‘Ndikufuna kutumikira Mulungu Ndisanafe’

NKHANI YOSIMBA ZA MAMIE FREE

MU 1990, ku Liberia kunayambika nkhondo yapachiweniweni. Nkhondoyo itakula, Mamie, mtsikana wa zaka 12 wa fuko la Krahn, ndi anthu a m’banja lawo anakanika kutuluka m’nyumba mwawo ku Monrovia, likulu la dzikoli. Mamie anati: “Tinamva kuphulika m’nyumba yoyandikana ndi yathu. Bomba linaphulika panyumba yoyandikana nayo n’kuiyatsa. Malawi a moto anayambukira nyumba yathu n’kuiyatsanso.” Nkhondoyo itafika povuta, Mamie, mayi ake, ndi mchimwene wamng’ono wa mayi ake anathawa.

“Mwadzidzidzi, chinachake chinandiwomba,” akukumbukira choncho Mamie.

“Kenaka mayi anga anandifunsa kuti, ‘Chachitika n’chiyani?’”

“Chinachake chandiwomba! Ndikuganiza kuti n’chipolopolo,” ndinayankha choncho.

Mamie anagwa pansi akumva ululu woopsa ndipo anapemphera kuti: “Chonde Mulungu, ndimvereni. Ndikuganiza kuti ndatsala pang’ono kufa, koma ndikufuna kukutumikirani ndisanafe.” Kenako anakomoka.

Poganiza kuti Mamie wafa, anthu oyandikana nawo nyumba anafuna kukamukwirira pagombe linalake lapafupi. Koma mayi ake anakana n’kunena kuti ayambe apita naye kuchipatala. Koma n’zomvetsa chisoni kuti chifukwa chosowa zipangizo zokwanira, anthu a pachipatalacho ankalephera kusamalira amuna, akazi, ndi ana ovulala ambirimbiri amene anali kubwera. Mchimwene wamng’ono wa mayi ake a Mamie, amene anavulalanso, anamwalira usiku umenewo, koma Mamie anapulumuka, ngakhale kuti anafa ziwalo kuyambira m’chiuno kutsika pansi.

Mamie anapitiriza kutuluka magazi m’kati mwa thupi lake ndi kumva ululu woopsa. Patatha miyezi inayi, madokotala anatha kumujambula kuti aone pomwe panali chipolopolo chija. Chinali pakati pa mtima ndi mapapo ake. Kumuchita opaleshoni kukanakhala koopsa kwambiri, choncho mayi ake a Mamie anamutengera kwa munthu wina wodziwa mankhwala azitsamba. Mamie anati: “Anandicheka ndi lezala, kenaka anaika kamwa lake pabalapo n’kuyesera kukoka chipolopolocho ndi mpweya. Atatero anatulutsa chipolopolo m’kamwa mwake n’kunena kuti, ‘N’chimenechi.’ Tinamulipira n’kuchokapo.”

 Koma munthuyo anawanamiza. Atakamujambulanso kuchipatala anapeza kuti chipolopolo chija chinalipobe. Choncho Mamie ndi mayi ake anapitanso kwa munthu wazitsamba uja, amene anawauza kuti pakufunika kudutsa miyezi nayini kuti zojambula kuchipatala zizitha kuonetsa kuti chipolopolo chija chachoka. Iwo anabwerera kunyumba n’kumakadikirira moleza mtima. Panthawi imeneyi Mamie ankamwa mankhwala osiyanasiyana kuti amuthandize kupirira ndi ululu uja. Anakamujambulanso patatha miyezi nayini. Chipolopolo chija chinalipobe ndipo munthu wazitsamba uja anathawa.

Chipolopolo chija tsopano chinali chitakhala m’thupi mwa Mamie kwa miyezi 18. Mbale wake wina anamutengera kwa sing’anga winawake wamkazi. M’malo momuthandiza, sing’angayo anawauza kuti Mamie kapena mayi ake adzamwalira patsiku lakutilakuti. Mamie tsopano anali ndi zaka 13. Iye akuti: “Nditamva zimenezi ndinkangolira. Koma tsiku lija litafika, palibe anamwalira.”

Kenaka amalume ake a Mamie anamutengera kwa mtsogoleri wa tchalitchi chinachake amene ananena kuti anaona masomphenya osonyeza kuti Mamie anafa ziwalo chifukwa cholodzedwa, osati chifukwa cha chipolopolo. Analonjeza kuti Mamie akatsatira ndondomeko imene amuuze, ayambiranso kuyenda pomatha mlungu umodzi. Mamie akufotokoza kuti: “Ndinkasamba madzi a m’nyanja yamchere kambirimbiri motsatira ndondomeko imene anandiuza, ndinkasala kudya, ndipo ndinkagubuduka padothi pakati pa usiku uliwonse kwa maola ambiri. Koma zonsezi sizinathandize, ndipo ndinakhalabe chimodzimodzi.”

Koma patapita nthawi, zipatala zambiri zinayambiranso kugwira ntchito ndipo pamapeto pake Mamie anachotsedwa chipolopolo chija. Anali atakhala kwa nthawi yopitirira zaka ziwiri akuvutika ndi ululu wosalekeza. Iye akukumbukira kuti: “Opaleshoniyo itatha, ululu uja unatha n’kungotsala wochepa chabe, ndipo ndinkatha kupumako bwino. Ngakhale kuti ziwalo zanga zina zinali zikadali zakufa, ndinkatha kuyenda pogwiritsira ntchito chitsulo choyendera.”

Mamie Akumana ndi Mboni za Yehova

Patatha milungu yochepa atamuchita opaleshoni ija, mayi ake a Mamie anakumana ndi Mboni za Yehova ziwiri. Podziwa kuti mwana wawo amakonda kuwerenga Baibulo, anaziuza Mbonizo kuti zipite kunyumba kwawo. Mamie nthawi yomweyo anavomera kuyamba kuphunzira Baibulo. Koma patatha miyezi ingapo, anapitanso kuchipatala ndipo sanathenso kuonana ndi Mboni zija.

Koma Mamie anali akufunabe kuphunzira Baibulo. Choncho pamene mtsogoleri wa tchalitchi chinachake ananena kuti akhoza kumuthandiza, iye anavomera. Tsiku lina ali pa sande sukulu kutchalitchi, wophunzira wina anafunsa mphunzitsiyo kuti, “Kodi Yesu ndi wofanana ndi Mulungu?”

“Inde,” anayankha choncho mphunzitsiyo. “Mulungu ndi Yesu ndi ofanana. Koma Yesu si wofanana kwenikweni ndi Mulungu.”

‘Si wofanana kwenikweni?’ anadzifunsa Mamie. ‘Zimenezo n’zosamveka. Ndikunamizidwapotu apa.’ Posakhutitsidwa kuti anali kuphunzira zinthu zoona za m’Baibulo, Mamie m’kupita kwanthawi anasiya kupita kutchalitchi chimenecho.

Mu 1996 nkhondo inayambikanso ku Monrovia. Azibale ake a Mamie awiri enanso anafa, ndipo nyumba yawo anaiyatsanso kachiwiri. Patapita miyezi ingapo, Mboni ziwiri zinakumana ndi Mamie zili mu utumiki wa kunyumba ndi nyumba. Mamie anayambiranso kuphunzira Baibulo. Atapita koyamba ku misonkhano, anadabwa kuona kuti aliyense, kuphatikizapo akulu a mpingo, anathandiza nawo kukonza pa Nyumba ya Ufumu. Chakumapeto kwa chaka chimenecho, Mamie anasangalala kwambiri kupita ku Msonkhano Wachigawo wa Mboni  za Yehova wa “Amithenga a Mtendere Waumulungu.” Umenewu unali msonkhano waukulu wa Mboni za Yehova woyamba kuti apiteko.

Mamie anati: “Ndinachita chidwi kwambiri. Amboniwo ankakondanadi zenizeni, ngakhale anali ochokera ku mafuko osiyanasiyana. Ndipo zonse zinali zokonzedwa bwino.”

Anakwaniritsa Cholinga Chake Chotumikira Mulungu

Nkhondo inayambikanso mu 1998, ndipo Mamie ndi mayi ake anathawira ku dziko loyandikana nawo la Côte d’Ivoire, komwe anayamba kukhala ku Peace Town Refugee Camp (Tawuni Yamtendere ya Anthu Othawa Kwawo), limodzi ndi anthu ena 6,000 a ku Liberia. Mamie anapitiriza kuphunzira Baibulo ndi Mboni ndipo anapita patsogolo mwamsanga. Pasanapite nthawi yaitali, anafuna kuyamba kuuza ena za chikhulupiriro chake. Abale ndi alongo ake auzimu anamuthandiza kuti athe kuchita nawo utumiki wachikristu pokankha njinga yake ya anthu olumala. Mwanjira imeneyi, Mamie anatha kuchitira umboni wabwino kwa anthu ena ambiri othawa kwawo.

Mamie ankapita ku misonkhano yonse, ngakhale kuti chifukwa cha mavuto a thanzi lake ankavutika kupita ku Nyumba ya Ufumu, yomwe inali pa mtunda wa makilomita sikisi kuchokera komwe ankakhala. Pa May 14, 2000, anayenda ulendo wopitirira makilomita 190 kuti akapezeke pa tsiku la msonkhano wapadera. Pa msonkhano umenewu Mamie anabatizidwa m’madzi posonyeza kudzipereka kwake kwa Mulungu. (Mateyu 28:19, 20) Pamaso pa anthu ambiri, amene anali ndi misozi m’maso mwawo, Mamie anamunyamula n’kupita naye mu mtsinje, momwe anabatizidwa. Nkhope yake inali yowala ndi chimwemwe pamene ankatuluka m’madzimo.

Panopa Mamie ali ku Ghana ku malo okhala anthu othawa kwawo, ndipo ali n’cholinga chokhala mpainiya wokhazikika, kapena kuti munthu amene ntchito yake ndi yolalikira. Mayi akenso ayamba kuphunzira Baibulo ndi Mboni za Yehova ndipo panopa ayamba kuuza ena zinthu zimene aphunzira. Onse awiri akudikirira mwachidwi nthawi imene Mawu a Mulungu amalonjeza, pamene “wopunduka adzatumpha ngati nswala, ndi lilime la wosalankhula lidzaimba.”—Yesaya 35:5-7.

[Chithunzi patsamba 22]

Chipolopolo chomwe anachichotsa m’thupi la Mamie

[Chithunzi patsamba 23]

Mamie akumutengera mu mtsinje kuti abatizidwe

[Chithunzi patsamba 23]

Mamie akuphunzira Baibulo ndi mayi ake, a Emma