Upenyu Hwakakodzera Kunyange Zvazvo Aiva Oga
NDAKAZVARWA muna January 1927, muMálaga, Spain, ndiri mwana wechitanhatu mumhuri yourombo yechiKaturike yavana vanomwe. Kubva muna 1936 kusvikira muna 1939, Hondo Yavagari Vemo yeSpain yakaparadza nyika yedu, uye takanzvenga mabhomba ndokurarama nezvokudya zvokugoverwa. Bva, ndakanga ndiri mwana anofara aida kuimba uye kuva pamwe chete navanhu.
Chimwe chinhu, kunyange zvakadaro, chakandityisa—kariro yehero inopfuta mwoto. Kuti ndideredze rutyo irworwo, ndakandogara kunzvimbo yamanun pazera ramakore 12. Ikoko, kwaanoda kusvika makore matatu, ndaichenesa matanho anopenya, ndainyengetera, uye ndaichenesa zvakare, asi ndakanzwa kuti chimwe chinhu chakanga chichiri kushaikwa. Muna 1941, ndakafara kukwanisa kubva.
Pashure pamakore akati ndakashamwaridzana nomuimbi uyo akafunga kuti inzwi rangu raigona kuita mari, uye akandikurudzira kuita zvidzidzo zvokuimba nezvepiano. Apo Hondo yeNyika II yakaguma muna 1945, ndakaenda kuMorocco, uko ndakavamba kuimba mumanightclub muCasablanca neTangier. Ihwohwo hwakanga huri upenyu hunofadza nokuda kwepwere. Asi pashure peshoo imwe neimwe, ndakaenda kuchechi kundokumbira Mhandara Maria kundikanganwira, ndichikarira kuti ndinganzvenga hero inopfuta mwoto.
Pashure pokushanda mumanightclub kwamakore mapfumbamwe, ndakasangana nomuAmerica anonzi Jack Abernathy. Panguva iyoyo akanga achishanda muMorocco achishandira kambani yokuvaka yeAmerica. Takaroorana gore iroro, uye ndakarega kuimba. Nokukurumidza pashure pacho takatamira kuSeville, Spain, uko takagara kutozosvikira muna 1960. Ipapo takatamira kuLodi, California, U.S.A.—kutama kwakatungamirira kuimwe chinjo muupenyu hwangu.
Kudzidza Pamusoro paJehovha
Muna 1961 vaviri veZvapupu zvaJehovha vakashanyira musha wedu ndokusiya magazini eNharireyomurindi naMukai! Gare gare vakakarakadza fundo yeBhaibheri neni, uye ndakagamuchira chikarakadzo chacho. Nokudaro, ndakadzidza pamusoro paMwari wechokwadi, Jehovha, uyo ari Baba vedu vane rudo vokudenga. (Pisarema 83:18) Isununguko yakadini kudzidzawo kuti hakuna hero inopfuta mwoto asi kuti panzvimbo pako tine kariro yokurarama nokusingaperi muparadhiso pasi pano!—Pisarema 37:9-11, 29; Zvakazarurwa 21:3, 4.
Munun’una wangu Paquita, uyo aigara pedyo nesu, akavambawo kufunda. Pamberi pezvi, ndaisvuta uye ndaida kuungana. Uye ndakanga ndine hasha zvakadini! Asi ndakaita chinjo, uye pana October 17, 1962, Paquita neni takabhapatidzwa muSacramento, California, nokudaro ndokuratidzira tsauriro yedu yokubatira Jehovha.
Kuenda kuThailand Tichipfuura nomuSpain
Nokukurumidza pashure pacho, kambani yokuvaka iyo murume wangu aishandira yakamuchinjira kuThailand, uye ndakamukumbanira. Tiri parwendo, ndakashanyira Spain uye ndakakwanisa kugoverana zvitendero zvangu nemimwe mitezo yemhuri. Tete vangu Pura vakagamuchira ndokuva Chapupu.
Mumazuva iwayo basa reZvapupu zvaJehovha rakanga rakarambidzwa muSpain. Zvakare, takapinda musangano wapachivande mukamuri duku, mune tafura imwe uye musina zvigaro. Vose 20 vedu takamira. Musiano wakadini nemisangano yedu muCalifornia! Kuona vanhu vangu vamene vachiisa pangozi rusununguko rwavo kuti vasangane kwakandipwisa nezvoukoshi hwemisangano yechiKristu, chidzidzo chakakodzera nguva pamberi chaipo pokusvika muBangkok, Thailand.
“Kana ndikakuwana uchiparidzira, ndichakusiya,” Jack akandiudza kudaro zuva ratakasvika muBangkok. Zuva rakatevera akandisiya kuti anotarisira basa rokuvaka munharaunda yomuruwa, naizvozvo ndakasiiwa ndiri ndoga muBangkok yakabatikana nomushandi wapamba uyo ndakanga ndisingagoni kutaurirana naye. Ndakaramba ndakabatikana kupfurikidza nokufunda ndafundazve mabhuku angu eBhaibheri.
Rimwe zuva muna September 1963, pakudzokera kumusha, ndakacherekedza shangu dzechienzi pasuo rangu. Mudzimai akanga ane bvunzi rakamonyana akanga akandimirira. “Chii chandingagona kukuitirai?” ndakabvunza kudaro.
“Ndiri kumiririra Watch Tower Society,” iye akadaro.
Ndakakwakuka nomufaro, ndichimumbundira nokumutsvoda. Eva Hiebert akanga ari mufundisi akabva kuCanada. Kubva pazuva iroro zvichienda mberi, Eva aiuya nguva dzose, achichinja bhazi kaviri kana kuti katatu kuti asvike kwandiri. Ndakatya kukwira mabhazi umo vanhu vakanga vakatsvikinyidzana pamwe chete zvokusagona kufamba zviri nyore, asi pakanga pasina imwe nzira yokufamba nayo. Eva akati: “Hausati uchitongobatira Jehovha kana ukasafamba namabhazi iwayo.” Naizvozvo takakurukura zvakare nzira yokuwana nayo mabhazi okuenda kumisangano.
Ndakanga ndichizengurira pamusoro pokuparidzira, sezvo ndakanga ndisingazivi mutauro wacho. Ndaibatirira paruoko rwaEva, bhasikiti rake, uye rokwe rake. “Haungagoni kubatira Jehovha neiyi nzira,” akataura kudaro.
“Asi handizivi mutauro wacho,” ndakanyunyuta kudaro.
Eva akandipa magazini gumi ndokuenda, achindisiya ndiri pakati pomusika. Nokutya, ndakasvika mukadzi wechiChina, ndakamuratidza magazini acho, uye akagamuchira!
“Eva, ndagovera magazini ose gumi,” ndakanyemwerera nomufaro gare gare. Iye akati, “Jehovha anoda vanhu vakafanana newe. Ingopfuurira bedzi.” Ndakaita kudaro, ndichidzidza kukwazisa muchiThai uye, mukuwirirana netsika yomunzvimbomo, kugara pasi. Ndakadzidzawo kuenda kunzvimbo dzakasiana-siana. Uye kuita kwomurume wangu? Rimwe zuva, apo Jack, uyo akanga avenga zvitendero zvangu, akanga ane vaenzi, iye akavaudza, kuti: “Fambai naPepita. Anoziva nharaunda nemhaka yokuti anoparidzira.”
Kuenda kuAustralia
Rovedzo yorudo asi yakasimba yaEva yakandigadzirira kuramba ndichishingaira mubasa raJehovha mukati momugove unotevera womurume wangu, kuAustralia yokuchamhembe kwakadziva kumadokero. Takasvika pakati pama 1965, uye ndakagara panzvimbo yebasa inogara vashandi mukati megwenga uko kambani yaJack yakanga ichigadzira nzira yenjanji. Zvokudya zvaitumirwa nendege, uye kunze kwaipisa—anopfuura madhigirii 43 Celsius. Kwaiva nemhuri 21 dzokuNorth America munzvimbo yacho inogara vashandi, naizvozvo ndakavamba kuvasvika neshoko roUmambo. Gare gare, sezvo basa rakafambira mberi panzira yenjanji, takatamira mberi mugwenga, uko kuva ndoga kwakanga kwakatonyanya zvikuru.
Pakuvamba ndakanga ndanyorera hofisi yebazu yeZvapupu zvaJehovha muAustralia, uye ndakafara sei pandakagamuchira tsamba yaitaura, kuti: “Rudo rwoushamwari nekwaziso . . . Mifungo yedu neminyengetero zvichava newe mumwedzi iri mberi”! Mukati mamakore andakafamba nomurume wangu pamigove yake yebasa kunharaunda dziri dzoga dzapasi, ndakakurudzirwa nematsamba akadaro aibva kusangano raJehovha. Kuarava kwakandikwevera kubuda nomunhambo youshoma uye kwakandikurudzira kubuda mubasa rokuparidzira kunyange zvazvo ndaiwanzova ndakaparadzana nezvimwe Zvapupu.
Hofisi yebazu muAustralia yakaronga kuti varoorani vari Zvapupu vandishanyire kwevhiki panzvimbo inogara vashandi. Muushumiri hwedu takasangana nomukadzi anofarira aigara kure zvikuru, naizvozvo kaviri pavhiki ndakafamba nomundima yakanga yakazadzwa nenyoka nemadzvinyu kuti ndimushanyire. Sezvandakafamba, ndaiimba nziyo yoUmambo: “Iva kuna Mwari/ Umufarire/ Haakusiyi Woga/ Famba muchiedza.” Takafunda kwemwedzi 11.
Ipapo, pashure pokugara kwerinenge gore muMelbourne, ndakatama nomurume wangu kunzvimbo inogara vashandi yaiva pedyo nedhorobha romugodhi rePort Hedland, uyewo kuchamhembe kwakadziva kumadokero kweAustralia. Pashure pamazuva mashanu, kwakanga kune vashanyi. Bazu rakanga raudza Zvapupu pamusoro pangu. Pashure pokunge vabva, ndakapfuuridzira misangano pachangu, ndichiitisa Fundo yeBhuku yeUngano, Chikoro Choushumiri Choubati Ushe hwaMwari, Musangano weBasa, uye Fundo yeNharireyomurindi. Pashure pokuimba nziyo nokuzarura nomunyengetero, ndakapindura mibvunzo ndokugumisa nenziyo nomunyengetero. Kuverenga vapindi kwakanga kusitongori chinetso—nguva dzose mumwe. Bva, urwu rudungwe rwomusangano wevhiki nevhiki rwakanditsigira mukati mamakore iwayo mazhinji andakabatira Jehovha ndiri ndoga.
Kuenda kuBougainville
Muna 1969, pashure pokunge tashanda kwamakore mana muAustralia, murume wangu akagoverwa kubatira saforomani pabasa rokugadzirwa kwomugwagwa waienda kumugodhi wecopper mumakomo anopfungaira echitsuwa cheBougainville. Mamwe madekwana mumwe munhu akagogodza pasuo. Jack akarizarura. “Chapupu chine mudzimai wacho navana vana,” akataura kudaro. Vaigara mumhenderekedzo. Kamwe chete pavhiki ndaivashanyira ndokupinda Fundo yeNharireyomurindi yaiitirwa pachikoro chenzanga.
Pane imwe nhambo Zvapupu zvitatu zvakabva kuPapua New Guinea zvakandishanyira. Murume wangu nokudada akaudza shamwari dzake, kuti: “Kupi kana kupi mudzimai wangu anoenda, shamwari dzake dziri Zvapupu dzakamirira.”
Kuenda kuAfrica
Muna 1972 takasvika mugwenga reAlgeria, North Africa, uko kambani yaJack yakanga ichivaka nzvimbo yezvokudiridzisa. Iri rakanga richizova basa ramakore mana. Ndakanyorera kuhofisi yebazu yeZvapupu zvaJehovha muFrance pamusoro pebasa rokuparidzira, uye vakandipindura, kuti: ‘Ngwarira. Basa redu rakarambidzwa ikoko.’ Sosaiti yakandibatsira kuonana neZvapupu zviviri zvisisaiti basa, uye takatanga boka refundo.
Ipapo, mumwe wavavakidzani vangu munzvimbo inogara vashandi, Cecilia, akarwara. Ndakamushanyira zuva riri rose, ndakamuunzira muto, uye ndakagadzira huvato hwake. Apo akadzoka kumba, ndakapfuurira kuita nzendo pfupi kuti ndiite kana kuti kuunza zvinhu kwaari, uye ndakagoveranawo naye tariro yoUmambo. Ikoko kwakatungamirira kufundo yeBhaibheri, uye pashure pemwedzi misere Cecilia akati: “Ndinoda kubhapatidzwa.” Asi kupi uye nani?
Takagamuchira tsamba yaibva kuhofisi yebazu muFrance yaiti Chapupu chinonzi François chakanga chichiuya kuAlgeria nokuda kwezororo pfupi. Kana taigona kumuita kuti asvike kumusha wedu wokugwenga uye kudzokera kunhandare yendege munguva, aigona kuita rubhapatidzo. Asi aisagona kugara anopfuura maawa 24.
Nokukurumidza pakasvika François, akamhanyiswa nemotokari ndokuunzwa kugwenga. Usiku ihwohwo, pamusha paCecilia, akabudisa kapepa kaduku kubva muhomwe yeshati yake ndokupa hurukuro yakaisvonaka. Mumangwanani aMay 18, 1974, akabhapatidza Cecilia mushambiro rangu rokugezera ndokuenda zvakare.
Hondo yakatanga muAlgeria pakuguma kwa 1975, uye Jack neni taifanira kubva nokukurumidza zvikuru. Ndakashanyira hama dzangu muSpain. Muna 1976, ndakavamba kurongedza nokuda kwomugove unotevera waJack—nzvimbo yebasa inogara vashandi musango rinonaya mvura yakawanda reSuriname, South America.
MuSouth America
Nzvimbo inogara vashandi muSuriname yokumaodzanyemba kwakadziva kumadokero yakanga yakakomberedzwa nesango guru. Shiri dzine ruzha netsoko dzaida kuziva zvaitarira zviri mumiti pamhuri 15 dzichangobva kusvika, vazhinjisa vadzo vandakaziva kumabasa akapfuura. Mwedzi mitanhatu gare gare, mhuri dzavashandi dzakawanda dzakasvika, kubatanidza Cecilia akanga abhapatidzwa muAlgeria—mumwe wokuparidzira naye!
Sezvo March 23, 1978, akasvika, takashamisika nezvenzira yokuchengeta nayo Chirangaridzo chorufu rwaKristu. Tichishaya chokufambisa kuenda kuguta, Paramaribo, takaronga kuchichengeta mumba mangu. Mukuru wenzvimbo inogara vashandi akatibvumira kuitazve peji yokupedzisira yeNharireyomurindi yaizivisa Chirangaridzo chacho, uye takaaparadzira paimba neimba munzvimbo inogara vashandi. Makumi maviri nomumwe vakapinda! Cecilia akapa hurukuro yacho, uye ini ndakarava magwaro. Madekwana iwayo, kunyange zvazvo taiva toga, takanzwa tabatanidzwa nesangano renyika yose raJehovha.
Munguvayi, bazu reSuriname reZvapupu zvaJehovha rakatumira tsigiro—vafundisi vavaroorani vaduku muLand-Rover yekare. Vasati vasvika, ndakanga ndavamba kunzwa kuva asina basa zvishomanene munzvimbo iyoyo inogara vashandi, asi vafundisi vakandisimbisira, kuti: “Pepita, uri pano nokuda kwedonzo.” Panguva iyoyo ndakanga ndisina kupwiswa, asi nokukurumidza ndakanzwisisa.
Rimwe zuva mukati meshanyo yavafundisi, takafamba nomugwagwa mutsva usina kugadziriswa uye takafadzwa kuwana misha yakati yavaAmerindia anenge makiromita 50 kubva kunzvimbo yedu inogara vashandi. Mazuva mashomanene okuparidzira pakati pavaIndia ivavo veArawak vane ushamwari akaguma nefundo dzeBhaibheri dzakawanda. Naizvozvo apo vafundisi vakabva, Cecilia neni takavamba kushanyira vagari vomumusha ivavo kaviri pavhiki.
Taimuka nenguva yechina mumangwanani, uye nenguva yechinomwe taivamba fundo yedu yeBhaibheri yokutanga. Panenge panguva yechishanu masikati, taiva kumusha zvakare. Kwamakore maviri takaitisa fundo 30 vhiki rimwe nerimwe. Nokukurumidza vana vaiva mumusha vakanga vava kundidana kuti Tete Bhaibheri! Vazhinji pakupedzisira vakabhapatidzwa, uye makore gare gare 182 vakapinda gungano redunhu mumusha iwoyo. Zvamazvirokwazvo, sokutaura kwakanga kwaita shamwari dzangu dzinodiwa dziri vafundisi, takanga tiri musango nokuda kwedonzo!
Kuenda kuPapua New Guinea
Takabva muSuriname muna 1980, uye gore rakatevera racho takatumirwa kuPapua New Guinea. Pashure pemwedzi mitanhatu inofadza neZvapupu muguta, Port Moresby, herikoputa yakandiendesa kumusha wangu unotevera—nzvimbo inogara vashandi pakakwirira mumakomo uko kambani yaJack yakanga ichatanga mugodhi wegoridhe. Kwakanga kusina migwagwa. Vanhu, zvokushandisa, uye zvokudya zvakasvika nendege. Iyi ndiyo yakanga iri nzvimbo iri yoga zvikurusa yandakanga ndati ndamborarama mairi. Zvakare ndakabvunza kuti, Ndokupi kwandinogona kuwana vanhu vokutaura navo?
Vanhu vaiva munzvimbo yedu inogara vashandi vaindiziva kubvira kare, uye hapana nomumwe aida kuteerera. Zvisinei, panenge panguva iyoyo, kambani yakavhura chitoro chegorosa. Vakadzi vaibva kunzvimbo dziri kure vaitenga ikoko. Nokukurumidza ndakava mumwe wavatengi venguva dzose wechitoro chacho. Kwakabudirira here?
Rimwe zuva ndakavamba kurukurirano nomukadzi wokuPapua. Akandiudza kuti akanga ari mudzidzisi. “Haiwa, ndiri mudzidzisiwo,” ndakadaro.
“Muri here?” akabvunza kudaro.
“Hungu, ndinodzidzisa Bhaibheri.” Nokukurumidza akagamuchira chikarakadzo changu chokufunda Bhaibheri naye. Gare gare, vatengi vakawanda vegorosari vakabvuma kuita zvimwe chetezvo. Nzvimbo iyoyo iri pedyo nomugodhi wegoridhe yakabereka fundo dzeBhaibheri nomwe—mugodhi wegoridhe womudzimu zvamazvirokwazvo!
Pashure pokunge tapedza makore matatu paichi chitsuwa chePacific, basa idzva rakatitumira kuchitsuwa cheCaribbean cheGrenada. Asi pashure pegore nehafu, murume wangu aifanira kudzokera kuUnited States nokuda kwezvikonzero zvougwinyi, naizvozvo muna 1986 takagara muBoise, Idaho.
Kushanda neUngano
Pashure pokurarama makore ose iwayo mukuparadzana nehama dzangu nehanzvadzi dzechiKristu, zvino ndaitofanira kudzidza kushanda pamwe chete navamwe. Zvisinei, vakuru vechiKristu navamwe vakandibetsera nokushivirira. Nhasi, ndinofarikanya kupinda misangano nokuitisa fundo dzeBhaibheri muurwu rutivi rwenyika.
Pane dzimwe nguva, kunyange zvakadaro, apo ndinogara panzvimbo yakanyarara ndokuzviona zvakare ndimene ndiri shure kwaEva muBangkok yakabatikana kana kuti ndichishaura nziyo yoUmambo ndichifamba pamugwagwa womugwenga muAustralia kana kuti kuparidzira pakati pavaAmerindia vaye vanozvininipisa musango rinonaya mvura yakawanda reSuriname, ndinonyemwerera, uye meso angu anozara nemisodzi yokuonga nokuda kwetarisiro yandakagamuchira mukati mamakore mazhinji andakabatira Jehovha ndiri ndoga.—Yakataurwa naJosefa ‘Pepita’ Abernathy.
[Mifananidzo iri papeji 22]
Ndakabatsira vazhinji muPapua New Guinea kusvika pakuziva Jehovha
Kudzidzisa Shoko raMwari muSuriname
[Mufananidzo uri papeji 23]
Kuimba navadzidzi vangu veBhaibheri vechiSpania muMelbourne
[Mufananidzo uri papeji 24]
Zvino ndinobatira neungano iri muIdaho