ARIKO se ibyo byaje bite? Reka mbasobanurire. Navutse ku itariki ya 29 Nyakanga 1929, nkurira mu mudugudu wo mu ntara ya Bulacan muri Filipine. Twari dufite ubuzima bworoheje. Intambara yateye nkiri muto, maze ingabo z’u Buyapani zigarurira Filipine. Icyakora umudugudu w’iwacu wari kure cyane ku buryo imirwano itahageze. Ntitwagiraga radiyo, tereviziyo n’ibinyamakuru. Ubwo rero, twamenyaga iby’iyo ntambara ari uko twumvise abantu babivuga.

Nari uwa kabiri mu bana umunani, kandi maze kugira imyaka umunani ababyeyi bange banyohereje kwa sogokuru. Nubwo twari Abagatolika, sogokuru yumvaga ibitekerezo by’andi madini, kandi yari afite ibitabo byinshi by’idini yari yarahawe n’inshuti ze. Nibuka ko yanyerekaga Bibiliya n’udutabo tw’Abahamya ba Yehova two mu rurimi rw’Igitagaloge twamaganaga idini ry’ikinyoma. Nakundaga gusoma Bibiliya, cyanecyane Amavanjiri ane. Ibyo byatumye nifuza gukurikira Yesu.—Yoh 10:27.

Ingabo z’Abayapani zasubiye iwabo mu mwaka wa 1945. Icyo gihe ababyeyi bange bansabye kugaruka imuhira. Sogokuru yambwiye ko nsubira iwacu, maze ndataha.

Nyuma yaho, mu Kuboza 1945, Abahamya ba Yehova bo mu mugi wa Angat baje kubwiriza mu mudugudu w’iwacu. Umuhamya ukuze yaje kubwiriza iwacu, adusobanurira icyo Bibiliya ivuga ku “minsi y’imperuka” (2 Tim 3:1-5). Yadutumiriye kujya kwiga Bibiliya mu mudugudu twari duturanye. Ababyeyi bange ntibagiyeyo, ariko nge nagiyeyo. Hari abantu nka 20 kandi bamwe babajije ibibazo.

Nashatse kwitahira kuko ntumvaga ibyo bavugaga. Icyakora batangiye kuririmba indirimbo y’Ubwami iranshimisha cyane, sinaba ngitashye. Bamaze kuririmba no gusenga, badutumiye mu materaniro yari kuba ku Cyumweru mu mugi wa Angat.

 Twakoze urugendo rw’ibirometero bigera ku 8, tugiye muri ayo materaniro yabereye kwa Cruz. Twateranye tugera kuri 50, kandi natangajwe n’uko n’abana bato basubizaga, bakavuga ibintu byimbitse byo muri Bibiliya. Maze guterana inshuro nyinshi, Umuvandimwe Damian Santos, wari umupayiniya ukuze wari warigeze no kuba meya, yansabye kurara iwe. Twaraye tuganira kuri Bibiliya.

Muri icyo gihe, benshi muri twe tukimara kumenya inyigisho z’ibanze z’ukuri ko muri Bibiliya, twahise tugira icyo dukora. Tumaze igihe gito duterana, abavandimwe baratubajije bati: “Ese murifuza kubatizwa?” Narabashubije nti: “Yego, ndabishaka.” Numvaga nshaka ‘gukorera Kristo ndi imbata ye’ (Kolo 3:24). Ku itariki ya 15 Gashyantare 1946, twagiye ku ruzi rwo hafi aho, nge n’undi muntu umwe turabatizwa.

Tumaze kubatizwa, twumvise ko tugomba kwigana Yesu tukabwiriza buri gihe. Data ntiyishimiye ko nabwirizaga, maze arambwira ati: “Uracyari umwana ntukwiriye kubwiriza. Kuba bakwibije mu ruzi si byo bikugira umubwiriza.” Namusobanuriye ko Imana ishaka ko tubwiriza ubutumwa bwiza bw’Ubwami bw’Imana (Mat 24:14). Naramubwiye nti: “Ngomba guhigura umuhigo nahigiye Imana.” Icyo gihe ni bwo yanshyizeho iterabwoba nk’uko nabivuze ngitangira. Kandi koko yari yiyemeje kumbuza kubwiriza. Ibyo ni byo byabaye intandaro yo gusiga byose kugira ngo nkurikire Umwami.

Umuryango wa Cruz waranyakiriye, tubana mu mugi wa Angat. Nanone nge n’umukobwa wabo muto Nora, baduteye inkunga yo kuba abapayiniya. Twembi twatangiye gukora umurimo w’ubupayiniya ku itariki ya 1 Ugushyingo 1947. Nakomeje gukorera mu mugi wa Angat, Nora we ajya gukorera mu wundi mugi.

Igihe nari maze imyaka itatu ndi umupayiniya, umuvandimwe witwaga Earl Stewart wakoraga ku biro by’ishami yatanze disikuru imbere y’abantu basaga 500 mu mugi wa Angat. Yayitanze mu Cyongereza, hanyuma mvuga muri make mu Gitagaloge ibyari bikubiye muri iyo disikuru. Nari narize amashuri arindwi gusa, ariko abarimu bacu bakoreshaga Icyongereza. Ikindi kintu cyamfashije kumenya Icyongereza, ni uko twagiraga ibitabo bike by’imfashanyigisho za Bibiliya mu Gitagaloge. Bityo rero, ibitabo byinshi nabyigaga mu Cyongereza. Naje kumenya Icyongereza gihagije ku buryo nasemuraga disikuru.

Icyo gihe Umuvandimwe Stewart yabwiye abagize itorero ko abamisiyonari bari bagiye kujya mu ikoraniro ryari kubera i New York mu mwaka wa 1950, ryari rifite umutwe uvuga ngo: “Ukwiyongera kwa Gitewokarasi.” Bityo rero, ibiro by’ishami byifuzaga gutumira umuvandimwe w’umupayiniya umwe cyangwa babiri bakaza gufasha kuri Beteli. Natumiriwe kujya gufasha kuri Beteli. Nongeye gusiga byose, kugira ngo nge gukora kuri Beteli.

Nageze kuri Beteli ku itariki ya 19 Kamena 1950. Beteli yakoreraga mu nzu nini ishaje ikikijwe n’ibiti binini mu kibanza cya hegitari imwe. Hakoraga abavandimwe b’abaseribateri basaga icumi. Mu gitondo cya kare nakoraga mu gikoni, hanyuma mu ma saa tatu nkajya gutera ipasi. Ni na byo nakoraga nyuma ya saa sita. Abamisiyonari bavuye mu ikoraniro, nakomeje gukora kuri Beteli. Natunganyaga amagazeti yagombaga koherezwa ku iposita, nkagenzura inyandiko z’ababaga basabye kujya bohererezwa amagazeti, ngakora n’aho bakirira abantu; mbese nakoraga ibyo nasabwaga gukora byose.

Mu mwaka wa 1952, nge n’abandi bavandimwe batandatu twavuye muri Filipine, tujya kwiga Ishuri rya 20 rya Gileyadi. Nari nishimye cyane. Ibintu byinshi twabonye muri Amerika, byabaga ari bishya kuri benshi muri twe. Mu by’ukuri, byabaga bitandukanye cyane n’ibyo mu mudugudu wacu muto.

Urugero, twize gukoresha amamashini n’ibindi bikoresho tutari tumenyereye. N’ikirere cyaho na cyo cyari gitandukanye cyane n’ik’iwacu! Umunsi  umwe narabyutse nsaga ahantu hose hanze habaye umweru. Bwari ubwa mbere mbona urubura. Hasaga neza cyane, ariko nahise numva ukuntu hakonje cyane!

Icyakora nishimiye cyane inyigisho zihebuje naherewe mu Ishuri rya Gileyadi. Twari dufite abarimu bigisha neza, kandi batweretse uburyo bwiza bwo kwiyigisha no gukora ubushakashatsi. Izo nyigisho zamfashije kurushaho kugirana ubucuti na Yehova.

Iryo shuri rirangiye, noherejwe kuba umupayiniya wa bwite w’igihe gito mu mugi wa Bronx muri leta ya New York. Bityo muri Nyakanga 1953, nagiye mu ikoraniro ryabereye muri uwo mugi ryari rifite umutwe uvuga ngo: “Umuryango w’isi nshya.” Ikoraniro rirangiye nasubiye muri Filipine.

Abavandimwe bo kuri Beteli bansabye kuba umugenzuzi usura amatorero. Iyo nshingano yampaye uburyo bwo kwigana Yesu, kuko yajyaga mu migi no mu byaro agiye gufasha intama za Yehova (1 Pet 2:21). Noherejwe gusura amatorero yo ku kirwa cya Luzon, ari na cyo kirwa kinini mu bigize Filipine. Nasuraga amatorero yo mu ntara ya Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac na Zambales. Iyo najyaga gusura amatorero yo midugudu imwe n’imwe, nambukiranyaga akarere k’imisozi miremire ya Sierra Madre. Nta modoka zitwara abagenzi zahabaga. Akenshi nategaga amakamyo yikoreye ibiti, nkagenda mbyicaye hejuru, ariko izo ngendo ntizabaga zoroshye.

Amatorero menshi yabaga ari mato kandi ari mashya. Iyo nafashaga abavandimwe gushyira kuri gahunda amateraniro n’umurimo wo kubwiriza, barishimaga cyane.

Nyuma yaho nagiye gusura amatorero yo mu karere ka Bicol. Ako karere karimo amatsinda menshi yitaruye yatangijwe n’abapayiniya ba bwite babaga baroherejwe mu mafasi atarabwirizwamo. Hari ahantu twacumbitse bari bafite umusarani uriho ibiti bibiri gusa. Nuko nkadagiyeho biravunika ngwamo. Byasabye umwanya munini kugira ngo nisukure mbone gufata ifunguro rya mu gitondo!

Igihe nasuraga amatorero yo muri ako karere natangiye gutekereza Nora, wari waratangiriye umurimo w’ubupayiniya i Bulacan, nuko njya kumusura. Icyo gihe yari umupayiniya wa bwite mu mugi wa Dumaguete. Nyuma yaho twakomeje kwandikirana, dushyingiranwa mu mwaka wa 1956. Mu cyumweru cya mbere tumaze gushyingiranwa, twasuye itorero ryo ku kirwa cya Rapu Rapu. Icyo gihe twatereraga imisozi kandi tugakora  ingendo ndende n’amaguru, ariko twari twishimiye gufasha abavandimwe bo mu turere twitaruye.

Tumaze hafi imyaka ine dusura amatorero, twatumiriwe gukora ku biro by’ishami. Twatangiye kuhakora muri Mutarama 1960. Mu myaka myinshi namaze nkora kuri Beteli, nigiye byinshi ku bavandimwe bari bafite inshingano ziremereye, kandi Nora na we yagiye akora imirimo inyuranye muri Beteli.

Nashimishijwe no kubona ukuntu Abahamya ba Yehova bo muri Filipine bakomezaga kwiyongera. Igihe nageraga kuri Beteli bwa mbere nkiri muto, mu gihugu hose hari ababwiriza bagera ku 10.000. None ubu hari ababwiriza basaga 200.000, n’abakozi ba Beteli babarirwa mu magana bashyigikira umurimo wo kubwiriza.

Uko umurimo wateraga imbere, amazu ya Beteli yatubanye mato. Inteko Nyobozi yadusabye gushaka ikibanza kugira ngo twubake amazu manini. Nge n’umugenzuzi w’icapiro twasuye abantu bari baturanye n’ibiro by’ishami, tubabaza niba hari uwakwemera kutugurisha aho atuye. Nta n’umwe wabyemeye, ahubwo hari uwatubwiye ati: “Twebwe Abashinwa ntitugurisha. Turagura.”

Icyakora, umunsi umwe twatunguwe n’uko umuturanyi yatubajije niba twakwemera kugura ikibanza ke. Yari agiye kwimukira muri Amerika. Nyuma yaho undi muturanyi na we yiyemeje kugurisha ikibanza ke, ashishikariza n’abandi kugurisha. Amaherezo twanaguze ikibanza cya wa muntu watubwiye ko Abashinwa batagurisha. Mu gihe gito, ikibanza cya Beteli cyari kimaze kwikuba inshuro zisaga eshatu. Nemera ntashidikanya ko ari Yehova washatse ko bigenda bityo.

Mu mwaka wa 1950, ni nge wari muto kuri Beteli. Ariko ubu, nge n’umugore wange ni twe bakuru. Sinicuza ko nakurikiye Umwami aho yanyoboraga hose. Nubwo ababyeyi bange banyirukanye, Yehova yampaye umuryango munini w’abagaragu be. Sinshidikanya na gato ko Yehova aduha ibyo dukeneye byose, uko inshingano dufite yaba imeze kose. Nge na Nora dushimira Yehova ku bw’ibintu byiza aduha kandi dushishikariza abandi kugerageza Yehova.—Mal 3:10.

Umunsi umwe Yesu yabwiye umukoresha w’ikoro witwaga Matayo Lewi ati: “nkurikira ube umwigishwa wanjye.” Yakoze iki? ‘Yasize byose, arahaguruka akurikira [Yesu]’ (Luka 5:27, 28). Nange ni uko nabigenje, kandi nshishikariza n’abandi kubigenza batyo, kugira ngo bironkere imigisha myinshi.