Papa yapfuye hashize imyaka mike umuryango wacu wimukiye mu mujyi wa Roodepoort muri Afurika y’Epfo. Mu mwaka wa 1947, igihe nari mfite imyaka 16, nakoraga iminsi yose mu kigo cya leta gishinzwe za telefone kugira ngo mfashe umuryango wanjye. Umunsi umwe ubwo nari ndi mu rugo, haje umugabo ukuze arakomanga maze adusaba kwiyandikisha ngo tujye tubona igazeti y’Umunara w’umurinzi. Twemeye kubikora kuko twari tumwubashye.

 Bidatinze, twatangiye gushishikazwa no kwiga ukuri ko muri Bibiliya. Mama wanjye akiri muto yari mu idini rivuguruye y’Abaholandi. Yabonye itandukaniro riri hagati y’ibyo Bibiliya yigisha n’ibyo yigishijwe muri iryo dini. Twemeye kwiga Bibiliya kandi bidatinze twatangiye kujya mu materaniro. Mu mwaka wa 1949, ni njye wabatijwe bwa mbere mu muryango wacu. Nakomeje gukora akazi gasanzwe mu gihe cy’imyaka mike, ariko nifuzaga gukora byinshi mu murimo wa Yehova.

 Mu mwaka wa 1954, natangiye ubupayiniya kandi nsaba ibiro by’ishami byo muri Afurika y’Epfo kujya ahakenewe ababwiriza. Ibiro by’ishami byansabye kujya kubwiriza mu mujyi wa Pretoria kandi bampaye undi mupayiniya dukorana. Ahantu njye n’uwo mupayiniya twabaga hari heza cyane kandi n’ubu ndacyibuka ko hafi aho bahacururizaga amandazi aryoha cyane twitaga koeksisters.

 Mushiki wacu twakoranaga ubupayiniya amaze gushaka, umuvandimwe George Phillips wakoraga ku biro by’ishami, yambajije niba naba umupayiniya wa bwite. Narabyishimiye rwose.

 Natangiye ubupayiniya bwa bwite mu mwaka wa 1955, mu mujyi wa Harrismith. Njye n’uwo twakoranaga umurimo byaratugoye cyane kubona ahantu heza ho kuba. Urugero, hari igihe abayobozi b’idini bamenye ko twaje kubwiriza muri ako gace maze bahita basaba umugore twakodeshaga ko agomba kutwirukana.

 Nyuma yaho, noherejwe mu gace ka Parkhurst, mu mujyi wa Johannesburg. Mpageze haje abamisiyonari babiri. Hashize igihe umwe muri bo yarashatse undi bamwohereza ahandi. Hari mushiki wacu witwaga Eileen Porter wancumbikiye nubwo we n’umuryango we batari bafite inzu nini. Inzu ye yari irimo ibice bibiri bitandukanyijwe n’irido, nararaga mu kumba gato kari kari ku ruhande. Numvaga nishimiye kubana na Eileen kuko yagiraga ubuntu kandi akantera inkunga. Nashimishwaga n’ukuntu yagiraga ishyaka kandi agakunda ukuri nubwo yabaga afite inshingano nyinshi zo kwita ku muryango.

 Bidatinze nohererejwe gukorera umurimo mu mujyi wa Aliwal North, uherereye mu ntara ya Cape y’iburasirazuba. Nakoranaga umurimo na mushiki wacu witwa Merlene (Merle) Laurens. Icyo gihe twembi twari mu kigero cy’imyaka 20. Twatewe inkunga n’urugero rwa mushiki wacu wari ukuze witwaga Dorothy, twakundaga kumwita Auntie Dot. Igihe yari akiri muto yahuye n’imbwa ziramurya ari mu murimo wo kubwiriza, ariko ibyo ntibyigeze bimuca intege ngo agabanye ishyaka yagiraga.

 Mu mwaka wa 1956, Merle yagiye kwiga ishuri rya 28 rya Gileyadi. Icyo gihe nifuzaga ko twajyana. Icyakora, Auntie Dot yanyitayeho kandi twabaye incuti magara nubwo yandutaga cyane.

 Ntushobora kwiyumvisha ukuntu nanjye nishimye igihe natumirwaga kwiga ishuri rya Gileyadi. Mbere y’uko ngenda, namaze amezi umunani mu mujyi wa Nigel, nkorana ubupayiniya na mushiki wacu witwa Kathy Cooke wari warize ishuri rya Gileyadi. Kathy yatumye ndushaho kugira amatsiko y’ibyo nari kuzigira mu ishuri rya Gileyadi. Muri Mutarama 1958, nerekeje muri New York.

 Mu ishuri rya Gileyadi nabanaga na Tia Aluni, wari waravuye muri Samowa, na Ivy Kawhe ukomoka muri Mawori. Igihe nari ndi muri Afurika y’Epfo, hari ivangura ry’amoko rya apartheid, abayobozi bavanguraga abazungu n’andi moko. Ubwo rero kubana mu cyumba n’abo bashiki bacu byari bishya kuri njye. Twahise tuba incuti kandi nishimiye kwigana n’abantu baturuka mu bihugu bitandukanye.

 Umwe mu barimu batwigishaga ni umuvandimwe Maxwell Friend. Yakoreshaga uburyo bwihariye akatwigisha ibintu byinshi. Urugero mu ishuri hari amatara atatu yakundaga gukoresha. Ayo matara yari yanditseho ngo: “Ubunini bw’ijwi,” “umuvuduko” n’”imbaraga.” Iyo umunyeshuri yabaga arimo gutanga disikuru cyangwa icyerekanwa, umuvandimwe Friend yatsaga rimwe muri ayo matara kugira ngo yerekane ko hari ikibura muri icyo kiganiro. Kubera ko nagiraga isoni, incuro nyinshi igihe nabaga ntanga icyerekanwa uwo muvandimwe yacanaga ayo matara kandi ibyo byatumaga ndira. Icyakora nakundaga umuvandimwe Friend. Rimwe na rimwe, mu kiruhuko iyo nabaga ndimo gukora isuku, yakundaga kunzanira agakawa.

 Uko amezi yagendaga ashira, nibazaga ahantu bazanyohereza gukorera umurimo. Merle twigeze gukorana ubupayiniya we yari yararangije kwiga ishuri rya Gileyadi maze bamwohereza muri Peru. Yansabye ko nazavugisha umuvandimwe Nathan Knorr, wari uyoboye umurimo muri icyo gihe, maze nkamusaba niba banyohereza muri Peru kujya gusimbura umumisiyonari wakoranaga na Merle kuko yari agiye gushyingirwa. Kubera ko umuvandimwe Knorr yakundaga kuza gusura abanyeshuri ba Gileyadi kumuvugisha byari kunyorohera. Igihe nasozaga ishuri rya Gileyadi noherejwe muri Peru.

 Narishimye cyane igihe nongeraga guhura na Merle mu mujyi wa Lima, muri Peru. Nkigera muri Peru, nahise mbona abantu nigisha Bibiliya kandi bagiraga amajyambere nubwo nari nkiga Icyesipanyoli. Hashize igihe, njye na Merle batwohereje mu gace ka Ayacucho, mu misozi miremire. Ntababeshye ntibyari byoroshye kuhakorera umurimo. Nari narize ururimi rw’Icyesipanyoli ariko abantu benshi bavugaga Igikecuwa cyonyine, kandi byadufashe igihe kugira ngo tumenyere kuba mu misozi n’umwuka waho.

 Najyaga numva narakoze ibintu bike mu gace ka Ayacucho, nkibaza niba abantu bo muri ako gace bari kuzemera ukuri. Icyakora muri iki gihe, mu mujyi wa Ayacucho hari ababwiriza barenga 700 kandi hari n’ibiro byitaruye by’ubuhinduzi mu rurimi rw’Igikecuwa (Ayacucho).

 Nyuma y’igihe, Merle yashakanye n’umugenzuzi usura amatorero witwaga Ramón Castillo, kandi mu mwaka wa 1964, Ramón yagiye kwiga ishuri rya Gileyadi ryamaze amezi 10. Mu ishuri yizemo, harimo umuvandimwe twiganye ishuri rya Gileayadi witwa Fu-lone Liang, icyo gihe yakoreraga umurimo muri Hong Kong. Ariko yari yatumiwe kugaruka kwiga ishuri kugira ngo atozwe ibyerekeranye n’imirimo ikorerwa ku biro by’ishami. a Fu-lone yabajije Ramón amakuru yanjye, amubaza niba naramenyereye muri Peru, nyuma yaho njye na Fu-lone twatangiye kujya twandikirana.

 Njye na Fu-lone tugitangira kwandikirana, yahise ambwira ko turimo kurambagizanya. Umuvandimwe Harold King, nawe wari umumisiyonari muri Hong Kong yakundaga kujya ku iposita, ubwo rero yemeye kujya afasha Fu-lone kunyoherereza amabaruwa. Harold yagiraga urwenya cyane. Hari igihe yajyaga ashushanya ku mabahasha yabaga arimo amabaruwa yanditswe na Fu-lone, maze akandikaho ati: “Ubutaha nzagerageza kumubwira ajye akwandikira kenshi.”

 Hashize amezi 18 twandikirana, njye na Fu-lone twiyemeje kubana. Navuye muri Peru mazeyo imyaka irindwi.

 Njye na Fu-lone twakoze ubukwe ku itariki ya 17 Ugushyingo 1965. Nishimiye ubuzima bushya nari ntangiye muri Hong Kong, aho njye n’umugabo wanjye n’indi miryango ibiri twabaga ku biro by’ishami byaho. Igihe Fu-lone yabaga akora mu buhinduzi ku biro by’ishami njye nabaga nagiye kubwiriza. Kwiga Igishinwa byarangoye ariko umugabo wanjye n’abamisiyonari nahasanze bamfashaga bihanganye. Mu gihe nigaga ururimi kwigisha Bibiliya abana byatumaga ntahangayika cyane.

 Hashize igihe, njye na Fu-lone twimukiye mu nzu y’abamisiyonari iri mu kandi gace ko muri Hong Kong kitwa Kwun Tong, kugira ngo Fu-lone ajye yigisha Igishinwa abamisiyonari bashya. b Kubwiriza muri ako gace byaranshimishaga cyane ku buryo hari igihe iyo najyaga kubwiriza, numvaga ntataha.

 Mu mwaka wa 1968, nishimiye kubona igitabo gishya cyari gifite umutwe uvuga ngo: “Ukuri kuyobora ku buzima bw’iteka,” twagikoreshaga twigisha abantu Bibiliya. Icyo gitabo gishya cyari cyoroshye kurusha icyo twari dusanzwe dukoresha, kitwaga “Let God Be True.” Cyoroheraga abantu batamenyereye inyigisho zo muri Bibiliya cyangwa batari Abakristo.

 Icyakora, najyaga nibwira ko kuba abo nigishaga Bibiliya basubiza neza ibibazo byo mu gitabo, bigaragaza ko bemera ukuri. Ariko hari umuntu twiganye Bibiliya turangiza igitabo Ukuri nyuma nza gusanga atemera ko Imana ibaho. Ibyo byanyigishije ko ngomba kujya nganira n’abo nigisha kugira ngo menye ibyo batekereza ku byo biga.

 Hashize imyaka mike tuba mu gace ka Kwun Tong, twasubiye ku biro by’ishami maze Fu-lone aba umwe mu bagize Komite y’Ibiro by’Ishami byo muri Hong Kong. Namaze imyaka myinshi, nkora isuku no kwakira abashyitsi. Rimwe na rimwe, Fu-lone yajyaga akora ingendo ari wenyine, kuko yabaga agiye muri gahunda z’ibanga z’umuryango wacu. Nashimishwaga no kumushyigikira mu nshingano zose yasohozaga.

 Ikibabaje ni uko mu mwaka wa 2008, ibintu byahindutse mu ijoro rimwe. Umugabo wanjye nakundaga Fu-lone yapfuye mu buryo butunguranye. Icyo gihe yari ari mu rugendo kandi haburaga igihe gito ngo Urwibutso rube. Numvaga mfite agahinda kenshi ariko abavandimwe na bashiki bacu bahise baza kumpumuriza kandi mu gihe cy’Urwibutso narihanganye nkajya mfasha abashyitsi kureba imirongo yo mu Byanditswe irimo gusomwa. Nanone umurongo Fu-lone yakundaga cyane waramfashije, ugira uti: “Jyewe Yehova Imana yawe ngufashe ukuboko kw’iburyo . . . ‘Jye ubwanjye nzagutabara.’”—Yesaya 41:13.

 Hashize imyaka irindwi Fu-lone apfuye, abavandimwe bo muri Hong Kong basabye ko nakwimukira ku biro by’ishami binini aho nari kubona uko nitabwaho. Ni yo mpamvu mu mwaka wa 2015, nimukiye ku biro by’Ishami byo muri Afurika y’Epfo. Ibyo biro biri hafi y’ahantu namenyeye ukuri mu mwaka wa 1947.

 Namaze imyaka myinshi nishimira gukorera Yehova kandi rwose numva Yehova yarampaye umugisha. Ndacyavugana n’abantu nigishije Bibiliya bakomeje kuba indahemuka, kandi nagiye nibonera ukuntu Yehova yagiye ampa umugisha bitewe n’ibintu nagiye nkora mu murimo we nubwo ari bike. Urugero, muri Peru ababwiriza bariyongereye bava kuri 760 mu mwaka wa 1958 bagera ku 133.000 mu mwaka wa 2021, naho muri Hong Kong bavuye ku babwiriza 230 mu mwaka wa 1965 bagera kuri 5.565 mu mwaka wa 2021.

 Kubera ko ngeze mu zabukuru, sinshobora gukora nk’ibyo nakoraga nkiri muto. Ariko ndacyafite icyifuzo cyo gukora byinshi kandi rwose ntegerezanyije amatsiko igihe mu isi nshya hazaba hari ibintu byinshi byo gukora. Icyo gihe nabwo nzavuga nti: “Ndajyana na we.”