Inkuru ivuga ibyabaye mu mibereho

Nkomeza kugira ibyishimo n’umutima ushima n’ubwo napfushije bikanshengura umutima

BYAVUZWE NA NANCY E. PORTER

Hari ku itariki ya 5 Kamena 1947, ku mugoroba wari ususurutse mu birwa bya Bahamas, ibirwa biri mu majyepfo y’uburasirazuba bw’inkombe ya Leta Zunze Ubumwe z’Amerika. Umutegetsi ukora mu biro bishinzwe abinjira n’abasohoka mu gihugu yaradusuye, jye n’umugabo wanjye George, mu buryo butunguranye. Yaduhaye ibaruwa yavugaga ko batari bakidushaka muri ibyo birwa, kandi ko twagombaga “guhita tuva muri iyo koloni!”

JYE na George ni twe bamisiyonari b’Abahamya ba Yehova bageze bwa mbere mu mujyi wa Nassau, ukaba ari wo mujyi munini cyane kuruta indi muri Bahamas. Tumaze guhabwa impamyabumenyi mu ishuri rya munani rya Galeedi, rikaba ari ishuri ry’abamisiyonari ryari riri muri leta yo mu majyaruguru ya New York, twoherejwe ino. Ni iki twari twakoze cyatumye barakara bene ako kageni, nyuma y’amezi atatu gusa twari tuhamaze? Kandi se, byagenze bite kugira ngo nyuma y’imyaka isanga 50 yose mbe nkiriyo?

Duhabwa Imyitozo yo Gukora Umurimo

Data, witwaga Harry Kilner, yagize ingaruka zikomeye ku kuntu nabayeho mu buzima bwanjye. Yampaye urugero ruhebuje, yigomwa ibintu byinshi kugira ngo abe umwe mu Bahamya ba Yehova. N’ubwo atari afite amagara mazima, yajyaga kubwiriza hafi buri mpera z’icyumweru zose, agashyira inyungu z’Ubwami mu mwanya wa mbere abigiranye umwete (Matayo 6:33). Ntitwari dukize cyane, ariko iduka rye yacururizagamo inkweto  ryari i Lethbridge, Alberta ho muri Kanada mu myaka ya za 30, ryari ihuriro ry’ibikorwa byo mu buryo bw’umwuka. Ibintu nibuka kera nkiri muto, ni abakozi b’igihe cyose b’Abahamya ba Yehova, bitwa abapayiniya, bazaga kudusura iwacu bakatubwira amakuru anyuranye.

Mu mwaka wa 1943, natangiye gukorera umurimo w’ubupayiniya hafi ya Fort Macleod na Claresholm ho muri Alberta. Icyo gihe umurimo wacu wo kubwiriza wari warabuzanyijwe muri Kanada biturutse ku binyoma byakwirakwizwaga n’abaturwanyaga mu Ntambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose. Ifasi yacu yari ifite uburebure bw’ibilometero 100, ariko kubera ko twari tukiri bato kandi dufite imbaraga, twumvaga gukora ingendo ku magare cyangwa ku maguru kugira ngo tugere mu midugudu mito no mu masambu yo muri ako karere nta cyo byari bitwaye. Muri icyo gihe, nagiye ngira uburyo bwo kuganira n’abanyeshuri bahawe impamyabumenyi mu ishuri rya Galeedi, kandi amakuru bambwiraga yatumye ngira icyifuzo cyo kuzaba umumisiyonari.

Mu mwaka wa 1945, nashyingiranywe na George Porter, wakomokaga muri Saskatchewan, ho muri Kanada. Ababyeyi be bari barabaye Abahamya bafite umwete guhera mu mwaka wa 1916, kandi na we yari yarahisemo kugira umurimo w’igihe cyose umwuga we. Twabanje koherezwa gukorera umurimo mu gace keza kitwa Lynn Valley kari muri Vancouver y’Amajyaruguru ho muri Kanada. Nyuma y’aho gato, twatumiriwe kujya i Galeedi.

Mu gihe cy’imyaka myinshi nari naragiye nganira n’abantu basohotse muri za seminari za tewolojiya, kandi nari nariboneye ukuntu inyigisho za tewolojiya bize zari zaratumye badohoka ku byo kwizera Imana n’Ijambo ryayo, ari ryo Bibiliya. Mu buryo bunyuranye n’ibyo, ibyo twigiye i Galeedi byatyaje ubushobozi bwacu bwo gutekereza, kandi ikiruta byose, byatumye turushaho kwizera Yehova Imana hamwe n’Ijambo rye mu buryo bukomeye. Abanyeshuri twiganye boherejwe mu Bushinwa, Singapour, u Buhindi, mu bihugu byo muri Afurika, Amerika y’Epfo n’ahandi. Ndacyibuka ukuntu twishimye cyane igihe twamenyaga ko twoherejwe mu birwa bishyuha bya Bahamas.

Uko Twashoboye Kuhaguma

Ugereranyije n’urugendo bagenzi bacu twiganye bakoze, urugendo twakoze tujya muri Bahamas rwari rugufi. Nyuma y’igihe gito twari twageze ahantu hari ikirere gisusurutse, ijuru ari ubururu, amazi ari urubogobogo, amazu afite amabara anyuranye hamwe n’amagare atabarika. Ariko kandi, ibintu byanshimishije nkigerayo, ni itsinda ry’Abahamya batanu bari badutegereje igihe ubwato bwacu bwahageraga. Ntitwatinze kubona ko umuco waho wari utandukanye cyane n’uwo twari tumenyereye. Urugero, umugabo wanjye yasabwe kureka kunyita shenge mu ruhame, kubera ko iryo jambo ubusanzwe ryakoreshwaga ku bantu basambana batarashakanye.

Nyuma y’aho gato, uko bigaragara abakuru ba kiliziya bari batewe ubwoba no kuba twarashoboraga kuganira n’abantu nta ngorane, badushinje ibinyoma bavuga ko twari Abakomunisiti. Ingaruka zabaye iz’uko twahawe itegeko ryo kuva muri  icyo gihugu. Ariko Abahamya bo muri ibyo birwa—muri iyo minsi hakaba hari hari abagera kuri 20 gusa—bahise babona abantu babarirwa mu bihumbi babasinyira ku rupapuro rwasabaga ko twakwemererwa kuhaguma. Muri ubwo buryo, rya tegeko ryo kuduhambiriza ryarasheshwe.

Tujya mu Ifasi Nshya

Ukuri kwa Bibiliya kwatangiye gukura mu buryo bwihuse mu mitima y’abantu bakundaga Imana, bityo abandi bamisiyonari b’i Galeedi boherejwe muri Bahamas. Hanyuma, mu mwaka wa 1950, hashinzwe ibiro by’ishami. Hashize imyaka icumi nyuma y’aho, Milton Henschel wo mu buyobozi bw’ibiro bikuru i Brooklyn, ho muri leta ya New York, yasuye Bahamas maze abaza abamisiyonari niba hari umuntu wifuzaga kujya gutangiza umurimo wo kubwiriza mu kindi kirwa cyo muri Bahamas. Jye na George twiyemeje kujyayo, maze dutangira dutyo umurimo watumye tumara imyaka 11 mu kirwa cyitwa Long Island.

Icyo kirwa, kikaba ari kimwe mu birwa byinshi bigize Bahamas, gifite uburebure bw’ibilometero 140 n’ibirometero 6 by’ubugari, kandi icyo gihe nta mijyi nyayo cyari gifite. Umurwa mukuru, Clarence Town, wari ufite ingo zigera kuri 50. Abaturage baho bari barasigaye inyuma mu majyambere—nta mashanyarazi, nta matiyo azana amazi, nta bikoni byo mu nzu cyangwa amazi mu mazu. Bityo, byabaye ngombwa ko tumenyera icyitwaga ubuzima bwo ku kirwa cyitaruye ibindi. Ino aha, ubuzima bw’abantu ni bwo bwari umutwe w’ikiganiro bakundaga kuvugaho cyane. Twitoje kudasuhuza umuntu ngo “wiriwe ute uyu munsi?” kuko igisubizo cye akenshi cyabaga ari inkuru ndende ivuga aho yagiye kwivuza hose.

Umurimo wacu wo kubwiriza ahanini twawukoraga tuva ku gikoni tujya ku kindi, bitewe n’uko ubusanzwe abantu bashoboraga kuboneka mu bikoni byabo byo hanze byari bifite igisenge cy’ibyatsi n’amashyiga y’inkwi. Ako karere kari gatuwe ahanini n’abantu bakennye bakoraga umwuga w’ubuhinzi n’ubworozi cyangwa wo kuroba, ariko kandi bakagwa neza cyane. Benshi muri bo ntibari abanyedini gusa, ahubwo bibandaga no ku miziririzo cyane. Iyo habagaho ibintu bidasanzwe, babifataga nk’aho bifite ikindi bisura.

Abakuru ba kiliziya bumvaga ari nta cyo bibabwiye kwinjira mu ngo z’abantu batabatumiye, maze bagashanyagura ibitabo by’imfashanyigisho za Bibiliya twabaga twarasizeyo. Muri ubwo buryo bakangishaga ibigwari, ariko si ko buri wese yashyaga ubwoba iyo bamugeraga imbere. Urugero, hari umukecuru w’imyaka 70 wari ushabutse, wanze ko bamushyiraho iterabwoba. Yashakaga gusobanukirwa Bibiliya we ubwe, kandi amaherezo yaje kuba Umuhamya hamwe n’abandi batari bake. Mu gihe twari tumaze kubona abantu benshi bashimishijwe, George yabatwaraga mu modoka rimwe na rimwe ku Cyumweru, agakora urugendo rw’ibirometero 300 kugira ngo abafashe kujya mu materaniro.

Mu mezi ya mbere igihe nta bandi Bahamya bari bahari, jye na George twashimangiraga imimerere yacu yo mu buryo bw’umwuka dukora amateraniro yose ya Gikristo buri gihe. Byongeye kandi, twakurikizaga porogaramu yo kwiga isomo ryo mu igazeti y’Umunara w’Umurinzi buri wa Mbere nimugoroba no gusoma Bibiliya, tukabikorana umwete. Nanone kandi, twasomaga inomero zose z’Umunara w’Umurinzi na Réveillez-vous! tukimara kuzibona.

Papa yapfuye igihe twari turi muri Long Island. Mu mpeshyi yakurikiyeho, mu mwaka wa 1963, twakoze gahunda zo kuzana Mama ngo abe hafi yacu. N’ubwo yari ashaje, yagize ibyo ahindura mu  buryo bushyize mu gaciro, kandi yabaye muri Long Island kugeza igihe yapfiriye mu mwaka wa 1971. Muri iki gihe, muri Long Island hari itorero rifite Inzu y’Ubwami nshyashya.

Ikibazo cy’Ingorabahizi Cyanshenguye Umutima

Mu mwaka wa 1980, George yabonye ko ubuzima bwe bwari butangiye kuzahara. Ubwo ni bwo natangiye guhura n’ibintu bibabaje kurusha ibindi byose mu buzima bwanjye—kubona umugabo wanjye nakundaga, twakoranaga kandi tugafatanya arwara indwara ya Alzheimer. Kamere ye yose uko yakabaye yarahindutse. Igice cya nyuma kandi cyadushegeshe kurusha ibindi, cyamaze imyaka igera kuri ine mbere y’urupfu rwe mu mwaka wa 1987. Twajyanaga mu murimo wo kubwiriza no mu materaniro igihe cyose yabaga abishoboye, n’ubwo incuro nyinshi imihati yashyiragaho yajyaga ituma ndira. Kuba abavandimwe bacu b’Abakristo baraduhundagajeho urukundo, mu by’ukuri byarampumurije, ariko ndacyafite agahinda kenshi ko kuba naramubuze.

Kimwe mu bintu by’agaciro byaranze ishyingiranwa ryanjye na George, ni ukuntu twashyikiranaga kenshi kandi mu buryo bushimishije. None ubu, ubwo George yipfiriye, mfite umutima ushima kurusha mbere hose ku bwo kuba Yehova atumirira abagaragu be ‘gusenga ubudasiba’ ‘bagakomeza gusenga bashikamye,’ kandi bagakoresha ‘uburyo bwose bwo gusenga’ (1 Abatesalonike 5:17; Abaroma 12:12; Abefeso 6:18). Kumenya ko Yehova ahangayikishwa n’icyatuma tumererwa neza birahumuriza cyane. Mu by’ukuri, numva mfite ibyiyumvo nk’iby’umwanditsi wa Zaburi, we waririmbye ati “Umwami ahimbazwe, utwikorerera umutwaro, uko bukeye.” (Zaburi 68:20, umurongo wa 19 muri Biblia Yera.) Kutiganyira ngo ntekereze uko ejo nzamera, kwemera ko intege zanjye zifite aho zigarukira, hamwe no gushimira ku bw’imigisha mbona buri munsi, nk’uko Yesu yabitugiriyemo inama, rwose nasanze ari bwo buryo bwiza cyane kuruta ubundi bwo kubaho.—Matayo 6:34.

Ingororano Zishimishije Naboneye mu Murimo

Gukomeza guhugira mu murimo wa Gikristo byamfashije kutibanda ku byahise mu buryo bukabije. Muri ubwo buryo, nshobora kunesha ibyiyumvo bishobora gutuma umuntu ahungabana bitewe no kwiheba. Kwigisha abandi ukuri kwa Bibiliya byambereye isoko yihariye y’ibyishimo. Bituma ngira gahunda ya buri gihe yo mu buryo bw’umwuka yatumye ngira imibereho ifite intego kandi ihamye.—Abafilipi 3:16.

Igihe kimwe, hari umugore nigeze kugezaho ubutumwa bw’Ubwami mu myaka 47 ishize wanterefonnye. Yari umukobwa w’umwe mu bigishwa ba Bibiliya ba mbere twari dufite igihe twageraga muri Bahamas mu mwaka wa 1947. Nyina na se, basaza be bose na mukuru we na barumuna be babaye Abahamya ba Yehova, kimwe n’abana babo  n’abuzukuru babo hafi ya bose. Mu by’ukuri, abantu basaga 60 bo muri uwo muryango ni Abahamya. Ariko kandi, we ubwe ntiyigeze yemera ukuri kwa Bibiliya. Icyakora noneho, amaherezo yari yiteguye kuba umwe mu bagaragu ba Yehova Imana. Mbega ukuntu bishimishije kubona Abahamya, bagerwaga ku mashyi bari bari muri Bahamas igihe jye na George twahageraga, bariyongereye bagasaga 1.400!

Rimwe na rimwe, abantu bajya bambaza niba nticuza icyatumye ntabyara. Birumvikana ko kugira abana bishobora kuba imigisha. Ariko kandi, urukundo abana n’abuzukuru n’abuzukuruza banjye bo mu buryo bw’umwuka bahora bangaragariza, ni ikintu ababyeyi bose babyaye bashobora kuba batabona. Mu by’ukuri, abantu ‘bakora ibyiza’ kandi bakaba ari “abatunzi ku mirimo myiza,” ni bo bantu bishimye cyane kurusha abandi bose (1 Timoteyo 6:18). Ni yo mpamvu nkomeza guhugira mu murimo uko ubuzima bwanjye bubinyemerera kose.

Umunsi umwe, ubwo nari nagiye kwa muganga w’amenyo, hari umukobwa wanyegereye maze arambwira ati “ntunzi, ariko jye ndakuzi, nashakaga gusa kukumenyesha ko ngukunda.” Hanyuma yakomeje ambwira ukuntu yamenye ukuri kwa Bibiliya n’ukuntu yashimiraga ku bwo kuba twe abamisiyonari twaraje muri Bahamas.

Ikindi gihe, ubwo nari ngarutse mvuye mu biruhuko, nasanze ururabo rumwe rw’iroza ku muryango w’aho ubu mba ku biro by’ishami by’Abahamya ba Yehova i Nassau. Rwari ruri kumwe n’akandiko kavugaga ngo “twishimiye ko mugarutse.” Umutima wanjye wuzuye ugushimira, kandi iyo mbonye abantu bahinduwe n’Ijambo rya Yehova, umuteguro we n’umwuka we, bituma numva mukunze cyane! Mu by’ukuri, ukuboko kudukomeza kwa Yehova akenshi kugaragara binyuriye mu bantu badukikije.

Umutima Wanjye Wuzuye Ugushimira

Ubuzima bwanjye si ko buri gihe bwabaga bworoshye, kandi n’ubu imimerere yanjye ntituma ubuzima bworoha. Ariko kandi, mfite ibintu byinshi cyane bituma ngomba kugira umutima ushimira—hakubiyemo ibyishimo mbonera mu murimo, urukundo ngaragarizwa n’abavandimwe na bashiki banjye benshi b’Abakristo, ukuntu umuteguro wa Yehova unyitaho mu buryo bwuje urukundo, ukuri guhebuje ko muri Bibiliya, ibyiringiro byo kuzongera kubonana n’abo nkunda igihe bazaba bazutse hamwe n’ibintu byiza nibuka mu myaka 42 namaze narashyingiranywe n’umugaragu wizerwa wa Yehova. Mbere y’uko dushyingiranwa, nari narasenze nsaba ko buri gihe nazashobora gufasha umugabo wanjye kuguma mu murimo w’igihe cyose yakundaga cyane. Yehova yashubije isengesho ryanjye abigiranye ineza. Bityo, nifuza kugaragariza Yehova ko mushimira binyuriye mu gukomeza kumubera indahemuka.

Ibirwa bya Bahamas bikunze gusurwa na ba mukerarugendo benshi, bakoresha amadolari abarirwa mu bihumbi kugira ngo baze kwishimira ubwiza bw’ako karere gashyuha. Kubera ko nahisemo gukorera Yehova aho umuteguro we unyohereje hose, nagize ibyishimo byo gutembera mu turere twose tw’ibyo birwa mbwiriza ubutumwa bwiza bw’Ubwami bw’Imana. Ariko icy’ingenzi kurushaho, naje kumenya no guha agaciro urukundo rw’abantu beza kuruta abandi mu baturage basabana bo muri Bahamas.

Nshimira cyane abantu bamenyesheje ababyeyi banjye ukuri, na bo bakaba baracengeje mu bwenge bwanjye no mu mutima wanjye icyifuzo gikomeye cyo gushaka mbere na mbere Ubwami bw’Imana nkiri muto. Mu buryo nk’ubwo, abagaragu ba Yehova bakiri bato muri iki gihe, na bo bashobora kubona imigisha myinshi baramutse binjiye mu “irembo rinini” rigana ku buryo bukomeye bwo kwagura umurimo (1 Abakorinto 16:9). Nawe uzagira umutima wuzuye ugushimira niba ukoresha ubuzima bwawe kugira ngo uheshe icyubahiro “Imana nyamana” Yehova.—Gutegeka 10:17; Daniyeli 2:47.

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 24]

Ndi mu murimo wo kubwiriza mu muhanda i Victoria, B.C., mu mwaka wa 1944

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 24]

Jye na George twize mu Ishuri rya Galeedi mu mwaka wa 1946

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 25]

Ndi kumwe na George imbere y’inzu y’abamisiyonari i Nassau muri Bahamas mu mwaka wa 1955

[Ifoto yo ku ipaji ya 26]

Inzu y’abamisiyonari iri i Deadman’s Cay, aho twakoreye umurimo kuva mu mwaka wa 1961 kugeza mu wa 1972