Baba vangu vakashaya pashure pemakore mashoma mhuri yedu yatamira kutaundi reRoodepoort, kuSouth Africa. Muna 1947, pandaiva nemakore 16, ndaishandira kambani yehurumende yaiona nezvemafoni kuti ndibatsirewo pakuriritira mhuri yedu. Rimwe zuva ndiri pamba, mumwe murume wechikuru akauya pamba pedu ndokubva atikumbira kuti tibvise kamari kuti tizogara tichiwana magazini eNharireyomurindi. Takabvisa kamari kacho kuti tingomufadza.

 Asi pasina nguva, takanga tava kuda kuziva chokwadi chiri muBhaibheri. Amai vangu avo vaimbopinda Dutch Reformed Church pavaiva mudiki, vakaona kusiyana kwakanga kwakaita zvaidzidziswa neBhaibheri nezvaidzidziswa nechechi yavo. Takabvuma kudzidza Bhaibheri uye pasina nguva takanga tava kupinda misangano yeungano. Ndini ndakatanga kubhabhatidzwa mumhuri medu muna 1949. Ndakamboramba ndichishanda kwemakore mashoma kuti tiwane zvataida pakurarama, asi ndaida kuita zvakawanda pakushumira Jehovha.

 Muna 1954, ndakatanga kupayona uye ndakabvunza hofisi yebazi yekuSouth Africa kuti ndekupi kwandaigona kunobatsira. Hofisi yebazi yakati ndaigona kuenda kuguta rePretoria uye yakaita kuti imwe hanzvadzi yaipayona ibatane neni. Imba yataigara yainge yakanaka, uye ndichiri kuyeuka madhonanzi ainaka aitengeswa pedyo nepataigara anonzi makoeksisters.

 Wandaipayona naye paakaroorwa, muranda webazi, Hama George Phillips, vakandibvunza kana ndaida kushumira sapiyona chaiye. Ndakafara chaizvo.

 Ndakatanga kushanda sapiyona chaiye muna 1955 mutaundi reHarrismith. Ini newandaipayona naye takatambura kuti tiwane pekugara pakanaka. Semuenzaniso, chechi yemunharaunda yacho payakanzwa nezvedu yakamanikidza muridzi wepataigara kuti atidzinge.

 Ndakazonzi ndiende kunoshanda kuParkhurst, muJohannesburg. Hanzvadzi mbiri dzaiva mamishinari dzakazouya tikatanga kushanda tese. Pava paya, mumwe wavo akaroorwa uye mumwe wacho akanzi aende kunoshumira kune imwe nzvimbo. Imwe hanzvadzi yainzi Eileen Porter yakanditora kuti ndigare pamba payo, kunyange zvazvo ivo nemhuri yavo vakanga vasina kamuri rekuti ndigare. Vakangoganhura imba yavo neketeni kuti ndiwane pekurara. Eileen aiva nemutsa uye aigara achindikurudzira. Ndainzwa ndakasununguka kana ndiinaye. Ndakabayiwa mwoyo nekushingairira kwaaiita chokwadi pasinei nekuti aiva nemabasa epamba akawanda ekuita.

 Ndakazonzi ndiende kunoshumira kuAliwal North, taundi riri mupurovhinzi yeEastern Cape kuti ndinoshanda neimwe hanzvadzi yainzi Merlene (Merle) Laurens. Panguva iyoyo tese tiri vaviri taiva nemakore ekuma20. Takakurudzirwa chaizvo neimwe hanzvadzi yechikuru yainzi Dorothy, yataidana kuti Tete Dot. Pavaiva mudiki, vakarumwa nembwa vachiparidza, asi izvozvo hazvina kuderedza kushingaira kwavo.

 Muna 1956, Merle akaenda kunopinda kirasi yechi28 yeChikoro cheGiriyedhi. Ndakangoti kudai vaita kuti tiende tese! Asi Tete Dot vakandibata zvakanaka chaizvo, uye takava shamwari dzepedyo pasinei nekuti takanga takasiyana nemakore anenge 50.

 Imbofungidzirai kufara kwandakaita pandakakokwa kuChikoro cheGiriyedhi sezvakanga zvaitwa Merle! Ndisati ndaenda, ndakaita inenge mwedzi 8 ndiri mutaundi reNigel, ndichishanda pamwe chete naKathy Cooke, uyo akanga apindawo Chikoro cheGiriyedhi. Kathy akaita kuti ndigadzirire zvandaizosangana nazvo kuchikoro uye muna January 1958, ndakabva ndaenda kuNew York.

 Ndava kuGiriyedhi, ndakagara naTia Aluni, hanzvadzi yekuSamoa, uye naIvy Kawhe, hanzvadzi yekuNew Zealand. Pandaiva muSouth Africa, hurumende yerusaruraganda yaiita kuti varungu vasasangana nemamwe marudzi, saka zvekugara nehanzvadzi idzi mukamuri rimwe chete zvainge zviri zvitsva kwandiri. Ndakatanga kuvada chaizvo uye ndakafara kuva mukirasi yaiva nevanhu vaibva kune dzimwe nyika.

 Mumwe wevarayiridzi vedu aiva Hama Maxwell Friend. Dzimwe nguva vaitidzidzisa nenzira yakaoma. Mukirasi yavo maiva nemagirobhu matatu akanyorwa kuti “Kwidza inzwi,” “Uri kunonokesa,” uye “Wedzera simba.” Mudzidzi paainge achipa hurukuro kana kuti muenzaniso, Hama Friend vaibatidza rimwe remagirobhu acho kana vakanzwa kuti mudzidzi ane chinhu chaari kufanira kugadzirisa pamaitiro aari kuita. Sezvo ndiri munhu akanyarara, ndaibatidzirwa magirobhu aya kakawanda, uye dzimwe nguva izvi zvaiita kuti ndicheme. Kunyange zvakadaro, ndaifarira Hama Friend. Dzimwe nguva vaindiunzira kofi pandainge ndakabatikana nebasa rangu rekuchenesa takamirira kutanga zvidzidzo zvedu.

 Mwedzi zvayaifamba, ndakatanga kunetseka kuti ndaizoendeswa kupi. Merle, wandakanga ndambopayona naye akanga atopedza Chikoro cheGiriyedhi uye akanga anzi aende kuPeru. Akanditi ndibvunze Hama Nathan Knorr, avo vakanga vachitungamirira basa panguva yacho kana zvaiita kuti ndizonotsiva mumishinari waaishanda naye uyo akanga ava pedyo kuchata. Hama Knorr vaiuya paiitirwa Chikoro cheGiriyedhi pashure pemavhiki mashoma ega ega, saka zvaiva nyore kuti nditaure navo. Pandakagirajuweta ndakanzi ndinoshumira kuPeru!

 Ndakafara chaizvo kubatana naMerle muguta reLima, kuPeru! Ndakabva ndatotanga kuitisa zvidzidzo zveBhaibheri zvaifambira mberi, kunyange zvazvo ndakanga ndichiri kudzidzira chiSpanish. Ini naMerle takazonzi tinoshumira muguta reAyacucho, nzvimbo yaiva mumakomo. Kutaura chokwadi, iri raiva basa rakaoma. Ndainge ndava kutigonei chiSpanish, asi vanhu vakawanda veko vaingotaura chiQuechua, uye zvakatitorera nguva kuti tijairane nenzvimbo yacho iyo iri mumakomo uye isina mhepo yekufema yakawanda.

 Ndainzwa sekuti handina zvakawanda zvandainge ndaita muAyacucho, uye ndainetseka kuti vanhu vakawanda vaizogamuchira chokwadi here munzvimbo iyoyo. Asi iye zvino muguta reAyacucho mune vaparidzi 700 uye mune hofisi yeshanduro yemutauro weQuechua (Ayacucho).

 Nekufamba kwenguva, Merle akazoroorwa nemutariri wedunhu ainzi Ramón Castillo, uye muna 1964, Ramón akapinda kosi yemwedzi 10 yeChikoro cheGiriyedhi. Mukirasi yake maiva neimwe hama yandakanga ndapinda nayo Chikoro cheGiriyedhi, yainzi Fu-lone Liang yaishumira kuHong Kong, asi akanga akokwa kuGiriyedhi kuti adzidziswe zvimwe zvine chekuita nemabasa epabazi. a Fu-lone akabvunza Ramón kuti zvinhu zvakanga zviri kundifambira sei kuPeru, uye takazotanga kunyorerana tsamba naFu-lone.

 Patakangotanga kunyorerana, Fu-lone akabva abuda pachena kuti izvi zvaireva kuti tainge tava kudanana. Mumwe mumishinari ainzi Harold King aiva kuHong Kong, aigara achienda kuhofisi yeposvo, saka akabvuma kugara achitumira tsamba dzaFu-lone. Harold aidhirowa tumapikicha pahamvuropu yaiva netsamba dzandainyorerwa naFu-lone. Aibva anyora mashoko akadai seekuti, “Ndichaedza kuita kuti agare achikunyorera!”

 Pashure pekunyorerana kweinenge mwedzi 18, takaroorana. Ndakabva kuPeru pashure pekushumira ikoko kwemakore 7.

 Ini naFu-lone takachata musi wa17 November 1965. Ndakanakidzwa chaizvo muHong Kong, ndichigara pahofisi yebazi nemurume wangu nedzimwe mhuri mbiri. Fu-lone aiswera achiita basa rekushandura ini ndichiparidza. Kudzidza chiCantonese kwainge kwakaoma, asi dzimwe hanzvadzi dzaiva mamishinari uye murume wangu vakandibatsira nemwoyo murefu. Chimwe chakandibatsira kuti zvive nyore kudzidza mutauro wacho kudzidza Bhaibheri nevana vadiki.

 Papera makore, ini naFu-lone takatamira kune imwe imba yemamishinari yaiva kune rimwe divi reHong Kong rinonzi Kwun Tong kuti Fu-lone anodzidzisa mamishinari akanga achangobva kusvika chiCantonese. b Ndakanakidzwa chaizvo neushumiri munzvimbo iyoyo zvekuti dzimwe nguva ndaisada kudzoka kumba!

 Muna 1968, ndakafara kugamuchira bhuku idzva rekushandisa pakudzidza nevanhu rainzi Zvokwadi Inotungamirira Kuupenyu Husingaperi. Rakanga riri nyore kunzwisisa pane rataimboshandisa rainzi “Mwari Ngaave Wazvokwadi,” kunyanya kuvadzidzi vainge vasingazivi zveBhaibheri kana kuti zvechiKristu.

 Pandaiona vadzidzi vachikwanisa kupindura mibvunzo yaiva mubhuku racho ndaifunga kuti vari kutogamuchira chokwadi. Asi ndakazoona kuti kugona kupindura mibvunzo nekugamuchira chokwadi zvakatosiyana. Semuenzaniso, mumwe mudzidzi wangu weBhaibheri akapedza kudzidza bhuku rese raZvokwadi asi akanga asati ava kutenda muna Mwari. Izvi zvakandidzidzisa kuti ndaifanira kuwedzera kukurukura nevadzidzi kuti ndizive kuti vaiona sei zvavaidzidza.

 Pashure pemakore akati kuti tiri muKwun Tong, takadzokera kubazi, uye Fu-lone akatanga kushumira muDare Rebazi rekuHong Kong. Kwemakore, ndaiita basa rekuchenesa uye kugamuchira vaenzi. Dzimwe nguva Fu-lone aimboenda kune dzimwe nzvimbo kuti anoita mabasa andaisafanira kuziva nezvawo saka ndaisakwanisa kumuperekedza, asi ndaiona iri ropafadzo kumutsigira paaiita mabasa ake.

 Zvinosuwisa kuti muna 2008 upenyu hwangu hwakangoerekana hwachinja. Murume wangu akafa paakanga aenda kunoita rimwe basa. Takanga tatova pedyo kupinda Chirangaridzo cherufu rwaJesu. Ndakarwadziwa zvisingaiti. Hama nehanzvadzi dzakawanda dzakanditsigira. Kuti ndisachema paipiwa hurukuro yeChirangaridzo, ndaibatsira mumwe munhu anofarira akanga auya kuvhura Bhaibheri. Ndakasimbiswa nerumwe rugwaro rwaifarirwa naFu-lone runoti: “Ini Jehovha Mwari wako, ndakabata ruoko rwako rwerudyi . . . ‘Ndichakubatsira.’”—Isaya 41:13.

 Pashure pemakore 7 Fu-lone afa, hama dzekuHong Kong dzakati nditamire kubazi rakakura kwandaigona kubatsirwa panyaya dzeutano. Saka muna 2015, ndakatamira kubazi rekuSouth Africa, iro riri pedyo chaizvo nekwandakawanira chokwadi muna 1947.

 Ndashumira Jehovha ndichifara kwemakore akawanda, uye ndinonzwa sekuti akakomborera chido changu chekumushumira. Ndichiri kutaura nevamwe vandakadzidza navo Bhaibheri vari kushumira Jehovha vakatendeka, uye ndakaona kuti Jehovha anogona kukomborera zvinhu zvinoita sezvidiki zvatinoita mubasa rekuparidza. Semuenzaniso, muna 1958 muPeru maiva nevaparidzi vanenge 760 asi muna 2021 mainge mava nevaparidzi vanenge 133 000, uye muna 1965 muHong Kong maiva nevaparidzi vanosvika 230 asi muna 2021 mainge mava ne5 565.

 Handichakwanisi kuita zvandaimboita nekuti ndakura. Asi ndichiri nechido chekushumira Jehovha uye ndinotarisira kuti ndicharamba ndiine chido ichocho munyika itsva yaJehovha, umo muchange muine basa rakawanda rekuita. Panguva iyoyo ndichataura nemwoyo wese kuti: ‘Ndinoda kuenda.’