Mbiri ya Moyo Wanga

Kuthokoza Yehova​—Kupyolera mu Utumiki wa Nthaŵi Zonse!

YOSIMBIDWA NDI STANLEY E. REYNOLDS

Ndinabadwira mu London, ku England, m’chaka cha 1910. Nkhondo yoyamba ya padziko lonse itatha, makolo anga anasamukira ku kamudzi kena kakang’ono kotchedwa Westbury Leigh ku Wiltshire. Monga mnyamata, nthaŵi zambiri ndinali kudzifunsa kuti, ‘Kodi Mulungu ndani?’ Kunalibe yemwe anatha kundiuza. Ndipo sindinali kumvetsa chifukwa chake mudzi wathu waung’onowo unafunikira akachisi aŵiri komanso tchalitchi molambiriramo Mulungu.

M’CHAKA cha 1935, kutangotsala zaka zinayi kuti nkhondo yachiŵiri ya padziko lonse iyambe, mng’ono wanga Dick, ndi ine tinakwera njinga ya kapalasa kupita kutchuthi ku Weymouth pa gombe la kumwera kwa England. Tili chikhalire m’hema lathu kumvetsera mkokomo wa mvula yomwe inali kugwa ndi kuganizira chomwe tidzachita, mwamuna wina wooneka bwino koma wachikulire anafika ndi kundipatsa mabuku othandizira pophunzira Baibulo a Zeze wa Mulungu, Light I, ndi Light II (Kuunika I, ndi Kuunika II). Mwachimwemwe ndinalandira mabukuwo, kuti ndikhale ndi chinachake chongosangalatsa. Mwamsanga ndinachita chidwi ndi zomwe ndinali kuŵerengazo, koma ine panthaŵiyo sindinali kudziŵa kuti zingasinthiretu moyo wanga ndi wa mng’ono wanga womwe.

Nditabwerera kunyumba, amayi anga anandiuza kuti Kate Parsons, yemwe amakhala m’mudzi wathu womwewo, anali kugaŵira mabuku ofotokoza Baibulo a mtundu womwewu. Mkazi ameneyu anali wodziŵika kwambiri chifukwa chakuti, ngakhale anali wachikulire, ankakwera njinga yamoto yaing’ono kupita kukayendera anthu m’mudzi wathu wa anthu okhala motalikiranawo. Ndinapita kukamuona, ndipo anasangalala kundipatsa mabuku a Creation (Chilengedwe) ndi Riches (Chuma) limodzi ndi zofalitsa zina za Watch Tower Society. Anandiuzanso kuti anali mmodzi wa Mboni za Yehova.

Nditatsiriza kuŵerenga mabukuwo limodzi ndi Baibulo langa, ndinadziŵa kuti Yehova ndiye Mulungu woona ndipo ndinafunitsitsa kumulambira. Choncho ndinatumiza kalata kutchalitchi chathu  yowadziŵitsa kuti ndatuluka mumpingo ndipo ndinayamba kupezeka pa maphunziro a Baibulo kunyumba ya John ndi Alice Moody. Iwo ankakhala ku Westbury, tauni yomwe tinayandikana nayo kwambiri. Tinkapezekapo anthu asanu ndi aŵiri okha pa misonkhano imeneyo. Misonkhano isanayambe ndi pambuyo pake, Kate Parsons ankaimba chipangizo chotsogolera poyimba nyimbo pamene tonse tinali kuyimbira limodzi nyimbo za Ufumu mwamphamvu!

Masiku Oyambirira

Ndinkatha kuona kuti tinali kukhala m’nthaŵi yofunika kwambiri, ndipo ndinali kufunitsitsa kugwira nawo ntchito yolalikira yoloseredwa pa Mateyu 24:14. Chotero ndinaleka kusuta fodya, ndinagula chikwama chonyamulira mabuku, ndipo ndinadzipatulira kwa Mulungu Wamkuluyo, Yehova.

Mu August 1936, Joseph F. Rutherford, pulezidenti wa Watch Tower Society, anali kudzacheza ku Glasgow, mu Scotland, kudzakamba nkhani pamutu wakuti “Armagedo.” Ngakhale kuti Glasgow anali kutali pamtunda wa makilomita ngati 600, ndinatsimikiza mtima kukafikako ndi kukabatizidwa pa msonkhano umenewo. Ndinali ndi ndalama zopereŵera, choncho ndinatenga njinga yanga ija ndi kukwera nayo sitima yopita ku Carlisle, tauni ina m’malire mwa Scotland, ndi kupalasa kuchokera kumeneko mtunda wa makilomita 160 kumaloŵera cha kumpoto. Ndinapalasanso njinga njira yonse kukafika kunyumba, ndipo ndinakafika nditatheratu ndi kutopa koma ndili wanyonga mwauzimu.

Kuchokera panthaŵi imeneyi, ndinali kuyenda panjinga nthaŵi zonse pamene ndikupita kukagaŵana chikhulupiriro changa ndi anthu ena m’midzi yoyandikana nayo. M’masiku amenewo Mboni iliyonse imakhala ndi khadi laulaliki lokhala ndi uthenga wa m’Malemba kuti eni nyumba aŵerenge. Tinalinso kugwiritsa ntchito galamafoni yoyenda nayo kuimba malekodi a nkhani za Baibulo zokambidwa ndi pulezidenti wa Sosaite. Ndipotu nthaŵi zonse timanyamula kachikwama konyamulira magazini, * komwe kankatidziŵikitsa monga Mboni za Yehova.

Kuchita Upainiya M’nthaŵi ya Nkhondo

Mbale wanga anabatizidwa m’chaka cha 1940. Nkhondo yachiŵiri ya padziko lonse inayamba m’chaka cha 1939, ndipo tonse tinaona kufunika kokulira kwa alaliki anthaŵi zonse. Chotero, tinalembetsa upainiya. Tinali oyamikira kwambiri kutitumiza ku dera limodzi ku nyumba ya apainiya ku Bristol, kukakhala m’nyumba imodzi ndi Edith Poole, Bert Farmer, Tom ndi Dorothy Bridges, Bernard Houghton, ndi apainiya enanso omwe kwanthaŵi yaitali chikhulupiriro chawo chinali kutichititsa chidwi.

Posapita nthaŵi, kagalimoto kakang’ono kolembedwa mawu akuti “MBONI ZA YEHOVA” ndi zilembo zowala kwambiri kanafika kudzatitenga. Yemwe ankayendetsa anali Stanley Jones, amene pambuyo pake anadzakhala m’mishonale ku China, yemwenso  anaikidwa m’ndende kumeneko kwa zaka zisanu ndi ziŵiri atam’bindikiritsa kwayekhayekha chifukwa cha ntchito yake yolalikira.

Pamene nkhondo inali kupitirizabe, nthaŵi zambiri sitinali kugona mokwanira usiku. Mabomba ankagwera pafupi ndi nyumba yathu ya apainiya, choncho tinkafunikira kukhala tcheru nthaŵi zonse ndi zinthu zooneka ngati mabomba. Usiku wina tinachoka m’katikati mwa mzinda wa Bristol titatsiriza msonkhano wathu wosangalatsa kumene mboni zokwana 200 zinasonkhana ndipo tinakafika kunyumba zathu tili otetezereka bwino lomwe ngakhale kuti zidutswa za mabomba ogwetsera ndege zinali kugwa mwachisawawa.

M’maŵa wake Dick ndi ine tinabwerera kumzindawo kukatenga zinthu zina zomwe tinasiya. Tinazizwa. Mzinda wa Bristol unali bwinja. Pakati pa mzindawu panali pataphulitsidwa kwadzaoneni ndi kutenthedwa. Ku Park Street komwe kunali Nyumba yathu ya Ufumu, kunali mabwinja okhaokha utsi uli tolo! Komabe, kunalibe Mboni iliyonse yomwe inaphedwa kapena kuvulazidwa. Mwamwayi, tinali titachotsa kale mabuku athu ofotokoza Baibulo m’Nyumba ya Ufumuyo ndi kuwatumiza m’makomo mwa anthu a mumpingo momwemo. Tinathokoza Yehova kuti kunalibe Mboni yomwe inaphedwa ndi kuti mabukuwo sanawonongedwe.

Ufulu Wosayembekezereka

Mpingo wa Bristol komwe ine ndinali kutumikira monga woyang’anira wotsogolera unali utakula kufika pa alaliki 64 pamene ndinalandira kalata yondiitana kuti ndikagwire ntchito ya usilikali. Mboni zina zambiri zinatumizidwa kundende chifukwa cha kusaloŵerera kwawo m’zandale, ndipo ine ndinayembekezera kuti ufulu wanga wolalikira udzachepetsedwa mofananamo. Mlandu wanga unazengedwa ku Khoti la ku Bristol komweko kumene Mbale Anthony Buck, yemwe kale anali mkulu wandende, analankhula m’malo mwanga. Iye anali mwamuna wolimba mtima, wopanda mantha, wochirikiza choonadi cha Baibulo wamphamvu, ndipo chifukwa choti iye anandiimirira bwino lomwe, mosayembekezereka ndinapatsidwa ufulu wonse wa kusatumikira kunkhondo ngati ndipitirizabe utumiki wanga wa nthaŵi zonse!

Ndinasangalala kwambiri kukhala ndi ufulu wanga, ndipo ndinatsimikiza mtima kuugwiritsa ntchito mwa kulalikira kwambiri monga momwe ndikanathera. Atandiitana kukapezeka ku ofesi ya nthambi ku London ndi kukalankhula ndi Albert D. Schroeder, woyang’anira nthambi, kaŵirikaŵiri ndinali kuganizaganiza za chomwe chinali kundiyembekezera m’tsogolo. Tangolingalirani mmene ndinalili wozizwa pamene ndinapemphedwa kukatumikira ku Yorkshire monga woyang’anira woyendayenda, kuchezera mipingo yosiyanasiyana mlungu uliwonse kuthandiza ndi kulimbikitsa abale. Ndinadzimva kukhala wosayenerera ntchito imeneyo, komabe ndinali womasuka ku utumiki wa kunkhondo ndipo ndinali ndi ufulu wopita ku Yorkshire. Chotero ndinalola kutsogozedwa ndi Yehova ndipo ndinapita mofunitsitsa.

Albert D. Schroeder, anandidziŵikitsa kwa abale pa msonkhano womwe unachitikira ku Huddersfield,  ndiyeno mu April 1941, ndinayamba utumiki wanga watsopanowo. Si mmenetu ndinalili wachimwemwe kudziŵana ndi abale okondedwawo! Chikondi ndi chifundo chawo zinandipangitsa kuzindikira mowonjezereka kuti Yehova ali ndi anthu odzipatuliradi kwa iye omwe amakondana wina ndi mnzake.​—Yohane 13:35.

Mwayi Wowonjezereka wa Utumiki

Msonkhano wadziko lonse wosaiwalika wa masiku asanu unachitika m’chaka cha 1941 mu De Montfort Hall ya ku Leicester. Mosasamala kanthu kuti kunalibe chakudya chokwanira ndiponso kayendedwe kanali kovuta, osonkhana anachulukirachulukirabe ndi kufika chiŵerengero chapamwamba cha 12,000 Lamlungu. Komabe panthaŵi imeneyo kunali Mboni zoposa 11,000 zokha m’dzikolo. Tinali kumvetsera nkhani zojambulidwa zokambidwa ndi pulezidenti wa Sosaite, ndipo buku lakuti Children (Ana) linatulutsidwa. Ndithudi msonkhano umenewo unalidi wosaiŵalika m’mbiri ya Teokalase ya anthu a Yehova mu Britain, popeza kuti unachitika m’katikati mwa nkhondo yachiŵiri ya padziko lonse.

Msonkhano umenewu utangotha, ndinaitanidwa kukatumikira m’banja la Beteli ku London. Kumeneko, ndinali kugwira ntchito m’madipatimenti otumiza ndi kulongedza katundu, ndipo pambuyo pake muofesi, kusamalira zinthu zokhudzana ndi mipingo.

Banja la Beteli linali pamavuto chifukwa cha kuwombera kwa ndege zankhondo usiku ndi usana mu London, komanso kufufuzidwa nthaŵi ndi nthaŵi kwa abale omwe anali kugwira ntchito kumeneku ndi akuluakulu a boma. Pryce Hughes, Ewart Chitty, ndi Frank Platt anaikidwa m’ndende chifukwa cha kusaloŵerera kwawo mu zandale, ndipo pambuyo pake Albert Schroeder anatumizidwa ku United States mokakamizidwa. Ngakhale kuti panali zipsinjo zimenezi, mipingo ndi zinthu za Ufumu zinapitirizabe kusamalidwa bwino.

Ulendo wa ku Gileadi!

Nkhondo itatha m’chaka cha 1945, ndinalemba kalata yopempha kuti ndikaphunzire umishonale ku Sukulu ya Gileadi ya Baibulo ya Watchtower ndipo anandilola kukaphunzira m’kalasi la chisanu ndi chitatu mu 1946. Sosaite inakonzera ena aife kuphatikizapo Tony Attwood, Stanley Jones, Harold King, Don Rendell, ndi Stanley Woodburn, ulendo wapanyanja kuchokera pa doko lochitira usodzi la Fowey ku Cornwall. Mboni ina ya komweko inatipezera malo okhala m’sitima ina yaing’ono yonyamula katundu yomwe inali itanyamula dongo loumbira mbale zadothi. Zipinda zathu zokhala zinali zopanikiza kwambiri, ndipo nthaŵi zambiri pulatifomu ya m’sitimayo inali madzi okhaokha. Mitima yathu inatsika pansi pamene potsirizira pake tinayandikira doko lomwe tinali kupita, doko la Philadelphia!

Gileadi inali pamalo okongola kwambiri ku South Lansing, cha kumpoto kwa New York, ndipo zomwe ndinakaphunzira kumeneko zinali zopindulitsa zedi kwa ine. Ophunzira m’kalasi lathulo anachokera m’mayiko 18​—kwa nthaŵi yoyamba kuti Sosaite inakhoza kuitana atumiki ochuluka chomwecho ochokera m’mayiko ena​—ndipotu tonsefe tinakhala mabwenzi a ponda apa m’pondepo. Ndinasangalala kwambiri ndi ubwenzi wa mnzanga yemwe ndinkakhala naye chipinda chimodzi, Kalle Salavaara wochokera ku Finland.

Nthaŵi inatha mofulumira, ndipo cha kumapeto kwa miyezi isanu, Pulezidenti wa Sosaite, Nathan H. Knorr, anafika kuchokera ku likulu ku Brooklyn kudzatipatsa ma dipuloma ndi kudzatiuza komwe tidzapita. M’masiku amenewo, ophunzira sankadziŵa komwe adzapita kufikira malowo atalengezedwa pa mwambo wa omaliza maphunziro. Ine ananditumizanso ku Beteli ya London kuti ndikapitirize ntchito yanga kumeneko.

Kubwerera ku London

Zaka za pambuyo pa nkhondo mu Britain zinali zovuta kwambiri. Zakudya ndi zofunika zina, kuphatikizapo mapepala, zinapitirizabe kugaŵidwa pang’onopang’ono. Koma ntchito inali kuyendabe bwino, ndipo zinthu za Ufumu wa Yehova zinapita patsogolo. Kuwonjezera pa kugwira ntchito pa Beteli, ndinkatumikira pa misonkhano ya chigawo ndi ya dera ndi kuyendera mipingo kuphatikizapo ina ya mu Ireland. Unalinso mwayi kukumana ndi Erich Frost limodzi ndi abale ndi alongo enanso ochokera ku Ulaya komanso kuphunzira kuchokera kwa iwo zina zokhudza kukhulupirika kwa Mboni zinzathu zomwe zinazunzidwa kwambiri m’ndende za Nazi. Utumiki wa pa Beteli unalidi mwayi wodalitsika.

Kwa zaka khumi ndinali n’tadziŵana ndi Joan Webb, mpainiya wapadera yemwe amatumikira ku Watford, tauni ina yomwe ili kumpoto kwa London. M’chaka cha 1952 tinakwatirana. Tonse aŵiri tinali ofunitsitsa kupitirizabe utumiki wanthaŵi zonse, chotero nditachoka pa Beteli. Tinali okondwa  kwambiri pamene anandisankha kukhala woyang’anira dera. Dera lathu loyamba linali m’mbali mwa gombe la kumwera kwa England, ku Sussex ndi Hampshire. Ntchito yadera sinali yofeŵa m’masiku amenewo. Nthaŵi zambiri tinkayenda pa basi, pa njinga yopalasa komanso pansi. Mipingo yambiri inali ndi madera akuluakulu a m’midzi, omwe kaŵirikaŵiri anali ovuta kufikako, komabe chiŵerengero cha Mboni chinapitirizabe kukwera moŵirikiza.

Mzinda wa New York mu 1958

M’chaka cha 1957, ndinalandira chiitano chinanso kuchokera ku Beteli chakuti: “Kodi mungakonde kubwera ku ofesi ndi kudzathandiza kukonza mayendedwe a ku msokhano womwe ukubwerawu wa mayiko umene udzachitikire pa Yankee Stadium ndi pa Polo Grounds mu Mzinda wa New York m’chaka cha 1958?” Posapita nthaŵi ine ndi Joan tinali otanganidwa kulinganiza makalata a anthu omwe anapempha kudzayenda pa ndege ndi sitima za m’madzi zomwe Sosaite inachita hayala. Umenewu unali Msonkhano wa Mayiko wotchuka kwambiri wa Chifuno cha Mulungu, komwe kunasonkhana namtindi wa anthu okwana 253,922. Pa msokhano waukulu umenewu, anthu okwana 7,136 anasonyeza kudzipatulira kwawo kwa Yehova mwa kumizidwa m’madzi​—kuposa kuŵirikiza kaŵiri chiŵerengero cha obatizidwa pa chochitika chosaiŵalika pa Pentekoste wa 33 C.E., monga momwe Baibulo likunenera.​—Machitidwe 2:41.

Joan ndi ine sitidzaiŵala kukoma mtima kwa Mbale Knorr pamene iye mwiniyo anatiitana kukakhala nawo pa msonkhano kukathandiza kusamalira nthumwi zofika mu Mzinda wa New York kuchokera m’mayiko 123. Imeneyo inali nthaŵi yosangalatsa ndi yokhutiritsa kwa tonsefe.

Madalitso a Utumiki wa Nthaŵi Zonse

Titabwerera, tinapitiriza ntchito yathu yoyendayenda kufikira pamene mavuto a thanzi anayamba. Joan anagonekedwa m’chipatala ndipo ine ndinagwidwa ndi sitiroko. Tinasintha utumiki wathu mwa kuyamba upainiya wapadera koma pambuyo pake tinali ndi mwayi wotumikiranso m’ntchito yadera kwanthaŵi yochepa. Pambuyo pake, tinabwerera ku Bristol komwe tapitirizabe utumiki wathu wanthaŵi zonse. Mbale wanga Dick, akukhala pafupi limodzi ndi banja lake, ndipo kaŵirikaŵiri timakumbutsana zomwe zinatichitikira m’nthaŵi zakale.

Maso anga sathanso kuona chifukwa chakuti mwana wa diso anaonongekeratu m’chaka cha 1971. Kuchokera nthaŵiyo ndakhala ndi vuto lalikulu zedi pa kuŵerenga, choncho ndaona nkhani za m’mabuku ofotokoza Baibulo zojambulidwa m’makaseti kukhala mphatso yamtengo wapatali yochokera kwa Yehova. Joan ndi ine timapangitsabe maphunziro a Baibulo a panyumba, ndipo kwa zaka zambiri, takhala ndi mwayi wothandiza anthu ena okwana 40 kuphatikizapo banja limodzi la anthu asanu ndi aŵiri, kudziŵa choonadi.

Pamene timapatulira moyo wathu kwa Yehova zaka 60 zapitazo, tinali ofunitsitsa kuyamba utumiki wa nthaŵi zonse ndi kukhalabe mu utumiki umenewu. Ndife oyamikira kwambiri kukhalabe ndi nyonga yotumikira Yehova Wamkuluyo​—njira yokhayo yomwe tingam’thokozere chifukwa cha zabwino zonse akutichitira ndinso chifukwa cha zaka zambiri zomwe takhala limodzi achimwemwe!

[Mawu a M’munsi]

[Chithunzi patsamba 25]

Limodzi ndi mbale wanga Dick (kumanzere kwenikweni; Dick waimirira) ndi apainiya ena kutsogolo kwa nyumba ya apainiya ku Bristol

[Chithunzi patsamba 25]

Nyumba ya apainiya ku Bristol m’chaka cha 1940

[Zithunzi patsamba 26]

Stanley ndi Joan Reynolds pa tsiku la ukwati wawo pa January 12, 1952, ndi lerolino