MUSI wa7 September, 1950, ndakava nhengo yemhuri yeBheteri rokuBrooklyn. Panguva iyoyo, mhuri yeBheteri yaiva nehama nehanzvadzi 355 dzaibva kunyika dzakasiyana-siyana uye dzaiva nemakore anotangira pa19 kusvika ku80. Vakawanda vavo vaiva vaKristu vakazodzwa.

Amai vangu ndivo vakandidzidzisa kushumira “Mwari anofara.” (1 Tim. 1:11) Amai vakatanga kushumira Jehovha ndichiri kakomana. Ndakabhabhatidzwa ndava nemakore gumi, pagungano rezoni (rava kunzi gungano redunhu) rakaitirwa muColumbus, Nebraska, U.S.A. musi wa1 July, 1939. Taida kusvika 100 uye takaungana mune imwe imba yokurenda kuti titeerere hurukuro yakarekodhwa yaJoseph Rutherford yaiti “ChiFascist Kana Kuti Rusununguko.” Hurukuro yava pakati, rimwe boka revanhu rakauya rikaungana kunze kweimba yataiva. Vakapinda nechisimba vakamisa musangano wedu uye vakatidzinga muguta racho. Takanoungana papurazi reimwe hama raiva pedyo neguta uye ndipo patakazopedzisa musangano wedu. Handifi ndakakanganwa zuva randakabhabhatidzwa nemhaka yezvakaitika musi uyu.

Amai vangu vakashanda nesimba kundirera muchokwadi. Kunyange zvazvo baba vaiva munhu akanaka, vaisava nehanya nezvechitendero uye zvandaiita pakunamata. Ndaikurudzirwa chaizvo naamai pamwe nezvimwe Zvapupu zvomuungano yeOmaha.

Pandainge ndava kupedza chikoro chesekondari, ndaifanira kusarudza zvokuita noupenyu hwangu. Gore negore ndaiva nezororo rimwe chete randaishanda sapiyona wezororo (ava kunzi piyona webetsero), pamwe chete nevezera rangu.

Dzimwe hama mbiri dzisina kuroora dzainge dzichangopedza kudzidza mukirasi yechinomwe yeChikoro cheGiriyedhi, John Chimiklis naTed Jaracz, dzakatumirwa kwataigara kunoshanda mubasa rokufambira. Ndakashamiswa pandakaziva kuti vaiva mumakore okuma20. Panguva iyoyo, ndaiva nemakore 18 uye ndainge ndava kupedza chikoro chesekondari. Ndichiri kuyeuka Hama Chimiklis vachindibvunza  kuti ndaida kuzoitei muupenyu. Pandakavaudza zvandaida kuita vakati: “Chibva watopinda mubasa renguva yakazara. Hauzivi kwarinogona kukusvitsa.” Mashoko iwayo nemuenzaniso wehama idzodzo, zvakandikurudzira chaizvo. Saka pandakapedza chikoro, ndakatanga kupayona muna 1948.

Muna July 1950, ini nevabereki vangu takaenda kugungano renyika dzakawanda rakaitirwa kuYankee Stadium muNew York City. Tiri pagungano iri, ndakapinda musangano wevaya vaida kushanda paBheteri. Ndakatumira tsamba yangu ndichitaura kuti ndaidawo kushandapo.

Kunyange zvazvo baba vangu vaisandishora pandaipayona ndichigara pamba, vaida kuti ndibvisewo mari kuitira imba yandaigara uye zvokudya. Saka rimwe zuva muna August, pandaienda kunotsvaka basa, ndakambotarisa bhokisi redu retsamba. Ndakaona muine tsamba yangu yaibva kuBrooklyn. Yainge yakanyorwa naNathan H. Knorr uye yaiti: “Takagamuchira tsamba yako yokuti unoda kushumira paBheteri. Ndine chokwadi chokuti unoda kuramba uri paBheteri kwoupenyu hwako hwose. Saka ndinoda kuti uuye kuBheteri musi wa7 September, 1950 panhamba 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York.”

Baba vangu pavakadzoka kumba vachibva kubasa zuva iroro, ndakavaudza kuti ndainge ndawana basa. Vakati, “Inga zvinofadza, wariwana kupi?” Ndakavapindura kuti, “KuBheteri rokuBrooklyn, ndinenge ndichiwana $10.00 pamwedzi.” Zvakavashamisa asi vakataura kuti kana zviri izvo zvandasarudza, ndaifanira kunoshanda nesimba. Pasina nguva, vakazobhabhatidzwa pagungano rakaitirwa kuYankee Stadium muna 1953.

Ndakafara chaizvo nokuti shamwari yangu yandaipayona nayo, Alfred Nussrallah, yakakokwawo kuBheteri panguva imwe chete neyandakakokwa zvokuti takaenda tose. Akazoroora uye iye nemudzimai wake Joan vakaenda kuGiriyedhi, vakava mamishinari kuLebanon uye vakazodzoka kuUnited States kunoita basa rokufambira.

Basa randakatanga kuita paBheteri raiva rokubhainda mabhuku ndichiita zvokuasona. Bhuku randakatanga kusona rainzi What Has Religion Done for Mankind? Papera mwedzi inenge misere ndichishanda ikoko, ndakanzi ndinoshanda kuDhipatimendi Rebasa ndichitungamirirwa naHama Thomas J. Sullivan. Ndakanakidzwa chaizvo kushanda navo uye ndakabatsirwa nouchenjeri uye unyanzvi hwavainge vawana kwemakore vari musangano.

Pashure pokunge ndashanda muDhipatimendi Rebasa kwemakore anenge matatu, Max Larson, uyo aiva mutariri wefekitari, akandiudza kuti Hama Knorr vaida kundiona. Ndakanetseka kuti zvimwe pane chandainge ndakanganisa. Ndakazotura befu Hama Knorr pavakati vaida kuziva kana ndaifunga nezvekubva paBheteri pane imwe nguva. Vaida mumwe munhu aizoshanda muhofisi mavo kwenguva pfupi uye vaida kuona kana ndaikwanisa kuita basa racho. Ndakavaudza kuti ndaisava nepfungwa dzokusiya Bheteri. Ndakazoshanda muhofisi mavo kwemakore 20 akatevera.

Ndakadzidza zvakawanda chaizvo pandaishanda naHama Sullivan uye Hama Knorr, kusanganisira dzimwe hama dzepaBheteri dzakadai saMilton Henschel, Klaus Jensen, Max Larson, Hugo Riemer, uye Grant Suiter. * Kudai kuri kuti ndaizonzi  ndibhadhare dzidzo yandakawana, ndaisambowana mari yacho.

Hama dzandaishanda nadzo dzainge dzakarongeka chaizvo pabasa radzaiita musangano. Hama Knorr vaishanda nesimba chaizvo uye vaida kuona basa roUmambo richifambira mberi zvakanyanya. Vaya vavaishanda navo vaivaona vari munhu ari nyore kutaura naye. Kunyange pataiva nemaonero akasiyana, taitaura zvataifunga takasununguka uye tisingatyiri kuti zvimwe vangagumbuka.

Pane imwe nguva Hama Knorr vakandiudza kuti pane mamwe mabasa anoita seasingakoshi atinofanira kuita. Somuenzaniso, vakandiudza kuti pavaiva mutariri wefekitari, Hama Rutherford vaivafonera voti: “Hama Knorr, kana mava kubva kufekitari muchiuya kuzodya masikati mundiunzirewo marabha epenzura. Ndinoada muhofisi mangu.” Hama Knorr vakati chinhu chokutanga chavaiita kwaiva kuenda kuimba yaichengeterwa marabha acho, voatora voisa muhomwe. Uye masikati vaizoaendesa kuhofisi yaHama Rutherford. Kuita basa iri chaiva chinhu chiduku asi kwaibatsira Hama Rutherford. Hama Knorr vakabva vandiudza kuti: “Ndinoda mapenzura akarodzwa muhofisi mangu. Saka mangwanani oga oga wondiunzirawo.” Kwemakore, ndaiva nechokwadi chokuti mapenzura avo akarodzwa.

Hama Knorr vaigara vachitaura kuti tinofanira kunyatsoteerera kana tanzi tiite rimwe basa. Pane imwe nguva vakanyatsonditsanangurira maitirwo erimwe basa, asi handina kunyatsoteerera. Izvi zvakaita kuti vazonyara chaizvo. Ndakanetseka zvokuti ndakanyora katsamba ndichitaura kuti ndaizvidemba chaizvo uye kuti ndainzwa sokuti zvaiva nani kuchinjwa kwokushandira. Mangwanani iwayo, Hama Knorr vakauya kwandiri. Vakati “Robert, ndaona tsamba yako. Wakakanganisa. Takataurirana uye ndine chokwadi chokuti kubvira iye zvino uchanyatsoteerera. Iye zvino ngatichishandai hedu.” Ndinoonga chaizvo kunzwisisa kwavakaita.

Pashure pokunge ndashumira paBheteri kwemakore masere, ndainge ndisina urongwa hwokubvapo. Asi izvozvo zvakachinja. Pakaitwa gungano renyika dzakawanda kuYankee Stadium uye kuPolo Grounds muna 1958, ndakaona Lorraine Brookes, uyo wandainge ndaonana naye muna 1955 paaipayona kuMontreal, Canada. Ndakafarira maonero aaiita basa renguva yakazara uye chido chaaiva nacho chokuenda kwose kwaangatumwa nesangano raJehovha. Lorraine aiva nechinangwa chokuenda kuChikoro cheGiriyedhi. Muna 1956, paainge ava nemakore 22, akakokwa kuti anopinda kirasi yechi27. Paakapedza kudzidza, akanzi anoshanda semumishinari kuBrazil. Muna 1958, ini naLorraine takatangazve kukurukurirana uye akabvuma kuti tiroorane. Takaronga kuchata gore raitevera racho tiine tarisiro yokupinda mubasa reumishinari.

Pandakaudza Hama Knorr kuti taida kuchata,  vakatikurudzira kuti timire kwemakore matatu tozoroorana uye toshumira paBheteri kuBrooklyn. Panguva iyoyo, kuti vanhu vainge varoorana varambe vari paBheteri, mumwe wavo aifanira kunge ashumira paBheteri kwemakore gumi kana kupfuura uye mumwe wacho kwemakore asiri pasi pematatu. Saka Lorraine akabvuma kunoshanda kuBheteri rokuBrazil kwemakore maviri uye kwegore rimwe kuBheteri rokuBrooklyn tisati tachata.

Kubva patakavimbisana kuroorana, takaita makore maviri tichingokurukurirana netsamba chete. Mazuva iwayo, kufona kwaidhura chaizvo uye kwakanga kusati kwava nemae-mail. Patakazochata musi wa16 September, 1961, takava neropafadzo yokupiwa hurukuro yomuchato naHama Knorr. Chokwadi, makore iwayo mashoma atainge takamirira akaita senguva yakareba chaizvo. Asi iye zvino patinofunga nezvemakore 50 atave takaroorana tinonzwa kunyatsogutsikana uye tinonzwa kuti takamirira zviripo!

Muna 1964, ndakava neropafadzo yokushanyira dzimwe nyika ndiri mutariri anoshanyira mapazi. Panguva iyoyo, varume vaisabvumirwa kuenda nemadzimai avo. Asi muna 1977, madzimai ainge ava kubvumirwawo kuenda. Gore iroro, ini naLorraine pamwe chete naGrant naEdith Suiter, takashanyira mahofisi emapazi kuGermany, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, uye Israel. Nyika dzose dzandakashanyira dzinosvika 70.

Patakashanyira bazi rokuBrazil muna 1980, takapfuura nomuBelém, guta riri paequator kwakamboshumira Lorraine ari mumishinari. Takapfuurawo nokuManaus kuti timboona hama dzeko. Pahurukuro yakapiwa munhandare, takaona rimwe boka revanhu rainge risingaiti zvinowanzoitwa nevanhu vokuBrazil zvokukwazisana vakadzi vachitsvodana pamatama uye varume vachibatana chishanu. Nei raisaitawo izvozvo?

Boka iri raiva rehama dzedu dzaibva mumusha unogara vane maperembudzi kuAmazon. Dzainge dzakagara kwadzo dzoga kuti chirwere chadzo chisatapukire kune vamwe vaiva pagungano. Asi takafara chaizvo nokudziona uye hatimbokanganwi kufara kwadzaiita. Takaona kuti mashoko aJehovha ndeechokwadi okuti: “Vashumiri vangu vachashevedzera vachifara nokuda kwokufara kwomwoyo.”—Isa. 65:14.

Ini naLorraine tinogara tichifunga nezvemakore 60 atave takazvipira mubasa raJehovha. Tinofara chaizvo nekukomborerwa kwatave tichiitwa naJehovha nokuti takabvuma kuti atitungamirire achishandisa sangano rake. Kunyange zvazvo ndisingachakwanisi kufamba munyika dzakawanda sezvandaiita, ndichiri kukwanisa kuita basa rangu zuva nezuva semubatsiri muDare Rinodzora ndichishanda neDare Revatsinhanisi uye neDare Rebasa. Ndinoonga chaizvo ropafadzo yokuvawo nezvishoma zvandinoita pakutsigira sangano rose rehama. Tinoramba tichishamiswa patinoona vechiduku vakawanda vakasarudza kuita basa renguva yakazara vaine mafungiro aiva naIsaya uyo akati: “Ndiri pano! Nditumei.” (Isa. 6:8) Vanhu vakawanda vose ava vari kunyatsoita chaizvo zvandakaudzwa nemumwe mutariri wedunhu kuti: “Chibva watopinda mubasa renguva yakazara. Hauzivi kwarinogona kukusvitsa.”