Ku ngalwilo kwa myaka ya 1940, bambutwile bami badi befunda Bible na Batumoni ba Yehova. Ino kebaendelelepo kwifunda. Nansha nankyo mama waendelele kutambula mapepala a Kiteba kya mulami ne Langukai! Mu 1950 kwaikele kitango kya matanda mu New York City, ne kyetu kisaka nakyo kyakatenwe’ko.

Kinondanonda na papo, tutu Lawrence Jeffries waanza kwiya kwitunangila. Wasangedile kunkwasha nefunde bubine. Dibajinji, ketweivwenepo nandi pa mwimanino wa Batumoni ba Yehova, wa kuleka kwikuja mu myanda ya politike ne kwingila mwingilo wa busola. Nanenene amba, shi bantu bonso mu Amerika bapelele kwenda kukalwa divita, balwana badi ba kwiya kuyata yetu ntanda ne kwiitādila. Tutu Jeffries walanguluka nami na kitūkijetyima’mba: “Le ulanga i bika byadi bya kulonga’po Yehova shi bantu bonso mu Amerika badi bamwingidila, ebiya balwana abaiya kwibatamba bulwi?” Byaanenene pa uno mwanda ne pa myanda mikwabo, byankweshe mone amba nkyadipo na bubinga. Kino kyanengeje nsangele’ko bininge kwifunda bubine.

Nadi mpityija mansá mavule mu kutanga Biteba bya Mulami ne Malangukai! adi abīkile mama mu kibīko. Mwenda mafuku, najingulula’mba i bubine, ebiya naitabija kwifunda Bible na Tutu Jeffries. Naanza ne kutanwa ku kupwila kyaba kyonso. Nasangedile byonadi nefunda, ebiya naikala musapudi wa myanda miyampe. Nashintyile bitungo byami ponaivwanije amba, “difuku dikatampe dya Yehova dibafwena.” (Zef. 1:14) Pa kyaba kya kukimba’nka kwenda ku iniveleshite, nasakile kukwasha bantu bakwabo bayuke bubine bwa mu Bible.

 Napwile masomo a sekondele mu mafuku 13 Kweji 6, 1956, kadi mafuku asatu pa kupita’po, nabatyijibwa ku kitango kya kipindi. Mu kine kitatyi’kya nkyadipo ndyukile biyampe amba, kupāna būmi bwami mu kwifunda ne kufundija myanda ya Yehova, kukandetela madyese mavule.

Mu kupita kwa myeji 6 na ponabatyijibwe, naikala pania wa lonso. Mu Mwingilo wa Bulopwe wa Kweji 12, 1956, mwadi kishinte kinena’mba: “Le Ubwanya Kukengidila Kokwa Kusakilwa Bukwashi?” Nami nadi ntalwa na uno mwanda. Nasakile kukakwasha kokwa kwadi basapudi batyetye ba myanda miyampe.​—Mat. 24:14.

Navilukila mu Edgefield, mu Carolina wa Kunshi. Mu kipwilo mwadi’tu’nka basapudi baná. Ponafikile’mo twabwana butano. Twadi tupwidila mu kyumba kya kumeso kya njibo ya tutu umo. Kweji ne kweji nadi nsapula mansá 100. Nadi muvudilwe bya kulonga mwanda nadi ntangidila mwingilo wa busapudi ne kupityija bipindi ku kupwila. Byonadi mvudilwe bya kulonga mu kipwilo, byankweshe nefunde bivule padi Yehova.

Lolo umo onadi nefunda nandi Bible, wadi na njibo ya madilo mu Johnston, kibundi kya kubwipi na kotwadi. Waumpele kaji ka kitatyi kityetye, ne kwitupa njibo yandi mityetye twiingidije bu Njibo ya Bulopwe.

Tutu Jolly Jeffries, mwanā tutu wamfundije Bible, wavilukila mu Brooklyn, mu New York, kadi ye pania otwadi ketusapula nandi. Twadi tushikata nandi mu kobo katyetye ketupele tutu umo.

Badi bafutañana mfutwa mityetye mu kino kipindi kya Kunshi. Badi betufuta madolala abidi nansha asatu ku difuku. Difuku dimo, nadi nekitamba’tu mu kupota byakudya ku mangajini na kadikuta katyetye konadi nshele nako. Amiwa pa kutamba panja, mwana-mulume umo wamfwena wangipangula’mba: “Le ukimba kaji? Nsa kwanza kukufuta dolala imo ku nsá umo.” Wampa mafuku asatu a kwingila mwingilo wa kukundula pa kifuko pobadi bōbaka. Byamwekele patōka’mba i Yehova wadi unkwasha nshale mu Edgefield. Ebiya mu 1958, naenda ku kitango kya matanda kyalongēlwe mu New York City.

Mu difuku dya bubidi dya kitango, kwalongeka kintu kimo kya pa bula. Twetana na Ruby Wadlington, mwine wadi wingila bu pania wa lonso mu Gallatin, mu Tennessee. Batwe bonso byotwadi tusenswe mwingilo wa bumishonele, twatenwe ku kino kitango ku lenyo ya na boba basaka kukafunda ku Ngileade. Mwenda mafuku, twashilula kwilembela nandi. Ebiya bangita mu Gallatin kukanena mwisambo wa bantu bonso. Nakwatakanya uno mukenga mwanda wa kwisamba nandi shi witabije twisonge. Navilukila mu kipwilo kya ba Ruby, kupwa twesonga nandi mu 1959.

Ponadi na myaka 23, natongwa bu mwingidi wa kipwilo (witwa dyalelo bu mukwatakani wa  kitango kya bakulumpe) mu Gallatin. Tutu Charles Thompson pa kwikala ke mutadi wa kipindi, kyetu kipwilo kyo kibajinji kyaapempwile. Wadi na bwino buvule; ino, wanombele milangwe pa bisakibwa bya banabetu ne muswelo wavuije’byo batadi ba bipindi bakwabo. Nefundile kwadi amba, i biyampe kwipangula bipangujo ne kwivwanija myanda senene, kumeso kwa kulonga bintu.

Mu Kweji 5, 1964, bangityile ku Masomo a Bengidi ba Bulopwe afundilwe mu kweji umo, mu Lansing wa Kunshi, mu New York. Batutu betufundije banengeje nsake kwifundila’ko bivule padi Yehova, ne kwikala mwine Kidishitu mutame.

Mu Kweji 1, 1965, bangityile kukengila mu kipindi pamo ne wami mukaji. Betutumine mu kipindi kikatampe, tamba ku Knoxville, mu Tennessee, kutūla ne ku Richmond, mu Virginia. Mwadi ne bipwilo bya mu Carolina wa Kungala, mu Kentucky, ne mu Virginia wa Kushika. Nadi mpempula enka bipwilo bya bafita, mwanda mu kine kitatyi’kya, kwisañuna kwa nkoba kwadi kutāle bininge dya kunshi kwa États-Unis. O mwanda bafita ne bazungu kebadipo bebungila pamo. Banabetu badi balanda, twefundile kwiabila bintu byotwadi nabyo na boba basakilwa bukwashi. Mutadi umo wa kipindi ke mwije, wampele madingi a mvubu mpata, amba: “Ikala mwanabo. Kokapempula kipwilo ulonga bintu pamo bwa abe bose wabo. Ubwanya kwibakwasha shi bakumona bu mwanabo.”

Potwadi tupempula kipwilo kimo nenki kityetye, Ruby washilula kwifunda Bible na nsongwakaji umo wadi na mwana mwana-mukaji wa mwaka umo. Byokekwadipo mu kipwilo’mwa muntu wadi ubwanya kwifunda nandi Bible, Ruby waendelela kwifunda nandi kupityila ku misapu ya ku olodinatele. Mu bupempudi bwetu bukwabo, uno mwana-mukaji watanwa ku kupwila konso. Pavilukīle’mo bakaka babidi bapania ba pa bula, baendelela kwifunda nandi, bukidi bonka wabatyijibwa. Myaka 30 pa kupita’po, ko kunena’mba mu 1995, ku Betele ya mu Patterson, kaka umo nsongwakaji waiya kwisamba na Ruby. Nanshi wadi mwanā yewa mwana-mukaji wefundile Bible na Ruby. Uno nsongwakaji pamo ne wandi mulume, bakafundile ku Masomo a Ngileade mu kalasa ka 100.

Kipindi kyetu kya bubidi kyotwaingidile’mo, i mu Florida wa pa bukata. Mu kino kitatyi, twasakīlwe motoka, ye kupota twapota motoka ku bei miyampe. Ino mu yenga’tu mubajinji, motele waoneka. Ketwadipo na lupeto lwa kwiulongolweja. Naita tutu umo onadi ndyukile amba ubwanya kwitukwasha. Nandi watuma mwingidi wandi umo etulongolwele motoka, pampikwa kwitulomba lupeto. Wanena’tu amba, “Nkendi kala mufute.” Wetupa enka ne kyabuntu kya lupeto! Bine, kyadi kimfwa kiyampe kya mukwatakenyanga Yehova bengidi bandi. Kino kyamvulwije nami kwikala na buntu.

Ponso potwadi tupempula bipwilo, twadi tushikata ku mobo a banabetu. Kino kyetukweshe twikale na balunda bavule bayampe. Difuku dimo, nashile ku mashini lapolo ya kipwilo kimo, yonadi kensa kupwa kulemba. Ponajokele difuku’dya ku kyolwa, najingulula’mba mwana wa myaka isatu wa ku kisaka kotwadi tushikete, “wankweshe’ko” kuvuya kulemba lapolo. Naendelele kumukolomona pa uno mwanda mu bula bwa myaka mivule.

Mu 1971, natambula mukanda wa kukengila bu mutadi wa distrike mu New York City. Twatulumukile bininge! Potwaendele’ko nakidi’tu na myaka 34. Banabetu batundaile na kizaji mutadi wabo wa distrike mubajinji ufita.

Byonadi mutadi wa distrike, nadi nsangela kufundija myanda ya Yehova yenga ne yenga ku bitango bya bipindi. Batadi ba bipindi bavule badi na bwino kumpita. Umo mobadi wanenene mwisambo wami wa lubatyijo. Tutu mukwabo, Theodore Jaracz, waikele mwenda mafuku ke wa mu Kitango Kyendeji. Kadi kwadi batutu bakwabo bavule ba bwino badi bengila ku Betele ya Brooklyn. Nafwijije’ko bininge batadi ba bipindi ne batutu ba mu kisaka kya Betele bampēleleje’ko kiselwa. Nemwenine ami mwine amba, badi bakumbi ba buswe bakulupile mu Kinenwa kya Leza, kadi bakwatakanya bulongolodi na kikōkeji. Kwityepeja kwabo kwampēleleje’ko kiselwa kya kwingila bu mutadi wa distrike.

Mu 1974, Kitango Kyendeji kyatongele kisumpi kikwabo kya batadi ba bipindi ba kwingila mu distrike, nami nakengila monka bu mutadi wa kipindi. Inoko pano nakengidile mu Carolina wa Kunshi. Mu kino kitatyi, bipwilo ne bipindi bya bazungu ne bafita byatyangilwe. Uno mwanda wasangeje bininge banabetu.

Dya ku mfulo kwa 1976, bantuma kukengidila mu kipindi kya mu Georgia pa bukata bwa Atlanta ne Columbus. Mvulukanga biyampe ponanenene mwisambo wa pa lufu lwa bana batano bafita, bafwile pasōkele muntu umo yabo njibo. Inabo watwelele mu lupitalo pa mwanda wa bilonda byebatapile. Batutu ne bakaka bavule bazungu ne bafita, badi’nka bāya ku lupitalo mwanda wa kwibasenga. Namwene amba buswe bwa banabetu i bwa kutendelwa. Bengidi ba Leza pobelombola lusa namino, bibakwashanga bōminine nansha ke makambakano makomo.

Mu 1977, betwityile ku Betele ya Brooklyn tukakwashe’ko ku mwingilo kampanda, mu bula bwa myeji mityetye. Potwapwile kwingila mwingilo obetwityīle, batutu babidi ba mu Kitango Kyendeji besamba nami, bangipangula shi ami ne Ruby tusangedile kushala ku Betele. Netu twaitabija.

Mu bula bwa myaka 24, naingile ku Bilo ya Mingilo, kwine kwingilanga divule batutu pa myanda mikutakane. Mu bula bwa myaka mivule, Kitango Kyendeji kiletanga bulombodi bukwatañene na misoñanya ya mu Bible. Buno bulombodi bwingidijibwanga pa kulondolola ku bipangujo, kadi bwingidijibwanga ne pa kufundija batadi ba bipindi, bakulumpe, ne bapania. Buno bufundiji i bukwashe bavule batame ku mushipiditu. Ne kino i kikomeje bulongolodi bwa Yehova.

Tamba mu 1995 kutūla mu 2018, napempwile misambo palapala bu mukendi wa ku kité kya ntanda, wadi witwa mafuku kunyuma bu mutadi wa zone. Nadi netana na Makomite a Misambo, na ba mu kisaka kya Betele, ne na bamishonele, mwanda wa kwibakankamika ne kwibakwasha kuvuija makambakano obekonda nao. Ami ne Ruby twadi tukankamikwa na myanda mimweke yadi itusekunwina batutu ne bakaka. Kimfwa, twaendele mu Rwanda mu 2000. Twatengelwe bininge pa kwivwana mwapandile banabetu ne kisaka kya Betele, ku kwiipaya kwaikele’ko mu 1994. Bavule bafwidilwe baswe babo. Nansha bano banabetu byobaūminine makambakano makomo, balombwele lwitabijo, lukulupilo, kadi badi na nsangaji.

Pano tudi na myaka 80 ne musubu. Mu bula bwa myaka 20 yapita’i, ñingilanga mu Komite wa Musambo wa mu États-Unis. Nkyakikafundilepo iniveleshite; inoko, Yehova pamo ne bulongolodi bwandi, i bamfundije bufundiji bulumbuluke mpata. Kino i kinkumbanye mwa kufundijija bantu bakwabo bubine bwa mu Bible, bwine bubwanya kwibaletela byabuyabuya bya nyeke. (2 Ko. 3:5; 2 Tm. 2:2) Ne mumone musapu wa mu Bible moukwashishe bantu balumbulule būmi bwabo, ne kupwana na Umpangi wabo. (Yak. 4:8) Ponso potumona mukenga, Ami ne Ruby, twendelelanga kukankamika bakwetu basangele dyese dya kwifunda myanda ya Yehova, ne kufundija bantu bakwabo bubine bwa mu Bible​—dyese dikatampe dibwanya kwikala nadyo mwingidi wa Yehova!