NDINABADWA m’chaka cha 1926 m’katauni kotchedwa Crooksville ku Ohio m’dziko la United States ndipo m’banja mwathu tinalipo ana 8. Makolo athu sankakonda zopemphera komabe ankatiuza anafe kuti tizipita kutchalitchi. Ine ndinkapita kutchalitchi cha Methodist. Ndili ndi zaka 14, abusa anandipatsa mphoto chifukwa sindinajombe kutchalitchi kwa chaka chathunthu.

Kenako mayi ena a Mboni dzina lawo a Margaret Walker, amene ankakhala pafupi ndi nyumba yathu, anayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi mayi anga. Tsiku lina ndinaganiza zoti ndikhalepo akamaphunzira. Koma mayi ankaganiza kuti ndiwasokoneza ndipo anandiuza kuti ndichokepo. Koma sindinapite kutali chifukwa ndinkafuna kuti ndizimva zomwe akuphunzira. Pa nthawi ina a Margaret anandifunsa kuti: “Kodi dzina la Mulungu umalidziwa?” Ndinayankha kuti: “Aliyense akudziwa kuti dzina lake ndi Mulungu.” Koma anandiuza kuti: “Katenge Baibulo lako ndipo uwerenge pa Salimo 83:18.” Nditawerenga lembali ndinapeza kuti dzina la Mulungu ndi Yehova. Nthawi yomweyo ndinapita kukauza anzanga kuti: “Mukapita kwanu, mukawerenge m’Baibulo pa Salimo 83:18 kuti  mudziwe dzina la Mulungu.” Apatu ndiye kuti ndinayamba kulalikira tsiku lomwelo.

Ndinayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndipo ndinabatizidwa mu 1941. Pasanapite nthawi, ndinauzidwa kuti ndizichititsa phunziro la buku la mpingo. Ndinalimbikitsa mayi komanso azichimwene ndi azichemwali anga kuti azibwera kuphunziroli. Koma bambo sankabwera chifukwa sankafuna kuphunzira Baibulo.

Ndinapatsidwanso udindo wina mumpingo ndipo kunyumba kwathu ndinali ndi mabuku ambiri a Mboni. Koma tsiku lina bambo anandiuza kuti: “Iweyo ndi mabuku akowa muchoke m’nyumba muno.” Ndinachokadi n’kukakhala mumzinda wina wapafupi komabe ndinkapita kukalimbikitsa amayi ndiponso azibale anga.

Bambo ankawaletsa mayi kuti asamasonkhane. Nthawi zina mayi akamapita kumisonkhano, ankawathamangira n’kuwakokera m’nyumba. Koma mayi ankangotulukira khomo lakuseri n’kupitabe. Ndinkauza mayi kuti: “Musadandaule, akadzatopa adzasiya.” Patapita nthawi bambo anatopadi moti mayi anayamba kupita kumisonkhano bwinobwino.

Mu 1943, Sukulu ya Utumiki wa Mulungu itakhazikitsidwa, ndinayamba kukamba nkhani m’sukuluyi. Malangizo amene ndinkalandira anandithandiza kwambiri.

Nkhondo yachiwiri yapadziko lonse itayamba, ndinaitanidwa kukalowa usilikali mu 1944. Choncho ndinakaonekera kumalo a asilikali mumzinda wa Columbus ku Ohio. Kumeneko anandiyeza kuti aone ngati ndili ndi vuto lililonse ndipo anandipatsa mafomu oti ndilembe. Ndinawauza kuti sindingalowe usilikali ndipo anandiuza kuti ndibwerere. Koma patapita masiku angapo, wapolisi wina anabwera kunyumba kudzandimanga.

Patapita milungu iwiri, ndinapita kukhoti ndipo woweruza anati: “Ndikanakhala kuti ndiweruza mlanduwu ndekha ndikanagamula kuti ukakhale kundende moyo wako wonse. Uli ndi mawu alionse?” Ndinayankha kuti: “Bwana, popeza ndine m’busa sindikuyenera kukakamizidwa kuti ndipite kunkhondo. Ndimapita kunyumba za anthu n’kumalalikira uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu.” Woweruza wamkuluyo anauza oweruza ena kuti: “Ntchito yanu si kugamula ngati munthuyu ndi m’busadi kapena ayi. Koma muyenera kuweruza ngati anakana usilikali kapena ayi. Patangopita kanthawi, oweruzawo ananena kuti ndili ndi mlandu wokana usilikali. Choncho woweruza wamkuluyu anagamula kuti ndikakhale kundende zaka 5 ku Kentucky.

Koma ndisanapite ku Kentucky, ndinakhala kaye kundende ya ku Ohio komweko. Tsiku loyamba ndinakhala muselo tsiku lonse osatuluka ndipo ndinapemphera kwa Yehova n’kumuuza kuti: “Sindingathe kukhala muselo kwa zaka 5. Ndithandizeni chifukwa sindikudziwa kuti ndingatani.”

Tsiku lotsatira asilikali anandilola kuti ndituluke museloyo. Ndiyeno ndinapita pamene panali mkaidi wina ndipo tinayamba kucheza. Mkaidiyu anali wamtali komanso wadzitho ndipo dzina lake anali Paul. Kenako iye anandifunsa kuti: “Unabwera kuno chifukwa chiyani?” Ndinayankha kuti: “Ndine  wa Mboni za Yehova.” Iye anati: “Zoona! Ndiye unabwereranji kundende kuno?” Ndinamuyankha kuti: “A Mboni amakana kupita kunkhondo chifukwa safuna kupha anthu.” Atamva zimenezi anati: “Akutsekera m’ndende chifukwa chokana kupha anthu. Koma iwo omwewo amatsekera anthu ena m’ndende chifukwa choti apha anthu. Ndiye zimenezi n’zomveka?” Ndinamuyankha kuti: “Ayi n’zosamveka.”

Kenako anandiuza kuti anakhala m’ndende inayake zaka 15 ndipo anawerenga mabuku athu ena. Nditamva zimenezo ndinapemphera kuti: “Yehova, ndithandizeni kuti ndizigwirizana ndi munthu ameneyu.” Nditangomaliza kupemphera Paul anandiuza kuti: “Aliyense akamakuvutitsa, uzindiuza. Ndithana naye.” Zimenezi zinathandiza kuti ndizikhala bwino ndi akaidi onse 50.

Patatha milungu iwiri anandisamutsira ku Kentucky. Kumeneko ndinapezakonso abale ena okhulupirika ndipo anandithandiza kwambiri ineyo komanso abale ena. Mlungu uliwonse ankapereka mavesi a m’Baibulo oti tiwerenge ndipo aliyense ankakonzekera mafunso ndi mayankho oti tidzakambirane. Panalinso m’bale wina amene anaikidwa kuti akhale mtumiki wa magawo. Muselo yomwe tinkakhala munali mabedi ambiri. Ndiyeno mtumiki wa magawoyo ankatiuza kuti: “Iwe gawo lako ndi bedi ili. Aliyense amene angabwere pabedi limeneli, uzionetsetsa kuti wamulalikira asanatuluke.” Zimenezi zinkathandiza kuti tizilalikira mwadongosolo.

Nkhondo yachiwiri yapadziko lonse inatha mu 1945 koma sindinatulutsidwe m’ndende nthawi yomweyo. Ndinkadera nkhawa anthu a m’banja lathu chifukwa bambo anali atandiuza kuti: “Ukachoka iweyo, sizindivuta kuletsa enawa kuti asiye za Mboni.” Koma nditatulutsidwa ndinasangalala kwambiri kuona kuti anthu 7 a m’banja lathu ankapitabe kumisonkhano ndipo mchemwali wanga wina anali atabatizidwa. Izi zinatheka ngakhale kuti bambo ankawatsutsa kwambiri.

Koma mu 1950, nkhondo ya ku Korea inayamba ndipo ndinaitanidwanso kuti ndikaonekere kumalo a asilikali. Anandipatsa mayeso kuti aone ngati ndingakwanitsedi kugwira ntchito yausilikali ndipo msilikali wina anandiuza kuti: “Mwakhoza bwino kwambiri.” Koma ndinamuyankha kuti: “Chabwino, komabe sindilowa usilikali.” Ndinamuuza zimene lemba la 2 Timoteyo 2:3 limanena ndipo ndinati: “Ndine kale msilikali wa Khristu.” Atamva zimenezi anakhala phee kwa kanthawi ndipo kenako anati: “Mutha kupita.”

 Ndiyeno ndinapita kumsonkhano wachigawo mumzinda wa Cincinnati ku Ohio ndipo ndinakhala nawo pamsonkhano wa ofuna kukatumikira ku Beteli. Pamsonkhanowu M’bale Milton Henschel anatiuza kuti ku Beteli kukufunika abale amene ndi okonzeka kugwira ntchito mwakhama pothandiza pa ntchito za Ufumu. Choncho ndinalemba fomu ndipo mu August 1954, anandiitana kuti ndikayambe kutumikira ku Beteli ya ku Brooklyn. Ndiyeno ndakhala ndikutumikira pa Beteli mpaka pano.

Nthawi zonse ndimakhala ndi ntchito zambiri. Mwachitsanzo, kwa zaka zambiri ndinkagwira ntchito yoyendetsa ndiponso kukonza makina kunyumba yosindikizira mabuku ndi kumaofesi komanso ndinkakonza maloko. Ndinkagwiranso ntchito yokonza Nyumba za Misonkhano mumzinda wa New York.

Ndimakonda kwambiri zinthu zimene timachita ku Beteli kuno monga kulambira kwa m’mawa ndi Phunziro la Nsanja ya Olonda. Ndimakondanso kukalalikira limodzi ndi anthu amumpingo wathu. Izi ndi zimenenso mabanja achikhristu ayenera kuchita nthawi zonse. Mabanja akamakambirana lemba la tsiku, kuchita Kulambira kwa Pabanja, kupita kumisonkhano ndiponso kulalikira, aliyense m’banjamo angakhale pa ubwenzi wolimba ndi Mulungu.

Ndapeza anzanga ambiri pa Beteli pano komanso mumpingo. Ena mwa iwo anali odzozedwa ndipo anapita kale kumwamba pomwe ena sanali odzozedwa. Koma atumiki onse a Yehova, ngakhale amene amatumikira ku Beteli, si angwiro. Choncho ndikasemphana maganizo ndi m’bale wina, ndimayesetsa kutsatira mfundo ya pa Mateyu 5:23, 24 n’cholinga choti tigwirizanenso. N’zoona kuti kupepesa n’kovuta koma nthawi zambiri kumathandiza kuti anthu ayambenso kugwirizana.

Panopa ndakalamba ndipo ndimavutika kupita kunyumba ndi nyumba koma ndimayesetsabe kulalikira. Ndinaphunzira mawu ena achitchainizi ndipo ndimasangalala kulalikira mumsewu kwa anthu ochokera ku China. Nthawi zina ndimagawira magazini 30 kapena 40 pa tsiku.

Nthawi ina ndinapanga ulendo wobwereza ku China. Zimene zinachitika ndi zoti, tsiku lina ndinalalikira mtsikana wina amene ankapatsa anthu timapepala totsatsa zipatso. Ndinamumwetulira  ndipo kenako ndinamugawira magazini a m’Chitchainizi. Iye analandira magaziniwa ndipo anandiuza kuti dzina lake ndi Katie. Kuyambira pa nthawiyo, akandiona ankabwera kudzacheza nane. Ndinamuphunzitsa mayina achingelezi a zipatso ndiponso zinthu zina. Ndinkakambirana nayenso mavesi ena a m’Baibulo ndipo ndinamupatsa buku lakuti, Baibulo Limaphunzitsa Chiyani. Koma kenako sindinaonanenso naye.

Patapita miyezi ingapo, ndinaona mtsikana wina akuperekanso kwa anthu timapepala totsatsa zipatso ndipo ndinamugawira magazini. Mlungu wotsatira mtsikanayo anabwera pamene ndinali ndipo anandipatsa foni yake n’kunena kuti: “Mulankhule ndi munthu wina ku China.” Ndinamuuza kuti: “Sindidziwa munthu aliyense ku China.” Koma popeza analimbikira, ndinatenga foniyo n’kunena kuti: “Halo! Ndine Robison.” Munthuyo anati: “A Robby, ndine Katie. Ndabwerera kuno ku China.” Ndinati: “Kodi ndi Katie? Uli ku China?” Kenako Katie anati: “Ee. Mtsikana amene wakupatsani foniyi ndi mng’ono wanga. Munandiphunzitsa zinthu zambiri zothandiza ndiye ndikufuna kuti mumuphunzitsenso mng’ono wangayo.” Ndinanena kuti: “Chabwino, ndiyesetsa. Zikomo kwambiri pondiuza kumene uli.” Koma patangopita nthawi yochepa, sindinaonanenso ndi mng’ono wakeyo. Panopa sindikudziwa kumene atsikanawo ali, koma ndingasangalale kwambiri ngati akupitirizabe kuphunzira za Yehova.

Ndatumikira Yehova kwa zaka 73 ndipo ndikusangalala kwambiri kuti wandithandiza kukhalabe wokhulupirika ngakhale pamene ndinali kundende. Komanso azichimwene ndi azichemwali anga amanena kuti chifukwa choti sindinabwerere m’mbuyo pamene bambo ankanditsutsa, zinawathandiza kuti nawonso akhale okhulupirika. Mayi ndiponso anthu ena 6 a m’banja lathu anabatizidwa. Nawonso bambo anasiya kutitsutsa ndipo pa nthawi ina asanamwalire, anapitako kumisonkhano yathu.

Ngati ndi cholinga cha Mulungu, anthu a m’banja lathu komanso anzanga amene anamwalira adzaukitsidwa m’dziko latsopano. Tangoganizirani mmene tidzasangalalire tikamadzatumikira Yehova limodzi ndi achibale komanso anzathu mpaka kalekale. *