Mbiri ya Moyo Wanga

Kuunika Kwauzimu Kukuwala ku Middle East

YOSIMBIDWA NDI NAJIB SALEM

M’zaka za zana loyamba C.E., kuunika kwa Mawu a Mulungu kunawala kuchokera ku Middle East ndi kufalikira padziko lonse lapansi. M’zaka za m’ma 1900, kuunika kumeneko kunabwerera kuti kuwalenso m’dera limeneli. Lekani ndikuuzeni mmene zimenezi zinachitikira.

NDINABADWA m’chaka cha 1913 m’tauni ina yotchedwa Amioun, kumpoto kwa dziko la Lebanon. Chimenechi chinali chaka chomaliza cha mtendere ndi bata, chifukwa chakuti nkhondo yoyamba yapadziko lonse inabuka m’chaka chotsatira. Nkhondoyo itatha mu 1918, dziko la Lebanon, lomwe panthaŵiyo linkadziŵika kuti ngale ya ku Middle East, linali pamavuto adzaoneni a zachuma ndiponso a zandale.

Mu 1920, pamene ntchito yotumiza ndi kulandira makalata inayambanso ku Lebanon, tinkalandira makalata omwe anthu a ku Lebanon amene ankakhala kunja kwa dzikoli anali kutumiza. Ena mwa anthu amene ankalemba makalata anali amalume anga a Abdullah ndi a George Ghantous. Iwo ankawalembera makalata abambo awo a Habib Ghantous, omwe anali agogo anga, kuwauza za Ufumu wa Mulungu. (Mateyu 24:14) Atauza anzawo a m’tauniyo zomwe mwana wawo ankalemba m’makalatawo, agogo anasekedwa kwambiri. Anthu a m’tauniyo anafalitsa mphekesera yoti mwana wa a Habib akulimbikitsa abambo ake kuti agulitse malo kuti agule bulu, ndi kuyamba kulalikira.

Kufalikira Koyambirira kwa Kuunika

M’chaka chotsatira, cha 1921, Michel Aboud, yemwe ankakhala ku Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A., anabwerera mumzinda wa Tripoli, ku Lebanon. Iye anali Wophunzira Baibulo, dzina la Mboni  za Yehova panthaŵiyo. Ngakhale kuti anzake ndi achibale ake ambiri a Mbale Aboud sanalabadire uthenga wa m’Baibulo, anthu aŵiri otchuka kwambiri analabadira. Anthuwo anali pulofesa Ibrahim Atiyeh ndi dokotala wamano dzina lake Hanna Shammas. Ndipo Dr. Shammas anapereka nyumba yake ndiponso chipatala chake kuti azichitiramo misonkhano yachikristu.

Ndinali kamnyamata ndithu pamene Mbale Aboud ndi Mbale Shammas anadzacheza kunyumba kwathu ku Amioun. Kucheza kwawo kunandikhudza kwambiri ndipo ndinayamba kuyenda ndi Mbale Aboud kugwira nawo ntchito yolalikira. Kwa zaka 40, aŵirife tinkayendera limodzi mu utumiki nthaŵi zonse mpaka pamene Mbale Aboud anamwalira mu 1963.

Kuyambira mu 1922 mpaka mu 1925, kuunika kwa choonadi cha m’Baibulo kunafalikira m’midzi yambiri ya kumpoto kwa Lebanon. Anthu pafupifupi 20 kapena 30 ankasonkhana m’nyumba zosiyanasiyana, monga ngati m’nyumba yathu ku Amioun, kuti akambirane Baibulo. Atsogoleri amatchalitchi anali kutumiza ana kuti azikagogoda zitini ndi kuchita phokoso n’cholinga chofuna kusokoneza misonkhano yathu. Chotero nthaŵi zina tinkasonkhana m’nkhalango ya paini.

Khama langa muutumiki ndiponso popita kumisonkhano yachikristu ndili wam’ng’ono linachititsa anthu kumangonditchula kuti Timoteo. Mkulu wapasukulu yomwe ndinkaphunzira anandilamula kuti ndisiye kupita kumisonkhano. Nditakana, anandichotsa sukulu.

Kulalikira M’madera Otchulidwa m’Baibulo

Nditabatizidwa mu 1933, ndinayamba utumiki wa upainiya, dzina lomwe Mboni za Yehova zimatchula mtumiki wanthaŵi zonse. Ngakhale kuti panthaŵiyo tinali owerengeka, tinalalikira m’midzi yambiri yakumpoto kwa Lebanon ndiponso mumzinda wa Beirut ndi midzi yozungulira mzindawo mpaka kum’mwera kwa Lebanon. M’zaka zoyambirira zimenezo, nthaŵi zambiri tinkayenda pansi kapena kukwera bulu monga ankachitira Yesu Kristu ndi otsatira ake a m’zaka za zana loyamba.

Mu 1936, Yousef Rahhal, Mboni ya ku Lebanon yomwe inali itakhala ku United States kwa zaka zambiri, inabwera ku Lebanon kudzacheza. Anabweretsa zokuzira mawu ndiponso magalamafoni aŵiri. Tinamangirira zokuzira mawuzo pa galimoto yamtundu wa Ford ya 1931 ndipo tinalengeza uthenga wa Ufumu kumadera akumidzi m’dziko lonse la Lebanon ndiponso la Syria. Zokuzira mawuzo zinali kumveka pamtunda wopitirira makilomita khumi. Anthu anali kukwera pamwamba pa madenga a nyumba zawo kuti amve zomwe ankati anali mawu ochokera kumwamba. Anthu omwe anali kugwira ntchito m’minda yawo ankasiya ntchitozo n’kubwera kufupi kudzamvetsera.

Ulendo wanga womaliza kuyenda ndi a Yousef Rahhal unali wopita ku Aleppo, ku Syria m’nyengo yozizira ya mu 1937. Koma asanabwerere ku United States, tinapitanso ku Palestina. Kumeneko, tinalalikira m’mizinda ya Haifa ndi Jerusalem ndiponso midzi ina ya m’dzikolo. M’modzi mwa anthu amene tinacheza nawo anali a Ibrahim Shehadi, amene ndinadziŵana nawo kale kudzera m’makalata. A Ibrahim anali atadziŵa ziphunzitso zambiri za m’Baibulo moti paulendo wathu umenewo anayamba kulalikira nawo khomo ndi khomo.​—Machitidwe 20:20.

Ndinalinso wosangalala kukumana ndi Pulofesa Khalil Kobrossi yemwe anali Mkatolika wolimbikira amene ankaphunzira Baibulo ndi Mboni za Yehova kudzera m’makalata. Kodi adiresi ya Mboni za ku Lebanon anaipeza bwanji? Eya, ataloŵa m’sitolo ina ku Haifa, wogulitsa m’sitoloyo anakulunga katundu yemwe a Khalil anagula papepala lomwe analithothola m’chofalitsa china cha Mboni za Yehova. Pepalalo linali ndi adiresi yathu. Tinacheza nawo bwino kwambiri, ndipo  kenako mu 1939, anapita ku Tripoli kukabatizidwa.

Mu 1937, Petros Lagakos pamodzi ndi mkazi wake anafika ku Tripoli. M’zaka zingapo zotsatira, atatufe tinalalikira m’madera ambiri a ku Lebanon ndi Syria, kufikira anthu m’makomo mwawo ndi uthenga wa Ufumu. Pamene Mbale Lagakos ankamwalira mu 1943, Mboni n’kuti zitafikitsa kuunika kwauzimu m’mizinda ndi m’midzi yambiri ya ku Lebanon, Syria, ndi Palestina. Nthaŵi zina, anthu pafupifupi 30 pagulu lathu tinkanyamuka pagalimoto kapena pabasi cha m’ma 3 koloko mbandakucha n’cholinga chokafika kumadera akumidzi.

Cha m’ma 1940, Ibrahim Atiyeh anamasulira Nsanja ya Olonda m’Chiarabu. Kenako, ndinali kukopera pamanja magazini okwana asanu n’kutumizira Mboni za ku Palestina, Syria, ndi Egypt. M’nthaŵi yankhondo yachiŵiri ya padziko lonse imeneyo, anthu ankatsutsa kwambiri ntchito yathu yolalikira. Komabe, tinapitiriza kulemberana makalata ndi onse okonda choonadi cha m’Baibulo a ku Middle East. Ineyo ndinalemba mapu a mizinda ndiponso midzi yozungulira mizindayo, ndipo chinali cholinga chathu kuti tikafike konseko ndi uthenga wabwino.

Mu 1944, nkhondo yachiŵiri yapadziko lonse ili mkati, ndinakwatira Evelyn, mwana wamkazi wa mpainiya mnzanga Michel Aboud yemwe ndinkalalikira naye. M’kupita kwanthaŵi tinabala ana atatu, wamkazi mmodzi ndi aamuna aŵiri.

Kugwira Ntchito ndi Amishonale

Nkhondo itatha, amishonale oyamba kumaliza maphunziro a Sukulu ya Gileadi anafika ku Lebanon. Zotsatira zake zinali zakuti mpingo woyamba ku Lebanon unakhazikitsidwa ndipo ine anandisankha kukhala mtumiki wa gulu. Kenako mu 1947, Nathan H. Knorr pamodzi ndi mlembi wake Milton G. Henschel, anadzacheza ku Lebanon ndipo analimbikitsa kwambiri abale. Pasanapite nthaŵi yaitali, amishonale ena anafika, ndipo anatithandiza kwambiri kukonza dongosolo labwino la utumiki wathu ndiponso mmene tingachititsire misonkhano yampingo.

Paulendo wathu wina wopita m’dera lina lakumidzi ku Syria, bishopu wakumeneko anatitsutsa kwambiri. Anatiimba mlandu wofalitsa zomwe iye anati mabuku a Chiziyoni. Chodabwitsa chinali chakuti, chisanafike chaka cha 1948 mtsogoleri watchalitchiyu ankatinena kuti ndife otsatira “Chikomyunizimu.” Nthaŵi ino, anatigwira ndipo anatipanikiza ndi mafunso kwa maola aŵiri. Nthaŵi yonseyo tinawalalikira bwino kwambiri.

 Pamapeto pake, woweruza amene ankazenga mlandu wathuwo ananena kuti: “Ngakhale kuti ndikutsutsa kwambiri ndoda [mawu ophiphiritsa kutanthauza bishopu uja] imene yakuimbani mlandu uwu, ndiyenera kuithokoza chifukwa chondipatsa mwayi wokumana nanu ndi kuphunzira ziphunzitso zanu.” Kenako anapepesa chifukwa chotivutitsa.

Patapita zaka khumi, tili m’basi kupita ku Beirut, ndinayamba kulankhula ndi katswiri wa zaulimi amene anakhala pafupi nane. Atamvetsera ziphunzitso zathu kwa mphindi zingapo, ananena kuti anamvapo kale zimenezo kwa mnzake wa ku Syria. Kodi mnzakeyo anali ndani? Analitu woweruza uja amene anazenga mlandu wathu zaka khumi mmbuyomo.

Cha m’ma 1950, ndinapita kukacheza ndi Mboni za ku Iraq ndi kukalalikira limodzi nawo khomo ndi khomo. Ndinkapitapitanso ku Yordano ndi ku West Bank. Mu 1951, ndinali nawo pagulu la Mboni zinayi zomwe zinapita ku Betelehemu. Tinachitira Chikumbutso cha Imfa ya Ambuye kumeneko. Mmaŵa tsiku limenelo, onse amene analipo pamwambowo anapita kumtsinje wa Yordano pabasi kumene anthu 22 anabatizidwa kusonyeza kudzipatulira kwawo kwa Yehova. Tinkati tikakumana ndi otsutsa m’derali, tinkawauza kuti: “Tabwera kudzakuuzani kuti mwana wanu wakonkuno adzakhala Mfumu ya dziko lonse lapansi! Mukhumudwiranji? Muyenera kusangalala!”

Kulalikira Panthaŵi Yovuta

Anthu ambiri a ku Middle East ali ndi mtima wabwino, odzichepetsa, ndipo amalandira bwino alendo. Ambiri amamvetsera mwachidwi uthenga wa Ufumu wa Mulungu. Ndithudi, palibe chomwe chingakhale chosangalatsa kwambiri kuposa kudziŵa kuti posachedwapa lonjezo la m’Baibulo lidzakwaniritsidwa. Ilo limati: “Mulungu yekha adzakhala nawo [anthu ake], . . . ndipo adzawapukutira misozi yonse kuichotsa pamaso pawo; ndipo sipadzakhalanso imfa; ndipo sipadzakhalanso maliro, kapena  kulira, kapena chowawitsa; zoyambazo zapita.”​—Chivumbulutso 21:3, 4.

Ndaona kuti ambiri amene amatsutsa ntchito yathu samvetsa kwenikweni ntchitoyo ndiponso uthenga umene tili nawo. Atsogoleri a Matchalitchi Achikristu atiwonongera mbiri yathu kwabasi! Pachifukwa chimenechi, panthaŵi ya nkhondo yapachiŵeniŵeni ku Lebanon mu 1975 yomwe inatenga zaka zoposa 15, Mboni zinakumana ndi mavuto ambiri.

Nthaŵi ina, ndinali kuphunzitsa Baibulo banja lina lomwe linkakonda kupita ku tchalitchi. Atsogoleri a tchalitchicho anakwiya kwambiri ataona kuti banjalo likupita patsogolo kuphunzira choonadi cha m’Baibulo. Zotsatira zake zinali zakuti, usiku wina atsogoleri achipembedzowo anauza anthu awo kukathyola sitolo ya banjalo n’kutentha katundu wandalama pafupifupi madola 10,000. Usiku womwewo anabweranso kwathu kudzandigwira. Komabe, ndinakambirana ndi mtsogoleri wawo, ndikumam’fotokozera kuti ngati akanakhala Akristu enieni, sakanachita nkhanza zoterozo. Nditatero, anaimitsa galimoto ndipo anandiuza kuti nditsike ndizipita.

Nthaŵi inanso, asilikali anayi a mfuti anandigwira. Atandiopseza ndi zinthu zambiri, mtsogoleri wawo yemwe ananena kuti andiwombera anasintha maganizo ake mwadzidzidzi ndipo anandimasula. Aŵiri mwa anthu amenewo panopa ali m’ndende chifukwa cha kupha anthu ndi kuba, ndipo aŵiri enawo ananyongedwa.

Mwayi Winanso Wolalikira

Kaŵirikaŵiri ndinali ndi mwayi wopita ku mayiko ena pandege. Ndili m’ndege paulendo wina wochokera ku Beirut kupita ku United States, ndinakhala pafupi ndi a Charles Malek omwe kale anali nduna yoona nkhani zakunja m’dziko la Lebanon. Anamvetsera mwachidwi ndi kuyamikira vesi lililonse la m’Baibulo lomwe ndinawaŵerengera. Pomaliza anandiuza kuti, anaphunzira sukulu ku Tripoli kumene aphunzitsi awo anali a Ibrahim Atiyeh, munthu amene apongozi anga anam’phunzitsa choonadi. A Malek ananena kuti a Ibrahim anawaphunzitsa kulemekeza Baibulo.

Ndili m’ndege paulendo winanso, ndinakhala pafupi ndi woimira dziko la Palestina ku bungwe la United Nations. Ndinali ndi mwayi womuuza uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu wa Mulungu. Kenako, anandiuza za banja la mng’ono wawo lomwe limakhala ku New York, ndipo nthaŵi zambiri ndinkapita kukachezera banja limeneli. Ndinalinso ndi mbale wanga amene ankagwira ntchito ku ofesi ya United Nations ku New York. Nthaŵi ina nditapita ku ofesi kwake, ndinatenga maola atatu ndikumulalikira za Ufumu wa Mulungu.

Tsopano ndili ndi zaka 88 ndipo ndimathabe kusamalira maudindo a mumpingo mwachangu. Mkazi wanga Evelyn, akutumikirabe Yehova limodzi nane. Mwana wathu wamkazi anakwatiwa ndi yemwe anali woyang’anira woyendayenda wa Mboni za Yehova amene tsopano ndi mkulu mumpingo wamumzinda wa Beirut. Mwana wawo wamkazi nayenso ndi Mboni. Mwana wathu wamng’ono wamwamuna pamodzi ndi mkazi wake ndi Mboni ndipo mwana wawo wamkazi nayenso ali m’choonadi. Tinaphunzitsanso kwambiri mwana wathu wamkulu wamwamuna chikhulupiriro chachikristu ndipo ndikukhulupirira kuti nthaŵi ina, adzachitenga kukhala chakechake.

Mu 1933, ndinali mpainiya woyamba kusankhidwa kukagwira ntchito ku Middle East. Ndinaona kuti ntchito yabwino kwambiri yoposa ina iliyonse imene ndingaichite pamoyo wanga ndiyo kutumikira Yehova monga mpainiya zaka 68 zonse zapitazi. Ndipo ndikufunitsitsa kupitiriza kuyenda m’kuunika kwauzimu komwe iye akupereka.

[Chithunzi patsamba 23]

A Najib mu 1935

[Chithunzi patsamba 24]

Tili ndi galimoto yokhala ndi zokuzira mawu ku mapiri a ku Lebanon, mu 1940

[Zithunzi patsamba 25]

Anthu ali pamwambapa kumbuyo ndi: a Najib, Evelyn. Kutsogolo kuyambira kulamanja ndi mwana wawo wamkazi, Mbale Aboud, ndi mwana wamkulu wamwamuna wa a Najib, mu 1952

Pamunsipa (mzera wakutsogolo): Mbale Shammas, Mbale Knorr, Mbale Aboud, ndi Mbale Henschel panyumba ya a Najib, ku Tripoli, mu 1952

[Chithunzi patsamba 26]

A Najib ndi akazi awo a Evelyn