NDILI ndi zaka 12, ndinazindikira kuti ndikhoza kuthandiza anthu. Tili pamsonkhano wadera, m’bale wina anandifunsa ngati ndingakonde kulalikira. Ndinali ndisanalalikirepo komabe ndinamuyankha kuti ndingakonde. Tinapita kugawo lina ndipo m’baleyo anandipatsa timabuku tonena za Ufumu wa Mulungu. Ndiyeno anandiuza kuti: “Iwe uzigawira nyumba za mbali iyo ya msewu, ine ndizigawira mbali iyi.” Ndinali ndi mantha koma ndinayamba kulalikira nyumba ndi nyumba. Ndinadabwa kuona kuti pasanapite nthawi yaitali ndinagawira timabuku tonse. Apa m’pamene ndinazindikira kuti ndikhoza kuthandiza anthu.

Ndinabadwira ku England m’tauni ya Chatham ku Kent mu 1923. Nkhondo yoyamba yapadziko lonse itatha anthu ankaganiza kuti padzikoli pakhala mtendere. Koma anakhumudwa kwambiri chifukwa izi sizinatheke. Makolo anga anakhumudwanso ndi atsogoleri a chipembedzo cha Baptist omwe ankangofuna maudindo. Ndili ndi zaka 9, mayi anga ankanditenga popita kuholo imene Ophunzira Baibulo ankakumana n’kumaphunzitsana. Mlongo wina ankandiphunzitsa ineyo ndi ana ena nkhani za m’Baibulo ndipo ankagwiritsa ntchito buku lakuti, Zeze wa Mulungu. Zimene tinkaphunzira zinkandisangalatsa kwambiri.

Ndili wachinyamata, ndinkakonda kuuza anthu uthenga wopatsa chiyembekezo wochokera m’Mawu a Mulungu. Ngakhale kuti nthawi zambiri ndinkapita ndekha kolalikira, ndikayenda ndi anthu ena ndinkaphunzira zambiri. Mwachitsanzo, tsiku lina ndinkapita kolalikira ndi m’bale wachikulire ndipo tinali pa njinga. Kenako tinakumana ndi m’busa wina ndiye ndinamuuza m’bale uja kuti, ‘Mwaiona mbuziyo?’ M’bale uja anatsika pa njinga n’kundiuza kuti tikhale kaye pachimtengo china. Kenako anandifunsa kuti: “Ndani anakupatsa udindo woweruza munthu kuti ndi mbuzi? Tiye tizingogwira mosangalala ntchito yathu youza anthu uthenga wabwino. Udindo woweruza ndi wa Yehova.” Zimene ndinaphunzira pa zaka zimenezi, zinandithandiza kumvetsa kuti munthu amakhaladi wosangalala akamathandiza ena.—Mat. 25:31-33; Mac. 20:35.

M’bale winanso wachikulire anandithandiza kuzindikira kuti nthawi zina timafunika kukhala oleza mtima kuti tizisangalala chifukwa chothandiza anthu. Mkazi wake ankadana ndi Mboni za Yehova. Ndiyeno tsiku lina m’baleyo anandiitana kunyumba kwawo kuti tikacheze. Koma mkazi wakeyo anakwiya kwambiri chifukwa choti m’baleyu anapita kolalikira ndipo anayamba kutigenda ndi mapaketi a  masamba a tiyi. M’malo mokwiya kapena kumukalipira, m’baleyo anangotola mapaketiwo n’kuwaika pamalo pake. Patadutsa zaka, mkazi wa m’baleyu anakhala wa Mboni. Apatu m’baleyu anadalitsidwa chifukwa chochita zinthu moleza mtima.

Mu September 1939, dziko la Britain linayamba kumenyana ndi dziko la Germany. Pa nthawiyi n’kuti ndili ndi zaka 16. Mu March 1940, ine ndi amayi anga tinabatizidwa ku Dover. Mu June chaka chomwechi, ndinaona asilikali ambirimbiri akudutsa pafupi ndi nyumba yathu ndipo anali m’malole. Asilikaliwo anapulumuka pa nkhondo ya ku Dunkirk ndipo ankaoneka omvetsa chisoni komanso analibiretu chiyembekezo. Ndinkalakalaka nditawauza uthenga wa Ufumu wa Mulungu. Chakumapeto kwa chakachi, dziko la Germany linayamba kuponya mabomba ku Britain. Usiku uliwonse ndinkaona ndege zoponya mabomba za ku Germany zikudutsa m’dera lathu. Mabombawo akaphulika, ankachita phokoso lalikulu ndipo zimenezi zinali zochititsa mantha kwambiri. Kukacha, tinkapeza kuti nyumba zambiri zawonongedwa. Zimenezi zinandithandiza kutsimikizira kuti Ufumu wa Mulungu wokha ndi umene ungakonze zinthu padzikoli.

Mu 1941 ndinayamba utumiki wa nthawi zonse ndipo wandithandiza kukhala wosangalala. Poyamba ndinkagwira ntchito yokonza sitima zapamadzi. Anthu ambiri ankaisirira ntchitoyi chifukwa inali ya ndalama zambiri. Pa nthawiyo, atumiki a Yehova ankadziwa kuti Akhristu sayenera kumenya nkhondo. Koma mu 1941, tinazindikira kuti si bwino kugwira nawo ntchito imene imathandizira kukonza zida za nkhondo. (Yoh. 18:36) Choncho ndinaganiza zosiya ntchito yanga chifukwa chakuti kampani yathuyo inkakonzanso sitima zankhondo. Ndinayamba utumiki wa nthawi zonse ndipo ndinauyambira kutauni ya Cirencester, yomwe inali yokongola kwambiri ku Cotswolds.

Ndili ndi zaka 18 anandimanga n’kundiuza kuti ndikakhale kundende kwa miyezi 9 chifukwa chokana usilikali. Atangotseka chitseko cha selo yanga ndinachita mantha kwambiri. Koma kenako asilikali komanso akaidi ena anayamba kundifunsa chimene anandimangira. Apa ndinaona kuti ndapeza mpata wofotokoza zimene ndimakhulupirira.

Nditatuluka kundende, ndinapemphedwa kuti ndizilalikira m’matauni osiyanasiyana a ku Kent limodzi ndi M’bale Leonard Smith. * Ndege zambiri za ku Germany zinkadutsa ku Kent pokaponya mabomba ku London. Ndege zake zinkauluka popanda woyendetsa ndipo zinkatenga mabomba ambirimbiri. Kungoyambira mu 1944 mabomba oposa 1,000  anagwera ku Kent ndipo zinali zoopsa kwambiri. Tinkati tikamva ndege itasiya kulira m’mwamba tinkadziwa kuti pasanapite masekondi ambiri igwa n’kuphulika. Tinkaphunzira Baibulo ndi banja lina la anthu 5. Nthawi zina tinkakhala pansi pa tebulo lachitsulo limene analikonza kuti adzapulumukiremo ngati nyumba yawo itagwa. Patapita nthawi, anthu onse a m’banjali anabatizidwa.

Nkhondo itatha, ndinachita upainiya kum’mwera kwa Ireland kwa zaka ziwiri. Sitinkadziwa kuti dzikoli ndi losiyana kwambiri ndi dziko la England. Tinkapita kunyumba ndi nyumba n’kumauza anthu kuti ndife amishonale ndipo tinkapempha kuti atipatse malo okhala. Komanso tinkagawira magazini m’misewu. Koma zimenezi zinayambitsa mavuto ambiri chifukwa anthu ambiri a m’dzikoli anali Akatolika. Pamene munthu wina anatiopseza kuti atimenya, ndinafotokozera wapolisi wina yemwe anangondiyankha kuti, “Iwe ndiye ukudabwa ndi zimenezo?” Sitinkadziwa kuti ansembe anali ndi mphamvu zambiri. Iwo ankatha kuchotsetsa anthu ntchito akawapeza ndi mabuku athu, ndipo anachititsa kuti tithamangitsidwe pamalo amene tinkakhala.

Tinazindikira kuti tikangofika kudera, ndi bwino tiziyamba kukalalikira kutali ndi kumene tikukhala ndiponso kumene wansembe wake sakutidziwa. Pomaliza m’pamene tinkalalikira pafupi. Ku Kilkenny, tinkaphunzira ndi mnyamata wina katatu pa mlungu ngakhale kuti anthu ankatiopseza. Kuphunzitsa anthu mfundo za m’Baibulo kunkandisangalatsa kwambiri moti ndinapempha kuti ndikalowe nawo Sukulu ya Giliyadi Yophunzitsa Baibulo.

Ndinalowadi sukuluyi ndipo nditamaliza, ananditumiza patizilumba tina ta kunyanja ya Caribbean. Tinalipo anthu 4 ndipo mu November 1948, tinanyamuka pa boti lalitali mamita 18 lotchedwa Sibia. Ndinali wosangalala kwambiri chifukwa ndinali ndisanayendepo ulendo wapamadzi. M’bale wina dzina lake Gust Maki yemwe tinali naye limodzi ku Sukulu ya Giliyadi ankadziwa kuyendetsa boti. Choncho anatiphunzitsa zina ndi zina za kayendedwe ka panyanja ngakhale kutakhala mphepo. Anatiphunzitsanso kugwiritsa ntchito kampasi. M’bale Gust anayendetsa botili kwa masiku 30 ndipo kenako tinafika bwinobwino ku Bahamas ngakhale kuti panyanjayi panali mphepo yamkuntho.

Titalalikira kwa miyezi ingapo patizilumba ta ku Bahamas, tinapita kuzilumba za Leeward ndi Windward. Zilumbazi zayambira kuchilumba cha Virgin kukafika ku Trinidad ndipo mtunda wake ndi wamakilomita 800. Kwa zaka 5, tinkalalikira kutizilumba takutali komwe kunalibe a Mboni. Nthawi zina pankatha milungu ingapo tisanatumize kapena kulandira makalata. Komabe tinkasangalala kwambiri kulengeza Mawu a Yehova pazilumbazi.—Yer. 31:10.

Anthu ankachita nafe chidwi moti tikangofika, ankasonkhana kuti adzatione. Ena anali asanaonepo azungu komanso boti ngati lathulo. Anthuwa anali aubwenzi, okonda kupemphera ndiponso ankadziwa Baibulo. Nthawi zambiri ankatipatsa nsomba zaziwisi, mapeyala ndi mtedza. Ngakhale boti lathu linali laling’ono, tinkatha kugona momwemo, kuphika ndiponso kuchapa zovala.

Tinkapita kumtunda kukalalikira kwa tsiku lonse ndipo tinkaitana anthu kuti abwere kudzamvetsera nkhani ya Baibulo. Ndiyeno madzulo tinkaimba belu ndipo tinkasangalala kwambiri kuwaona akufika. Anthuwo ankanyamula nyali ndipo akamatsika mapiri, nyalizo zinkaoneka ngati nyenyezi. Nthawi zina  kunkabwera anthu okwana 100 ndipo ankafunsa mafunso osiyanasiyana mpaka usiku. Ankakondanso kuimba nyimbo zathu choncho tinkakopera nyimbozi pamapepala n’kuwapatsa. Ifeyo tinkayesetsa kuimba mokweza ndipo iwo ankatsatira. Ankaimba bwino kwambiri ndipo zinali zosangalatsa.

Tikamaliza kuphunzira, anthu ena ankatitsatira kuti akakhale nawonso pa phunziro lina. Pambuyo pa milungu ingapo tinkafunika kupita kwina ndipo nthawi zambiri tinkapempha anthu achidwi kwambiri kuti aziphunzitsa anzawo. Tikabwererako, tinkasangalala kuona mmene ena ankachitira khama pophunzitsa.

Masiku ano, kuzilumbazi kumabwera anthu ambiri odzaona malo. Koma kalelo munthu akafika pamalowa ankangoona madzi, mchenga ndi mitengo ya mgwalangwa. Nthawi zambiri tinkachoka pachilumba china kupita pachilumba china usiku. Nsomba zina zinkasewera m’mbali mwa boti lathu komanso tinkamva kaphokoso ka botili likamayenda pamadzi. Kukawala mwezi, nyanja yonse inkangooneka mbuu.

Titalalikira kwa zaka 5 pazilumbazi, tinapita ku Puerto Rico kuti tikasiye boti limene tinkagwiritsa ntchito n’kupeza la injini. Nditafika kumeneko, ndinakumana ndi mlongo wina dzina lake Maxine Boyd. Anali wokongola kwambiri ndipo ndinayamba kumukonda. Iye anayamba kulalikira uthenga wabwino mwakhama ali mwana. Kenako anatumizidwa kukatumikira ngati mmishonale ku Dominican Republic. Anakhala kumeneko mpaka mu 1950 pamene anathamangitsidwa ndi boma lachikatolika. Popeza ndinkadziwa kuyendetsa maboti, ndinaloledwa kukhala ku Puerto Rico kwa mwezi umodzi. Kenako ndinafunika kubwerera kuzilumba kuja n’kukakhala zaka zina kumeneko. Choncho ndinadziuza kuti: ‘Ronald, ngati ukumufunadi mtsikanayu usachedwechedwe.’ Patangodutsa milungu itatu ndinamufunsira ndipo patatha milungu 6 tinakwatirana. Ine ndi mkazi wangayu tinapemphedwa kuti tikachite umishonale ku Puerto Rico choncho zopeza boti lina zija zinathera pomwepo.

Mu 1956 tinayamba ntchito yoyang’anira dera. Abale ndi alongo ambiri anali osauka koma tinkawakonda kwambiri. Mwachitsanzo, ku Potala Pastillo kunali mabanja awiri a Mboni amene anali ndi ana ambiri. Ndinkakonda kuimbira anawo fuluti. Kenako tsiku lina ndinapempha kamtsikana kena dzina lake Hilda kuti tikalalikire limodzi. Kamtsikanako kanati: “Sindingathe kupita nawo chifukwa ndilibe nsapato.” Titamugulira nsapatozo anapita nafe. Patapita zaka zambiri, mu 1972, ine ndi mkazi wanga tinapita ku Beteli ya ku Brooklyn. Ndiyeno mlongo wina amene anali atangomaliza kumene Sukulu ya Giliyadi anabwera pamene tinali. Iye anatumizidwa ku Ecuador ndipo pa nthawiyi n’kuti akukonzekera kunyamuka. Ndiye anati: “Mwandikumbukira? Ndinetu kamtsikana ka ku Pastillo kamene kanalibe nsapato kaja.” Tinazindikira kuti anali Hilda ndipo tinasangalala kwambiri mpaka tinalira.

Mu 1960, tinapemphedwa kuti tikatumikire kunthambi ya ku Puerto Rico. Poyamba, ine ndi M’bale Lennart Johnson tinali ndi ntchito yambiri. Iye ndi mkazi wake anali Mboni za Yehova zoyambirira ku Dominican Republic ndipo anafika ku Puerto Rico mu 1957. Patapita nthawi, mkazi wanga ankatumiza masabusikilipishoni a magazini kwa anthu oposa 1,000 mlungu uliwonse. Ngakhale kuti iyi inali ntchito yaikulu, ankasangalala nayo chifukwa ankadziwa kuti ikuthandiza anthu ambiri.

Ndimasangalala kwambiri kutumikira pa Beteli chifukwa ndimathandiza anthu ambiri. Koma nthawi zina ndimakumananso ndi mavuto. Mwachitsanzo, pa msonkhano wamayiko woyamba kuchitika m’dzikoli mu 1967, ndinali ndi ntchito yambiri. Ndiyeno M’bale Nathan Knorr, amene ankayang’anira ntchito yathu padziko lonse anafika. Iye anaganiza kuti sindinakonze za mayendedwe a amishonale amene anafika ngakhale kuti ndinali nditakonza. Ndiyeno anandidzudzula n’kunena kuti ndamukhumudwitsa kwambiri. Sindinafune kukangana naye koma ndinaona kuti wandilakwira ndipo izi zinandiwawa kwa nthawi ndithu. Koma kenako patapita nthawi, tinakumananso naye ndipo anatiitana kwawo n’kutiphikira chakudya.

Tili ku Puerto Rico, tinkapita kukacheza ndi achibale anga ku England. Pa nthawi imene ine ndi mayi anga tinkaphunzira Baibulo, bambo sanalole kuphunzira. Koma abale ochokera ku Beteli akabwera kudzakamba nkhani, amayi ankawaitana kuti adzafikire  kwathuko. Bambo anali atakhumudwa ndi atsogoleri achipembedzo koma anazindikira kuti oyang’anira a m’gulu lathu ndi odzichepetsa kwambiri kusiyana ndi atsogoleri a zipembedzowo. Ndiyeno mu 1962 anabatizidwa.

Mkazi wanga anamwalira mu 2011. Koma ndimalimba mtima ndikaganizira zoti ndidzamuonanso akadzaukitsidwa. Tinakhala m’banja zaka 58 ndipo tinali limodzi pamene anthu a Yehova ankawonjezeka ku Puerto Rico kuchoka pa 650 kufika 26,000. Ndiyeno mu 2013, nthambi ya ku Puerto Rico inaphatikizidwa ndi ya ku United States ndipo ine anandiuza kuti ndizikatumikira ku Wallkill. Ku Puerto Rico kuli achule am’mitengo otchedwa coquí amene amalira madzulo kuti ko-kee, ko-kee. Nditakhala m’dzikoli kwa zaka 60, inenso ndinkamva ngati ndine wa komweko mofanana ndi achulewo. Komabe inali nthawi yoti tisamuke.

Panopa ndikusangalalabe kutumikira pa Beteli. Tsopano ndili ndi zaka zoposa 90 ndipo ntchito yanga ndi kulimbikitsa otumikira pa Beteli. Anthu anandiuza kuti kuyambira pamene ndinabwera ku Wallkill, ndayenderapo abale ndi alongo oposa 600. Anthu ena amene amabwera kudzandiona, amafuna kuti ndikambirane nawo mavuto awo kapena a m’banja mwawo. Ena amafuna ndiwapatse malangizo a zimene angachite kuti utumiki wawo wa pa Beteli uziyenda bwino. Pamene anthu amene angokwatirana kumene amandifunsa malangizo a zomwe angachite kuti banja lawo liziyenda bwino. Palinso ena amene anapemphedwa kuti azikachita upainiya. Ndimayesetsa kumvetsera aliyense akamalankhula nane ndipo nthawi zambiri ndimawauza kuti, “‘Mulungu amakonda munthu wopereka mokondwera.’ Choncho yesetsani kuti muzisangalala ndi utumiki wanu. Muzikumbukira kuti mukutumikira Yehova.”—2 Akor. 9:7.

Utumiki uliwonse pa Beteli ndi wopatulika. Umathandiza kuti “kapolo wokhulupirika ndi wanzeru” azipereka chakudya chauzimu kwa abale padziko lonse. (Mat. 24:45) Koma kaya muli pa Beteli kapena ayi, kuti muzisangalala muyenera kuganizira kwambiri kufunika kwa utumiki umene mukuchita. Mkhristu aliyense ali ndi mwayi wotamanda Yehova. Choncho tiyeni tizisangalala ndi utumiki uliwonse umene Mulungu watipatsa popeza iye “amakonda munthu wopereka mokondwera.”