Kuma1940, bazyali bangu bakayiya Bbayibbili aBakamboni baJehova pesi kwiiya kwabo taakwe nkukwasika pe. Nikuba oobo, baama bakayinkilila kunembo kabatambula magazini yaNgaziyakulinda a-Amubuke! Mu1950 kwakaba muswaangano wazisi kuNew York City, bamumpuli yangu bakazumina kuyoonjila muswaangano ooyu.

Nwaakamana muswaangano, Mukwesu Lawrence Jeffries wakasaanguna kutuswaya. Mukwesu ooyu wakali aachiyandisyo chakundigwasya kuti ndiiye Bbayibbili. Kumasaangunino, ndakali kulibuzya kuti Bakamboni baJehova beelede kujoyina mupolitikisi akumilimu yachisooja. Ndakamubuzya kuti, kuti bantu boonse mu-America bakaka kwiinka kunkondo, basinkondoma balatujanina akutweendelezya munyika yesu. Mukwesu Jeffries wakanditondeezya moyo mulamfu naakali kundisandula. Wakati: “Ubonaanga Jehova nga ulachita biyeni kuti wabona kuti bantu boonse bamu-America basaanguna kumukomba mpawo basinkondonyina basika balwana bakombi bakwe?” Nzila njaakandisandulaayo mukwesu ooyu yakandigwasya kubona kuti nzindakali kuyeeya tazikwe mutwe pe. Eezi zyakapa kuti ndibe aachiyandisyo chakwiiya Bbayibbili.

Ndakasaanguna kubala Ngaziyakulinda a-Amubuke! Mamagazini aaya akali aabaama ngibakabikkide mulikamwi kaanda. Mukuya kwachiindi, ndakazoobona kuti ndakali kwiiya kasimpe mpawo ndakazumina kuti Mukwesu Jeffries andiyiisye Bbayibbili. Kuzwa waawo, ndakasaanguna kunjila miswaangano yoonse. Kasimpe kakanjila mumoyo wangu mpawo ndakasaanguna kuba sikupupulula wamakani mabotu. Zintu nzindakali kuyanda kuchita mubuumi zyakachincha chiindi nindakamvwisisisya kuti “buzuba bupati bwa Jehova buli afwaafwi!” (Zef. 1:14) Ndakasala kusiyana  aazyayunivesiti nkaambo ndakali kuyanda kugwasya bamwi kuti bayiye kasimpe kamuBbayibbili.

Ndakagilajuweta muJune 13 1956 alubo mazuba aatatu aakatobela ndakabbabbatizigwa kumuswaangano wabbazu. Taakwe nindakazi pe kuti kusala kubbabbatizigwa nkundakachita kwakandijulila zilongezyo zyiingi loko akaambo kakupeda buumi bwangu kuti ndiiye akuti ndiyiisye bamwi atala aJehova.

Nikwakayinda myeezi iili 6 kandibbabbatizidwe, ndakaba payona wachiindi choonse. Mulimu waBwaami wamuDecember 1956 wakali aachiiyo chakali kuti, “Ulakonzya Na Kuyoobelekela Kubusena Kuyanda Basikupupulula?” Nzizyo loko nzindakali kuyanda kuchita. Ndakali kuyanda kugwasilizya kukambawuka kubusena kwakali basikupupulula bache.—Mt. 24:14.

Ndakalongela kuEdgefield, South Carolina. Mbungano eeyi yakali aabasikupupulula bali 4 luzutu. Ime ndakali wachi5. Miswaangano twakali kuchitila kunembo aang’anda yawumwi mukwesu. Mweezi amweezi ndakali kukambawuka kwama-awa aali 100. Ndakali kukkala kandili bbizi nkaambo ndime ndakali kuchitisya muswaangano wamulimu akupa nkani kumiswaangano. Zibotezya nzyakuti, kuchita zintu eezi kwakandigwasya kuti ndiiye zyiingi loko atala aJehova.

Umwi mwanakazi ngundakali kwiiyaawe Bbayibbili wakali aamochali kudolopo lyaJohnston. Mwanakazi ooyo wakandipa mulimu wakuti kandibeleka mazuba mache mpawo wakatupa imwi ndawu yakuti katuchitila miswaangano.

Mukwesu Jolly Jeffries, mwana aamukwesu wakandiyiisya Bbayibbili wakalongela kuBrooklyn, New York mpawo twakasaanguna kupayonaamwi. Twakali kukkala muli kamwi kaanda kaniini nkitwakapedwe aamukwesu.

Kwakali kubelekelwa mali nche kuSouth Carolina. Abuzuba twakali kubelekela 2 dolazi naakuti 3 dolazi. Limwi zuba ndakamaninsizya kamali nkindakasyeedaako kukuula kagilosali kuli chimwi chintoolo. Nindakazwa muchintoolo oomo, umwi mwaalumi wakasika kulindime mpawo wakati: “Ulawuyanda na mulimu? Ndinookufozya dola mu-awa.” Wakandipa mulimu wamazuba aatatu wakusalazya mpaakali kuyanda kuyaka. Eezi zyakanditondeezya aantanganana kuti Jehova wakali kundigwasya kuti ndikkale kuEdgefield. Kuzwa waawo, mu1958 ndakazooyinka kumuswaangano wazisi kuNew York City.

Mubuzuba bwachibili bwamuswaangano, kuli chimwi chintu chiyandikana chakachitika. Ndakaswaanana aaRuby Wadlington, wakali payona wachiindi choonse kuGallatin, Tennessee. Mbukunga anguwe wakali aachiyandisyo chamulimu wabumishinali, twakanjila muswaangano wabaabo bayanda kuya kuGiliyadi aamuswaangano ooyo. Kalitanalampa, twakasaanguna kulembelana tugwalo. Ndakazootambwa kuti ndikape nkani yabantu boonse kuGallatin. Ndakabelesya mweenya ooyo kuti ndibuzye Ruby kuti ulayanda kuti tuzookwatane. Ndakalongela kumbungano yabaRuby mpawo twakachada mu1959.

Nindakali aaminyaka iili 23, ndakasalwa kuti ndibe mubelesi wambungano (lino wiitwa kuti mulangizi  wakabunga kabaalu) kuGallatin. Mbungano yesu njiyo yakasaanguna kuswayigwa aamukwesu Charles Thompson kali mulangizi wabbazu. Mukwesu ooyo wakali aaluzibo atala amulimu wakwe, pesi wakandikumbila kuti ndimubuzye kuti niinzi nzibakali kuyandikana bakwesu akuti bakali kubagwasya biyeni bamwi balangizi bamabazu bakamusaangunina. Kumukwesu ooyu, ndakayiya kuti kulayandikana kusaanguna kubuzya kuchitila kuti uzibe twaambo toonse kutananjilila kugwasya bantu.

MuMay 1964, ndakatambwa kuChikolo chaMulimu waBwaami kuSouth Lansing, New York. Chikolo eechi chakali chamweezi woonse. Bakwesu bakali kutuyiisya kuchikolo eechi bakandiyiisya kuti ndeelede kuba aachiyandisyo chakwiiya zintu zyiingi akusima mubukombi.

Mu1965, ime amwanakazi wangu twakakumbilwa kuti tuye mumulimu wabbazu. Mumulimu ooyu twakapedwe ndawu mpati yakuswaya, kuzwa kuKnoxville, Tennessee, kuyoosika kuRichmond, Virginia. Wakali kuswaanizya mbungano zyakali muNorth Carolina, Kentucky, aWest Virginia. Ndakali kuswaya mbungano zyabantu basiya luzutu nkaambo aachiindi eecho bantu bakachili kusaluulana kusouthern United States. Bantu basiya teebakali kuswaanana pe amakuwa. Bakwesu mbitwakali kuswaya bakali aazintu ziche zyakumubili, nkinkaako, twakayiya kwaabana zintu nzitwakalaazyo. Umwi mulangizi wabbazu wabaachiindi mumulimu ooyu wakandiyiisya chiiyo chiyandikana loko. Wakati: “Ba mukwesu. Utaswayi mbungano kulichita kabbosi-bbosi. Ulakonzya kugwasya bakombinyokwe kuti babona kuti ulimukombinyina kutali bbosi.”

Nitwakaswaya imwi mbungano iilaabasikupupulula bache, Ruby wakasaanguna kwiiya Bbayibbili awumwi mwanakazi wakali aamwana ulaamunyaka. Nikuba kuti basikupupulula bamumbungano eeyo teebakali kukonzya pe kwiiya aamwanakazi ooyo, Ruby wakasala kwiiyaawe kabelesya magwalo. Nitwakaswaya lubo kumbungano eeyo, mwanakazi ooyo wakasaanguna kunjila miswaangano yoonse. Bachizi babili bakali mapayona aayandikana nibakalongela kubusena oobo, mwanakazi ooyo wakazooyinkilila kunembo kayiya aamapayona aayo mpawo wakazoobbabbatizigwa. Nikwakayinda minyaka iisika ku30, mu1995, kuBbeteli yakuPatterson, umwi muchizi uuchikula wakajuzya Ruby. Muchizi uuchikula ooyo wakazoobuzya mwanakazi wangu kuti wakali mwana aamwanakazi uulya ngwaakali kwiiyaawe Bbayibbili kabelesya magwalo. Mwana aamuchizi ooyo amulumaakwe bakali mukkilasi yachi100 yaChikolo chaGiliyadi.

Bbazu lyachibili nditwakapegwa lyakali lyakuswaya central Florida. Aachiindi eechi kwakali kwayandikana kuti tube aamoota, nkinkaako twakawula moota alubo yakalichipide. Nikuba oobo, katuli twaba aamviki amoota yesu, yakafwa injini. Teetwakachilikwe mali pe yakwiilungisya. Ndakafoonena umwi mukwesu ngundakali kuyeeyela kuti ulakonzya kutugwasya. Mukwesu ooyo wakafoonena umwi mubelesi wakwe kuti atulungisizye moota yesu mahhala. Wakaamba kuti, “Taakwe mali njimweelede kundipa pe.” Mukwesu ooyo wakatupa mali kalikuti nchipo nchindamupa. Twakalibonena aameso Jehova mbagwasya bakombi bakwe. Eezi zyakatugwasya kuti andiswe tupe bamwi.

Kufumbwa mputwakali kuswaya mbungano, twakali kukkala mumaanda aabakwesu. Eezi zyakapa kuti tujane beenzuma biingi loko. Limwi zuba, teendakamaninsya pe kulemba lipoti yayimwi mbungano, ndakayisiya mumunchina wakulembela. Nindakaboola goko, ndakajana mwana aampuli njitwakali kukkalaayo ulaaminyaka iitatu wamaninsizya kulemba lipoti eeyo. Ndikkala kandimuyeezya nzyaakachita nikuba lino.

Mu1971, ndakatambula lugwalo lwakuti ndikabeleke kandili mulangizi wabbooma kuNew York City. Twakagamba nkaambo teetwakali kuzilangilila pe. Nitwakachinchwa mulimu ndakali aaminyaka iili 34. Bakwesu bakanditambula kabotu loko nkaambo ndakali mulangizi wabo wabbooma wakusaanguna uusiya.

Kuba mulangizi wabbooma, kwakandipa chilongezyo chakuyiisya atala aJehova kumiswaangano yabbazu kumamanino aamviki imwi ayimwi. Balangizi bamabazu biingi bakali aaluzibo lwiingi mumulimu ooyu kwiinda ndime. Umwi wabo nguwe wakapa nkani yakubbabbatizigwa nindakali kuyanda kubbabbatizigwa. Umwi mukwesu, nguTheodore Jaracz, wakazooba umwi wamuKabunga Keendelezya. Alubo kwakali bakwesu biingi bakali aaluzibo bakali kubeleka kuBbeteli yakuBrooklyn. Ndilalumba kuti balangizi  bamabazu abakali kubelekela kuBbeteli bakali kupa kuti nditalimvwi kanditagwasyi. Eezi zyakanditondeezya kuti bakwesu aaba bakali beembezi balaaluyando akuti bakali kubelesya malayilile aamuJwi lyaLeza akuti bakali kusyomeka kumbunga yakwe. Kulibombya kwabo kwakapa kuti kunduubile kubeleka kandili mulangizi wabbooma.

Mu1974, bamuKabunga Keendelezya bakasala bamwi bakwesu bakali balangizi bamabazu kuti babe balangizi bamabbooma, ime ndakeelede kubweeda lubo kumulimu wabbazu. Aachiindi eechi, ndakapegwa bbazu lyaSouth Carolina. Zibotezya nzyakuti, achiindi eechi, mbungano zyabantu basiya azyamakuwa zyakali zyaswaanizigwaamwi, eezi zyakapa kuti bakombima babotelwe loko.

Kumamanino aa1976, ndakapegwa chilawu chaGeorgia aakati kaAtlanta aColumbus. Ndichiyeeyede kuti kubbazu eelyo ndakapa nkani yadilwe yabana bali 5 basiya bakafwa muunzi wabo nwaakabbombwa. Bayina babana aabo bakali muchibbadela nkaambo ambabo bakalilichiside. Bakamboni baJehova basiya amakuwa bakali kusika kuchibbadela kuzoowumbulizya bazyali bakafwidwa bana. Ndakabona kuti bakwesu aaba bakali kuyandana. Kweetelelana munzila eeyi kupa kuti bakombi baLeza balisimye muziindi ziyumu.

Mu1977, twakakumbilwa kuti tuye kuBbeteli yakuBrooklyn kwamyeezi miche kuti tukagwasilizye kuliimwi pulojekiti. Niyakali yabaafwiifwi kumana pulojekiti eeyo, bakwesu bamuKabunga Keendelezya babili, bakatwiita mpawo bakatubuzya kuti zilachita na kuti tubelekelaato aaBbeteli. Twakazumina.

Kwaminyaka iili 24, ndakali kubeleka kuDipatimenti yaMulimu ooko bakwesu nkubabelekana aamibuzyo miyumu loko iibuzigwa. Kuzwa chiindi, bamuKabunga Keendelezya balikutuzulwida kababelesya malayilile aamuBbayibbili. Eezi zipa kuti baDipatimenti yaMulimu bakonzye kujana nsandulo zyamibuzyo iibuzigwa akuyiisya balangizi bamabazu, baalu amapayona. Lwiiyo oolu, lwagwasya maKkristu biingi kuti basime mubukombi. Alubo lulikupa kuti mbunga yaJehova isime.

Kuzwa mu1995 kusika mu2018, ndakaswaya mawofesi aamitabi aasiyene-siyene kandili mwiiminini wamawofesi mapati. Ndakali kuswaanana aaKkomiti Yamutabi, babeleka aaBbeteli amamishinali kandibasungwaazya akubagwasya kuzintu nzibakali kuyanda kugwasigwa. Alubo twakali kusungwaazigwa loko akumvwa nzibakaswaana bakombima, ambabo bakali kusungwaazigwa nitwakali kubabuzya nzitwakaswaana amwanakazaangu. Muchikozyano, mu2000 twakaswayide kuRwanda. Twakasungwaazigwa loko nitwakamvwa bakwesu ampuli yaBbeteli mbubakali kupona chiindi nitwakali nkondo yakusaluulana mu1994. Biingi babakwesu aaba bakasweekelwa babbululu babo. Nikuba kuti bakali muchiimo chiyumu, bakwesu bakatondeezya lusyomo, bulangilizi akubotelwa.

Lino twaba aaminyaka iili kuma80. Ndaba aaminyaka iili 20 kandibeleka muKkomiti yaMutabi wamu-United States. Taakwe nindakayinka kuyunivesiti pe pesi ndakajana lwiiyo lusumpukide loko kuzwa kuli Jehova ambunga yakwe. Eezi zyakapa kuti ndikonzye kuyiisya bamwi kasimpe kamuBbayibbili kabagwasya kukabe kutamani. (2 Kor. 3:5; 2 Tim. 2:2) Ndakabona Bbayibbili mbulilikugwasya bantu kuti bachinche maponeno aabo akuti babe beenzinyina baMulengi wabo. (Jak. 4:8) Ime amwanakazi wangu tuchibona kachiyandikana loko chilongezyo chakwiiya atala aJehova akuyiisya bamwi kasimpe kamuBbayibbili. Eechi nchilongezyo chipati loko nchabaacho mukombi waJehova umwi awumwi!