Jya wiringira Yehova azagufasha

Byavuzwe na Edmund Schmidt

Igihe niteguraga kuburanira mu rukiko rwo muri New York mu Kwakira 1943, nibutse ayo magambo. Nagize imyaka 25, maze gufungwa imyaka igera kuri ine nzira ko ntivangaga muri politiki. Kimwe n’abigishwa ba Yesu bo mu kinyejana cya mbere, nari nariyemeje “kumvira Imana yo mutegetsi aho kumvira abantu” (Ibyakozwe 5:29). Ariko mbere yuko ngira icyo mbivugaho, reka mbabwire uko naje kwizera Imana.

NAVUTSE ku itariki ya 23 Mata 1922, mvukira ahitwa Cleveland muri leta ya Ohio ho muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika, mu nzu yari yubatse hejuru y’iyo data yakoreragamo imigati. Nyuma y’amezi ane, data witwaga Edmund yagiye mu ikoraniro ryari ryateguwe n’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya (nk’uko Abahamya ba Yehova bitwaga icyo gihe) i Cedar Point, hafi y’i Sandusky ku birometero 160 uvuye iwacu.

Abari baje muri iryo koraniro, batewe inkunga igira iti “nimutangaze, mutangaze, mutangaze Umwami [washyizweho n’Imana] n’Ubwami bwe.” Umunsi wo ku cyumweru wakurikiyeho, data yatangiye kwifatanya muri uwo murimo. Yakomeje kubwiriza mu myaka 66 yakurikiyeho, kugeza aho yapfiriye ku itariki ya 4 Nyakanga 1988. Mama witwaga Mary yari yarapfuye mu mwaka wa 1981, apfa akibereye Imana indahemuka.

Mfatanya n’ababyeyi banjye gusenga Imana

Umuryango wacu wifatanyaga n’itorero ry’i Cleveland ryakoreshaga ururimi rw’igipolonye. Buri wa gatandatu nyuma ya saa sita, jye n’abandi bana benshi twifatanyaga mu murimo wo kubwiriza ubutumwa bwiza ku nzu n’inzu, turi kumwe n’abantu bakuze. Ku cyumweru, ababyeyi bacu bumvaga ikiganiro mbwirwaruhame gishingiye kuri Bibiliya mu cyumba kinini cy’inzu twateraniragamo. Icyo gihe nanone, umwigisha wa Bibiliya w’inararibonye yatwigishaga Bibiliya turi abana bagera kuri 30, yifashishije igitabo cyabigenewe (La Harpe de Dieu).a Nyuma y’igihe gito, nanjye nari nsigaye nigisha abandi Bibiliya, kandi bikagenda neza.

Muri Nyakanga 1931, abagize umuryango wacu harimo na murumuna wanjye Frank, bagiye mu rindi koraniro ry’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya ryabereye i Columbus ku birometero 160, ugana mu majyepfo. Icyo gihe ni bwo Abigishwa ba Bibiliya bafashe izina rishingiye kuri Bibiliya ry’Abahamya ba Yehova (Yesaya 43:10-12). Icyo gihe nagiye kubwiriza, ntumirira abantu kuza kumva ikiganiro mbwirwaruhame cyari gutangwa na J. F. Rutherford, wari uhagarariye umurimo wo kubwiriza w’Abahamya ba Yehova. Kuva icyo gihe, maze imyaka irenga 79 nihatira gukorera Yehova ndi hamwe n’abagize ubwoko bwe.

Ngira icyo ngeraho no mu bihe bigoye

Mu mwaka wa 1933, ku isi hose hari ihungabana rikomeye ry’ubukungu. Muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika, abaturage bagera kuri kimwe cya kane cy’abakozi, ni ukuvuga abarenga miriyoni 15 bari abashomeri. Amabanki yari yarahombye, kandi nta buryo bwari buteganyijwe bwo gufasha abakene n’abageze mu za bukuru. Icyakora, abavandimwe na bashiki bacu b’Abakristo barafashanyaga. Ku cyumweru, abagize umuryango wacu bafataga imigati twabaga twakoze bakayijyana ahaberaga amateraniro, kugira ngo bayisangire n’abandi. Amafaranga yose data yungukaga amaze kwishyura ibyo yabaga yakoresheje buri kwezi, yayoherezaga ku cyicaro gikuru cy’Abahamya ba Yehova i Brooklyn ho muri New York. Yari azi ko ayo mafaranga yari gukoreshwa mu gucapa ibitabo by’imfashanyigisho za Bibiliya.

Muri iyo myaka yose, amaradiyo yagize uruhare rukomeye mu murimo wo kubwiriza. Amaradiyo arenga 400 yatangaje ibiganiro mbwirwaruhame bishingiye kuri Bibiliya byatangirwaga mu makoraniro yacu. Nanone, mu myaka ya za 30 Abahamya ba Yehova bakoze ibyuma bisohora amajwi, babikoreye mu ruganda rwabo rwari i Brooklyn. Twabikoreshaga mu murimo wo kubwiriza, hanyuma tugatanga raporo y’igihe twabaga twamaze twumvisha abantu batari Abahamya ba Yehova ibyo biganiro bishingiye kuri Bibiliya, tukavuga n’umubare w’ababaga babiteze amatwi.

Mu mwaka wa 1933, Hitileri n’ishyaka rye rya Nazi bafashe ubutegetsi mu Budage. Abahamya ba Yehova bo muri icyo gihugu baratotejwe bikabije, bazira ko bari banze kugira aho babogamira muri politiki (Yohana 15:19; 17:14). Kubera ko Abahamya ba Yehova benshi bo mu Budage banze kwifatanya mu bikorwa bya politiki cyangwa gukoresha indamukanyo yo gusingiza Hitileri, bashyizwe muri za gereza cyangwa mu bigo byakoranyirizwagamo imfungwa. Abenshi barishwe, abandi bakoreshwa imirimo y’agahato kugeza bapfuye. Kubera ko bafatwaga nabi cyane, abenshi bapfuye nyuma gato yuko bari bamaze kurekurwa. Icyakora, abantu benshi ntibazi akarengane Abahamya ba Yehova bo mu bindi bihugu, hakubiyemo n’abo muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika, bahuye na ko.

Mu mwaka wa 1940 twagiye mu ikoraniro ryabereye i Detroit ho muri Michigan. Nabatirijwe muri iryo koraniro ku itariki ya 28 Nyakanga, maze ngaragaza ko niyeguriye Yehova Imana. Ukwezi kumwe mbere yuko iryo koraniro riba, Urukiko rw’Ikirenga rwa Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika rwari rwashyizeho itegeko rivuga ko kwanga kuramutsa ibendera byari icyaha gihanishwa kwirukanwa ku ishuri. Abahamya ba Yehova babyifashemo bate? Abenshi muri bo bashinze amashuri yabo, kugira ngo abana babo babone aho bigira. Ayo mashuri yitwaga Amashuri y’Ubwami.

Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose yari yatangiriye mu Burayi muri Nzeri 1939, kandi Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika na zo zarimo zitegura iyo ntambara. Urubyiruko rw’Abahamya ba Yehova rwashyizweho iterabwoba kandi rurakubitwa, ruhohotewe n’abantu bakuru ndetse n’urubyiruko bitewe n’uko batiyumvishaga impamvu rutivangaga muri politiki. Hari raporo yagaragaje ko kuva mu mwaka wa 1940 kugeza mu wa 1944, Abahamya ba Yehova bo muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika bibasiwe n’ibitero birenga 2.500 by’udutsiko tw’abantu babaga bagamije kubagirira nabi. Ibyo bitotezo byariyongereye igihe Abayapani bagabaga igitero i Pearl Harbor ku itariki ya 7 Ukuboza 1941. Ibyumweru bike mbere yaho, nari nabaye umupayiniya, iryo akaba ari izina rihabwa Abahamya ba Yehova babwiriza igihe cyose. Nizigamiye amafaranga maze ngura inzu yimukanwa ifite uburebure bwa metero 7, kandi bamwe muri twe bimukiye i Louisiana kubwirizayo.

Dutoterezwa mu majyepfo

Abaturage bo muri ako gace batwemereye ko dushyira inzu yacu yimukanwa mu murima uteyemo ibiti by’imbuto, hafi y’umugi witwa Jeanerette. Umunsi umwe ari kuwa gatandatu, twiyemeje kubwiriza mu muhanda, ariko umukuru w’abapolisi ahamagaza abapolisi maze bajya kudufungira ku biro by’umugi. Hanze hari agatsiko k’abantu bagera kuri 200, maze barabadushumuriza nta no kuturinda. Twariruhukije tubonye ba bantu baduhaye inzira bakatureka tukagenda. Bukeye twagiye mu mugi munini wo hafi aho witwa Baton Rouge, kugira ngo tubwire Abahamya bagenzi bacu ibyari byatubayeho.

Igihe twasubiraga i Jeanerette, twabonye ubutumwa bwari bwometse ku muryango wa ya nzu yacu yimukanwa bwagiraga buti “nimuhagera muze kundeba ku mazu y’abakozi bacukura peteroli.” Ubwo butumwa bwari bwanditswe na E. M. Vaughn. Twagiye kumureba, maze tugezeyo adusaba gusangira na we hamwe n’umugore we. Yatubwiye ko we n’abo bari kumwe bari muri ka gatsiko kari gahagaze imbere y’umugi kuwa gatandatu, kandi ko iyo biba ngombwa yari kudutabara akadukiza abo bantu. Twashimishijwe no kuba yaraduteye inkunga kandi akadushyigikira.

Umunsi wakurikiyeho, abapolisi bari bitwaje intwaro baradufashe, kandi batwara ibitabo byacu. Batwaye imfunguzo za ya nzu yacu yimukanwa, maze bamfunga iminsi 17 ndi jyenyine, kandi bampaga utwokurya tw’’intica ntikize n’ibyokurya bampaye. Vaughn yakoze uko ashoboye kugira ngo adufashe ariko biba iby’ubusa. Igihe twari dufunzwe, ka gatsiko karatwibye kandi gatwika ibintu byose twari dutunze, harimo na ya nzu yacu yimukanwa. Icyo gihe sinari nzi ko Yehova yarimo antegurira kuzahangana n’ibintu nari ngiye guhura na byo.

Dufungirwa mu majyaruguru

Nyuma y’ukwezi kumwe dusubiye mu majyaruguru, nabaye umupayiniya wa bwite njya gukorana n’abandi Bahamya mu mugi wa Olean muri New York. Nkiri aho, leta yansabye kwiyandikisha kugira ngo mbe umusirikare, ariko nemererwa kutaba umusirikare bitewe n’umutimanama wanjye. Ariko bamaze kunsuzuma ngo barebe ko mfite ubuzima bwiza, kandi ko nta burwayi bwo mu mutwe mfite, urupapuro rwanjye barwanditseho ngo “ashobora koherezwa mu ishuri riha abantu imyitozo ya gisirikare kugira ngo bazabe abofisiye.”

Namaze undi mwaka cyangwa urenga ndi umupayiniya. Hanyuma mu mwaka wa 1943, nanze guhagarika umurimo wo kubwiriza ngo njye mu gisirikare, maze Ibiro bya Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika Bishinzwe Iperereza biramfata, bintegeka ko mu cyumweru cyari gukurikiraho nagombaga kwitaba urukiko rwo muri Syracuse muri New York, kugira ngo ncirwe urubanza. Namenyeshejwe icyo naregwaga, maze urubanza rwanjye barwimurira mu minsi ibiri yakurikiyeho.

Nta muntu umburanira nari mfite. Iyo twabaga turi mu materaniro, twebwe Abahamya bakiri bato twigishwaga uko twari kujya twitwara mu nkiko, mu gihe twari kuba duharanira uburenganzira twahabwaga n’itegekonshinga. Nahise nibuka ya nama yavuzwe mu ntangiriro y’iyi nkuru. Hari n’abashinjacyaha bitotombye bavuga ko Abahamya ba Yehova bazi amategeko kubarusha. Icyakora, abacamanza ntibabuze kumpamya icyaha. Igihe umucamanza yambazaga niba hari icyo nongeraho, naramushubije nti “uyu munsi, iki gihugu gifitanye urubanza n’Imana ku birebana n’uko gifata abagaragu bayo.”

Nakatiwe igifungo cy’imyaka ine muri gereza ya Chillicothe, yubatse muri leta ya Ohio. Igihe nari mfungiwe muri iyo gereza, nabaye umukarani w’umukuru w’urwego rwa gereza rushinzwe kwinjiza abasore mu gisirikare. Nyuma y’ibyumweru bike, ku biro byacu haje umugabo udasanzwe ushinzwe gukora iperereza avuye i Washington, D.C., maze atubwira ko barimo bakora iperereza kuri Hayden Covington. Covington uwo yari umunyamategeko waburaniraga Abahamya ba Yehova, kandi muri Amerika yose yari azwiho kuba yari umwe mu banyamategeko bari bazi itegekonshinga kurusha abandi.

Uwo munyamategeko yavuze ko yashakaga amadosiye y’abagororwa babiri, ari bo Danny Hurtado na Edmund Schmidt. Unkuriye yahise amubwira ati “dore birahuriranye. Schmidt nguyu.” Uwo muntu wakoraga iperereza yakoraga ibyo byose mu ibanga, ariko yahise abona ko ibye byose twabimenye. Bidatinze bampinduriye akazi, maze njya gukora mu gikoni.

Nkora ubupayiniya, kuri Beteli no gushaka

Ku itariki ya 26 Nzeri 1946, narekuwe ntararangiza igihano cyanjye kubera ko nari mfite imyifatire myiza, maze nongera gukora ubupayiniya. Icyakora, icyo gihe bwo nabukoreye mu itorero rya Highland Park i Kaliforuniya. Nyuma yaho muri Nzeri 1948, inzozi nari maranye igihe kirekire zabaye impamo. Nahamagariwe kujya gukora ku cyicaro gikuru cy’Abahamya ba Yehova (Beteli) kiri i Brooklyn, ahacapirwa ibitabo by’imfashanyigisho za Bibiliya dukoresha mu murimo wo kubwiriza, nkaba nari mpamagariwe kujya nkora imigati. Nahise ndeka akazi ko gukora imigati, nakoreraga muri resitora y’i Glendale, maze njya kuba kuri Beteli.

Mu mwaka wa 1955, ni ukuvuga nyuma y’imyaka irindwi, mu Burayi hari kubera amakoraniro mpuzamahanga atandukanye. Abagize umuryango wanjye bampaye amafaranga kugira ngo nshobore kuyifatanyamo. Nagiye mu makoraniro yabereye Londres, i Paris, i Roma n’irindi koraniro ryihariye ryabereye i Nuremberg mu Budage, aho abantu barenga 107.000 bateraniye muri sitade abasirikare ba Hitileri bigeze gukoreramo imyiyereko. Bamwe mu bantu bari muri iryo koraniro, bari Abahamya Hitileri yari yararahiriye gutsembaho. Mbega ukuntu byari bishimishije kuba twari kumwe na bo!

Muri iryo koraniro ryabereye i Nuremberg, nahahuriye n’umukobwa wari ukiri muto w’Umuhamya wo mu Budage witwaga Brigitte Gerwien, maze numva ndamwikundiye. Mu gihe kitageze ku mwaka twari tumaze gushyingiranwa, maze dusubirana i Glendale tujya kuba hafi y’ababyeyi banjye. Umuhungu wacu wa mbere witwa Tom yavutse mu mwaka wa 1957, uwa kabiri witwa Don avuka mu wa 1958, naho umukobwa wacu Sabena avuka mu wa 1960.

Ubuzima bushimishije kandi burangwa no kunyurwa

Hari abantu bajya bibaza niba ntajya nicuza urugomo nagiriwe, hamwe n’imyaka namaze mfunzwe nzira gukorera Imana. Ibinyuranye n’ibyo, nshimira Yehova kuba naragize umugisha nkamukorera ndi kumwe n’abandi bagaragu be b’indahemuka. Nanone kandi, nizera ko ibyambayeho bitera abandi inkunga yo kwegera Imana no kutazigera bayihemukira.

Abagaragu b’Imana benshi bahuye n’ibigeragezo bikomeye bazira kuyikorera. Ariko se, ibyo si byo twari twiteze ko bigomba kutugeraho? Bibiliya iravuga iti “abantu bose bifuza kubaho bariyeguriye Imana kandi bunze ubumwe na Kristo Yesu, na bo bazatotezwa” (2 Timoteyo 3:12). Icyakora, niboneye ko amagambo aboneka muri Zaburi 34:19 ari ukuri, ahagira hati “ibyago by’umukiranutsi ni byinshi, ariko Yehova abimukiza byose!”

[Ibisobanuro ahagana hasi ku ipaji]

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 27]

Tubwiriza muri Louisiana mu ntangiriro y’imyaka ya za 40

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Ntekera imigati abakozi bo ku cyicaro gikuru

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 29]

Ndi kumwe n’umugore wanjye Brigitte