NDAKABEREKWA muna 1926 muCrooksville, Ohio, kuUnited States. Baba naamai vakanga vasingaiti zvechitendero, asi vaida kuti tese vana tiri 8 tiende kuchechi. Saka ndakatanga kupinda chechi yeMethodist. Pandakanga ndava nemakore 14, mufundisi akandipa mubayiro nekuti gore racho rese ndakanga ndisina kumborovha kuchechi musi weSvondo.

Panguva iyi, muvakidzani wedu ainzi Margaret Walker, uyo aiva Chapupu chaJehovha, akatanga kushanyira amai achikurukura navo Bhaibheri. Rimwe zuva, ndakafunga kugarawo ndichiteerera. Amai vakafunga kuti ndaizovavhiringidza vachidzidza, saka vakandiudza kuti ndibude panze. Asi ndakaedza kuramba ndichiteerera zvavaikurukura. Rimwe zuva Margaret paakauya kuzodzidza naamai, akandibvunza kuti, “Unoziva zita raMwari here?” Ndakapindura kuti, “Munhu wese anoziva kuti anonzi Mwari.” Akabva ati, “Tora Bhaibheri rako uvhure pana Pisarema 83:18.” Ndakavhura ndikaona kuti zita raMwari ndiJehovha. Ndakabva ndamhanya kunoudza shamwari dzangu kuti, “Kana masvika kumba manheru, vhurai muBhaibheri pana Pisarema 83:18 kuti muone zita raMwari.” Tingatoti ndipo pandakatangira kuparidza.

 Ndakadzidza Bhaibheri ndikabhabhatidzwa muna 1941. Pasina nguva ndakanzi ndiitise chidzidzo chebhuku cheungano. Ndakakurudzira amai, hanzvadzi dzangu nevanin’ina kuti vauyewo, uye vakatanga kuuya. Asi baba vakanga vasingazvifariri.

Ndakapiwa mamwe mabasa muungano, uye ndakanga ndava nemabhuku akawanda esangano redu. Rimwe zuva baba vakanongedzera mabhuku angu vakati: “Uri kuona zvose zviri apo izvo, handisi kuda kuzviona mumba mangu, newe wacho.” Ndakabva pamba ndikawana pekugara kuZanesville, Ohio, pedyo nekumba, asi ndaipota ndichienda kumba kuti ndinokurudzira vamwe vemumhuri medu.

Baba vakanga vasingadi kuti amai vaende kumisangano. Dzimwe nguva pavaivaona vachienda, vaimhanya vovadhonza kusvikira vavapinza mumba. Asi amai vaibva vangobuda nerimwe dhoo, voenda kumisangano. Ndakaudza amai kuti: “Musanetseke henyu. Vachaneta nazvo.” Nekufamba kwenguva, baba vakarega kuvarambidza, uye amai vakanga vava kukwanisa kuenda kumisangano vakasununguka.

Muna 1943 ungano yedu yakatanga kuita Chikoro chaMwari Choushumiri, uye ndakatanga kupawo hurukuro pachikoro. Mazano andaipiwa pose pandaipa hurukuro idzi aindibatsira kuti ndiwedzere unyanzvi hwekudzidzisa.

Panguva iyi, Hondo yeNyika II yaitsviriridza. Muna 1944 ndakashevedzwa kuti ndipinde muchiuto. Ndakaenda kubharaki remasoja reFort Hayes, kuColumbus, Ohio ndikaongororwa kuti ndaikwanisa kupinda muchiuto here, uye ndakanzi ndinyore zvaidiwa pamafomu. Ndakabva ndaudza vakuru vakuru vacho kuti ndakanga ndisiri kuzova musoja. Vakanditi ndidzokere hangu kumba. Pangopfuura mazuva mashoma, mumwe mupurisa akauya pamba pangu akandiudza kuti: “Corwin Robison ndine tsamba inoratidza kuti wasungwa.”

Nyaya yangu yakapinda mudare papfuura mavhiki maviri. Mutongi wacho akati: “Kudai ndirini ndinosarudza kuti une mhosva, ndaizoti upike jeri kweupenyu hwako hwese. Une zvekutaura here?” Ndakapindura kuti: “Changamire, ini ndaitofanira kunzi mufundisi. Mharidzo dzangu ndinodzipa ndakamira pamadhoo evanhu, uye ndakaparidza mashoko akanaka oUmambo kuvanhu vakawanda.” Mutongi akabva audza vedare kuti: “Hamuna kuuya pano kuzoongorora kuti mukomana uyu mufundisi here kana kuti haasi. Nyaya iripo ndeyekuti mukomana uyu akabvuma kupinda muchiuto here kana kuti akaramba.” Papera maminitsi asingasviki 30, vedare vakadzoka vakanditi ndine mhosva. Mutongi wacho akabva anditongera makore mashanu mujeri rekuAshland, Kentucky.

Mavhiki maviri ekutanga ndasungwa, ndaiva mujeri rekuColumbus, Ohio, uye zuva rekutanga ndakaiswa muchitokisi ndiri ndega. Ndakanyengetera kuna Jehovha ndichiti: “Handikwanisi kugara muchitokisi kwemakore mashanu. Handizivi kuti ndoita sei.”

Mangwana acho magadhi akanditi ndibude imomo, ndikaiswa maiva nevamwe vasungwa vakawanda. Ndakafamba ndichienda pakanga pakamira mumwe musungwa aiva zirume rirefu rakasimba, tikabva tamira tese pahwindo takatarisa  panze. Akandibvunza kuti, “Ko iwe shoti, wakaparei?” Ndakabva ndati, “Ndiri mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha.” Iye ndokuti, “Uri chii? Saka uri kutsvagei muno?” Ndikati, “Zvapupu zvaJehovha hazviendi kuhondo uye hazviurayi vanhu.” Ndokubva ati, “Saka vakupinza mujeri nekuti haudi kuuraya vanhu, ivo vachiti kana vamwe vanhu vakauraya vanhu vanovapinza mujeri. Zvine musoro here izvozvo?” Ndakabva ndati, “Aiwa hazvina.”

Akabva ati, “Kwemakore 15, ndaiva mune rimwe jeri, uye ndakaverenga mamwe mabhuku enyu ndiri imomo.” Pandakanzwa izvozvo, ndakanyengetera ndichiti, “Jehovha, itai kuti murume uyu angondibatsirawo.” Panguva iyoyo chaiyo, musungwa uyu ainzi Paul akabva ati, “Kana mumwe munhu akada kungokuvhiringa chete, ndishevedze. Ndinomugadzirisa.” Saka zvakazoitika ndezvekuti pavasungwa vese 50 vaiva mataigara hapana akambondinetsa.

Pandakazoendeswa kujeri rekuAshland, ndakawana kutori nehama dzakakura pakunamata dzakati wandei. Hama idzi dzakandibatsira kuti ndirambe ndakasimba pakunamata. Vhiki rega rega vaitiudza chikamu chataifanira kuverenga muBhaibheri, uye taibva tafunga mibvunzo nemhinduro zvataizokurukura pataiita misangano yairongwa mujeri imomo. Paiva nehama yakanga yakagadzwa kuti ironge ndima yekuparidza. Mataigara maiva nemibhedha yakawanda yakanga yakarongwa ichitevera madziro. Hama yaironga ndima yaindiudza kuti: “Robison, uchashanda mubhedha wakati newakati. Munhu wese anoshandisa mubhedha iwoyo ari mundima yako. Iva nechokwadi chekuti wamuparidzira asati abuda mujeri.” Izvi zvaiita kuti tiparidze zvakarongeka.

Hondo yeNyika II yakapera muna 1945, asi handina kubudiswa mujeri. Ndainetseka nezvevamwe vaiva kumba nekuti Baba vakanga vandiudza kuti, “Kana ndikapedza newe, vamwe vese havazondinetse.” Asi pandakazobudiswa mujeri, pane chimwe chinhu chakandishamisa. Pasinei nekupikisa kwaiita Baba, vanhu 7 vemumhuri medu vakanga vachipinda misangano uye imwe hanzvadzi yangu yakanga yatobhabhatidzwa.

Pakatanga hondo yekuKorea muna 1950, ndakashevedzwa kechipiri kuti ndipinde muchiuto, saka ndakaendazve kuFort Hayes. Pavakandiongorora, mumwe musoja akandiudza kuti, “Muboka renyu uri mumwe wevanhu vakachangamuka.” Ndakati, “Horaiti, asi handisi kuzopinda muchiuto.” Ndakataura pfungwa iri pana 2 Timoti 2:3 ndikati, “Nditori musoja waKristu.” Akamboti zii, ndokubva azoti, “Enda hako.”

 Nguva pfupi izvi zvaitika, ndakapinda musangano wevanoda kushanda paBheteri pagungano rakaitwa kuCincinnati, Ohio. Hama Milton Henschel vakatiudza kuti kana hama ichida kushanda nesimba mubasa reUmambo, sangano riri kuda vanhu kuBheteri. Ndakanyorera kuti ndishande paBheteri, ndokubva ndashevedzwa uye ndakasvika paBheteri rekuBrooklyn muna August 1954. Nanhasi ndichiri kushanda paBheteri.

Handina kumbobvira ndashaya basa rekuita paBheteri. Kwemakore akati wandei, ndaishanda pamatangi emvura aiva muchivako chemahofisi neaiva muchivako chaiitwa zvekuprinda, ndaigadzirawo michina uye ndaigadzirawo makiyi. Ndakashandawo paDzimba Dzemagungano dzekuNew York City.

Ndinofarira zvatinoita semhuri yeBheteri izvo zvinosanganisira purogiramu yekunamata yatinova nayo mangwanani, Chidzidzo cheNharireyomurindi uye ndinonakidzwawo nekubuda muushumiri nevamwe vemuungano. Tikanyatsozvifunga, zvinhu izvi zvinofanira kuitwa nemhuri dzese dzeZvapupu zvaJehovha. Kana vabereki nevana vachiita rugwaro rwezuva pamwe chete, vachigara vachiita Kunamata Kwemhuri, vachinyatsogadzirira nekupindura pamisangano uye vachiparidza mashoko akanaka, mhuri yacho yose ichanyatsosimba pakunamata.

Ndakava neshamwari dzakawanda paBheteri uye muungano. Vamwe vacho vaiva vakazodzwa uye vakatowana mubayiro wavo wekudenga. Vamwe vacho vakanga vasina kuzodzwa. Asi vashumiri vose vaJehovha, kusanganisira vanoshanda paBheteri, vanhuwo vane chivi. Kana ndikakanganisirana neimwe hama, ndinoedza kuita kuti tigadzirise nyaya yacho. Ndinofunga nezverugwaro rwaMateu 5:23, 24 uye zvatinofanira kuita kana tatadzirana. Kukumbira ruregerero kwakaoma, asi ndakaona kuti kana ndikakumbira ruregerero, kashoma kuti nyaya yacho irambe ichienderera.

Nemhaka yezera rangu, zvava kundiomera kuenda kunoparidza paimba neimba, asi handiregi. Ndinewo mashoko mashoma echiMandarin Chinese andakadzidzira, uye ndinofarira kuparidzira mumugwagwa kuvanhu vanotaura chiChinese. Dzimwe nguva pandinoparidza mangwanani ndinogona  kupa vanhu magazini anosvika 30 kana 40.

Ndakatomboitawo shanyo yekudzokera kumunhu aiva kuChina. Mumwe musi, ndakaona mumwe musikana aiva nemapepa ekushambadzira musika wemichero. Akandinyemwerera ndokundipa pepa racho. Ndakanyemwererawo ndikamupa Nharireyomurindi neMukai! zvemutauro wechiChinese. Akatora magazini acho ndokundiudza kuti anonzi Katie. Kubvira ipapo, pese paaindiona aiuya kuzotaura neni. Ndakamudzidzisa mazita eChirungu emichero neemiriwo, uye aibva adzokorora mazita acho achinditevedzera. Ndakamutsanangurira mamwe mavhesi eBhaibheri, uye akatora bhuku raBhaibheri Rinombodzidzisei? Takamboramba tichikurukura kwemavhiki mashoma asi hatina kuzoonanazve.

Papera mwedzi yakati wandei, mumwewo musikana aipa vanhu mapepa ekushambadzira akatorawo magazini. Vhiki rakatevera racho, akauya akanditambidza foni yake ndokubva ati: “Taura naye kuChina.” Ndakabva ndati, “Handina munhu wandinoziva ari kuChina.” Asi akaramba achindimanikidza, saka ndakatambira foni yacho ndokuti: “Hello, ndini Robison.” Munhu wacho akabva adaira achiti, “Robby, ndini Katie. Ndava kuChina.” Ndikati, “kuChina?” Katie akapindura kuti “Ehe. Robby uri kuona musikana akupa foni, munin’ina wangu. Wakandidzidzisa zvinhu zvakawanda zvakanaka. Ndinokumbirawo kuti umudzidzise.” Ndakapindura kuti: “Katie, ndichaedza nepandinogona napo. Waita hako nekundiudza kwauri.” Tapedza kutaura pafoni, ndakakurukura nemunin’ina waKatie asi ndiko kaiva kekupedzisira kutaura naye. Handizivi kuti vasikana ava vari kupi, asi ndinongoti dai vakadzidza zvakawanda nezvaJehovha.

Ndava nemakore 73 ndichishumira Jehovha. Ndinofara kuti akandibatsira kuti ndirambe ndisingapindire mune zvenyika uye kuti ndirambe ndakatendeka ndiri mujeri. Uyewo, hanzvadzi dzangu nevanin’ina vangu vakandiudza kuti kuramba ndakasimba kwandakaita pandaipikiswa naBaba kwakaita kuti vashingewo. Amai, hanzvadzi dzangu nhatu nevanin’ina vangu vatatu vakazobhabhatidzwa. Kunyange Baba vakanga vasingachanyanyi kushora, uye vakatombopinda mimwe misangano vasati vashaya.

Kana kuri kuda kwaMwari, hama neshamwari dzangu dzakafa dzichamutswa munyika itsva. Fungidzira kufara kwatichaita tichinamata Jehovha nekusingaperi pamwe chete nevanhu vatinoda! *