NAKURIYE mu mugi wa Graz, muri Otirishiya. Igihe nari mfite imyaka irindwi, banjyanye mu ishuri ry’iyobokamana. Icyakora, nababajwe cyane no kubona ukuntu abapadiri n’ababikira basambanaga. Nyuma y’umwaka, mama yemeye ko mva muri iryo shuri.

Nyuma yaho nagiye kwiga mu ishuri ricumbikira abanyeshuri. Umunsi umwe papa yaje kundeba ari nijoro kugira ngo ampungishe, kuko umugi wa Graz wasukwagaho ibisasu byinshi. Twahungiye mu mugi wa Schladming. Tugezeyo, ikiraro twari tumaze kwambuka cyaciwe n’igisasu. Ikindi gihe, indege zaturasheho nge na nyogokuru turi hanze. Intambara irangiye, twiboneye neza ko Kiliziya na Leta byadutereranye.

Mu mwaka wa 1950, hari Umuhamya wa Yehova watangiye kwigisha mama Bibiliya. Nategaga amatwi ibyo yamwigishaga kandi rimwe na rimwe nkamuherekeza mu materaniro. Amaze kwemera ko Abahamya ba Yehova bigisha ukuri, yabatijwe mu mwaka wa 1952.

Icyo gihe, nabonaga itorero ari nk’ishyirahamwe ry’abakecuru. Icyakora nyuma yaho hari irindi torero twateraniyemo ryarimo abakiri bato benshi. Icyo gihe noneho nabonye ko burya itorero atari ishyirahamwe ry’abakecuru! Tumaze gusubira mu mugi wa Graz, natangiye kujya mu materaniro yose, bidatinze nange mbona ko ibyo nigaga ari ukuri. Nanone naje kumenya ko Yehova ari Imana itajya itererana abagaragu bayo. Atwitaho n’iyo twaba duhanganye n’ibibazo twumva ko biturenze.—Zab 3:5, 6.

Nifuzaga kubwiriza abandi, maze mpera ku bo tuvukana. Bakuru bange bari baravuye mu rugo, baragiye gukora akazi k’ubwarimu. Nagiye kubasura aho bari batuye,  mbashishikariza kwiga Bibiliya. Bose baje kwiga Bibiliya baba Abahamya ba Yehova.

Maze ibyumweru bibiri mbwiriza ku nzu n’inzu, nahuye n’umugore wari mu kigero k’imyaka 30, ntangira kumwigisha Bibiliya. Yarabatijwe kandi nyuma yaho umugabo we n’abahungu babo babiri na bo barabatijwe. Uwo muntu nigishaga Bibiliya yaramfashije cyane. Yamfashije ate? Nta muntu n’umwe wari warigeze anyigisha Bibiliya. Ubwo rero nagombaga gutegura neza buri somo. Nabanzaga kwiyigisha, hanyuma nkabona kujya kumwigisha. Ibyo byatumye ndushaho gusobanukirwa inyigisho z’ukuri. Muri Mata 1954 niyeguriye Yehova ndabatizwa.

Mu mwaka wa 1955, nagiye mu makoraniro mpuzamahanga yabereye mu Budage, mu Bufaransa no mu Bwongereza. Igihe nari i Londres, nahuye na Albert Schroeder. Yigishaga mu Ishuri rya Bibiliya rya Gileyadi, kandi nyuma yaho yaje kuba umwe mu bari bagize Inteko Nyobozi. Igihe twasuraga inzu ndangamurage yo mu Bwongereza, Umuvandimwe Schroeder yatweretse inyandiko za Bibiliya zandikishijwe intoki. Zarimo izina ry’Imana mu nyuguti z’Igiheburayo, kandi yadusobanuriye akamaro k’izo nyandiko. Ibyo byankoze ku mutima bituma ndushaho gukunda Yehova kandi niyemeza kubwiriza ukuri ko mu Ijambo rye nshyizeho umwete.

Ku itariki ya 1 Mutarama 1956, nabaye umupayiniya w’igihe cyose. Nyuma y’amezi ane, nabaye umupayiniya wa bwite mu mugi wa Mistelbach, muri Otirishiya, kandi icyo gihe nta Bahamya bahabaga. Icyakora hari ingorane yihariye nari mpanganye na yo. Umupayiniya twabanaga twari dutandukanye cyane. Nari hafi kugira imyaka 19 kandi mvuka mu mugi, we akaba yari afite imyaka 25 kandi akomoka mu cyaro. Nabyukaga ntinze, we akazinduka. Natindaga kuryama, we akaryama kare. Nubwo twari dutandukanye, gukurikiza amahame ya Bibiliya byadufashije gukorana neza umurimo w’ubupayiniya kandi twageze kuri byinshi.

Ariko hari ibindi bigeragezo biruta ibyo twahanganye na byo. Twaratotejwe ariko “ntitwatereranywe” (2 Kor 4:7-9). Hari igihe twarimo tubwiriza mu cyaro, abantu badushumuriza imbwa. Nge na mugenzi wange twagiye kubona tubona dukikijwe n’ibibwa binini byarimo bimoka kandi bitwasamiye. Twahise dufatana, maze ndasenga nti: “Yehova, dufashe izi mbwa ntizitwice urw’agashinyaguro.” Igihe haburagaho gato ngo zitugereho, zarahagaze, zizunguza imirizo, maze zirigendera. Twabonye ko ari Yehova waturinze. Nyuma yaho twabwirije uwo mudugudu wose, kandi twashimishijwe n’uko abantu bakiraga neza ubutumwa. Birashoboka ko batangajwe n’uko izo mbwa zitaturiye. Nanone, bashobora kuba baratangajwe n’uko tutacitse intege nyuma y’ibintu nk’ibyo biteye ubwoba. Bamwe muri bo baje kuba Abahamya.

Hari ikindi kintu giteye ubwoba cyatubayeho. Umunsi umwe, uwadukodeshaga inzu  yatashye yasinze, adukangisha ko ari butwice adushinja ko twabangamiraga abaturanyi. Umugore we yagerageje kumucururutsa ariko biba iby’ubusa. Twabumvaga turi hejuru mu igorofa. Twahise dukingisha urugi intebe, dutangira gupakira ibintu byacu. Dukinguye, twasanze uwo mugabo ahagaze kuri esikariye afite icyuma kinini. Twahise dusohokera mu muryango w’inyuma, duca mu busitani, duhungana ibyacu byose, ntitwagaruka.

Twagiye gucumbika muri hoteri, tuyimaramo hafi umwaka, kandi byaradufashije cyane. Mu buhe buryo? Iyo hoteri yari hagati mu mugi kandi bamwe mu bo twigishaga Bibiliya bakundaga kuza kuhigira. Bidatinze, twatangiye kuhateranira Ikigisho k’Igitabo n’Ikigisho cy’Umunara w’Umurinzi buri cyumweru, tugaterana turi nka 15.

Mu mugi wa Mistelbach twahamaze umwaka urenga. Nyuma yaho noherejwe mu mugi wa Feldbach, mu magepfo y’uburasirazuba bw’umugi wa Graz. Nakoranye n’undi mupayiniya, kandi na ho nta torero ryahabaga. Twabaga mu kumba gato kari mu igorofa rya kabiri ry’inzu yari yubakishijwe imbaho. Umuyaga wacaga mu myenge yari hagati y’imbaho. Ubwo rero twafataga ibinyamakuru tukagenda tuyifunga. Nanone twavomaga ku iriba. Ariko ibyo byose nta cyo byari bidutwaye. Mu mezi make gusa twari tumaze gushinga itsinda. Hari abantu bagera kuri 30 bo mu muryango umwe twigishije Bibiliya, bose baba Abahamya.

Ibyo bintu byatumye ndushaho kwemera ko Yehova atajya atererana abashyira Ubwami mu mwanya wa mbere. Niyo twahura n’ikibazo kiturenze, Yehova we aba aturi hafi.—Zab 121:1-3.

Mu mwaka wa 1958, mu mugi wa New York habaye ikoraniro mpuzamahanga, ribera i Yankee Stadium na Polo Grounds. Nasabye kuzarijyamo, hanyuma ibiro by’ishami byo muri Otirishiya bimbaza niba nakwemera kwiga Ishuri rya Gileyadi rya 32. Ubwo se koko nari kubyitesha? Nahise mbyemera.

Mu ishuri nicaranaga na Martin Poetzinger. Yari yarahuye n’ibigeragezo bikaze cyane  mu bigo by’Abanazi byakoranyirizwagamo imfungwa. Nyuma yaho na we yaje kuba umwe mu bari bagize Inteko Nyobozi. Iyo twabaga turi mu ishuri, hari igihe yanyongoreraga ati: “Erika, biriya bavuze bisobanura iki mu Kidage?”

Amasomo ageze hagati, Nathan Knorr yatubwiye aho twari kuzoherezwa. Nge nari kuzoherezwa muri Paragwe. Kubera ko nari nkiri muto, nagombaga gusaba papa uruhushya. Yararumpaye, maze ngera muri Paragwe muri Werurwe 1959. Nge n’undi mugenzi wange twagiye kuba mu nzu y’abamisiyonari yari mu mugi wa Asunción.

Bidatinze, nahuye na Walter Bright wari wararangije ishuri rya 30 rya Gileyadi. Nyuma y’igihe twarashyigiranywe, dufatanya ubuzima. Iyo twahuraga n’ikibazo, twasomaga isezerano Yehova yatanze riri muri Yesaya 41:10 rigira riti: “Ntutinye kuko ndi kumwe nawe. Ntukebaguze kuko ndi Imana yawe. Nzagukomeza.” Uwo murongo watwizezaga ko nitwihatira gukomeza kubera Imana indahemuka kandi tugashyira Ubwami bwayo mu mwanya wa mbere, itazigera idutererana.

Hashize igihe, twoherejwe mu karere kari hafi y’umupaka wa Burezili. Igihe twariyo, abapadiri boheje abasore batera amabuye ku nzu twabagamo y’abamisiyonari, n’ubusanzwe yari ishaje. Nyuma yaho, Walter yatangiye kwigisha Bibiliya umukuru w’abaporisi. Yaduhaye abaporisi bo kuturinda icyumweru cyose, maze abadutotezaga ntibongera kutubuza amahoro. Nyuma yaho gato, twimukiye mu gace karimo umutekano, hakurya y’umupaka wa Burezili. Ibyo byaradufashije cyane, kubera ko twashoboraga guteranira muri Paragwe no muri Burezili. Twahavuye hamaze gushingwa amatorero abiri.

Abaganga bari barambwiye ko ntashoboraga kubyara. Icyakora mu mwaka wa 1962, natunguwe no kumenya ko ntwite! Twaje kwimukira i Hollywood, muri leta ya Folorida, aho umuryango wa Walter wari utuye. Nge na Walter twamaze imyaka tutari abapayiniya, kubera ko twitaga ku muryango. Icyakora twakomeje gushyira Ubwami mu mwanya wa mbere.—Mat 6:33.

Igihe twageraga muri Folorida mu Gushyingo 1962, twatangajwe no kubona ko Abahamya b’abazungu n’abirabura batateraniraga hamwe, ntibanabwirize hamwe. Icyakora nyuma y’igihe, abazungu n’abirabura batangiye gukorera hamwe kubera ko Imana itarobanura ku butoni. Nta gushidikanya ko Yehova yari ashyigikiye iyo gahunda, kuko ubu muri ako gace hari amatorero menshi.

Ikibabaje ni uko Walter yapfuye mu mwaka wa 2015, azize kanseri yo mu bwonko. Mu myaka 55 twamaranye, yambereye umugabo mwiza, ukunda Yehova, kandi yafashije abavandimwe benshi. Ntegereje kuzongera kumubona yazutse, afite amagara mazima.—Ibyak 24:15.

Nishimira ko maze imyaka isaga 40 mu murimo w’igihe cyose, nkaba narawuboneyemo ibyishimo byinshi n’imigisha myinshi. Urugero, nge na Walter twiboneye abantu 136 twigishije Bibiliya babatizwa. Birumvikana ko hari igihe twahuraga n’ingorane. Ariko ibyo ntibyatubujije gukomeza gukorera Imana yacu irangwa n’ubudahemuka. Ahubwo twarushijeho kuyegera, twiringiye ko izadukemurira ibibazo mu gihe ishatse n’uko ishaka. Kandi koko yarabikoze!—2 Tim 4:16, 17.

Nkumbura cyane Walter, ariko umurimo w’ubupayiniya umfasha kwihangana. Kwigisha abandi, nkanabagezaho ibyiringiro by’umuzuko, biramfasha cyane. Yehova ntiyigeze antererana. Yamfashije mu buryo bwinshi. Nk’uko isezerano rye riri, yaranshyigikiye, arankomeza kandi andamiza ‘ukuboko kwe kw’iburyo gukiranuka.’—Yes 41:10.