NAVUTSE mu mwaka wa 1926, ndi uwa karindwi mu bana umunani. Ababyeyi bacu bari batuye mu mudugudu muto wo mu Bugiriki wa Karítsa.

Mu mwaka wa 1925, ababyeyi banjye bari barahuye na John Papparizos wari Umwigishwa wa Bibiliya urangwa n’ishyaka, akaba ari ko Abahamya ba Yehova bitwaga icyo gihe. Ibyo John yabasobanuriye byabakoze ku mutima maze batangira kujya mu materaniro y’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya yaberaga mu mudugudu w’iwacu. Mama yizeraga cyane Yehova, kandi nubwo atari azi gusoma, yakoreshaga uburyo bwose abonye akageza ku bandi ibyo yamenye. Ikibabaje ni uko data yibandaga ku makosa y’abandi bigatuma acika intege, akareka kujya mu materaniro.

Nubwo jye n’abo tuvukana twubahaga Bibiliya, twarangazwaga n’ibinezeza. Mu mwaka wa 1939, igihe Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose yayogozaga u Burayi, hari ikintu cyabaye mu mudugudu w’iwacu turakangarana. Mukuru wanjye wo kwa data wacu witwaga Psarras Nicolas wari uherutse kubatizwa, yasabwe kujya mu ngabo z’u Bugiriki. Nicolas wari ufite imyaka 20, yababwiye ashize amanga ati “sinshobora kujya ku rugamba kuko ndi umusirikare wa Kristo.” Urukiko rwa gisirikare rwamukatiye imyaka icumi y’igifungo. Ibyo byaratubabaje cyane!

Igishimishije ni uko mu mwaka wa 1941, ingabo z’ibihugu byishyize hamwe zinjiye mu Bugiriki, maze Nicolas agafungurwa. Yagarutse i Karítsa, mukuru wanjye witwa Ilias amubaza ibibazo byinshi kuri Bibiliya. Nateze amatwi nitonze ibyo baganiraga. Nyuma yaho, jye na Ilias na mushiki wacu witwa Efmorfia, twatangiye kwiga Bibiliya no  kujya mu materaniro y’Abahamya. Twese twiyeguriye Yehova tubatizwa mu mwaka wakurikiyeho. Nyuma yaho, abandi bana bane tuvukana na bo babaye Abahamya ba Yehova.

Mu mwaka wa 1942, itorero ry’i Karítsa ryari rifite abasore n’inkumi bagera ku icyenda, bari mu kigero cy’imyaka iri hagati ya 15 na 25. Twari tuzi neza ko twari hafi kugeragezwa. Igihe cyose byabaga bishoboka, twigiraga hamwe Bibiliya, tukaririmba indirimbo z’Ubwami kandi tugasenga, kugira ngo ukwizera kwacu gukomere. Kandi koko twagize ukwizera gukomeye!

Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose irangiye, Abakomunisiti bo mu Bugiriki bigometse kuri Leta, haba intambara ikomeye. Inyeshyamba z’Abakomunisiti zahatiraga abaturage kwinjira mu gisirikare cyazo. Zateye mu mudugudu w’iwacu, zishimuta Abahamya batatu, ari bo Antonio Tsoukaris, Ilias nanjye. Twazisobanuriye ko tutagira aho tubogamira kubera ko turi Abakristo. Zaradushoreye dukora urugendo rw’amasaha 12, zitujyana ku musozi wa Olympus.

Tugezeyo, umusirikare mukuru yadutegetse kujya mu mutwe w’inyeshyamba zari zigiye kugaba igitero. Twamusobanuriye ko Abakristo b’ukuri badafata intwaro ngo barwanye abandi bantu, ararakara cyane atujyana ku mujenerali. Na we twarabimusobanuriye, maze aratubwira ati “ngaho nimufate indogobe mujyane inkomere kwa muganga.”

Twaramubajije tuti “ubwo se niduhura n’abasirikare ba leta, ntibatekereza ko natwe turi abasirikare?” Yaratubwiye ati “noneho mujye mugemurira abari ku rugamba.” Twaramubajije tuti “none se umusirikare mukuru nabona dufite indogobe, akadutegeka kujyana intwaro ku rugamba?” Uwo mujenerali yabitekerejeho cyane, maze aratubwira ati “noneho mujye kuragira intama! Mujye muguma ku musozi, mwite ku mukumbi.”

Icyo gihe twumvise umutimanama wacu utaducira urubanza, twemera kuragira intama. Hashize umwaka, mama yararwaye maze Ilias yemererwa gusubira mu rugo kugira ngo amwiteho kuko yari n’umupfakazi. Antonio na we yaje kurwara, ararekurwa. Ubwo nahasigaye jyenyine.

Hagati aho, ingabo za leta zagendaga zisatira ingabo z’Abakomunisiti. Abari baramfashe bahise bahungira mu misozi yegeranye na Alubaniya. Tugeze hafi y’umupaka, twagoswe n’ingabo za leta. Izo nyeshyamba zahiye ubwoba zirahunga. Nihishe inyuma y’igiti, ari na ho ba basirikare navuze ngitangira bansanze.

Igihe nabwiraga abo basirikare ko nari narashimuswe n’inyeshyamba, banjyanye mu kigo cy’abasirikare hafi y’i Véroia, ari wo mugi wa Beroya uvugwa muri Bibiliya. Mpageze, bantegetse gucukura imyobo abasirikare bihishamo. Narabyanze,  maze umukuru w’abasirikare ategeka ko bajya kumfungira ku kirwa giteye ubwoba cya Makrónisos.

Ikirwa cya Makrónisos ni ubutayu butagira amazi kandi izuba ryaho riratwika. Kiri ku birometero 50 uvuye ku mwaro wa Attica wo mu mugi wa Atene. Gifite uburebure bw’ibirometero 13 n’ubugari bw’ibirometero 2 n’igice. Kuva mu mwaka wa 1947 kugeza mu wa 1958, hafungiwe abantu basaga 100.000, hakubiyemo Abakomunisiti n’abakekwagaho gukorana na bo, abahoze barwanya ubutegetsi hamwe n’Abahamya ba Yehova benshi b’indahemuka.

Igihe nahageraga mu ntangiriro z’umwaka wa 1949, abari bahafungiye babaga mu nkambi zitandukanye. Nashyizwe mu nkambi itarinzwe cyane ndi kumwe n’abandi bagabo babarirwa mu magana. Twararaga hasi, ihema ryagenewe abantu 10 tukariraramo turi 40. Twanywaga amazi mabi, incuro nyinshi tukarya inkori n’ibibiringanya. Umukungugu n’umuyaga byaho, byatumaga ubuzima burushaho kutubihira. Ariko nibura ntitwari tumeze nk’izindi mfungwa nyinshi zari zaragowe, zababazwaga urubozo, zigategekwa kwirirwa zisunika amabuye.

Umunsi umwe, nahuye n’Abahamya bo mu zindi nkambi. Twarishimye cyane! Igihe cyose byabaga bishoboka, twateraniraga hamwe ariko tukagira amakenga kugira ngo batatubona. Nanone twabwirizaga izindi mfungwa mu ibanga, kandi bamwe muri bo baje kuba Abahamya ba Yehova. Ibyo bikorwa twakoraga hamwe n’isengesho byaradufashije mu buryo bw’umwuka.

Nyuma y’amezi icumi, abasirikare babonye ko igihe kigeze ngo nambare imyenda ya gisirikare. Narabyanze, maze banjyana kwa komanda w’inkambi. Namuhaye inyandiko igira iti “nta kindi nifuza uretse kuba umusirikare wa Kristo.” Komanda yanshyizeho iterabwoba, hanyuma anjyana ku wari umwungirije, akaba yari arikiyepisikopi w’Umworutodogisi kandi yari yambaye imyambaro y’idini. Nashubije ibibazo yambajije byo muri Bibiliya nshize amanga, maze arakankama ati “mumujyane. Ni intagondwa!”

Bukeye, abasirikare bongeye kuntegeka kwambara imyenda ya gisirikare. Narabyanze, maze bankubita amakofe n’inkoni. Banjyanye mu ivuriro ryo mu nkambi kugira ngo barebe ko ntavunitse, hanyuma barankurura banjyana mu ihema nabagamo. Abasirikare bamaze amezi abiri bankubita buri munsi.

Nakomeje gushikama, maze abasirikare bata umutwe, bashaka ubundi buryo bwo kunyica urubozo. Bamboheye amaboko mu mugongo, hanyuma bakajya bankubita ibirenge. Narababaye cyane maze nibuka amagambo ya Yesu agira ati ‘muzishime abantu nibabatuka, bakabatoteza. Muzishime kandi munezerwe cyane, kuko ingororano zanyu ari nyinshi mu ijuru; kuko uko ari ko batoteje abahanuzi bababanjirije’ (Mat 5:11, 12). Amaherezo nataye ubwenge sinongera kumva ububabare.

Nagaruye ubwenge nsanga ndi muri kasho ikonje cyane, nta mugati, nta mazi cyangwa uburingiti. Icyakora numvaga ntuje. Nk’uko Bibiliya ibisezeranya, ‘amahoro y’Imana yarinze umutima wanjye n’ubushobozi bwanjye bwo kwiyumvisha ibintu’ (Fili 4:7). Ku munsi wakurikiyeho, umusirikare ugwa neza yampaye umugati n’amazi, ampa n’ikoti ryo kwifubika. Hari n’undi musirikare wampaye ibyokurya bye. Muri ubwo buryo no mu bundi bwinshi, niboneye ukuntu Yehova yanyitayeho.

Abayobozi b’inkambi babonye ko batazashobora kumpindura, maze banjyana mu rukiko rwa gisirikare rwo mu mugi wa Atene. Urwo rukiko rwankatiye imyaka itatu y’igifungo muri gereza yari ku kirwa cya Yíaros, kiri ku birometero 50 mu burasirazuba bwa Makrónisos.

Gereza y’i Yíaros yari ifite inkuta nini z’amatafari y’umutuku, ikaba yari irimo imfungwa za politiki zisaga 5.000. Nanone twari tuhafungiye turi Abahamya ba Yehova barindwi, tuzira ko twanze kubogama. Twahuriraga hamwe tukiga Bibiliya mu ibanga kuko byari bibujijwe. Twanabonaga buri gihe kopi  z’Umunara w’Umurinzi wari warabuzanyijwe, tukazikoporora n’intoki kugira ngo tujye tuziyigisha.

Umunsi umwe ubwo twarimo twiga, umucungagereza yatuguyeho, atwambura ibitabo twari dufite. Twatumijwe mu biro by’umuyobozi wa gereza, tugenda twiteze ko bari butwongerere ibihano. Icyakora, uwo muyobozi yaratubwiye ati “turabazi, kandi turabubaha. Turabizera. Nimusubire mu kazi.” Ndetse bamwe muri twe bahawe imirimo yoroheje. Twashimiye Yehova. No muri gereza, kutabogama kwacu kwa gikristo kwatumye Yehova ahabwa ikuzo.

Nanone hari ibindi bintu byiza twagezeho bitewe n’uko twakomeje gushikama. Umwarimu wigishaga imibare wari ufungiye aho, yitegereje imyifatire yacu, maze atubaza ibirebana n’imyizerere yacu. Igihe Abahamya bafungurwaga mu ntangiriro z’umwaka wa 1951, na we yarafunguwe. Nyuma yaho yabaye Umuhamya kandi aba umubwirizabutumwa w’igihe cyose.

Maze gufungurwa, nasubiye mu muryango wanjye i Karítsa. Nyuma yaho, jye n’abandi benshi twari duturanye twimukiye i Melbourne muri Ositaraliya. Aho ni ho nahuriye n’Umukristokazi witwa Janette turashyingiranwa, tubyara umwana w’umuhungu n’abakobwa batatu, tubatoza inzira ya gikristo.

Ubu mfite imyaka isaga 90, kandi ndacyari umusaza w’itorero. Kubera ibikomere nagize kera, hari igihe mba ndibwa mu mubiri no mu birenge, cyane cyane iyo mvuye kubwiriza. Nubwo bimeze bityo ariko, niyemeje kuba ‘umusirikare wa Kristo’ kurusha mbere hose.—2 Tim 2:3.