Kulalikira Pachilumba cha Kum’mwera kwa Europe

MAPIRI a Levka a pachilumba cha Crete anayamba kuzimiririka pamene boti lathu linanyamuka ulendo wopita pakachilumba kenakake kakang’ono kotchedwa Gavdos, komwe kali m’nyanja ya Mediterranean. Tonse pamodzi tinalipo anthu 13 ndipo tinali titakonzekera kukalalikira pakachilumbaka, komwe kali kum’mwera kwenikweni kwa Europe.

Tonse tinkaganiza kuti tikhala ndi ulendo wosangalatsa. Pa tsikuli kunja kunkatentha kwambiri. Koma mwadzidzidzi, panyanjapa panayamba kuwomba mphepo yamkuntho yomwe inapangitsa kuti nyanjayi ichite mafunde oopsa. Mafundewa anapangitsa kuti boti lathu liziyenda movutika kwambiri moti linkangopendamapendama. Zimenezi zinapangitsa kuti ndiyambe kudwala ndipo ndinakumbukira nkhani ya m’Baibulo ya mtumwi Paulo, yemwe nayenso anakumana ndi mphepo yamkuntho zaka zambiri m’mbuyomu. Pa nthawi imeneyo chilumba cha Gavdos chinkatchedwa Kauda. (Machitidwe 27:13-17) Komabe ndinali ndi chikhulupiriro choti tikafika bwinobwino pakachilumbaka.

Kenako tinayamba kuona chilumba cha Gavdos chomwe ndi chamiyala. Chilumbachi ndi chachikulu makilomita 26, chafulati ndipo pali tchire ndi mitengo yambiri ya paini. M’madera ena muli zitsamba zomwe zimakhala zobiriwira nthawi zonse, zomwe zimakafika mpaka m’nyanja.

Pa nthawi ina pachilumba cha Gavdos pankakhala anthu pafupifupi 8,000. Koma masiku ano pamakhala anthu pafupifupi 40 basi. Pachilumbachi palibe chitukuko ndipo sitima zochokera ku Crete zonyamula mafuta komanso katundu wina nthawi zambiri zimalephera kufika pachilumbachi kapena zimafika mochedwa chifukwa choti nyengo imakhala kuti siili bwino.

Cholinga cha ulendo wathuwu chinali kukathandiza anthu a pachilumbachi kukhala ndi chiyembekezo chabwino komanso tsogolo losangalatsa la moyo wosatha komanso wopanda matenda. Mmene tinkafika pachilumba chimenechi, tonse tinali okonzeka kufotokozera anthu uthenga wabwinowu.

Pa ulendo wathuwu tinayenda maola anayi ndi hafu ndipo mmene timafika tinali otopa kwambiri chifukwa ulendowu unali wovuta. Koma titapuma pang’ono ndiponso kumwa khofi tinapezanso mphamvu. Kenako titakambirana mwachidule nkhani ya m’Baibulo ya ulendo wa mtumwi Paulo, tinapemphera ndipo tinayamba ntchito yathu yolalikira.

Anthu a pachilumbachi ndi ansangala komanso okonda kulandira alendo. Ankatilowetsa m’nyumba ndiponso kutiitanira chakudya. Kuwonjezera pa kuwalalikira uthenga wa m’Baibulo, nthawi zina tinkawachitiranso zinthu zina posonyeza kuwayamikira. Mwachitsanzo, pamene mnzathu, amene amadziwa zamagetsi, ankalalikira mayi wina, anaona chipangizo chamagetsi cha mayiyo chomwe chinali chowonongeka ndipo anamukonzera. Mayiyo anayamikira kwambiri zimene mnzathuyu anachita ndipo analandira mabuku athu. Iye anayamikiranso ntchito yathu yolalikira. Mayi winanso ananena mawu osonyeza kuyamikira ntchito yathu pamene anati: “Ntchito yanuyi ndi yochokera kwa Mulungu osati kwa anthu n’chifukwa chake mwabwera kuno kudzatilalikira ngakhale kuti n’kutali.”

Zikuoneka kuti anthu a pachilumbapa anayamikira kwambiri mabuku othandiza kuphunzira Baibulo amene tinawapatsa. Mwachitsanzo, munthu wina titam’patsa magazini a Nsanja ya Olonda ndi Galamukani! anatiuza kuti akufunanso mabuku athu ena oti aziwerenga. Munthu winanso, yemwe anali ndi shopu, anapempha kuti tim’patse mabuku ochulukirapo kuti azigawiranso makasitomala ake. Munthuyu anatipatsa adiresi yake kuti tizimutumizira magazini mwezi uliwonse. Komanso banja lina linasangalala kwambiri litadziwa kuti chilumba chawocho chimatchulidwa m’Baibulo ndipo linalandira magazini athu.

Ngakhale kuti zinali zosangalatsa kwambiri kukumana ndi anthu oterewa, kwa anzathu ena amene tinali nawo pa ulendowu, chilumbachi chinkawakumbutsa zinthu zomvetsa chisoni zimene zinachitikira m’bale wawo pa nthawi ina m’mbuyomo. Pafupi ndi malo ena (Sarakíniko Bay) pali nyumba imene ankatumizako anthu amene amangidwa pa zifukwa zandale. Cha m’ma 1930, wa Mboni za Yehova wina, dzina lake Emmanuel Lionoudakis, anamangidwa chifukwa cholalikira n’kutumizidwa kudera limeneli ndipo ankasungidwa m’nyumbayi.a Pa nthawi imeneyo chilumba cha Gavdos chinkadziwika kuti ndi “chilumba chopanda zomera chongokhala ndi zinkhanira zakufa, malo amene anthu ambiri . . . anaferako chifukwa cha njala, umphawi wadzaoneni komanso matenda, n’chifukwa chake chimatchedwa kuti chilumba chopha anthu.” Emmanuel Lionoudakis, ankapha nsomba kuti azipeza chakudya komanso ankalalikira kwa akaidi ena popeza kuderali wa Mboni anali yekha. Ataona malo amene iye ankasungidwa zaka pafupifupi 70 zapitazo, mwana wake wamkazi, mpongozi wake komanso mdzukulu wake anamva chisoni kwambiri. Chitsanzo chake chinatilimbikitsa kukhala okhulupirika komanso akhama pa ntchito yolalikira.

Kwa anthu amene ankamangidwa n’kutumizidwa pachilumba cha Gavdos, malowa amawakumbutsa zovuta zimene anakumana nazo. Komabe ifeyo titalalikira pachilumbapa, tinaona kuti ndi malo osangalatsa. Tinagawira magazini 46 komanso timabuku 9 kwa anthu ofuna kudziwa choonadi. Tikufunitsitsa kudzaonananso ndi anthu a pachilumbachi.

Chifukwa chotanganidwa ndi ntchito yolalikirayi, tinangoona kuti nthawi yonyamuka yakwana. Koma tinalephera kunyamuka 5 koloko madzulo chifukwa chakuti nyengo sinali bwino. Tinadzuka 12 koloko usiku n’kuyamba kukonzekera ulendo wobwerera kwathu. Koma tinanyamuka 3 koloko m’mawa ndipo tinavutikanso ndi mafunde oopsa. Komabe titayenda kwa maola asanu, tinafika ku Crete. Pomwe tinkafika tinali titatoperatu, komabe tinali osangalala pozindikira kuti tathandiza anthu pachilumbachi kudziwa dzina la Yehova. (Yesaya 42:12) Ngakhale kuti tinakumana ndi mavuto pa ulendowu, tonse tinkaona kuti tinachita bwino kupita. Tikudziwa kuti mavuto amene tinakumana nawo tiwaiwala posachedwa, koma sitidzaiwala ntchito yolalikira imene tinagwira kumeneko.