Yehova Akutichinjiriza Ife

Monga yakambidwa ndi Erich Kattner

PHAA! Linatsika bukhulo pa mutu wanga. Imeneyi inali nthawi yanga yoyamba kukhala ndi Baibulo, ndipo panali pamanja pa wansembe wa Chikatolika. Nchifukwa ninji? Chifukwa cha funso limene ndinali nditafunsa.

Wansembeyo anali kuphunzitsa katikisimu ndi chipembedzo ndipo anali kuyesera kutilimbikitsa anyamatafe kutenga unsembe. Mkuyesayesa kwache mu kuchita chimenechi, iye anagwiritsira ntchito lemba la pa 1 Atesalonika 4:17, pamene limalankhula ponena za awo ‘amene amakwatulidwa pamodzi mmitambo, kukakomana ndi Ambuye mumlengalenga.’

Nthawi zonse ndinali wodzaza ndi mafunso, chotero ndinafunsa: “Nchifukwa ninji mumanena kuti ansembe amapita kumwamba, pamene, monga mmene Nthathi imanenera, Yesu anapita ku helo?” (Machitidwe 2:31) Pamenepo ndi pamene Baibulo linafika pamutupanga.

Chikhumbo cha Kudziwa

Koma ndinafunitsitsa mayankho. Ndinali woyedzamira kwambiri kukulambira Mulungu, ngakhale kuti ndinali mnyamata wachichepere. Ndinazolowera kulowa ndi kupemphera chifupifupi mutchalitchi chiri chonse ndinadutsako. Komabe, sindinali wokhutiritsidwa. Nthawi zambiri ndinali kukwiya ndi zinthu zomwe ndinawona, monga ngati kulambira mafano kopambanitsa kwa anthu ena kapena khalidwe la ansembe ena.

Pamene ndinali chifupifupi zaka zisanu ndi zitatu zokha zakubadwa, ndinawerenga bukhu langa loyamba. Linali ndi mutu wakuti The Christianization of Brazil Ndinachititsidwa mantha. Kwa ine inawonekera monga nkhani ya kuphana, kuphedwa kwa Amwenye mdzina la chipembedzo. Kuphunzira ponena za zinthu zimenezo kunali kokwanira kusintha malingaliro anga ponena za zinthu zambiri.

Izi zonse zinachitika kumbuyoku mu ma 1920. Ndinabadwira mu Vienna, Austria, pa August 19, 1919, mwana yekha wamakolo anga. Pamene ndinali chifupifupi zaka zisanu ndi chimodzi, bambo wanga, wogwira ntchito yokonza magetsi, anavomereza ntchito kumpoto kwa Czechoslovakia, m’dera lolankhula chiGerman la Sudetenland. Chotero banja langa linasamukira kumeneko, ndipo pomalizira kutauni yaing’ono yotchedwa Wamsdorf.

Ndinakaikira kwambiri Tchalitchi Chakatolika. Tsiku lina, nditakwiya kwambiri chifukwa cha chilango chomwe ndinalandiranso kuchokera kwa wansembe, ndinalira panjira yanga popita kunyumba kuchokera ku sukulu. Pamene ndinali kuyenda m’minda ina, ndinaganiza kuti sichingakhale chotheka kuti kunali Mulungu, mkayang’anidwe ka zinthu zokhotakhota zambiri zimene ndinawona ndikuphunzitsidwa.

Kenaka nyimbo ya mbalame inafika, ndipo ndinawona maluwa, agulugufe, ndi kukongola konse kwa chilengedwe. Ndipo chinafika mwa ine kuti panayenera kukhala Mulungu wachikondi koma kuti otchedwa anthu a Mulungu sangakhale oterowo. Ndipo mwina mwake Mulungu anali atalepa pa mtundu wa anthu. Pamenepo ndi pamene ndinanena pemphero langa loyamba lenileni, lotsimikizirika, kufunsa Mulungu kuti andithandize ine kumudziwa iye ngati iye adzakhalanso wosangalatsidwa mwa anthu. M’menemo miinali mu 1928.

Chifupifupi mwezi umodzi pambuyo pake mayi anga anabwerera kukagwirizana ndi banja mu Vienna; linali tsiku lokumbukira kuti mayi wawo atha zaka 60 zakubadwa. Kumeneko mayi anga anawona mlongo wawo Richard Tautz, amene panthawiyo amakhala mu Maribor, Yugoslavia, lye anali posachedwapa atakhala mmodzi wa Ophunzira Baibulo, monga mmene Mboni za Yehova zinkatchulidwira panthawiyo. Mayi anabwerera kunyumba ali osangalatsidwa ndi chowonadi cha Baibulo chatsopano chimene iwo anaphunzira. Zimene iye anakamba zinapanga lingaliro kwa ine. Chinawoneka kuti dzanja la Yehova linali kugwira ntchito.​—Masalmo 121:5.

Kuchita Zomwe Ndinaphunzira

Pambuyo pake, Ophunzira Baibulo anabwera kuchokera ku Germany, ndipo kulalikira kunayamba mdera lathu. Miyezi ina pambuyo pake, misonkhano yokhazikika inayamba kuchitidwa mu tauni yapafupi mu Germany, ndipo tinali kuyenda mamailosi ocheperawo kuwoloka malire kukapezeka ku iyo. Inali nthawi imeneyi pamene ndinakumana ndi Otto Estelmann, amene Ndinagwira naye ntchito chapafupi mzaka zotsatira.

Mu 1932 banja lathu linasamukira ku Bratislava, likulu la Slovakia, chifupifupi mamailosi 45 (72 km) kuchokera ku Vienna. Kunalibe Mboni zina zirizonse kumeneko panthawi imeneyo. Ndinalingalira kukhala wachangu mu ntchito yolalikira. Chotero ndinasankha lomwe ndinaganiza kukhala dera lovuta kwambiri, mbali ya nyumba yokhala ndi zipinda zochulukira zokhalidwa ndi mabanja a nduna za boma. Zinenero zinayi panthawiyo zinali kulankhulidwa mu Bratislava: Slovak, Czech, German, ndi Hungarian.

Nditanyamula timakardi tomwe tinali ndi uthenga wawufupi wolembedwa pa ito mzinenero zinayi, ndinapita kumaimba mabelu pa makomo azipindazo. Nthawi zina atate wanga, yemwe sanali Mboni panthawiyo, amayima kumbali ina ya msewu akumandiyang’ana ine ndi kugwedeza mutu wake. Mwamsanga pambuyo pake nayenso anatenga kaimidwe ka nji kaamba ka Yehova.

Pa February 15, 1935, pamsonkhano wapadera ndi woyang’anira woyendayenda mnyumba mwathu, ine, limodzi ndi ena, tinabatizidwa mu bafa. Ndinamaliza maphunziro anga pa sukulu ya bizinesi chaka chimenecho ndipo ndinapatsidwa mwawi wa ntchito yosangalatsa kwambiri, koma panthawi imodzimodziyo ndinaitanidwa kukagwira ntchito pa ofesi ya nthambi ya Watch Tower Society mu Prague, Czechoslovakia. Pambuyo pa nkhani yosamalitsa ndi makolo anga, tinaitenga nkhaniyo kwa Yehova m’pemphero. Chotero, mwamsanga ndisanafike zaka 16, ndinalowa mu utumiki wanthawi zonse pa June 1, 1935.

Kutumikira mu Nthawi Zovuta

Pa ofesi ya Sosaite mu Prague, ndinaphunzira kuyendetsa makina wochita taipiseti ndi kupanga mataipi kukhala masamba. Tinali kutulutsa matrakiti kaamba ka abale athu mu Germany, omwe anali pansi pa chiletso ndi Hitler, ndiponso kutulutsa Nsanja ya Olonda m’zinenero zambiri. Komabe, amenewa anali masiku ovuta kaamba ka ntchito yathu mu Europe, ndipo pomalizira olamulira anatseka nthambi yathu mu December 1938.

Ndinabwerera ku nyumba ku Bratislava, kumene boma linali mmanja mwa odera nkhawa a chiNazi, ndipo ndinagwira ntchito mosatopa kwa miyezi iwiri kuchita ulaliki wa kunyumba ndi nyumba. Pa nthawi imeneyi Ofesi ya Pakati ya Europe ya Watch Tower Society mu Bern, Switzerland, inandilembera ine kuti ngati ndinali wofuna kutumikira monga mpainiya kuli konse mdziko lapansi, ndingapite kuBern.

Ndinalandira chiitanocho ndikuchoka kunyumba. Inali nthawi yomalizira pamene ndinawona bambo anga, ndipo chikanatenga zaka 30 kuti ndiwonenso mayi wanga kachiwiri. Koma Yehova anatetezera atatu a ife mu nthawi zovuta kwambiri zomwe zinatsatira. Mwachitsanzo, ndinaphunzira pambuyo pake kuti Hlinka Guarda yosatchuka (mtundu wa apolisi a chinsinsi a [SS] chiSlovakian) anali kunditsatira ine tsiku limene ndinachoka ku Bratislava. Ndipo pa ulendowo, pamene athenga a Nazi anadziwa kuti ndinali mmodzi wa Mboni za Yehova, iwo anayesera kundimangitsa ine pa malire a Yugoslavia ndi Italy. Koma Yehova anapitiriza kunditetezera.​—Masalmo 48:14; 61:3.

Mu Bern ndinaphunzira kuti ndidzatumizidwa ku Shanghai, China, koma pambuyo pake gawo limeneli linasinthidwira ku Brazil. Ndinagwira ntchito pa nthambi mu Bern kufikira pamene ndinalandira chiphaso changa cha kupitira ku Brazil. Panthawi imeneyi mavuto mu Europe anali kuwonjezeka. Malire anali kumatsekedwa, chotero mu August 1939 Sosaite inandifulumiza ine kupita ku France. Sitima yapamadzi ya malonda ya ku Brazil Siqueira Campos inali kuchoka ku Le Havre, France, pa August 31, ndipo ndinayenera kukwera iyo. Maora anayi okha Nkhondo ya Dziko ya II isanaulike, sitimayo inanyamuka ulendo.

Wokwera nawo sitima chifupifupi khumi ndi awiri omwe ndinayenda nawo mu sekondi klasi, ndinadziwa pambuyo pake, kuti onse anali athenga a Nazi. Iwo sanakonde kulalikira kwanga ndi pang’ono pomwe. Nthawi zochulukira anayesera kundichotsa ine mu sitima yapamadzi. Mu Vigo, Spain, kapitawo waubwenzi anandichenjeza ine kusatuluka pamene ndinali kumeneko. Mu Lisbon, Portugal, athenga a Nazi ananyengeza nthawi yonyamukira ya sitima yapamadziyo pa bolodi la chidziwitso kotero kuti ndidzavutike pamenepo. Koma Yehova kachiwirinso ananditetezera ine. (Masalmo 121:3) Ndinafika mu Santos, Brazil, madzulo a September 24, 1939. Tsiku lotsatiralo ndinayenda kupita ku São Paulo, kumene ofesi ya Sosaite inali.

Kutumikira mu Brazil

Mu September 1939 kunali Mboni 127 zokha mu Brazil, imene panthawiyo inali ndi chiwerengero cha anthu chifupifupi 41 miliyoni. Pambuyo pa chifupifupi mlungu umodzi mu São Paulo, ndinanyamuka kaamba ka ntchito yanga ya upainiya kugawo la kummwera kwambiri, Rio Grande do Sul. Ndinayenera kukhala ndi Mboni zina zolankhula chiGerman zochokera ku mbadwa zachiPolish zomwe zinakhala kudera lakutali kunkhalango.

Ulendo wa pa sitima yapanjanji unandite-ngera masiku anayi. Kothera kwa njanji kunali ku Giruá, yomwe inali yofanana ndi tauni yakunkhalango ya ku Madzulo ya mmasiku oyambirira a North America. Kuchokera ku Giruándi nali ndi mamailosi 20 (32 km) kupita munkhalango kukafika kumene Mbonizo zimakhala. Galimoto yopereka katundu inandinyamula, kukandisiya ine ku msewu wapfumbi. Ndikumayenda pansi kwa chifupifupi mailo imodzi mu nkhalango ndi kumadutsa mukamtsinje kakang’ono, kenaka ndinafika.

Chifukwa chakukhala kutali kwa deralo, utumiki wanga waupainiya unali ndi malire kunthawi pamene wina anganditenge kupita nane pa ulendo wapangolo yokokedwa ndi hatchi. Kufikira anthu kunaphatikizapo kuyenda ulendo wa masiku, kugona mu msewu wapfumbi kuwopa njoka kapena pansi pa ngolo pamene kunagwa mvula. Tinalalikiransomu matauni monga ngati Cruz Alta.

Mu 1940 Sosaite inanditumizanso ine ku Pôrto Alegre, likulu la dera la Rio Grande do Sul. Kumeneko ndinakumananso ndi bwenzi langa la ubwana Otto Estelmann, yemwe anagawiridwa kutumikira ku Brazil. Olamulira kumeneko anawoneka kukhala omvera chisoni a Nazi. Tinamangidwa ndipo tinapatsidwa kusankha kaya kusaina pepala ya kukana

chikhulupiriro chathu kapena kunyamuka usiku umenewo pa sitima yapanjanji ka kukatsekeredwa ku malire a Uruguayan. Tinali pasitima usiku umenewo.

Pansi pa Chiletso

Kumeneko kumalire tinatha chifupifupi zaka ziwiri pansi pa kumangidwa. Koma kachiwirinso Yehova anabwera kuthandizo lathu. Amuna a bizinezi a Chiyuda ena anapereka thandizo lawo. Monga chotulukapo chake, m’malo moyikidwa mu kaidi, ndinaloledwa kugwira ntchito yakuthupi, koma tinali pansi pa chiyang’aniro chosamalitsa. Sitinali okhoza kugwirizana ndi ofesi ya nthambi ya Sosaite.

Komabe, tsiku lina mu msewu tinakumana ndi mbale wa chipainiya wochokera ku Europe yemwe anagawiridwa ku Uruguay. Zinangochitika kuti iye anali kuchezera kumalire. Chinali chigwirizano chamtundu wanji!Iye anatipatsa ife Baibulo ya chiGerman ndi Nsanja ya Olonda ya Chingelezi. Pamenepo ndi pamene ndinayamba kuphunzira Chingelezi.

Kenaka, pa August 22, 1942, Brazil inalengeza nkhondo pa Germany ndi Italy, chomwe chinatanthauza kusintha mu mkhalidwe wathu. Tinabwezeredwa ku Pôrto Alegre, ndipo pambuyo pa kufunsidwa, ndinamasulidwa. Pambuyo pake, ndinakumana ndi Mboni zachichepere zina zomwe ndinazidziwa poyambirira kudera la ku nkhalango kumene ndinatumizidwa poyamba. Chotero ndinali wokhoza kugwirizana ndi ofesi ya nthambi, ndipo kachiwirinso ndinayamba upainiya. Anayi a achichepere amenewa anagwirizana nane mu ntchito ya upainiya, ndipo tinapeza anthu omwe analandira uthenga wa Ufumu, ena a amene akulalikirabe mpaka tsopano.

Olamulira atsopanowo anali achiyanjo kulinga kwa ife, chotero mu 1943 tinakonzekera kaamba ka msonkhano woyamba waung’ono mu Pôrto Alegre. Chiwerengero chaopezekapo chinali 50, chifupifupi theka la iwo anali a polisi osavala uniformu. Chaka chimodzi pambuyo pake, mu 1944, tinakonzekera kaamba ka msonkhano wina. Pambuyo pa chimenecho ndinaitanidwa kukatumikira pa ofesi ya nthambi ya Sosaite, yomwe inali itasamutsidwa kuchokera ku São Paulo kupita ku Rio de Janeiro.

Gileadi ndi Pambuyo Pake

Mu 1950 ndinaitanidwa kukapezeka ku kalasi ya 16 ya Sukulu ya Gileadi ya Baibulo ya Watchtower ku South Lansing, New York. Pambuyo pakumaliza maphunziro mu February 1951, ndinalandira gawo la pakanthawi la upainiya wapadera ndi Mpingo wa South Bronx, New York, koma pambuyo pake ndinabwerera ku Brazil.

Kwachifupifupi chaka chimodzi ndi theka ndinatumikira monga woimira woyendayenda wa Sosaite, ponse pawiri monga woyang’anira wachigawo ndi woyang’anira wadera. Kenaka, mu February 1953, ndinaitanidwa kubwerera ku ofesi ya nthambi mu Rio de Janeiro ndi kugawiridwa ntchito ya kutembenuza. Pambuyo pake, kuyambira September 1961 mpaka September 1963, ndinali ndi mwawi wakugwira ntchito pantchito ya kutembenuza kwapadera ku malikulu a Sosaite mu Brooklyn, New ndinali kumeneko, ndinalemberana ndi awiri omwe ndinawadziwa mu Brazil. Mwamunayo anavomereza kuphunzira ndi ine mu hotelo mmene iwo anali kukhala ndipo anakhutiritsidwa ndi chowonadi.

Miyezi yochepa pambuyo pake, pamene tinabwerera ku Brazil, ndinamufikira kachiwiri. Koma anawoneka kukhala wosapita patsogolo. Chotero ndinamuuza iye: “Tawona, Paul, iwe uli enginiya wa boma. Koma bwanji titalingalira kuti ine ndinali enginiya waboma ndipo ndinakuuza iwe kuti denga lako linali lokonzekera kukugwera. Kodi nchiyani chimene ukanachita? Chabwino, monga ‘enginiya,’ wa Baibulo, ndikukuuza iwe kuti kokha ngati utachita kanthu pa zimene ukudziwa, iwe uli muvuto.”

Panthawi yochepa, iye anabatizidwa ndipo wakhala akutumikira monga mkulu Wachikristu kwa zaka zingapo. Iyenso anali wathandizo kwambiri mkumanga nthambi yatsopano yaikulu mu Cesario Lange, SãoPaulo, kumene 480 a ife tsopano tikugwira ntchito kutumikira zosowa zauzimu za chiwerengero chomakulakula cha Mboni mu Brazil.

Ziwonjezeko Zopitirira

Mu 1945 tinali ndi kuchezera koyamba kwa prezidenti wa Watch Tower Society, Nathan H. Knorr, ndiponso amene anali panthawiyo wachiwiri kwa prezidenti, Frederick Franz. Msonkhano unakonzedwa mbwalo la za masewera Pacaembu mu Mzinda wa São Paulo, ndipo ndinatumikira monga wotanthauzira kaamba ka abale ochezerawo. Chiwerengero chathu chapamwamba chawopezekapo chinali 765.

Ndimakumbukira Mbale Knorr akuyang’ana pa sitediyamu yaikulu yophatikizidwa ndi kumadabwa ngati tidzaidzadza iyo. Chabwino, tinatero pa December 1973, pamene 94, 586 anaidzadza Pacaembu Stadium pa Msonkhano wa “Chilakiko cha Umulungu”. Ndipo ichi chinapitiriridwa mu August 1985 pansi pa Msonkhano wa “Asungiliri a Umphumphu” mu Morumbi Stadium, Sao Paulo City, kumene 162,941 anapezekapo. Ndipo panthawi imodzimodziyo, chiwerengero china cha 86,410 chinapezekapo pa sitediyamu mu Rio de Janeiro. Pambuyo pake, kusonkhana kowonjezereka 23 kunakweza chiwerengero cha opezekapopa Misonkhano ya “Asungiliri a Umphumphu”mu Brazil kufika ku 389,387!

Mkati mwa zaka, ndakhala ndi mwawi wakutanthauzira kaamba ka alankhuli ochezera ochokera ku malikulu ku Brooklyn, New York. Posachedwapa mmodzi wa iwo, pamene iye anali kuyenda limodzi ndi ine ndi kuwona anthu ambiri amene ndinali nditaphunzira nawo kwa zaka akubwera kundipatsa moni, mwanthabwala anati: “Sindinawonepo munthu mmodzi wokhala ndi ana ochuluka chotero.”

Mfundo zazikulu zenizeni mmoyo wanga zakhalanso misonkhano ya mitundu yonse yomwe ndinakhala wokhoza kupezekako m’maiko ena. Pa msonkhano wa ku Nuremberg mu 1969, ndinawona mayi wanga kwa nthawi yoyamba pambuyo pa zaka 30. Iye anafa mu chikhulupiriro mu 1973. Bambo wanga sanaloledwe kuyenda kunja kwa dziko kaamba ka misonkhano, ndipo sindinawawonenso kuyambira pamene ndinachoka panyumba. Mu 1978 ndinali ndi mwawi wakupereka nkhani yapoyera pa msonkhano wa mitundu yonse mu Vienna, Austria, msonkhano woyamba waukulu kwambiri umene ndinapezekapo mu mzinda wobadwira ine.

Mkati mwa zaka zambiri zimenezi mu Brazil, ndachitira umboni kuti Yehova ali amene “amachipangitsa icho kukula.” (1 Akorinto 3:7) Mu 1948 tinachipitirira chizindikilo cha ofalitsa 1, 000. Pambuyo pachimenecho, chiwerengo cha ofalitsa chinalumpha pa 12, 992 mu 1958 kufika ku 60, 139 mu 1970. Mmalo mwa ofalitsa Ufumu 127 amene tinali nawo mu September 1939, panali 196, 948 mu August 1986. Mwachiwonekere, ‘wochepa wasanduka mtundu wamphamvu’ mdziko lino.​—Yesaya 60:22.

Koma chiwerengero cha anthu mu Brazil chawonjezekanso, kuchoka pa 41 miliyoni mu 1939 kufika ku oposa 135 miliyoni tsopano. Chotero tidakali ndi munda waukulu kaamba ka ntchito. Chakhala chimwemwe changa mwaumwini kukhala wophatikizidwa mukuwonjezeka kochititsa chidwi kumene Yehova wapereka, ndipo ndi kosangalatsa chotani! Chotero ndingayeneretse kwa aliyense amene akufuna kutumikira Yehova kwanthawi zonse: Pitani patsogolo! Musachite mantha ndi zomwe zingachitike pakuti “Yehova adzasuwako.”​—Masalmo 121:7, 8.

[Mawu Otsindika patsamba 26]

“Ndikukuuzakutikokha ngati utagwira ntchitopazimene ukudziwa, iwe uli mu vuto

[Chithunzi patsamba 25]

N. H. Knorr akulankhula, ndipo Erich Kattner akutanthauzira, mu São Paulo, Brazil, 1945