Ndaiwona Ikukula Kum’mwera kwa Africa

Monga yasimbidwa ndi Robert Albert McLuckie

NTCHITO yolalikira Ufumu mu South Africa ikupita patsogolo mokulira. Kuchokera pa mazana kapena kuposapo omalalikira m’ma 1920, tsopano pali chifupifupi 45,000 olengeza mbiri yabwino mu South Africa. Ndipo ena 150,000 kapena kuposapo akulalikira m’maiko ena kumene nthambi yathu ya South Africa poyamba inali ndi chiyang’aniro.

Ndakhala ndi chisangalalo chowona kukula kozizwitsa kumeneku kum’mwera kwa Africa kwa zaka 60 zapitazi! Tandilolani ndikusimbireni mwachidule ponena za iyo ndi mwaŵi umene banja langa ndi ine takhala nawo wa kukhalamo ndi phande.

Inayamba Ndi Tsoka

Pa June 22, 1927, mkazi wanga wokondedwa, Edna, anamwalira, kusiya mwana wathu wamkazi, Lyall, wazaka zitatu ndi wamwamuna, Donovan, wazaka ziŵiri. Ineyo ndinali ndi zaka 26 zokha. Imfa yake inandisiya nditakanthidwa ndi chisoni ndipo ndinasautsikadi. Kodi iye anali kuti? Posakhulupirira kuti iye anali mu helo, ndinapezako chitonthozo usiku mwakulota kuti iye anali kumwamba.

July imeneyo Donovan wachichepereyo anandipatsira kabukhu kamene kanatumizidwa kwa wina koma mwa njira inayake kanasakanizana ndi makalata athu. Iko kanali ndi nkhani yoperekedwa ndi Joseph Rutherford, prezidenti wachiŵiri wa Watch Tower Society. Zamkati mwake zinandisangalatsa kwambiri kotero kuti mwamsanga ndinaoda mabuku onse ondandalitsidwa. Sindinazindikire kwenikweni kuti zimenezi zikasintha moyo wanga.

Pakati pa timabuku timene tinafika, kamene kanali ndi mutu wakuti Hell​—What Is It? Who Are There? Can They Get Out? kanandichititsa chidwi. Ndinali wochititsidwa nthumanzi motani nanga kuwona kabukhu kameneko! Pambuyo pa masamba aŵiri kapena atatu okha, ndinasekadi ndi chisangalalo.

Pofunitsitsa kugaŵana zimene ndinaziphunzira, ndinalemba makalata kapena kulankhula ndi makolo anga ndi ziŵalo zina zabanja. Monga chotulukapo, abale anga anayi, Jack, Percy, William, ndi Sydney, mwamsanga anakondwerera ndi kuyamba kulalikira kwa ena. Zaka zingapo pambuyo pake, atate wanga, amayi, ndi alongo aŵiri, Connie ndi Grace, nawonso analandira chikhulupirirocho.

Sindinakhoze kupeza Ophunzira Baibulo ena, monga mmene Mboni za Yehova zinkadziŵikira panthaŵiyo, m’dera lathu la South Africa. Ndinasamukira ku Southern Rhodesia, tsopano Zimbabwe, ndikugwira ntchito chifupifupi chaka chimodzi pa famu ya ng’ombe ndi mbale wanga Jack. Monga chotulukapo cha kuŵerenga mabuku a Watch Tower Society, sipanatenge nthaŵi yaitali ndisanasonkhezeredwe ndi chikhumbo cha kuloŵa utumiki wanthaŵi zonse.

Panthaŵiyo ndinali ndisanakumanebe ndi wokhulupirira mnzanga aliyense kusiyapo kokha aja kwa amene ndinachitirako umboni. Chotero ndinapanga ulendo wa pasitima wa makilomita 2,300 kupita ku ofesi ya nthambi ya Sosaite ku Cape Town, South Africa. Ndinalandiridwa ndi manja aŵiri chotani nanga ndi George Phillips, yemwe anali kuyang’anira ntchito kum’mwera kwa Africa! Pa January 10, 1930, ndinabatizidwa.

Zaka Zoyambirira za Upainiya

Ngakhale kuti ndinali n’talankhula kwa anthu mazanamazana ponena za Baibulo kwa zaka zitatu zinapita, sindinakhalepo ndi phande mu utumuki wa kunyumba ndi nyumba. Komabe, ndinalembedwa mu utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse monga mpainiya. Panalibe programu ya kuphunzitsa m’masiku amenewo. Ndiiko nkomwe, ofalitsa sankapita pamodzi kaŵirikaŵiri ku nyumba imodzimodziyo. Popeza kuti tinali ndi ofalitsa oŵerengeka kwambiri, kunangowoneka kukhala kosagwira ntchito kuchita tero.

Mwachibadwa, ndinali wodera nkhaŵa ponena za ubwino wa ana anga, Lyall ndi Donovan, amene ankasamaliridwa ndi agogo awo. Popeza kuti iwo ankasamaliridwa bwino, panthaŵiyo ndinakulingalira kukhala koyenera kudzipereka inemwini m’kufalitsa uthenga Waufumu kwa ena. Zimenezo ndizo ndinachitadi.

Mkati mwa zaka zitatu zotsatira zaupainiya, ndinakhala ndi ogwirizana nawo asanu, kuphatikizapo mbale wanga Syd. Pambuyo pake iye anadwala typhoid fever ali m’ntchito yaupainiya namwalira. Upainiya sunali wopepuka m’masiku oyambirira amenewo. Tinagwiritsira ntchito galimoto yamalonda yokhala ndi mabedi amkati, okhoza kupindidwa ku mbali ziŵiri za galimotoyo. Ichi chinatikhozetsa kugona, kukhala, kuphika, ndi kudyera mkatimo.

Chochitika chapadera koposa zonse m’masiku oyambirira a upainiya wanga chinali pamene tinalandira dzina lathu latsopano, Mboni za Yehova, mu 1931, limodzi ndi kabukhu ka The Kingdom​—The Hope of the World. Ndikukumbukira bwino lomwe mmene ndinakhalira ndi nkhaŵa pa lingaliro la kugwiritsira ntchito dzina lochitira fanizo limenelo, ndikumalingalira ngati ndikakhoza kuligwiritsira ntchito mwapindulitso.

Chochitika china chosaiŵalika m’zaka zoyambirirazo chinali kubatiza mbale wanga Jack ndi mkazi wake, Dorrell, m’madzi okhala ndi ng’ona zambiri a Mtsinje wa Nuanetsi mu Southern Rhodesia. Kumizidwa kusanachitike, tinaponya miyala mu mtsinjemo kuopsyeza ng’ona zobisalamo. Pambuyo pake, m’ma 1950, ndinabatiza amayi wanga m’chosambiramo chotchedwa bathtub.

M’maiko Ena

Mu 1933 wogwirizana naye wanga wachisanu, Robert Nisbet, ndi ine tinagaŵiridwa ku gawo latsopano, losagwiridwapo​—zisumbu za Mauritius ndi Madagascar kusiya gombe la kum’mawa koma chakum’mwera la Africa. Tinathera mbali yabwinopo ya miyezi inayi pa zisumbu ziŵiri zimenezo, tikumabzala mbewu za chowonadi cha Baibulo. Nchisangalalo chotani nanga tsopano kuwona kuti Mauritius iri ndi alengezi Aufumu chifupifupi 800 ndipo Madagascar 3,000! Pamene tinabwerera ku South Africa, Robert ndi ine tinasiyana. Iye pambuyo pake anachita upainiya ndi mbale wanga Syd ndipo pambuyo pakenso anatumikira monga woyang’anira wanthambi mu Mauritius.

Tisanabwerere ku South Africa, ndinapanga makonzedwe kukumana ndi Lyall ndi Donovan kunyumba kwa atate wanga. Pambuyo pocheza nawo, panabwera kupatukana kosapeŵeka, kotsagana ndi misozi. Ndinapitiriza ndi ulendo wanga kukakumana ndi woyang’anira wanthambi, Mbale Phillips, kukalandira gawo langa lotsatira. Ilo linali Nyasaland, tsopano Malaŵi. Galimoto ya mtundu wa Chevrolet ya mu 1929 inagulidwa kuti ndikaigwiritsire ntchito kumeneko.

Chotero, mu 1934, ndinauyamba ulendo wa makilomita 1,900, kwakukulukulu pa misewu yafumbi, kuchokera ku Johannesburg, South Africa, mpaka Zomba, likulu la Nyasaland. Pomalizira ndinafika kumene ndinaimirako, ku nyumba ya mbale wa Chiafrica, Richard Kalinde. Iye anakhala mzanga weniweni ndi womasulira mkati mwa kukhala kwanga mu Nyasaland. M’kupita kwanthaŵi, ndinapeza zipinda ziŵiri mu hotela yakale yomwe sinkagwiritsidwanso ntchito. Chimodzi ndinachigwiritsira ntchito monga ofesi yofikiramo zinthu, ndipo chinacho kaamba ka malo ogona.

Ntchito yanga mu Nyasaland kwakukulukulu inali kubweretsa dongosolo m’mikhalidwe yamsokonezo yochititsidwa ndi magulu otchedwa Watchtower movements. Zaka zingapo pasadakhale, mwamuna wina Wachiafrica, wozoloŵerana ndi zolemba za prezidenti woyamba wa Watch Tower Society, Charles Taze Russell, anayambitsa magulu ameneŵa ngakhale kuti iye mwiniwake sanakhalepo mmodzi wa Mboni za Yehova.​—Onani 1976 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, masamba 71-4.

Ndinachezera mipingo ya aja amene anali kugwiritsira ntchito mabuku a Watch Tower ndi kuwaŵerengera chigamulo chonena za dzina lathu latsopano, Mboni za Yehova. Onse ovomereza chigamulocho anapemphedwa kusonyeza chimenechi mwakutukula manja. Ngakhale kuti ambiri anasonyeza mwakutero, ambiri sanamvetsetse mokwanira chimene ichicho chinaloŵetsamo. Motero, kwa zaka, pamene kuli kwakuti ena analephera kupita patsogolo mwauzimu, ena analekeratu kuchilikiza yemwe anamuwona kukhala mtsogoleri wawo nakhaladi Mboni za Yehova.

Pambuyo pa chifupifupi miyezi isanu ndi umodzi mu Nyasaland, ndinakaloŵa mu Mozambique, kumene uthenga Waufumu unali usanalengezedwepo. Konko ndinakumana ndi ofisala wachinyamata Wachipwitikizi amene Robert Nisbet ndi ine tinakambitsirana naye pa ulendo wa pa bwato wopita ku Mauritius. Iye anandiitana ku chakudya, ndipo ndinakhala wokhoza kulankhula naye mowonjezereka.

Pa chochitika china, pamene ndinali m’mudzi winawake kumpoto kwa Mozambique, galimoto inaima pafupi nane. Kungowona kuti iye anali bwanamkubwa wa deralo. Anandifunsa ngati ndinafunikira thandizo lake ndikundiitanira ku nyumba kwake, kumene iye analandira mabuku ambiri a Watch Tower. Ngakhale kuti ntchito yolalikira inaletsedwa mu Mozambique ndi Nyasaland (Malaŵi), nkosangalatsa kwa ine kudziŵa kuti abale ambiri ndi alongo okhulupirika ali okangalika kumeneko.

Mwaŵi wa Pabeteli

Nditabwerera ku Nyasaland, ndinadzalandira zodabwitsa chotani nanga! Ndinaitanidwa kukagwirizana ndi ogwira ntchito m’ofesi pa nthambi ya South Africa ku Cape Town, ndipo mphwanga William anatumizidwa kukatenga malo anga ku Nyasaland. Chotero ndinauyamba ulendo wa makilomita 3,500 ndi galimoto ya Chevrolet. Ndiri pa ulendo ndinachezera Donovan ndi Lyall. Iwo tsopano anali azaka 11 ndi 12, ndipo pakapita chaka china ndisanawaonenso.

Ndinagaŵiridwa kuyang’anira ofesi ya nthambi nthaŵi iriyonse pamene Mbale Phillips, woyang’anira wanthambi, anachokapo. Ngakhale kuti sindinayanjane mokhazikika ndi mpingo umodzi uliwonse wa Mboni za Yehova chiyambire kuphunzira chowonadi zaka zisanu ndi zinayi zoyambirirazo, mu 1936 ndinaikidwa kukhala woyang’anira wotsogoza wa Mpingo wa Cape Town, wopangidwa ndi ofalitsa chifupifupi 20.

Kusintha Malo m’Moyo

Sindinafune kupereka mwaŵi wanga wa utumiki, koma Lyall ndi Donovan anayandikira unyamata wawo, ndipo ndinadera nkhaŵa za ubwino wawo, kuphatikizapo kaimidwe kawo kabwino kauzimu. Moyamikirika, yankho ku nkhaniyo linali pafupi.

Pa June 6, 1936, Mbale Phillips anandidziŵikitsa kwa obwera chatsopano ochokera ku Australia, Mlongo Seidel ndi mwana wake wamkazi wokongola wazaka 18 zakubadwa, Carmen. M’chaka chimenecho Carmen ndi ine tinakwatirana. Chotero ndinapeza ntchito yakuthupi ndi kukhazikitsa nyumba.

Kwa chaka chimodzi ndinagwira ntchito mu South Africa, komabe Carmen ndi ine ndi khanda lathu lalimuna, Peter, tinasamukira ku Southern Rhodesia, kumene mbale wanga Jack anandiitana kukagwirizana naye m’ntchito yokumba golidi. Titakhazikika, Lyall ndi Donovan, amene anatsala kumbuyo ndi amayi a Carmen, anabwera.

Kuyang’anizana ndi Chizunzo cha Nthaŵi Yankhondo

Mu September 1939, Nkhondo Yadziko ya II inaulika, ndipo chaka chotsatira mabuku athu a Baibulo analetsedwa. Tinagamulapo kuyesa kuyenerera kwa lamulo mwa kugaŵira mabukuwo zivute-zitani. Kumangidwa ndi kupatsidwa milandu kunatsatira, ndipo mabuku athu ndi Mabaibulo analandidwa ndi kutenthedwa.

Mmawa wina pambuyo pa ntchito yathu yolalikira, tinayitanidwa ndi tifitifi wapolisi kukatenga ana athu ku polisi kumene anaperekedwa. Tinakana, tikumati popeza achicheperewo anali atamangidwa, zinali kwa apolisi kuwasamalira iwo. Masana amenewo, pambuyo pobwerako ku utumiki wakumunda, tinapeza anawo ali kunyumba achisungiko komabe sitinawone wapolisi aliyense!

Pa chochitika china, mu 1941, Carmen anapatsidwa chilango cha miyezi itatu m’ndende ngakhale kuti anali ndi pakati. Komabe, Estrella anabadwa Carmen asanayambe kutumikira chilango chakecho. M’malo mondisiira khandalo kunyumba, Carmen anasankha kupita nalo kundende. Motero, Estrella anadzakhala ndi mkazi Wachiafrica amene anapha mwamuna wake monga mlezi wake. Pamene Carmen anamasulidwa, mkazi wakuphayo anakwinjika kotero kuti analira momvetsa chisoni. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, Estrella anayamba upainiya mu 1956 pa msinkhu wa zaka 15 zakubadwa. Pambuyo pake, anakwatirana ndi Jack Jones ndipo kwa zaka zoposa 20 tsopano iye watumikira ndi mwamuna wake mu South Africa ndipo pakalipano pa malikulu a Watch Tower Society mu Brooklyn, New York.

Mwamsanga pambuyo pake nanenso ndinathera miyezi ingapo m’ndende chifukwa cha kulalikira. Pamene ndinali konko, mu January 1942, Joseph Rutherford anamwalira. Ndinalephera kusagwetsa misozi usikuwo ndiri mseri m’lumande langalo. Ndinali ndi mwaŵi wakulalikira, ndipo pa Sande ina m’mawa, pamene onse anali m’bwalo lakunja kukaseŵera, ndinabatiza wandende mzanga yemwe anavomereza ku uthenga Waufumu.

Ofesi Yanthambi Yatsopano

Pambuyo pomasulidwa ku ndende, ndinapeza ntchito ya panjanji mu Bulawayo. Carmen anaphunzira kusoka madelesi m’ndende ndipo anagwiritsira ntchito lusolo kuchirikiza banja. Lyall anabwerako ku South Africa, kumene ankachita upainiya, ndipo nayenso anathandizira ku zogula. Monga chotulukapo, mwamsanga tinakhala ndi ndalama zochulukira kuposa zimene tinafunikiradi, chotero tinakambitsirana, ndipo tinavomerezana kuti ndikakhoza kutenganso utumiki wanthaŵi zonse.

Pokhala ndi phaso loyendera la panjanji, mu 1947 ndinayenda pa sitima kupita ku Cape Town kukawona Mbale Phillips. Modabwitsidwa kwenikweni, ndinagaŵiridwa kutsegula depo yosamalira mabuku a Sosaite mu Bulawayo. Kenaka, chaka chotsatira, Nathan H. Knorr, prezidenti wachitatu wa Watch Tower Society, anachezetsa ndikupanga makonzedwe akuti depoyo ikhale ofesi yanthambi pa September 1, 1948, ndi Eric Cooke monga woyang’anira wanthambi ya Southern Rhodesia. Kwa zaka 14 zotsatira, ndinapatsidwa mwaŵi wogwira ntchito pa nthambipo, mwachiwonekere, pamene kuli kwakuti ndinkakhala kunyumba ndi banja lathu lomakula. Ndiri woyamikira kwambiri chifukwa cha chilikizo lakuthupi limene Carmen ndi ana athu okulirapo anapereka, kunditheketsa kupitirizabe kugwira ntchito pa ofesi yanthambi.

Gawo Lina la Kulalikira

Podzafika mu 1962 Carmen ndi ine tinakhumba munda wakutali ndikutumikira kumene chifuno chinali chokulira. Chotero tinagulitsa nyumba yathu ndi kutenga Lindsay ndi Jeremy, ana athu aŵiri ocheperapo​—asanu enawo anali atakula ndikuchoka pakhomo​—tinalinga ku Zisumbu za Seychelle.

Choyamba, tinayenda ndi galimoto, nthaŵi zambiri m’misewu yafumbi, kwa chifupifupi makilomita 2,900, ndi kufika mu Mombasa, Kenya. Tinasiya galimotoyo kwa mbale wina ndi kukwera bwato kupita ku Seychelles. Munthu wina wokondwerera anatidziŵikitsa kwa ena, ndipo mwamsanga tinachititsa misonkhano pafupi ndi nyumba ya bishopu. Tinachita misonkhano ina pa chisumbu choyandikana m’nyumba yapamadzi yamseri yozingidwa ndi mitengo yaitali yakanjedza ndi mafunde akukhaphwira pa gombe.

Posakhalitsa ntchito zathu zinadziŵika, ndipo pomalizira pake olamulira anatilamula kuleka kulalikira, chinthu chimene sitikanavomera konse kuchita. (Machitidwe 4:19, 20) Chotero, tinathamangitsidwa, koma panthaŵiyo tinali titabatiza anthu asanu. Mkati mwa kukhala kwathu kwa miyezi isanu mu Seychelles, Carmen anatenga pakati pa Andrew, mwana wathu wotsirizira. Pobwerera ku Southern Rhodesia, mwana wathu wamkazi Pauline anatiitana kukhala naye ndi mwamuna wake poyembekeza kubadwa kwa Andrew.

Madalitso ndi Zokhutiritsa

Ndiri wachimwemwe kunena kuti ana athu onse asanu ndi atatu, kuphatikizapo Lyall ndi Donovan, achitapo upainiya pa nthaŵi inayake. Kwenikwenidi, anayi a ana athu aamuna ndi azipongozi athu aamuna ali akulu tsopano, ndipo aŵiri ali atumiki otumikira. Kuwonjezerapo, ndife achimwemwe chotani nanga kuti ambiri a adzukulu ndi zidzukulu tubyzi limodzi ndi makolo awo akulengeza uthenga wabwino m’maiko osachepera pa anayi ndikuti unyinji wa ziŵalo zina za banja la McLuckie nazonso zikutumikira Yehova. Ndiri wokhutiritsidwa kuti zotulukapo zoterezi, ziri chifukwa cha kupezeka pamisonkhano kwa banja kosalekeza ndikukhala ndi phande mokhazikika m’ntchito yolalikira.

Tsopano pa msinkhu wa zaka 89, ndidakali ndi mwaŵi wakukhala mkulu mu mpingo wathu mu Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Kumandipatsa chikhutiritso chenicheni kuyang’ana kumbuyo pa zaka zoposa 60 mu utumiki wodalitsika wa Yehova. Liridi dalitso kukhala nditawona mibadwo isanu ya banja lathu, kuphatikizapo makolo anga, ikubweretsa chitamando kwa Yehova, Mulungu wamkulu wa chilengedwe chonse.