NDINAYAMBA kutumikira ku Beteli ya ku Brooklyn pa September 7, 1950. Pa nthawiyi kunali abale ndi alongo 355 ochokera m’mayiko osiyanasiyana ndipo anali a zaka za pakati pa 19 ndi 80. Ambiri mwa abale ndi alongowa anali odzozedwa.

Mayi anga ndi omwe anandithandiza kuti ndiyambe kutumikira “Mulungu wachimwemwe.” (1 Tim. 1:11) Iwo anayamba kutumikira Yehova ineyo ndili wamng’ono. Ndinabatizidwa pa July 1, 1939, ndili ndi zaka 10 pa msonkhano wadera womwe unachitikira mumzinda wa Columbus, ku Nebraska, m’dziko la United States. Tinasonkhana anthu pafupifupi 100 muholo ina yomwe tinapanga lendi kuti timvetsere pa tepi nkhani ya M’bale Joseph Rutherford. (ya mutu wakuti “Fascism or Freedom”) Nkhani ili mkati, tinangoona kuti panja pa holoyo pabwera gulu la anthu. Anthuwo analowa muholomo n’kutibalalitsira kunja kwa tauni. Tinakasonkhana pafamu ya m’bale wina kuti timalize msonkhanowo. Mungathe kuona kuti tsiku la ubatizo wanga linali losaiwalika.

Mayi anga anayesetsa kundiphunzitsa kuti ndizikonda kutumikira Mulungu. Ngakhale kuti bambo anga anali munthu wabwino, analibe chidwi kwenikweni ndi zachipembedzo kapena kundithandiza kuti ndizikonda Mulungu. Mayi anga komanso abale ndi alongo ena mumpingo wa Omaha ndi amene ankandilimbikitsa kwambiri.

Nditatsala pang’ono kumaliza sukulu, ndinayenera kusankha zoti ndidzachite pa moyo wanga. Ine ndi anzanga ena tinkakonda kuchita upainiya wothandiza pa nthawi ya holide.

Anyamata awiri osakwatira amene anamaliza maphunziro awo m’kalasi nambala 7 ya Sukulu ya Giliyadi, anawatumiza m’dera lathu monga oyang’anira oyendayenda. Abalewa anali John Chimiklis ndi Ted Jaracz. Ndinadabwa nditamva kuti anyamatawa anali asanakwanitse zaka 25. Pa nthawiyi n’kuti ine ndili ndi zaka 18 ndipo ndinali nditatsala pang’ono kumaliza sukulu. Ndikukumbukira kuti M’bale Chimiklis anandifunsa zimene ndikufuna kudzachita pa moyo wanga. Nditamuuza zolinga zanga, anandilimbikitsa kuti: “Inde, yamba pompano utumiki wa nthawi zonse.  Sungadziwe madalitso amene ungapeze.” Malangizo amenewo komanso chitsanzo cha abalewo zinandilimbikitsa kwambiri. Choncho nditamaliza sukulu ndinayamba upainiya wokhazikika m’chaka cha 1948.

Mu July 1950, ine ndi makolo anga tinapita ku msonkhano wa mayiko womwe unachitikira ku Yankee Stadium mumzinda wa New York. Pa msonkhanowu ndinakhala nawo pa msonkhano wa ofuna kukatumikira pa Beteli. Ndinapereka kalata yomwe ndinafotokoza kuti ndikufunitsitsa kukatumikira ku Beteli.

Bambo anga sankadana ndi zoti ndizichita upainiya, koma anandiuza kuti ndizipereka ndalama za chakudya ndi malo ogona. Tsiku lina m’mwezi wa August, ndikupita kukafufuza ntchito, ndinaima kaye pamalo athu olandirira makalata. Ndinapeza kuti munali kalata yanga yochokera ku Brooklyn yosainidwa ndi Nathan H. Knorr. M’kalatamo analemba kuti: “Talandira kalata yanu yofuna utumiki wa pa Beteli. Ndikuganiza kuti mwatsimikiza kuti mudzatumikira pa Beteli kwa moyo wanu wonse. Choncho tikukuitanani kuti mubwere ku 124 Columbia Heights, ku Brooklyn, New York, pa September 7, 1950.”

Bambo anga atabwera kuchokera ku ntchito, ndinawauza kuti ndapeza ntchito. Iwo ananena kuti, “Zakhala bwino, waipeza kuti?” Ndinawauza kuti, “ku Beteli ya ku Brooklyn ndipo ndizilandira madola 10 pa mwezi.” Bambo atamva zimenezi anadabwa kwambiri, koma anandiuza kuti poti ndasankha ndekha, ndiziigwira ndi mtima wonse. Pasanapite nthawi, bambo anabatizidwa pa msonkhano wina womwe unachitikira ku Yankee Stadium mu 1953.

Ndinasangalala nditamva kuti Alfred Nussrallah yemwe ndinkachita naye upainiya, amuitananso ku Beteli moti tinapitira limodzi. Kenako iye anakwatira Joan n’kupita ku Giliyadi ndipo anatumizidwa ku Lebanon kukachita umishonale. Atachoka kumeneko anabwerera ku United States ndipo anali woyang’anira woyendayenda.

Nditafika ku Beteli ndinkagwira ntchito mu dipatimenti yosindikiza mabuku. Ndinkagwira ntchito yomata mabuku ndipo buku loyamba lomwe ndinamata linali lakuti, What Has Religion Done for Mankind? Patadutsa miyezi pafupifupi 8 ndinasinthidwa n’kupita ku Dipatimenti ya Utumiki ndipo woyang’anira wathu anali M’bale Thomas J. Sullivan. Ndinkasangalala kwambiri kugwira naye ntchito. Anali wanzeru komanso wozindikira makamaka chifukwa chakuti anali atatumikira m’gululi kwa zaka zambiri.

Nditatumikira zaka pafupifupi zitatu mu Dipatimenti ya Utumiki, M’bale Max Larson anandiuza kuti M’bale Knorr akundifuna. Ndinadzifunsa kuti ‘Ndalakwanso chiyani ine abale?’ Mtima wanga unakhala m’malo M’bale Knorr atandiuza kuti amangofuna kudziwa ngati ndili ndi maganizo ofuna kuchoka pa Beteli m’tsogolo. Iye ankafuna m’bale woti azigwira naye ntchito, ndiye ankafuna kudziwa ngati ndingakwanitse. Ndinamuuza kuti ndilibe maganizo ochoka pa Beteli. Kwa zaka 20 zotsatira ndinagwira ntchito limodzi ndi m’baleyu.

Kunena zoona, maphunziro amene ndapeza pogwira ntchito ndi abale osiyanasiyana pa Beteli ndi apamwamba kwambiri. Ndagwira ntchito ndi abale monga Thomas Sullivan, Nathan Knorr, Milton Henschel, Klaus Jensen, Max Larson, Hugo Riemer, ndi Grant Suiter. *

 Abale amene ndagwira nawo ntchito anali a dongosolo kwambiri. M’bale Knorr anali wakhama kwabasi ndipo ankafunitsitsa kuti ntchito ya Ufumu ifike patali kwambiri. Anthu amene ankagwira naye ntchito ankamasuka nayenso kwambiri. Tinkafotokoza maganizo athu momasuka ngakhale pamene tikuona kuti akusiyana ndi maganizo ake ndipo iye sankatikayikira.

Tsiku lina M’bale Knorr anandiuza kuti ndizimuthandiza pa tinthu tina ting’onoting’ono. Popereka chitsanzo anandiuza zimene M’bale Rutherford ankachita pa nthawi imene M’bale Knorr anali woyanganira dipatimenti ina. M’bale Rutherford ankaimba foni n’kunena kuti: “M’bale Knorr, mukamabwera kudzadya munditengere malabala. Mudzawasiye padesiki yanga.” Ndiyeno m’bale Knorr ananena kuti zikatero ankapita nthawi yomweyo kukatenga malabalawo n’kusunga m’thumba. Ndiyeno nthawi yokadya ikakwana, iye ankapita kukawasiya mu ofesi ya M’bale Rutherford. Zimenezi zinkaoneka ngati zazing’ono koma zinkathandiza kwambiri M’bale Rutherford. Ndiyeno M’bale Knorr anati: “Ndiye ndimati ndikupemphe kuti uzindisongolera mapensulo anga. Tsiku lililonse m’mawa, uzionetsetsa kuti wasongola n’kusiya padesiki panga.” Ndinakhala ndikuchita zimenezi kwa zaka zambiri.

M’bale Knorr ankakonda kutiuza kuti tizikhala tcheru tikamapatsidwa malangizo ogwirira ntchito iliyonse. Tsiku lina anandipatsa malangizo ochitira zinazake koma sindinamvetsetse. Zimene ndinachita zinali zochititsa manyazi kwambiri. Zinandipweteka kwambiri moti ndinalembera M’bale Knorr kakalata kopepesa komanso kopempha kuti ndisiye kugwira ntchito mu ofesi yake. Tsiku lomwelo, m’baleyu anabwera pamene ndinakhala n’kunena kuti: “Robert, ndawerenga zimene walemba zija. N’zoona kuti unalakwitsa. Paja takambirana kale zimenezi ndipo ndikudziwa kuti sudzalakwitsanso. Tiye tizingogwira ntchito basi.” Ndinasangalala kwambiri kuona kuti anandikomera mtima chonchi.

Nditatumikira pa Beteli kwa zaka 8, sindinkafuna kusiya. Koma zinthu zinasintha. Msonkhano wa mayiko umene unachitikira ku Yankee Stadium mu 1958 utatsala pang’ono kuchitika, ndinakumana ndi mlongo wina dzina lake Lorraine Brookes. Tinadziwana mu 1955 pa nthawi imene ankachita upainiya ku Montreal m’dziko la Canada. Ndinachita chidwi kwambiri nditaona kuti amakonda utumiki wanthawi zonse ndipo anali wokonzeka kupita kulikonse kumene gulu la Yehova lingamutumize. Iye ankafunitsitsa kupita ku Sukulu ya Giliyadi. Ali ndi zaka 22 anaitanidwa kukalowa nawo kalasi ya nambala 27 m’chaka cha 1956. Atamaliza maphunzirowa anatumizidwa kuti akakhale mmishonale ku Brazil. Ndiyeno mu 1958 tinayambanso kucheza kenako tinagwirizana zoti timange banja. Tinakambirana kuti tidzakwatirane chaka chotsatira ndipo tinkakhulupirira kuti tizidzachita limodzi umishonale.

 Nditafotokozera M’bale Knorr zolinga zangazi, anandiuza kuti tidikire kaye zaka zitatu kuti adzatilole kutumikira pa Beteli ku Brooklyn. Pa nthawiyo anthu akakwatirana ankaloledwa kukhala pa Beteli ngati mmodzi watumikira kwa zaka 10 ndipo winayo zaka zosachepera zitatu. Choncho Lorraine anavomera kutumikira pa Beteli ya ku Brazil kwa zaka ziwiri kenako n’kubwera ku Brooklyn kudzatumikiranso chaka chimodzi tisanakwatirane.

Pa zaka ziwiri zoyambazo tinkangolankhulana kudzera m’makalata. Mafoni anali odula kwambiri ndipo kunalibe maimelo. Tinakwatirana pa September 16, 1961 ndipo M’bale Knorr ndi amene anakamba nkhani ya ukwati wathu. Zaka zitatu zimene anatiuza kuti tidikirezo tinkaziona kuti n’zambiri. Koma tikuona kuti tinachita bwino kudikira ndipo panopa takhala m’banja mosangalala kwa zaka zoposa 50.

Mu 1964, ndinapatsidwa utumiki woyendera nthambi. Pa nthawiyo, abale sankayenda limodzi ndi akazi awo m’maulendo amenewa. Koma zinthu zinasintha m’chaka cha 1977, ndipo abale anayamba kuyenda ndi akazi awo. M’chaka chimenecho, ine ndi Lorraine tinaperekeza M’bale Grant Suiter ndi mkazi wake Edith pa ulendo woyendera maofesi a nthambi ku Germany, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey ndi ku Israel. Pa utumiki umenewu, ndayenda m’mayiko okwana 70.

Mu 1980, tili pa ulendo woyendera nthambi ku Brazil, tinakafika mumzinda wa Belém. Lorraine ankatumikira mumzinda umenewu pa nthawi imene ankachita umishonale. Tinaimanso ku Manaus kuti tione abale. Titapita kubwalo lina kukakamba nkhani, tinaona abale ndi alongo ena atakhala kwaokha. Akazi a ku Brazil amakonda kupsompsonana popatsana moni pomwe amuna amagwirana chanza. Koma tinadabwa kuti anthu amenewo sankachita zonsezi.

Abale ndi alongo amenewa anali ndi matenda a khate ndipo ankakhala mkati mwa nkhalango ya Amazon. Iwo anakhala kwaokha poopa kupatsira ena matendawa. Zimenezi zinatikhudza kwambiri ndipo sitimaiwala kuti nkhope zawo zinkaoneka zachisangalalo. Tinaona kukwaniritsidwa kwa mawu a Yesaya akuti: “Atumiki anga adzafuula mokondwa chifukwa chokhala ndi chimwemwe mumtima.”—Yes. 65:14.

Kawirikawiri ine ndi Lorraine timaganizira zimene tachita m’zaka zoposa 60 zimene tatumikira Yehova modzipereka. Tikusangalala kwambiri ndi madalitso amene tapeza chifukwa cholola kuti Yehova atitsogolere kudzera m’gulu lake. Ngakhale kuti sindikuyendanso m’mayiko ambiri ngati mmene ndinkachitira kale, ndikugwirabe ntchito yanga yatsiku ndi tsiku monga wothandizira Bungwe Lolamulira. Ndikuthandiza m’Komiti ya Ogwirizanitsa komanso m’Komiti ya Utumiki. Ndikuyamikira kwambiri mwayi umene ndili nawo wothandiza nawo abale athu padziko lonse m’njira imeneyi. Timasangalalanso kuona achinyamata ambirimbiri amene adzipereka kuti achite utumiki wa nthawi zonse. Iwo ali ngati Yesaya amene ananena kuti: “Ine ndilipo! Nditumizeni.” (Yes. 6:8) Khamu la anthu odziperekawa likungosonyeza kuti zimene woyang’anira dera uja anandiuza n’zoona. Iye anati: “Yamba pompano utumiki wa nthawi zonse. Sungadziwe madalitso amene ungapeze.”