NDAKAKURIRA muGraz, Austria. Pandaiva nemakore 7, ndakaendeswa kune chimwe chikoro chaidzidzisawo zvechitendero. Asi ndaiona unzenza hunosemesa hwaiitwa nemapristi nemasista. Saka pasina gore, amai vakabvuma kuti ndibve pachikoro chacho.

Pava paya, ndakaenda kuchikoro chebhodhin’i. Rimwe zuva ari manheru, baba vakauya vakanditora kuti tiende kusina njodzi nekuti Graz yaibhombwa zvakasimba. Takatizira kutaundi reSchladming. Tichingosvika uye tayambuka rimwe bhiriji, bhiriji racho rakabva rabhombwa. Pane imwe nguva tiri pamba, ini naambuya vangu takaridzirwa pfuti nendege dzaibhururuka dziri nechepasi. Pakazopera hondo, zvaiita sekuti chechi pamwe chete nehurumende zvakanga zvatirasisa.

Muna 1950, mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha akatanga kukurukura Bhaibheri naamai vangu. Ndaiteerera pavaikurukura uye ndaimboendawo naamai kumisangano yeungano. Pavakaona kuti Zvapupu zvaJehovha zvaidzidzisa chokwadi, vakabva vabhabhatidzwa muna 1952.

Panguva iyoyo, ndaiona sekuti ungano yataipinda yaiva kirabhu yemachembere. Zvisinei, pava paya takashanyira imwe ungano yaiva nevechidiki vakawanda, yakanga isina kana kumboita sekirabhu yemachembere. Patakadzoka kuGraz, ndakatanga kupinda misangano yese, uye neniwo ndakaona kuti zvandaidzidza chaiva chokwadi. Ndakasvikawo pakuziva Jehovha saMwari asingakundikani kutsigira vashumiri vake. Anotitsigira kunyange patinoona sekuti tiri tega mumatambudziko edu.—Pis. 3:5, 6.

Ndaida kuudzawo vamwe chokwadi ichocho. Ndakatanga nevana vemumba medu. Vakoma vangu 4 vakanga vatobva pamba vachinoshanda sematicha. Asi ndaivashanyira kwavaigara uye ndaivakurudzira kuti vadzidze  Bhaibheri. Vana vemumba medu vese vakazodzidza Bhaibheri ndokuva Zvapupu zvaJehovha.

Muvhiki rangu rechipiri rekuparidza paimba neimba, ndakasangana nemumwe mukadzi aiva nemakore ekuma30 ndikatanga kudzidza naye Bhaibheri. Akafambira mberi kusvika pakubhabhatidzwa uye murume wake nevanakomana vavo vaviri vakazobhabhatidzwawo. Kudzidza naye Bhaibheri kwakasimbisa kutenda kwangu. Nei ndichidaro? Hapana munhu akanga adzidza neni Bhaibheri zvakarongeka. Ndaifanira kunyatsogadzirira chidzidzo chimwe nechimwe. Ndingati, ndaifanira kudaro kuti nditange ndazvidzidzisa, ndozokwanisawo kudzidzisa mudzidzi wangu! Izvozvo zvakaita kuti ndiwedzere kunzwisisa chokwadi. Muna April 1954, ndakaratidza kuzvitsaurira kwangu kuburikidza nekubhabhatidzwa mumvura.

Muna 1955, ndakapinda magungano enyika dzakawanda muGermany, France, uye England. Pandaiva muLondon, ndakasangana naHama Albert Schroeder. Vaiva murayiridzi weChikoro cheBhaibheri cheGiriyedhi, uye vakazova muDare Rinotungamirira. Pataiva muBritish Museum, Hama Schroeder vakatiratidza zvimwe zvinyorwa zveBhaibheri zvekare. Zvaiva nezita raMwari rakanyorwa nemavara echiHebheru, uye vakatsanangura kukosha kwazvo. Izvi zvakaita kuti ndiwedzere kuda Jehovha uye chokwadi chiri muShoko rake.

Ndakatanga kushumira sapiyona wenguva dzose musi wa1 January, 1956. Pashure pemwedzi mina, ndakatanga kushumira sapiyona chaiye muAustria. Panguva iyoyo, mutaundi reMistelbach mandaizoenda kunoshumira makanga musina Zvapupu. Asi pane dambudziko randakasangana naro. Tainge takasiyana chaizvo nemumwe wandaipayona naye. Ndaiva nemakore anenge 19 uye ndaibva muguta, asi iye aiva nemakore 25 uye aibva kumaruwa. Ndaifarira zvekumuka pava paya, asi iye aida kukurumidza kumuka. Ini ndaiwanzononoka kurara; iye aida kukurumidza kurara. Kunyange zvakadaro, tichishandisa mazano eBhaibheri, takakurira dambudziko rekusiyana kwedu uye takabudirira kushanda pamwe chete semapiyona.

Pane zvimwe zvinhu zvainge zvakatonyanya kuoma zvatakasangana nazvo. Takambotambudzwa, asi hatina ‘kusiyiwa tisina rubatsiro.’ (2 VaK. 4:7-9) Mumwe musi pataiparidza mune mumwe musha, vanhu vakavhurira imbwa dzavo. Pasina nguva, ini nemumwe wangu takanga tava pakati pemazimbwa aihukura achibudisa mazino. Takabatana maoko, uye ndakatonyengetera ndichiti, “Tapota Jehovha, kana dzikatiruma dai tikakurumidza kufa!” Imbwa dzacho padzakasvika padhuze chaizvo, dzakabva dzamira, ndokutanga kutambisa miswe, uye dzakabva dzaenda. Takaona sekuti Jehovha akanga atidzivirira. Pashure paizvozvo, takaparidza mumusha wacho wese, uye takafara kuti vanhu vaitigamuchira zvakanaka. Zvichida vaishamisika kuti takanga tisina kumbokuvadzwa neimbwa kana kuti takanga taramba tichiparidza pashure pekunge tasangana nezvinotyisa kudaro. Vamwe vacho vakazova Zvapupu.

 Pane chimwezve chakaitika chakatityisa. Rimwe zuva muridzi wepamba pataigara akauya akadhakwa, achitaura kuti aida kutiuraya uye achitaura kuti taivhiringidza vavakidzani. Mudzimai wake akaedza kumudzora asi zvakaramba. Tainzwa zvese izvozvo tiri muimba yedu yaiva pamusoro. Takakurumidza kuisa macheya padhoo uye takatanga kurongedza zvinhu zvedu. Patakavhura dhoo takaona muridzi wemba akabata zibanga akamira pamasitepisi. Saka takatiza nedhoo rekuseri, ndokupinda nekanzira kemumunda takatakura zvinhu zvedu zvese uye hatina kuzombodzoka futi.

Takaenda kune imwe hotera ndokutsvaga pekugara. Takazogara pahotera ipapo kwerinenge gore rese, uye zvakatibatsira pakuita ushumiri. Zvakatibatsira sei? Hotera yaiva pakati petaundi, uye vamwe vataidzidza navo Bhaibheri vaida kudzidzira ikoko. Pasina nguva takanga tava kuita Chidzidzo cheNharireyomurindi nevanhu vanenge 15, muimba yataigara.

Takagara muMistelbach kwerinopfuura gore. Ndakabva ndanzi ndiende kuFeldbach, nechekumaodzanyemba kwakadziva kumabvazuva kweGraz. Ndakatanga kushumira nemumwe piyona, asi kwakanga kusina ungano zvakare. Taigara mukakamuri kaiva munhurikidzwa yechipiri yeimba yemapango. Mhepo yaipinda nepakati pemapango, saka takaedza kupavhara nemapepa. Taifanirawo kunochera mvura kutsime. Asi izvi zvaiva nechimuko. Pashure pemwedzi mishoma, pakaumbwa boka. Nekufamba kwenguva, vanhu vanenge 30 vatakadzidza navo mune imwe mhuri vakauya muchokwadi.

Zvaiitika izvozvo zvakaita kuti ndiwedzere kuonga kutsigira kunoita Jehovha vaya vanotsigira Umambo. Kunyange kana vanhu vakatadza kutibatsira, Jehovha haambotisiyi.—Pis. 121:1-3.

Muna 1958, paizoitwa gungano renyika dzakawanda muNew York City, muYankee Stadium uye muPolo Grounds. Ndakanyorera kuti ndipindewo, uye hofisi yebazi yemuAustria yakandibvunza kana ndaida kupinda kirasi yechi32 yeChikoro cheGiriyedhi. Ndaizoramba sei ropafadzo yakadaro? Ndakabva ndangopindura kuti, “Hongu!”

Mukirasi yeGiriyedhi, ndaigara pedyo  naMartin Poetzinger. Akanga atsungirira kutambudzwa kwakakura mumisasa yevasungwa yeNazi. Akazoshumirawo senhengo yeDare Rinotungamirira. Pataiva mukirasi, dzimwe nguva Martin aizevezera kuti, “Erika, izvozvo zvinorevei muchiGerman?”

Patakanga tava pakati pekosi yacho, Nathan Knorr akazivisa kwataizoenda. Ini ndaizoenda kuParaguay. Nemhaka yekuti ndaiva mudiki chaizvo, ndaifanira kupiwa mvumo nababa vangu kuti ndipinde munyika macho. Pashure pekunge ndaiwana, ndakasvika kuParaguay muna March 1959. Ndakanzi ndiende kuimba yemamishinari muAsunción uye ndaizoshanda neimwe hanzvadzi.

Pasina nguva, ndakasangana naWalter Bright, mumishinari akanga apinda kirasi yechi30 yeGiriyedhi. Takazochata uye takanga tava kuonera pamwe matambudziko eupenyu. Pese pataisangana nedambudziko, taiverenga vimbiso yaJehovha iri pana Isaya 41:10 inoti: “Usatya, nokuti ndinewe. Usatarira-tarira, nokuti ndiri Mwari wako. Ndichakusimbisa.” Izvi zvaitipa chivimbo chekuti chero bedzi tikaramba takatendeka kuna Mwari, tichiisa Umambo pekutanga, haazombotisiyi.

Nekufamba kwenguva, takaendeswa kunharaunda iri pedyo nemuganhu weBrazil. Ikoko vafundisi vaiita kuti vechidiki vateme imba yataigara nematombo, iyo yakanga isina kunyatsomira zvakanaka. Walter akabva atanga kudzidza Bhaibheri nemukuru wemapurisa. Murume wacho akava nechokwadi chekuti mapurisa amira pedyo nepamba pedu kwevhiki, uye vaititambudza havana kuzotikanganisa zvakare. Pasina nguva, takazotamira muimba yainge yakanaka mhiri kwemuganhu weBrazil. Izvi zvakabatsira nekuti taikwanisa kuita misangano muParaguay nemuBrazil. Tisati tabva ikoko, kwakanga kwava neungano mbiri diki.

Vanachiremba vangu vakanga vandiudza kuti ndakanga ndisina mbereko, saka takashamisika muna 1962 patakaziva kuti ndaiva nepamuviri. Takazogara muHollywood, muFlorida, pedyo nemhuri yaWalter. Kwemakore anoverengeka, ini naWalter taisakwanisa kupayona. Taifanira kuriritira mhuri. Kunyange zvakadaro, takaramba tichiisa zvinhu zvine chekuita neUmambo pekutanga.—Mat. 6:33.

Patakasvika muFlorida muna November 1962, takashamisika patakaona kuti vachena nevatema vaisaungana panzvimbo imwe chete. Saka hama dzechichena nedzechitema dzaisaita misangano pamwe chete uye dzaisaparidza munzvimbo imwe chete. Asi Jehovha haana rusaruraganda, uye pasina nguva, ungano dzakanga dzava nevatema nevachena vachipinda vese. Zviri pachena kuti Jehovha akakomborera urongwa hwacho sezvo munharaunda yacho mava neungano dzakawanda.

Zvinondirwadza kuti Walter akafa nekenza yemuuropi muna 2015. Aiva murume akanaka chaizvo kwemakore 55 atakagara tese. Aida Jehovha uye akabatsira hama dzakawanda. Ndinotarisira kuzomuona zvakare ava neutano hwakanaka paachamutswa.—Mab. 24:15.

Ndinotenda kuti ndava nemakore anopfuura 40 ndiri mubasa renguva yakazara, ndichiwana mufaro nemakomborero akawanda. Semuenzaniso, ini naWalter takaona vanhu vataidzidza navo Bhaibheri vanosvika 136 vachibhabhatidzwa. Tinewo matambudziko ataisangana nawo asi hatina kumbobvira taaona sechikonzero chekuti tirege kushumira Mwari wedu akatendeka. Pane kudaro, takaswedera pedyo naye, tichivimba kuti aizogadzirisa zvinhu panguva yake nenzira yake. Uye ndizvo zvaanoita.—2 Tim. 4:16, 17.

Walter ndinomusuwa chaizvo asi kupayona kuri kundibatsira kutsungirira. Ndinoona zvichibatsira chaizvo kudzidzisa vamwe, kunyanya kuvaudzawo nezvetariro yerumuko. Chokwadi, Jehovha anoramba achinditsigira nenzira dzakawanda kupfuura dzandinokwanisa kuyeuka. Sezvaakavimbisa, anonditsigira, anondisimbisa, uye anondibata ‘neruoko rwake rwerudyi rwekururama.’—Isa. 41:10.