Ndapindula Kwambiri Chifukwa Chololera Kusintha Zinthu

Yosimbidwa ndi James A. Thompson

Ndinabadwa m’chaka cha 1928 kum’mwera kwa dziko la United States. Pa nthawiyi panali lamulo loti azungu ndi anthu akuda asamachitire limodzi zinthu. Munthu akaphwanya lamulo limeneli, ankamumanga kapena kumulanga mwanjira inayake.

PA NTHAWIYI, m’madera ena ku United States, azungu ndi anthu akuda a Mboni za Yehova sankachitira pamodzi zinthu zauzimu. Mwachitsanzo, azungu ankachita misonkhano paokha, anali ndi madera awoawo ndiponso zigawo zawo. Zinalinso chimodzimodzi ndi anthu akuda. Mu 1937, bambo anga anakhala mtumiki wa gulu (amene panopa amatchedwa wogwirizanitsa ntchito za bungwe la akulu) mu mpingo wa anthu akuda okhaokha ku Chattanooga, Tennessee. Koma m’bale Henry Nichols anali mtumiki wa gulu mu mpingo wa azungu.

Pali zinthu zambiri zosangalatsa zomwe ndimakumbukira zimene ndinkachita ndili mwana. Ndinkakonda kukhala pakhonde pa nyumba yathu usiku ndi bambo n’kumawamvetsera akamacheza ndi M’bale Nichols. Ngakhale kuti sindinkamva zonse, ndinkasangalala kukhala pafupi ndi bambo akamakambirana ndi anzawowo zokhudza mmene angapititsire patsogolo ntchito yolalikira malinga ndi mmene zinthu zinalili pa nthawiyo.

Chakumayambiriro kwa zaka za m’ma 1930, m’banja mwathu munachitika chinthu china chomvetsa chisoni kwambiri. Mayi anga anamwalira. Iwo anamwalira ali ndi zaka 20 zokha. Choncho bambo ankafunika kusamalira ine ndi mchemwali wanga Doris. Doris anali ndi zaka 4, pamene ine ndinali ndi zaka ziwiri zokha. Ngakhale kuti bambo anali atangobatizidwa kumene, iwo ankachita bwino kwambiri mwauzimu.

Anthu Amene Anandithandiza Kwambiri pa Moyo Wanga

Mu 1933, bambo anakumana ndi mlongo wina wabwino kwambiri dzina lake Lillie Mae Gwendolyn Thomas ndipo anakwatirana. Anthu  awiri onsewa ankatumikira Yehova mokhulupirika ndipo anali chitsanzo chabwino kwambiri kwa ine ndi Doris.

Mu 1938, mipingo ya Mboni za Yehova inapemphedwa kuti iyenera kugwirizana ndi kusintha komwe kunalipo kokhudza kuikidwa kwa akulu m’mipingo. Kusinthaku kunali koti likulu la Mboni za Yehova ku Brooklyn, New York ndi limene liziika akulu m’mipingo m’malo moti azisankhidwa ndi mpingo pochita voti. Abale ena ku Chattanooga sanasangalale ndi zimenezi moti sankafuna kusintha. Koma bambo anagwirizana kwambiri ndi kusinthaku. Chitsanzo chawo cha kukhulupirika ndiponso mmene amayi ankasonyezera kugwirizana ndi zosankha za bambo, zandithandiza mpaka lero.

Kubatizidwa Ndiponso Kuyamba Utumiki wa Nthawi Zonse

Mu 1940 abale ndi alongo a mu mpingo wathu anachita hayala basi kupita ku msonkhano wachigawo womwe unachitikira ku Detroit, Michigan. Anthu ena ochepa omwe tinapita nawo limodzi anabatizidwa ku msonkhanowu. Koma anthu ena anadabwa kuti n’chifukwa chiyani ine sindinabatizidwe. Anadabwa chifukwa ndinayamba kulalikira ndili ndi zaka 5 ndipo ndinkalalikira mwakhama kwambiri.

Atandifunsa ndinawauza kuti, “Sindikudziwa zinthu zimene zimafunika kuti munthu abatizidwe.” Bambo atamva zimenezi, anadabwa kwambiri. Kuyambira pamenepa, iwo anayesetsa kundithandiza kuti ndimvetse tanthauzo la ubatizo ndiponso kufunika kwake. Patapita miyezi inayi, pa October 1, 1940, ndinabatizidwa pa dziwe lomwe linali kunja kwa Chattanooga. Koma pa tsikuli kunja kunkazizira kwadzaoneni.

Ndili ndi zaka 14, ndinayamba kumachita upainiya ndikakhala pa holide. Ndinkalalikira m’matawuni ang’onoang’ono ku Tennessee ndiponso m’chigawo cha Georgia. Ndinkadzuka m’mawa kwambiri, kukonza chakudya choti ndikadye masana kenako n’kukwera sitima kapena basi ya 6 koloko kupita ku gawo langa. Ndinkabwerako cha m’ma 6 koloko madzulo. Nthawi zambiri, chakudya chimene ndinkatenga chinkatha 12 koloko isanakwane. Ngakhale kuti ndinkakhala ndi ndalama, sindinkatha kukagula chakudya m’sitolo chifukwa chakuti ndinali munthu wakuda. Tsiku lina ndinalowa m’sitolo kuti ndikagule zakudya koma anandithamangitsamo. Ndiyeno mzungu wina wamkazi yemwe anali wachifundo kwambiri anandibweretsera chakudya chimene ndinkafuna kugulacho.

Nditapita ku sekondale, anthu ambiri anali kumenyera ufulu kumadera a kum’mwera kwa United States. Mabungwe ngati la NAACP (lomwe ndi Bungwe Loona za Ufulu wa Anthu Akuda) ankalimbikitsa ana a sukulu kuti azimenyera nkhondo pa nkhani yokhala ndi ufulu wofanana. Anatilimbikitsa kuti tikhale mamembala a bungweli. M’sukulu zambiri za anthu akuda, kuphatikizapo sukulu imene ine ndinkaphunzira, ankafuna kuti ana a sukulu tonse tilowe nawo m’bungwe lomenyera ufululi. Ana a sukulu anzanga anandiumiriza kuti ndifunika kulembetsa n’cholinga “chomenyera nkhondo fuko langa.” Koma ine ndinakana. Ndinawafotokozera kuti Mulungu alibe tsankho ndipo saona fuko lina kukhala lofunika kuposa lina. Ndinawauzanso kuti ndimakhulupirira kwambiri Mulungu ndipo iye ndi amene adzathane ndi zinthu zonse zopanda chilungamo.​—Yoh. 17:14; Mac. 10:34, 35.

Nditangomaliza sukulu ya sekondale, ndinaganiza zosamukira kumzinda wa New York City. Koma ndikupita, ndinaima kaye ku Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, kuti ndicheze kaye ndi anzanga amene ndinakumana nawo m’mbuyomo ku msonkhano wachigawo. Kanali koyamba kwa ine kusonkhana mu mpingo umene azungu ndi anthu akuda anali kusonkhana pamodzi. Pa  mlungu wapadera, woyang’anira dera anandiitanira pambali n’kundiuza kuti pa msonkhano wotsatira wandipatsa nkhani yoti ndikambe. Zimenezi zinandipangitsa kuganiza kuti basi ndizikhala komweko.

Ku Philadelphia ndinapeza mabwenzi ambiri ndipo mmodzi mwa iwo anali Geraldine White yemwe ine ndinkangomutchula kuti Gerri. Iye ankadziwa bwino Baibulo komanso ankatha kulankhula bwino ndi anthu mu utumiki wakumunda. Chimene chinandisangalatsa kwambiri chinali chakuti tonse tinali ndi zolinga zofanana zodzakhala apainiya. Pa April 23, 1949, ine ndi Gerri tinakwatirana.

Anatiitana ku Giliyadi

Cholinga chathu chinali choti tidzapite ku Sukulu ya Giliyadi n’kukakhala amishonale kudziko lina. Tinkafunitsitsa kusintha zina ndi zina kuti tiyenerere kupita ku Giliyadi. Pasanapite nthawi tinapemphedwa kuti tipite ku Lawnside, New Jersey kenako ku Chester, Pennsylvania ndipo pomaliza tinatumizidwa ku Atlantic City, New Jersey. Tili ku Atlantic City, tinatha kufunsira Sukulu ya Giliyadi chifukwa tinali titakhala zaka ziwiri m’banja. Koma panali vuto lina.

Chakumayambiriro kwa zaka za m’ma 1950, achinyamata ankatengedwa kuti akamenye nkhondo ku Korea. Anthu amene ankalemba asilikaliwo ku Philadelphia ankadana kwambiri ndi Mboni za Yehova chifukwa choti sizinkamenya nawo nkhondoyo. Woweruza anandiuza kuti atafufuza za ine ndi moyo wanga anapeza kuti ndinali kunena zoona kuti sindilowerera zandale. Ndiyeno pa January 11, 1952, oweruza anandiuza kuti sindiyenera kukhala msilikali popeza ndinali m’busa.

Mu August chaka chomwechi ine ndi Gerri tinaitanidwa kukalowa kalasi ya nambala 20 ya Sukulu ya Giliyadi ndipo maphunziro anayambika mu September. Pa nthawi imene tinkaphunzira tinkayembekeza kuti atitumiza kudziko lina. Mchemwali wanga Doris anali ataphunzira kalasi la nambala 13 ndipo ankatumikira ku Brazil. Koma tinadabwa atatiuza kuti tizikayendera dera la anthu akuda ku Alabama, chakum’mwera kwa United States. Sitinasangalale nazo chifukwa tinkafunitsitsa kukatumikira kudziko lina.

Mpingo woyamba kuchezera unali mumzinda wa Huntsville ndipo tinafikira kunyumba kwa mlongo wina. Pamene tinkamasula katundu wathu, tinamva mlongo uja akulankhula pa foni kuti: “Ana afika.” Apa n’kuti tili ndi zaka 24 zokha ndipo tinkaoneka ana. Pamene tinkatumikira m’deralo, abale ankangotinenabe kuti ana.

Nthawi zambiri dera la kum’mwera ankalitchula kuti dera la Baibulo chifukwa anthu ake ankalemekeza kwambiri Baibulo. Choncho nthawi zambiri tinkayamba kukambirana ndi anthu pogwiritsa ntchito mfundo zitatu zotsatirazi:

(1) Kufotokoza mwachidule mmene zinthu zilili m’dzikoli.

(2) Zimene Baibulo limanena zokhudza mmene mavuto onse adzathere.

(3) Zimene Baibulo limanena kuti tizichita.

Kenako tinkawapatsa buku lowathandiza kuphunzira Baibulo. Chifukwa choti njira imeneyi  inkayenda bwino, ndinapatsidwa mbali pa msonkhano waukulu wakuti Anthu a Dziko Latsopano mu 1953 ku New York. Pa msonkhanowu ndinachita chitsanzo cha mfundo zitatuzi.

Mu 1953 ndinapemphedwa kuti ndizikatumikira monga woyang’anira chigawo m’madera a anthu akuda kum’mwera kwa United States. Chigawo chathu chinayambira ku Virginia mpaka kukafika ku Florida mpakanso kukafika kumadzulo ku Alabama ndi ku Tennessee. Oyang’anira Oyendayenda pa nthawiyo ankafunika kukhala okonzeka kusintha zinthu pa moyo wawo. Mwachitsanzo, nthawi zambiri tinkafikira m’nyumba zopanda mabafa mkati moti tinkasamba malo ena ake kuseri kwa malo ophikira m’nyumba momwemo. Ubwino wake unali wakuti malo amenewo anali otenthera bwino.

Mavuto a Kusankhana Mitundu

Pamene tinkatumikira mipingo ya kum’mwera tinkafunika kuchita zinthu mwanzeru kuti zitiyendere. Anthu akuda sankaloledwa kugwiritsira ntchito makina ochapira zovala. Choncho Gerri ankafunika kupita kumalo ochapirawo kukanena kuti zovala zimene akufuna kuchapa ndi za “Mrs. Thompson.” Anthu ambiri ankangoganiza kuti iye ndi wantchito wa akazi a Bwana Thompson. Pa nthawi ina oyang’anira zigawo akuonetsa filimu yakuti The New World Society in Action, ndinaimba foni kusitolo ina n’kunena kuti andisungire TV ya “Mr. Thompson.” Ndiyeno nthawi ina ndinapita kukatenga. Tinkachita zinthu mwaulemu kwambiri ndipo zinthu zinkatiyendera.

Panalinso mtundu wina wa tsankho. Anthu ambiri ochokera kum’mwera ankadana ndi anthu ochokera kumpoto. Tsiku lina nyuzipepala ina inanena kuti James A. Thompson, Jr., wa ku Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York akufuna kukamba nkhani pa msonkhano. Anthu ena anaganiza kuti ine ndinkachokera kumpoto ku New York ndiye anatiletsa kugwiritsa ntchito holo ya pasukulu ina imene anatipatsa kuti tichitiremo msonkhano. Zitatero, ndinapita kwa akuluakulu a pasukulupo n’kukawafotokozera kuti ndinaphunzira kum’mwera kuno ku Chattanooga. Kenako anatipatsa mwayi wochitira msonkhano m’holoyo.

Kusankhana mitundu kunakula kwambiri m’zaka za m’ma 1954 ndi 1955. Ena mpaka anafika pochita ziwawa. Pa misonkhano ina yachigawo mu 1954 abale ena anakwiya poona kuti anthu akuda sanakambe nkhani. Tinalimbikitsa abale akuda a m’dera lathu kuti aupeze mtima pa nkhani imeneyi. Pa msonkhano wotsatira, ine ndinapatsidwa nkhani. Kenako abale ambiri akuda ochokera kum’mwera ankapatsidwanso mbali pa misonkhano.

Patapita nthawi, tsankho linayamba kuchepa ndipo anthu amitundu yosiyana pang’onopang’ono anayamba kusonkhana mu mpingo umodzi. Izi zinachititsa kuti anthu asinthidwe mipingo, komanso pakhale kusintha kwa malire a mipingo ndiponso oyang’anira. Koma panali anthu akuda ena ndiponso azungu ena amene sankafuna zimenezi. Komabe ambiri anatengera chitsanzo cha Atate wathu wakumwamba yemwe ndi wopanda tsankho. Anthu ambiri ankagwirizana kwambiri mosayang’ana khungu. M’zaka za m’ma 1930 ndi 1940 ifenso tinali ndi anzathu ena omwe anali azungu.

Utumiki Watsopano

Mu January 1969 ine ndi Gerri tinalandira kalata yotiuza kuti tipite ku Guyana, ku South America ndipo tinavomera mosangalala. Poyamba tinapita ku Brooklyn, New York, kumene tinakaphunzitsidwa mmene ndingachitire utumiki  woyang’anira ntchito yolalikira ku Guyana. Tinafika ku Guyana mu July 1969. Tinali titagwira ntchito yoyendayenda kwa zaka 16 koma kenako anatiuza kuti tisinthe utumiki. Ine ndinkatumikira ku ofesi ya nthambi pomwe Gerri ankatumikira monga mmishonale ndipo nthawi zambiri ankakhala akulalikira.

Ndinkagwira ntchito zambirimbiri, monga kutchetcha, kutsimikiza kuti mipingo yonse 28 ilandire magazini ndi mabuku awo ndiponso kukambirana ndi abale a ku likulu la Mboni za Yehova ku Brooklyn. Tsiku lililonse ndinkagwira ntchito maola 14 kapena 15. Inali ntchito yaikulu ndithu kwa tonse awiri koma tinkasangalala nayo. Pamene tinkafika, kunali ofalitsa 950 okha koma panopa ku Guyana kuli ofalitsa oposa 2,500.

Tinkasangalala ndi nyengo yabwino, zipatso zokoma komanso ndiwo zamasamba. Koma chomwe chinkatisangalatsa kwambiri n’chakuti anthu ofunitsitsa kudziwa choonadi cha m’Baibulo anali ndi mwayi wophunzira za Ufumu wa Mulungu. Nthawi zambiri Gerri ankachititsa maphunziro a Baibulo 20 pa mlungu ndipo ambiri ankafika mpaka pobatizidwa. Ena anadzakhala apainiya, ena akulu ndipo ena anapita ku Sukulu ya Giliyadi n’kukhala amishonale.

Kukumana ndi Mavuto Makamaka Matenda

M’chaka cha 1983, makolo anga ku United States ankafuna thandizo. Ndiyeno ine, Doris ndi Gerri tinakumana kuti tikambirane. Doris, yemwe pa nthawiyo anali atatumikira monga mmishonale ku Brazil kwa zaka 35, anasankha zoti apite azikasamalira makolowo. Iye anati zingakhale bwino kuti munthu mmodzi asiye umishonale kusiyana ndi anthu awiri. Kuyambira pamene makolo athu anamwalira, Doris wakhala akuchita upainiya wapadera ku Chattanooga.

M’chaka cha 1995, anandipeza ndi matenda a pulositeti moti ndinafunika kubwerera ku United States. Tinasamukira ku Goldsboro, North Carolina, chifukwa kunali ngati pakatikati kuchokera kunyumba kwathu ku Tennessee kupita kwa Gerri ku Pennsylvania. Panopa pamene sindikuvutika kwambiri ndi matenda angawa tikukwanitsa kutumikira ku mpingo wa Goldsboro monga apainiya apadera odwala.

Ndikaganizira zaka 65 zimene ndakhala mu utumiki wa nthawi zonse, ndimathokoza kwambiri Yehova. Iye wandidalitsa ine ndi Gerri chifukwa chakuti tinkasintha zinthu pa moyo wathu kuti timutumikire. Taona umboni wa mawu a Davide akuti: “Munthu wokhulupirika, [inu Yehova] mudzamuchitira mokhulupirika.”​—2 Sam. 22:26.

[Zithunzi patsamba 3]

Bambo anga komanso M’bale Nichols anali chitsanzo chabwino kwa ine

[Zithunzi patsamba 4]

Ndili ndi Gerri, tikukayamba Sukulu ya Giliyadi, mu 1952

[Zithunzi patsamba 5]

Titamaliza Sukulu ya Giliyadi, tinatumizidwa kuti tikakhale oyang’anira dera kum’mwera kwa dziko la United States

[Chithunzi patsamba 6]

Oyang’anira madera ndi akazi awo akukonzekera msonkhano wachigawo wa 1966, womwe anthu akuda ndi azungu anasonkhana limodzi

[Chithunzi patsamba 7]

Tinkasangalala kuchita umishonale ku Guyana