Khulupirira Yehova Ndipo Adzakuthandizadi

Yosimbidwa ndi Edmund Schmidt

Nditatsala pang’ono kukaonekera kukhoti linalake ku New York mu October 1943, ndinakumbukira mawu olimbikitsa amene ali pamwambawa. Pamene ndinkakwanitsa zaka 25, ndinali nditakhala m’ndende kwa zaka pafupifupi zinayi chifukwa chosalowerera ndale. Mofanana ndi otsatira a Yesu oyambirira, ndinali nditatsimikiza “kumvera Mulungu monga wolamulira, osati anthu.” (Machitidwe 5:29) Koma ndisanakuuzeni nkhaniyi, lekani ndikufotokozereni chimene chinandichititsa kuti ndiyambe kukhulupirira Mulungu kwambiri.

NDINABADWA pa April 23, 1922, m’chipinda chapamwamba cha nyumba yathu imene pansi pake panali bekale ya bambo anga. Kumeneku kunali ku Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. Patapita miyezi inayi nditabadwa, bambo anga, dzina lawo a Edmund, anapita ku msonkhano waukulu wa Ophunzira Baibulo (dzina la Mboni za Yehova pa nthawiyo). Msonkhanowu unachitikira ku Cedar Point, pafupi ndi mzinda wa Sandusky. Umenewu unali ulendo wamakilomita 160 kuchokera kunyumba kwathu.

Anthu pamsonkhanowu analimbikitsidwa kuti, “Lengezani, lengezani, lengezani za Mfumu [ya Mulungu] ndi ufumu wake.” Lamlungu lotsatira, bambo anayamba kugwira nawo ntchito yolalikirayi ndipo anaigwira kwa zaka 66, mpaka imfa yawo pa July 4, 1988. Amayi anga, dzina lawo Mary, anamwalira ali okhulupirika kwa Mulungu mu 1981.

Ndinayamba Kulambira Mulungu Limodzi ndi Makolo Anga

Banja lathu linkasonkhana mu mpingo wa Mboni za Yehova wolankhula Chipolishi ku Cleveland. Loweruka lililonse masana, anafe limodzi ndi akuluakulu, tinkalalikira uthenga wabwino kunyumba ndi nyumba. Lamlungu, makolo athu ankamvetsera nkhani ya Baibulo mu holo imene tinali kusonkhaniranamo. Pamene makolo akumvetsera nkhaniyo, m’bale wina wodziwa kuphunzitsa Baibulo ankaphunzitsa anafe Baibulo pogwiritsa ntchito buku lakuti Zeze wa Mulungu. * Tinkakhalapo ana pafupifupi 30. Pasanapite nthawi, nanenso ndinayamba kuphunzitsa anthu ena Baibulo ndipo zotsatira zake zinali zabwino.

Mu July 1931, bambo ndi mayi anga, ineyo komanso mng’ono wanga Frank, tinapita ku msonkhano wina waukulu wa Ophunzira Baibulo, umene unachitikira mu mzinda wa Columbus, pafupifupi makilomita 160 chakum’mwera kwa Cleveland. Pamsonkhano umenewu ndi pamene Ophunzira Baibulo anavomera ndi mtima wonse kuti azidziwika ndi dzina la m’Baibulo lakuti Mboni za Yehova. (Yesaya 43:10-12) Ndili komweko, ndinagwira nawo ntchito yoitanira anthu kuti adzamvetsere nkhani  yokambidwa ndi M’bale J. F. Rutherford amene pa nthawiyo ankayang’anira ntchito ya Mboni za Yehova. Tsopano patha zaka zoposa 78 kuchokera nthawi imeneyo ndipo ndakhala ndikutumikira Yehova Mulungu pamodzi ndi anthu ake.

Utumiki Unkayendabe Bwino Ngakhale Kuti Panali Mavuto

Pofika m’chaka cha 1933 chuma cha dziko lonse chinali chitalowa pansi. M’dziko la United States mokha, anthu oposa 15 miliyoni anali pa ulova. Mizinda inalibe ndalama zoyendetsera ntchito zosiyanasiyana ndipo anthu osauka ndi okalamba sankalandiranso thandizo kuchokera ku boma. Koma Mboni za Yehova zinkathandizana. Lamlungu lililonse tikamapita kumene tinkasonkhana, banja lathu linkatenga buledi ndiponso zakudya zina kubekale yathu kuti tikagawireko anthu ena. Mwezi ukatha, ndalama zonse zimene bambo ankatsala nazo akalipira zofunika zonse zapakhomo anali kuzitumiza kulikulu la Mboni za Yehova ku Brooklyn, New York. Iwo ankadziwa kuti ndalama zimenezi zithandiza pa ntchito yosindikiza mabuku ofotokoza Baibulo.

Nthawi imeneyo, kawirikawiri ulaliki wathu unkachitikira pa wailesi. Nyumba zoulutsa mawu zopitirira 400 zinali kuulutsa nkhani za Baibulo za pamisonkhano yathu ikuluikulu. M’ma 1930, Mboni za Yehova zinayamba kupanga malekodi ndi zoimbira zake m’fakitale yawo ku Brooklyn. Malekodiwa tinali kuwagwiritsa ntchito mu utumiki ndipo tinkapereka lipoti losonyeza kuti tawagwiritsa ntchito kangati komanso panali anthu angati omwe si Mboni za Yehova.

M’chaka cha 1933, dziko la Germany linayamba kulamulidwa ndi Adolf Hitler wa chipani cha Nazi. A Mboni za Yehova kumeneko anazunzidwa koopsa chifukwa chosalowerera nawo m’nkhani zandale kapena kunena mawu otamanda Hitler. (Yohane 15:19; 17:14) Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti Mboni zambiri zimangidwe ndi kutumizidwa kundende zozunzirako anthu kapena kundende zina. A Mboni za Yehova ambiri anaphedwa ndipo ena anafera m’ndende chifukwa chogwiritsidwa ntchito mwankhanza kwambiri. Enanso ambiri anamwalira atangotulutsidwa kumene. Koma anthu ambiri sadziwa kuti a Mboni za Yehova m’mayiko enanso monga United States anazunzidwa kwambiri.

Ndinabatizidwa pa July 28, pa msonkhano umene unachitikira ku Detroit, Michigan mu 1940. Ndinachita zimenezi posonyeza kudzipereka kwanga kwa Yehova Mulungu. Mwezi umodzi msonkhanowu usanachitike, Khoti Lalikulu la ku United States linakhazikitsa lamulo loti aliyense wosachitira sawatcha mbendera, ayenera kuchotsedwa sukulu. Kodi a Mboni za Yehova anatani lamulo limeneli litakhazikitsidwa? Ambiri anatsegula sukulu zawozawo kuti ana awo aziphunzirako. Sukulu zimenezi zinkatchedwa Sukulu Zaufumu.

Nkhondo yachiwiri yapadziko lonse inayambika mu September 1939 ku Ulaya, ndipo anthu m’dziko la United States ankalimbikitsidwa kumenyera nkhondo dziko lawo. Achinyamata a Mboni ankazunzidwa ndi kumenyedwa ndi achinyamata komanso anthu ena amene anauzidwa zinthu zabodza zokhudza Mboni. Panali malipoti oti kuyambira mu 1940 mpaka 1944, a Mboni za Yehova ku America anazunzidwa kwambiri maulendo oposa 2,500 ndi  magulu a anthu achiwawa. Kuzunzidwa kumeneku kunafika poipa kwambiri dziko la Japan litayamba kumenyana ndi la United States. Nkhondoyi inayambika pamene dziko la Japan linaponya mabomba ku Pearl Harbor pa December 7, 1941. Malo amenewa ali kuzilumba za Hawaii, zolamulidwa ndi dziko la United States. Milungu ingapo zimenezi zisanachitike, ndinali nditayamba kuchita upainiya, kapena kuti kugwira ntchito yolalikira uthenga wabwino nthawi zonse. Ndinasunga ndalama ndipo ndinagula kalavani ya mamita 7. Kenako ineyo ndi anzanga ena tinasamukira ku Louisiana kuti tizikatumikira kumeneko.

Tinazunzidwa Kumadera a Kum’mwera kwa United States

Anthu a ku Louisiana anatilola kuti tiimike kalavani yathu m’munda wina wa zipatso womwe unali pafupi ndi mzinda wa Jeanerette. Tsiku lina, Loweruka, tinapita kukalalikira mumsewu koma mkulu wa apolisi anatuma apolisi kudzatimanga ndi kukatitsekera kuholo inayake ya boma. Gulu la anthu achiwawa pafupifupi 200 linasonkhana panja pa holoyo, ndipo apolisi anatimasula n’kutitulutsa popanda chitetezo chilichonse. Mwamwayi chigulucho chinatipatukira kuti tidutse. Tsiku lotsatira tinapita kumzinda wa Baton Rouge umene unali pafupi, kuti tikauze a Mboni anzathu za zimene zinatichitikirazo.

Titabwerera ku Jeanerette tinapeza kakalata pakhomo la kalavani yanga, ndipo kanali ndi uthenga wakuti: “Ndingasangalale mutabwera ku kampu ya ogwira ntchito kuchitsime cha mafuta kuti tidzaonane.” M’munsi mwa uthengawo munalembedwa dzina lakuti “E. M. Vaughn.” Tinakakumana ndi Mr. Vaughn ndipo iwo ndi akazi awo anatiitanira chakudya. Ananena kuti iwo ndi anyamata awo anali m’gulu la anthu amene analipo Loweruka lija ndipo anali okonzeka kutiteteza ngati pakanafunika kutero. Tinayamikira kwambiri chifukwa chotilimbikitsa ndi kutithandiza.

Tsiku lotsatira, apolisi a mfuti anatimanga n’kutilanda mabuku athu. Anandilandanso makiyi a kalavani yanga, n’kunditsekera kwa masiku 17 m’ndende yandekha ndipo ankandipatsa chakudya chochepa kwambiri. Mr.Vaughn anayesetsa kutithandiza koma sizinaphule kanthu. Pa nthawi imene ananditsekerayi, gulu la anthu olusa linatibera katundu ndi kuwotcha chilichonse chotsala, kuphatikizapo kalavani yanga. Pa nthawi imeneyi, sindinadziwe kuti Yehova akundikonzekeretsa kuti ndidzathe kupirira zimene zinali pafupi kundichitikira.

Ndinamangidwa Kumadera a Kumpoto kwa United States

Mwezi umodzi pambuyo pobwerera kumpoto, ineyo ndi Mboni zina tinakhala apainiya apadera mumzinda wa Olean, ku New York. Ndili kumeneko, boma linandiitana kuti akandilembe usilikali. Nditafika kolembetsera usilikali anandiuza kuti ndizikagwira ntchito zina m’malo mwa usilikali chifukwa cha chikumbumtima changa. Koma dokotala atandiyeza chilichonse, anadinda papepala langa mawu akuti, “Woyenera Kupita ku Sukulu Yophunzitsa Usilikali.”

Ndinapitiriza kuchita upainiya kwa chaka chimodzi kapena kuposerapo. Ndiyeno mu 1943, apolisi a FBI anandimanga ndipo ananena kuti ndikaonekera kukhoti lina mumzinda wa Syracuse mlungu wotsatira kuti akandizenge mlandu. Anachita zimenezi chifukwa chakuti ndinakana kusiya utumiki wanga ndi kupita kusukulu yophunzitsa usilikali. Nditafika kukhotiko anandiuza mlandu wanga n’kunena kuti auzenga pakapita masiku awiri.

Ndinayankhula ndekha pa mlandu umenewo chifukwa ndinalibe loya. Pamisonkhano yathu yachikhristu, achinyamata a Mbonife tinkaphunzitsidwa mmene tingafotokozere ufulu wathu komanso mmene tiyenera kulankhulira m’khoti. Choncho ndinakumbukira mawu olimbikitsa omwe ndiwo mutu wa nkhani ino. M’makhoti ena, oweruza anafika podandaula kuti a Mboni amadziwa bwino malamulo kuposa iwowo. Komabe anandipeza wolakwa. Woweruza atandifunsa ngati ndinali ndi mawu alionse, ndinayankha kuti, “Lero, dziko lino likuzengedwa mlandu pamaso pa Mulungu chifukwa cha zimene limachitira anthu amene amamutumikira.”

Ndinalandira chigamulo chokakhala zaka zinayi kundende ya ku Chillicothe, ku Ohio. Kumeneko anandisankha kuti ndikhale sekilitale wa mkulu wina wa oyang’anira ndende. Patatha milungu ingapo kuofesi kwathu kunabwera munthu wina wofufuza milandu wochokera ku Washington D.C. amene ananena kuti akufufuza zokhudza munthu wina, dzina lake Hayden Covington. Covington anali loya woimira Mboni za Yehova pa milandu ndipo anali wodziwika bwino m’dziko la America kuti anali mmodzi mwa maloya odziwa kwambiri malamulo.

 Wofufuza uja anatiuza kuti akufuna aone mafaelo a akaidi awiri omwe ndi Danny Hurtado ndi Edmund Schmidt. Poyankha, bwana wanga anauza wofufuzayo kuti: “Koma ndiye zakhala bwinotu. Mr Schmidt amene mukuwafunawo ndi awa.” Munthuyo ankafuna kuchita kafukufuku wake mwachinsinsi, koma anazindikira kuti chinsinsi chake chaululika. Nthawi yomweyo anandisintha ntchito ndipo ndinayamba kugwira kukhitchini.

Kuchita Upainiya, Kutumikira pa Beteli Ndiponso Kukwatira

Pa September 26, 1946, anandimasula ndisanamalize zaka zanga. Choncho ndinayambiranso upainiya mu mpingo wa Highland Park ku California. Kenako mu September 1948, cholinga changa chimene ndinali nacho kwa nthawi yaitali chinakwaniritsidwa. Ndinaitanidwa kukatumikira kulikulu la Mboni za Yehova (Beteli) ku Brooklyn, kumene amasindikizira mabuku ofotokoza Baibulo amene timagwiritsa ntchito polalikira padziko lonse lapansi. Nthawi yomweyo ndinasiya ntchito yophika buledi palesitilanti ina ku Glendale ndipo ndinapita ku Beteli. Kumeneko ndinapatsidwa ntchito yophika buledi.

Mu 1955, nditakhala pa Beteli kwa zaka 7, a Mboni za Yehova anakonza zoti achite misonkhano ingapo ikuluikulu ku Ulaya. Makolo anga anandipatsa ndalama zoti ndipitire kumisonkhanoyo. Ndinasangalala ndi msonkhano wa ku London, Paris, Rome, ndipo makamaka msonkhano wa ku Nuremberg, ku Germany. Kumeneku anthu oposa 107,000 anasonkhana mu sitediyamu yaikulu kwambiri mmene Hitler ankachitira misonkhano ndi asilikali ake. Ena mwa anthu amene anapezeka pamsonkhanowo anali Mboni zimene Hitler analumbira kuti azifafaniza. Zinali zosangalatsa kwambiri kusonkhana ndi anthu amenewa.

Kumsonkhano wa ku Nuremberg, ndinakumana ndi mlongo wachijeremani dzina lake Brigitte Gerwien. Tinayamba chibwenzi ndipo chaka chisanathe, tinakwatirana. Kenako tinabwerera ku Glendale kuti tikakhale pafupi ndi makolo anga. Mwana wathu woyamba, Tom, anabadwa mu 1957, wachiwiri, Don, mu 1958 ndipo wachitatu Sabena, anabadwa mu 1960. Ana onsewa tinawaphunzitsa kutumikira Yehova kuyambira ali aang’ono ndipo iwo ndi Mboni za Yehova zokhulupirika.

Ndakhala Moyo Wosangalala Kwambiri

Anthu ena amandifunsa ngati ndimadandaula kuti ndinazunzidwa ndi kuikidwa m’ndende chifukwa chotumikira Mulungu. Sindidandaula, koma ndimayamikira Yehova kuti anandipatsa mwayi womutumikira limodzi ndi atumiki ena okhulupirika. Sindikukayikira kuti zimene zinandichitikirazi zilimbikitsa ena kukhala pa ubwenzi wolimba ndi Mulungu, osamusiya.

Atumiki ambiri a Mulungu azunzidwa koopsa chifukwa chomutumikira. Koma kodi si zimene tinauzidwa kuti tidzakumana nazo? Baibulo limati: “Onse ofuna kukhala ndi moyo wodzipereka kwa Mulungu mwa Khristu Yesu, nawonso adzazunzidwa.” (2 Timoteyo 3:12) Ngakhale zili choncho, zimene lemba la Salmo 34:19 limanena zakhala zikuchitikadi. Lembali limati: “Masautso a wolungama mtima achuluka: Koma Yehova am’landitsa mwa onsewa.”

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Chithunzi patsamba 27]

Ndikulalikira ku Louisiana chakumayambiriro kwa m’ma 1940

[Chithunzi patsamba 29]

Ndikutumikira kulikulu la Mboni za Yehova monga wophika buledi

[Chithunzi patsamba 29]

Ndili ndi mkazi wanga Brigitte