M’YAKA ya m’ma 1930, baba ni mama ŵajile kutama mu katawuni ka Bronx kakali mu msinda wa New York. Mena gawo gali James ni Jessie Sinclair. M’katawunika ŵamanyigene ni mundu jwine jwakutyocelasoni ku Scotland, lina lyakwe Willie Sneddon. Palisiku lyandanda kuwonegana, jwalijose jwasasile ya kumangwakwe. Pandaŵiji naliji mkanimbagwe.

Mama ŵamsalile Willie kuti baba ŵawo ni alumbu ŵawo mamawo ŵawile Ngondo Jandanda ja Pacilambo cosope mkanijitande. Jemanjaji ŵajile kuloposya peboti ku Nyasa ja Kumpoto. Nambo bomba jagambile kuputa libotilyo ni wosope ŵawilile m’mesi. Willie pajwapikene yeleyi, jwatite, “Baba ŵenu ali ku helo!” * Mama ŵasimonjile mnope kupikana yeleyi. Willie jwaliji Jwamboni sya Yehofa, soni kweleku kwaliji kutanda kwa mamawo kuwupikana usyesyene wa m’Baibulo.

Yaŵaŵecete Willie yasakalisye mnope mama ligongo ŵamanyililaga kuti baba ŵawo ŵaliji mundu jwambone. Nambo Willie jwajonjecesye kuti, “Ana mpaka apikane wuli ndili nasalile kuti Yesu jwapite ku helo?” Mama ŵakumbucile yaŵapikene ku calici kwawo, yakuti Yesu jwapite ku helo kaneko ŵamjimwisye pali papite masiku gatatu. Ni ŵaliwusyaga kuti, ‘Naga ku helo kuli kumalo gakusapya moto ŵandu ŵakusakala, nambi Yesu jwaliji jwakusakala?’ Lung’wanu lwa mama pa usyesyene lwatandile pelepa. Ŵatandite kusongana mu mpingo wa Bronx, ni ŵabatiswe mu 1940.

Pandaŵijo, likuga lyetu nganilyalimbikasyaga mwapajika acinangolo kuti alijiganyeje Baibulo ni ŵanace ŵawo. Ndili kamwanace, kumbesi kwa cijuma cilicose nasigalaga ni baba pamlango mama ali apite kumisongano soni kukulalicila. Pali papite yaka yamnono, baba ni une twatandite kwawula kumisongano pampepe ni mama. Mama ŵaliji ŵamtawu pakulalicila ngani syambone mwamti ŵakwete majiganyo ga Baibulo gejinji. Pandaŵi jine ŵatendaga lijiganyo lya Baibulo ni ŵakulijiganya ŵajinji pampepe ligongo ŵajinji ŵatamaga mwakuŵandikana. Patuwugalile sukulu nakuyaga mama kukulalicila. M’yoyo, nalijiganyisye yejinji ya m’Baibulo soni mwampaka najiganyile ŵane.

 Ngusalitendela canasa kuti panaliji mwanace nganinawunonyelaga mnope usyesyene. Nganimba cisyasyo cambone. Nambo panakwanisye yaka 12, naŵele jwakulalicila ya Ucimwene mwamti kutandila pelepo mpaka msogolo nganindeka. Panakwanisye yaka 16, napelece umi wangu kwa Yehofa, ni kubatiswa pa July 24, 1954, pamsongano wekulungwa wawatendecele mumsinda wa Toronto ku Canada.

Mumpingo mwetu twasonganaga ni abale ŵakutyocela ku Beteli soni ŵane ŵaŵatumicilaga kalakala. Yeleyi yalimbikasisye mnope. Nasangalalaga mnope ni muŵaŵecetelaga ngani kumpingo soni kulalicila mwakamula mtima. Atamose aticala ŵangu ŵasakaga kuti njawule ku koleji, nambo cakulinga cangu caliji cakwawula ku Beteli basi. M’yoyo, pamsongano wunabatiswe wula napelece cikalata cakuŵenda undumetume wa pa Beteli. Napelece cikalata cine pamsongano wawatendekwe mu 1955 ku Yankee Stadium, mumsinda wa New York. Pali papite kandaŵi, ndili ni yaka 17, napocele cikalata cakusalila kuti ngatande kutumicila ku Beteli ja ku Brooklyn pa September 19, 1955. Pa lisiku lyaŵili ku Beteli, natandite kamula masengo gakutenda pulinti mabuku mu nyumba jakolanjikwa kuti 117 Adams Street. Ŵasalile kuti ngamuleje masengo pa macini gakusonganganya yipepala ya mabuku.

Pambesi pa mwesi umo, ŵasalile kuti ndande kutumicila ku Dipatimenti ja Magasini ligongo namanyililaga kulemba pa kompyuta. Kalakalako, mundu paŵendile kuti apoceleje magasini ga Sanja ja Mlonda ni Ajimuce!, abale ni alongo ŵalembaga pakompyuta adilesi ja mundujo ni kumata pacikatoni ca mabuku gakwe. Pali pamasile miyesi jamnono, natandite kamula masengo ku Dipatimenti Jakutumisya Mabuku. M’bale juŵalolelaga masengo ku dipatimentiji, lina lyakwe Klaus Jensen, jwambendile kuti longaneje ni m’bale jwine pa galimoto jekulungwa kuja kuleka mabuku ku ciko kuti agatumisye pacilambo cosope. Paŵagasoni misaku ja magasini jitwajilekaga  ku positi ofesi kuti ajitumisye ku mipingo josope ja m’cilambo ca United States. M’bale Jensen ŵaganisyaga kuti masengo gakusosekwa maciliga mpaka nagakamule cenene. Nambo naliji jwamnondi cilu mwamti nasitopaga makilogalamu 57. Masengo gakuja kuleka yikatoni ya magasini ku ciko ni ku positi ofesi gangamucisye kuti mbe jwamacili. Yaŵaganisyaga M’bale Jensen yila yaliji yisyene.

Ku Dipatimenti ja Magasini abale ŵaŵikagasoni pampepe magasini gawuŵilasisye mpingo. Kweleku ni kunamanyilile winji wa yiŵeceto ya magasini gaŵatendaga pulinti ku Brooklyn ni kutumisya m’yilambo yakulekanganalekangana. Yejinji mwa yiŵecetoyi naliji nganinapikaneje ŵandu ali mkuyiŵeceta nambo nasangalalaga kumanyilila kuti magasini gejinji gajawulaga ku malo gakulekanganalekangana pacilambo cosope. Pandaŵiji nganimanyililaga kuti m’yaka yamsogolo cinjikola upile wakwawula kumalo gane mwa gelega.

Mu 1961, ŵasalile kuti ndande kamula masengo ku ofesi jakulolela ya mbiya. M’bale Grant Suiter ni juŵaliji jwakutulolela. Pali papite yaka yamnono, Nathan Knorr juŵalongolelaga masengo gakulalicila pacilambo cosope, jwambilasile ku ofesi jakwe. Jwalakwe ŵasalile kuti m’bale jwine juŵakamulaga masengo mu ofesi jakwejo akwawula ku Sukulu ja Undumetume wa Ucimwene kwa mwesi umo. Pambesi pa sukulujo cacitanda kamula masengo ku Dipatimenti ja Undumetume. M’yoyo, ŵasalile kuti njinjile m’malo mwa m’balejo kuti ngamuleje masengo ni Don Adams. Mwaupile, Don jwaliji m’bale juŵapocele cikalata cangu cakuŵenda undumetume wa ku Beteli pamsongano mu 1955. Abale ŵane ŵaŵili ŵatwasimene ali mkukamula masengo mu ofesi ja M’bale Nathan ŵaliji Robert Wallen ni Charles Molohan. Abale mcecewe twakamwile masengo yimpepe kwa yaka yakupunda 50. Yaliji yakusangalasya kutumicila ni abale ŵakulupicika!—Sal. 133:1.

 Kutandila mu 1970, ŵambele masengo gakuti pacaka kapena pambesi pa yaka yiŵili njendeleje maofesi ga nyambi. Naŵaga kukwendelako kwa yijuma nditu. Kukwendela nyambi, nakungulukaga ni liŵasa lya Beteli ni amishonale, kwalimbikasya mwausimu, soni kulola malipoti ga ofesi ja nyambi. Yaliji yakusangalasya mnope kwawona abale ni alongo ŵaŵajinjile Sukulu ja Gileadi munyumamo ali mkutumicilape mwakulupicika m’yilambo yine. Mbele ndili mkukamula masengoga m’yilambo yakupunda 90. Welewu uli upile wekulungwa!

Abale ni alongo wosope ŵa pa Beteli ja ku Brooklyn ŵasonganaga m’mipingo ja mumsinda wa New York. Une ŵasalile kuti ngasonganeje mumpingo wa ku Bronx. Mpingo wandanda wakusile mwamti ŵawugaŵile paŵili. Wandanda wenewo ŵaupele lina lyakuti Upper Bronx, unejo nasonganaga mumpingo welewu.

M’yaka ya m’ma 1960, liŵasa line lya Ŵamboni lyakutyocela m’cilambo ca Latvia, lyalijiganyisye usyesyene palyatamaga kum’mwela kwa katawuni ka Bronx. Kaneko lyajile kutama mumkuli wa mpingo wetu. Mwanace jwamkongwe jwandanda jwa liŵasali, lina lyakwe Livija, jwatandite upayiniya pajwagambile kumalisya majiganyo ga ku koleji. Pali papite miyesi jamnono, jwatyosile ni kuja kutanda kutumicila ku Massachusetts kuŵasosecelaga ŵakulalicila ya Ucimwene ŵajinji. Natandite kumlembela yikalata, kumsalilaga mwawukwendela mpingo wetu, nombe najo ŵalembelaga ni kusalilaga mwawukwendela undumetume wakwe mumsinda wa Boston.

Pali papite yaka yamnono, Livija ŵamsagwile kuti aŵe mpayiniya jwapajika. Jwalakwe ŵasakaga kutenda yejinji pakumtumicila Yehofa, m’yoyo jwaŵendile undumetume wa pa Beteli mwamti ŵam’ŵilasile mu 1971. Pelepa yawonece mpela Yehofa asiweni nganisyo syangu! Pa October 27, 1973, twalombene mwamti twakwete upile wakuti M’bale Knorr atuŵecetele ngani jaulombela. Lilemba lya Miyambo 18:22 likusati, “Jwapatile jwamkongwe jwambone apatile cindu cambone, soni Yehofa akusamnonyela.” Yehofa atunonyele une ni Livija ligongo tuŵele tuli mkumtumicila pampepe ku Beteli kwa yaka yakupunda 40. Apano tukwendelecelape kamucisya mpingo wine wawuli m’katawuni ka Bronx.

Kamula masengo ni M’bale Knorr waliji upile wekulungwa. Jwakamulaga masengo mwamtawu, soni jwayamicilaga mnope amishonale pacilambo cosope. Amishonale ŵajinji ŵaliji Ŵamboni ŵandanda kusimanikwa m’cilambo ciŵatumisyeco. Yandesisye canasa mnope M’bale Knorr paŵamkamwile ni ulwele wa kansa mu 1976. Ali alwalice, lisiku line ŵambilasile kuti ngam’ŵalanjile ngani jine m’buku jaŵatendaga pulinti. Ŵasalile kuti nam’ŵilanje M’bale Frederick Franz kuti nombe najo capikanile panguŵalanga. Pelepa ni panamanyilile kuti M’bale Knorr ndaŵi syosope ŵam’ŵalanjilaga mabuku mpela gelega M’bale Franz ligongo jwalagaga ni meso.

M’bale Knorr jwajasice mu 1977. Nambo ŵandu ŵaŵammanyililaga ni kumnonyela m’baleju mitima jawo jatemi pasi kumanyilila kuti  ŵamalisisye umi wawo wapacilambo capasi ali ŵakulupicika. (Ciu. 2:10) Kaneko, M’bale Franz ni juŵatandite kulongolela masengo gakulalicila ga pacilambo cosope.

Pandaŵi aji, naliji sekilitale jwa M’bale Milton Henschel. M’baleju ŵakamwile masengo ni M’bale Knorr kwa yaka yejinji. M’bale Henschel ŵasalile kuti masengo gangu gamakulungwa gali kumkamucisya M’bale Franz pacilicose cakusosecela. Nam’ŵalanjilaga mabuku getu mkanatende pulinti. M’bale Franz jwakombolaga kumbucila yindu mnope soni kuŵika nganisyo syakwe pa yindu yinam’ŵalanjilaga yila. Naliji jwakusangalala mnope kumkamucisya m’baleju mpaka paŵamalisisye umi wakwe wapacilambo capasi mu December 1992.

Papite yaka yakupunda 61 ndili mkutumicila pa Beteli. Ndaŵi jikusawutuka yisyene! Acinangolo ŵangu wosope ŵajasice ali ŵakulupicika kwa Yehofa, mwamti apano ngwembeceya mwalung’wanu kuti cituwoneganesoni m’cilambo capasi cambone mnope. (Yoh. 5:28, 29) Kamula masengo ni ŵandu ŵakulupicika pakwakamucisya ŵandu ŵa Mlungu pacilambo cosope uli upile wekulungwa. Pangali campaka cilandane ni yeleyi! Livija ni une mpaka tuŵecete mwakuwona mtima kuti m’yaka yatuŵele tuli mu undumetume wandaŵi syosope, “kusangalala kwakutyocela kwa Yehofa [kuŵele] macili getu.”—Neh. 8:10.

Masengo gakuwandisya ya Ucimwene wa Mlungu m’likuga lya Yehofali gakusajendape cenene mwangajegamila mundu jumo. Mbele jwakusangalala ni upile wakamula masengo ni abale ni alongo ŵakulupicika kwa yaka yejinji. Ŵasagulwe ŵajinji ŵangamwile nawo masengo, nganaŵasoni pacilambo capasi. Nambo ngusasangalala mnope kuti mbele ndili mkukamula masengo ni abale ŵakulupicikaŵa pakumtumicila Yehofa.