Ngwasehele mwomwo kangwatachikijile ngwami sepa lyami apwile muka-kwitavako. Ngwamuhulishile ngwami, “Vyuma muka watachikiza haMbimbiliya?” Oloze yikiye kakumbulwile washiko. Kutwala muze angulwezele ngwenyi naye apwile Chinjiho chaYehova. Kaha ngwenyi alinangwileko vyuma vimwe kuli naye. Ngwamulwezele angulweze vyavivulu.

Twashimutwililenga kuheta namukachi kaufuku. Sepa lyami angulwezele ngwenyi Mbimbiliya yahanjika ngwayo Satana yikiye ali nakuyula kano kaye. (Yowa. 14:30) Pamo enu mwatachikijile lyehi muchano kana oloze ami lwapwile lwola lwatete kutachikiza muchano kana. Ngwevwilenga ngwavo Kalunga wakeke nalikoji ikiye ali nakuyula kano kaye. Oloze chishina kana chalimbalakile navyuma ngwapwile nakumona mukaye. Numba tuhu ngwapwile kaha namyaka yakusemuka 26 oloze kwapwilenga vyuma vize vyangwivwishilenga kupihya kumuchima.

Tata atambukishilenga ndeke yamaswalale muUnited States. Omu ngwapwile ngukanyike, ngwamwene ngwami nakwepuka jita mwomwo maswalale vapwile vakulizanga kupilula tupata. Jita yize yapwile muVietnam yangutangwile nguhone kukumisa shikola yami yahelu muCalifornia. Ngwengilile mulizavu lyavaka-shikola lyakulikanga. Tupokola vatuhangasanyinenga kaha twachinyinenga. Twachehwilenga nakuhona kumona kanawa mwomwo tupokola vatulozelenga mata ajindungu. Halwola kana vatu valikangile chikuma kaha nawa kwapwile liwayanga. Vatwamina vamapolitiki vavajihilenga kaha nawa vatu vatungilenga tumazavu twakulikanga nakuneha vikokojola. Vatu vapwilenga navishinganyeka vyakulisezaseza mangana vawane vyuma vatela kulinga. Chikupu vene kwapwilenga liwayanga.

Mumwaka wa 1970 ngwengilile milimo mungalila yakunote yaAlaska, kaha ngwatambwilenga jimbongo jajivulu chikuma. Kutwala muze, ngwayile kuLondon, kaha ngwalanjile mutukutuku nakutalikisa kumutamba wakusulo chakuzeneka kutachikiza okwo ngwapwile nakuya. Omu mwahichile tukweji, ngwahetele kuAfrica. Ngwaliwanyinenga navatu mujila vaze navakiko vashinganyekelenga kuchina mwomwo yaukalu vapwile nakuhitamo.

 Shikaho, mwomwo yavyuma ngwapwilenga nakumona nakwivwa, ngwakunyukile jino ngwami vyuma yanangula Mbimbiliya ngwayo mutu wakushipilitu wakuhuka ikiye ali nakuyula kano kaye vyamuchano. Ngwalihulishile ngwami, ‘nge keshi Kalunga ikiye anakuyula kano kayeko, kaha ali nakulinga ika?’ Ngwasakile kutachikiza.

Tukweji vakavangijileho ngwawanyine muvakumbulwila chihula kana. Kaha mukuhita chalwola, ngwaputukile nawa kutachikiza vatu vavavulu vaze vapwile vakushishika kuli Kalunga umwe wamuchano, chamokomoko nakala ukalu vahichilengamo, nakuvazanga.

Omu ngwakindulukile kuLondon, ngwayile kuli naye yasepa lyami, kaha anguhanyine Mbimbiliya. Kaha omu ngwayile kuAmsterdam, muNetherlands, Chinjiho umwe angumwene nguli nakutanga Mbimbiliya naufuku kumukwakwa, kaha angukafwile ngutachikize vyavivulu. Kufumaho, ngwayile kuDublin, muIreland, kaha ngwawanyine ofesi yamutango yaVinjiho jaYehova. Ngwangongomwezele kuchikolo chakumeso. Omu ngwengilile, ngwaliwanyine naArthur Matthews uze apwile ndumbwetu wakunangakana, uze azachilile Yehova hamyaka yayivulu. Ngwamulwezele angunangulenga Mbimbiliya, ngocho etavilile.

Ngwaputukile kulinangula chikuma nakutanga mikanda najimangazini jaVinjiho jaYehova, kuhakilako vene naMbimbiliya. Ngwalivwishilenga kuwaha kulinangula nakutanga vyuma kana. Kaha hakukunguluka chachikungulwilo, ngwamwenenga navanyike vali nakukumbulula vihula vize vatu vaze valinangula chikuma valihulishilenga hamyaka yayivulu. Vihula vimwe shina, ‘Mwomwo ika kwapwila upi? Uno Kalunga ikiye iya? Vafu veji kuyanga kulihi?’ Ngwalikachilenga kaha naVinjiho jaYehova, mwomwo kakwapwile mutu weka ngwatachikijile mulifuchi kanako. Vangukafwile nguzange Yehova nakufwila kulinga mwaya muchima wenyi.

Vangumbapachishile mu 1972. Kaha mwaka wakavangijileho ngwaputukile kuzata upayiniya nakunungulukila muchikungulwilo chimwe chamuNewry, muNorthern Ireland. Ngwatwaminenga mukazuvo kakufwetela kaze kapwililile kujipili. Kwapwile vangombe hakamwihi, kaha ngwalihitulwishilenga kuhanjika vihande kumeso avo. Vangwivwilililenga kanawa oku vali nakutafunya. Numba tuhu kavanguhanyinenga pungako, oloze vangukafwile ngulinangule kutalanga lizavu nge nguli nakuhanjika chihande. Kuheta mu 1974, vangutongwele kuzata upayiniya wakulipwila kaha ngwazachililenga hamwe nandumbu Nigel Pitt uze ejile nakupwa jino hisepa lyami wahamuchima.

Halwola kana, ulyanyi wavulile chikuma muNorthern Ireland. Ngocho vatu vamwe valukile lifuchi kana ngwavo “lifuchi lyatupata navilyanga.” Kakavulu vatu mumikwakwa valizungishilenga, kaha vatu vavalozelenga, jiminyau nawa vajitotolwenga natupata. Ukalu  kana wavulilenga kwiza mwomwo yamapolitiki chipwe kulitala hamauka akwitava. Chipwe ngocho, vaka-Polotesitati navaka-Katolika vatachikijile ngwavo Vinjiho kavazana muvihande vyamapolitikiko. Echi chatukafwile tupwenga vakulihehwa kwambulula mujimbu nakupwa nawa vakukingiwa. Vatu vaze twambulililenga vatachikijilenga lwola nakuchihela nakupwa vikokojola, ngocho vatumamwinenga mangana tulihende kutambukila kuvihela kana.

Chipwe ngocho, twapwilenga lika muponde. Likumbi limwe, ami namukwetu Denis Carrigan uze naikiye apwile payiniya twayile nakwambulwila mumbaka yize twalihachile nayo muze kamwapwile Vinjiho jaYehovako. Aka kakiko kapwile kamuchivali kuya mumbaka kana. Pwevo umwe atuvangijikilile ngwenyi twapwile tuvandoji vaze vatumine kumaswalale jaBritain, pamo mwomwo katwahanjikilenga ngana muze vahanjikilenga vatu vamulifuchi lyaIrelandko. Chuma kana chatwivwishile woma. Nge mutu mwalikata namaswalale, kaha vanahase kumujiha chipwe kumuloza mumambuli. Omu twapwile nakuvandamina sacha haweluka ukawetu oku tuli nakulichikimina chishika, twamwene minyau nayiza nakukunjika kuchitanda kuze kwapwile uze pwevo atuvangijikilile. Uze pwevo alovokele muchitanda nakuputuka kushimutwila namalunga vavali vapwile muze muminyau, oku ali nakutwinyijeka. Vaze malunga vasunwine minyau yavo nakwiza kuli yetu, kaha vatuhulishile vihula vyakutalisa kulwola yapwile nakwiza sacha. Omu yejile sacha, vaze malunga vashimutwilile nanyamutekenya. Oloze katwapwile nakwivwa vyuma vapwile nakuhanjikako. Muze musacha nawa kamwapwile vatu vekako, ngocho twalizakaminyine ngwetu vali nakulivwasana mangana vayenga nakutuvulumuna kuweluka wambaka. Oloze chuma kana kachasolokeleko. Omu ngwapwile nakusuluka musacha, ngwahulishile nyamutekenya ngwami: “Vaze malunga vavali wapwanga nakushimutwila navo vapwanga nakuhanjika hali yetu tahi?” Uze nyamutekenya ambile ngwenyi: “Ngwamitachikiza kanawa, ngocho ngwavalwezanga ngwami kamweshi mumaswalale jaBritainko. Shikaho kanda namulizakaminako, muvakukingiwa.”

Omu twapwile kukukunguluka changalila muDublin mu 1976, ngwaliwanyine nandumbwetu Pauline Lomax uze apwile payiniya wakulipwila wakufuma kuEngland. Apwile wakuhya kushipilitu, wakulinyisa, kaha nawa wamwaza chikuma. Pauline nasongo yenyi Ray valinangwile lyehi muchano kufuma vene kuunyike wavo. Omu mwahichile mwaka umwe, ami naPauline twalimbachile, kaha twatwalileho lika kuzata upayiniya wakulipwila muBallymena, Northern Ireland.

Twazachilenga nawa mulimo wakutambwojoka halwola lwalusuku hakukafwa vandumbwetu vaze vapwilenga nakutwama muBelfast, Londonderry, namuvihela vyeka vize vyapwilenga muponde chikuma. Lufwelelo lwavandumbwetu vaze vasezele vyuma vafwelelele mukwitava chize vapwilemo, namuchima wakulimona ulumbi, navijindo mangana vazachile Yehova, lwatukolezezele. Chikupu vene, Yehova avakiswile nakuvakinga.

Ngwatwamine muIreland hamyaka 10. Kaha kuheta mu 1981 vatusanyikile kushikola yaNgileyate yakusokesa 72. Omu twakumishile shikola kana vatutumine kuSierra Leone, muWest Africa.

Twatwaminenga muzuvo yavamishonali navandumbwetu vamwaza michima vakuheta ku 11. Twazachishilenga kapete kakutelekela kamwe, navimbushu vyamuzuvo vitatu, natupete twakusanyina tuvali, nashinga yimwe, nalikina lyakukosela limwe, nalikina lyakumisa uvwalo limwe. Kakahya kakezi nawa kajiminenga kuswakumwe, kaha nawa hakala lwola. Mumalata mwapwilenga vatumbi vavavulu, kaha nawa mukapete kahamavu mwengililenga manoka.

Numba tuhu twamwenenga vyuma kanevi vyavikalu ngana, oloze twalivwishilenga kuwaha kuzata mulimo wakwambulula. Vatu vavumbikilenga Mbimbiliya nakutwivwilila kanawa. Vavavulu vetavilile kulinangula Mbimbiliya nakupwa Vinjiho jaYehova. Vatu mundandanda  vanguvulukilenga ngwavo “Mwata Robert.” Kaha puwami Pauline vamuvulukilenga ngwavo “Mama nyaRobert.” Kutwala muze, omu milimo haofesi yamutango yavulile chikuma nakungulingisa nguhone kuyanga chikuma mumulimo wamuwande, vatu vaputukile jino kuvuluka puwami Pauline ngwavo “Mama Pauline.” Kaha yami vanguvulukilenga ngwavo “Mwata Pauline.” Pauline evwilenga kuwaha kungusanyika mujila kana.

Numba tuhu vandumbwetu vavavulu vapwilenga vakuhutwa, oloze Yehova avahanyinenga vyakulikafwa navyo, kaha shimbu jimwe alingilenga ngocho mujijila jakukomwesa. (Mateu 6:33) Nguli nakwanuka ndumbwetu umwe wapwevo uze apwile najimbongo jajindende jakulanda kulya chakulya mulikumbi limwe navana venyi, oloze ajihanyine josena kuli ndumbwetu uze apwile nakuviza mangana alande vitumbo vyachishikashika. Kutwala muze, pwevo umwe ejile vamuwahise kumutwe kuli ou ndumbwetu, kaha amufwetele. Kwapwile vandumbwetu vavavulu vaze Yehova akafwilenga mujila yakufwana ngana.

Twatwamine myaka 9. Kaha vatutumine kuMbetele yamuNigeria. Twapwile nakuzachila jino haofesi yamutango yayinene. Ami ngwazachilenga mulimo woumwe uze ngwazachilenga muSierra Leone, oloze Pauline vamuhanyine mulimo weka kaha nawa waukalu. Omu twapwilenga muSierra Leone azachilenga jiola 130 muwande kakweji hikakweji, kaha apwilenga navilongesa vyaMbimbiliya vaze vazovolokelenga. Oloze vamuhanyine jino kuzata mulimo wakutongatonga, kaha makumbi osena atongelenga uvwalo wakupulika. Hahichile lwola numba ejilile mulimo kana, oloze amwene ngwenyi vandumbwenyi vamwenenga mulimo azachilenga kupwa waulemu, kaha nawa afwilililenga kuwana jijila jakukolezezelamo vakwavo vaka-Mbetele.

Katwatachikijile chisemwa chavatu vamuNigeriako, ngocho twasakiwile kulinangulacho chikuma. Likumbi limwe ndumbwami umwe ejile muofesi yami nandumbwetu umwe wapwevo uze vasanyikile haMbetele. Kaha omu ngwamenekele ou ndumbwetu wapwevo, ikiye afukamine kumahinji ami. Ngwalikomokelele chikuma kumona chuma kana. Ngwanukile washi visoneka vino vivali: Vilinga 10:25, 26 naKusoloka 19:10. Kaha ngwalihulishile ngwami, ‘Uno ngumulweze ngwami kanda kulinga chuma kanako tahi?’ Oloze ngwanukile nawa ngwami, ou mutu vanamusanyika haMbetele, shikaho atachikiza vyuma yanangula Mbimbiliya.

Ngwevwile sonyi halwola lwosena luze twapwile nakushimutwila, kaha kutwala muze ngwahehwojwele hachihande kana. Ngwawanyine jino nge ou ndumbwetu alingile chuma kana kweseka nachisemwa chavo chize vakavangijilenga vatu vamwe mulifuchi. Namalunga vafukaminenga. Eyi yapwile jila yakusolwelamo kavumbi, keshi kulifukula kuli yamiko. NamuMbimbiliya mwatwama vyakutalilaho vyavatu valingile ngana.  (Samwe. 1, 24:8) Chawahile kangwahanjikile chuma numba chimwe chize kachi chevwishile uze ndumbwami sonyiko.

Twaliwanyinenga navandumbwetu vavavulu vamuNigeria vaze vapwilenga vakushishika hamyaka yayivulu. Nguli nakwanuka ndumbwetu Isaiah Adagbona, uze alinangwile muchano omu apwile mukweze. a Oloze kutwala muze, ou ndumbwetu apwile namusongo wambumba. Vamutwalile kuchihela kuze valaminyinenga vaka-mbumba, kaha kuchihela kana ikiye kaha apwile Chinjiho chaYehova. Numba tuhu vamufumbukililenga, oloze akafwile vaka-mbumba vakuzomboka 30 vapwenga Vinjiho nakutunga chikungulwilo kuchihela kana.

Mu 1996, vatunungulwilile kumutango wamuKenya. Aka kapwile kamuchivali kuya mulifuchi kana, lifuchi lize ngwavulukanga kumaputukilo. Twapwile nakutwama haMbetele. HaMbetele hejilenga vasoko vavavulu. Vahukwilenga mihako yize vambachilenga vandumbwetu vamapwevo. Likumbi limwe, ndumbwetu umwe wapwevo kasokele njanena yenyiko. Omu akindulukile, awanyine muzuvo muli vasoko vali nakulya kulya chize asezele. Atetumukile nakulovoka, kaha vaze vasoko valikuwile nakutumbukila hanjanena.

Ami napuwami twaputukile kuya muchikungulwilo chize chazachisa lilimi lyaSwahili. Omu hahichile shimbu yayindende, vanguhanyine mulimo wakutetekelanga Chilongesa chaMukanda chaChikungulwilo (chize vali nakuvuluka makumbi ano ngwavo Chilongesa chaMbimbiliya chaChikungulwilo). Chipwe ngocho, kangwatachikijile kuhanjika kanawa lilimi kanako. Ngwaliwahishililenga chimweza vyachilongesa, kahechi changukafwilenga ngutange kanawa vihula. Oloze nge vatu navakumbulula mumazu avo, kangwevwilenga vyuma vakumbulwilengako. Ngocho ngwevwilenga kupihya, kaha nawa ngwevwililenga vandumbwami keke. Oloze ngwawahililile hakuwana nge vandumbwami vetavilile kulongesa kana, kaha nawa vapwile vakulinyisa nakungutalilila chikoki.

Twapwile muKenya hatukweji vavavulu. Kaha mu 1997 vatusanyikile hambetele yamuBrooklyn, muNew York. Twapwile jino mulifuchi muze vatu vapwilenga naluheto lwaluvulu, chuma chize chinahase kuneha ukalu. (Vishi. 30:8, 9) Chipwe ngocho vandumbwetu vapwile nakuzovoloka kushipilitu numba tuhu vapwilenga mulifuchi kana. Vandumbwetu vazachishile lwola lwavo naluheto lwavo mangana vakundwize milimo yamwaza yamuliuka lyaYehova, keshi kufwila kulinganyalisako.

Hamyaka yayivulu tunamononga omwo vandumbwetu vanasololanga lufwelelo mujijila jakulisezaseza. MuIreland twamwene lufwelelo lwavandumbwetu chamokomoko navikokojola. Kaha nawa MuAfrica twamwene lufwelelo lwavandumbwetu chamokomoko nauhutu chipwe kupwa kuchihela chauka. Twamwene nawa lufwelelo lwavandumbwetu muUnited States chamokomoko nakufukila. Chikupu vene Yehova eji kwivwanga kuwaha kumona vatu jenyi navamuzanga chikuma chamokomoko nomwo vili vyuma.

Makumbi ali nakutambuka washi “kuhambakana nandongo yalikina lyamuka-kutunga mahina.” (Yopa 7:6) Tuli jino nakuzachila hamwe navakwetu hachikota chetu muWarwick, New York, kaha tuli nakulivwisa kuwaha kuzata navatu vaze valizanga navakwavo. Twapwa tuvakuwahilila nakusuuluka navyuma twatwama navyo, nakuzata noho hakumina ngolo jetu hakukundwiza Mwangana wetu Kulishitu Yesu, uze mwafweta vatu vakushishika vavavulu mukalinwomu.—Mateu 25:34.