CHA M’MA 1930 bambo ndi mayi anga anasamukira kudera la Bronx mumzinda wa New York. Bambo anga anali a James Sinclair pomwe mayi anga anali a Jessie ndipo onse anali ochokera ku Scotland. Atafika kumeneku ankakonda kucheza ndi Willie Sneddon yemwe analinso wochokera ku Scotland. Iwo anakumana koyamba ine ndisanabadwe ndipo anayamba kucheza kwambiri chifukwa aliyense ankadziwa achibale a mnzake.

Mayi anga anauza Willie kuti nkhondo yoyamba yapadziko lonse itangotsala pang’ono kuyamba, bambo awo ndi mchimwene wawo anafera m’nyanja. Boti limene anakwera powedza nsomba linawomba bomba lomwe linatcheredwa m’madzi. Poyankha Willie anati: “Abambo anuwotu ali kuhelo.” Willie anali wa Mboni za Yehova ndipo yankho lakeli linali lachilendo koma linachititsa kuti mayi anga ayambe kuphunzira Baibulo.

Mayi anga anakhumudwa kwambiri ndi zimene Willie ananenazo chifukwa bambo awo anali munthu wabwino kwambiri. Koma Willie anati: “Mungamve bwanji nditakuuzani kuti Yesu nayenso anapita kuhelo?” Mayi anga anakumbukira kuti kutchalitchi ankaphunzira kuti Yesu anatsikira kuhelo kenako anaukitsidwa tsiku lachitatu. Choncho ankadzifunsa kuti, ‘Ngati helo ndi malo amoto kumene anthu oipa amalangidwa n’chifukwa chiyani Yesu anapitako?’ Nkhani imeneyi inachititsa kuti mayi anga afune kudziwa choonadi. Iwo anayamba kusonkhana mumpingo wa Bronx ndipo anabatizidwa mu 1940.

Pa nthawiyo, makolo sankalimbikitsidwa kwenikweni kuti aziphunzitsa ana awo Baibulo. Choncho ndili wamng’ono, mayi anga ankandisiya akamapita kumisonkhano kapena kokalalikira ndipo bambo anga ndi amene ankandisamalira. Koma patapita zaka zingapo, ine ndi bambowo tinayamba kupita kumisonkhano limodzi ndi mayi anga. Mayiwo ankalalikira mwakhama ndipo ankaphunzira Baibulo ndi anthu ambiri. Nthawi zina ankaphunzitsa anthuwo pagulu chifukwa ambiri ankakhala moyandikana. Ndikakhala pa holide, ndinkapita kukalalikira limodzi ndi mayi anga. Zimenezi zinathandiza kuti ndidziwe Baibulo komanso njira zophunzitsira anthu.

 Ndili mwana sindinkakonda kwambiri choonadi. Koma nditakwanitsa zaka 12 ndinakhala wofalitsa ndipo kuyambira nthawi imeneyo ndinkalalikira mwakhama. Nditakwanitsa zaka 16 ndinadzipereka kwa Yehova ndipo ndinabatizidwa pa 24 July 1954 pamsonkhano umene unachitikira ku Toronto m’dziko la Canada.

Abale ena mumpingo wathu ankatumikira ku Beteli, pamene ena anali oti pa nthawi ina anatumikirapo ku Beteliko. Abale amenewa anandithandiza kwambiri. Ndinkachita chidwi ndi mmene ankakambira nkhani komanso kufotokoza Malemba. Aphunzitsi anga ankandilimbikitsa kuti ndipite kuyunivesite koma ineyo ndinkafunitsitsa kuti ndikatumikire ku Beteli. Choncho pamsonkhano wa ku Toronto uja ndinalemba fomu yofunsira utumiki wa pa Beteli. Ndinaperekanso fomu ina mu 1955 pa msonkhano umene unachitikira ku Yankee Stadium mumzinda wa New York. Patangopita nthawi yochepa pa 19 September 1955, ndinaitanidwa kuti ndikatumikire ku Beteli ku Brooklyn. Pa nthawiyo n’kuti ndili ndi zaka 17. Tsiku langa lachiwiri ku Beteli ndinayamba kugwira ntchito yopanga mabuku ku 117 Adams Street. Kenako ndinkakhala pa mashini osonkhanitsa mapepala kuti asokedwe kupanga buku.

Nditagwira ntchito yopanga mabuku kwa mwezi umodzi, ndinauzidwa kuti ndizikagwira ntchito ku Dipatimenti ya Magazini chifukwa choti ndinkadziwa kutaipa. Pa nthawiyo, abale ndi alongo ankataipa maadiresi a anthu omwe analembetsa kuti azilandira magazini mwezi uliwonse. Kenako patapita miyezi ingapo ndinayamba kugwira ntchito mu Dipatimenti Yotumiza Mabuku. Woyang’anira dipatimentiyi anali Klaus Jensen ndipo anandipempha kuti ndizipita ndi m’bale amene ankayendetsa thiraki yokasiya mabuku kumadoko kuti atumizidwe kumayiko ena. Ndinkathandizanso kunyamula matumba a magazini opita kupositi ofesi kuti akatumizidwe kumipingo  ya m’dziko la United States. M’bale Jensen anandiuza kuti ntchitoyi ingandithandize kuti ndizilimbitsa thupi. Pa nthawiyo ndinali wochepa thupi kwambiri moti ndinkalemera makilogalamu 57 okha. Kunena zoona ntchitoyi inandithandizadi. Zikuoneka kuti M’bale Jensen ankadziwa zimene zingandithandize.

Dipatimenti ya Magazini inkatumiza kumipingo magazini amene mipingoyo inaitanitsa. Zimenezi zinandithandiza kudziwa kuti ku Brooklyn magazini athu amasindikizidwa mu zilankhulo zosiyanasiyana n’kumatumizidwa kumayiko ena. Aka kanali koyamba kudziwa za zilankhulo zina koma ndinkasangalala kudziwa kuti magazini masauzande ambiri ankatumizidwa kumayiko akutali kwambiri. Pa nthawiyo sindinkadziwa kuti ndidzakhala ndi mwayi wokaona ambiri mwa mayikowo.

Mu 1961, ndinauzidwa kuti ndizikagwira ntchito mudipatimenti yoyang’anira za ndalama ndipo woyang’anira wake anali Grant Suiter. Nditagwira ntchito kumeneko kwa zaka zingapo, ndinapemphedwa kuti ndizikagwira ntchito ku ofesi ya M’bale Nathan Knorr, yemwe ankayang’anira ntchito ya Mboni za Yehova padziko lonse. Iye anandiuza kuti m’bale wina amene ankagwira ntchito mu ofesiyi ankafuna kupita ku Sukulu ya Utumiki wa Ufumu kwa mwezi umodzi kenako azidzagwira ntchito ku Dipatimenti ya Utumiki. Choncho ndinayamba kugwira ntchito ya m’baleyo ndipo ndinkagwira limodzi ndi M’bale Don Adams. M’bale Adams ndi amene analandira fomu yanga yofunsira utumiki wa pa Beteli pamsonkhano wa mu 1955 uja. M’bale Robert Wallen ndi M’bale Charles Molohan ankagwiranso ntchito mu ofesi yomweyi. Ndinagwira ntchito ndi abale atatuwa kwa zaka zoposa 50. Unali mwayi waukulu kwambiri kugwira ntchito limodzi ndi abale okhulupirika amenewa.​—Sal. 133:1.

 Mu 1970, ndinapemphedwa kuti ndizigwira nawo ntchito yoyendera nthambi. Ndinkapita pa chaka kamodzi kapena pa zaka ziwiri zilizonse kwa milungu ingapo. Ndinkayendera mabanja a Beteli komanso amishonale. Ndinkawalimbikitsa komanso kuona mmene zinthu zikuyendera m’maofesi a nthambi. Ndinasangalala kwambiri kukumana ndi amishonale ena amene anapita kumakalasi oyambirira a Sukulu ya Giliyadi ndipo ankatumikirabe mokhulupirika m’mayiko amene anatumizidwa. Ndakhala ndi mwayi woyendera nthambi m’mayiko oposa 90.

Abale ndi alongo otumikira pa Beteli ku Brooklyn ankauzidwa kuti azikasonkhana m’mipingo yamumzinda wa New York. Ine ndinauzidwa kuti ndizikasonkhana kumpingo wina wa ku Bronx. Pa nthawiyi n’kuti mpingo woyambirira uja utakula n’kugawidwa. Ineyo ndinali mumpingo woyambawo womwe unkatchedwa Upper Bronx.

Cha m’ma 1960, banja lina la ku Latvia, lomwe linaphunzira Baibulo likukhala kum’mwera kwa Bronx, linasamukira mumpingo wathu. Mwana wawo wamkulu, dzina lake Livija, anayamba upainiya wokhazikika atangomaliza sukulu. Patangopita miyezi yochepa, mlongo ameneyu anasamukira ku Massachusetts komwe kunkafunika ofalitsa ambiri. Kenako tinayamba kulemberana makalata. Ine ndinkamufotokozera mmene zinthu zinkayendera mumpingo ndipo iye ankandiuza mmene utumiki ukuyendera mumzinda wa Boston.

Patapita zaka zochepa, Livija anaikidwa kukhala mpainiya wapadera. Iye ankafuna kuchita zambiri m’gulu la Yehova ndipo anafunsira utumiki wa pa Beteli. Mlongoyu anaitanidwa ku Beteli mu 1971 ndipo zinali ngati Yehova wamubweretsa dala. Tinakwatirana pa 27 October 1973, ndipo M’bale Knorr ndi amene anakamba nkhani ya ukwati wathu. Lemba la Miyambo 18:22 limanena kuti ‘munthu amene wapeza mkazi wabwino ndiye kuti wapeza chinthu chabwino, ndipo Yehova amakondwera naye.’ Ine ndi Livija tatumikira limodzi pa Beteli kwa zaka zoposa 40 ndipo timasonkhanabe mumpingo wa ku Bronx womwe uja.

Ndinasangalala kwambiri kugwira ntchito ndi M’bale Knorr. Iye ankatumikira Yehova mwakhama ndipo ankakonda kwambiri amishonale. Ambiri mwa amishonalewa anatumizidwa kumayiko amene kunalibe wa Mboni aliyense. Zinali zomvetsa chisoni kwambiri pamene M’bale Knorr anapezeka ndi khansa mu 1976. Tsiku lina ali chigonere, anandipempha kuti ndimuwerengere nkhani zina zimene zinkakonzedwa kuti zisindikizidwe. Iye anandipemphanso kuti ndiitane M’bale Frederick Franz kuti adzamvetsere nawo. Patapita nthawi ndinamva kuti M’bale Knorr asanadwale ankawerengera M’bale Franz nkhani ngati zimenezi chifukwa M’bale Franz ankavutika kuona.

M’bale Knorr anamwalira mu 1977, koma anthu onse amene ankamudziwa komanso kumukonda analimbikitsidwa podziwa kuti wamaliza ntchito yake padzikoli mokhulupirika. (Chiv.  2:10) Kenako M’bale Franz anayamba kutsogolera ntchito yathu yapadziko lonse.

Pa nthawiyo, ndinali mlembi wa M’bale Milton Henschel yemwe anagwira ntchito ndi M’bale Knorr kwa zaka zambiri. M’bale Henschel anandiuza kuti tsopano ntchito yanga ikhala yothandiza M’bale Franz. Choncho ndinkamuwerengera nkhani zimene zinkakonzedwa kuti zisindikizidwe. Iye ankakumbukira kwambiri zinthu ndipo ankatha kuika maganizo onse pa zimene ndinkamuwerengera. Ndinasangalala kwambiri kumuthandiza chonchi mpaka pamene anamaliza utumiki wake padzikoli mu December 1992.

Ndimaona kuti zaka 61 zimene ndakhala pa Beteli zadutsa mofulumira kwambiri. Makolo anga anamwalira ali okhulupirika kwa Yehova ndipo ndikulakalaka nthawi imene adzaukitsidwe m’dziko labwino kwambiri. (Yoh. 5:28, 29) Ndimaona kuti m’dzikoli palibe chabwino kuposa mwayi umene ndakhala nawo wotumikira Yehova limodzi ndi abale ndi alongo okhulupirika. Ine ndi Livija tinganene kuti pa zaka zonse zimene takhala mu utumiki wa nthawi zonse, ‘chimwemwe chimene Yehova amapereka chakhala malo athu achitetezo.’​—Neh. 8:10.

Palibe munthu amene anganene kuti ndi wofunika kwambiri m’gulu la Yehova moti popanda iye ntchito yofalitsa uthenga wa Ufumu singapitirize. Ndasangalala kwambiri kutumikira limodzi ndi abale ndi alongo ambiri okhulupirika kwa zaka zonsezi. Panopa abale ndi alongo odzozedwa ambiri amene ndagwira nawo ntchito sali padzikoli. Koma ndikuyamikira kwambiri mwayi umene ndakhala nawo wotumikira Yehova limodzi ndi anthu okhulupirika amenewa.