“TATA,” “MWISHO.” Abino byo bangita banyike bavula baji pa Betele. Kabiji byo nafikizha myaka 89, ñumvwa bingi bulongo kungita bino. Mmona bino byambo bya butemwe byo bañambila kuba’mba ke lubaji lwa mfweto Yehoba yo ampa pa kumwingijila pa myaka 72 mu mwingilo wa kimye kyonse. Bintu byo napitamo pa kwingila mwingilo wa Lesa binkwasha kutundaika banyike kufuma panshi ya muchima kuba’mba, “kange muponeshe maboko enu ne, mambo mingilo yenu bakeifweta.”—2 Moba 15:7, tubyambo twa munshi.

Bansemi bami bafumine ku Ukraine ne kuvilukila ku Canada. Bayile na kwikala mu muzhi wa Rossburn mu kibunji kya Manitoba. Munda mwa bamama twasemenwe 16, babakazhi 8 ne babalume 8, amiwa yami nambala 14. Batata batemenwe Baibolo kabiji betutangilanga Binembelo lukelo pa Mulungu, bino bamonanga bupopweshi amba jishindatu ja kulengelamo mali kabiji javula baubanga bisela amba, “Kechi nayuka bafoleshanga Yesu pa mwingilo ye aingijilenga wa kusapwila ne kufunjisha ne.”

Bakolojami batanu na basatu, ko kuba’mba babalume bana, ne babakazhi bana bafunjile bukine. Banyenga yami ba Rose baingijile bupainiya kufikatu ne byo bafwile. Byo kwashajile moba acheche kufwa, betutundaikanga kutako muchima ku Mambo a Lesa kupichila mu kwamba’mba, “Mbena kukeba tukamonañane mu ntanda ipya.” Bakolojami babalume ba Ted patanshi basapwilanga pa mujilo wa helo. Jonse pa Mulungu lukelo basapwilanga pa waileshi, kubwezhabwezhapo kufunjisha bantu kuba’mba bandengamambo bakapyanga mu mujilo wa helo myaka ne myaka. Pano bino, mu kuya kwa kimye, bafunjile bukine ne kwikala kalume wa Yehoba wasapwilanga na mukoyo.

Juba jimo mu ñondo wa June mu 1944 byo nafikile pa nzubo pa kufuma ku sukulu, nataaine kabuku kajinga na mutwe wa kuba’mba The Coming World Regeneration * pa tebulu mu kibamba kya kujiilamo. Natangile byambo byajinga pa jipa jitanshi, ne jalondejilepo, kabiji kechi nalekele kutanga ne, kufikatu ne byo nekapwishishe konse. Byo napwishishe kutanga kano kabuku, nafuukwilepo kwingijila Yehoba byonka byaubile Yesu.

Pano bañanyi babikile kano kabuku pa tebulu? Bakolojami ba Steve baambile’mba banabalume babiji “bapoteshenga” mabuku ne tubuku bo baishile pa  nzubo yetu. Bakolojami baambile’mba: “Yami napota kano kabuku mambo kechi bajikwikapoteshanga mali avula ne.” Bano banabalume babiji babwelele pa nzubo mulungu walondejilepo pa Mulungu. Betubuujile’mba bajinga Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba, kabiji amba bengijisha Baibolo pa kukumbula mepuzho akonsha kwipuzha bantu. Twatemenwe pa kumvwa bino, mambo bansemi betu betufunjishe kunemeka Mambo a Lesa. Kabiji bano bantu betubuujile ne kuba’mba Bakamonyi bakashonkena mu muzhi wa Winnipeg monka mwaikalanga banyenga yami ba Elsie. Nafuukwilepo kuya na kushonkena.

Nayile na nkinga ku muzhi wa Winnipeg kwalepele makilomita 320, bino saka nkyangye kufika ko nayilenga, naikeleko pacheche mu muzhi wa Kelwood mwaikalanga Bakamonyi babiji baishile pa nzubo yetu. Byo najinga kokwa, nayile nabo na kupwila, kabiji popo nayukile kipwilo byo kiji. Kabiji popo nayukile ne kuba’mba mwanamulume yense, mwanamukazhi yense, ne banyike bafwainwa kusapwilanga ku nzubo ku nzubo byonka byaingilanga Yesu.

Byo nafikile mu muzhi wa Winnipeg, namonañene na bakolojami ba Jack, baishile na kushonkena kufuma ku muzhi wa Ontario wajinga ku buyeke. Pa juba jitanshi ja kushonkena, mulongo wabijikile’mba kusakwikala lubatizhilo. Amiwa ne ba Jack twafuukwilepo kubatizhiwa pa konkakwa kushonkena. Byo twabatizhiwetu, bonse babiji twafuukwilepo kutendeka bupainiya. Ba Jack batendekele mwingilo wa kimye kyonse byo twapwishishetu kushonkena. Najinga na myaka 16, kabiji nabwelele ku sukulu, bino mwaka walondejilepo ne amiwa natendekele bupainiya bwa kimye kyonse.

Natendekele mwingilo wa bupainiya pamo ne Stan Nicolson mu muzhi wa Souris mu kibunji kya Manitoba. Bino kechi pabanjile ne, nafunjile kuba’mba mu mwingilo wa bupainiya namo muji makatazho. Mali a kwikwashishamo apwile, bino twatwajijile na mwingilo wetu. Juba jimo, byo twabwelelenga ku nzubo pa kufuma mu mwingilo mabanga kechi twashajilepotu nangwa na 1 ngwee ne, kabiji twaumvwine bingi nzala. Bino twakuminye bingi byo twataaine jisaka ja kajo pa kibelo kya nzubo yetu. Kufikatu ne lelo jino kechi twayuka wijiletele ne. Aja juba twajiile bingi bulongo. Twimwenejile buwame buji mu kubula kuponesha maboko etu. Ku mpelo ya yewa ñondo, nabayile bingi kyo nabujile kubayapo kala mu bwikalo bwami.

Byo papichile bañondo bacheche, betutumine kuya na kwingijila mu muzhi wa Gilbert Plains, waikela kwalepa makilomita 240 ku buyeke bwa Souris. Mu oa moba mu bipwilo byonse ku mutuntamo babikangako kipabi po banembanga sawakya wa mwingilo wa kipwilo kyonse pa ñondo pa ñondo. Ñondo umo mwingilo byo abwelele panshi, naambile jashi ku kipwilo, kutundaika balongo ne banyenga kuba’mba bengilenga na ngovu. Kupwila byo kwapwile, nyenga umo mukulumpe wajinga painiya kabiji wasongwelwe ku mwanamulume wabujile kuyuka bukine wañambijile saka abena kujila amba, “Naesekele papelela bulume bwami bino kechi nakonsheshe kwingila kukila pa byo naingijile ne.” Ne amiwa najijile kabiji nalombele lulekelo lwa mambo.

Byonka byo naubile, banyike bavula balubankanya kabiji bomvwa kutama ku muchima. Bintu byo napitamo byamfunjisha kuba’mba kechi nafwainwa kuponesha maboko ami ne, bino nafwainwa kufunjilako ku bintu byo nalubankanya ne kutwajijila kwingijila Lesa. Kwingijila Lesa mu bukishinka mukafuma mfweto.

Byo nafikizhe myaka 21, naumvwine bingi bulongo pa kungita kuya na kutaanwa ku Sukulu wa Gileada wa nambala 14, kabiji twapwishishe mu February 1950. Bamo bebatumine mu kibunji kya Quebec mo bamba mulaka wa Kifulenchi mu kyalo kya Canada, ko bamanyikilenga bingi Bakamonyi. Amiwa bantumine mu muzhi wa Val-d’Or, mwajinga mikochi ya ngolode. Juba jimo, najinga pa jibumba jayilenga na kusapwila mu muzhi wajinga kipikipi wa Val-Senneville. Ntangi wa bupopweshi waambile’mba usakwita bantu kwiya na kwitupuma nangwatu kwitwipaya inge twabujile kufumamo mu muzhi ponkapotu. Ano mambo neatwajile ku kije kya mambo. Kabiji uno ntangi wa bupopweshi bamufwishishe na mambo. *

 Kuno kulukuka bantu ba Lesa kwatwajijile kabiji kwaikele lubaji lwa Nkondo yajinga mu Quebec. Kibunji kya Quebec bekitangijilanga ku Chechi wa Loma Katolika pa myaka kukila pa 300. Bantangi ba bupopweshi ne balunda nabo bantangi ba bumulwila ntanda bamanyikile bingi Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba. Kyakatezhe bingi kabiji twajingatu bacheche; bino kechi twaponeshe maboko etu ne. Bamo baswanga kwibasapwila. Najinga na bantu bavula bingi bo nafunjishanga Baibolo baswile kufunda bukine. Nafunjishanga ne kisemi kimo mwajinga bantu jikumi. Kisemi kyonse kyatendekele kwingijila Yehoba. Kuchinchika kwabo kwatundaikile bantu bavula kufuma mu Chechi wa Katolika. Twatwajijile kusapwila, kabiji twashinjile ino nkondo.

Mu 1956, bantumine kuya na kwingijila mu Haiti. Bamishonale bavula kibakatezhe bingi kufunda Kifulenchi, pano bino bantu baumvwanga. Mishonale wa jizhina ja Stanley Boggus waambile’mba, “Twakuminye bingi pa kumona bantu byo betukwashishe kufunda mulaka wabo.” Patanshi amiwa kyampelejile mambo nafunjileko Kifulenchi kimye kyo najinga ku Quebec. Bino twataaine kuba’mba balongo bavula baambanga mulaka wa Creole (Haitian Creole). Onkao mambo, pa kuba’mba twingile bulongo, twafwainwe kufunda uno mulaka. Ne kya kine twafunjile kabiji mwafumine byawama.

Pa kuba’mba tukwashe balongo, Jibumba Jitangijila jituswishishe kutuntululanga Kyamba kya Usopa ne mabuku akwabo mu mulaka wa Creole wa ku Haiti. Bantu bataanwanga ku kupwila bavujijileko bingi mu kyalo kyonse. Mu 1950 mu kyalo kya Haiti mwajingatu basapwishi 99, bino mu 1965 basapwishi bakijile pa 800. Pa kyo kya kimye bangichile kuya na kwingijila pa Betele. Mu 1961, bampele mwingilo wa kufunjisha Sukulu wa Mwingilo wa Bufumu. Twafunjishe bakulumpe mu kipwilo 40 ne bapainiya beikajila. Pa kushonkena mu January 1962, twatundaikile balongo kwingilako pakatampe mu mwingilo, kabiji bamo bebatongwele kwikala bapainiya beikajila. Luno lunengezho lwawamine, mambo kechi pabanjile ne, bantu ba Lesa batendekele kwibamanyika.

Pa 23 January, mu 1962, byo twafuminetu na kushonkena, amiwa ne mishonale wa jizhina ja Andrew  D’Amico betukwachile pa ofweshi wa musampi, kabiji baangachile magazini onse a Labainga! wa January 8, 1962 (a Kifulenchi). Mu uno Labainga! mwajinga byambo byafumine mu pepala wa byambo wa Kifulenchi bya kuba’mba bantu mu Haiti batemwa bya bulozhi. Bavula kechi bebitemenwe bino byambo ne, kabiji balangulukilenga’mba ofweshi wa musampi ye wanembele kino kibaaba. Byo papichiletu milungu icheche bamishonale bebapangile mu kino kyalo. * Balongo bo twafunjishe batwajijile na kwingila na mukoyo. Nji bingi na lusekelo pa kuchinchika ko bachinchikile ne byo batwajijila kuyilako palutwe mu mwingilo wa Lesa. Pano luno baji ne na Baibolo wa Binembelo bya Ntanda Ipya mu mulaka wa Haitian Creole kino kyo kintu kyo twabulanga kulangulukangapo amba tukekala nakyo.

Kufuma ku Haiti, bantumine kuya na kwingila bumishonale mu kyalo kya Central African Republic. Mu kuya kwa kimye natendekele kwingila mwingilo wa bukalama wenda kabiji batongwele kwikala kalama wa musampi.

Mu oa moba, mu kyo kyalo kechi mwajinga Mazubo a Bufumu awama ne. Onkao mambo, nafunjile kuyokola nsono ne kuvimba musemi. Bantu bakumyanga bingi pa kummona byo nakabakenenga na kwingila uno mwingilo. Kino kyatundaikile balongo kwimvwanga mu mwingilo wa kushimika Mazubo a Bufumu ne kwiawamisha. Bantangi ba bupopweshi betusekelenga mambo machechi abo ajinga na misemi ya malata. Nangwa byonkabyo, twatwajijile kwingijisha Mazubo a Bufumu ajinga na misemi ya nsono. Balekele kwituseka kimye kyo kwapichile kinkunkwila kikatampe mu muzhi mukatampe wa Bangui. Kinkunkwila kyatunwine misemi ya malata a machechi ne kwiaponeshesha mu mukwakwa. Bino misemi ya nsono ya Mazubo a Bufumu kechi yavimukile ne. Pa kuba’mba twikale na Mazubo a Bufumu awama, twashimikile ofweshi wa musampi ne nzubo ya bamishonale mu bañondotu batanu. *

Mu 1976 mwingilo wa kusapwila bamulekeshe mu Central African Republic, kabiji bantumine kuya na kwingijila ku N’Djamena, muzhi mukatampe wa Chad. Byo najinga kokwa, namonañene na nyenga wa jizhina ja Happy, wajinga painiya wiikajila waingilanga na mukoyo wafumine ku kyalo kya Cameroon. Namusongwele pa 1 April, 1978. Muyenkawa ñondo kwabukile nkondo, kabiji atweba bavula twanyemejile ku kabeta ka ku bulenge bwa kino kyalo. Nkondo byo yapwile, twabwelele ko twaikalanga, pano bino twataaine pa nzubo yetu po paikelenga bashilikale. Twataaine mabuku, ndeleshi ya pa masongola ne bipe byo betupele pa masongola bebifumyamo mu nzubo. Pano bino kechi twaponeshe maboko etu ne. Kyawaminekotu ke kya kuba’mba atweba bonse twajinga bomi, kabiji twafuukwilepo kutwala palutwe mwingilo wa Bufumu.

Panyuma ya myaka ibiji, baswishishe mwingilo wetu mu kyalo kya Central African Republic. Byo twabwelele, twatendekele kwingila mwingilo wa kwenda. Motoka yo yajinga nzubo, mwajinga dalamu wa mema wa malita 200, filiji ne kakitofu. Ñendelo yakatezhe bingi. Juba jimo byo twajinga pa lwendo, bakapokola betwimikile bimye 117.

Kwatwile bingi kyuya (50°C). Kyakatazhanga bingi kutaana mema a kubatizhamo bantu pa kubuñana. Onkao mambo, balongo bapoyele mishima mu mukola mwauma mwa kubatizha bantu, kabiji bimye byavula babatizhanga bantu mu dalamu.

Mu 1980, twavilukijile ku Nigeria. Pa myaka ibiji ne kichika, twaingijileko mwingilo wa kunengezha kushimika musampi wa katataka. Balongo bapotele kishimikwa kikatampe kyo bafwainwe kukundula pa kushimikila musampi. Juba jimo lukelo, nakanjijile pa musemi wa kino kishimikwa kyo twakundwilenga. Byo kyanangijilenga pa kushinkimana juba natendekele kwikila pa musemi byonka byo nakanjijile. Byo naikijilenga napushile pa kunyata nakaponena ne panshi. Byo naponene kyakolele bingi, bino byo bampimine, dokotala wabuujile benakwami amba: “Kwakamwa ne. Bekozhatu pacheche kabiji inge papitetu  mulungu umo nangwa ibiji bakekalatu bulongo.”

Mu 1986 twavilukijile ku Côte d’Ivoire, ko twayile na kwingijila mwingilo wa kwenda. Kabiji twaingijilanga ne mu Burkina Faso. Kechi nayukile’mba tukaya na kwikala ku Burkina Faso ne.

Nafumine ku Canada mu 1956, nabwelele ku Canada mu 2003 saka papita myaka 47 kufuma po nafumijileko. Nayile na kwingijila pa Betele pamo ne ba Happy. Mapepala amwesha’mba twibena Canada pano bino tumona’mba twibena Africa.

Kepo mu 2007, saka nji na myaka 79, twabwelele jibiji mu Africa. Betutumine kuya na kwingijila ku Burkina Faso, konakengijilenga mu Kavoto ka Kyalo. Mu kuya kwa kimye uno ofweshi bamwalwile ke ofweshi wa bantuntuluzhi ye batangijila ku musampi wa mu Benin, kabiji mu August 2013, betutumine kuya na kwingijila pa Betele mu Benin.

Nangwa kya kuba kechi nji na butuntulu bwa mubiji bwawama ne, bino natemwa bingi mwingilo wa kusapwila. Pa myaka isatu yapitapo, na bukwasho bwa bakulumpe mu kipwilo ne benakwami, nakwasha bantu babiji, ko kuba’mba Gédéon ne Frégis kufunda Baibolo ne kubatizhiwa. Lelo jino, babena kwingijila Yehoba na mukoyo.

Kabiji byo papichile kimye, amiwa ne benakwami betutumine kuya na kwingijila ku musampi wa ku South Africa. Balongo ne banyenga bengijila pa uno musampi bo batala pa bumi bwami. Kyalo kya South Africa kyo kyalo kya butanu na bubiji kyo naingijilamo mu Africa. Mu October 2017, Lesa witupesheshe bingi. Twayile na kutaanwako kimye kyo bapainenga ofweshi mukatampe wa ntanda yonse kwi Lesa ku Warwick, mu New York. Kechi tukalubamo kino ne.

Buku wa Mwaka wa Bakamonyi ba kwa Yehoba wa mu 1994 pa jipa 255 waambile’mba: “Anweba bonse mwachinchika lumanamo pa myaka yavula, tubena kwimutundaika’mba: ‘Kosai, kabiji kange muponeshe maboko enu ne, mambo mingilo yenu bakeifweta.’—2 Moba 15:7.” Amiwa ne benakwami twafuukulapo kulondela luno lutundaiko kabiji tutundaika ne bakwetu nabo kuba byonkabyo.