M’zaka za m’ma 1980, ku West Africa kunali mavuto aakulu azachuma komanso azandale. Nkhondo itafika povuta m’dziko la Liberia, anthu ambiri anathawira m’dziko loyandikana nalo la Sierra Leone. Choncho ofesi ya nthambi ya ku Sierra Leone inakonza zoti m’nyumba zina za Ufumu muzikhala abale omwe anathawa nkhondo ndipo ena ankakhala m’nyumba za abale ndipo ankasamaliridwa.

Ngakhale kuti moyo unali wovuta kwa anthu othawa kwawowa, nthawi zina pankachitika zinthu zina zoiwalitsa mavuto. Mwachitsanzo, mlongo wina yemwe wakhala mmishonale kwa zaka zambiri, dzina lake Isolde Lorenz anati: “Tsiku lina bambo wina anatuma mwana wake wamwamuna kuti akatenthetse chakudya pamoto kuseri kwa Nyumba ya Ufumu yomwe inali pa ofesi ya nthambi. Mnyamatayo anabwera chimanjamanja n’kuuza bambo ake kuti, ‘Bambo, lero sitidya.’ Bambowo anamufunsa kuti, ‘Chifukwa chiyani?’ Iye anawayankha kuti, ‘Chifukwa choti lero Yehova wandipulumutsa m’kamwa mwa mkango.’ Chimene chinachitika n’choti mnyamatayo akuchokera kotenthetsa chakudya kuja, anakumana ndi galu wamkulu komanso woopsa ngakhale kuti sankaluma anthu. Galuyu dzina lake linali Lobo ndipo ankakhala pa Beteli. Atamuona galuyu, mnyamatayo anachita mantha koopsa. Kenako anatenga mbale yachakudyayo n’kuyamba kuingitsira galuyo. Koma galuyo anaona ngati akumupatsa chakudyacho. Choncho Lobo anamuthamangira n’kukamulanda mbale yachakudyayo.”

Pa March 23, 1991 nkhondo ya ku Liberia inafikanso m’dziko la Sierra Leone ndipo zimenezi zinachititsa kuti m’dzikoli mukhale nkhondo yapachiweniweni kwa zaka 11. Gulu lina la zigawenga zoukira boma lotchedwa Revolutionary United Front (RUF), linafika ku Sierra Leone mumzinda wa Kailahun ndi  m’tauni ya Koindu. Zimenezi zinachititsa kuti anthu ambiri a m’madera amenewa athawire m’dziko la Guinea. Pa anthu othawira ku Guinea, panali abale ndi alongo okwana 120. Koma abale ena a ku Liberia anali atathawira kale ku Sierra Leone zigawengazo zisanafike m’dzikoli.

M’bale Billie Cowan, yemwe pa nthawiyo anali wogwirizanitsa Komiti ya Nthambi, ananena kuti: “Kwa miyezi ingapo, pa Beteli ya ku Freetown, tinkalandira abale ndi alongo othawa kwawo. Abalewa ankaoneka momvetsa chisoni, ofooka komanso owonda chifukwa cha njala. Ambiri anakumana ndi mavuto oopsa pa nthawi imene ankathawa nkhondo ndipo ena ankadya masamba a m’tchire kuti asafe ndi njala. Akangofika, tinkawapatsa chakudya ndi zovala ndipo tinkasamaliranso achibale awo ndi anthu achidwi omwe anali nawo limodzi. Abale ndi alongo anadzipereka ndi mtima wonse kuwasamalira ndi kuwasunganso m’nyumba zawo. Mboni zimene zinathawa kwawozi zinayamba kulalikira komanso kuthandiza mipingo ya m’deralo. Ambiri mwa abalewa anabwerera kwawo. Koma pa nthawi imene anali kuno, anatilimbikitsa kwambiri.”

Ofesi ya nthambi inatumizira abale omwe ankakhala ku makampu a kum’mwera kwa dziko la Guinea, zinthu monga zakudya, mankhwala, zipangizo zomangira komanso ziwiya za kukhitchini. Nawonso abale a ku France anatumiza zovala zambiri. Atalandira katunduyu, bambo wina analembera kalata ku ofesi ya nthambi ndipo ananena kuti: “Ana anga atalandira zovalazi anasangalala kwambiri moti anavina, kuimba nyimbo ndiponso kutamanda Yehova. Iwo anapeza zovala za ku misonkhano.” Abale ndi alongo ena ananena kuti anali asanakhalepo ndi zovala zabwino ngati zomwe analandirazo.

Komabe anthuwa ankafunikanso kusamaliridwa m’njira ina. Yesu ananena kuti: “Munthu sangakhale ndi moyo ndi chakudya chokha, koma ndi mawu onse otuluka pakamwa pa  Yehova.” (Mat. 4:4) Choncho ofesi ya nthambi inatumiza mabuku ofotokoza za m’Baibulo komanso inakonza zoti kuzichitika misonkhano yadera, yapadera komanso yachigawo. Ndiponso inatumiza apainiya ndi oyang’anira oyendayenda.

Woyang’anira dera wina, dzina lake André Baart, atafika m’tauni ya Koundou m’dziko la Guinea, anakumana ndi mkulu woyang’anira kampu. Mkuluyo anam’pempha kuti awakambire nkhani ya m’Baibulo anthu othawa kwawowa. Anthu pafupifupi 50 anamvetsera nkhani yomwe m’baleyu anakamba ya mutu wakuti: “Thawirani kwa Yehova,” yochokera mu Salimo chaputala 18. Atamaliza kukamba nkhaniyo, mayi wina wachikulire anaimirira n’kunena kuti: “Nkhani yanu yatilimbikitsa kwambiri. Mpunga sukanatithandiza kuthana ndi mavuto athu, koma uthenga wa m’Baibulo womwe mwatipatsawu watithandiza kudalira Mulungu. Tikuyamikira kwambiri chifukwa chotilimbikitsa ndi kutipatsa chiyembekezo.”

M’bale William Slaughter ndi mkazi wake Claudia, omwe anali amishonale, anatumizidwa m’tauni ya Guékédou ku Guinea. Iwo atayamba kutumikira mumpingo wa abale othawa kwawo oposa 100, abalewa anayaka ndi mzimu. (Aroma 12:11) M’bale Slaughter anati: “Abale ambiri achinyamata ankayesetsa kuti ayenerere maudindo mumpingo. Ngati m’bale wina walephera kukamba nkhani yake mu Sukulu ya Utumiki wa Mulungu, pankapezeka abale achinyamata 10 kapena 15 odzipereka kuti akambe nkhaniyo. Komanso anthu ambiri ankalowa mu utumiki ndipo ankalalikira mwakhama. Ena mwa achinyamatawa anadzakhala apainiya apadera komanso oyang’anira oyendayenda.”

Nkhondo yapachiweniweni itangoyamba, abale a ku Freetown anagula malo okwana ekala imodzi ndi hafu ku 133 Wilkinson Road, omwe anali pafupi kwambiri ndi ofesi ya nthambi. M’bale Alfred Gunn ananena kuti: “Tinkafuna kumanga  nyumba ya Beteli yatsopano pamalowa koma tinkadera nkhawa za nkhondo. Koma popeza M’bale Lloyd Barry wa m’Bungwe Lolamulira, anali atabwera kudzatichezera pa nthawiyo, tinamufotokozera nkhawa zathuzo. Iye anatiuza kuti: ‘Ngati tingaganizire zoti kuli nkhondo ndiye kuti chilichonse sichingayende.’ Mawu akewa anatilimbikitsa kuti tiyambe ntchito yomanga.”

Abale ambiri anadzipereka kugwira ntchito yomangayi, kuphatikizapo abale 50 ochokera m’mayiko 12 osiyanasiyana. Komanso panali abale ena ochokera m’mipingo ya m’deralo. Ntchitoyi inayamba mu May 1991. M’bale wina woyang’anira ntchito yomangayi, dzina lake Tom Ball ananena kuti: “Anthu ankachita chidwi kwambiri ndi nyumba zomangidwa mwaluso zimene zinamangidwa pamalowa. Nyumbazi zinali zosiyana kwambiri ndi nyumba za m’derali chifukwa zinamangidwa ndi zitsulo. Koma anthu ankachitanso chidwi kwambiri kuona azungu ndi akuda akugwirira ntchito limodzi mosangalala.”

Pa April 19, 1997, kunali mwambo wotsegulira ofesi ya nthambi yatsopano. Kunabwera abale ndi alongo ochokera m’mayiko osiyanasiyana. Patangotha mwezi umodzi, gulu la zigawenga la RUF, lomwe linali litayambitsa zipolowe m’madera akumidzi kwa zaka 5, linalowanso mumzinda wa Freetown.

Zigawenga zambirimbiri za RUF, zokhala ndi tsitsi losapesa komanso zomanga timipango tofiira kumutu, zinafika mumzinda wa Freetown. Zigawengazi zinkaba, kupha komanso kugwiririra anthu. M’bale Alfred Gunn ananena kuti: “Inali nthawi yoopsa kwambiri, moti amishonale ambiri anasamutsidwa m’dzikoli. Ine ndi mkazi wanga Catherine, Billie ndi Sandra Cowan, komanso Jimmie ndi Joyce Holland tinali amishonale omalizira kuchoka m’dzikoli.

“Tinapemphera limodzi ndi abale ena a pa Beteli omwe anadzipereka kutsala, kenako tinanyamuka n’kuyamba kuthawa. Tili m’njira tinaimitsidwa ndi zigawenga zina zoopsa komanso zoledzera, zomwe zinalipo pafupifupi 20. Titazipatsa magazini komanso ndalama, zinatilola kudutsa. Ife limodzi ndi anthu  enanso omwe ankatuluka m’dzikoli oposa 1,000, tinafika pamalo ena pamene panali asilikali a ku United States onyamula zida za nkhondo. Tinakwera helikopita ina yankhondo yomwe inatitengera ku sitima ina yankhondo ya ku America. Mkulu wina wogwira ntchito mu sitimayo anatiuza kuti gulu lathuli ndi lomwe linali lalikulu kuposa magulu ena onse amene anawanyamulako m’mbuyomo chichitikireni nkhondo ya ku Vietnam. Tsiku lotsatira, tinakwera helikopita kupita ku Conakry, m’dziko la Guinea. Kumeneko tinatsegula ofesi ya nthambi yongoyembekezera.”

Amishonale amene anathawa aja ankadera nkhawa abale amene anawasiya ku Freetown ndipo ankafunitsitsa kudziwa mmene zinthu zinalili. Kenako iwo analandira kalata imene abalewo analemba, yomwe inati: “Ngakhale kuti kuno kuli zipolowe, koma tikugawira timapepala ta Uthenga wa Ufumu Na. 35, wakuti ‘Kodi Anthu Onse Adzakondanapo?’ Anthu ambiri akulandira timapepalati mwachidwi ndipo tikuphunzira Baibulo ndi anthu ena omwe anali zigawenga. Zimenezi zatipatsa mphamvu yoti tipitirizebe kulalikira mwakhama.”

M’bale Jonathan Mbomah, yemwe anali woyang’anira dera, ananena kuti: “Tinakwanitsanso ngakhale kuchita msonkhano wapadera mumzinda wa Freetown. Pulogalamu yake inali yolimbikitsa kwambiri moti ndinapitanso kumzinda wa Bo ndi wa Kenema kukachititsa msonkhanowo. Abale akumadera ankhondo amenewa anayamikira kwambiri Yehova chifukwa cha chakudya chauzimu chabwino chimenechi.

“Chakumapeto kwa chaka cha 1997, tinachita msonkhano wachigawo m’bwalo la masewera mumzinda wa Freetown. Pa tsiku lomaliza la msonkhanowu, tili mkatikati mwa msonkhano, kunabwera gulu la zigawenga n’kutiuza kuti tichoke pamalopo. Tinawapempha kuti angotidikira kuti timalize kaye msonkhanowo. Titakambirana nawo kwa nthawi yaitali, anasintha maganizo n’kuchoka. Pamsonkhanowu panali anthu okwana 1,000 ndipo anthu 27 anabatizidwa. Abale ambiri anayenda movutikira kwambiri kupita mumzinda wa Bo, n’cholinga choti akachite msonkhanowu kumeneko. Inalidi misonkhano yosangalatsa komanso yolimbikitsa kwambiri.”