Laef Story

Jehovah Evritaem Kea for Iumi

STORY BILONG ENELESI MZANGA

Hem 1972. Tenfala young man wea member bilong Malawi’s Youth League kam insaed haos, holem mi, and pullim mi go long sugarcane field wea klosap. Long there, olketa killim mi and leavim mi for dae.

Staka Witness bilong Jehovah long Malawi kasem barava nogud attak olsem. Why nao olketa kasem persecution? Wanem nao helpem olketa for go ahed strong? Plis letem mi talem iu story bilong famili bilong mi.

MI BORN long December 31, 1921, long wanfala famili wea strong saed long lotu. Dadi bilong mi hem pastor bilong Church of Central African Presbyterian. Mi growap long Nkhoma, wanfala smol taon klosap Lilongwe, kapitol bilong Malawi. Taem mi 15 year, mi kamap waef bilong Emmas Mzanga.

Wanday fren bilong dadi bilong mi, wea hem tu pastor, kam visitim mifala. Hem lukim hao Olketa Jehovah’s Witness stap klosap haos bilong mifala and hem warnim mifala for no kaban witim olketa. Hem talem mifala hao olketa Witness garem demon and sapos mifala no careful, bae demon kasem mifala tu. Warning hia mekem mifala fraet fogud so mifala muv go long difren vilij and Emmas faendem waka olsem stoakeeper. Bat mifala faendaot Olketa Jehovah’s Witness stap klosap long hia tu!

Nomata olsem, bigfala love bilong Emmas for Bible mekem hem story witim wanfala Witness. Bihaen hem askem staka kwestin and kasem ansa wea mekem hem satisfae, Emmas acceptim offer bilong datfala Witness for studyim Bible witim hem. Firstaem, hem savve study wantaem evri week long stoa wea hem waka long hem, bat bihaen, tufala study long haos. From mi fraetem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, mi savve go from haos taem olketa kam. Nomata olsem, Emmas go ahed for studyim Bible. Samting olsem sixfala month bihaen hem start study, hem baptaes long April 1951. Bat, hem no talem mi from hem fraet nogud diswan bae endim marit bilong mitufala.

Olketa Hardfala Week

Bat, wanday, fren bilong mi Ellen Kadzalero talem mi hasband bilong mi hem baptaes olsem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Mi kros fogud! Start long datfala day, mi nating tok long hem or redyim kaikai for hem. Mi stop tu for kasem and boelem wata for hem swim long hem—waka bilong wanfala waef saed long kastom.

Bihaen hem kasem diswan for thrifala week, long kaenfala wei Emmas askem mi for mitufala story, and then hem talem mi why nao hem disaed for kamap wanfala Witness. Hem readim and explainim samfala scripture, olsem 1 Corinthians 9:16. Diswan barava muvim mi and mi feel mi tu need for preachim gud nius. So mi disaed for studyim Bible witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Datfala evening, hasband bilong mi hapi tumas taem mi redyim naes kaikai for hem.

Sharem Truth Witim Olketa Relative and Fren

Taem dadi and mami bilong mitufala herem wei wea mitufala kaban witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, olketa barava againstim mifala. Famili bilong mi raetem kam leta for mifala no visitim olketa moa. Diswan mekem mifala sorre, bat mifala trustim promis bilong Jesus hao mifala bae garem staka spiritual brata and sista and dadi and mami.—Matthew 19:29.

Mi kwiktaem muv ahed long Bible study bilong mi and baptaes long August 1951, just thri and haf month bihaen hasband bilong mi. Mi luksavve mi need for sharem truth witim fren bilong mi Ellen. Mi hapi from hem acceptim Bible study wea mi offerim long hem. Long May 1952, Ellen hem baptaes and kamap spiritual sista bilong mi, wea strongim wei wea mitufala fren. Hem still best fren bilong mi distaem.

Long 1954, olketa appointim Emmas for visitim olketa kongregeson olsem circuit overseer. Mifala garem finis sixfala pikinini. Long datfala taem, traveling overseer wea garem pikinini savve visitim olketa kongregeson for wan week and then long nextfala week stap long haos witim waef and pikinini. Bat, taem Emmas no stap, hem evritaem mek sure mi duim famili Bible study. Mifala trae for mekem study witim olketa pikinini hem hapi taem. And tu, mifala story witim strong biliv from heart abaotem love bilong mifala for Jehovah and for truth from Word bilong hem, and mifala duim preaching olsem famili. Disfala spiritual training program hem strongim faith bilong olketa pikinini and hem redyim olketa for persecution.

Persecution Saed Long Religion Hem Start

Long 1964, Malawi kasem independence. Taem olketa wakman bilong gavman faendaot mifala no teksaed long politik, olketa trae for forcem mifala for peim card for kamap member bilong olketa.a From mitufala Emmas no want for peim, olketa member bilong Youth League distroem corn garden bilong mifala—main kaikai bilong mifala for nextfala year. Taem olketa member bilong Youth League katem daon olketa corn, olketa sing: “Evriwan wea les for peim card bilong Kamuzu [President Banda], white ants bae kaikaim green corn bilong olketa and olketa bae krae for hem.” Bat, nomata mifala lusim kaikai, mifala nating lus hope. Mifala feelim kea bilong Jehovah. Long loving wei hem strongim mifala.—Philippians 4:12, 13.

Wanfala naet long August 1964, mi stap seleva witim olketa pikinini long haos. Mifala sleep, bat singsing nao wekapem mi. Hem olketa Gulewamkulu, wanfala sekson for duim kastom dance wea pipol barava fraetem, wea attakim pipol and sei olketa nao olketa spirit bilong olketa laen dadi wea dae finis. Youth League nao sendem olketa Gulewamkulu for attakim mifala. Mi kwiktaem wekapem olketa pikinini, and bifor olketa kam kasem haos bilong mifala, mifala ranawe long bush.

From ples mifala haed, mifala lukim wanfala braet laet. Olketa Gulewamkulu bonem haos bilong mifala. Full haos asis evribit, witim evriting insaed. Taem olketa wea attak hia lusim haos bilong mifala, mifala herem olketa sei, “Iumi wakem naes fire for datfala Witness hotem body bilong hem witim.” Mifala thankiu tumas long Jehovah for wei wea mifala fit for ranawe sef! Hem tru, olketa distroem evri property bilong mifala, bat olketa no distroem wei wea mifala strong for trustim Jehovah winim man.—Psalm 118:8.

Mifala faendaot hao olketa Gulewamkulu duim sem nogud samting long faevfala nara famili bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long sem area. Mifala barava hapi and thankiu taem olketa brata wea stap klosap kam for helpem mifala! Olketa buildim bak haos bilong mifala and givim mifala kaikai for tu-thri week.

Persecution Kamap Worse

Long September 1967 full kantri insaed wei for luk aotem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. For faendem mifala, olketa barava raf young man bilong Youth League and bilong Malawi Young Pioneers, olketa holem bush-naef and luk aotem olketa Witness long evri haos. Taem olketa faendem olketa, olketa laek sellim card bilong sekson bilong politik long olketa.

Long haos bilong mifala, olketa ask sapos mifala garem card bilong sekson bilong politik. Mi sei: “Nomoa, mi no peim wanfala. Mi bae no peim distaem, and bae mi no peim long future tu.” Then olketa holem hasband bilong mi and tekem mitufala go long police station, and no givim mifala eni chance for tekem eniting. Taem olketa pikinini kasem bak haos from skul, olketa no lukim mitufala so olketa wari. Gud nao first boy, Daniel, hem kam no longtaem bihaen and faendaot from wanfala neiba samting wea happen. Stretawe, hem tekem olketa young brata and sista bilong hem and go long police station. Olketa arrive long barava taem olketa police tekem mifala insaed olketa trak go long Lilongwe. Olketa pikinini tu kam witim mifala.

Long Lilongwe olketa kotem mifala long police headquarter long wei wea nating followim law. Olketa officer askem mifala, “Waswe, bae iufala go ahed olsem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness?” Mifala ansa, “Yes!” nomata diswan minim panis bilong seven year long prison. For olketa wea “leadim” organization, panis hem 14 year.

Bihaen wan naet bilong no eni kaikai and sleep, olketa police tekem mifala go long Maula Prison. Long there, from olketa cell barava full, no eni spes stap for man sleep long floor! Toilet hem wanfala baket long evri cell. Kaikai hem barava smol and olketa no kukim gud. Bihaen tufala week, olketa bigman luksavve mifala olketa peaceful pipol and letem mifala go long area aotsaed. From mifala staka nao stap tugeta, evriday mifala savve encouragem each other and givim gud witness long olketa nara prisoner. Mifala sapraes hao, bihaen thrifala month long prison, from olketa nara kantri luksavve long nogud samting gavman bilong Malawi duim, diswan forcem olketa for releasem mifala.

Olketa police encouragem mifala for go bak long olketa haos bilong mifala, bat olketa talem mifala tu hao olketa tambuim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Malawi. Disfala tambu hem start long October 20, 1967, and finis long August 12, 1993—klosap 26 year. Laef hem barava hard insaed olketa year hia, bat witim help bilong Jehovah mifala fit for go ahed for no teksaed.

Huntim Olketa Witness Olsem Olketa Animal

Long October 1972, gavman mekem law wea kosim moa raf persecution. Disfala law sei evri Jehovah’s Witness mas finis from waka bilong olketa for selen and for olketa raosem evri Witness wea stap long olketa vilij. Olketa huntim olketa Witness olsem animal.

Long datfala taem, wanfala young Christian brata kam long haos bilong mifala witim important message for Emmas, ‘Youth League plan for aotem hed bilong iu, putim long wanfala stik, and tekem go long olketa chief.’ Bifor Emmas lusim mifala hem mekem arrangement for mifala go bihaenem hem. Kwiktaem, mi sendem go olketa pikinini. Then, taem mi redy for go, tenfala member bilong Youth League kam for luk aotem Emmas. Olketa kam insaed haos bilong mifala bat faendaot Emmas go finis. Witim kros, olketa man hia pullim mi go insaed sugarcane field wea stap klosap and kikim and hitim mi witim sugarcane. Olketa leavim mi for dae. Taem mi wekap, mi krol bak long haos.

Long datfala naet, taem hem dark, Emmas putim laef bilong hem long danger for kam bak and luk aotem mi long haos. Taem hem lukim mi garekil nogud, Emmas and wanfala fren wea ownim wanfala trak, isisi karem mi go long trak. Then mifala draev go long haos bilong wanfala brata long Lilongwe, wea mi isisi kamap gud from datfala attak and Emmas start for mekem plan for ranawe from datfala kantri.

Olketa Refugee wea No Garem Eni Ples for Go

Dota bilong mitufala Dinesi and hasband bilong hem garem faev-ton trak. Wakman bilong tufala wea draevem trak hia hem member bilong Malawi Young Pioneer bifor bat distaem hem no againstim mifala. Hem willing for helpem mifala and olketa nara Witness. Disfala draeva pikimap olketa Witness from olketa difren ples wea olketa arrange for olketa bae haed long hem. Then hem werem Malawi Young Pioneer uniform bilong hem and draevem trak thru long olketa police road blok. Hem putim hemseleva long danger for helpem planti handred Witness for akrosim border go long Zambia.

Bihaen tu-thri month, olketa bigman long Zambia sendem mifala go bak long Malawi; bat, mifala hard for go bak long vilij bilong mifala. Evriting bilong mifala olketa stealim finis. Nomata kapa long ruf tu olketa aotem. From no eni sef ples stap for go long hem, mifala ranawe go long Mozambique and stap long Mlangeni refugee camp for tu and haf year. Bat, long June 1975, wanfala niu gavman long Mozambique klosim datfala camp and forcem mifala for go bak long Malawi, wea no eni change kamap saed long pipol bilong Jehovah. Mifala no wei nao bat mas ranawe go long Zambia moa. Long there mifala kasem Chigumukire refugee camp.

Tufala month bihaen samfala bas and army trak kam stop saed long main road, and staka handred soldia bilong Zambia kam insaed camp witim olketa gun. Olketa talem mifala hao olketa buildim finis olketa naes haos for mifala and olketa bae tekem mifala go long there. Mifala savve diswan hem no tru. Olketa soldia start for pushim pipol go insaed olketa trak and bas, and pipol start for fraet. Olketa soldia start for sutsut long air and staka thousand brata and sista bilong iumi ranawe witim fraet.

Midolwan evri samting hia, Emmas foldaon and samfala ran ovarem hem, bat wanfala long olketa brata helpem hem standap. Mifala tingse diswan hem start bilong datfala big trabol. Evri refugee ranawe go for Malawi. Taem mifala long Zambia yet, mifala kasem wanfala river, and olketa brata hol hand and akrosim river. Bat, kasem narasaed bilong river, olketa soldia bilong Zambia kasholem mifala and forcem mifala go bak long Malawi.

Taem mifala kasem bak Malawi, mifala no savve wea for go. Mifala herem hao, long olketa hipap bilong politik and insaed olketa niuspepa, pipol kasem warning for luk aot for “olketa niu feis” long vilij, wea minim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. So mifala disaed for go long kapitol taon, from mifala bae no luk niu olsem long vilij. Mifala fit for rentim wanfala smol haos, and Emmas startim bak wei for visitim haed olketa kongregeson olsem wanfala traveling overseer.

Attendim Olketa Kongregeson Meeting

Wanem nao helpem mifala for stap faithful? Olketa kongregeson meeting! Insaed olketa refugee camp long Mozambique and Zambia, mifala free for attendim olketa meeting insaed olketa simpol Kingdom Hall wea olketa wakem ruf from grass. Hem barava danger and needim hard waka for hipap long olketa meeting long Malawi—bat hem no hard waka nating. For olketa no lukim mifala, staka taem mifala duim olketa meeting leit long naet long olketa farawe ples. For mekem pipol no luksavve hao meeting go ahed, mifala no klap hand bat rabem hand for showimaot thankiu for olketa tok.

Olketa baptism kamap long big naet. Son bilong mitufala Abiyudi hem baptaes long taem olsem. Bihaen long baptism tok, olketa leadim hem and olketa narawan wea bae baptaes go long wanfala swamp ples wea olketa digim wanfala hol finis wea no deep tumas. Long there nao olketa baptaes.

Smol Haos Bilong Mifala Hem Sef Ples

Insaed olketa year wea tambu wea gavman putim gogo for finis, olketa iusim haos bilong mifala olsem sef ples for putim olketa samting. Olketa tekem haed olketa leta and literature from branch office long Zambia kam long haos bilong mifala. Olketa brata raedem bicycle kam long haos bilong mifala for pikimap olketa samting wea kam from Zambia and olketa tekem olketa leta and literature go long evri part bilong Malawi. Wastaoa magasin wea olketa givimaot olketa thin bikos olketa iusim Bible pepa. Diswan minim olketa hia savve karem moa magasin winim wanem olketa savve karem sapos olketa iusim normal pepa. Olketa givimaot tu olketa smol Wastaoa magasin, wea garem olketa study article nomoa. Hem isi for haedem smol magasin insaed poket bikos hem olsem wan pepa nomoa.

Olketa hia putim freedom and laef bilong olketa long danger taem olketa raed thru long bush, samfala taem long naet, witim staka box long olketa literature wea tambu. Nomata olketa police road blok and olketa nara danger stap, olketa travel staka handred kilometer long enikaen weather for givim spiritual kaikai long olketa brata bilong olketa. Olketa brata hia barava no fraet!

Jehovah Kea for Olketa Widow

Long December 1992, taem hem givim tok long wanfala circuit visit, Emmas kasem stroke. Diswan mekem hem for no savve toktok. Bihaen, hem kasem mek-tu stroke wea mekem wansaed long body bilong hem paralyze. Nomata hem hard for Emmas for deal witim wei wea hem no healthy nao, loving saport mifala kasem from kongregeson hem daonem sorre bilong mi. Mi fit for lukaftarem hasband bilong mi long haos go kasem taem hem dae long November 1994, taem hem 76 year. Mitufala bin marit for 57 year, and Emmas laef yet taem gavman aotem datfala tambu. Bat nomata distaem mi sorre yet long dae bilong faithful partner bilong mi.

Bihaen mi kamap widow, son-in-law acceptim responsibility for provaed, no for waef and faevfala pikinini bilong hem nomoa, bat for mi tu. Sorre tumas, bihaen hem sik for short taem nomoa, hem dae long August 2000. Hao nao dota bilong mi bae faendem kaikai and ples for stap for mifala? Long disfala taem moa mi lukim hao Jehovah hem kea for iumi and hem really “dadi bilong olketa boy wea no garem dadi and judge bilong olketa widow woman.” (Psalm 68:5) Jehovah provaedem naesfala niu haos thru long olketa servant bilong hem long earth. Hao nao diswan kamap? Taem olketa brata and sista long kongregeson lukim problem bilong mifala, olketa buildim wanfala haos for mifala insaed faevfala week nomoa! Olketa brata from olketa nara kongregeson wea savve leim brik kam for help. Love and kaenfala fasin wea olketa Witness hia showimaot hem barava muvim mifala bikos haos wea olketa buildim for mifala hem moabeta winim haos wea staka long olketa stap insaed. Disfala love wea kongregeson showimaot hem givim gudfala witness long olketa neiba. Taem mi go sleep long naet, mi feel olsem mi insaed Paradaes! Tru nao, olketa wakem naesfala niu haos bilong mifala witim brik, bat olsem staka talem finis, hem haos wea olketa buildim witim love.—Galatians 6:10.

Kea Bilong Jehovah wea Go Ahed

Nomata mi samfala taem barava feel wikdaon, Jehovah hem saportim mi. Sevenfala long naenfala pikinini bilong mi laef yet, and distaem mi garem 123 famili member. Mi hapi tumas hao big haf long olketa faithful for servem Jehovah!

Distaem, mi 82 year and mi fulap witim hapi for lukim wanem spirit bilong God duim long Malawi. Insaed fofala year wea go pas nomoa, mi lukim namba bilong olketa Kingdom Hall grow from wanfala go kasem winim 600. Distaem mifala garem tu wanfala niu branch office long Lilongwe, and mifala enjoyim spiritual kaikai wea strongim mifala wea no eni tambu stopem. Mi really feel olsem mi kasem finis promis bilong God long Isaiah 54:17: “Eni samting for faet againstim iu bae no win.” Bihaen mi servem Jehovah for winim 50 year, mi biliv strong hao, nomata wanem test iumi maet feisim, Jehovah evritaem kea for iumi.

[Footnote]

[Piksa long page 24]

Hasband bilong mi, Emmas, hem baptaes long April 1951

[Piksa long page 26]

Olketa brata wea no fraet for karem literature

[Piksa long page 28]

Haos olketa buildim witim love