TSIKU lina wapolisi anandikalipira kuti: “Iwe ndi bambo wankhanza kwambiri. Sukuona kuti wasiya mwana wako komanso mkazi wako yemwe ndi woyembekezera? Ndani aziwadyetsa komanso kuwasamalira? Tangonena kuti wasiya chipembedzo chakochi kuti tikumasule.” Ine ndinamuyankha kuti: “Inetu sindinasiye banja langa. Inuyo ndi amene mwandimanga. Kodi ndalakwa chiyani?” Wapolisiyo anati: “Bola ukanapalamula mlandu wina kusiyana ndi kukhala wa Mboni.”

Zimene ndafotokozazi zinachitika mu 1959 kundende ina yamumzinda wa Irkutsk ku Russia. Tsopano ndikufuna ndifotokoze zimene zinachititsa kuti ine ndi mkazi wanga tilolere ‘kuvutika chifukwa cha chilungamo’ komanso mmene Mulungu watidalitsira chifukwa chokhalabe okhulupirika.​—1 Pet. 3:13, 14.

Ndinabadwira ku Zolotniki m’dziko la Ukraine mu 1933. Mu 1937, mayi anga aang’ono anabwera limodzi ndi bambo aang’ono kudzationa kuchokera ku France. Iwo anali a Mboni za Yehova ndipo anatipatsa mabuku ofalitsidwa ndi Watch Tower Society. Lina linali lokhudza Ufumu ndipo lina linali lonena za chipulumutso. Bambo anga atawerenga mabukuwa anayamba kukhulupirira kwambiri Mulungu. N’zomvetsa chisoni kuti mu 1939, bambowo anadwala kwambiri ndipo anamwalira. Koma asanamwalire anauza mayi anga kuti: “Mabukuwa akufotokoza choonadi. Muwaphunzitse anawa.”

Mu April 1951, akuluakulu a boma anayamba kuthamangitsa a Mboni kuti achoke kumayiko akumadzulo kwa USSR kupita ku Siberia. Ine, mayi anga ndiponso mng’ono wanga Grigory tinathamangitsidwa ku Ukraine. Titayenda pa sitima mtunda wa makilomita oposa 6,000, tinafika mumzinda wa Tulun ku Siberia. Patapita milungu iwiri mkulu wanga Bogdan anafikira m’ndende yamumzinda wapafupi wa Angarsk. Iye anaweruzidwa kuti akhale m’ndende kwa zaka 25.

Ine, mayi anga ndiponso Grigory tinkalalikira kumadera apafupi ndi ku Tulun. Koma tinkachita zinthu mosamala kwambiri. Choncho, tinkafunsa anthu kuti, “Kodi kuno kuli munthu amene akugulitsa ng’ombe?” Tikapeza munthu wogulitsa ng’ombe tinkamufotokozera zimene zimasonyeza kuti ng’ombe zinalengedwa modabwitsa. Zimenezi zinkathandiza kuti tiyambe kukambirana ndi munthuyo zokhudza Mlengi. Pa nthawiyo, nyuzipepala inayake inalemba nkhani yokhudza a Mboni ndipo inanena kuti amafunsa za ng’ombe koma akufunafuna nkhosa. Njira imeneyi inatithandiza kuti tipezedi nkhosa. Tinasangalala kwambiri kuphunzira Baibulo ndi anthu akuderalo omwe anali odzichepetsa komanso olandira bwino alendo. Panopa ku Tulun kuli mpingo wa ofalitsa oposa 100.

Mkazi wanga Maria anaphunzira choonadi ku Ukraine pa nthawi ya nkhondo yachiwiri yapadziko lonse. Ali ndi zaka 18, wapolisi wina anayamba kumuvutitsa ndiponso kumukakamiza kuti agone naye, koma iye anakana mwamphamvu. Tsiku lina Maria atafika kunyumba anapeza wapolisiyo atagona pabedi lake ndipo Mariayo anathawa. Wapolisiyu anapsa mtima ndipo anamuopseza kuti amumanga chifukwa choti ndi wa Mboni. Kenako mu 1952, Maria anamangidwadi ndipo anaweruzidwa kuti akhale m’ndende kwa zaka 10. Iye ankamva kuti ali ngati Yosefe amene anamangidwa chifukwa chokhala wokhulupirika. (Gen. 39:12, 20) Munthu amene anayendetsa Maria pochoka kukhoti kupita kundende anamuuza kuti: “Usachite mantha. Anthu ambiri amapita kundende n’kukabwerako ali bwinobwino ndipo amalemekezedwabe.” Mawu amenewa anamulimbikitsa kwambiri.

Kuyambira mu 1952 mpaka 1956, Maria ankagwira ntchito yakalavula gaga kundende ina yapafupi ndi mzinda wa Gorkiy ku Russia (panopa mzindawu umadziwika kuti Nizhniy Novgorod). Kumeneko, ankamugwiritsa ntchito yozula mitengo ndipo ankayenera kuchita zimenezi ngakhale kunja kukuzizira kwambiri. Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti ayambe kudwala. Koma mu 1956 anatuluka m’ndendemo ndipo anapita ku Tulun.

M’bale wina ku Tulun anandiuza kuti kukubwera mlongo winawake. Choncho ndinapita pa njinga kukamuchingamira kudepoti kuti ndikamuthandize kunyamula katundu. Mlongoyu anali Mariya ndipo nditangokumana naye ndinayamba kumukonda. Koma zinatenga nthawi yaitali kuti nayenso ayambe kundikonda. Tinakwatirana mu 1957 ndipo patapita chaka chimodzi mwana wathu wamkazi dzina lake Irina anabadwa. Koma patangopita nthawi yochepa, mu 1959, ndinamangidwa chifukwa chosindikiza mabuku othandiza pophunzira Baibulo. Ananditsekera m’chipinda chandekha kwa miyezi 6. Koma kuti ndikhale ndi mtendere wamumtima pa nthawiyo, ndinkapemphera, kuimba nyimbo za Ufumu komanso kuganizira zimene ndinganene polalikira ndikadzamasulidwa.

Nthawi ina ndili kundende, wapolisi amene ankandifunsa mafunso analankhula mwaukali kuti: “Posachedwapa tithana ndi a Mboni nonse. Tikupondapondani ngati mbewa.” Ndinamuuza kuti: “Yesu ananena kuti uthenga wabwino wa Ufumu udzalalikidwa ku mitundu yonse ndipo palibe amene angalepheretse ntchitoyi.” Nditanena zimenezi, wapolisiyo anasiya zoopsezazo ndipo anayamba kundinyengerera kuti ndisiye chikhulupiriro changa. Zimene zinachitika pondinyengerera ndi zimene ndafotokoza kumayambiriro kwa nkhaniyi. Ataona kuti sindikusintha maganizo, akuluakulu a boma anandiweruza kuti ndikakhale m’ndende yapafupi ndi mzinda wa Saransk kwa zaka 7. Tili pa ulendo wopita kundendeyo, ndinamva kuti mwana wathu wamkazi wachiwiri dzina lake Olga wabadwa. Ngakhale kuti mkazi wanga ndiponso ana anga awiri anali kutali, ndinalimbikitsidwa chifukwa chodziwa kuti ine ndi Maria tinali okhulupirikabe kwa Yehova.

Maria ankabwera kudzandiona kamodzi pa chaka ngakhale kuti ulendowu unkatenga masiku 12 pa sitima, kupita ndi kubwera. Ulendo uliwonse ankandibweretsera nsapato zatsopano ndipo ankabisa magazini atsopano a Nsanja ya Olonda m’zidendene zake. Chaka china ndinasangalala kwambiri chifukwa anabwera limodzi ndi ana athu. Tangoganizirani mmene ndinamvera nditawaona ndiponso kucheza nawo.

Ndinatuluka m’ndende mu 1966 ndipo ine ndi banja langa tinasamukira mumzinda wa Armavir, womwe uli pafupi ndi nyanja ya Black Sea. Kumeneko, ana athu aamuna Yaroslav ndi Pavel anabadwa.

Koma pasanapite nthawi yaitali, apolisi ankabwerabwera kunyumba kwathu kudzafufuza mabuku. Iwo ankafufuza paliponse ngakhale muzakudya za ng’ombe. Tsiku lina, apolisiwo akufufuza anachita thukuta kwambiri ndipo zovala zawo zinaderatu ndi fumbi. Ndiye Maria anawamvera chisoni chifukwa ankaona kuti iwo akungomvera malamulo amene anapatsidwa. Choncho anawapatsa zoziziritsa kukhosi ndipo anawabweretsera bulashi, madzi ndi thaulo kuti apukute fumbilo. Kenako mkulu wa apolisi atafika, apolisiwo anamuuza zinthu zabwino zimene Maria anawachitira. Pamene ankachoka, mkuluyo anamwetulira ndiponso kutibayibitsa. Apatu tinaona ubwino woyesetsa “kugonjetsa choipa mwa kuchita chabwino.”​—Aroma 12:21.

Ngakhale kuti apolisi ankabwerabwera, tinapitiriza kulalikira ku Armavir. Tinathandizanso kulimbikitsa kagulu ka ofalitsa m’tauni yaing’ono ya Kurganinsk. Ndimasangalala kwambiri kuti panopa ku Armavir kuli mipingo 6 ndipo ku Kurganinsk kuli mipingo 4.

Nthawi zina tinkafooka mwauzimu, koma tikuthokoza Yehova chifukwa chogwiritsa ntchito abale okhulupirika kuti atilimbikitse ndiponso atipatse malangizo. (Sal. 130:3) Zinalinso zovuta pamene apolisi ena anayamba kusonkhana nafe n’kumanamizira kuti ndi a Mboni. Iwo ankaoneka kuti anali odzipereka kwambiri ndipo ankalalikira nawo. Ena anafika popatsidwa maudindo m’gulu lathu. Koma patapita nthawi tinawatulukira.

Mu 1978, Maria anakhalanso woyembekezera ndipo apa n’kuti ali ndi zaka 45. Popeza anali ndi vuto la mtima, madokotala ankaopa kuti moyo wake ukhoza kukhala pa ngozi ndipo ankamulimbikitsa kuti achotse mimbayo. Koma Maria anakana. Choncho madokotala ena ankamutsatira kulikonse m’chipatalamo atatenga jakisoni n’cholinga choti amubaye mankhwala ochotsera mimba. Pofuna kuteteza mwanayo, Maria anathawa kuchipatalako.

Kenako apolisi analamula kuti tichoke mumzindawo. Tinasamukira kumudzi wina wapafupi ndi mzinda wa Tallinn m’dziko la Estonia, lomwe pa nthawiyo linali kulamuliridwa ndi boma la USSR. Ku Tallinn, Maria anabereka mwana wamwamuna wathanzi ndipo tinamupatsa dzina loti Vitaly. Maria sanakhale ndi vuto lililonse ngati mmene madokotala aja ankaganizira.

Patapita nthawi, tinasamuka ku Estonia kupita ku Nezlobnaya chakum’mwera kwa dziko la Russia. Tinkalalikira mosamala m’matauni apafupi omwe anthu ochokera madera onse a m’dzikoli ankakonda kupita. Anthuwa ankabwera kuti adzasangalale ndipo ena ankaona kuti matauniwa ndi othandiza kuti achire msanga. Koma ena ankachoka atathandizidwanso kukhala ndi chiyembekezo cha moyo wosatha.

Tinayesetsa kuthandiza ana athu kuti azikonda Yehova komanso azikhala ndi mtima wofuna kumutumikira. Tinkaitanira kunyumba kwathu anthu omwe tinkaona kuti angalimbikitse ana athuwo. Mwachitsanzo, munthu wina amene ankakonda kudzacheza nafe anali m’bale wanga Grigory, yemwe anali woyang’anira dera kuyambira mu 1970 mpaka 1995. Aliyense m’banja lathu ankasangalala kucheza naye chifukwa anali wansangala komanso ankakonda tinthabwala. Pocheza ndi anthu, tinkakonda kuchita masewera ena  okhudza Baibulo ndipo zimenezi zinathandiza kuti ana athu azikonda kwambiri nkhani za m’Baibulo.

Mu 1987, mwana wathu Yaroslav anasamukira mumzinda wa Riga m’dziko la Latvia, ndipo kumeneko ankalalikira momasuka. Koma atakana kulowa usilikali anamuweruza kuti akhale m’ndende chaka chimodzi ndi hafu. Iye anakhala m’ndende zokwana 9. Ndinali nditamufotokozera zimene ndinakumana nazo kundende ndipo zimenezi zinamuthandiza kuti apirire. Atatuluka, anayamba kuchita upainiya. Mu 1990, mwana wathu Pavel ankafuna kukachita upainiya pachilumba cha Sakhalin kumpoto kwa Japan. Pa nthawiyo n’kuti ali ndi zaka 19 zokha. Poyamba, sitinkafuna kuti apite chifukwa pachilumba chonse panali ofalitsa 20 okha komanso chinali pa mtunda wa makilomita oposa 9,000 kuchokera kwathu. Koma kenako tinamulola kuti apite. Anthu akuchilumbako ankamvetsera kwambiri uthenga wa Ufumu. Patangopita zaka zochepa zokha kunali mipingo yokwana 8. Pavel anatumikira pachilumbachi mpaka mu 1995. Pa nthawiyo Vitaly yekha ndi amene anatsala kunyumba. Kuyambira ali wamng’ono iye ankakonda kuwerenga Baibulo. Ali ndi zaka 14, anayamba upainiya ndipo ndinasangalala kwambiri kuchita naye upainiyawu kwa zaka ziwiri. Kenako ali ndi zaka 19, anachoka kuti akachite upainiya wapadera kudera lina.

Kale mu 1952, wapolisi wina anauza Maria kuti: “Ngati susiya chipembedzo chako, umangidwa kwa zaka 10. Ukadzatuluka udzakhala wokalamba komanso wekhawekha.” Koma zimenezo sizinachitike. Timakondedwa kwambiri ndi Mulungu wathu Yehova, ana athu komanso anthu ambiri amene tawathandiza kuphunzira choonadi. Ine ndi Maria takhala ndi mwayi wokacheza ndi ana athu kumadera amene anatumikirako. Komanso tinakumana ndi anthu amene aphunzitsidwa Baibulo ndi ana athu ndipo akuyamikira kwambiri.

Mu 1991, ntchito ya Mboni za Yehova inavomerezedwa ndi boma. Zimenezi zathandiza kuti tizigwira ntchito yolalikira mwakhama kwambiri. Mpingo wathu unagula basi n’cholinga choti tiziigwiritsa ntchito pokalalikira kumatauni ndi midzi yapafupi.

Ndikusangalala kwambiri kuti Yaroslav ndi mkazi wake Alyona komanso Pavel ndi mkazi wake Raya akutumikira ku Beteli. Ndikusangalalanso kuti Vitaly ndi mkazi wake Svetlana akugwira ntchito yoyang’anira dera. Irina, yemwe ndi mwana wathu wamkazi woyamba, amakhala ku Germany limodzi ndi banja lake. Mwamuna wake dzina lake Vladimir ndiponso ana awo aamuna atatu ndi akulu mumpingo. Mwana wathu wamkazi Olga amakhala ku Estonia ndipo amandiimbira foni pafupipafupi. Koma n’zomvetsa chisoni kuti mkazi wanga wokondedwa, Maria, anamwalira mu 2014. Ndikuyembekezera kwambiri nthawi imene ndidzamuonenso akadzaukitsidwa. Panopa ndimakhala mumzinda wa Belgorod ndipo abale akunoko amandithandiza kwambiri.

Pa zaka zimene ndakhala ndikutumikira Yehova, ndaona kuti nthawi zina tiyenera kulolera kuvutika kuti tikhalebe okhulupirika. Koma mtendere wamumtima umene Mulungu amatipatsa chifukwa chochita zimenezi ndi wamtengo wapatali kwambiri. Madalitso amene ine ndi Maria talandira chifukwa chokhala okhulupirika ndi aakulu kwambiri kuposa mmene tinkaganizira. Boma la USSR lisanathe mu 1991, kunali ofalitsa oposa 40,000 okha m’mayiko olamulidwa ndi bomali. Koma tsopano m’mayiko amenewa muli ofalitsa oposa 400,000. Panopa ndili ndi zaka 83 koma ndikutumikirabe monga mkulu. Ineyo ndaona Yehova akundipatsa mphamvu kuti ndithe kupirira. Kunena zoona, Yehova wandidalitsa kwambiri.​—Sal. 13:5, 6.