1945 kugeza 1990 ‘Bageza benshi ku gukiranuka.’​—Dan 12:3. (Igice cya 1)

Muri Kamena 1947, abamisiyonari batatu bize Ishuri rya Bibiliya rya Watchtower rya Gileyadi ari bo Charles Fitzpatrick, George Richardson na Hubert Gresham, bageze i Freetown. Abo bavandimwe ni bo ba mbere mu bamisiyonari benshi baje muri icyo gihugu.

Abo bamisiyonari babonye ko ababwiriza bo muri icyo gihugu bagiraga ishyaka mu murimo wo kubwiriza, ariko bagombaga kwihatira kuba abigisha beza kurushaho (Mat 28:20). Bityo, abamisiyonari batangiye kwigisha ababwiriza uko bajya basubira gusura abashimishijwe n’uko babayoborera icyigisho cya Bibiliya. Nanone babagezagaho ubuyobozi buhuje n’igihe ku byerekeye amateraniro y’itorero n’umuteguro wa gitewokarasi. Nanone bateguye iteraniro ry’abantu bose ryabereye mu nzu mberabyombi ya Wilberforce Memorial Hall. Abamisiyonari bashimishijwe no kubona abantu 450 baza muri iryo teraniro. Nyuma yaho abamisiyonari batangije umunsi wo gutanga amagazeti buri cyumweru. Iyo myitozo yateye inkunga itorero kandi ishyiraho urufatiro rwo kwiyongera kwari kuzabaho.

Hagati aho, abamisiyonari barwanaga no kumenyera ikirere cyaho. Raporo y’ibiro by’ishami yo mu mwaka wa 1948 igira iti “ikirere cyo muri Siyera Lewone ni ikigeragezo gikomeye. Igihe cy’imvura kimara amezi atandatu, kandi imvura iba igwa ari nyinshi cyane idatuza. Hari n’igihe imara ibyumweru bibiri itarahita. Mu gihe cy’izuba, haba hari ubushyuhe bwinshi n’ubutote bwinshi.” Abanyaburayi ba mbere bageze muri Siyera Lewone bahise imva y’abazungu. Higanje indwara ya Malariya n’izindi ndwara zo mu karere gashyuha. Abamisiyonari bagiye barwara umwe umwe biba ngombwa ko bahava.

Birumvikana ko ibyo byacaga intege ababwiriza baho. Icyakora ntibacogoye. Hagati y’umwaka wa 1947 n’uwa 1952, ababwiriza bariyongereye bava kuri 38 bagera kuri 73. Abapayiniya b’abanyamwete bagize uruhare mu gushinga itorero rishya mu mugi wa Waterloo uri hafi ya Freetown. Mu duce twa Kissy na Wellington turi mu nkengero z’umugi wa Freetown, hashinzwe amatsinda mashya yigisha Bibiliya. Byaragaragaraga ko umurimo wari ugiye kwaguka muri Siyera Lewone. Icyari gikenewe ni ubuyobozi bukwiriye.

Mu kwezi k’Ugushyingo 1952, Umunyamerika muremure kandi unanutse uri mu kigero cy’imyaka 30, yageze ku cyambu cy’i Freetown hanyuma yerekeza mu mugi warimo urusaku rwinshi. Uwo mushyitsi, ari we Milton G. Henschel wari uturutse ku cyicaro gikuru, yagize ati “natangajwe no kubona umugi ugezweho ufite isuku kurusha imigi myinshi yo ku isi. . . . Nabonye imihanda irimo kaburimbo, amaduka afite abakiriya benshi, imodoka nshya n’abantu b’urujya n’uruza.”

Umuvandimwe Henschel yagiye ku nzu y’abamisiyonari, urenze inyubako ebyiri uvuye ku Giti cy’Ipamba kizwi cyane. Aho ni ho yatangarije abavandimwe bari bahateraniye ko Siyera Lewone yari guhabwa ubufasha bw’inyongera. Ku cyumweru cyakurikiyeho, abantu 253 bateraniye mu nzu mberabyombi ya Wilberforce Memorial Hall batega amatwi aya matangazo ashishikaje yabagejejeho: Siyera Lewone igomba kugira ibiro by’ishami byayo, umugenzuzi w’akarere n’amakoraniro y’uturere; i Kissy hagomba gushingwa itorero rishya, kandi umurimo wo kubwiriza mu ntara ugomba kwagurwa cyane. Abari bateranye basabwe n’ibyishimo.

Umuvandimwe Henschel yaravuze ati “bakomezaga kuvuga bati kusheh, bisobanura ngo ‘ni byiza rwose!’ Abavandimwe bari bishimye cyane. Batashye bwije, . . . bamwe bagenda baririmba.”

Umumisiyonari wari umaze igihe gito witwa William Nushy yahawe inshingano yo kugenzura ibiro by’ishami bishya. William yari yarahoze acuruza amakarita y’urusimbi mu tubari two hirya no hino muri Amerika. Ariko amaze kuba Umukristo, yaretse ako kazi kandi ashyigikira byimazeyo amahame akiranuka, uwo akaba ari umuco wari gutuma ababwiriza bo muri Siyera Lewone bamukunda kandi bakamwubaha.