NAKURIYE i Graz, muri Otrishe. Mfise imyaka indwi, nararungitswe kwiga kw’ishure ry’abihebeye Imana. Ariko rero, nariboneye ubuhumbu buteye isoni bwagirwa hagati y’abapatiri n’ababikira. Haciye umwaka, mawe yaciye ankura kuri iryo shure.

Mu nyuma, naragiye kwiga kw’ishure ry’indaro. Umusi umwe mw’ijoro, dawe yaraje kuntora kubera ko bariko baratera ibibombe i Graz. Twaciye duhungira mu gisagara ca Schladming. Tukimara kuhashika no kujabuka ikiraro, ico kiraro caciye gisamburwa n’ibombe. Ikindi gihe, indege zaraturashe jewe na nyokuru turi hanze muhira iwacu. Intambara imaze guhera, twabona ko idini na leta vyari vyaduhemukiye.

Mu 1950, hari Icabona ca Yehova yatanguye kubwira mawe ubutumwa bwo muri Bibiliya. Narumviriza ivyo baba bariko barayaga, rimwe na rimwe mbere narajana na mawe ku makoraniro. Mawe amaze kujijuka ko Ivyabona vya Yehova bari mu kuri, yarabatijwe mu 1952.

Muri ico gihe, ishengero ry’aho twaba ryari rigizwe n’abatamakazi gusa. Ariko rero mu nyuma, twaragendeye ishengero ryarimwo abakiri bato benshi. Igihe twagaruka i Graz, naratanguye kwitaba amakoraniro yose, kandi bidatevye narajijutse ko ivyo nariko ndiga kwari ukuri. Naramenye kandi ko Yehova ari Imana idahemukira abasavyi bayo. Aradushigikira n’igihe tuba tubona ko tutagira gitabara, duhanzwe n’ibintu biturengeye.​—Zab. 3:5, 6.

Naripfuza kubwira ukuri abandi. Natanguriye ku bo tuvukana. Bakuru banje bane bari baramaze kuva muhira baja kuba abigisha. Ariko naragiye kubaraba aho baba mu bisagara bitandukanye maze ndabaremesha kwiga  Bibiliya. Abo tuvukana bose bahavuye biga Bibiliya maze baraba Ivyabona vya Yehova.

Maze indwi zibiri ntanguye kwamamaza inzu ku nzu, narabonanye n’umugore umwe ageze mu myaka 30 duca turatangura kwiga Bibiliya. Yarateye imbere arabatizwa, mu nyuma umugabo wiwe n’abahungu biwe babiri barakurikira. Iyo nyigisho yaramfashije cane mu buryo bw’impwemu. Uti gute? Mu bisanzwe, nta muntu n’umwe yigeze angirira inyigisho ya Bibiliya. Rero nategerezwa gutegura neza buri cigwa. Ni nk’aho nabanza kwiyigisha kugira nshobore kwigisha uwo mutohoji! Ivyo vyaratumye ndushiriza gutahura ukuri. Muri Ndamukiza 1954, naragaragaje ko niyeguriye Yehova mu kubatizwa.

Mu 1955, naritavye amahwaniro mpuzamakungu yabereye mu Budagi, mu Bufaransa no mu Bwongereza. Igihe nari i Londres, narabonanye na Albert Schroeder. Yari umwigisha mw’Ishure ry’ivya Bibiliya rya Gileyadi, kandi mu nyuma yarabaye mu bagize Inama Nyobozi. Igihe twariko turagendera iratiro ryitwa British Museum, umuvukanyi Schroeder yaratweretse ivyandikano bimwebimwe vya Bibiliya. Vyarimwo izina ry’Imana mu ndome z’igiheburayo, kandi yaradusiguriye akamaro kavyo. Ivyo vyarankoze ku mutima kandi birankomeza mu vy’impwemu, bituma ndushiriza kugira umwiyemezo wo kumenyekanisha ukuri kwo mw’Ijambo ry’Imana.

Natanguye umurimo w’igihe cose ku wa 1 Nzero 1956. Haciye amezi ane, nararungitswe gukorera muri Otrishe ndi umutsimvyi adasanzwe. Muri ico gihe, mu gisagara nagiye gukoreramwo ca Mistelbach nta Vyabona bariyo. Ariko rero, narahanganye n’ingorane itoroshe. Umutsimvyi twakorana twari dutandukanye cane. Jewe nari mfise hafi imyaka 19 kandi nari umunyagisagara; na we yari afise imyaka 25, akaba yava mu gihugu hagati. Narakunda kuryamira; na we akavyuka kare. Mw’ijoro na ho, narakunda guterama; na we agakunda kuryama kare. Yamara rero, gushira mu ngiro impanuro zo muri Bibiliya vyaradufashije kurengera izo ngorane, maze turakorana duhimbawe.

Twarahuye n’ibigeragezo bikomeye kuruta. Vyarashika mbere tugahamwa, ariko “nti[twa]sigwa mu kangaratete.” (2 Kor. 4:7-9) Igihe kimwe turiko turamamaza mu kigwati kimwe, abantu baradushuhuriyeko imbwa. Twe na mugenzanje twagiye tubona dukikujwe n’ibibwa bininibinini biriko birakuga vyasamye. Twarafatanye amaboko, mbere nca ndasenga nti: “Yehova, ndakwinginze nizaturya duce dupfa ubwo nyene!” Igihe izo mbwa zagira zidushikire, zaciye zihagarara, zirazungagiza imirizo, zica ziragenda. Twabonye ko ari Yehova yadukingiye. Inyuma y’aho, twaramamaje muri ico kigwati, kandi igishimishije, abantu baravyakiriye neza. Kumbure bari batangajwe n’uko za mbwa zitaturiye canke na ho ko tutaciye ducika intege inyuma y’ico kintu giteye ubwoba. Bamwe muri bo bahavuye baba Ivyabona.

Twarashikiwe n’ikindi kintu giteye ubwoba. Umusi umwe nyene inzu twabamwo yatashe yaborewe, ahiga ko atwica kandi avuga  ko duhungabanya ikibano. Umugore wiwe yaragerageje kumuhoyahoya biba ivy’ubusa. Ivyo vyose twavyumva turi mu cumba cacu mw’igorofa. Twaciye ubwo nyene dushira intebe ku muryango maze dutangura gutekera amasakoshi yacu. Igihe twugurura, yari ahagaze ku muryango, afise ikibugita kinini. Twaciye tuyanyaga duciye mu muryango w’inyuma, turamanuka duca mu kayira kari mu busitani dutwaye ivyacu vyose, kandi ntitwigeze tugaruka.

Twaciye tuja kw’ihoteli maze turafata icumba. Twahavuye tuhamara hafi umwaka, kandi vyaradufashije mu gikorwa cacu. Uti gute? Iyo hoteli yari hagati mu gisagara, kandi abantu bamwebamwe twigisha Bibiliya bashima kwigira ng’aho. Bidatevye, twari dusigaye tugirira inyigisho y’igitabu hamwe n’Inyigisho y’Umunara w’Inderetsi muri ico cumba twabamwo, tukaba twari abantu nka 15.

I Mistelbach twahamaze umwaka urenga. Naciye ndungikwa gukorera i Feldbach, mu bumanuko bushira ubuseruko bwa Graz. Nakorana n’uwundi mutsimvyi, ariko no ng’aho nta shengero ryari rihari. Twaba mu kumba gatoyi mw’igorofa igira kabiri y’inzu yubakishije ibiti. Umuyaga waguma uhuhuta uciye mu myanya y’ivyo biti, tukaba rero twaciye tugerageza kuyizibira dukoresheje ibipapuro. Amazi twayavoma mw’iriba. Ariko akigoro kacu ntikabaye impfagusa. Mu mezi makeyi gusa, twarashinze umugwi. Abantu nka 30 bo mu muryango umwe twigisha Bibiliya bahavuye bemera ukuri!

Ivyo bintu naciyemwo vyaratumye ndushiriza gukenguruka ukuntu Yehova ashigikira adahemuka abateza imbere ivyungura Ubwami. No mu gihe ata muntu aba ashoboye kudufasha, Yehova yama ahaseruka.​—Zab. 121:1-3.

Mu 1958 hari ihwaniro mpuzamakungu ryari kubera mu gisagara ca New York, ku kibuga c’inkino citwa Yankee Stadium n’icitwa Polo Grounds. Narasavye kuryitaba, maze ishami ryo muri Otrishe rica rirambaza nimba noshima kwitaba Ishure rya Gileyadi mu mugwi ugira 32. Nari kwanka gute agateka nk’ako? Naciye nishura nti: “Ego cane.”

Mw’ishure rya Gileyadi, nicara hafi ya Martin Poetzinger. Yari yarihanganiye ibintu bibabaje vyamushikiye ari mu makambi  y’itunatuniro y’Abanazi. Mu nyuma yarabaye umwe mu bagize Inama Nyobozi. Mw’ishure, Martin yarakunda kunyongorera ambaza ati: “Erika, ico avuze gisobanura iki mu kidagi?”

Ivyigwa bigeze hagati, Nathan Knorr yaratumenyesheje ivyibare tuzokoreramwo. Jewe narungitswe muri Paraguay. Kubera ko nari muto cane, kugira ndonke uruhusha rwo kwinjira muri ico gihugu dawe yategerezwa kubanza kubinyemerera. Amaze kunyemerera, narashitse muri Paraguay muri Ntwarante 1959. Twabana n’uwundi mumisiyonari mu nzu y’abamisiyonari yari i Asunción.

Ata gihe kihaciye, narabonanye na Walter Bright, akaba yasohotse umugwi ugira 30 w’Ishure rya Gileyadi. Mu nyuma, twarubakanye maze turashobora kwihanganira ingorane turi kumwe. Igihe cose duhuye n’ikigeragezo, twaca dusoma umuhango Yehova atanga muri Yesaya 41:10, ugira uti: “Ntutinye, kuko ndi kumwe nawe. Ntiweraguze, kuko ndi Imana yawe. Nzogukomeza.” Ivyo vyaradusubiriza umutima mu nda ko nitwihata tukaguma turi intahemuka ku Mana kandi tugashira Ubwami bwayo mu kibanza ca mbere, itazokwigera iduhemukira.

Mu nyuma, twararungitswe gukorera mu karere ko hafi y’urubibe rwa Brezile. Ng’aho, abakuru b’idini barahimiriza abakiri bato ngo batere amabuye ku nzu yacu, iyari isanzwe igeze habi. Walter yaciye atangura kwigisha Bibiliya umukuru w’igipolisi. Na we yaritwararitse ko abapolisi bamara indwi bacungereye inzu yacu, kandi abaduhama baciye baduha amahoro. Gatoyi inyuma y’aho, twarimukiye ahantu heza kuruta hakurya y’urubibe rwa Brezile. Ivyo vyaradufashije kuko twashobora kugira amakoraniro muri Paraguay no muri Brezile. Imbere y’uko tuvayo, hari hamaze kuvuka amashengero abiri matomato.

Abaganga banje bari bambwiye ko ntoshoboye kuvyara umwana. Twaratangaye rero igihe twamenya mu 1962 ko nari nibungenze! Twahavuye tuja kuba i Hollywood muri Florida, hafi y’umuryango wa Walter. Jewe na Walter twaramaze imyaka itari mike tudashobora gukora ubutsimvyi. Twategerezwa kwitwararika umuryango. Naho ari ukwo, twabandanije gushira imbere ivyungura Ubwami.​—Mat. 6:33.

Igihe twashika muri Florida muri Munyonyo 1962, twasanze abantu baho badakunda ko abirabure n’abazungu bakoranira hamwe canke ngo bamamaze mu karere kamwe, ivyo bikaba vyaradutangaje. Mugabo Yehova ntagira amacakubiri ashingiye ku moko, kandi amashengero ntiyatevye kujamwo abantu b’amoko yose. Ukuboko kwa Yehova kwarigaragaje muri ivyo, kuko ubu muri ako karere hari amashengero atari make.

Ikibabaje, Walter yarahitanywe na kanseri yo mu bwonko mu 2015. Mu myaka 55 twamaranye yarambereye umunega mwiza cane. Yarakunda Yehova kandi yarafashije abavukanyi benshi. Ndashashaye gusubira kumubona afise amagara meza igihe azoba yazutse.​—Ivyak. 24:15.

Ndakenguruka kuba maze imyaka irenga 40 mu murimo w’igihe cose, nkironkera umunezero n’ivyiza vyinshi. Nk’akarorero, jewe na Walter twarashoboye kwigisha Bibiliya abantu 136 gushika barabatizwa. Ego ni ko, twarahuye n’ingorane zimwezimwe. Ariko ntizigeze zituma duhagarika gukorera Imana yacu idahemuka. Ahubwo riho, twararushirije kuyiyegereza, turizigira ko izozitorera umuti ku gihe kibereye no mu buryo bubereye. Kandi irabigira!​—2 Tim. 4:16, 17.

Ndakumbura cane Walter, ariko ubutsimvyi buramfasha kwigumya. Kwigisha abandi, mbere nkababwira icizigiro c’izuka, birangirira akamaro cane. Vy’ukuri, sinoronka amajambo yodondora ukuntu Yehova atigeze ampemukira. Nk’uko abisezerana, yaranshigikiye, arankomeza, yongera arangumya “n’ukuryo [kwiwe] kw’ubugororotsi.”​—Yes. 41:10.