira ntchito pa ofesi ya nthambi wa Watch Tower ku Southern Rhodesia. Komabe, zaka zingapo zapitazi, zinandikwiyitsa pamene iye anasiya kusonkhana ndi mpingo wachikristu.

Ndikayang’ananso za moyo wanga m’mbuyomu, ndinganene kuti ndili wosangalala zedi kuti pamene ndinali mtsikana ndinapita ku Africa ndi mayi anga. Ndithudi, moyo sunali wosavuta nthaŵi zonse, koma unali mwayi wanga wapadera kuti ndinali kuchirikiza mwamuna wanga ndiponso kulera ana amene athandiza kupititsa patsogolo kulalikidwa kwa uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu wa Mulungu kumwera kwa Africa.—Mateyu 24:14.

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Mapu pamasamba 20, 21]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

SOUTH AFRICA

Cape Town

Pietermaritzburg

Klerksdorp

Johannesburg

Pretoria

ZIMBABWE

Gwanda

Bulawayo

Filabusi

Gweru

Mutare

Harare

ZAMBIA

MOZAMBIQUE

MALAŴI

Blantyre

Lilongwe

TANZANIA

Dar es Salaam

Tanga

KENYA

Mombasa

SEYCHELLES

SOMALIA

[Chithunzi patsamba 18]

Ndili ndi Peter, Pauline, Estrella, ndisanatenge Estrella kupita naye kundende

[Chithunzi patsamba 19]

Lyall ndi Donovan kumaso kwa nyumba yathu pafupi ndi Filabusi

[Chithunzi patsamba 21]

Bertie, Lyall, Pauline, Peter, Donovan, ndi ine mu 1940

[Chithunzi patsamba 22]

Carmen ndi ana ake asanu (kuyambira kumanzere kunka kumanja): Donovan, pamene anali ku Gileadi mu 1951, ndi Jeremy, Lindsay, Estrella, ndi Andrew lero