Uwa mbere na mbere dukomokako yitwa Thomas (1) * Williams, akaba yavukiye i Horncastle mu Bwongereza ku wa 20 Nzero 1815. Haciye imyaka ibiri, nyina wiwe yarapfuye, se John Williams aca yirerana Thomas na barumunawe batatu. John yarigishije Thomas umwuga wo kubāza, ariko Thomas yipfuza gukora ikindi kintu mu buzima bwiwe.

Mu Bwongereza bariko barasubira guhurumbira ivy’ugusenga. Umuvugabutumwa yitwa John Wesley yari yavuye mw’idini rya angilikani aja gutanguza idini ry’abametodiste, iryashimika ku gutohoza Bibiliya no kuvuga ubutumwa. Inyigisho za Wesley zarakwiragiye nk’umuriro wa Nyakanga, umuryango wa Williams urazemera rwose. Thomas yaciye aba umuvugabutumwa ayoboka Wesley maze aritanga aja kuba umumisiyonari mu karere k’ubumanuko bwa Pasifike. Muri Mukakaro 1840, we n’umugore wiwe Mary (2) barashitse mw’izinga ryitwa Lakeba * ryo muri Fiji, rikaba ari izinga ririmwo ibirunga ryabamwo abantu baryana.

Thomas na Mary bagishika muri Fiji, mu myaka ya mbere barahuye n’ingorane zikomeye. Barakora mu buryo butaborohereza, bagakora amasaha menshi kandi mu bushuhe bwinshi. Barabonye amabi atagira uko yovugwa: uri intambara zishingiye ku bwoko, uri ukuniga abapfakazi, uri ukwica abana, n’ukurya abantu. Vyongeye, benshi mu bantu baho bararwanya ubutumwa babashikiriza. Mary n’umuhungu wiwe w’imfura John bararwaye bahakwa gupfa. Mu 1843, Thomas yanditse ati: “Nararengewe. . . . Amaganya yari mu kunyica.” Yamara, we na Mary barumiyeko babifashijwemwo n’ukwizera Yehova Imana.

Ico gihe, Thomas yarakoresheje ubuhanga yari afise mu vy’ububaji arubaka mu mbaho inzu ya mbere y’ikizungu muri Fiji. Iyo nyubakwa yari ifise hasi hataramutse ku buryo akayaga kaca munsi yayo, ikagira n’ibindi bintu abantu baho batari bamenyereye vyatuma bayitangarira cane. Imbere gatoyi y’uko iyo nyubakwa irangira, Mary yaribarutse umuhungu wa kabiri ari we Thomas Whitton (3) Williams, uwo nkomokako.

Mu 1843, Thomas mukuru yarafashije guhindura Injili ya Yohani mu rurimi rw’igifiji. Ntivyamworoheye na gato. * Ariko rero, yari umuhinga mu bijanye n’ikibano be n’imico kama, akaba n’umuntu azi kwihweza. Amaze kugira ubushakashatsi, yaranditse  igitabu (Fiji and the Fijians—1858) kidondora neza ubuzima bw’Abanyafiji mu kinjana ca 19.

Inyuma y’imyaka 13 y’ubutame, Thomas yarakitswe n’amagara maze we n’umuryango wiwe bava muri Fiji bimukira muri Ostraliya. Thomas amaze imyaka myinshi akora igikorwa kitoroshe c’umumenyeshamana, yahavuye apfira i Ballarat muri Leta ya Victoria, mu 1891.

Mu 1883, Thomas Whitton Williams n’umukenyezi wiwe Phoebe (4) be n’abana babo barimukiye i Perth muri Ostraliya yo mu Burengero. Umwana wabo wa kabiri, ari we Arthur Bakewell (5) Williams, yari afise imyaka icenda, na we nyene akaba ari umwe mu bo nkomokako.

Arthur afise imyaka 22, yaragiye kuronderera ubutunzi i Kalgoorlie, igisagara bacukuramwo inzahabu cariko kiratera imbere cari ku bilometero nka 600 mu buseruko bwa Perth. Ari aho, yarasomye ibitabu vyasohorwa n’Abatohoji ba Bibiliya, ukwo akaba ari ko Ivyabona vya Yehova bitwa ico gihe. Yariyandikishije ngo aze ararungikirwa ikinyamakuru Umunara w’Inderetsi w’i Siyoni. Ivyo yasomye vyaramuryoheye, atangura kubwira abandi ibintu bishasha yari yubuye no gutunganya amakoraniro yo kwiga Bibiliya. Ukwo ni ko igikorwa c’Ivyabona vya Yehova catanguye mu Burengero bwa Ostraliya.

Arthur yarabwiye n’abo mu muryango wiwe ivyo yariko ariga. Se wiwe Thomas Whitton yaramushigikiye muri ukwo kwifatanya n’Abatohoji ba Bibiliya, ariko inyuma yaho gato aca arapfa. Nyina wiwe Phoebe na bashiki biwe, ari bo Violet na Mary, na bo nyene barabaye Abatohoji ba Bibiliya. Violet yarabaye umutsimvyi, ni ukuvuga umwe mu bamara umwanya munini bamamaza inkuru nziza. Arthur yavuze yuko uwo mushikiwe yabaye “umutsimvyi mwiza kandi w’umunyamwete gusumba abandi mu Burengero bwa Ostraliya.” Naho Arthur ashobora kuba yarateye amashurwe cane mushikiwe, umwete wa Violet warabereye akarorero keza cane amayaruka yakurikiye y’umuryango wacu.

Arthur yahavuye yubaka urwiwe aca yimukira i Donnybrook, agasagara barimamwo ivyamwa kari mu bumanuko bushira uburengero bwa Ostraliya yo mu Burengero. Abaho bamutaziriye ngo “Wa mutama asarira ku mwaka wa 1914!” kubera yamamaza n’umwete ibintu bivugwa muri Bibiliya bijanye n’uwo mwaka. * Igihe Intambara ya mbere y’isi yose yaduka mu 1914, iryo ritazirano baciye bariheba. Arthur yama abwira inkuru nziza abakiriya baza kumushorera kw’iduka ryiwe. Yarakunda gushira ibitabu bishingiye kuri Bibiliya kw’idirisha ry’iryo duka. Kuri iryo dirisha hari n’icapa canditseko ko uwuzoshobora kumujijura ku bijanye n’Ubutatu azomuha amahera 100 yo muri Ostraliya. Arthur yararwanya cane iyo nyigisho idashingiye kuri Bibiliya. Ariko nta n’umwe yashoboye kuyatahana.

Aho i Donnybrook, inzu ya Arthur yacitse ahantu ho kwigira Bibiliya mu mugwi n’aho kugirira amakoraniro. Mu nyuma, Arthur yarubatse mu gisagara  ikibanza co gukoraniramwo citwa Ingoro y’Ubwami, ikaba yabaye iya mbere mu Burengero bwa Ostraliya. Naho yarenza imyaka 70, yarakubitako ikoti n’ikaruvati, akurira kw’ifarasi yiwe yitwa Doll agakwira intara yose ya Donnybrook yamamaza inkuru nziza.

Abana ba Arthur barigiye cane ku karorero ka se. Yari umuntu atekereje, yiyubashe ariko kandi w’umunyamwete. Umukobwa wiwe Florence (6) yarabaye umumisiyonari mu Buhindi. Abahungu biwe Arthur Lindsay (7) na Thomas baramaze ikiringo kirekire ari abakurambere mw’ishengero cokimwe na se wabo.

Sogokuruza Arthur Lindsay Williams yari umuntu azwi kandi akundwa kubera umutima mwiza yari afise. Yama yitwararika abantu kandi akabubaha. Yari karuhariwe mu gukoresha ishoka. Mu myaka 12, yaratsindiye amahiganwa 18 yo gusatura ibiti yabereye mu karere iwabo.

Ni co gituma Arthur yabibonye ibisanzwe igihe umwana wiwe w’imyaka ibiri Ronald (8) (sogokuru) yafata ishoka agatema agati k’ipome bari bafise mu rugo. Nyina yaciye akaboha neza, karahava kama ivyamwa vyitwa amapome biryoshe cane. Ubwo bwoko bushasha bw’amapome bwahavuye bwitirirwa uwo nyogokuruza, bukaba ari bumwe mu bwakomotseko amapome atukura akundwa cane kw’isi.

Uwo sogokuru Ronald yahavuye aja mu vy’ubwubatsi. We na nyokuru baritanze baramara imyaka bafasha mu kwubaka inyubakwa z’Ivyabona vya Yehova muri Ostraliya no mu mazinga ya Salomo. Ubu sogo ari mu gushikana imyaka 80, ariko aracari umukurambere mw’ishengero kandi arafasha mu kwubaka no gusanura Ingoro z’Ubwami mu Burengero bwa Ostraliya.

Abavyeyi banje Geoffrey Williams (9) na Janice (10) barakurikije rya ragi twarazwe, barihatira guha indero rukirisu abana babo, ari bo jewe (12) na mushikanje Katharine. (11) Mfise imyaka 13, narafashe ingingo yo gukurikira iryo ragi. Igihe twari mu gikorane c’Ivyabona vya Yehova, narumvise John E. Barr wo mu Nama Nyobozi y’Ivyabona vya Yehova ahimiriza abakiri bato bari ng’aho, ati: “Ntimupfishe ubusa ikintu c’agaciro mufise gisumba ibindi vyose: akaryo ko kumenya Yehova no kumukunda.” Muri iryo joro, nareguriye ubuzima bwanje Yehova. Haciye imyaka ibiri, narabaye umutsimvyi.

Ubu, jewe n’umukenyezi wanje Chloe tumara umwanya munini twamamaza inkuru nziza i Tom Price, igisagara bacukuramwo ubutare co mu buraruko bushira uburengero, kure mu Burengero bwa Ostraliya. Turakora n’akazi k’igihe gitogito kugira turonke ikidutunga. Abavyeyi banje na mushikanje Katharine n’umunega wiwe Andrew, ni abatsimvyi i Port Hedland, ku bilometero nka 420 mu buraruko. Twe na dawe turi abakurambere mw’ishengero.

Tumaze gushika ku mayaruka indwi kuva sokuruza Thomas Williams afashe ingingo yo gukorera Yehova Imana. Iryo ragi ry’ukwizera no gukorera Imana, nanje nararirazwe. Ndakenguruka cane kubona nararazwe itunga nk’iryo ryo gukorera Imana.