NDINABADWIRA ku Graz m’dziko la Austria. Nditakwanitsa zaka 7 makolo anga ananditumiza kusukulu ya zachipembedzo. Koma ndinazindikira kuti ansembe ndi masisitere anali achiwerewere kwambiri. Choncho nditakambirana ndi mayi anga anandichotsako chisanathe n’chaka chimodzi chomwe.

Kenako ndinapita kusukulu yogonera komweko. Tsiku lina usiku, bambo anga anabwera kudzanditenga chifukwa choti anthu ankaponya mabomba m’dera lathulo. Tinathawira kutauni ya Schladming. Titangofika n’kuwoloka mlatho wina mlathowo unaphulitsidwa. Tsiku lina, asilikali amene anali mundege yomwe inkauluka chapansipansi anayamba kuombera pamene ine ndi agogo anga tinali. Pamene nkhondoyi inkatha ndinali nditataya mtima chifukwa cha zochita za anthu achipembedzo komanso boma.

Mu 1950, a Mboni za Yehova anayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi mayi anga. Ndinkamvetsera zimene ankakambirana ndipo nthawi zina ndinkapita ndi mayi anga kumisonkhano. Mayiwo anazindikira kuti zimene a Mboni za Yehova amaphunzitsa ndi zoona ndipo anabatizidwa mu 1952.

Pa nthawiyo, alongo amene ankapezeka pamisonkhano kumpingo wathu anali achikulire okhaokha. Koma kenako tinapita kumpingo wina kumene kunalinso achinyamata ambirimbiri osati azimayi achikulire okhaokha. Nditabwerera ku Graz ndinayamba kupezeka pamisonkhano yonse ndipo nanenso ndinazindikira kuti ndapeza choonadi. Ndinazindikiranso kuti Yehova amathandiza anthu ake nthawi zonse. Iye amachita zimenezi ngakhale pa nthawi imene ifeyo tikuganiza kuti palibiretu mtengo wogwira.​—Sal. 3:5, 6.

Ndinkafunitsitsa kuthandiza anthu ena kuti nawonso adziwe choonadi. Choncho ndinayamba ndi achibale anga. Azichemwali anga 4 anali atachoka pakhomo n’kukayamba ntchito ya  uphunzitsi. Ndinapita kukawaona onse ndipo ndinawalimbikitsa kuti ayambe kuphunzira Baibulo. Chosangalatsa n’chakuti onsewa anayambadi kuphunzira ndipo anakhala a Mboni za Yehova.

Patatha mlungu umodzi kuchokera pamene ndinayamba kulalikira, ndinakumana ndi mayi wina wazaka za m’ma 30 ndipo ndinayamba kuphunzira naye. Phunziroli linkayenda bwino moti anafika pobatizidwa. Patapita nthawi, mwamuna wake komanso ana ake aamuna awiri anabatizidwanso. Zimenezi zinandisangalatsa kwambiri. Ndikutero chifukwa chakuti palibe amene anandiphunzitsapo Baibulo. Ndinkafunika kukonzekera bwino phunziro lililonse. Ndingati ndinkayamba kudziphunzitsa ndekha, kenako n’kumakaphunzitsa ena. Zimenezi zinandithandiza kuti ndizikonda kwambiri choonadi. Mu April 1954, ndinadzipereka kwa Yehova ndipo ndinabatizidwa.

Mu 1955, ndinapita kumsonkhano wamayiko ku Germany, ku France ndi ku England. Ndili ku London, ndinakumana ndi M’bale Albert Schroeder. M’baleyu anali mlangizi wa Sukulu ya Giliyadi ndipo kenako anatumikira m’Bungwe Lolamulira. Ndiye titapita kukaona kumyuziyamu M’bale Schroeder anandisonyeza mipukutu ina ya Baibulo. M’mipukutuyi, dzina la Mulungu linalembedwa m’Chiheberi ndipo iye anandifotokozera kufunika kwake. Zimenezi zinandifika pamtima kwambiri moti ndinkafunitsitsa kuthandiza anthu ambiri kuti amve choonadi cha m’Mawu a Mulungu.

Mu January 1956, ndinayamba upainiya. Patangopita miyezi 4 ndinapemphedwa kuti ndikhale mpainiya wapadera m’tauni ya Mistelbach ku Austria. Pa nthawiyo, m’tauni yonseyi munalibe wa Mboni ngakhale mmodzi. Koma panali vuto linanso. Munthu amene anandiuza kuti ndizikachita naye upainiya tinkasiyana zinthu zambiri. Ine ndinali ndi zaka pafupifupi 19 ndipo ndinkachokera mumzinda pomwe iye anali ndi zaka 25 ndipo ankachokera kumudzi. Ine ndinkakonda kugona mochedwa n’kudzukanso mochedwa pomwe iye ankakonda kugona mofulumira n’kudzukanso mofulumira. Koma kutsatira malangizo a m’Baibulo kunatithandiza kuti tizikhala limodzi bwinobwino.

Pali mavuto enanso akuluakulu amene tinakumana nawo. Tinkazunzidwa koma “osati mochita kusowa kolowera.” (2 Akor. 4:7-9) Tsiku lina tikulalikira m’mudzi wina, anthu anamasula agalu awo kuti atilume. Agaluwo anayamba kubwera mwaukali ndipo tinalibe kothawira. Tinangogwirana manja ndipo ine ndinayamba kupemphera kuti, “Chonde Yehova, tithandizeni kuti agaluwa akayamba kutiluma tisachedwe kufa.” Koma agaluwo atangofika anayamba kugwedeza michira kenako n’kubwerera. Apa tinaona kuti Yehova watiteteza kwambiri. Kenako tinayamba kulalikira mudzi wonse ndipo anthu ambiri ankamvetsera mwachidwi. N’kutheka kuti anadabwa poona kuti agaluwo sanativulaze komanso anaona kuti zimene zinachitikazo sizinatichititse kubwerera m’mbuyo. Ena mwa anthu amene tinawalalikirawo anadzakhala a Mboni.

Tsiku lina panachitikanso zinthu zina zoopsa kwambiri. Bambo akunyumba kumene tinkachita lendi anamwa mowa ndipo analusa kwambiri n’kunena  kuti atipha chifukwa choti tinkasokoneza kwambiri m’deralo. Mkazi wake anayesetsa kumuletsa koma sizinathandize. Pa nthawiyo tinali m’chipinda chapamwamba ndipo tinkamva zonse zimene ankakambirana. Mwamsanga tinaika mipando pachitseko chakutsogolo n’kuyamba kupakira katundu wathu. Titatsegula chitseko, tinapeza kuti bambowo ali pafupi atanyamula chimpeni. Tinabwerera n’kutulukira khomo lakuseri, ndipo tinadutsa kanjira kam’munda n’kuthawa titanyamula katundu wathu.

Tinapita kuhotelo inayake kukafufuza malo ndipo tinawapeza. Tinakhala kumeneko pafupifupi kwa chaka chathunthu ndipo malowa anali abwino kwambiri. Ndikutero chifukwa chakuti hoteloyi inali pakatikati pa tauni ndipo anthu ena amene tinkaphunzira nawo ankabwera kuti azidzaphunzirira komweko. Pasanapite nthawi tinkachitira komweko zinthu monga phunziro la buku komanso Phunziro la Nsanja ya Olonda ndipo tinkasonkhana anthu pafupifupi 15.

Nthawi imene tinakhala ku Mistelbach inali yoposa chaka chimodzi. Kenako ndinapemphedwa kuti ndipite ku Feldbach, komwe ndi kum’mwera chakum’mawa kwa Graz. Kumeneku ndinkachita upainiya ndi mlongo wina koma kunalibenso mpingo. Tinkakhala m’kachipinda kakang’ono kam’mwamba. Kukachita mphepo, mipata yomwe inali pakati pa matabwa inkachita phokoso kwambiri ndiye tinkatseka mipatayo ndi manyuzipepala. Tinkatunga madzi pachitsime. Koma tinachita bwino kwambiri kukhala kumeneku. Tikutero chifukwa chakuti patangodutsa miyezi yochepa kagulu kanakhazikitsidwa. Kenako anthu 30 a m’banja lina limene tinkaphunzira nalo anakhala a Mboni za Yehova.

Zonsezi zinanditsimikizira kuti Yehova sasiya kuthandiza anthu amene amaika Ufumu pamalo oyamba. Iye amachita zimenezi ngakhale pamene zikuoneka kuti munthu aliyense sangakwanitse kutithandiza.​—Sal. 121:1-3.

Mu 1958, kunali msonkhano wamayiko ku Yankee Stadium ndi ku Polo Grounds ku New York. Ndinafunsira kuti ndikapezekepo ndipo abale akunthambi ya ku Austria anandifunsa ngati ndingakonde kulowa kalasi ya nambala 32 ya Sukulu ya Giliyadi. Ndinaona kuti umenewu ndi mwayi waukulu moti ndinavomera.

 M’kalasi ndinkakhala pafupi ndi M’bale Martin Poetzinger. M’baleyu anapirira nkhanza zambiri zimene anachitiridwa kundende zimene zinkayang’aniridwa ndi asilikali a Nazi. M’baleyu anadzatumikiranso m’Bungwe Lolamulira. Ndikukumbukira kuti tikamaphunzira, Martin ankakonda kunena kuti: “Erika, kodi akuti chiyani? Tandiuze mu Chijeremani.”

Titatsala pang’ono kumaliza, M’bale Nathan Knorr anatiuza komwe tidzapite. Ine anandiuza kuti ndidzapita ku Paraguay. Popeza ndinali wamng’ono, ndinafunika chilolezo cha bambo anga kuti ndipite kumeneko. Bambowo atandipatsa chilolezo ndinanyamuka ndipo ndinafika ku Paraguay mu March 1959. Anandiuza kuti ndizikakhala kunyumba ya amishonale ku Asunción ndipo ndinkakhala ndi mlongo wina.

Pasanapite nthawi yaitali, ndinakumana ndi M’bale Walter Bright yemwe tinadzakwatirana. Iye analowa kalasi ya nambala 30 ya Sukulu ya Giliyadi ndipo analinso mmishonale. Tapirira zinthu zambiri limodzi ndipo tikakumana ndi vuto lililonse tinkawerenga lonjezo la Yehova pa Yesaya 41:10 lakuti: “Usachite mantha, pakuti ndili nawe. Usayang’ane uku ndi uku mwamantha, pakuti ine ndine Mulungu wako. Ndikulimbitsa.” Mawu amenewa ankatilimbikitsa kwambiri ndipo sitinkakayikira kuti Yehova sadzatisiya ngati tipitiriza kuika Ufumu pamalo oyamba.

Patapita nthawi anatipempha kuti tikatumikire chakumalire ndi dziko la Brazil. Tili kumeneko, atsogoleri achipembedzo anauza anyamata ena kuti azigenda nyumba imene amishonalefe tinkakhala. Nyumbayo sinali bwino ndi kale moti izi zinangowonjezera mavuto. Kenako Walter anayamba kuphunzira ndi mkulu wa apolisi. Mkulu wa apolisiyo ankaonetsetsa kuti apolisi akhale pafupi ndi nyumba yathu kwa mlungu umodzi moti palibe amene ankativutitsanso. Kenako tinasamukira panyumba ina yabwino mbali ya dziko la Brazil. Apa unalinso mwayi chifukwa tinkachita misonkhano ku Paraguay ndi ku Brazil. Pamene tinkachoka kumeneku n’kuti kutakhazikitsidwa mipingo iwiri ing’onoing’ono.

Dokotala wanga anandiuza kuti sindidzakhala ndi mwana koma tinadabwa mu 1962 titazindikira kuti ndine woyembekezera. Choncho tinachoka n’kukakhala ku Hollywood, ku Florida pafupi ndi achibale a Walter. Kwa zaka zambiri, ine ndi Walter sitinakwanitse kuchita upainiya chifukwa choti udindo wathu m’banja unakula. Koma tinkayesetsabe kuika Ufumu pamalo oyamba.​—Mat. 6:33.

Titafika ku Florida mu November 1962, tinapeza kuti kuli mavuto a tsankho moti abale akuda ndi azungu sankasonkhana kapena kulalikira limodzi. Koma poti Yehova alibe tsankho, zinatheka kuti ayambe kuchitira zinthu limodzi. Zitatero Yehova anatidalitsa kwambiri chifukwa mipingo yambirimbiri inakhazikitsidwa.

Koma chomvetsa chisoni n’chakuti Walter anamwalira ndi matenda a khansa ya mu ubongo mu 2015. Ndakhala naye m’banja kwa zaka 55. Walter anali mwamuna wabwino komanso wokonda Yehova ndipo anathandiza abale ambiri. Ndikuyembekezera kudzamuonanso akadzauka ali wathanzi.​—Mac. 24:15.

Ndikusangalala kwambiri kuti ndachita utumiki wa nthawi zonse kwa zaka zoposa 40 ndipo Yehova wandidalitsa. Mwachitsanzo, ine ndi Walter tathandiza anthu 136 mpaka kufika pobatizidwa. N’zoona kuti nthawi zina tinkakumana ndi mavuto. Koma sitinaganizirepo zosiya kutumikira Yehova mokhulupirika. M’malomwake tinkamukonda kwambiri ndipo sitinkakayikira zoti athetsa mavuto athu pa nthawi yake komanso m’njira imene akuona kuti ndi yabwino kwambiri. Zimenezi n’zimene ankachitadi.​—2 Tim. 4:16, 17.

Panopa Walter ndimamusowa kwambiri koma upainiya ndi umene umandithandiza kuti ndizipirira. Ndimamva bwino kwambiri ndikamaphunzitsa ena, n’kumawauza zoti akufa adzauka. Kunena zoona, Yehova sanandigwiritsepo mwala ndipo wakhala akundithandiza m’njira zosiyanasiyana. Mogwirizana ndi zimene analonjeza, iye wakhala ‘akundilimbitsa komanso kundigwira mwamphamvu ndi dzanja lake lamanja lachilungamo.’​—Yes. 41:10.