NGWASEMUKILE mu 1955 mulifuchi lyaAustralia, muQueensland. Kufumaho, mama Estelle aputukile kulinangula Mbimbiliya naVinjiho jaYehova. Kaha mumwaka wakavangijileho, mama vamumbapachishile, oloze tata Ron ejile mumuchano omu mwahichile myaka 13. Ami vangumbapachishile mu 1968 muQueensland.

Putu vene kuwinyike wami, ngwazangilenga chikuma kutanga nakulinangula malimi. Omu twayilenga nakulihizumuna natanga yetu, atela visemi jami vevwilenga kupihya hakumona nguli nakutanga mukanda muminyau kunyima muchishishisa chakutala vyuma vyakulisezaseza mujila. Chipwe ngocho, kuzanga chikuma kutangatanga mikanda changukafwile kushikola. Omu ngwapwilenga kushikola muGlenorchy, halitungu vavuluka ngwavo Tasmania, ngwatapilenga vakwetu, kaha vanguhanyinenga mawana amavulu.

Jino lwola lwakusakula vyuma vyavilemu mukuyoya chami lwahetele. Uno nangwitavila kuya kumashikola ahelu tahi? Hakuwana nge ngwazangile chikuma kutangatanga mikanda, ngweji kusakwililanga mama hakungukafwa nguzange chikuma Yehova. (Koli. 1, 3:18, 19) Ngocho visemi jami vangukafwile nguhone kwitavila kuya kushikola yahelu, kaha ngwaputukile jino kuzata mulimo waupayiniya muJanuary 1971 oku nguli namyaka yakusemuka 15.

 Hamyaka 8 yakavangijileho, ngwazachilile upayiniya muTasmania. Halwola ngwapwile muTasmania, ngwambachile Jenny Alcock mwanapwevo wamwaza uze ngwazachile nenyi upayiniya wakulipwila hamyaka yiwana muSmithton namuQueenstown.

Mumwaka wa 1978 twayile kumafuchi akwakusuku mangana tukapwe kukukunguluka chamafuchi amavulu kuPort Moresby, Papua New Guinea. Nguli nakwanuka omu ngwapwile nakwivwilila kuchihande ahanyine kamishonali umwe mulilimi lyaHiri Motu. Numba tuhu kangwapwile nakwivwa vyuma apwile nakuhanjikako, oloze mujila apwile nakuhanjikilamo chihande chenyi changulingishile ngufwile mulimo waumishonali nakulinangula malimi eka, mangana nayami ngukahanjike vihande ngana muze ahanjikilenga ikiye. Kufumaho, ngwamwene jino mujila ngunahase kusolola muchima wakuzanga Yehova nakulinangula malimi eka.

Omu twakindulukile kuAustralia, nakushimbula chiku vatulwezele tuyenga tukazate mulimo waumishonali kulitungu lyaFunafuti, muTuvalu, lize vavulukilenga ngwavo Ellice Islands. Twahetele kulitungu kana muJanuary 1979. Halitungu kana twakawanyineho kaha vaka-kwambulula vatatu.

Kulinangula lilimi vavuluka ngwavo Tuvalu kachapwile chachashiko. Mukanda vapwilenga nawo mulilimi kaneli shina Mbimbiliya kaha yaTesetamende Yayihya. Kakwapwilenga jindikishonali jamulilimi kana chipwe mashikola akulinangula lilimi kanako, ngocho twalinangwilenga mazu amahya 10 chipwe 20 halikumbi. Kutwala muze, katwatachikijile mwalumbunukilile mazu amavulu twalinangwilengako. Chakutalilaho, hakusaka kulweza vatu mulilimi lyavo ngwetu chapwa chakuhenga kutaha ngombo, etu twapwile nakuvalweza ngwetu kavatela kuzachisa vipezaliso najimbwechiko. Twasakile chikuma kulinangula lilimi kana numba tuhase kunangula vilongesa vyaMbimbiliya vyavivulu vize twaputukile. Ngocho twatwalileho lika kulinangula. Mukuhita chamyaka, chilongesa umwe atulwezele ngwenyi: “Tunawahilila chikuma hakumona nge muli nakuhanjika jino kanawa lilimi lyetu. Hakavanga katwapwile nakwivwa vyuma mwapwile nakusaka kuhanjikako.”

Tuyokutuyoku nawa, kwapwile vyuma vimwe vize vinahase kulingisa vatu vamwe vambenga ngwavo vyuma kana kachi vyatukafwile tulinangule washi lilimi kana. Hakuwana nge kakwapwilenga membo akufwetelako, ngocho twatwamine natanga yimwe yaVinjiho mwimbo lize vahanjikilenga chikuma lilimi kaneli. Echi chalumbunwine nge twayile chikupu nakutwama mungalila muze mwapwile lilimi livene, nakuputuka chiyoyelo chamwimbo. Omu mwahichile myaka yayivulu chakuhona kuhanjika Chingeleshi, Tuvalu lyapwile jino hililimi lize twazachishilenga chikuma.

Kutwala muze, vatu vavavulu vasolokele nge vali nakusaka chikuma kulinangula muchano. Uno  vyuma muka natuzachisa hakulinangula navo? Katwapwilenga namikanda yamulilimi lyavoko. Navahasa kupwa ngachilihi nachilongesa chahauka? Kahomu vaputukile kwiza kukukunguluka, myaso muka vatelelele kwimba, vyuma muka vatelelele kuzachisa, kaha navahasa ngachilihi kuliwahisa vyakukunguluka? Uno navazovoloka ngachilihi numba vavambapachise? Ava vatu vasakiwile chikupu kulya chakushipilitu mulilimi lyavo. (Koli. 1, 14:9) Twahuhwasanyine numba nge mikanda vanahase kuyisoneka muTuvalu, lilimi lize vahanjikilenga kuvatu vavandende kafwe 15,000. Yehova akumbulwile vihula kanevi mujijila jino jivali: (1) Asakile Mazu enyi vawambulule “kumatungu akwakusuku,” kaha (2) asakile vatu vaze vamona kukaye kupwa “vakulinyisa, vakulikehesa” vachinyine mulijina lyenyi.—Yele. 31:10; Zefwa. 3:12.

Kuheta mumwaka wa 1980, ofesi yamutango yatuhanyine mulimo wakwalumuna, uze twamwene chikupu ngwetu katwatelemo kuuzatako. (Koli. 1, 1:28, 29) Hakavanga twahashile kulanda likina vavuluka ngwavo mimeograph kufulumende, kaha twalizachishile mangana tuhase kupulita vyuma vyakuzachisa kukukunguluka. Twalumwine mukanda vavuluka ngwavo Mucano Uli Nakutetekela Kumwono Wamyaka Yosena muTuvalu, kaha twaupulitile kuzachisa vene eli likina. Nguchili lika nakwanuka livumba lyaulombo nangolo jasakiwile numba tuhase kumika naliyena lyakungalila kana hakupulita mikanda. Halwola kana nawa kakwapwilenga kakahya kakeziko.

Chapwile chachikalu kwalumuna mikanda mulilimi kaneli lyaTuvalu, mwomwo katwapwilenga namikanda yeka yakutukafwa kwalumunako. Oloze lwola lumwe, vatukafwile nakuli vatu vaze katwashinganyekele ngwetu navahasa kutukafwako. Likumbi limwe nachimene, ngwayile nakwambulwila mutu umwe uze emanyinyine muchano nakole. Mwenyazuvo apwile lunga uze apwile mulongeshi kunyima, kaha angulwezele ngwenyi kanda ngukaya cheka nakwambulwila hembo lyenyiko. Kaha ambile ngwenyi: “Vandamina ngukulwezeko chuma chimwe. Mumikanda yenu yize muli nakwalumuna, muli nakuzachisa chikuma mazu amwe aze katwazachisa muhanjikiso yetu yahakumbi hakumbiko.” Kahomu ngwahulishileko vatu veka, ngwamwene vyuma ahanjikile kupwa vyakwoloka. Ngocho twaputukile kwololako mazu amwe. Oloze ngwalikomokelele hakumona Yehova  mwazachisa mutu uze atwimanyinyine nakole atukafwe, uze pamo atangilenga mikanda yetu.

Chuma chatete twalumwine mulilimi lyaTuvalu shina kalipapilo kakusanyikilaho vatu vezenga kuKwanuka Kufwa chaMwata. Kufumaho twalumwine talakiti yaMujimbu waWangana Na. 30, yize valowele halwola lwolumwe naChingeleshi. Ocho kuwaha kana twevwile hakuhana vatu mikanda yamulilimi lyavo! Mukuhita chalwola, jimbuloshuwa jimwe namikanda yeka vyapwile navikiko mulilimi lyaTuvalu. Mumwaka wa 1983, mutango waAustralia waputukile kupulita Kaposhi Kakutalila wamafwo 24 uze veji kupulitanga mumwaka katatu uze watukafwile tulinangule jipalangalafu 7 muchalumingo. Uno vatu vakwileko ngachilihi muchitungilo kana? Hakuwana nge vatu vaze vazachishilenga lilimi lyaTuvalu vazangilenga chikuma kutanga, mikanda twalumwine mulilimi kaneli vayizangile chikuma. Mukanda himukanda omu walovokele, vauvilikilenga kufulumende hachisaji, kaha lwola lumwe vauvulukilenga namumijimbu vatangilenga hachisaji. *

Mulimo wakwalumuna twauputukile kuuzata najisonekeso hamapapilo. Kufumaho, mikanda vayitayipile nakuyihituluka cheka mapapa kakavulu numba jino tuyitume kumutango wakuAustralia vakayipulite. Lwola lumwe mutango wakuAustralia walwezele vandumbwetu vamapwevo vavali mangana vasoneke manyusikilipiti yavyuma twalumwine hamakina ajikopyuta, numba tuhu kavatachikiza lilimi lyaTuvaluko. Kuzachisa jila kaneyi yakusoneka manyusikilipiti kavali nakuyesekesa nayikwavo chalingishile vyuma twalumwine vipwengako kanawa. Kufumaho vatutuminyine mikanda twalumwine nandeke mangana tuhitulukemo, kahomu twakumishile kuhitulukamo, twayitumine cheka kumutango mangana vakayipulite.

Vyuma vinalumuka jino makumbi ano. Vaka-kwalumuna veji kuzachisanga kopyuta hakwalumuna. Kaha kakavulu vyuma veji kwalumunanga veji kuviwahisanga vavene, nakuvituma kuzachisa Internet kumitango yize yeji kupulitanga. Vaka-kwalumuna kaveshi kulahila kujiposo jakutumina mikanda mangana vakatume jimanyusikilipitiko.

Mukuhita chamyaka, ami naJenny vatuhanyinenga milimo yakulisezaseza hamatungu akuPacific. Kuheta mu 1985 vatufumishile kuTuvalu, nakututuma kumutango waSamoa. Kulifuchi kana, twakafwilenga vaka-kwalumuna lilimi lyaSamoa, naTonga, naTokelau, kuhakilako vene nalilimi lyaTuvalu. * Mu 1996, vatutumine nawa kumutango waFiji nakuzata mulimo woumwe, kaha twakafwile vaka-kwalumuna mulilimi lyaFiji, naKiribati, naNauru, naRotum, naTuvalu.

Ngweji kwivwanga kuwaha chikuma hatwima veji kusololanga vaka-kwalumuna mikanda yetu. Numba tuhu mulimo kana waukalu kaha nawa weji kuzeyesanga, oloze ava vaka-kwalumuna vakushishika veji kusololanga muchima waYehova wakusaka kwambulula mujimbu wamwaza kuli “vaka-mafuchi osena, navaka-miyachi yosena, navaka-malimi osena, navatu veka naveka vosena.” (Kuso. 14:6) Chakutalilaho, omu vasakile kuputuka kwalumuna Kaposhi Kakutalila mulilimi lyaTonga, ngwahulishile tulama vosena vazachisa lilimi kana vangulweze iya nahase kuzata mulimo wakwalumuna. Kalama umwe uze azachilenga mulimo wakuwahisa jiminyau uze wamuhanyinenga chikuma jimbongo, alisuwile kwecha mulimo wenyi  hahaze vene nakuputuka kuzata mulimo wakwalumuna. Chuma kana chatukomwesele hakuwana nge apwile mutwe watanga, kaha nawa katachikijile kwakuwana jimbongo jakukafwa tanga yenyiko. Chipwe ngocho, Yehova amuzakamine natanga yenyi, kaha atwalileho lika kuzata mulimo wakwalumuna hamyaka yayivulu.

Ava vaka-kwalumuna vakulihana vasolola muchima vatwama nawo vandumbwetu vamuLizavu lyaKutwaminyina vaze veji kuzakamanga chikuma malimi aze vahanjika kuvatu vavandende kaha. Chakutalilaho, lwola lumwe vasakile kutachikiza numba nge chapwile chakutamo kutwalaho lika kwalumuna mikanda mulilimi lyaTuvalu. Ngwevwile kuwaha hakutanga mazu afumine kuLizavu lyaKutwaminyina, aze ambile ngwawo: “Katwamwene vyuma navimilingisa mulitwamine kwalumuna mikanda mulilimi lyaTuvaluko. Numba tuhu vatu vahanjika lilimi kana vapwa vavandende chikuma hakuvesekesa kumalimi eka, oloze vatu vamulilimi kana vatela kuvambulwila mujimbu wamwaza mulilimi lyavo.”

Kuheta mumwaka wa 2003, ami naJenny vatufumishile kuLipatimende lyaKwalumuna hamutango waFiji nakututwala kuPatterson, New York nakukazachila kuLipatimende Lyatala haMulimo waKwalumuna Mikanda. Chuma kana chapwile nge hikulota kaha. Twakafwilenga milimo yakwalumuna mikanda mumalimi eka. Hamyaka yivali yakavangijileho, vatuhanyine mulimo wakutambukila mafuchi akulisezaseza mangana tukanangule vaka-kwalumuna.

Echenu jino ngumilweze vyuma vize ngwavulukanga hakavanga. Omu twahetele mumwaka wa 2000, Lizavu lyaKutwaminyina lyawanyineko jila yimwe yakukafwilamo vaka-kwalumuna mikanda yetu mukaye kosena. Shimbu kanda lwola luze, vaka-kwalumuna vavavulu kavavanangwile chikuma mwakwalumwinako. Omu twalwezele Komiti Yakusoneka Mikanda chihande chakunangula vaka-kwalumuna, Lizavu lyaKutwaminyina lyetavilile chihande kana, nakulongesa kanawa polongalamu yakunangula vaka-kwalumuna mukaye kosena. Vaka-kwalumuna mikanda vavanangwile mwakwivwishisa kanawa lilimi lyaChingeleshi, najila yayashi yakwalumwinamo, nakuzachila hamwe mwalizavu.

Vyuma muka vinafumumo? Mikanda vanalumunanga yinalumbunuka kanawa kuhambakana muze yapwilenga kunyima. Polongalamu kana nawa yinalingisa twalumune jino mikanda mumalimi amavulu. Omu twayile haungeji wetu watete waumishonali mu 1979, mangazini yaKaposhi Kakutalila yapwile kaha mumalimi 82. Mumalimi amwe, mangazini kana vapwile nakuyitambula nge munahichi tukweji vavavulu kufuma haze yalovokele yaChingeleshi. Oholyapwa jino mangazini yaKaposhi Kakutalila yili nakulovoka mumalimi akuhambakana 240, kaha kakavulu yili nakulovokela halwola lwolumwe nayaChingeleshi. Kulya chakushipilitu jino vali nakuchitambula mujijila jajivulu mumalimi akuhambakana 700. Chuma kanechi chapwile nge hichilota kaha kumyaka yakunyima.

Kuheta mumwaka wa 2004, Lizavu lyaKutwaminyina lyasakwile kulinga vyuma vikwavo vyavilemu chikuma. Vyuma kana shina mwakwalumwina washi Mbimbiliya. Omu mwahichile tukweji vavandende, kwalumuna Mbimbiliya chapwile jino nge muze valumwinenga mikanda yikwavo, kahechi chinalingisa  malimi amavulu apwenga naMbimbiliya yaVisoneka vyaKaye Kakahya. Kuheta mumwaka wa 2014, Mbimbiliya kaneyi vanayalumuna yamuundu chipwe yachihanda mumalimi 128, kuhakilako vene namalimi aze vahanjika kuSouth Pacific.

Havyuma vyavilemu vize ngunamono mukuyoya chami shina kuya kukukunguluka changalila kulifuchi lyaTuvalu mu 2011. Hatukweji vavavulu, mulifuchi kana mwapwile changa chachinene, kaha chasolokele nge nakukunguluka vene kacheshi kupwako. Oloze halikumbi twahetele nachingoloshi, kwanokele vula yamishilinjinji, kaha lyacheleko twaputukile kukunguluka. Kukukunguluka kanechi vangutumine, ngwapwile nalisesa lyakulovola Mbimbiliya yaVisoneka vyaKaye Kakahya VyachiHelase vyaVaka-Kulishitu mulilimi lyaTuvalu, lilimi lize vahanjikilenga kuvatu vavandende vaze kanda vatambulengaho lyehi wana kanou. Omu twakumishile kukunguluka, kwanokele vula yikwavo yamishilinjinji. Ngocho vatu vosena vevwile kuwaha kutambula meya akushipilitu nameya avene.

Chaluvinda, Jenny, puwami uze ngwatwamine nenyi hamyaka yakuhambakana 35 kamwene vyuma kaneviko. Apwile nakuviza musongo wakasa yakumavele uze wamuyanjishile hamyaka likumi, kaha kuheta mu 2009 afwile. Omu mwakasanguka mwakawahilila chikuma hakwivwa mujimbu wakulovola Mbimbiliya mulilimi lyaTuvalu.

Kufuma vene haze, Yehova nangukisula hakunguhana pwevo weka wamwaza walijina lyaLoraini Sikivou. Loraini naJenny vazachilenga hamwe muMbetele yamuFiji, kaha Loraini apwile muka-kwalumuna lilimi lyaFiji. Ngocho nguli cheka napwevo weka wakushishika uze nguli nakuzata nenyi milimo yaYehova nakulinangula malimi eka.

Omu ngweji kwanukanga myaka yinahichi kunyima, ngweji kwivwanga kuwaha hakumonomu Setu wamwilu Yehova ali nakutwalaho lika kuzakama vyuma vili nakusakiwa kumalimi vahanjika kuvatu vavandende namalimi vahanjika kuvatu vavavulu. (Samu 49:1-3) Ngunamononga omu vatu vanasololanga zangi yaYehova hakuwahilila chavo nge vanatambula mikanda mulilimi lyavo halwola lwatete chipwe kwimba myaso yakumwalisa mulilimi lyavo. (Vili. 2:8, 11) Ngweji kwanukanga lika mazu ahanjikile ndumbwetu wakashinakaji Saulo Teasi uze ahanjika lilimi lyaTuvalu. Omu akumishile kwimba mwaso waWangana mulilimi lyenyi halwola lwatete, angulwezele ngwenyi: “Watela kuya nakulweza Lizavu lyaKutwaminyina ngwove eyi myaso yinawahe chikuma mulilimi lyaTuvalu kuhambakana muChingeleshi.”

Kufuma vene muSeptember 2005, ngunapunga nakutokwa chakulipwila chakupwa muLizavu lyaKutwaminyina lyaVinjiho jaYehova, chuma chize kangwashinganyekelengako. Numba tuhu kangweshi jino ngumuka-kwalumunako, oloze ngweji kusakwililanga Yehova hakungwitavisa ngutwaleho lika kukafwa vaka-kwalumuna mukaye kosena. Ocho kuwaha kana ngweji kwivwanga hakutachikiza nge Yehova azakama kulya chakushipilitu chavatu vosena, kuhakilako vene navaze vatwama hamatungu ahaPacific Ocean! Ngana muze ahanjikile muka-kwimba jisamu, “Yehova napu Mwangana. Mavu awahilile. Matungu amavulu nawa asambwojoke.”—Samu 97:1.