“Musabatira Zvokudya Zvinopera”
YAKATAURWA NADAVID LUNSTRUM
Munun’una wangu Elwood neni takanga tiri pamamita anopfuura 9 munhepo, tichipenda chiratidzo chitsva pachivako chefekitari cheWatchtower. Makore anopfuura 40 gare gare, chichiripo, chichikurudzira, kuti: “RAVA SHOKO RAMWARI BHAIBHERI DZVENE ZUVA NEZUVA.” Vhiki imwe neimwe, zviuru zvavanhu zvinoona chiratidzo ichi sezvazvinoyambuka Brooklyn Bridge rakakurumbira.
YEUKO dzangu dzapakuvamba zvikurusa dzinobatanidza zuva remhuri rekuwacha. Na5:00 a.m., Amai vainge vamuka, vachiwacha mbatya dzemhuri yedu huru, uye Baba vainge vachigadzirira kuenda kubasa. Vaiva neimwe yekurukurirano dzavo dzakakasharara, Baba vachiita nharo kuti munhu neimwe nzira akashanduka-shanduka mumamiriyoni amakore, uye Amai vachinokora mashoko muBhaibheri kubvumikisa kuti vanhu vakanga vari zvisikwa zvakananga zvaMwari.
Kunyange apo ndakanga ndine makore manomwe bedzi, ndakaziva kuti Amai vakanga vane zvokwadi. Kunyange zvazvo ndaida Baba zvikuru, ndaigona kuona kuti chitendero chavo chaisapa tariro yeramangwana. Amai vaizodai vakafara sei kuziva kuti makore mazhinji gare gare, vaviri vevanakomana vavo vakapenda chiratidzo chaikurudzira vanhu kurava Bhaibheri, bhuku ravaida zvikuru kwazvo!
Asi handisati ndiri kutaura nyaya yangu zvine nhevedzano. Ndakasvika sei pakuva nebasa rakaropafadzwa rakadaro? Ndinofanira kudzokera shure kugore ra1906, makore matatu ndisati ndaberekwa.
Muenzaniso Waamai Wokutendeka
Panguva iyoyo Amai naBaba vakanga vachangobva kuchata uye vachigara mutende muArizona. Mumwe Mudzidzi weBhaibheri, sezvaidanwa Zvapupu zvaJehovha panguva iyoyo, akasvika ndokugovera Amai nhevedzano yamabhuku akanyorwa naCharles Taze Russell, aiva nomusoro unoti Studies in the Scriptures. Vakagara usiku hwose vachiarava ndokuziva nokukurumidza kuti iyi yakanga iri zvokwadi yavakange vave vachitsvaka. Vaisatongogona kumirira Baba kuti vadzoke vachibva kundotsvaka basa.
Babawo vakanga vasingagutswi neizvo chechi dzakanga dzichidzidzisa, naizvozvo kwenguva yakati vakagamuchira zvokwadi idzi dzeBhaibheri. Gare gare, zvisinei, vakaita zvavanoda murudzidziso uye vakatokuita kuti kuve kwakaomera Amai. Bva havana kutongorega kutarisira zvinodikanwa zvokunyama pamwe chete nezvemudzimu zvavana vavo.
Handisati ndichizotongokanganwa kuburuka kwaAmai usiku humwe nohumwe kuuriri hwapasi, pashure pokushanda zvakaoma zuva rose, kuti vatiravire chikamu cheBhaibheri kana kuti kugoverana nesu chinokosha chakati chomudzimu. Baba vakanga vachishandawo nesimba, uye sezvandaikura, vakandidzidzisa basa rokupenda. Hungu, Baba vakandidzidzisa kushanda, asi Amai vakandidzidzisa zvokushandira, sezvakarayiridza Jesu, ‘zvokudya zvisingaperi.’—Johane 6:27.
Mhuri yedu pakupedzisira yakagara mutaundi duku reEllensburg munyika yeWashington, anenge makiromita 180 kumabvazuva kweSeattle. Apo isu vana takatanga kupinda misangano yeVadzidzi veBhaibheri naAmai, taisangana mudzimba dzavanhu. Varume vose vakasiya boka redu refundo apo kudikanwa kwokugoverana muushumiri hwapaimba neimba kwakasimbiswa. Asi Amai havana kutongozununguka. Ikoku kwakandiorora kwenguva refu kuti ndivimbe nguva dzose nenhungamiro yesangano raJehovha.
Pakupedzisira Baba naAmai vakava navana vapfumbamwe. Ndakaberekwa pana October 1, 1909, mwana wavo wechitatu. Pamwe chete, vatanhatu vedu takatevedzera muenzaniso waAmai wakaisvonaka ndokuva Zvapupu zvinoshingaira zvaJehovha.
Tsauriro Nerubhapatidzo
Apo ndaive mumakore angu okupedzisira ouduku, ndakazvitsaurira kuna Jehovha, uye ndakaratidzira ikoku kupfurikidza norubhapatidzo rwomumvura muna 1927. Rubhapatidzo rwakaitirwa muSeattle mune chimwe chivako chekare chakanga chambova chechi yeBaptist. Ndinofara kuti vakanga vabvisa shongwe yekare. Takaperekedzwa kudziva raiva muuriri hwepasi uko takapiwa zvipfeko zvirefu zvitema kuti tipfeke. Kwakaratidzika sokunge kuti takanga tiri kuenda kumariro.
Ndakanga ndiri muSeattle zvakare mwedzi mishomanene gare gare, uye nguva ino ndakaravira kokutanga kupupura kwapasuo nesuo. Uyo akanga achitungamirira akandirayira kuti, “Enda nenzira iyi uchitenderedza chikamu, uye ini ndichaenda nenzira iyo.” Pasinei zvapo nokutya kwangu, ndakagovera mabhukwana maviri mumwe mukadzi akaisvonaka. Ndakapfuuridzira ushumiri hwepasuo nesuo apo ndakadzokera kuEllensburg, uye zvino, anodokuva makore 70 gare gare, basa rakadaro richiri mufaro mukuru kwandiri.
Basa Padzimbahwe Renyika Yose
Isati iri nguva refu pashure pezvo, mumwe munhu akanga abatira paBheteri reBrooklyn, dzimbahwe renyika yose reWatch Tower Society, akandikurudzira kuzvipira kunobatira ikoko. Chinguvana pashure pekurukurirano yedu, chiziviso chakaoneka mumagazini yeNharireyomurindi chaizivisa kudikanwa kwebetsero paBheteri. Naizvozvo ndakakumbira. Handisati ndichizotongokanganwa mufaro wangu pakugamuchira tsamba yaiti ndiuye kubasa reBheteri muBrooklyn, New York, pana March 10, 1930. Nokudaro basa rangu renguva yakazara rakavamba rokushandira ‘zvokudya zvisingaperi.’
Mumwe angafunga kuti noruzivo rwangu rwokuzviwanira somupendi, ndingadai ndakagoverwa kundopenda chimwe chinhu. Panzvimbo pezvo, basa rangu rokutanga rakanga riri rokushanda pamuchina wokusona mabhuku mufekitari. Kunyange zvazvo iri rakanga riri basa raifinha zvikuru, ndakafarikanya basa racho kwamakore anopfuura matanhatu. Muchina mukuru wokudhinda werotary uwo taidana nechidakadaka kuti ngarava yekare yehondo waibudisa mabhukwana aidzikiswa neconveyer belt kuuriri hwedu hwapasi. Taifarikanya kuona kana taigona kusona mabhukwana nokukurumidza sezvataiagamuchira achibva kungarava yehondo.
Pashure pezvo ndakashanda mumapato akati, kubatanidza mataigadzira magiramufomu. Taishandisa michina iyi kuridza mashoko eBhaibheri akarekodwa pamasuo avanasaimba. Giramufomu rinomira rakagadzirwa ndokuitwa nevazvipiri vaiva mubato redu. Giramufomu iri harina kungoridza bedzi mashoko akarekodwa kare asi raivawo nenzvimbo chaidzo dzokutakurira mabhukwana uye zvichida sangweji. Ndakava neropafadzo yokuratidzira mashandisirwe emuchina uyu mutsva pane imwe kokorodzano muDetroit, Michigan, muna 1940.
Zvisinei, taiita inopfuura michina youngwaru. Takanga tichiitawo gadziridzo dzomudzimu dzinokosha. Somuenzaniso, Zvapupu zvaJehovha zvaisimbopfeka chipeneti chaiva nemuchinjikwa nekorona. Asi ipapo takasvika pakunzwisisa kuti Jesu akaurayirwa padanda rakatwasuka, kwete pamuchinjikwa. (Mabasa 5:30) Naizvozvo kupfeka zvipeneti izvozvi kwakagumiswa. Yakanga iri ropafadzo yangu kubvisa zvibatiso pazvipeneti zvacho. Gare gare ndarama yacho yakanyungudutswa ndokutengeswa.
Kunyange zvazvo takanga tiine rudungwe rwekushanda rwakabatikana kwamazuva mashanu nehafu vhiki nevhiki, taibatanidzwa muushumiri hwechiKristu pakupera kwevhiki. Rimwe zuva, 16 vedu takasungwa ndokuiswa mutorongo muBrooklyn. Neiko? Eya, mumazuva iwayo tairangarira rudzidziso kuva rwakafanana norudzidziso rwenhema. Naizvozvo takatakura zviratidzo zvairava kune rumwe rutivi kuti “Rudzidziso Musungo Nenyengedzo” uye kune rumwe “Batira Mwari naKristu Mambo.” Nokuda kwokutakura zviratidzo izvi, takaiswa mutorongo, asi Hayden Covington, gweta reWatch Tower Soceity, akaita kuti tibvisirwe bheroauti. Panguva iyoyo nhau zhinji dzaibatanidza rusununguko rwokunamata dzakanga dzichirwirwa pamberi peSupreme Court yeUnited States, uye kwaifadza kuva paBheteri uye kunzwa zvakananga mishumo pamusoro pekukunda kwedu.
Pakupedzisira ndakagoverwa mabasa aishandisa ruzivo rwangu rwokuzviwanira rwokupenda. PaStaten Island, imwe yezvikamu zvishanu zveNew York City, taiva nenhepfenyuro yedu WBBR. Shongwe dzemasaisai emhepo dzenhepfenyuro dzaipfuura mamita 60 kureba, uye dzakanga dzine mapoka matatu ewaya dzakasimba. Ndaigara pachigaro chakareba mamita 0,9 uye kufara masendimita 20 mumwe mushandi achindisimudza. Ndakagara mudenga pachigaro ichocho chiduku, ndaipenda waya dzakasimba neshongwe. Vamwe vakandibvunza kana taisanyengetera zvikuru tichiita basa iroro!
Basa romuzhizha randisati ndichizotongokanganwa rakanga riri rokugeza mafafitera nokupenda panogara mafafitera echivako chefekitari. Takaridana kuti zororo redu remuzhizha. Taigadzira machanja edu emuti netambo dzokudhonzesa, taizvidhonzera timene kumusoro nokudzika chivako chine uriri husere.
Mhuri Yaitsigira
Muna 1932 baba vangu vakafa, uye ndakashamisika kana ndaifanira kuenda kumusha ndokubetsera kutarisira Amai. Naizvozvo ndisati ndadya kudya kwamasikati rimwe zuva, ndakaisa tsamba patafura huru apo Hama Rutherford, purezidhendi weSosaiti vaigara. Mairi ndakakumbira kutaura navo. Pakuziva pamusoro peitiro hanya yangu uye kuwana kuti ndakanga ndine vanun’una nehanzvadzi vakanga vachiri kugara kumusha, vakabvunza kuti, “Unoda kugara paBheteri ndokuita basa raShe here?”
“Chokwadika ndinoda,” ndakapindura kudaro.
Naizvozvo vakakarakadza kuti ndinyorere Amai kuti ndione kana vaibvumirana nechisarudzo changu chokugara. Ndizvo zvandakaita, uye vakapindura vachitaura kubvumirana kwakazara nechisarudzo changu. Ndakaonga chaizvoizvo mutsa nezano zvaHama Rutherford.
Mukati memakore angu mazhinji paBheteri, ndainyorera mhuri yangu nguva dzose uye kuvakurudzira kubatira Jehovha, seizvo Amai vakanga vandikurudzira. Amai vakafa muna July 1937. Vakanga vave vari kurudziro yakadini kumhuri yedu! Mukoma wangu bedzi nehanzvadzi, Paul naEsther, uye hanzvadzi yangu duku Lois havana kuva Zvapupu. Paul, zvisinei, akanga achifarira basa redu uye akagovera nzvimbo yatakavakira Horo yedu yoUmambo yokutanga.
Muna 1936 hanzvadzi yangu Eva akava piyona, kana kuti muparidzi wenguva yakazara. Gore rimwe chetero akaroorwa naRalph Thomas, uye muna 1939 vakagoverwa kubasa rokufambira kubatira ungano dzeZvapupu zvaJehovha. Gare gare vakatamira kuMexico, uko vakapedzera makore 25 vachibetsera nebasa roUmambo.
Muna 1939 hanzvadzi dzangu Alice naFrances dzakatorawo basa roupiyona. Waiva mufaro wakadini kuona Alice achishanda pakokorodzano yeSt. Louis muna 1941 achiratidzira kushandiswa kwegiramufomu iyo ndakanga ndabetsera kugadzira! Kunyange zvazvo Alice aifanira kudzongonyedza kupayona kwake padzimwe nguva nemhaka yemitoro yemhuri, pamwe chete apedzera makore anopfuura 40 muushumiri hwenguva yakazara. Frances akapfuurira kunopinda Watchtower Bible School of Gilead muna 1944 ndokubatira kwenguva yakati somufundisi muPuerto Rico.
Joel naElwood, vaviri vadukusa mumhuri, vakava mapiyona muMontana mukuvamba kwama1940. Joel aramba ari Chapupu chakatendeka uye zvino anobatira somubatiri anoshumira. Elwood akandikumbanira paBheteri muna 1944, achiunza mufaro mukuru kumwoyo wangu. Akanga ari pasi pemakore mashanu okukura apo ndakabva kumusha. Sezvanyorwa pakuvamba, takashanda pamwe chete tichipenda chiratidzo chiya pachivako chefekitari, “Rava Shoko raMwari Bhaibheri Dzvene Zuva Nezuva.” Ndakashamisika kazhinji kazhinji kuti vanhu vangani vakaona chiratidzo ichocho mumakore apfuura vakakurudzirwa kurava Bhaibheri ravo.
Elwood akabatira paBheteri kusvikira muna 1956 apo akaroora Emma Flyte. Kwamakore akawanda Elwood naEmma vakashanda pamwe chete muushumiri hwenguva yakazara, vachibatira kwechinguvana muKenya, Africa, pamwe chete nomuSpain. Elwood akarwara nekenza ndokufira muSpain muna 1978. Emma akaramba ari muSpain mubasa roupiyona kusvikira nhasi.
Roorano Nemhuri
Muna September 1953, ndakabva paBheteri kuti ndiroore Alice Rivera, mumwe piyona muBrooklyn Center Ungano iyo ndakanga ndichipinda. Ndakazivisa Alice kuti ndakanga ndine tariro yokudenga, asi akanga achiri kufarira kuroorwa neni.—VaFiripi 3:14.
Pashure pemakore 23 okugara paBheteri, yakanga iri gadziridzo huru kuvamba basa rokunyika somupendi kuti ndichengete Alice neni mubasa roupiyona. Alice akanga achitsigira nguva dzose, kunyange apo nokuda kwezvikonzero zveutano akanga achifanira kurega kupayona. Muna 1954 takanga tichikarira mwana wedu wokutanga. Kubereka hakuna kufamba zvakanaka, kunyange zvazvo mwanakomana wedu, John, akanaya. Alice akarasikirwa neropa rakawanda zvikuru kwazvo mukati mokuvhiya pakubereka zvokuti vanachiremba havana kufunga kuti aizorarama. Pane imwe nguva vaisagona kuwana kunyange kurova kwemwoyo. Bva akapukunyuka usiku hwacho uye munguva yakati akanaya zvizere.
Makore mashomanene gare gare, apo baba vaAlice vakafa, takatamira kunze zvikuru paLong Island kuti tive naamai vake. Sezvo takanga tisina motokari, ndaifamba kana kuti kushandisa bhazi nechitima chapasi pevhu nokuda kwechokufambisa. Nenzira iyoyo ndakakwanisa kupfuurira mubasa roupiyona uye kutsigira mhuri yangu. Mifaro yeushumiri hwenguva yakazara yakapfuura zvikuru kurega zvimwe zvinhu zvipi nezvipi. Kubetsera vanhu—vakadai saJoe Natale, uyo akarega basa rebaseball raivimbisa kuti ave Chapupu—kwave kuri chimwe chete chezvikomborero zvangu zvizhinji.
Muna 1967, sezvo mamiriro ezvinhu akaipa zvikuru munharaunda yeNew York, ndakasarudza kudzokera naAlice naJohn kutaundi rokumusha kwedu reEllensburg kuti tindogarako. Zvino ndinokuwana kuchitusa kuona vazukuru navazukuru chibvi vazhinji kwazvo vaamai vangu vachigoverana muushumiri hwenguva yakazara. Vamwe vanotobatira paBheteri. John pamwe chete nomudzimai wake navana vari kubatirawo Jehovha nokutendeka.
Nenzira inosuruvarisa, ndakarasikirwa nomudzimai wangu aidiwa, Alice, murufu muna 1989. Kuramba ndakabatikana muushumiri hwenguva yakazara kwakandibetsera kutsungirira kurasikirwa kwacho. Hanzvadzi yangu Alice neni zvino tinofarikanya kupayona pamwe chete. Kwakaisvonaka sei kurarama zvakare pasi pedenga rimwe chetero uye kuzviwana timene takabatikana mubasa iri rinokosha zvikurusa!
Muchirimo cha1994, ndakashanyira Bheteri kwenguva yokutanga mumakore anenge 25. Waiva mufaro wakadini kuona vazhinji vaavo ndakashanda navo makore anopfuura 40 apfuura! Apo ndakaenda kuBheteri muna 1930, 250 bedzi vakanga vari mumhuri, asi nhasi mhuri yeBheteri muBrooklyn inopfuura 3 500!
Kutsigirwa Nezvokudya Zvomudzimu
Mangwanani-ngwanani mazhinjisa ndinofamba ndichitevedza Rwizi Yakima pedyo nomusha wedu. Kubva ipapo ndinogona kuona Mount Rainier yakaisvonaka yakafukidzwa nesinou iyo yakareba mamita anopfuura 4 300 mumhepo. Mhuka dzesango dzakawanda. Pane dzimwe nguva ndinoona deer, uye pane imwe ndakatoona elk.
Nguva idzi dzakanyarara, ndiri ndoga dzinondibvumira kufungisisa gadziriro dzaJehovha dzinoshamisa. Ndinonyengeterera simba rokupfuurira ndakatendeka kubatira Mwari wedu, Jehovha. Ndinodawo kuimba sezvandinofamba, zvikurukuru rwiyo “Kufadza Mwoyo waJehovha,” rwune mashoko anoti: “Mwari mukurukuri’mi; Tinoita basa renyu. Tichavawo nomugove kuzivisa rudo rwenyu.”
Ndinofara kuti ndakasarudza kuita basa rinofadza mwoyo waJehovha. Ndinonyengetera kuti ndipfuurire kuita basa iri kusvikira ndagamuchira tuso yokudenga yakapikirwa. Chishuvo changu ndechekuti nhoroondo ino igosunda vamwewo kushandisa upenyu hwavo muku‘shandira zvokudya zvisingaperi.’—Johane 6:27.
[Mifananidzo iri papeji 23]
Elwood achipenda chiratidzo chokuti “RAVA SHOKO RAMWARI BHAIBHERI DZVENE ZUVA NEZUVA”
[Mufananidzo uri papeji 24]
NaGrant Suiter uye John Kurzen, tichiratidzira giramufomu idzva pakokorodzano muna 1940
[Mufananidzo uri papeji 25]
Muna 1944 tose zvedu takanga tiri muushumiri hwenguva yakazara: David, Alice, Joel, Eva, Elwood, uye Frances
[Mufananidzo uri papeji 25]
Vakoma navanun’una vachiri kurarama kubva kuruboshwe: Alice, Eva, Joel, David, uye Frances