Ndakaberekerwa muguta rinonzi Quebec City, riri mupurovhinzi yeCanada inonzi Quebec, inotaurwa chiFrench. Vabereki vangu, Louis naZélia vaindida uye vaindibata zvakanaka chaizvo. Baba vangu vaiva munhu anonyara uye vaifarira kuverenga. Ini ndaifarira zvekunyora nyaya uye ndaida kuzova mutori wenhau.

Pandakanga ndava nemakore anenge 12, mumwe murume aishanda nababa vangu ainzi Rodolphe Soucy, akauya kumba kwedu aine shamwari yake. Vaiva Zvapupu zvaJehovha. Ndakanga ndisingazivi zvakawanda nezveZvapupu, uye ndaisafarira hangu chitendero chavo. Asi ndakayemura mapinduriro avaiita mibvunzo vachishandisa Bhaibheri. Vabereki vangu vakazvifarirawo, saka takabvuma kudzidza Bhaibheri.

Panguva iyoyo ndaidzidza pachikoro cheRoma. Ndaipota ndichiudzawo vemukirasi mangu zvandaidzidza muBhaibheri. Vadzidzisi vepachikoro pedu, avo vaiva vapristi vakazonzwa zvandakanga ndichiita. Pane kushandisa mavhesi emuBhaibheri kuti apikise zvandaitaura, mumwe wavo akandipomera pamberi pekirasi yese kuti ndainge ndapanduka! Zvakandirwadza, asi ndakazofara nekuti zvakandibatsira kuona kuti dzidziso dzechitendero dzaidzidziswa pachikoro dzakanga dzisingaenderani nezvinotaurwa neBhaibheri. Ndakabva ndaona kuti ndaisafanira kuramba ndichidzidza ipapo. Vabereki vangu vakabvuma kuti ndinodzidza pane chimwe chikoro.

Ndakaramba ndichidzidza Bhaibheri, asi ndainonoka kufambira mberi pakunamata nekuti ndaitya kuzoparidza paimba neimba. Chechi yeRoma yaiva nesimba uye yairwisa chaizvo kuti  tisaita basa redu rekuparidza. Maurice Duplessis, uyo aiva mukuru mukuru wezvematongerwo enyika muQuebec, aiwirirana nechechi yeRoma. Saka aitsigira vanhu vaishungurudza Zvapupu vachitozvirwisa. Zvaitoda ushingi kuti uparidze kare ikako.

Hama yakandibatsira kuti ndisaramba ndichitya ndiJohn Rae, uyo akapinda chikoro cheGiriyedhi mukirasi yechi9. John aiva neunyanzvi hwekuparidza, uye aiva munhu munyoro, aizvininipisa uye aitaurika naye. Kaiva kashoma kuti anditsiure, asi ndakadzidza zvakawanda kubva pane zvakanaka zvaaiita. ChiFrench chaimunetsa, saka ndaiwanzobuda naye muushumiri ndichimubatsira kuparidza nechiFrench. Kuwadzana kwandaiita naJohn kwakandibatsira kuti ndive neushingi hwekutsigira chokwadi. Pashure pemakore 10 kubva pandakatanga kuzivana neZvapupu, ndakabhabhatidzwa musi wa26 May, 1951.

Vakawanda vaiva muungano yedu yemuQuebec City vaiva mapiyona. Muenzaniso wavo wakandikurudzira kuti ndipayone. Kare ikako taiparidza paimba neimba tichishandisa Bhaibheri chete. Sezvo takanga tisina mabhuku, taifanira kushandisa Magwaro zvine unyanzvi. Saka ndakashanda nesimba kuti ndizive mavhesi eBhaibheri aizondibatsira kutsigira chokwadi. Asi vanhu vakawanda vairamba kuverenga Bhaibheri kana risina chiratidzo chekuti rakabvumirwa nechechi yeRoma.

Muna 1952, ndakachata naSimone Patry, hanzvadzi yainge yakatendeka yemuungano medu. Takatamira kuMontreal, uye pasati papera gore kubva patakachata, takava nemwana musikana anonzi Lise. Kunyange zvazvo ndakamira kupayona patakanga tava kuda kuchata, ini naSimone takarega kuva nezvinhu zvakawanda muupenyu hwedu kuti tikwanise kuita zvakawanda muungano.

Ndakaita makore 10 ndisati ndafunga nezvekupayona zvakare. Muna 1962, ndakapinda Chikoro Cheushumiri hweUmambo chevakuru muungano, chaiitwa mwedzi wese paBheteri muCanada. Ndaigara neimwe hama yainzi Camille Ouellette. Kushingaira kwaiita Camille kwakandikurudzira chaizvo sezvo iye aiva nemhuri. Kare ikako zvakanga zvisingawanzoitiki muQuebec kuti mubereki apayone uku achirera vana. Asi izvi ndizvo zvaida kuitwa naCamille. Panguva iyoyo yataiva tese, akandikurudzira kuti ndiongorore upenyu hwangu. Pashure pemwedzi mishoma, ndakaona kuti ndaikwanisa kushumira zvakare sapiyona  wenguva dzese. Vamwe vakanetseka nechisarudzo chandakanga ndaita, asi handina kudzoka shure, nekuti ndaiva nechivimbo chekuti Jehovha aizokomborera zvandaiita kuti ndiwedzere ushumiri hwangu.

Muna 1964, ini naSimone takanzi tinoshumira semapiyona chaiwo muQuebec City matainge takakurira, uye takashumira ikoko kwemakore akati wandei. Panguva iyi basa redu rekuparidza rakanga risisanyanyi kupikiswa.

Mumwe musi weMugovera masikati, ndakasungwa muSainte-Marie, guta diki riri pedyo neQuebec City. Mumwe mupurisa akaenda neni kukamba yemapurisa ndikavharirwa nekuti ndaiparidza paimba neimba ndisina mvumo yekuita kudaro. Ndakazomiswa pamberi pemutongi aityisa ainzi Baillargeon. Akandibvunza kuti ndiani aiva gweta rangu. Pandakati Glen How, * uyo aiva Chapupu uye gweta rinozivikanwa chaizvo, mutongi uya akabva ati: “Maiwe zvangu!” Glen How aizivikanwa nekubudirira kwaaiita pakubatsira Zvapupu mumatare. Dare rakabva randizivisa kuti pakanga pasisina mhosva yandiri kupomerwa.

Kupikiswa kwaiitwa basa redu muQuebec kwaiitawo kuti zvitiomere kuwana nzvimbo yakanaka yekuitira misangano yedu seungano. Taingokwanisa kuwana garaji raitonhora. Kuti tidziirwe pakwaitonhora zvakanyanya, hama dzaishandisa hita. Taiwanzoungana pahita yacho pasara maawa mashoma kuti misangano itange tichiudzana nyaya dzinokurudzira.

Zvinofadza chaizvo kuona kuwedzera kwaita basa rekuparidza mumakore ese aya. Kuma1960, kwaingova neungano shoma dzaiva diki muQuebec City, muCôte-Nord, uye muGaspé. Iye zvino kwava nematunhu anopfuura maviri munzvimbo idzi uye hama dzava kupindira misangano mudzimba dzeUmambo dzakazonaka.

Ini naSimone takakumbirwa kuti tiite basa remudunhu muna 1970. Muna 1973, takabva tapinda mubasa reruwa. Mumakore iwayo ndakadzidza zvakawanda kuhama dzaigona basa dzakadai Laurier Saumur * naDavid Splane, * uye vese vakamboitawo mabasa iwayo. Pashure pegungano rimwe nerimwe, ini naDavid taipanana mazano ekuti tingavandudza sei madzidzisiro edu. Ndinoyeuka pane imwe nguva David achindiudza kuti: “Léonce, ndanakidzwa nehurukuro yako yekupedzisira. Yanga yakanaka, asi ndingadai ndapa hurukuro nhatu ndichishandisa mashoko ese awataura!” Ndaiwanzotaura zvinhu zvakawandisa muhurukuro dzangu. Ndaifanira kudzidza kutaura zvinhu zvishoma.

Mutariri weruwa aiita basa rekusimbisa vatariri vematunhu. Asi vaparidzi vakawanda vemuQuebec vaindiziva chaizvo. Kakawanda vaida kushanda neni mubasa rekuparidza pandaishanyira matunhu. Kunyange zvazvo ndainakidzwa  chaizvo pandaiparidza navo, ndaizosara nenguva shoma yekuva nemutariri wedunhu. Pane imwe nguva, mumwe mutariri wedunhu akandiyeuchidza nerudo kuti: “Zvakanaka kuti uri kuwana nguva yekuva nehama, asi yeuka kuti wauya kuzoona inini vhiki rino. Ndinodawo kukurudzirwa!” Ndakadzidza zvakawanda pazano iroro.

Muna 1976 makaitika chimwe chinhu chinorwadza chandainge ndisingatarisiri. Mudzimai wangu Simone akatanga kurwara zvakaipisisa achibva afa. Aiva mudzimai akanaka chaizvo nekuti aisanyanya kuzvifunga uye aida Jehovha. Kubatikana nebasa rekuparidza kwakandibatsira chaizvo kuti ndigone kutsungirira muedzo iwoyo, uye ndakatenda Jehovha nekundibatsira kwaakaita panguva iyoyo yainge yakaoma. Ndakazoroora Carolyn Elliott, piyona aitaura Chirungu uye aishanda nesimba muushumiri, uyo akanga auya kuzoshumira ari muQuebec umo maidiwa vaparidzi vakawanda. Carolyn munhu akasununguka uye ane hanya chaizvo nevamwe, kunyanya vaya vanonyara kana kuti vanenge vachisurukirwa. Akandibatsira chaizvo paakabatana neni mubasa reruwa.

Muna January 1978, ndakakumbirwa kuti ndiitise Chikoro Chebasa Reupiyona chekutanga muQuebec. Ndaitya chaizvo nekuti ini nevadzidzi vacho tainge tisati tambopinda chikoro chacho kana kuona bhuku racho. Kirasi yekutanga yandakarayiridza yaiva nemapiyona akawanda ainge agara nebasa, saka zvakabatsira chaizvo. Kunyange zvazvo ndaiva murayiridzi wechikoro chacho, ndakadzidza zvakawanda kuvadzidzi!

Gore ra1978 rava kunopera, muMontreal makaitwa gungano renyika dzakawanda munhandare inonzi Olympic Stadium iro raiva nemusoro waiti, “Kutenda Kunokunda.” Ndiro gungano rakakura kupfuura mamwe ese atakava nawo muQuebec, nekuti rakapindwa nevanhu vanopfuura 80 000. Ndakapiwa basa rekushanda kuDhipatimendi reNhau pagungano racho. Ndakataura nevatori venhau vakawanda uye ndakafara kuti  vakabudisa zvinhu zvakawanda zvakanaka nezvedu. Takaita nhaurirano nevemaTV nemaredhiyo vakadzibudisa pamhepo. Dzakabudiswa kwemaawa anopfuura 20. Dzimwe nyaya dzakawanda dzakabudiswawo mumapepanhau. Vanhu vakawanda chaizvo vakanzwa mashoko akanaka!

Muna 1996 zvinhu zvakachinja chaizvo muupenyu hwangu. Ndakashumira muQuebec maitaurwa chiFrench kubvira pandakabhabhatidzwa, asi ndakazonzi ndiende kunoshanda mundima yeChirungu muToronto. Ndaiona sekuti handikodzeri uye ndaitya kupa hurukuro neChirungu changu chakatyoka. Ndaifanira kunyengetera kakawanda uye kunyatsovimba naJehovha.

Ndaitya chaizvo ndisati ndatanga kushumira muToronto asi ndakazofara chaizvo mumakore maviri andakashumira imomo. Carolyn akandibatsira kuti ndive nechivimbo pakutaura Chirungu, uye hama dzaindibatsira chaizvo, uye dzichindikurudzira. Hazvina kutitorera nguva kuti tive neshamwari ikoko.

Musi weChishanu manheru taiva nezvakawanda zvekuita uye taigadzirira gungano,asi ini ndaiwanzoita ushumiri hwepaimba neimba kweawa imwe chete. Vamwe vaigona kufunga kuti, ‘Ungaitirei ushumiri iwe uchiziva kuti une zvakawanda zvauchaita pagungano mangwana acho?’ Asi ini ndaiona kuti kukurukura nevanhu muushumiri kwaindizorodza chaizvo. Kunyange iye zvino, ndinofara pese pandinoita ushumiri.

Muna 1998, ini naCarolyn takanzi tiende kunoshanda semapiyona chaiwo muMontreal. Kwemakore akati kuti, basa rangu raisanganisira kuronga nezvebasa rekuparidza munzvimbo dzinowanika vakawanda uye ndaishanda nevatapi venhau pakubatsira vanhu vainge vanyeperwa kuti vazive chokwadi pamusoro peZvapupu zvaJehovha. Iye zvino, ini naCarolyn tiri kunakidzwa nekuparidzira vanhu vari kutamira muCanada vanenge vachida kudzidza Bhaibheri.

Pandinofunga zvandakaita mubasa raJehovha kubva pandakabhabhatidzwa makore 68 apfuura, ndinonyatsoona kuti akandikomborera chaizvo. Ndakadzidza kunakidzwa neushumiri uye ndakabatsira vanhu vakawanda kuti vazive chokwadi, uye izvi zviri kuita kuti ndifare chaizvo. Mwanasikana wangu Lise nemurume wake vakatanga kushumira semapiyona enguva dzese pashure pekunge vayarutsa. Zvinondifadza kuti achiri kushanda nesimba muushumiri. Ndinotenda chaizvo vamwe vaKristu vaindiratidza muenzaniso wakanaka uye vaindipa mazano. Izvi zvakaita kuti ndikure pakunamata uye ndikwanise kuita mabasa akasiyana-siyana musangano raJehovha. Ndakaona kuti tinogona chete kuramba takatendeka pabasa ratinenge tapiwa kana tikavimba nemweya mutsvene waJehovha. (Pis. 51:11) Ndinoramba ndichitenda Jehovha nekuti akaita kuti ndikwanise kurumbidza zita rake!—Pis. 54:6.