Nikwakayinda munyaka wa1920, bazyali bangu kabatanachada bakayiya kasimpe. Ndakazyalwa mu1939. Kandichili muniini twakali kukkala kuEngland. Ndakali kwiinka kumiswaangano yachiKristu abazyali bangu. Mukuya kwachiindi, ndakazoolembesya kuChikolo Chamulimu Cheendelezegwa aaLeza. Ndichiyeeyede nindakapa nkani yangu yakusaanguna. Akaambo kakuti ndakali muniini, bakandibikkila chimwi chintu kuchitila kuti ndikonzye kusikila aapulatifomu. Aachiindi eecho ndakali aminyaka iili 6. Ndakali kuyoowa kulanga baswiilizi nkaambo bakali bantu bapati.

Ndeende wakandilembela nkambawuko iitakataazyi kuchitila kuti ndikayibelesye mumulimu wakukambawuka. Ndakali aaminyaka iili 8 nindakasaanguna kukambawuka kandili andilikke. Ndakabotelwa loko chiindi muntu ngundakakambawukila naakatondeezya chiyandisyo alubo wakazumina kubweza bbuku litegwa “Let God Be True.” Ndakachijaana kuyoobuzya ndeende. Kukambawuka akunjila miswaangano kwakali kupa kuti ndibotelwe alubo kwakandigwasya kuti ndibe aachiyandisyo chakubelekela Jehova mumulimu wachiindi choonse.

Chiindi ndeende naakandilembesya kuti kandijana mamagazini aaNgaziyakulinda ndakatalika kukayanda loko kasimpe kamuBbayibbele. Ndakali kuba aachoonzyo chakuti magazini imwi ayimwi yakali kusika ndayibala. Lusyomo lwangu lwakasima muli Jehova alubo ndakasala kulipeda kuli nguwe.

Mu1950, toonse katuli mpuli twakayinka kumuswaangano wazisi kuNew York wakali aamutwe utii, Theocracy’s Increase. Nitwakali aamuswaangano, mutwe wakali kuzulwida muli Bwane 3 August wakali wakuti “Missionary Day.” Mukwesu  Carey Barber, wakazooba wamuKabunga Keendelezya, wakapa nkani yakubbabbatizigwa. Mbukunga ndakali kuyanda kubbabbatizigwa, mukwesu ooyu naakabuzya mibuzyo iibili yakubbabbatizigwa, ndakavwiila aajwi lili aajulu kuti “Iiyi!” Nikuba kuti ndakali aaminyaka iili 11 pesi ndakabona kuti ndakali ndabweza ntaamu iiyandikana. Ndakali kuyoowa kunjila mumaanzi nkaambo teendakali kukonzya pe kudubbwa. Ndeende muniini wakandisindikila nkundakali kuyoobbabbatizigilwa. Mpawo wakandibuzya kuti zyoonse zileenda kabotu. Nzindakali kuyeeyela teenzizyo pe, teendakanikila pe mumaanzi. Umwi mukwesu wakandibweza akunditola kuli umwi mukwesu wakandibbabbatizya mpawo naakamana kundibbabbatizya bakandigwisya mumaanzi. Kuzwa mubuzuba oobu buyandikana, Jehova wakazumanana kululamika nzila zyangu.

Nindakamaninsya chikolo ndakali kuyanda kupayona pesi bayiisi bangu bakandisungwaazya kuti ndiye ku-univesiti. Ndakazumina kwiinka. Pesi ndakazoobona kuti kwiinkilila kunembo kandili ku-univesiti takuzoopi kuti ndiinkilile kunembo kandibelekela Jehova, mpawo ndakasala kuti ndileke. Ndakakomba kuli Jehova mpawo kumamanino aamunyaka wangu wakusaanguna ku-univesiti, ndakalembela bayiisi bangu lugwalo lwakuti munyaka uutobela tandizoosiki pe. Ndakazoosiya univesiti. Kusyoma Jehova kwakandigwasya kuti nditalike kupayona.

MuJuly 1957, ndakasaanguna mulimu wachiindi choonse kudolopo litegwa Wellingborough. Ndakakumbila bakwesu bakuBbeteli yakuLondon kuti bandiyandwiide umwi mukwesu ulaaluzibo kuti ndizoobelekaawe. Mukwesu Bert Vaisey wakandiyiisya zintu zyiingi. Mukwesu ooyu wakali musungu alubo wakandigwasya kuti andime ndibe musungu mumulimu wakukambawuka. Mbungano yesu yakali kuswaanizya bachizi bali6 bakomena, Mukwesu Vaisey andime. Kulibambila akutola lubazu kumiswaangano yachiKristu yoonse kwakandigwasya kuti ndibe alusyomo lusimide muli Jehova akuti ndibuzye bamwi nzindisyoma.

Ndakasungwa kwachiindi chifwiifwi biyo akaambo kakuti ndakakaka kuba musoja. Nindakaangununwa ndakabonana amuchizi wakali payona uuyandikana uutegwa Barbara. Twakachada mu1959 alubo twakalilipedelede kwiinka kufumbwa nkutwategwa twiinke. Kusaanguna twakayinka kuLancashire iili kunyika nkwiili kububbila kwaEngland. MuJanuary 1961, ndakatambwa kuti ndizoonjile Chikolo Chamulimu waBwaami chamweezi uumwi chakali kuchitilwa kuBbeteli kuLondon. Nichakamana chikolo ndakabuzigwa kuti ndikabeleke kandili mulangizi wabbazu. Teendakali kuziyeeyela pe. Kwamviki zibili ndakayiisigwa mbundakeelede kuchita mulimu ooyu awumwi mulangizi wabbazu wakali aluzibo kudolopo lyaBirmingham alubo mwanakazi wangu wakazoondijoyina. Kuzwa waawo, twakazooyinka kuLancashire akuCheshire nkutwakali kuyoobelekela.

Nitwakabweza mazuba aakuti tukalyokeezye muAugust 1962, twakatambula lugwalo lwakali kuzwa kumutabi. Mu-envelopu mwakali mafoomu aakuti tu-apulayile kuyoonjila Chikolo chaGiliyadi. Twakakomba atala ankani eeyo mpawo twakafila  mafoomu aayo akwaabweedezya chakufwambaana kumutabi. Nikwakayinda myeezi iili 5, twakayinka kuBrooklyn, iili kuNew York kuti tukanjile kkilasi yachi38 yaChikolo chaGiliyadi chakali kuchitwa kwamyeezi iili 10.

KuGiliyadi twakayiya zyiingi atala aJwi lyaLeza, mbunga yakwe alubo atala abakwesu abachizi. Nikuba kuti ndakali aaminyaka iili 24 mpawo mwanakazi wangu kali aaminyaka iili 23 pesi twakayiya zyiingi kuzwa kuli bamwi mbitwakanjila aabo chikolo. Ndakaba aachilongezyo chakuyiisigwa aaMukwesu Fred Rusk. Mukwesu Fred Rusk wakaamba kaambo kayandikana loko kakuti chiindi nitupa umwi lulayo tweelede kubelesya malayilile aali muBbayibbele. Bamwi bakali kutupa nkani nitwakali kuchikolo baswaanizya Mukwesu Nathan Knorr, Frederick Franz aMukwesu Karl Klein. Alubo twakayiya zyiingi kuzwa kunkani yakapegwa aaMukwesu wakali kulibombya uutegwa A. H. Macmillan. Nkani yakwe yakali kwaambuula atala aJehova mbaakagwasya bakombi bakwe chiindi nibakali mubuyumu-yumu kuzwa mu1914 kusika kumasaangunino aamunyaka wa1919.

Nitwakali twaba aafwiifwi kumaninsya chikolo, Mukwesu Knorr wakatubuzya kuti twakali kuyoobelekela kuBurundi iili kuAfrica. Nitwakabuzigwa biyo, twakachijaana katuya kuLibrary yaBbeteli kuti tukalange muYearbook kuti kuBurundi kwakali basikupupulula bangane. Twakagamba nitwakabona kuti taakwe basikupupulula bakaliko kunyika eeyi. Twakabona kuti twakali kuya kubusena bwakatalina kambawukilwa pe alubo taakwe nitwakazi zyiingi pe atala akubusena oobu. Twakakataazikana. Pesi kukomba kwakatugwasya kuti tubatame.

Nitwakayinka kuBurundi, zintu zyoonse zyakatuchinchila, bwiime bwakunze, ziyanza amulaka zyakalisiyene anzitwakajayide. Alubo twakeelede kwiiya chiFrench. Twakaswaanana aapenzi lyakubula aakukkala. Nikwakayinda mazuba aabili katuli twasika kuBurundi, umwi mukwesu ngutwakanjila aamwi chikolo chaGiliyadi uutegwa Harry Arnott wakayinda katubona naakali kuya kuZambia. Mukwesu ooyu, wakatugwasya kuti tujane aakukkala. Kakutanayinda chiindi biyo, bamfulumende bakasaanguna kutukazya nkaambo taakwe nchibakazi pe atala aBakamboni baJehova. Mulimu wakali wabutunoneezya pesi bamfulumende bakazootubuzya kuti teetwakali kukonzya pe kuti tuyinkilile kunembo amulimu wesu kuti katutakwe mapepa aali mumulawu. Chuusisya nchakuti, twakazwa muBurundi mpawo twakayinka kuUganda.

 Kusyoma Jehova kwakatugwasya kuti tutayoowi pe kwiinka kuUganda nikuba kuti teetwakalikwe mapepa aakali kutuzumizya kuti tukkale mumo [visa]. Mukwesu wakuCanada wakali kugwasilizya kuyanda basikupupulula biingi kuUganda wakapandanwida walupati-pati ulanga mapepa aabantu banjila muchisi chiimo nchitwakabede. Walupati-pati ooyu wakatuzumizya kuti tujane bukkala kwamyeezi kuchitila kuti tujane mapepa aatuzumizya kuti tukkale muUganda. Eezi zyakapa kuti tubone kuti Jehova nguwe wakali kutugwasya.

KuBurundi kwakalisiyene akuUganda. Mulimu wakukambawuka wakali watalika kuUganda nikuba kuti kwakali Bakamboni bali 28 muUganda yoonse. Twakajana bantu biingi bakali kwaambuula Chikuwa. Twakabona kuti twakeelede kwiiya imwi milaka yakali kwaambuulwa muUganda kuchitila kuti tugwasye bantu bakali aachiyandisyo. Twakasaanguna kukambawukila kubusena butegwa Kampala ooko kwakali kwaambuulwa mulaka waLuganda. Nkinkaako, twakabona kuti twakeelede kwiiya mulaka ooyu. Twakabweza minyaka myiingi kuti tuuzibe kabotu mulaka ooyu. Kuziba mulaka waLuganda kwakatugwasya kuti tukambawukile bantu biingi mumulaka ooyu. Alubo eezi zyakatugwasya kubona mpubakali kuyanda kugwasigwa bantu mbitwakali kwiiya aabo Bbayibbele. Alubo zyakapa kuti bantu mbitwakali kwiiya aabo Bbayibbele baangunuke kwaamba mbubakali kulimvwa atala anzitwakali kwiiya.

Twakabotelwa loko kugwasya bantu kuti bayiye kasimpe alubo chimwi chakatubotezya loko, nkubeleka mumulimu wakweendeenda muUganda yoonse. Bakwesu bakumutabi wakuKenya, bakatukumbila kuti tweendeende muUganda yoonse katuyanduula ndawu zyakuti zizoobelekwe aamapayona aayandikana. Kwaziindi zyiingi, twakali kutambulwa kabotu abantu bakatali Bakamboni. Bakali kutujata kabotu alubo bakali kutujikila.

Ndakasaanguna lumwi lweendo kuzwa kuKampala. Ndakeenda kwamazuba aabili kandiya kuMombasa achitima mpawo ndakazoogada bwaato kandiya kuSeychelles, kasuwa kali aakati kaLwizi lutegwa Indian. Mukuya kwachiindi, kuzwa mu1965 kusika mu1972 twakatalika kweenda aamwi amwanakazi wangu nitwakali kuswaya kuSeychelles. Aachiindi eecho, kwakali basikupupulula babili, mukuya kwachiindi kwakazooba kabunga mpawo kumamanino kwakazooba mbungano. Alubo ndakazooswaya bakwesu bakuEritrea, Ethiopia aSudan.

Zintu zyakachincha kuUganda chiindi nikwakasaanguna kweendelezya kabunga kamasoja. Zintu zyakachitika zyakapa kuti ndibone mbukuyandikana kuswiilila mulawu wakuti, “Amupe Kaisara zintu zya Kaisara.” (Mk. 12:17) Bantu boonse bakali kukkala muUganda bazwa kuli zimwi zisi bakabuzigwa kuti bakalembesye kumawofesi aamapolisa aakali aafwiifwi ankubakkala. Twakachita oobo chakufwambaana. Mazuba mache aakatobela, nitwakali kuya kuKampala awumwi mumishinali twakaswaanana aamapolisa. Twakayoowa loko. Mapolisa aaba bakatubejelezya kuti, twakali twatumwa kuti tuzoolange-lange kuti zintu zyeenda biyeni muUganda mpawo bakatutola kukkeempu yamapolisa, nitwakasika twakababuzya atala amulimu wesu wabumishinali. Twakababuzya kuti twakali twalembesya pesi taakwe nibakatuswiilila pe. Kuzwa waawo, bakatusunga akututola kukkeempu yamapolisa yakali aafwiifwi ankutwakali kukkala. Yakatukkala myoyo chiindi umwi mupolisa nakaamba kuti twakalilembesezye mpawo wakalayilila mapolisa bakatwaangide kuti batwaangunune.

 Aachiindi nchicheecho, twakali kuswaanana aabuyumu-yumu kapati nitwakali kwiimikizigwa mumugwagwa amasoja aakakoledwe. Chiindi nibakali kutwiimikizya, twakali kukomba kuchitila kuti tutayoowi pesi bakali kutubuzya kuti twiinde. Chuusisya nchakuti, mu1973 mamishinali boonse bakali muUganda bakabuzigwa kuti bazwe.

Kuzwa waawo, twakazooyinka kuyoobelekela kuCôte d’Ivoire iili kububbila kwaAfrica. Zintu zyakachincha. Twakeelede kwiiya ziyanza zipya, kwaambuula mulaka wachiFrench chiindi choonse akuzibilana aamamishinali bali aamaponeno aasiyene-siyene. Nikuba boobo, twakabona Jehova mbaakatugwasya kuti tujane bantu bakali aamyoyo iibombede, balibambilide kutambula makani mabotu. Ime amwanakazi wangu twakabona kuti, kuti twamusyoma Jehova ulazilulamika nzila zyesu.

ZINTU ZYAKACHINCHA

Bulwazi bwakkensa bwakazooyinkilila kunembo nitwakazoobelekela kuBbeteli iili kuLondon. Barbara wakazootusiya. Bamumpuli yaBbeteli bakandigwasya loko muchiimo eechi. Umwi mwaalumi amwanakazi wakwe bakandigwasya kuti ndichitambule chiimo nchindakabede alubo bakandigwasya kuti ndizumanane kusyoma Jehova. Mukuya kwachiindi, ndakazoobonana aawumwi muchizi wakali kugwasilizya aaBbeteli. Muchizi ooyu, wakali wabeleka kali payona uuyandikana alubo nzyaakali kuchita zyakali kutondeezya kuti ulisimide mubukombi akuti ulamuyanda Jehova. Ime aAnn twakachada mu1989 alubo kuzwa aachiindi eecho tulokubelekela kuBbeteli iili kuLondon kusikila sunu.

Kuzwa mu1995 kusika mu2018 ndakaba aachilongezyo chakuswaya nyika zisiyene-siyene zisika ku60 kandili mwiiminini wamawofesi mapati. Ndakabona kuti Jehova ulabagwasya bakombi bakwe kazitakwe ndaba kuti balimuchiimo chilibiyeni.

Mu2017 twakazooswaya lubo kuAfrica. Ime aAnn twakabotelwa nitwakayinka kuBurundi alubo twakagamba nitwakabona kuti kwakali kwaba basikupupulula biingi. Ndakagamba nindakabona kuti ndawu njindakali kukambawukila ng’anda ang’anda mu1964 kwakaba Bbeteli akuti kwakali kwaba basikupupulula bayinda ku15 500.

Ndakabotelwa loko nindakapegwa pepa lyakali kutondeezya nyika nzindakali kuzooswaya mu2018. Imwi nyika njindakali kuyooswaya niCôte d’Ivoire. Nitwakasika kuAbidjan kwakali mbuli kuti ndabweeda kulindiswe. Ndakalanga aakapepa kamulongo wamafooni, kandiyanda kulanga kuti ngwani wakali kukkala aafwiifwi ang’anda njitwakabede aaBbeteli mpawo ndakabona limwi zina lyamukwesu ngundakazi, uutegwa Sossou. Ndichiyeede mukwesu ooyu wakabeleka kali mulangizi wadolopo [city overseer] muAbidjan. Mukwesu ngundakali kuyeeyela teenguwe pe, pesi wakali mwanaakwe.

Jehova wakachizuzikizya chisyomezyo chakwe. Nikuba kuti ndakaswaanana aabuyumu-yumu bwiingi pesi ndakabona kuti, kuti twamusyoma ulazilulamika nzila zyesu. Ndililipedelede kweenda munzila eeyi kusikila munyika mpya.—Tus. 4:18.