Nyaya Youpenyu

Upenyu Hwakapfuma Mubasa raJehovha

YAKATAURWA NARUSSELL KURZEN

Ndakauya panyika musi waSeptember 22, 1907, makore manomwe nguva iya yakakurumbira yakatanga nokuvamba kwehondo yenyika yokutanga isati yasvika. Mhuri yedu yakanga yakapfuma munzira inokosha zvikuru. Ndinofunga muchabvuma kana manzwa zvinhu zvishomanana nezvoupenyu hwedu.

VACHIRI kasikana, Ambuya Kurzen vakanga vava kutotsvaka chokwadi nezvaMwari. Vasati vamboyaruka, vakashanyira chechi dzakasiyana-siyana dzakati wandei muguta rakaisvonaka ravaigara reSpiez, kuSwitzerland. Muna 1887, makore akati kuti varoorwa, mhuri yokwaKurzen yakabatana nevanhu vakawanda vaitamira kuUnited States.

Mhuri yacho yakanogara kuOhio, uko, munenge muna 1900, Ambuya vakazowana pfuma yavaitsvaka. Yaiwanikwa mumapeji ebhuku raCharles Taze Russell rinonzi The Time Is at Hand, mumutauro wokuGermany. Havana kumbotana kuona kuti zvavaiverenga imomo zvaiva nechiedza chechokwadi cheBhaibheri. Kunyange zvazvo Ambuya vaiva vasingagoni kuverenga chiRungu, vakazvinyoresa kuti vawane magazini yeNharireyomurindi yechiRungu. Nokudaro vakawedzera kudzidza chokwadi cheBhaibheri uye, panguva imwecheteyo, mutauro wechiRungu. Sekuru havana kumbobvira vafarira zvinhu zvine chokuita nokunamata sezvaiita mudzimai wavo.

Pavana 11 vaAmbuya Kurzen, 2 vevanakomana vavo, John naAdolph, vakakoshesa pfuma yomudzimu yakanga yawanikwa naamai vavo. Baba vangu vainzi John, uye vakabhabhatidzwa muna 1904 pakokorodzano yepaSt. Louis, kuMissouri yeVadzidzi veBhaibheri, sokuzivikanwa kwaiitwa Zvapupu zvaJehovha panguva  iyoyo. Sezvo Vadzidzi veBhaibheri vazhinji vaiva vanhu vane mari shoma, kokorodzano yacho yakarongwa kuitwa panguva imwecheteyo neWorld Fair muSt. Louis kuitira kuti vazoshandisa mari yokukwirisa chitima yakadzikiswa. Gare gare, muna 1907, babamunini vangu Adolph vakabhabhatidzwa pane imwe kokorodzano muNiagara Falls, kuNew York. Baba vangu nababamunini vakashingaira kuparidza zvavakanga vadzidza muBhaibheri, uye vose vakazopedzisira vava vashumiri venguva yakazara (vava kunzi mapiyona iye zvino).

Nokudaro, pandakazoberekwa muna 1907, mhuri yangu yakanga yatopfuma, munyaya dzokunamata. (Zvirevo 10:22) Ndakanga ndichiri mucheche muna 1908 apo vabereki vangu, John naIda, vakaenda neni kukokorodzano yaiva nomusoro waiti “On to Victory” (Kunanga Kurukundo) kuPut-in-Bay, Ohio. Ikoko Joseph F. Rutherford, aiva mushumiri anofambira panguva iyoyo, aiva sachigaro wekokorodzano. Vhiki shomanana dzakanga dzapfuura, akanga ari kuDalton, Ohio, kwaakashanyira musha wedu ndokupa hurukuro kuVadzidzi veBhaibheri veko.

Kutaura chokwadi, ini pachangu handichayeuki zviitiko izvozvo, asi ndinoyeuka kokorodzano muguta rinonzi Mountain Lake Park, kuMaryland, muna 1911. Ikoko ini nehanzvadzi yangu duku, Esther, takasangana naCharles Taze Russell, uyo aitarisira basa renyika yose rokuparidza reVadzidzi veBhaibheri.

Musi waJune 28, 1914, zuva rakapinda nyika muhondo nokuurayirwa chigaro kwakaitwa Archduke Ferdinand pamwe nomudzimai wake muSarajevo, ndakapinda nemhuri yangu kokorodzano yaiva norunyararo muColumbus, kuOhio. Kubvira makore iwayo apakuvamba, ndakava neropafadzo yokuva pakokorodzano dzakawanda dzevanhu vaJehovha. Dzimwe dzaipindwa nevanhu vanenge zana kana kuti pfuurei. Dzimwe dzaiva dzakakura dzichipindirwa mudzimwe dzenhandare huruhuru munyika yose.

Musha Wedu Waiva Panzvimbo Yakatinakira

Kubva munenge muna 1908 kusvika muna 1918, musha wedu muDalton—iri pakati pePittsburgh, Pennsylvania, neCleveland kuOhio—waipindirwa misangano neimwe ungano duku yeVadzidzi veBhaibheri. Musha wedu wakava nzvimbo yokugamuchira vakurukuri vaishanyira  vakawanda. Vaisungirira mabhiza avo nengoro seri kwegaraji redu vorondedzera zvavakasangana nazvo zvinonakidza nezvimwe zvinhu zvinokosha zvokumudzimu kuvaya vainge vaungana. Dzaizova nguva dzaikurudzira!

Baba vaiva mudzidzisi, asi mwoyo wavo waiva pabasa rokudzidzisa guru kupfuura mamwe ose, ushumiri hwechiKristu. Vakava nechokwadi kuti vadzidzisa mhuri yavo nezvaJehovha, uye manheru oga oga tainyengetera pamwe chete semhuri. Muchirimo muna 1919, Baba vakatengesa bhiza redu nengoro, vakatenga motokari yorudzi rweFord ya1914 yaiita US$175 (Z$9 625) kuitira kuti vagone kusvika kune vanhu vakawanda mubasa rokuparidza. Muna 1919 nomuna 1922, mhuri yedu yakaenda nemotokari iyoyo kukokorodzano dzisingakanganwiki dzeVadzidzi veBhaibheri muCedar Point, kuOhio.

Mhuri yedu yose—Amai; Baba; Esther; munun’una wangu, John neni—tose taiita basa rokuparidza. Ndichiri kunyatsoyeuka pandakabvunzwa nasaimba mubvunzo womuBhaibheri kwenguva yokutanga. Ndaiva nemakore anenge manomwe. “Nhaiwe chikomana, chii chinonzi Amagedhoni?” murume wacho akandibvunza. Ndichibatsirwa zvishoma nababa vangu, ndakakwanisa kumupa mhinduro yeBhaibheri.

Kupinda Muushumiri Hwenguva Yakazara

Muna 1931 mhuri yedu yakapinda kokorodzano yokuColumbus, Ohio kwatakanakidzwa nokubatana nevamwe mukugamuchira zita idzva rokuti, Zvapupu zvaJehovha. John akanakidzwa zvokuti akasarudza kuti ini naye tipinde mubasa rokupayona. * Takadaro tose naAmai, Baba, naEsther. Yaiva pfuma yakazonaka yatakava nayo—mhuri yakabatana mubasa rinofadza rokuparidza mashoko akanaka oUmambo hwaMwari! Handitomboneti nokuonga Jehovha nechikomborero chake. Kunyange takanga tichitofara zvakadaro nechekare, mumwe mufaro wakanga wakatimirira.

Muna February wa1934, ndakatanga kushanda padzimbahwe renyika yose reZvapupu zvaJehovha (rinonzi Bheteri) muBrooklyn, kuNew York. John akazobatanawo neni ikoko vhiki shomanana dzakatevera. Takagara muimba imwe chete kusvikira azoroora mudzimai wake anodiwa, Jessie, muna 1953.

Pashure pokunge ini naJohn taenda kuBheteri, vabereki vedu vakabvuma migove yokupayona kunzvimbo dzakasiyana-siyana dzenyika uye Esther nomurume wake, George Read, vakaenda navo. Vabereki vedu vakaramba vachipayona kusvikira vapedza upenyu hwavo hwepasi muna 1963. Esther nomurume wake vakarera mhuri yakazonaka, uye ndakakomborerwa kuva nevazukuru vakati kuti, vandinoda zvikuru.

Basa Nokushamwaridzana paBheteri

John akashandisa unyanzvi hwake hwokugadzira zvinhu paBheteri, akashanda pamwe chete nevamwe vepaBheteri muzvirongwa zvakadai sokugadzira magiramafoni anotakurika. Zviuru zveZvapupu zvaJehovha zvakaashandisa muushumiri hwepaimba neimba. John akabatsirawo kugadzira michina yokuputira nokuisa mazita pamagazini aitumirwa kuvanhu vainge vazvinyoresa kuagamuchira.

Ini ndakatanga basa repaBheteri ndiri kunobhaindwa mabhuku. Mufekitari maiva nemamwe majaya panguva iyoyo aishandamo achiri kushanda paBheteri nokutendeka. Ivava vanosanganisira Carey Barber naRobert Hatzfeld. Vamwe vaivava vandichiri kuyeuka, asi vakafa kare, ndiNathan Knorr, Karl Klein, Lyman Swingle, Klaus Jensen, Grant Suiter, George Gangas, Orin Hibbard, John Sioras, Robert Payne, Charles Fekel, Benno Burczyk, naJohn Perry. Vakagara pabasa racho gore negore, vasingambonyunyuti kana kutarisira “kupiwa repamusoro.” Kunyange zvakadaro, kuvakati kuti vevaKristu vakazodzwa vakatendeka ava, mitoro yakakura yakazouya nokukura kwaiita sangano. Vamwe vakatoshanda muDare Rinodzora reZvapupu zvaJehovha.

Kushanda nehama dzakazvipira idzi kwakandidzidzisa chidzidzo chinokosha. Mubasa rokunyika vashandi vanobhadharwa mari yebasa ravanenge vaita. Ndiwo mubayiro wavo. Kushanda paBheteri kunounza zvikomborero zvakapfuma  zvokumudzimu, uye mibayiro yakadaro inongonzwisiswa nevarume nevakadzi vakakura mumudzimu chete.—1 VaKorinde 2:6-16.

Nathan Knorr, uyo akauya kuBheteri achangoyaruka muna 1923, ndiye aiva mutariri mufekitari muma1930. Aifamba fekitari yose mazuva ose okwazisa mushandi mumwe nomumwe. Vamwe vedu vaiva vatsva paBheteri vakaonga kufarira munhu mumwe nomumwe kwakadaro. Muna 1936 takagamuchira muchina wokudhindisa mutsva kubva kuGermany, uye dzimwe hama dzechiduku dzakava nenguva yakaoma kuubatanidza. Saka Hama Knorr vaipfeka hovhorosi uye vachishanda navo, kweunopfuura mwedzi kusvikira vauita kuti ushande.

Hama Knorr vaishanda zvakaoma zvikuru zvokuti vazhinji vedu taisaenderana navo. Asi vaizivawo nzira yokunakidzwa nayo nokutamba. Kunyange pavaiva vava mutariri webasa renyika yose rokuparidza reZvapupu zvaJehovha muna 1942, dzimwe nguva vaitamba baseball nenhengo dzemhuri yeBheteri uye vadzidzi vechikoro chemamishinari cheGiriyedhi pachikoro pedyo neSouth Lansing, kuNew York.

Muna April 1950, mhuri yeBheteri yakatamira kune chimwe chivako chitsva chokugara chine nhurikidzwa gumi chaiva pa124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, kuNew York. Imba yokudyira itsva yaitibvumira tose kugara pamwe chete tichidya. Mumakore anenge matatu okuvakwa kwechivako ichi chokugara, taiva tisingakwanisi kuita munamato wemangwanani. Hakuzi kufadza kwazvakaita pakatangazve purogiramu iyoyo! Hama Knorr vakandikumbira kugara pedyo navo patafura yasachigaro kuti ndigovabatsira kuyeuka mazita enhengo itsva dzemhuri yedu. Kwemakore 50 ndakagara patafura imwecheteyo pamunamato wemangwanani. Musi waAugust 4, 2000, imba yokudyira iyoyo yakavharwa, uye ndakagoverwa kuimwe yedzimba dzokudyira dziri muyaimbova Towers Hotel.

Muma1950 ndakambotishandei mufekitari ndichigadzira zvinhu zvokudhindisa zvomuchina weLinotype. Basa iroro ndakanga ndisingarifariri, asi William Peterson, uyo aitarisira michina yacho, aindibata zvakazonaka zvokuti ndakanakidzwa nenguva yandaiva imomo zvakadaro. Muna 1960 makazodiwa vazvipiri vokupenda chivako chokugara chakanga chavakwa pa107 Columbia Heights. Ndakafara kuzvipira kubatsira kugadzirira mhuri yeBheteri yaikura zvivako zvitsva izvi.

Pasina nguva refu chivako cheColumbia Heights chapera kupendwa, ndakashamiswa uye ndakafara kupiwa basa rokugamuchira vaenzi paBheteri. Makore 40 okupedzisira andakashanda panogamuchirwa vaenzi ainakidza sezvaingoita mamwe api zvawo andakapedzera paBheteri. Vangave vaiva vashanyi kana kuti nhengo itsva dzepaBheteri, zvaifadza kuona zvakanaka zvaibuda mubasa rataiita kuti Umambo huve nokuwedzera.

Vadzidzi veBhaibheri Vane Chido

Mhuri yedu yeBheteri yakabudirira zvikuru mumudzimu nokuti nhengo dzayo dzinoda Bhaibheri. Pandakatanga kuuya kuBheteri, ndakabvunza Emma Hamilton, uyo aiita basa rokuverenga achigadzirisa zvinenge zvanyorwa, kuti ainge averenga Bhaibheri rose kangani. “Kane makumi matatu nekashanu,” akapindura kudaro, “ndokubva ndazopedzisira ndisisazivi kuti kangani.” Anton Koerber, mumwe muKristu akanga akasimba akashanda paBheteri panenge panguva iyoyo, aiwanzoti: “Usamboita kuti Bhaibheri rive kure newe.”

Zvichitevera rufu rwaHama Russell muna 1916, Hama Joseph F. Rutherford vakatora mutoro waiva naHama Russell wokutarisira sangano. Rutherford aiva mukurukuri ane simba uye ane unyanzvi, uyo segweta akamiririra Zvapupu zvaJehovha munyaya dzaitongwa muDare Repamusoro romuUnited States. Mushure morufu rwaRutherford muna 1942, Hama Knorr vakatora nzvimbo yake ndokushanda zvakaoma zvikuru kuti vavandudze unyanzvi hwavo mukupa hurukuro. Sezvo ndaigara mukamuri raiva pedyo neravo, ndaiwanzonzwa vachidzidzira vadzidzirazve hurukuro dzavo. Nokushanda zvakaoma kwakadaro vakava mukurukuri akanaka nokufamba kwenguva.

Muna February 1942, Hama Knorr vakabatsira kuvamba purogiramu yokubatsira isu hama dzaiva paBheteri kuvandudza mano edu okudzidzisa  nokukurukura. Chikoro chacho chaisimbisa kunzvera Bhaibheri nokukurukura paruzhinji. Pakutanga, mumwe nomumwe wedu akapiwa hurukuro pfupi pamusoro pevanhu vomuBhaibheri. Hurukuro yangu yokutanga yakanga iri pamusoro paMosesi. Muna 1943 chikoro chakadaro chakatangwa muungano dzeZvapupu zvaJehovha, uye chichiri kuenderera mberi nanhasi. Kuwana zivo yeBhaibheri nokuvandudza nzira dzokudzidzisa nadzo kuchiri kusimbiswa paBheteri.

Muna February 1943 kirasi yokutanga yechikoro chemamishinari cheGiriyedhi yakatanga. Iye zvino kirasi yechi111 yeGiriyedhi ichangopedza kudzidza! Mumakore acho anopfuura 58 chichishanda, chikoro chacho charovedza vanhu vanopfuura 7 000 kunoshanda semamishinari munyika yose. Zvinoshamisa kuti pakatanga chikoro chacho muna 1943, kwaiva neZvapupu zvaJehovha zvinoti pfuurei 100 000 munyika yose. Iye zvino, kune vanopfuura 6 000 000 vari kubatsirana mubasa rokuparidza mashoko akanaka oUmambo hwaMwari!

Kukoshesa Nhaka Yangu Yokumudzimu

Vatatu vedu vaibva paBheteri takatumwa kunoshanyira ungano dzomuUnited States yose nguva pfupi Giriyedhi isati yatanga. Taigara kwezuva, mazuva mashomanana, kana kuti vhiki tichiedza kusimbisa ungano idzi mumudzimu. Tainzi vashumiri kuhama, zita rebasa rakazochinjwa kunzi vashumiri vedunhu, kana kuti vatariri vedunhu. Zvisinei chikoro cheGiriyedhi chichingovhurwa, ndakakumbirwa kudzoka kuti ndizodzidzisa dzimwe kosi. Ndaishanda somurayiridzi wenguva dzose mukirasi yechipiri kusvika kune yechishanu, uye ndakatsivawo mumwe wevarayiridzi venguva dzose ndokudzidzisa kirasi yechi14. Kukwanisa kuongorora nevadzidzi zviitiko zvokutanga munhoroondo yesangano remazuva ano raJehovha—zvizhinji zvacho zvandaigona kurondedzera semaonero  andakazviita pachangu—kwakandiita kuti ndionge zvizere nhaka yangu huru yokumudzimu.

Imwe ropafadzo yandakava nayo kwemakore ose aya ndeyokupinda kokorodzano dzemarudzi akawanda dzevanhu vaJehovha. Muna 1963, ndakafamba nenyika yose nevamwe vapindi 500 kukokorodzano dze“Everlasting Good News” (Mashoko Akanaka Asingagumi). Dzimwe kokorodzano dzisingakanganwiki munhau dzandakapinda ndedzakaitirwa kuWarsaw, Poland, muna 1989; Berlin, kuGermany, muna 1990; kuMoscow, Russia, muna 1993. Pakokorodzano imwe neimwe yadzo ndakava nomukana wokusangana nedzimwe hama nehanzvadzi dzedu dzinodiwa dzakatsungirira kwemakumi emakore kutambudzwa muutongi hweNazi, hwechiKomonisti, kana kuti hwose. Zviitiko zvaizosimbisa kutenda!

Upenyu hwangu mubasa raJehovha hwava hwakapfuma zvechokwadi! Kuwanikwa kwezvikomborero zvomudzimu hakumboperi. Uye zvinhu izvi zvinokosha zvakasiyana nepfuma yokunyama pakuti zvinowanda kana tichizvigoverana nevamwe. Ndinombonzwa vamwe vachiti vanokungura kuti dai vasina kurerwa seZvapupu zvaJehovha. Vanoti vanofunga kuti vaizonyatsonzwisisa chokwadi cheBhaibheri zvakati wedzerei dai vaiva vambonzwa zvinoita upenyu kunze kwesangano raMwari.

Zvinogara zvichindikangaidza pandinonzwa vechiduku vachitaura zvinhu zvakadaro nokuti vanenge vachitoti zviri nani kukura usingazivi nzira dzaJehovha. Asi, funga nezvetsika dzose dzakashata nokufunga kwakaora kunofanira kuzoraswa nevanhu pavanodzidza chokwadi cheBhaibheri vakura. Ndinogara ndichifara zvikuru kuti vabereki vangu vakarera vana vavo vatatu munzira yokururama. John akaramba ari mushumiri waJehovha akatendeka kusvikira parufu rwake muna July 1980, uye Esther achiri Chapupu chakatendeka nanhasi.

Ndinotarira shure ndichifadzwa zvikuru noushamwari hwakanaka hwandakava nahwo nehama nehanzvadzi dzechiKristu dzakatendeka. Iye zvino ndava nemakore 67 anoyemurika zvikuru ndiri paBheteri. Kunyange zvangu ndisina kumboroora, ndine vanakomana nevanasikana, pamwe nevazukuru vakawanda vokumudzimu. Uye ndinofadzwa nokufunga nezvenhengo itsva dzemhuri yedu yenyika yose dzandisati ndasangana nadzo, mumwe nomumwe wavo anokosha. Mashoko aya ndeechokwadi zvikuru anoti: “Kuropafadza kwaJehovha—ndiko kunopfumisa”!—Zvirevo 10:22.

[Mashoko Omuzasi]

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 20]

Kubva kuruboshwe kuenda kurudyi: baba vangu nomunun’una wangu, John, pamakumbo, Esther, ini, naamai vangu

[Mifananidzo iri papeji 23]

Ndichidzidzisa kirasi yeGiriyedhi muna 1945

Pamusoro nechokurudyi: Varayiridzi vechikoro cheGiriyedhi Eduardo Keller, Fred Franz, ini, naAlbert Schroeder

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 24]

Ndichifungisisa upenyu hwangu hwakapfuma mubasa raJehovha