MUMAKORE ekuma1930, baba naamai vangu, James naJessie Sinclair, vakatamira kuBronx, taundi diki riri muNew York City. Mumwe wevanhu vavakatanga kuzivana navo aiva Willie Sneddon, uyo aibva kuScotland kwavaibvawo. Pavakatanga kuonana, hazvina kutora maminitsi akawanda kuti vatatu ava vatange kutaura nezvemhuri dzavo. Izvi zvakaitika makore mashoma ndisati ndaberekwa.

Amai vangu vakaudza Willie kuti Hondo Yenyika I yava kuda kutanga, baba vavo nehanzvadzi yavo vakanyura mumvura bhoti ravo rekuredzesa hove parakarova chimbambaira muNorth Sea. Willie akabva ati: “Baba vako vari muhero!” Willie aiva Chapupu chaJehovha, uye aya ndiwo matangiro akaita amai vangu kunzwa nezvechokwadi cheBhaibheri.

Zvakataurwa naWillie hazvina kufadza amai vangu nekuti vaiziva kuti baba vavo vaiva munhu akanaka. Asi Willie akawedzera kuti, “Zvingakubatsira here kana ndikakuudza kuti Jesu akaenda kuhero?” Amai vakabva vayeuka munyengetero wavakanga vadzidza kuchechi, uyo waiti Jesu akaenda kuhero uye akamutswa pazuva rechitatu. Saka vakanetseka kuti, ‘Kana hero iri nzvimbo ine moto inotambudzirwa vanhu vakaipa, nei Jesu akaenda ikoko?’ Apa ndipo pavakatanga kufarira chokwadi. Vakatanga kupinda misangano neUngano yeBronx uye vakabhabhatidzwa muna 1940.

Panguva iyoyo, hapana zvainyanya kuudzwa vabereki vechiKristu nezvekudzidzisa vana vavo Bhaibheri. Pandaiva kamwana kadiki, ndaisara nababa vangu amai pavaienda kumisangano uye kunoparidza pakupera kwevhiki. Pashure pemakore mashoma, ini nababa takatanga kuenda kumisangano naamai vangu. Vaishingaira pakuparidza mashoko akanaka uye vaiva nezvidzidzo zveBhaibheri zvakawanda. Paitova nenguva yavaiitisa vanhu zvidzidzo zveBhaibheri vari boka nekuti vanhu vacho vaigara pedyo nepedyo. Ndaienda navo mubasa remumunda pazororo rechikoro. Izvi zvakaita kuti ndidzidze zvakawanda nezveBhaibheri uye kuti ndingadzidzisa sei vamwe zvarinotaura.

Ndine urombo kutaura kuti pandaiva mudiki ndaisanyatsokoshesa chokwadi  cheBhaibheri. Ndaichiona sechisina basa. Zvisinei, pandakanga ndava nemakore anenge 12, ndakava muparidzi weUmambo uye kubvira ipapo ndakanga ndava kugara ndichiita basa reushumiri. Pandakanga ndava nemakore 16, ndakazvitsaurira kuna Jehovha, ndikabhabhatidzwa musi wa24 July 1954 pagungano rakaitwa muToronto, Canada.

Dzimwe hama dzemuungano medu dzaishumira paBheteri uye dzimwe dzainge dzamboshumirapo. Dzakandibatsira zvikuru. Ndaiyemura chaizvo unyanzvi hwadzo pakutaura uye pakutsanangura chokwadi cheBhaibheri. Kunyange zvazvo vadzidzisi vangu vaida kuti ndiende kuyunivhesiti, chinangwa changu chaiva chekuenda kuBheteri. Saka pagungano rakaitwa muToronto, ndakanyorera kuti ndizoita basa repaBheteri. Ndakanyorera zvakare muna 1955 pagungano rakaitirwa muYankee Stadium, muNew York City. Pasina nguva yakareba, pandaiva nemakore 17, ndakashevedzwa kuti nditange kushumira paBheteri reBrooklyn musi wa19 September 1955. Pazuva rangu rechipiri paBheteri, ndakatanga kushandira maibatanidzwa mabhuku pa117 Adams Street. Pasina nguva, ndakanga ndava kushandira pamuchina waibatanidza mapeji, uyo waibatanidza zvikamu zvemabhuku zvainge zviine mapeji 32. Zvikamu zvacho zvaizoendeswa pane mumwe muchina kuti zvisonwe zvova mabhuku.

Pashure peunenge mwedzi mumwe chete ndichishanda munobatanidzwa mabhuku, ndakaendeswa kuDhipatimendi reMagazini nekuti ndaigona kutaipa. Panguva iyoyo, hama nehanzvadzi dzaitaipa pamastencil esimbi kero dzevanhu vainyorera kuti vagare vachitumirwa Nharireyomurindi uye Mukai! Pashure pemwedzi mishoma, ndakanga ndava kushanda muDhipatimendi Rekutumira Mabhuku. Klaus Jensen, uyo aiva mutariri wedhipatimendi  racho, akandibvunza kana ndaida kuperekedza mutyairi aiendesa makatoni emabhuku nerori kuzviteshi zvengarava kuti atumirwe kune dzimwe nyika. Paivawo nemasaga emagazini aifanira kuendeswa kuposvo kuti atumirwe kuungano dzemuUnited States. Hama Jensen vakati vaifunga kuti ndikaita basa iroro raida simba zvaizondibatsira. Ndairema 57 kg chete uye ndainge ndakaonda serutsanga. Nzendo idzodzo dzekuenda kuzviteshi zvengarava uye kuposvo dzakandibatsira kuti ndisimbe. Hapana mubvunzo kuti Hama Jensen vaiziva zvainge zvakandinakira.

Dhipatimendi reMagazini raionawo nezvemagazini aikumbirwa neungano. Izvi zvakaita kuti ndizive kuti magazini edu aiprindwa mumitauro ipi muBrooklyn otumirwa kune dzimwe nyika. Ndainge ndisati ndambonzwa nezvemimwe mitauro yacho asi zvaindifadza kuziva kuti zviuru zvemagazini zvaitumirwa kunyika dziri kure. Panguva iyi ndaisaziva kuti ndaizova neropafadzo yekushanyira dzimwe nyika idzodzo mumakore aizotevera.

Muna 1961, ndakanzi ndinoshanda muHofisi Yemubati Wehomwe uye Grant Suiter ndiye aiva mutariri wangu. Pashure pemakore maviri, ndakashevedzwa kuhofisi yaHama Nathan Knorr, avo vaitungamirira basa redu remunyika yese panguva iyoyo. Vakati imwe hama yaishanda muhofisi yavo yaizoita mwedzi ichipinda Chikoro Choushumiri hwoUmambo uye yaizonoshanda muDhipatimendi Rebasa paipera chikoro. Ndakapiwa basa raiitwa nehama iyi uye ndaizoshanda naDon Adams. Sezvineiwo, Don ndiye ainge agamuchira tsamba yangu yekunyorera kuBheteri pagungano remuna 1955. Dzimwe hama dzakanga dzichitoshanda mudhipatimendi iroro ndiRobert Wallen naCharles Molohan. Takashanda tese tiri 4 kwemakore anopfuura 50. Zvaifadza chaizvo kushanda pamwe chete  nevarume vakadaro vakatendeka uye vakasimba pakunamata!—Pis. 133:1.

Kutanga muna 1970, ndakapiwa basa rekuti ndiite mavhiki anoverengeka pagore kana kuti pamakore maviri ega ega ndichishanyira mahofisi emapazi eWatch Tower Society. Izvi zvaisanganisira kushanyira mhuri dzeBheteri nemamishinari pasi rese, ndichivakurudzira pakunamata uye ndichiongorora zvinyorwa zvemapazi. Zvaifadza chaizvo kuonana nevamwe vainge vapinda makirasi ekutanga eChikoro cheGiriyedhi avo vainge vachiri kushumira vakatendeka kunyika dzavainge vatumirwa. Yaiva ropafadzo yakakura uye zvaifadza chaizvo kushanyira nyika dzinopfuura 90 ndichiita basa iroro.

Munhu wese aiva paBheteri muBrooklyn aiva neungano yaaipinda nayo munharaunda yeNew York City. Ini ndaipinda neungano yaiva muBronx. Ungano yakatanga kuumbwa mutaundi iri yakanga yakura ndokukamurwa. Ungano iyoyo yekutanga yakazopiwa zita rekuti Upper Bronx uye ndiyo yandaipinda nayo.

Mumakore ekuma1960, imwe mhuri yachiLatvian, iyo yakanga yawana chokwadi iri kumaodzanyemba kweBronx, yakatamira mundima yeungano yeUpper Bronx. Mwanasikana wavo mukuru, Livija akatanga kupayona paakangopedza chikoro. Pashure pemwedzi mishoma, akatamira kundima yaidiwa vaparidzi veUmambo vakawanda kuMassachusetts. Ndakatanga kumunyorera ndichimuudza nezveungano yedu uye iye aindinyorerawo achindiudza nezvekubudirira kwaaiita muushumiri munharaunda yeBoston.

Pashure pemakore mashoma, Livija akagadzwa sapiyona chaiye. Aida kuita zvese zvaaigona mubasa raJehovha saka akanyorera kuti azoshanda paBheteri uye akashevedzwa muna 1971. Zvakaita sekuti Jehovha aindiratidza munhu wekuroora! Takachata musi wa27 October 1973 uye takava neropafadzo yekupiwa hurukuro yemuchato wedu naHama Knorr. Zvirevo 18:22 inoti: “Kune awana mudzimai akanaka here? Munhu iyeye awana chinhu chakanaka, uye achafarirwa naJehovha.” Jehovha ari kuratidza kutifarira nekuti tava nemakore anopfuura 40 tichishumira tese paBheteri. Uye tichiri kutsigira imwe ungano iri munharaunda yeBronx.

Zvaifadza chaizvo kushanda naHama Knorr. Vaishanda nesimba kuti chokwadi chienderere mberi, uye vaikoshesa chaizvo mamishinari aiva munyika dzese. Mamishinari akawanda ndiwo aiva Zvapupu zvekutanga munyika dzaakatumirwa. Zvairwadza chaizvo kuona Hama Knorr vachirwara nekenza muna 1976. Pane imwe nguva, pavakanga vasingachakwanisi kumuka, vakandikumbira kuti ndivaverengere zvimwe zvinyorwa zvaigadzirwa kuti zvizoprindwa. Vakati ndishevedze Frederick Franz kuti ateererewo zvandaizoverenga. Ndakazoziva kuti nemhaka yekuti Hama Franz vakanga vasingachaoni zvakanaka, Hama Knorr, vaigara vachivaverengera zvinyorwa zvaizoprindwa.

Hama Knorr vakafa muna 1977, asi vaya vaivaziva uye vaivada vakanyaradzwa nekuti vainge  vapedza upenyu hwavo hwepasi pano vakatendeka. (Zvak. 2:10) Hama Franz vakabva vatanga kutungamirira basa redu.

Panguva iyoyo, ndaiva munyori waHama Milton Henschel, avo vainge vashanda naHama Knorr kwemakore akawanda. Hama Henschel vakandiudza kuti basa rangu guru paBheteri raizova rekubatsira Hama Franz pane zvese zvavaida. Ndaigara ndichivaverengera zvinyorwa zvisati zvaprindwa. Hama Franz vaikwanisa kuyeuka zvakawanda uye vaikwanisa kunyatsoisa pfungwa pane zvavaiverengerwa. Zvaifadza chaizvo kuvabatsira saizvozvo kusvika pavakapedza upenyu hwavo hwepanyika muna December 1992.

Makore 61 andaita ndiri paBheteri amhanya zvandisina kumboona. Vabereki vangu vakafa vakatendeka kuna Jehovha uye ndinotarisira kuzovagamuchira munyika iri nani. (Joh. 5:28, 29) Hapana chinhu chinopiwa nenyika ino chingaenzana neropafadzo yekushanda nevarume nevakadzi vakatendeka tichibatsira vanhu vaMwari pasi rese. Ini naLivija tinogona kutaura kuti mumakore edu ebasa renguva yakazara, ‘mufaro waJehovha wanga uri nhare yedu.’—Neh. 8:10.

Musangano raJehovha, hapana munhu anganzi kana asipo zvinhu hazvifambi, basa rekuparadzira mashoko echokwadi cheUmambo rinongoramba richiitwa. Zvinofadza uye iropafadzo kuti mumakore ese aya, ndakashanda nehama nehanzvadzi dzakawanda dzakatsiga uye dzakavimbika. Vakazodzwa vakawanda vandakashanda navo havasisiri pano panyika. Asi ndinoonga kuti ndakashanda nehama nehanzvadzi idzodzo dzakatendeka pakuita basa raJehovha.