TATA James Sinclair namama Jessie vafumine kuScotland nakwalukila muNganda yaNew York mungalila yaBronx muji 1930. Sepa lyavo umwe walijina lyaWillie Sneddon nayikiye afumine kuScotland. Halwola lwatete valiwanyine, vaputukile kushimutwila hajitanga javo. Echi kushimutwila kana chapwileko shimbu kanda ami ngusemuke.

Mama alwezele Willie ngwenyi ise nayayenyi vafwile hameya shimbu kanda Jita Yayinene, omu wato wapupile mukapata uze vatele hakalungalwiji. Kaha Willie ambile ngwenyi: “Iso ali muhelo oholyapwa ngana.” Halwola kana Willie apwile Chinjiho chaYehova, ngocho likumbi kana likiko lyapwile lyatete mama kwivwa muchano wamuMbimbiliya.

Mazu ahanjikile Willie asulakanyishile mama mwomwo ejivile ngwenyi ise apwile mutu wamwaza. Oloze Willie ahanjikile cheka ngwenyi: “Nawivwa ngachilihi nge nangukulweza ngwami naYesu ayile muhelo?” Mama anukile jino kunangula chakuchachi chize chavulukilenga ngwacho Yesu ayile muhelo kaha vamusangwile halikumbi lyamuchitatu. Ngocho alihulishile ngwenyi, ‘Nge helo yapwa chihela chakakahya muze veji kuyekeleselanga vatu vakuhuka, kaha mwomwo ika Yesu ayilililemo?’ Aha hakiko mama aputukilile jino kufwila kulinangula muchano. Ngocho aputukile kukunguluka naVinjiho muchikungulwilo chaBronx kaha kuheta mu 1940, vamumbapachishile.

Halwola kana visemi vaka-Kulishitu kavavakolezezelenga chikuma kunangula vana vavo Mbimbiliyako. Omu ngwapwile ngukanyike ngwasalilenga hembo natata halwola mama ayilenga muwande nakukukunguluka. Hanyima yamyaka yayindende, ami natata twaputukile kuya nakukunguluka hamwe namama. Mama apwile nyamalikita mumulimo wakwambulula mujimbu wamwaza kaha atwaminyinyinenga vilongesa vyaMbimbiliya vyavivulu. Shimbu jimwe vilongesa vyenyi avanangwililenga hamwe mwomwo valihachile membo. Hamakumbi akunoka kushikola ngwazachilenga nenyi muwande. Ngocho ngwalinangwile vyavivulu muMbimbiliya namwakunangwila vatu.

Omu ngwapwile ngukanyike, kangwamwenenga muchano kupwa waulemuko. Oloze omu  ngwapwile namyaka 12, hakiko ngwapwile jino ngumuka-kwambulula, kaha ngwazanyinenga chikuma mumulimo wamuwande. Omu ngwapwile namyaka 16, ngwalihanyine kuli Yehova kaha vangumbapachishile haJuly 24, 1954 hakukunguluka changalila munganda yaToronto, muCanada.

Muchikungulwilo chetu mwapwile vandumbwetu vamwe vaze vazachililenga haMbetele navaze vafumineho lyehi. Vandumbwetu kana vangukolezezelenga chikuma. Ngwevwilenga kuwaha omu vahanjikilenga vihande najila valumbunwinyinengamo muchano wamuMbimbiliya. Numba tuhu valongeshi jami vasakile nguyenga kushikola yahelu, oloze ami ngwafwililile kuzachila haMbetele. Ngocho hakukunguluka chize chapwile muToronto, ngwasonekele mukanda wakuhulisa kuya nakuzachila haMbetele. Kaha ngwasonekele mukanda ukwavo mu 1955 omu twapwile hakukunguluka changalila muchivaza chakuhemena chaYankee, muNganda yaNew York. Nakushimbula chiku vangusanyikile kuya nakuzachila haMbetele yamuBrooklyn haSeptember 19, 1955 omu ngwapwile namyaka 17. Halikumbi lyamuchivali, ngwaputukile kuzachila kulipatimende lyakulamika mikanda lize lyapwililile ku 117 Adams Street. Kutwala muze ngwaputukile kuzachisa likina lyakulongejeka mikanda mangana vayitwale nakuyilamika.

Omu mwahichile kakweji umwe, vangunungulwilile kuLipatimende Lyatala kujiMangazini mwomwo ngwatachikijile kutayipa. Halwola kana vandumbwetu vasonekelenga jikeyala javatu vaze valisonekeselenga mangana vavatumine jimangazini jaKaposhi Kakutalila naTonenu! Mukuhita chalwola, ngwaputukile kuzachila kuLipatimende lyaKutwala Mikanda. Klaus Jensen uze apwile kalama walipatimende angutumine nguyenga nanyamutekenya uze apwile nakutwala mikanda kuchau mangana vayihake mumbopolo. Kwapwile nawa jinjeke jajimangazini jize  jasakiwile kujitwala kuposo mangana vajitume kuvikungulwilo vyamuUnited States. Ndumbu Jensen ashinganyekele ngwenyi mulimo wakuzundula vyavilemu wangutelelele, mwomwo kulema chamujimba wami chapwile kaha jikilongalamu 57. Mulimo wakutwala mikanda kuchau nakuposo wangulingishile ngujikize kumujimba. Ndumbu Jensen atachikijile ngwenyi mulimo kana naungunganyalisa.

Lipatimende Lyatala kujiMangazini lyasonekelenga jifwomu jakuwota mikanda jafuminenga kuvikungulwilo. Echi changukafwile ngutachikize malimi aze vasonekelelengamo jimangazini jetu muBrooklyn nakujituma kumafuchi eka. Kuzachila kujimangazini changukafwile ngwijive nawa ngwami muno mukaye mwatwama malimi amavulu. Numba tuhu kangwatachikijile ngwami nangukaya kuvihela kuze vahanjikilenga malimi kanako, oloze ngwatokwele hakungutuma ngutambukile vihela kana.

Kuheta mu 1961 vangunungulwilile kuLipatimende Lyatala haJimbongo nakuzachila hamwe nandumbu Grant Suiter. Omu mwahichile myaka, vangulwezele nguzachile hamwe nandumbu Nathan Knorr, uze apwile nakutwaminyina mulimo wetu wamukaye kosena. Ndumbu Knorr angulwezele ngwenyi ndumbwetu umwe azachilenga nenyi apwile nakuya kuShikola yaMulimo waWangana hakakweji wamuundu, kaha omu mwakakumisa mwakazachilanga kuLipatimende lyaMulimo. Ngocho angulwezele ngumushise nakuzachila hamwe naDon Adams. Ou ndumbu Don ikiye atambwile mukanda wami hakukunguluka changalila mu 1955 uze ngwasonekele wakuhulisa kuzachila haMbetele. Kuze kulipatimende kwapwile nawa vandumbwetu vavali vaRobert Wallen naCharles Molohan. Tuvosena tuvawana twazachilililenga hamwe hamyaka 50. Ngunalivwisa kuwaha kuzachila hamwe namalunga vakushishika.—Samu 133:1.

Mu 1970 vangutongwele nguputuke kutambukila jiofesi jamitango havyalumingo vyavindende kamwe mumwaka chipwe hanyima  yamyaka yivali. Ngocho ngwatambukililenga jitanga jaMbetele navamishonali mukaye kosena mangana nguvakolezeze nakutala lipoti lyaofesi yamutango. Ocho kuwaha kana ngwevwile hakuliwana navandumbwami vaze vafumine kuShikola yaNgileyate kaha vapwile lika nakuzata natwima mumafuchi muze vavatumine! Ngunalivwisa kuwaha chikuma kutambukila mafuchi akuzomboka 90 mumulimo kana.

Vaka-Mbetele vosena muBrooklyn vavatumine muvikungulwilo vyakulisezaseza vyamuNganda yaNew York. Kaha ami vangutumine kuchikungulwilo chapwilile muBronx. Chize chikungulwilo chatohwele, kaha vapangunwineho vivali. Chikungulwilo chamwaka chize ngwakungulukililenga yami vachivulukilenga jino ngwavo Upper Bronx.

Vapwevo nalunga natanga yavo vaze vafumine kuLatvia, valinangwile muchano omu vapwile kusulo yaBronx, kaha muji 1960 vanungulukilile kwakamwihi nachikungulwilo chetu. Mwanavo watwatwa Livija aputukile kuzata upayiniya washimbu yosena omu akumishile shikola. Omu mwahichile tukweji vavandende ayile kuMassachusetts kuze kwapwile nakusakiwa vaka-kwambulula. Ngwamusonekelelenga mikanda nakumulweza omu chikungulwilo chapwile nakuzovoloka, kaha ikiye nawa angulwezelenga omu wapwile nakutambuka mulimo wakwambulula mungalila yaBoston.

Hamyaka yayindende kaha Livija vamutongwele kupwa payiniya wakulipwila. Asakile kuzata milimo yayivulu muliuka lyaYehova, ngocho asonekele mukanda wakuhulisa kuzachila haMbetele. Kaha kuheta mu 1971 vamusanyikile. Echi chasolwele nge Yehova apwile nakungutuvila jila. Ngocho kuheta haOctober 27, 1973 twalimbachile, kaha Ndumbwetu Knorr ikiye ahanjikile chihande chawenga wetu. Chisoneka chaVishimo 18:22 chahanjika ngwacho: “Ou mwawana pwevo wamwenemwene nawane chuma chamwaza, kaha Yehova mwamwivwila uselewa.” Shikaho ami naLivija tunazachila jino haMbetele hamyaka yakuzomboka 40. Tuchili lika nakuzachila muchikungulwilo chamungalila yaBronx.

Chapwile hikutokwa chikuma kuzachila hamwe naNdumbu Knorr. Ou ndumbwetu apwile samalikita kumilimo yakushipilitu, kaha nawa amwenenga kulema chamilimo vazachilenga vamishonali mukaye kosena. Vamishonali vavavulu vakiko kaha vapwile Vinjiho mumafuchi muze vavatumine. Chatwivwishile kupihya chikuma omu Ndumbu Knorr avijile musongo wakasa mu 1976. Omu apwile muluuta angulwezele ngumutangile mikanda shimbu kanda vayitume nakuyipulita. Angulwezele nawa ngusanyike Ndumbu Frederick Franz mangana nayikiye evwenga vyuma ngwapwile nakutanga. Aha hakiko ngwejivile jino ngwami Ndumbu Knorr ikiye atangililenga Ndumbu Franz mikanda mwomwo kamwenenga kanawako.

Ndumbu Knorr afwile mu 1977, oloze chatuvendejekele hakuwana nge apwile lika wakushishika  kuli Yehova swi nakukufwa chenyi. (Kuso. 2:10) Shikaho Ndumbu Franz ikiye jino aputukile kutwaminyina mulimo wetu.

Halwola kana ngwapwile ngumuka-kusoneka wandumbu Milton Henschel uze azachilenga naNdumbu Knorr hamyaka yayivulu. Ndumbu Henschel angulwezele ngwenyi mulimo wami jino naupwanga wakukafwa Ndumbu Franz. Ngwamutangililenga mikanda shimbu kanda vayipulite. Ndumbu Franz apwilenga nauhashi wakwanuka kaha nawa evwililenga kumazu osena aze ngwamutangililenga. Chapwile hikutokwa kuzachila hamwe naikiye swi nomu akumishile kuyoya chenyi chahamavu muDecember 1992.

Ngunazachila haMbetele hamyaka 61. Visemi jami vosena vapwile vakushishika kuli Yehova swi nakukufwa chavo, kaha ngwatalilila kukavasambilila mulifuchi lyamwaza. (Yowa. 5:28, 29) Kakweshi vyuma vyamuno mukaye vinahase kungusuulwisa kuhambakana kuzachila hamwe navatu jaKalunga vakushishika vamukaye kosenako. Kushinganyeka hamyaka tunazate mumulimo washimbu yosena, ami naLivija tunawane nge “kuwahilila chakufuma kuli Yehova chinapu nge hichihela [chetu] chakukola.”—Nehe. 8:10.

Kakwatwama mutu umwe wamulemu kuhambakana vakwavo muliuka lyaYehovako, kaha nawa mulimo wakutandakanyisa muchano waWangana uchili nakutwalaho. Chinapu hikutokwa chikuma kuzachila hamwe navandumbwetu vakushishika hamyaka yayivulu. Vandumbwetu vawavisa vavavulu vaze ngunazatenga navo kaveshi cheka hano hamavuko. Oloze ngwawahilila chikuma hakuzachila hamwe navatu vakushishika mumulimo waYehova.