Ndakakuona Kuchikura muSouthern Africa

Yakataurwa naRobert Albert McLuckie

MUBATO wokuparidzira Umambo muSouth Africa unopfuurira zvakaisvonaka. Kuvambira pavane zana kana kuti kupfuura vaiparidzira mukupera kwama 1920, zvino kune vanenge 45 000 vanozivisa mashoko akanaka muSouth Africa. Uye vamwe 150 000 kana kuti kupfuura vari kuparidzira mudzimwe nyika uko bazu redu reSouth Africa raitarisira kare.

Ini ndakava nomufaro wokuona uku kukura kunoshamisa kumaodzanyemba kweAfrica mukati mamakore 60 apfuura! Regai ndikuudzei nokupfupikisa pamusoro pako uye pamusoro pegoverano mhuri yangu neni takaropafadzwa kuva nayo makuri.

Kwakavamba Nengwavaira

Pana June 22, 1927, mudzimai wangu anodiwa, Edna, akafa, achisiya shure mwanasikana wedu, Lyall, ane zera ramakore matatu uye mwanakomana wedu, Donovan, ane zera ramakore maviri. Ini ndaingova bedzi namakore 26. Rufu rwake rwakandisiya ndapedzwa nenhamo uye ndashamiswa chose. Iye akanga ari kupi? Ndisingadaviri kuti akanga ari muhero, ndakawana nyaradzo yakati usiku nokurota kuti iye akanga ari mudenga.

July iyeyo Donovan muduku akandigamuchidza kapepa kakanga kane kero yomumwe munhuwo zvake asi nenzira yakati kakanga kavhengana netsamba dzedu. Kaiva nehurukuro yakakurukurwa naJoseph Rutherford, purezidhendi wechipiri weWatch Tower Society. Zvaiva mukati zvakandifadza zvikuru kwazvo zvokuti ndakakurumidza kuodha zvinyorwa zvose zvakarongwa. Ndaisaziva kuti ikoku kwaizochinja upenyu hwangu.

Pakati pamabhukwana akasvika, kamwe kaiva nomusoro unoti Hell—What Is It? Who Are There? Can They Get Out? kakakweva ngwariro yangu. Ndakafadzwa chose sei nokuona kabhukwana ikako! Pashure bedzi pamapeji maviri kana kuti matatu, ndakaseka zvomenemene nomufaro.

Ndichidisa kugoverana zvandakanga ndadzidza, ndainyorera kana kuti zvimwe kutaura navabereki vangu nemimwe mitezo yemhuri. Somuuyo, vanun’una vangu vana, Jack, Percy, William, uye Sydney, vakakurumidza kufarira uye vakavamba kuparidzira kuvamwe. Makore gare gare, baba vangu, amai, uye hanzvadzi mbiri, Connie naGrace, vakagamuchirawo kutenda.

Handina kugona kuwana mumwe Mudzidzi weBhaibheri, seizvo Zvapupu zvaJehovha zvaizivikanwa panguva iyeyo, murutivi rwedu rweSouth Africa. Ndakatamira kuSouthern Rhodesia, zvino Zimbabwe, uye ndakashanda kwerinenge gore rimwe papurazi remombe nomunun’una wangu Jack. Somuuyo wokurava mabhuku eWatch Tower Society, hakuna kutora nguva refu ndisati ndanzwa chishuvo chokukurumidza chokupinda muushumiri hwenguva yakazara.

Kusvikira panguva ino ndakanga ndisati ndasangana navatendi biyangu vapi navapi kunze kwaavo ndakanga ndapupurira kwavari. Naizvozvo ndakaita rwendo nechitima rwamakiromita 2,300 ndichienda kuhofisi yebazu yeSosaiti kuCape Town, South Africa. Kugamuchirwa kwoushamwari kwakadini kwandakagamuchira kuna George Phillips, uyo aitarisira basa kumaodzanyemba kweAfrica! Pana January 10, 1930, ndakabhapatidzwa.

Makore Apakuvamba Okupayona

Kunyange zvazvo ndakanga ndataura kumazana avanhu pamusoro peBhaibheri mukati mamakore matatu apfuura, ndakanga ndisina kugoverana muushumiri hwapaimba neimba. Kunyanguvezvo, ndakanyoreswa muushumiri hwenguva yakazara sapiona. Mumazuva iwayo kwakanga kusina gadziriro yokurovedza. Kutaura idi, vaparidzi vaisawanzoenda pamwe chete kumusha mumwe chetewo. Sezvo taiva navaparidzi vashomanene zvikuru, hakuna kuratidzika hako kuva kunoshanda kuita saizvozvo.

Nenzira yomuzvarirwo, ndakaitira hanya garikano yavana vangu, Lyall naDonovan, avo vakanga vachitarisirwa navanasekuru vavo. Sezvo ivo vakanga vachigamuchira tarisiro yakanaka, panguva yacho ndakakunzwa kwakafanira kuzvishandisa ndimene mukuparadzira shoko roUmambo kuvamwe. Ndozvandakaita.

Mukati mamakore matatu akatevera okupayona, ndaiva navakutsirani vashanu, kubatanidza munun’una wangu Syd. Gare gare iye akabata typhoid fever ari mubasa roupiona ndokufa. Kupayona kwakanga kusiri nyore mumazuva iwayo apakuvamba. Taishandisa vhani yebhizimisi yaiva nemibhedha yakavakirirwa mukati, yakaitwa kuti ipeteke parutivi rumwe norumwe rwevhani yacho. Ikoku kwakatigonesa kuvata, kugara, kubika, uye kudyira mukati.

Chinoitika chakatanhamara zvikurusa chamazuva angu apakuvamba okupayona chaiva apo takagamuchira zita redu idzva, Zvapupu zvaJehovha, muna 1931, pamwe chete nekabhukwana kanonzi The Kingdom—The Hope of the World. Ndinoyeuka zvakajeka ndichinzwa ndichityiswa nomufungo wokushandisa zita iroro rine mbiri, ndichishamisika kana ndingagona kurishandisa zvakafanira.

Chimwe chinoitika chinoyeukwa mumakore iwayo apakuvamba kwakanga kuri kubhapatidza munun’una wangu Jack nomudzimai wake, Dorrell, mumvura dzakazadzwa namakarwe dzoRwizi rweNuanetsi muSouthern Rhodesia. Pamberi poruombeko, takakandira mabwe murwizi rwacho kutandanisa makarwe api naapi akawanda. Gare gare, muma 1950, ndakabhapatidza amai vangu mushambiro.

Mudzimwe Nyika

Muna 1933 mukutsirani wangu wechishanu, Robert Nisbet, uye ini takagoverwa kundima itsva, isina kubatwa—zvitsuwa zveMauritius neMadagascar kure nemhenderekedzo yegungwa yokumaodzanyemba kwakadziva kumabvazuva yeAfrica. Takapedzera rutivi runopfuura hafu rwemwedzi mina tiri pazvitsuwa izvozvo zviviri, tichisima mbeu dzezvokwadi yeBhaibheri. Mufaro wakadini zvino kuona kuti Mauritius ine vaparidzi voUmambo vanenge 800 uye Madagascar 3 000! Apo takadzokera kuSouth Africa, Robert neni takaparadzana. Gare gare iye akapayona nomunun’una wangu Syd uye gare garezve akabatira somutariri webazu muMauritius.

Pamberi pokudzokera kwedu kuSouth Africa, ndakaronga kusangana naLyall naDonovan pamusha paBaba vangu. Pashure pokuvashanyira, kwakasvika paradzano isingadzivisiki, yakaperekedzwa nemisodzi. Ndakapfuurira kufamba kuzosangana nomutariri webazu, Hama Phillips, kuzogamuchira mugove wangu unotevera. Yakanga iri Nyasaland, zvino Malawi. Chevrolet ya 1929 yakanditengerwa yokushandisa ikoko.

Naizvozvo, muna 1934, ndakaenda parwendo rwamakiromita ane 1,900, zvikurukuru mumigwagwa ine guruva, kubva Johannesburg, South Africa, kuenda Zomba, dzimbahwe reNyasaland. Pakupedzisira ndakasvika mugumo wangu, musha wehama yeAfrica, Richard Kalinde. Iye akava mufambidzani wangu wapedyo nomuturikiri mukati mokugara kwangu muNyasaland. Pashure penguva yakati, ndakawana kamuri mbiri muhotera yakare iyo yakanga isati ichashandiswa. Imwe ndaishandisa senzvimbo yehofisi, uye imwe yacho yokugara.

Mugove wangu muNyasaland wakanga uri zvikurukuru kuunza nhevedzano kubva mumigariro ine nyongano yakabva mumasangano ainzi Watchtower. Makore pamberi pezvi, Mutema, akarovedzana namanyoro apurezidhendi wokutanga weWatch Tower Society, Charles Taze Russell, akanga ava nomutoro wokuvamba kwaaya masangano kunyange zvazvo iye amene asina kutongova mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha.—Ona 1976 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, mapeji 71-4.

Ndakashanyira ungano dzaavo vakanga vachishandisa mabhuku eWatch Tower ndokurava chisarudzo pamusoro pezita redu idzva, Zvapupu zvaJehovha. Vose vaida chisarudzo vakakumbirwa kuratidzira ikoku nokusimudza maoko. Kunyange zvazvo voruzhinji vakaratidzira saizvozvo, vazhinji havana kunzwisisa zvizere chaibatanidza ikoku chaizvoizvo. Nokudaro, mumakore, nepo vamwe vakakundikana kufambira mberi mumudzimu, vamwe vakabvisa tsigiro yavo chose chose kuuyo ivo vakanga varangarira somutungamiriri uye ndokuva zvirokwazvo Zvapupu zvaJehovha.

Pashure peinenge mwedzi mitanhatu muNyasaland, ndakapinda muMozambique, umo shoko roUmambo rakanga richigere kuziviswa. Ikoko ndakasangana nomukuru mukuru muduku wechiPutukezi uyo Robert Nisbet neni takanga taona mugwa tichienda kuMauritius. Iye akandikoka kuzvokudya, uye ndakakwanisa kutaurazve naye.

Pane imwe nhambo, ndiri mumumwe musha kuchamhembe kweMozambique, motokari yakamira parutivi pangu. Akanga ari gavhuna wenharaunda yacho. Iye akabvunza kana aigona kuva webetsero ndokundikoka kumusha kwake, uko akagamuchira zvakawanda zvezvinyorwa zveWatch Tower. Kunyange zvazvo basa rokuparidzira zvino rakarambidzwa muMozambique neNyasaland (Malawi), kunofadza kwandiri kuziva kuti hama nehanzvadzi vakawanda vakatendeka zvino vanoshingaira ikoko.

Maropafadzo eBheteri

Pashure pokunge ndadzokera kuNyasaland, ndakagamuchira chishamiso chakadini! Ndakakokwa kukumbanira vashandi vomuhofisi mubazu reSouth Africa kuCape Town, uye munun’una wangu William akatumwa kuzonditsiva muNyasaland. Naizvozvo ndakatanga rwendo rwamakiromita 3,500 ndiri muChevrolet. Ndichienda ndakashanyira Donovan naLyall. Ivo vaiva namakore okukura 11 ne 12 zvino, uye raizova rimwe gore ndisati ndavaona zvakare.

Ndakagoverwa kutarisira hofisi yebazu panguva ipi neipi apo Hama Phillips, mutariri webazu, akanga asipo. Kunyange zvazvo ndakanga ndisina kusonganirana nguva dzose neungano imwe ipi neipi yeZvapupu zvaJehovha chifo chokudzidza zvokwadi makore mapfumbamwe pamberi pezvi, muna 1936 ndakagadzwa kuva mutariri anotungamirira weCape Town Ungano, yakaumbwa navaparidzi vanenge 20.

Chinjo Mumugariro

Handina kuda kurega maropafadzo angu ebasa, asi Lyall naDonovan vakanga vodokupinda mumakore avo echiduku, uye ndakaitira hanya garikano yavo, kubatanidza garikano yavo yomudzimu. Nenzira yokuonga, mhinduro kunhau yacho yakanga yava pedyo.

Pana June 6, 1936, Hama Phillips akandisuma kuvauyi vatsva vakabva Australia, Hanzvadzi Seidel nomwanasikana wake akanaka ane makore 18 okukura, Carmen. Mukati megore racho Carmen neni takaroorana. Naizvozvo ndakawana basa rokunyika ndokutanga musha.

Kwegore rimwe ndaiva nebasa muSouth Africa, asi ipapo Carmen neni nomwanakomana wedu muduku, Peter, takatamira kuSouthern Rhodesia, uko munun’una wangu Jack akanga andikoka kuzomukumbanira mubasa rokuchera ndarama. Pashure pokunge tagadzikana, Lyall naDonovan, avo vakanga vasara shure naamai vaCarmen, vakatikumbanira.

Kutarisana Nechitambudzo Chomunguva Yehondo

Muna September 1939, Hondo yeNyika II yakatanga, uye gore rakatevera racho mabhuku edu eBhaibheri akarambidzwa. Takasarudza kuedza kuva pamutemo kwomutemo wacho kupfurikidza nokuparadzira mabhuku chauya chauya. Kusungwa nezvirango zvakatevera, uye mabhuku edu namaBhaibheri zvakabvutwa ndokupiswa.

Mamwe mangwanani pashure pebasa redu rokuparidzira, takakokwa nomudhikitivha kundotora vana vedu pakamba yamapurisa uko vakanga vaendeswa. Takaramba, tichionesa kuti sezvo vaduku sezviri pachena vakanga vasungwa, kwaiva kumapurisa kuvatarisira. Masikati iwayo, pashure pokudzokera tichibva kuushumiri hwomumunda, takawana vana vari pamusha vakakotsekana asi hapana mupurisa akaoneka!

Pane imwe nhambo, muna 1941, Carmen akatongerwa mwedzi mitatu mutorongo kunyange zvazvo akanga ane pamuviri. Estrella, zvisinei, akaberekwa Carmen asati avamba kubatira tongerwo yake. Panzvimbo pokusiya mwana ari kumusha aneni, Carmen akasarudza kuenda naye kutorongo. Nokudaro, Estrella akasvika pakurerwa nomumwe mukadzi weAfrica uyo akanga auraya murume wake. Apo Carmen akasunungurwa, mupondikadzi akanetseka kwazvo zvokuti akachema zvikuru. Sezvineiwo, Estrella akatanga kupayona muna 1956 pazera ramakore 15. Gare gare, akaroorwa naJack Jones uye kwaanopfuura makore 20 zvino akabatira nomurume wake muSouth Africa uye panguva ino padzimbahwe reWatch Tower Society muBrooklyn, New York.

Nokukurumidza pashure pezvo ndakapedzawo mwedzi inoverengeka ndiri mutorongo nokuda kwokuparidzira. Ndiri imomo, muna January 1942, Joseph Rutherford akafa. Hapana chandaigona kuita kunze kwokudonhedza misodzi mishomanene usiku ihwohwo ndiri ndoga muchitokisi changu. Ndaiva namabanza okupupurira, uye rimwe Svondo mangwanani, apo munhu ari wose zvake akanga ari muruvazhe rwokunze nokuda kwerovedzo, ndakabhapatidza musungwa biyangu uyo akanga agamuchira shoko roUmambo.

Hofisi Itsva Yebazu

Pashure pokusunungurwa kwangu mutorongo, ndakawana basa murarwe muBulawayo. Carmen akanga adzidza kusona marokwe ari mutorongo uye akashandisa unyanzvi hwacho kubetsera kutsigira mhuri. Lyall akadzokera achibva South Africa, uko iye akanga ave achipayona, uyewo akabetsera nendyiko. Somuuyo, takakurumidza kuva nemari yakawanda kupfuura yataida chaizvoizvo, naizvozvo takakurukura, uye kwakabvumiranwa kuti ndaigona zvakare kutora ushumiri hwenguva yakazara.

Zvandaiva nerugwaro rwerarwe, muna 1947 ndakafamba nechitima ndichienda Cape Town kunoona Hama Phillips. Kukushamiswa kwangu kukuru, ndakagoverwa kuvhura nzvimbo yokutarisira mabhuku eSosaiti muBulawayo. Ipapo, gore rakatevera racho, Nathan H. Knorr, purezidhendi wechitatu weWatch Tower Society, akashanyira ndokuronga kuti nzvimbo yacho ive hofisi yebazu pana September 1, 1948, naEric Cooke somutariri webazu weSouthern Rhodesia. Kwamakore 14 akatevera, ndakaropafadzwa kushanda pabazu apo, chokwadika, ndakanga ndichigara kumba nemhuri yedu inokura. Ndinoonga kwazvo nokuda kwetsigiro yokunyama iyo Carmen navana vedu vakura vakapa, kuchindigonesa kupfuurira kushanda pahofisi yebazu.

Mumwe Mugove Wokuparidzira

Pakasvika 1962 Carmen neni takashuva kuenda kure mumunda ndokushanda kwaiva nokudikanwa kukuru. Naizvozvo takatengesa musha wedu ndokutora Lindsay naJeremy, vana vedu vaviri vadukusa—vamwe vashanu vakanga vakura uye vakanga vabva pamusha—uye takananga kuSeychelle Islands.

Kutanga, takafamba nemotokari, zvikurusa mumigwagwa ine guruva, kwamakiromita anenge 2,900, tichisvika muMombasa, Kenya. Takasiya motokari ine hama ndokuenda neigwa kuSeychelles. Mumwe munhu anofarira akatisuma kuvamwe, uye nokukurumidza takatanga kuitisa misangano munodokuva mumumvuri weimba yabhishopi. Taiva nemimwe misangano pachitsuwa chiri pedyo muimba yamagwa yaiva yomunhu yakapoteredzwa nemichindwe mirefu uye mafungu achisvika pamhenderekedzo yegungwa.

Mibato yedu yakakurumidza kuzivikanwa, uye zviremera pakupedzisira zvakatiraira kurega kuparidzira, chimwe chinhu chataisambogona kubvuma kuita. (Mabasa 4:19, 20) Naizvozvo, chaizvoizvo, takadzingwa, asi munguvayo takanga tabhapatidza vanhu vashanu. Mukati mokugara kwedu kwemwedzi mishanu muSeychelles, Carmen akava napamuviri paAndrew, mwana wedu wokupedzisira. Tichidzokera kuSouthern Rhodesia, mwanasikana wedu Pauline akatikoka kugara naye nomurume wake tichimirira kuberekwa kwaAndrew.

Zvikomborero Negutsikano

Ndinofara kutaura kuti vasere vose vavana vedu, kubatanidza Lyall naDonovan, vakapinda mukupayona pane imwe nguva. Kutaura idi, vana vavanakomana vedu navazukuru zvino vakuru, uye vaviri vabatiri vanoshumira. Mukuwedzera, tinofara sei kuti vazhinji vavazukuru vedu navazukuruchibvi pamwe chete navabereki vavo vari kuzivisa mashoko anofadza munyika dzisiri pasi peina uye kuti mimwe mitezo yakawanda yemhuri yaMcLuckie iri kubatirawo Jehovha. Miuyo yakadaro, ndinopwiswa, iri nemhaka yokupinda kwemhuri nguva dzose misangano nokupinda nguva dzose mumubato wokuparidzira.

Zvino pamakore 89 ezera, ndichine ropafadzo yokuva mukuru muungano yedu muPietermaritzburg, South Africa. Kunondiunzira gutsikano yechokwadi kutarira shure paanopfuura makore 60 mubasa rakakomborerwa raJehovha. Zvikurukuru chikomborero kuva ndakaona zvizvarwa zvishanu zvemhuri yedu, kubatanidza vabereki vangu, vachiunza rumbidzo kuna Jehovha, Mwari mukuru wechisiko chose chapose pose.