NAVUTSE mu mwaka wa 1926, mvukira mu mudugudu wa Crooksville muri leta ya Ohio, muri Amerika. Papa na mama ntibashishikazwaga n’iby’idini, ariko twebwe abana babo umunani batubwiraga ko tugomba kujya gusenga. Nagiye mu idini ry’Abametodisiti. Igihe nari mfite imyaka 14, pasiteri yarampembye kubera ko nari maze umwaka wose ntasiba ku cyumweru.

Muri icyo gihe, Umuhamya wa Yehova twari duturanye witwaga Margaret Walker yatangiye gusura mama, bakaganira kuri Bibiliya. Umunsi umwe niyemeje kwicara ngatega amatwi. Mama yatekereje ko nari kubarogoya, maze arambwira ngo nsohoke. Ariko nagerageje gukomeza gutega amatwi ibyo baganiraga. Margaret amaze kumusura incuro runaka, yarambajije ati “ese uzi izina ry’Imana?” Naramushubije nti “buri wese azi ko ari Imana.” Yarambwiye ati “fata Bibiliya yawe maze urebe muri Zaburi ya 83:18.” Narabikoze maze mbona ko izina ry’Imana ari Yehova. Nahise njya kureba incuti zanjye ndazibwira nti “nimugera mu rugo nimugoroba, mufate Bibiliya murebe muri Zaburi ya 83:18 muramenya izina ry’Imana.” Urumva ko nari ntangiye kubwiriza.

 Nize Bibiliya, mbatizwa mu mwaka wa 1941. Nyuma yaho, nahawe inshingano yo kuyobora icyigisho cy’igitabo cy’itorero. Nashishikarije mama n’abo tuvukana kujya baza, maze bose bahita batangira kuza muri icyo cyigisho cy’igitabo nayoboraga. Papa we ntibyamushishikazaga.

Nahawe izindi nshingano mu itorero, kandi nkora ububiko bw’ibitabo mu rugo. Umunsi umwe papa yatunze urutoki ibitabo byanjye, aravuga ati “urabona biriya bintu byose? Ndashaka ko biva muri iyi nzu kandi ndumva nawe wajyana na byo.” Navuye mu rugo, njya kuba mu mugi wo hafi aho wa Zanesville, ariko nasubiraga mu rugo ngatera inkunga abagize umuryango wanjye.

Papa yagerageje kubuza mama kujya mu materaniro. Rimwe na rimwe iyo yabaga agiye mu materaniro, yaramukurikiraga akamufata akamugarura mu rugo. Ariko yahitaga asohokera mu wundi muryango akajya ku materaniro. Nabwiye mama nti “ntuhangayike. Azageraho arambirwe.” Nyuma y’igihe, papa yaramuretse akajya ajya mu materaniro nta kibazo.

Mu mwaka wa 1943, Ishuri ry’Umurimo wa Gitewokarasi ryaratangiye, maze ntangira gutanga ibiganiro bihabwa abanyeshuri. Inama nahabwaga nyuma ya buri kiganiro, zamfashije kongera ubuhanga bwo kuvuga.

Muri icyo gihe, Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose yacaga ibintu. Mu mwaka wa 1944, nasabwe kujya mu gisirikare. Nitabye ikigo cya gisirikare cyitwa Fort Hayes cyo mu mugi wa Columbus muri leta ya Ohio, nsabwa gukora ibizamini by’abashakaga kujya mu gisirikare, ntanga n’umwirondoro. Nanone nabwiye abakuru b’abasirikare ko ntari kuba umusirikare. Barandetse ndataha. Hashize iminsi, umupolisi yaje aho nari ntuye arambwira ati “Corwin Robison, natumwe kugufata.”

Ibyumweru bibiri nyuma yaho ubwo nari mu rukiko, umucamanza yarambwiye ati “iyaba nari mfite uburenganzira, nari kugufunga burundu. Ese hari icyo ubivugaho?” Naramushubije nti “Nyakubahwa, nagombye kuba narashyizwe ku rutonde rw’abavugabutumwa. * Jye ndi umuvugabutumwa usanga abantu mu ngo zabo, kandi namenyesheje abantu benshi ubutumwa bwiza bw’Ubwami.” Umucamanza yabwiye itsinda ry’abantu bakurikiranaga urwo rubanza ati “icyo musabwa si ukureba niba uyu musore ari umuvugabutumwa cyangwa atari we. Mwazanywe no gusuzuma niba yaremeye kujya mu gisirikare cyangwa atarabyemeye.” Mu gihe kitageze ku gice cy’isaha, abakurikiranaga urubanza bampamije icyaha. Uwo mucamanza yankatiye igifungo cy’imyaka itanu muri gereza yo mu mugi wa Ashland muri leta ya Kentuki.

Ibyumweru bibiri bya mbere nabimaze muri gereza ya Columbus, kandi ku munsi wa mbere nafungiwe mu kumba ka jyenyine. Nasenze Yehova ndamubwira nti “sinashobora gufungirwa aha hantu imyaka itanu. Sinzi icyo nakora.”

Umunsi wakurikiyeho, abarinzi ba gereza bamvanyemo. Nasanze umugabo muremure kandi  w’ibigango na we wari ufunzwe, maze duhagarara mu idirishya. Yarambajije ati “wa gakuri we ufunzwe uzira iki?” Naramushubije nti “ndi Umuhamya wa Yehova.” Yaravuze ati “ni byo? None kuki uri hano?” Naramushubije nti “Abahamya ba Yehova ntibajya mu ntambara kandi ntibica abantu.” Yarambwiye ati “bagufunze bakuziza ko udashaka kwica abantu, kandi abandi bo babafunga babaziza kwica! Ubwo se ibyo birumvikana?” Naramushubije nti “ntibyumvikana.”

Hanyuma yaravuze ati “namaze imyaka 15 mfungiye mu yindi gereza, kandi nasomaga ibitabo byanyu.” Nahise nsenga nti “Yehova, umfashe uyu mugabo ntandwanye.” Ako kanya uwo mugabo witwaga Paul yarambwiye ati “nihagira n’umwe muri aba ugukoraho, ujye utaka gusa. Nzi uko nzamugenza.” Ibyo byatumye nta n’umwe mu mfungwa 50 twari kumwe unkoraho.

Igihe abakuru ba gereza banyimuriraga muri gereza yo mu mugi wa Ashland, nahasanze abavandimwe benshi bakuze mu buryo bw’umwuka. Jye n’abandi twarushijeho gukomera mu buryo bw’umwuka bitewe no kwifatanya n’abo bavandimwe. Buri cyumweru, abo bavandimwe baduhaga ahantu ho gusoma muri Bibiliya, tugategura ibibazo n’ibisubizo tuzakoresha mu materaniro babaga bateguye. Twari dufite n’umuvandimwe ushinzwe amafasi. Twararaga mu nzu nini cyane, ibitanda bitondetse ahagana ku nkuta. Hari ubwo uwo muvandimwe yambwiraga ati “Robison, ifasi yawe ni ukuva kuri iki gitanda kugeza kuri kiriya. Ni wowe ushinzwe kubwiriza umuntu wese uharara. Uzakore uko ushoboye umubwirize mbere y’uko ataha.” Uko ni ko twabwirizaga kuri gahunda.

Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose yarangiye mu mwaka wa 1945, ariko nagumye muri gereza igihe runaka. Nari mpangayikiye umuryango wanjye kuko papa yari yarambwiye ati “mbonye umviriye aha abandi ntibananira.” Maze gufungurwa, naratangaye. Nubwo papa yaturwanyaga, barindwi mu bagize umuryango wanjye bajyaga mu materaniro, kandi umwe muri bashiki banjye yari yarabatijwe.

Igihe intambara yo muri Koreya yatangiraga mu mwaka wa 1950, nongeye gusabwa kujya mu gisirikare ku ncuro ya kabiri, maze nitaba kuri cya kigo cya Fort Hayes. Maze gukora ibizamini, umukuru w’abasirikare yarambwiye ati “warushije amanota abo mwakoranye bose.” Naramushubije nti “ni byiza, ariko sinzajya mu gisirikare.” Nasubiyemo amagambo ari muri 2 Timoteyo 2:3, ndamubwira nti “nsanzwe ndi umusirikare wa Kristo.” Yamaze umwanya acecetse, maze arambwira ati “igendere.”

 Nyuma y’igihe gito, nagiye mu nama y’abifuzaga gukora kuri Beteli mu ikoraniro ryabereye mu mugi wa Cincinnati, muri leta ya Ohio. Umuvandimwe Milton Henschel yatubwiye ko niba hari umuvandimwe wifuza gukorera Ubwami n’imbaraga ze zose, umuryango wa Yehova ushobora kumukoresha kuri Beteli. Nujuje fomu isaba gukora kuri Beteli, baranyemerera, maze ngera kuri Beteli y’i Brooklyn muri Kanama 1954. N’ubu ni ho ngikora.

Sinigeze mbura icyo nkora kuri Beteli. Namaze imyaka myinshi nita ku byuma bishyushya amazi byo mu icapiro n’ibyo mu nzu yarimo ibiro. Nabaye umukanishi w’amamashini, kandi hari n’igihe nakoraga za serire z’inzugi. Nakoze no ku Mazu y’Amakoraniro yo mu mugi wa New York.

Nkunda gahunda zo mu buryo bw’umwuka zibera kuri Beteli, zirimo isomo ry’umunsi rya buri gitondo n’icyigisho cy’Umunara w’Umurinzi, kandi nkunda kwifatanya n’itorero mu murimo wo kubwiriza. Iyo utekereje witonze ubona ko izo gahunda zagombye kuba mu miryango yose y’Abahamya ba Yehova. Iyo ababyeyi basuzumira hamwe n’abana babo isomo ry’umunsi, bakagira gahunda y’iby’umwuka mu muryango ihoraho, kandi bakifatanya mu buryo bwuzuye mu materaniro y’itorero no mu murimo wo kubwiriza ubutumwa bwiza, bose bakura mu buryo bw’umwuka.

Nagize incuti nyinshi kuri Beteli no mu itorero. Bamwe bari barasutsweho umwuka kandi bamaze guhabwa ingororano yabo mu ijuru, abandi bo ntibari barasutsweho umwuka. Icyakora, abagaragu ba Yehova bose, hakubiyemo n’abakora kuri Beteli, ntibatunganye. Iyo ngiranye ikibazo n’umuvandimwe, nshaka uko twagikemura mu mahoro. Ntekereza ku bivugwa muri Matayo 5:23, 24 n’icyo tugomba gukora kugira ngo dukemure ibibazo. Gusaba imbabazi ntibyoroha, ariko si kenshi nkomeza kugirana ibibazo n’incuti zanjye iyo nazisabye imbabazi.

Kubera ko ngeze mu za bukuru, kubwiriza ku nzu n’inzu bisigaye bingora, ariko sincika intege. Nize igishinwa gike cy’ikimandari kandi nishimira kubwiriza Abashinwa mu muhanda. Hari igihe  mbwiriza mu gitondo, ngatanga amagazeti nka 30 cyangwa 40.

Uzi ko hari n’igihe nasubiye gusura umuntu wari ushimishijwe wari mu Bushinwa njye ndi muri Amerika! Umunsi umwe, umukobwa yaransekeye ubwo yagendaga atanga udupapuro twamamaza aho yacururizaga imbuto. Nanjye naramusekeye, maze muha amagazeti y’Umunara w’Umurinzi na Nimukanguke! mu gishinwa. Yarayafashe, kandi ambwira ko yitwa Katie. Nyuma yaho, igihe cyose yambonaga, yazaga kumvugisha. Namwigishije amazina y’imbuto n’imboga mu cyongereza, ubundi akajya ayasubiramo. Nanone namusobanuriye imirongo yo muri Bibiliya, kandi yemera igitabo Icyo Bibiliya yigisha. Icyakora, nyuma y’ibyumweru runaka naramubuze.

Nyuma y’amezi make, nahaye amagazeti undi mukobwa watangaga impapuro zo kwamamaza, arayemera. Icyumweru gikurikiyeho, yampereje telefoni ye, arambwira ati “vugana n’umuntu wo mu Bushinwa.” Naramubwiye nti “nta muntu nzi mu Bushinwa.” Ariko yaratitirije, maze ndayifata, ndavuga nti “alo, ni Robison.” Uwo muntu yarambwiye ati “Robby, ni Katie. Nasubiye mu Bushinwa.” Naravuze nti “mu Bushinwa?” Katie yaranshubije ati “yee. Robby, uwo mukobwa uguhaye telefoni uramuzi? Ni murumuna wanjye. Wanyigishije ibintu byinshi byiza. Uzamwigishe nk’uko wanyigishije.” Naramushubije nti “Katie, nzakora uko nshoboye. Urakoze kumbwira aho uherereye.” Nyuma y’igihe gito navuganye na murumuna wa Katie ariko ntitwongera kubonana. Niringiye ko aho abo bakobwa bari hose, biga byinshi ku byerekeye Yehova.

Maze imyaka 73 nkorera Yehova umurimo wera. Nishimira ko yamfashije ngakomeza kutagira aho mbogamira no kuba indahemuka igihe nari muri gereza. Nanone, barumuna banjye na bashiki banjye bambwira ko batewe inkunga n’ukuntu nihanganye igihe papa yandwanyaga. Mama na batandatu mu bo tuvukana barabatijwe. Papa na we yageze aho acisha make, kandi mbere y’uko apfa, rimwe na rimwe yajyaga mu materaniro.

Imana nibishaka, abagize umuryango wanjye n’incuti zanjye bapfuye bazazuka mu isi nshya. Tekereza ukuntu tuzishimira gusenga Yehova iteka ryose turi kumwe n’abo dukunda. *