BAMBO anga ndi mayi anga anakumana mu 1919 pa msonkhano wa Ophunzira Baibulo mumzinda wa Cedar Point, ku Ohio, m’dziko la United States. Iwo anakwatirana chaka chomwecho. Ine ndinabadwa mu 1922, ndipo mchimwene wanga Paul anabadwa patapita zaka ziwiri. Mkazi wanga Grace anabadwa m’chaka cha 1930. Makolo ake, a Roy ndi a Ruth Howell, anakulira m’banja la Ophunzira Baibulo. Ndipo agogo ake ankadziwana kwambiri ndi M’bale Charles Taze Russell.

Ndinakumana ndi Grace mu 1947, ndipo tinakwatirana pa July 16, 1949. Tisanakwatirane tinakambirana momasuka za tsogolo lathu, ndipo tinagwirizana kuti tichite utumiki wa nthawi zonse komanso kuti tisakhale ndi ana. Choncho pa October 1, 1950, tonse tinayamba upainiya. Kenako mu 1952 tinapemphedwa kuti tikagwire ntchito yoyang’anira dera.

Tonse tinkaona kuti tikufunikira kwambiri thandizo kuti tikwanitse utumiki woyendayenda. Ine ndinkaphunzira kwa abale odziwa zambiri za ntchitoyi koma ndinkafufuzanso munthu amene angathandize Grace. Ndinafunsa Marvin Holien, yemwe ankatumikira kale monga woyang’anira woyendayenda, kuti: “Popeza Grace ndi wamng’ono komanso sadziwa zambiri, kodi mukudziwa munthu amene angagwire naye ntchito limodzi n’kumuthandiza?” Iye anati: “Inde. Mlongo wina dzina lake Edna Winkle wachita upainiya kwa nthawi yaitali ndipo angamuthandize kwambiri.” Patapita nthawi, Grace ananena za Edna kuti: “Iye anandithandiza kukhala womasuka mu utumiki. Ankadziwa bwino kwambiri kuyankha anthu amene ankakana kuwalalikira. Ndipo anandiphunzitsa kuti ndizimvetsera bwino anthu amene ndakumana nawo mu utumiki kuti ndidziwe zoyenera kukambirana nawo. Kunena zoona Edna anandithandiza kwambiri.”

Ine ndi Grace tinatumikira m’madera awiri ku Iowa, kuphatikizanso mbali zina za ku Minnesota ndi ku South Dakota. Kenako tinatumizidwa kukatumikira ku New York ndipo dera lathu  linaphatikiza mipingo ya ku Brooklyn ndi ku Queens. Sitidzaiwala mmene tinkamvera kutumikira m’dera limeneli. Tinkadziona kuti sitikudziwa zambiri. Zinali choncho chifukwa tinkachezera mpingo wa pa Beteli ku Brooklyn umene unali ndi abale a pa Beteli odziwa zambiri. Nditakamba nkhani yoyamba ya utumiki mumpingowu, M’bale Nathan Knorr anandiuza kuti: “Malcolm, mwatipatsa malangizo ndipo anali oyenera. Musaiwale kuti ngati simungatipatse malangizo simungakhale wothandiza m’gulu la Yehova. Pitirizani kugwira ntchito yanu yabwinoyi.” Titamaliza, ndinauza Grace zimene anandiuza. Kenako tinapita kuchipinda kumene tinafikira ku Beteli ndipo tinali titatheratu chifukwa cha nkhawa ndipo tinayamba kulira.

Patapita miyezi ingapo, tinaitanidwa kukakhala m’kalasi ya 24 ya Sukulu ya Giliyadi. Tinamaliza maphunzirowa mu February 1955. Koma tisanapite kusukuluyi, tinauzidwa kuti kwenikweni cholinga cha maphunzirowo ndi kutithandiza pa utumiki woyendayenda osati kukakhala amishonale. Tinasangalala kwambiri ndi sukuluyo ndipo tinaphunzira kukhala odzichepetsa.

Titamaliza sukuluyi, tinatumizidwa kukagwira ntchito yoyang’anira chigawo. Chigawo chimenechi chinaphatikizapo madera a ku Indiana, Michigan ndi Ohio. Kenako mu December 1955, tinadabwa kulandira kalata yochokera kwa M’bale Knorr yonena kuti: “Mundiuze mosapita m’mbali komanso moona mtima zimene mukufuna. Ndiuzeni ngati mukufuna kukatumikira ku Beteli . . . kapena ngati mungafune kukatumikira kudziko lina pambuyo potumikira pa Beteli kwa kanthawi. Koma ngati mukufuna kupitiriza kutumikira ngati woyang’anira dera kapena chigawo, munene.” Tinayankha kuti tingasangalale kugwira ntchito iliyonse imene tingapatsidwe. Pasanapite nthawi, tinauzidwa kuti tipite ku Beteli.

Pamene ndinali pa Beteli ndinali ndi mwayi wokakamba nkhani ndi kuphunzitsa m’madera osiyanasiyana m’dziko la United States. Ndinathandiza pophunzitsa abale ambiri achinyamata amene anadzakhala ndi maudindo aakulu kwambiri m’gulu la Yehova. Kenako ndinakhala mlembi wa M’bale Knorr mu ofesi imene inkayang’anira ntchito yolalikira padziko lonse.

Ndinasangalala kwambiri kugwira ntchito ku Dipatimenti ya Utumiki. M’dipatimentiyi ndinali ndi mwayi wogwira ntchito limodzi ndi T. J. Sullivan. Iye anali woyang’anira dipatimentiyi kwa zaka zambiri ine ndisanayambe kutumikira kumeneko. Panali abale enanso amene anandiphunzitsa zambiri. M’bale wina amene anauzidwa kuti azindiphunzitsa  ndi Fred Rusk. Ndikukumbukira kumufunsa kuti: “Fred, n’chifukwa chiyani mumasintha zambiri m’makalata amene ndimalemba?” Iye anaseka ndipo kenako anati: “Malcolm, mukamalankhula ndi munthu, mutha kufotokozanso zimene sanamvetse. Koma mukalemba kalata, muyenera kutsimikizira kuti mfundo zake n’zolondola ndiponso zomveka bwino. Zimenezi ndi zofunika kwambiri makamaka ngati kalatayo ikuchokera kunoko.” Kenako ananena mokoma mtima kuti: “Musataye mtima chifukwa mukuyesetsa ndipo mudzazolowera.”

Pa zaka zimene tinkatumikira pa Beteli, Grace anagwira ntchito zosiyanasiyana. Ntchito ina imene anasangalala nayo inali yosamalira m’zipinda zogona. Nthawi zina timakumana ndi abale amene ankagwira ntchito ku Beteli pa nthawiyo pamene iwo anali achinyamata. Iwo amayamikira kwambiri zimene Grace anawaphunzitsa. Mwachitsanzo, m’bale wina anati: “Munandiphunzitsa bwino kuyala pabedi ndipo amayi anga anayamikiranso zimenezi.” Grace anali ndi mwayi wogwiranso ntchito m’madipatimenti okhudza makalata, maoda a magazini ndiponso kupanga makaseti. Kugwira ntchito zosiyanasiyana zimenezi kunamuthandiza kuona kuti utumiki uliwonse umene tingapatsidwe m’gulu la Yehova ndi mwayi waukulu. Mpaka pano adakali ndi maganizo amenewa.

Cha m’ma 1975, tinaona kuti makolo athu akalamba kwambiri ndipo akufunika thandizo. Choncho tinafunika kusankha zochita ndipo zinali zovuta. Sitinkafuna kuchoka pa Beteli n’kusiyana ndi abale ndi alongo amene tinkagwirizana nawo kwambiri. Koma ndinkaonabe kuti ndi udindo wanga kusamalira makolo athuwo. Choncho patapita nthawi, tinachoka pa Beteli koma tinkaganiza kuti tidzabwerera zinthu zikadzasintha.

Ndiyeno kuti tizipeza kangachepe ndinayamba ntchito kukampani ya mainshulansi. Tsiku lina ndikuphunzitsidwa ntchitoyi, abwana anga anandiuza kuti: “Kuti ziyende pa ntchitoyi ufunika kumayendera anthu madzulo n’kumawafotokozera za mainshulansi athu. Zimenezi n’zofunika kwambiri chifukwa madzulo m’pamene ungakumane ndi anthuwo.” Ndinawayankha kuti: “Ndikukumvetsani ndipo ndikudziwa kuti mumaidziwa bwino ntchitoyi. Koma vuto ndi lakuti ndili ndi udindo wina wokhudza kutumikira Mulungu umene sindifuna kuunyalanyaza. Ndiziyesetsa kuchita zimene mwanenazo koma madzulo a Lachiwiri ndi Lachinayi ndiyenera kupita ku misonkhano yofunika kwambiri.” Yehova anandidalitsa kwambiri chifukwa chosalola kuti ntchito izindijombetsa ku misonkhano.

Mayi anga anamwalira kunyumba yosungirako anthu okalamba mu July 1987 ndipo pa nthawiyi n’kuti tikuwasamalira komweko. Nesi wamkulu anauza Grace kuti: “Mayi Allen, pitani kunyumba tsopano mukapume. Aliyense akudziwa kuti  mwakhala mukuthandiza apongozi anu kwa nthawi yonseyi. Musadandaule, mwachita zonse zimene mukanatha.”

Mu December 1987, tinalembanso mafomu ofunsira kuti tibwerere ku Beteli chifukwa tinkakonda kwambiri kutumikira kumeneko. Koma patangopita masiku ochepa, Grace anapezeka ndi khansa ya m’matumbo. Atamuchita opaleshoni, iye anachira ndipo anauzidwa kuti khansayo yatha. Ndiyeno tinalandira kalata yochokera ku Beteli yonena kuti tizingotumikira mu mpingo wathu womwewo. Koma tinkafunitsitsa kuchitabe zambiri potumikira Mulungu.

Patapita nthawi, ndinapeza ntchito ina ku Texas. Tinaganiza kuti kumeneku n’kwabwino chifukwa n’kotenthera. Takhala tikutumikira kuno ku Texas kwa zaka 25 ndipo kuli abale ndi alongo achikondi omwe timagwirizana nawo kwambiri.

Grace wakhala akuvutika ndi matenda a khansa ya m’matumbo, pammero ndipo posachedwapa, khansa ya m’mawere. Koma sadandauladandaula za mavuto ake kapena kuyamba kuvuta. Kawirikawiri anthu amamufunsa kuti: “N’chiyani chimachititsa kuti zinthu ziziyenda bwino m’banja mwanu komanso kuti nonse muzikhala osangalala?” Poyankha iye amatchula zifukwa zinayi izi: “Timagwirizana kwambiri. Timakambirana pafupipafupi zinthu zofunika. Timakonda kucheza tsiku lililonse. Tikayambana timathetsa nkhaniyo tisanakagone.” Nthawi zina timakhumudwitsana ndithu, koma timakhululukirana n’kuiwala nkhaniyo. Zimenezi zimatithandiza kwambiri.

Pa mayesero onse amene takumana nawo, taphunzirapo zinthu zambiri:

1.  Taphunzira kudalira Yehova nthawi zonse ndi kuvomereza zimene walola kuti zichitike. Taphunziranso kuti tisamadalire nzeru zathu.—Miy. 3:5, 6; Yer. 17:7.

2.  Tizidalira malangizo opezeka m’Mawu a Yehova pa nkhani iliyonse. Kumvera Yehova komanso malamulo ake n’kofunika kwambiri. N’zosatheka kukhala pakatimpakati, koma muyenera kusankha kumvera kapena kusamvera.—Aroma 6:16; Aheb. 4:12.

3.  Chinthu chimodzi chofunika kwambiri pa moyo wathu ndi kukhala pa ubwenzi wabwino ndi Yehova. Tiyenera kuika patsogolo zofuna zake, osati kufunafuna chuma.—Miy. 28:20; Mlal. 7:1; Mat. 6:33, 34.

4.  Tizipemphera kuti tikhale odalirika potumikira Yehova. Tiziganizira zimene tingakwanitse kuchita osati zimene sitingakwanitse.—Mat. 22:37; 2 Tim. 4:2.

5.  Tizikumbukira kuti Yehova akugwiritsa ntchito gulu limodzi ndipo akulidalitsa.—Yoh. 6:68.

Ine ndi Grace tatumikira Yehova zaka zoposa 75. Ndipo monga banja tatumikira Yehova kwa zaka pafupifupi 65. Kunena zoona tasangalala kwambiri kutumikira limodzi Yehova kwa zaka zonsezi. Tikupempha Yehova kuti athandize abale ndi alongo athu onse kuti azimudalira ndi kupeza madalitso ochuluka.