Takanga Tisingatyi—Jehovha Aiva Nesu

Yakataurwa Naegyptia Petridou

Muna 1972, Zvapupu zvomuCyprus yose zvakaungana muNicosia kuzonzwa hurukuro inokosha yaipiwa naNathan H. Knorr, akanga ava nenguva achitungamirira basa reZvapupu zvaJehovha. Paakandiona akabva angondiziva, uye ndisati ndatombowana mukana wokuzvisuma, akandibvunza kuti: “Kwakadini kuEgypt?” Ndakanga ndamboonana naHama Knorr makore 20 akanga apfuura kumusha kwangu, kuguta reAlexandria, Egypt.

NDAKABEREKERWA kuAlexandria musi waJanuary 23, 1914, ndiri dangwe pavana vana. Takakurira pedyo pedyo negungwa. Panguva iyoyo Alexandria raiva guta rakanaka raiva nemarudzi akasiyana-siyana, raiva nembiri yezvivako zvakanaka zvakanga zvavakwa kare kare. Sezvo vanhu vokuEurope vaiwirirana nevaArab, isu vana takadzidza kutaura chiArabic, Chirungu, chiFrench, uye chiItalian, pamwe chete nechiGiriki, chaitaurwa kumba kwedu.

Ndapedza chikoro, ndakawana basa pane imwe kambani yokuFrance yezvipfeko zvemazuva ano, uye ndaifadzwa nokusonera vakadzi vapamusorosoro hembe dzaishamisira. Ndaifarirawo zvokunamata uye ndainakidzwa nokuverenga Bhaibheri, kunyange zvazvo ndakanga ndisinganzwisisi zvakawanda zvandaiverenga.

Kuma1930, ndakaonana nerimwe jaya rakanaka raibva kuCyprus. Theodotos Petrides aiva nyanzvi yomutambo wemutsimba, asiwo aiva akadzidzira zvokubika, uye aishanda pane rimwe bhekari. Theodotos akatanga kuratidza kuti aindida, ini kasikana kaiva nebvudzi dema. Aigara achindiimbira nziyo dzechiGiriki dzorudo ari panze pehwindo rangu. Takaroorana musi waJune 30, 1940. Mazuva iwayo ainakidza. Taigara mufurati raiva nechepazasi peraamai vangu. Dangwe redu John akaberekwa muna 1941.

Kudzidza Chokwadi cheBhaibheri

Kwenguva yakati, Theodotos akanga asingagutsikani nechechi yedu, uye aibvunza mibvunzo yezveBhaibheri. Zvapupu zvaJehovha zvakanga zvatanga kudzidza naye Bhaibheri ndisingazvizivi. Rimwe zuva pandaiva kumba nomwana wedu, mumwe mukadzi akagogodza pasuo redu akandigamuchidza kadhi raiva rakanyorwa mashoko omuBhaibheri. Ndichinyara kuramba, ndakambomira, ndikariverenga. Zvadaro akati aida kundipa mabhuku eBhaibheri. Ndakabva ndaona kuti inga ndiwo mabhuku akanga auya naTheodotos!

Ndakati: “Mabhuku aya ndinawo. Ndapota pindai mumba.” Chapupu chacho chainzi Eleni Nicolaou. Achingopinda mumba, ndakamunaya  nemibvunzo. Achiratidza kushivirira, akandipindura achishandisa Bhaibheri. Ndakazvifarira. Ndakabva ndatanga kunzwisisa mashoko eBhaibheri. Patakamboti mirei kukurukura, Eleni akaona pikicha yomurume wangu. Akati: “Murume uyo ndinomuziva!” Zvaivanzwa naTheodotos zvakabva zvabuda pachena. Ndakashamisika. Theo aienda kumisangano yechiKristu achindisiya, asina kana kumbondiudza! Theodotos paakauya kumba musi iwoyo, ndakamuti: “Vhiki ino ndiri kuenda newe kwawakanga waenda musi weSvondo!”

Pamusangano wandakatanga kuenda, paiva nevanhu vanenge gumi vaikurukura bhuku reBhaibheri raMika. Ndakanyatsoteerera zvose! Kubva ipapo, manheru eChishanu choga choga, George naKaterini Petraki vaitishanyira kuzotidzidzisa Bhaibheri. Baba vangu nehanzvadzi dzangu vaishora chaizvo kudzidza kwataiita neZvapupu, asi munun’una wangu aiva asina basa nazvo, kunyange zvazvo asina kuzova Chapupu. Zvisinei, Amai vakagamuchira chokwadi cheBhaibheri. Muna 1942, ini, Amai, naTheodotos takabhabhatidzwa mugungwa rokuAlexandria kuratidza kuti takanga tazvitsaurira kuna Jehovha.

Upenyu Hwedu Hunovhiringidzwa

Muna 1939, Hondo Yenyika II yakatanga, uye pasina nguva yakanga yava kupisa. Pakazosvika ma1940, Mukuru wemauto wokuGermany ainzi Erwin Rommel nemauto ake vaiva muEl Alamein yaiva pedyo, uye guta reAlexandria rakanga razara nemauto okuBritain. Takafusha zvokudya zvakawanda. Theodotos akabva akumbirwa kuti atarisire bhekari idzva rowaaishandira raiva kuPort Taufiq, pedyo neSuez, saka takatamira ikoko. Zvapupu zviviri zvaitaura chiGiriki zvakatanga kutitsvaka. Kunyange zvazvo vakanga vasingazivi kero yedu, vakaparidza paimba neimba kusvikira vatiwana.

Pataiva kuPort Taufiq, takadzidza Bhaibheri naStavros naGiula Kypraios, pamwe nevana vavo, Totos naGeorgia, uye vakava shamwari dzedu dzepamwoyo. Stavros ainakidzwa chaizvo nokudzidza Bhaibheri zvokuti aidzorera shure wachi dzose dzaiva mumba mavo neawa kuitira kuti tisiyiwe nechitima chokupedzisira chaienda kumba, tobva tagara navo kwenguva yakareba. Tairamba tichikurukura kusvikira pakati pousiku.

Takagara kuPort Taufiq kwemwedzi 18, tichibva tazodzokera kuAlexandria amai vangu pavakarwara. Vakafa muna 1947, vakatendeka kuna Jehovha. Takakurudzirwazve naJehovha achishandisa shamwari dzedu dzechiKristu dzakasimba pakunamata. Taikwanisawo kugamuchira mamishinari aiva munzira kuenda kunyika dzaaizonoshandira paimbomira zvikepe zvavo kwekanguva muAlexandria.

 Zvakatifadza Uye Zvakatitambudza

Muna 1952, ndakabereka mwanakomana wedu wechipiri, James. Sevabereki, takaona kuti zvaikosha kuti tirere vana vedu tichivakurudzira mune zvokunamata, saka taigara tichidzidza Bhaibheri pamba pedu uye kakawanda taigamuchira vashumiri venguva yakazara. Izvi zvakaita kuti dangwe redu John ade chokwadi cheBhaibheri, uye paakanga achiri kuyaruka, akatanga kupayona. Panguva iyi aiendawo kuchikoro manheru kuti apedzise dzidzo yake.

Pasina nguva, Theodotos akanzi aiva nechirwere chomwoyo chakakomba uye akaudzwa kuti arege basa raaishanda. Mwanakomana wedu James aingova nemakore mana. Takapererwa. Asi handiti Jehovha akanga avimbisa kuti: “Usatya, nokuti ndinewe”? (Isa. 41:10) Chimbofungidzira kushamisika uye kufara kwatakaita muna 1956 patakakumbirwa kuti tinoshanda semapiyona kuIsmailia, pedyo neSuez Canal! Vanhu vaiva muEgypt vakatambura chaizvo mumakore akatevera, uye hama dzedu dzechiKristu dzaida chaizvo kukurudzirwa.

Muna 1960 taifanira kubuda muEgypt, mumwe nomumwe wedu aine sutukezi rimwe chete. Takatamira kuchitsuwa cheCyprus, kumusha kwomurume wangu. Panguva iyi, Theodotos akanga ava kurwara zvokusakwanisa kushanda. Zvisinei, imwe hama yechiKristu yaiva nomutsa, nomudzimai wayo vakatipa pokugara pamba pavo. Zvinorwadza ndezvokuti murume wangu akazofa kwapera makore maviri, uye ndakasiyiwa ndoga naJames aiva achiri muduku. John, uyo akanga ava kugarawo kuCyprus, aiva aroora uye ava kutarisira mhuri yake.

Kutarisirwa Panguva Yakaoma

Stavros naDora Kairis vakabva vatipa pokugara pamba pavo. Ndakapfugama ndikatenda Jehovha nokutitarisirazve. (Pis. 145:16) Stavros naDora pavakasarudza kutengesa imba yavo, ndokubva vavaka imwe yaiva nemupanda wepasi waishandiswa seImba yoUmambo, vakavakirawo ini naJames imba duku yaiva nemipanda miviri.

James akazoroora uye iye nomudzimai wake vakava mapiyona kusvikira dangwe ravo raberekwa. Vakazova nevamwe vana vatatu. Muna 1974, makore maviri pashure pokushanya kwaHama Knorr kwatisingakanganwi, vanhu vakatanga kurwira zvematongerwo  enyika muCyprus. * Vakawanda, kusanganisira Zvapupu, vakatiza misha yavo ndokunogara kumwe. Mwanakomana wangu John aiva mumwe wavo. Akatamira kuCanada nomudzimai wake nevana vatatu. Asi takafarawo kuona vaparidzi voUmambo vachiwedzera muCyprus.

Pandakatanga kupiwa mari yangu yomudyandigere, ndakakwanisa kunyatsoita ushumiri zvizere. Asi makore mashomanana akapfuura, ndakarohwa nesitiroko ndokubva ndanogara nomwanakomana wangu James nemhuri yake. Pave paya, utano hwangu hwakawedzera kuipa, ndakagara muchipatara kwemavhiki anoverengeka ndokubva ndazoendeswa kunogara vakwegura. Pasinei nokugara ndichirwadziwa, ndinopupurira vakoti, varwere, nevashanyi. Ndinopedzawo maawa akawanda ndichidzidza ndiri ndoga, uye ndinokwanisa kupinda Chidzidzo Chebhuku Cheungano chiri pedyo ndichibatsirwa nomutsa wehama dzangu dzandinonamata nadzo.

Kunyaradzwa Mumakore Angu Oukweguru

Ndinonyaradzwa pandinonzwa nezvevaya vatakabatsira naTheodotos. Vakawanda vevana vavo nevazukuru vari muushumiri hwenguva yakazara, vamwe vari kushumira kuAustralia, Canada, England, Greece, uye Switzerland. Iye zvino mwanakomana wangu John nomudzimai wake vari kugara kuCanada nomwanakomana wavo. Mwanasikana wavo mukuru nomurume wake mapiyona. Mwanasikana wavo muduku nomurume wake, Linda naJoshua Snape, vakakokwa kuti vazopinda kirasi yechi124 yeChikoro cheGiriyedhi.

Iye zvino mwanakomana wangu James nomudzimai wake vava kugara kuGermany. Vanakomana vavo vaviri vanoshanda paBheteri, mumwe kuAthens, Greece, uye mumwe wacho kuSelters, Germany. Mwanakomana wavo muduku, pamwe chete nomwanasikana wavo nomurume wake, mapiyona kuGermany.

Tine nyaya dzakawanda dzokuzoudza amai vangu nomudiwa wangu Theodotos pavachamutswa! Vachafara kwazvo kuona nhaka yavakasiyira mhuri yavo. *

[Mashoko Omuzasi]

[Mashoko okukwezva vaverengi ari papeji 24]

Takakurudzirwazve naJehovha achishandisa shamwari dzedu dzechiKristu dzakasimba pakunamata

[Mepu uri papeji 24]

(Kana uchida mashoko azere, ona bhuku racho)

CYPRUS

NICOSIA

GUNGWA REMEDITERRANEAN

EGYPT

CAIRO

El Alamein

Alexandria

Ismailia

Suez

Port Taufiq

Suez Canal

[Kwazvakatorwa]

Based on NASA/Visible Earth imagery

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 23]

Ndiina Theodotos muna 1938

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 25]

Mwanakomana wangu James nomudzimai wake

[Mufananidzo uri papeji 25]

Mwanakomana wangu John nomudzimai wake