IMYAKA ibiri mbere y’uko ibyo maze kuvuga biba, jye na Evelyn Trabert twakoranaga umurimo w’ubumisiyonari, twari twararangije mu Ishuri rya kane rya Bibiliya rya Watchtower rya Gileyadi, icyo gihe ryari hafi y’umugi wa Ithaca, muri leta ya New York. Twoherejwe gukorera mu mugi wa Santa Ana. Ariko mbere y’uko nkomeza mbabwira inkuru yanjye ngufi y’imyaka hafi 29 namaze nkora umurimo w’ubumisiyonari, reka mbanze mbabwire impamvu nahisemo uwo murimo.

Igihe navukaga mu mwaka wa 1923, ababyeyi banjye, ari bo John na Eva Olson, bari batuye mu mugi wa Spokane, muri leta ya Washington, ho muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika. Bari Abaluteriyani, ariko ntibemeraga inyigisho y’umuriro w’iteka, kuko itari ihuje no kuba baremeraga ko Imana ari urukundo (1 Yoh 4:8). Papa yakoraga ahantu bakoraga imigati, maze igihe kimwe ari nijoro umukozi bakoranaga amwereka akoresheje Bibiliya ko Imana itababariza abantu mu muriro w’iteka. Bidatinze, Abahamya ba Yehova batangiye kwigisha ababyeyi banjye Bibiliya, maze bamenya icyo mu by’ukuri Bibiliya ivuga ku birebana n’uko bigendekera abantu nyuma yo gupfa.

Nubwo nari mfite imyaka icyenda gusa, nibuka ko numvaga ababyeyi banjye bavugana ibyishimo ibirebana n’inyigisho z’ukuri ko muri Bibiliya bari bamenye. Barushijeho kwishima ubwo bamenyaga ko izina ry’Imana  y’ukuri ari Yehova, kandi ko Imana atari Ubutatu. Natangiye kwicengezamo izo nyigisho zihebuje zishingiye ku Byanditswe nk’uko icyangwe kinywa amazi, menya ‘ukuri kubatura’ abantu (Yoh 8:32). Ku bw’ibyo, sinigeze mbona ko kwiga Bibiliya ari ibintu birambirana, ahubwo buri gihe nishimiraga gusuzuma Ijambo ry’Imana. Nubwo nagiraga amasonisoni, naherekezaga ababyeyi banjye mu murimo wo kubwiriza. Babatijwe mu mwaka wa 1934. Mu mwaka wa 1939, ubwo nari mfite imyaka 16, nanjye nageze ikirenge mu cyabo ndabatizwa.

Muri Nyakanga 1940, ababyeyi banjye bagurishije inzu yabo, maze twese uko twari batatu dutangira umurimo w’ubupayiniya mu mugi wa Coeur d’Alene, muri leta ya Idaho. Twabaga mu nzu twakodeshaga yari hejuru y’igaraji. Inzu yacu ni na yo yaberagamo amateraniro. Icyo gihe amatorero yagiraga Amazu y’Ubwami yari make; ku bw’ibyo abantu bateraniraga mu ngo z’abavandimwe na bashiki bacu cyangwa mu mazu bakodesheje.

Mu mwaka wa 1941, najyanye n’ababyeyi banjye mu ikoraniro ryabereye mu mugi wa St. Louis, muri leta ya Missouri. Ku Cyumweru wari “Umunsi w’abana,” kandi abari bafite hagati y’imyaka 5 na 18 bari bicaye imbere y’aho uwatangaga disikuru yari ahagaze. Igihe umuvandimwe Joseph F. Rutherford yari hafi kurangiza disikuru ye, yabwiye abakiri bato ati “mwebwe mwese . . . bana . . . mwemeye kumvira Imana n’Umwami wayo, ndabasaba ngo muhaguruke!” Twese twahise duhaguruka. Hanyuma umuvandimwe Rutherford yaravuze ati “nimurebe Abahamya b’Ubwami bashya basaga 15.000!” Icyo gihe nahise mfata umwanzuro wo gukora umurimo w’ubupayiniya ubuzima bwanjye bwose.

Nyuma y’amezi make ikoraniro ry’i St. Louis ribaye, umuryango wacu wimukiye mu mugi wa Oxnard mu majyepfo ya leta ya Kaliforuniya. Twasabwe kuhatangiza itorero. Twabaga mu nzu ntoya yimukanwa, dufite igitanda kimwe gusa. Buri joro nasasaga ku meza twariragaho akaba ari ho ndara, bikaba byari bitandukanye cyane n’igihe nari mfite icyumba cyanjye nararagamo.

Mbere gato y’uko tugera muri Kaliforuniya, u Buyapani bwagabye igitero i Pearl Harbor muri Hawayi, ku itariki ya 7 Ukuboza 1941. Umunsi wakurikiyeho Amerika yinjiye mu Ntambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose. Abategetsi basabye abaturage bari batuye ku nkombe y’inyanja kudacana amatara nijoro. Amato y’intambara y’Abayapani yari mu mazi hafi y’inkombe za Kaliforuniya, kandi umwijima watumaga atabona aho yabaga ashaka kurasa.

Amezi runaka nyuma yaho, ni ukuvuga muri Nzeri 1942, twagiye mu ikoraniro ryabereye mu mugi wa Cleveland muri leta ya Ohio, ryari rifite umutwe uvuga ngo “Ikoraniro rya gitewokarasi ry’isi nshya.” Twateze amatwi ubwo umuvandimwe Nathan H. Knorr yatangaga disikuru yari ifite umutwe uvuga ngo “Amahoro—mbese ashobora kuramba?” Yasobanuye ibivugwa mu Byahishuwe igice cya 17, havuga ibirebana n’‘inyamaswa y’inkazi yariho ariko ikaba yari itakiriho, nyamara yari igiye kuzamuka ikava ikuzimu’ (Ibyah 17:8, 11). Umuvandimwe Knorr yasobanuye ko iyo ‘nyamaswa y’inkazi’ yari Umuryango w’Amahanga wahagaritse ibikorwa byawo mu mwaka wa 1939. Bibiliya yari yarahanuye ko uwo Muryango wari gusimburwa n’undi, bigatuma habaho amahoro mu rugero runaka. Kandi koko, mu mwaka wa 1945 Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose yararangiye. Nyuma yaho iyo ‘nyamaswa’ yongeye kugaragara ari Umuryango w’Abibumbye. Kuva icyo gihe, Abahamya ba Yehova bagejeje ubutumwa bwiza mu duce twinshi tw’isi, kandi habaye ukwiyongera gukomeye.

Ubwo buhanuzi bwatumye nsobanukirwa ko hari byinshi byo gukora mu murimo wo kubwiriza. Igihe  batangazaga ko Ishuri rya Gileyadi ryari kuzatangira mu mwaka wari gukurikiraho, nagize icyifuzo cyo kuba umumisiyonari. Mu mwaka wa 1943, noherejwe gukorera umurimo w’ubupayiniya mu mugi wa Portland muri leta ya Oregon. Muri iyo myaka, twumvishaga abo twabaga tubwiriza za disikuru dukoresheje icyuma gisohora amajwi turi imbere y’imiryango yabo, hanyuma tukabaha ibitabo by’imfashanyigisho za Bibiliya bivuga iby’Ubwami bw’Imana. Muri uwo mwaka wose nakomeje gutekereza ku murimo w’ubumisiyonari.

Mu mwaka wa 1944 narishimye cyane ubwo nabonaga ibaruwa yantumiriraga kujya kwiga Ishuri rya Gileyadi hamwe n’incuti yanjye magara Evelyn Trabert. Mu gihe cy’amezi atanu, abatwigishaga batweretse uko twabonera ibyishimo mu kwiga Bibiliya. Twakozwe ku mutima n’ukuntu bicishaga bugufi. Rimwe na rimwe iyo twabaga dufata amafunguro, abo bavandimwe ni bo baduherezaga ibyokurya. Twarangije iryo shuri ku itariki ya 22 Mutarama 1945.

Jye na Evelyn hamwe na Leo na Esther Mahan twageze aho twari twoherejwe gukorera umurimo muri Saluvadoru muri Kamena 1946. Twasanze ari ‘umurima weze kugira ngo usarurwe’ (Yoh 4:35). Inkuru navuze ngitangira igaragaza ukuntu abayobozi b’idini baturakariye. Icyumweru kimwe mbere yaho, twari twagize ikoraniro ry’akarere rya mbere mu mugi wa Santa Ana. Twari twamenyesheje abantu benshi ibirebana na disikuru y’abantu bose yari butangwe, kandi twashimishijwe cyane n’uko abantu bagera kuri 500 baje muri iryo koraniro. Aho kugira ngo tugire ubwoba maze tuve mu mugi, twarushijeho kwiyemeza kuhaguma maze tugafasha abari bafite imitima itaryarya. Abayobozi b’idini bari barabujije abantu gusoma Bibiliya, kandi bake gusa ni bo bashoboraga kubona amafaranga yo kuyigura. Ariko kandi, abenshi bari bafite inyota y’ukuri. Bishimiraga cyane imihati twashyiragaho kugira ngo twige icyesipanyoli, maze dushobore kubigisha ibirebana n’Imana y’ukuri Yehova, n’ibirebana n’isezerano rihebuje ry’uko isi izongera kuba Paradizo.

Rosa Ascencio ni umwe mu bantu ba mbere nigishije Bibiliya. Igihe yatangiraga kwiga Bibiliya, yatandukanye n’umugabo babanaga. Hanyuma uwo mugabo na we yatangiye kwiga Bibiliya. Barashyingiranywe, nyuma yaho barabatizwa, maze baba Abahamya ba Yehova barangwa n’ishyaka. Rosa ni we wabaye umupayiniya wa mbere mu mugi wa Santa Ana. *

Rosa yari afite iduka rito yacururizagamo ibiribwa. Iyo yajyaga kubwiriza yararifungaga, akiringira ko Yehova ari bumuhe ibyo akeneye. Iyo yongeraga kurikingura nyuma y’amasaha runaka, abakiriya barisukiranyaga baje kumugurira. Yiboneye ko amagambo avugwa muri Matayo 6:33 ari ukuri, kandi yakomeje kuba indahemuka kugeza apfuye.

Igihe kimwe, umupadiri wo muri ako gace yasuye umugabo wadukodeshaga inzu turi abamisiyonari batandatu, maze amubwira ko nakomeza kuyidukodesha, we n’umugore we bazabaca muri kiliziya. Uwo mugabo yari umucuruzi ukomeye kandi yari yaramaze kuzinukwa abayobozi b’idini bitewe n’imyitwarire yabo. Ku bw’ibyo, ntiyemeye gukora ibyo bamusabaga. Yanabwiye uwo mupadiri ko kumwirukana muri kiliziya nta cyo byari kumutwara. Yatubwiye ko twashoboraga kuguma muri iyo nzu igihe cyose dushaka.

Mu murwa mukuru wa Saluvadoru, ari wo San Salvador, hari undi mumisiyonari wiganaga Bibiliya n’umugore wari ufite umugabo w’umwenjenyeri witwaga Baltasar Perla. Uwo mugabo wagiraga umutima mwiza yari yararetse kwizera Imana bitewe n’uburyarya bw’abayobozi b’idini. Igihe hubakwaga ibiro by’ishami, nubwo Baltasar yari atariga ukuri, yemeye gukora igishushanyo mbonera no gufasha mu mirimo yo kubaka nta mafaranga asabye.

Kwifatanya n’Abahamya ba Yehova muri iyo mirimo y’ubwubatsi byatumye Baltasar yemera ko yabonye idini ry’ukuri. Yabatijwe ku itariki ya 22 Nyakanga 1955, nyuma yaho gato umugore we Paulina na we arabatizwa. Abana babo bombi bakorera Yehova ari indahemuka. Umuhungu we Baltasar, Jr. amaze imyaka 49 akora kuri Beteli y’i Brooklyn, aho ashyigikira umurimo wo kubwiriza ku isi hose ugenda urushaho kwaguka, kandi ubu ni umwe mu bagize Komite y’Ibiro by’Ishami byo muri Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika. *

Igihe twatangiraga kugira amakoraniro mu mugi wa San Salvador, umuvandimwe Perla yaradufashije tubona inzu nini y’imikino yo guteraniramo. Mu mizo ya mbere twicaraga ku ntebe nke gusa; ariko Yehova yaduhaga imigisha buri mwaka tukiyongera, kugeza ubwo twayuzuye ndetse tugera igihe tutari tukiyikwirwamo. Muri ibyo bihe bishimishije nahuraga n’abantu nari narigishije Bibiliya. Tekereza ukuntu numvaga nishimye iyo banyerekaga abo nakwita abuzukuru banjye, ni ukuvuga abo bigishije Bibiliya babaga babatijwe.

Igihe kimwe ubwo twari mu ikoraniro, umuvandimwe yaranyegereye maze ambwira ko hari icyo yashakaga kwicuza. Sinamumenye kandi numvaga mfite amatsiko. Yarambwiye ati “ndi umwe muri ba bahungu babateye amabuye mu mugi wa Santa Ana.” Na we yari asigaye akorera Yehova. Umutima wanjye wasabwe n’ibyishimo. Icyo kiganiro twagiranye cyatumye ndushaho kwemera ko umurimo w’igihe cyose ari wo murimo mwiza uruta indi yose umuntu yahitamo gukora.

Namaze imyaka igera hafi kuri 29 nkorera umurimo w’ubumisiyonari muri Saluvadoru. Nabanje gukorera mu mugi wa Santa Ana, nkurikizaho umugi wa Sonsonate, nyuma yaho njya gukorera mu mugi wa Santa Tecla, hanyuma nkorera mu mugi wa San Salvador. Mu  mwaka wa 1975, nafashe umwanzuro wo kureka umurimo w’ubumisiyonari maze ngasubira mu mugi wa Spokane; nari nabanje kubitekerezaho cyane kandi mbishyira mu isengesho. Ababyeyi banjye b’indahemuka bari bageze mu za bukuru bari bakeneye ko mbafasha.

Nyuma y’aho papa apfiriye mu mwaka wa 1979, nitaye kuri mama, wagendaga arushaho kuzahara kandi adafite undi wo kumwitaho. Yamaze indi myaka umunani, apfa afite imyaka 94. Muri ibyo bihe bigoye, nagize intege nke z’umubiri kandi ndahangayika. Iyo mihangayiko yatumye mfatwa n’indwara ya zona kandi narababaraga cyane. Ariko kandi, gusenga no kuba Yehova yarankomeresheje ukuboko kwe kurangwa n’urukundo byatumye nihanganira icyo kigeragezo. Ni nk’aho Yehova yambwiye ati ‘kugeza igihe uzamerera imvi nzakomeza kuguheka no kuguterura no kugukiza.’—Yes 46:4.

Mu mwaka wa 1990, nimukiye mu mugi wa Omak muri leta ya Washington. Mpageze nabwirije mu ifasi ivugwamo ururimi rw’icyesipanyoli, kandi nongeye kumva mfite akamaro. Bamwe mu bo nigishije Bibiliya barabatijwe. Byageze mu kwezi k’Ugushyingo 2007 ntagishobora kwita ku nzu yanjye yo mu mugi wa Omak, bityo nimukira mu nzu nto yari mu mugi wo hafi aho wa Chelan, muri leta ya Washington. Kuva icyo gihe abagize itorero ndimo ry’icyesipanyoli banyitaho cyane, nkaba mbashimira mbikuye ku mutima. Kubera ko ari jye Muhamya ushaje muri iryo torero, abavandimwe na bashiki bacu bamfata nka nyirakuru wabo.

Nubwo nahisemo kudashaka no kutabyara kugira ngo nkore umurimo mu buryo bwuzuye ‘ntafite ibindangaza,’ mfite abana benshi bo mu buryo bw’umwuka (1 Kor 7:34, 35). Niyumvishaga ko muri ubu buzima ntashobora kubona buri kintu cyose. Ku bw’ibyo, niyemeje gushyira mu mwanya wa mbere ibintu by’ingenzi kurusha ibindi, ari byo gukorera Yehova n’umutima wanjye wose. Mu isi nshya nzaba mfite igihe gihagije cyo gukora ibyo nifuza byose. Nkunda cyane Zaburi ya 145:16, itwizeza ko Yehova ‘azahaza ibyifuzo by’ibifite ubuzima byose.’

Ubu mfite imyaka 91, kandi urebye ndacyafite amagara mazima; bityo nkomeje gukora umurimo w’ubupayiniya. Umurimo w’ubupayiniya utuma nkomeza kumva ntashaje kandi utuma numva ubuzima bwanjye bufite intego. Igihe nageraga muri Saluvadoru bwa mbere, umurimo wo kubwiriza ni bwo wari ugitangira. Nubwo Satani yakomeje kuwurwanya, ubu muri icyo gihugu hari ababwiriza basaga 39.000. Ibyo rwose byakomeje ukwizera kwanjye. Biragaragara rwose ko Yehova ahira imihati abagize ubwoko bwe bashyiraho akoresheje umwuka we wera.