DATA yitwaga Arthur kandi yatinyaga Imana. Akiri muto yifuzaga kuzaba pasiteri mu Bametodisiti. Icyakora icyo cyifuzo cyahindutse igihe yasomaga ibitabo by’Abigishwa ba Bibiliya agatangira kwifatanya na bo. Yabatijwe mu wa 1914 afite imyaka 17. Icyo gihe Intambara ya Mbere y’Isi Yose yacaga ibintu, yategetswe kujya mu gisirikare. Yanze kujya ku rugamba, akatirwa gufungwa amezi icumi muri gereza ya Kingston mu ntara ya Ontario ho muri Kanada. Data amaze gufungurwa, yahise aba umupayiniya w’igihe cyose.

Mu mwaka wa 1926, yashakanye na Hazel Wilkinson wari ufite nyina wari waramenye ukuri mu wa 1908. Bambyaye ku itariki ya 24 Mata 1931, nkaba ndi uwa kabiri mu bana bane. Mu muryango wacu twashyiraga Yehova mu mwanya wa mbere, kandi kuba papa yarubahaga Bibiliya cyane, byatumye natwe twubaha Ijambo ry’Imana. Buri gihe twajyaga kubwiriza ku nzu n’inzu.—Ibyak 20:20.

Intambara ya Kabiri y’Isi Yose yatangiye mu mwaka wa 1939, kandi umurimo w’Abahamya ba Yehova muri Kanada wabuzanyijwe mu mwaka wakurikiyeho. Mu mashuri ya leta habaga imihango yo gukunda igihugu by’agakabyo, hakubiyemo kuramutsa ibendera no kuririmba indirimbo yubahiriza igihugu. Iyo iyo mihango yabaga ikorwa, jye na mushiki wanjye Dorothy twasohokaga mu ishuri. Umunsi umwe, mwarimu yaranserereje, avuga ko ndi ikigwari. Amasomo arangiye, abanyeshuri barankubise, banantura hasi. Ariko ibyo byatumye nshikama ku mwanzuro wanjye wo “kumvira  Imana yo mutegetsi aho kumvira abantu.”—Ibyak 5:29.

Muri Nyakanga 1942, igihe nari mfite imyaka 11, nabatirijwe mu kigega cy’amazi cyari mu isambu y’umuntu. Mu biruhuko, nakundaga gukora ubupayiniya bw’umufasha. Hari igihe najyanye n’abavandimwe batatu tujya kubwiriza abantu batemaga ibiti mu karere kari katarabwirizwamo, mu majyaruguru y’intara ya Ontario.

Ku itariki ya 1 Gicurasi 1949, nabaye umupayiniya w’igihe cyose. Natumiriwe kuza gufasha mu mirimo y’ubwubatsi ku biro by’ishami, maze ku itariki ya 1 Ukuboza mba umukozi wa Beteli yo muri Kanada. Noherejwe gukora mu icapiro maze niga gukoresha imashini icapa. Namaze ibyumweru byinshi nkora ijoro ducapa inkuru y’Ubwami yavugaga ukuntu abagaragu ba Yehova bo muri Kanada batotezwaga.

Nyuma yaho igihe nakoraga mu Rwego Rushinzwe Umurimo, naganiraga n’abapayiniya banyuraga ku biro by’ishami bagiye gukorera umurimo mu ntara ya Québec, yari indiri y’abaturwanyaga. Umwe muri bo yari Mary Zazula ukomoka mu mugi wa Edmonton, ho mu ntara ya Alberta. We na musaza we witwaga Joe banze kureka kwiga Bibiliya, maze ababyeyi babo bari bakomeye ku idini ry’Aborutodogisi babirukana mu rugo. Bombi babatijwe muri Kamena 1951, maze nyuma y’amezi atandatu batangira ubupayiniya. Igihe twaganiraga, natangajwe n’ukuntu Mary yakundaga Yehova. Naribwiye nti “hatagize igihinduka, ndabona uyu ari we mukobwa nzashaka.” Twashyingiranywe nyuma y’amezi icyenda, ku itariki ya 30 Mutarama 1954. Hashize icyumweru, twatojwe umurimo wo gusura amatorero, kandi mu myaka ibiri yakurikiyeho, twasuye amatorero yo mu majyaruguru y’intara ya Ontario.

Umurimo wo kubwiriza ku isi hose wagendaga waguka kandi hari hakenewe abamisiyonari benshi. Twaratekereje tuti “ko dushobora kwihanganira ubukonje bukabije bwo mu itumba ryo muri Kanada, tukihanganira n’imibu yaho mu mpeshyi, hari ahandi hatunanira?” Muri Nyakanga 1956 twahawe impamyabumenyi mu ishuri rya 27 rya Gileyadi, maze mu Gushyingo tujya muri Burezili.

Tugeze muri Burezili, twatangiye kwiga igiporutugali. Tumaze kumenya amagambo make yo gusuhuzanya n’andi twakoresha dutanga amagazeti, twatangiye kubwiriza. Batugiriye inama, batubwira ko nitubona nyir’inzu ashimishijwe, tuzajya tumusomera imirongo ya Bibiliya igaragaza uko  ubuzima buzaba bumeze mu gihe cy’Ubwami bw’Imana. Igihe twajyaga kubwiriza bwa mbere, nasomeye umugore mu Byahishuwe 21:3, 4, mpita nikubita hasi! Nari ntaramenyera ubushyuhe bwaho, kandi byakomeje kumbera ikibazo cy’ingorabahizi.

Twabwirizaga mu mugi wa Campos, ubu urimo amatorero 15. Igihe twahageraga, hariyo itsinda rimwe gusa n’icumbi ry’abamisiyonari ryabagamo bashiki bacu bane, ari bo Esther Tracy, Ramona Bauer, Luiza Schwarz na Lorraine Brookes (waje gushakana na Wallen). Muri iryo cumbi, nari nshinzwe kumesa no gushaka inkwi. Umunsi umwe, twari turangije kwiga Umunara w’Umurinzi kuwa mbere nimugoroba, umugore wanjye aryamye mu ntebe aruhuka, twiganirira uko umunsi wagenze. Igihe yeguraga umutwe ngo ahaguruke, inzoka yasosorotse munsi y’umusego yari aryamyeho, iraduhabura ariko ndayica!

Igihe twari tumaze umwaka twiga igiporutugali, nabaye umugenzuzi w’akarere. Twiberaga mu cyaro, mu buzima buciriritse, tudafite umuriro, tukaryama ku misambi kandi tukagenda ku ifarashi no ku igare rikururwa n’ifarashi. Hari igihe twagiye kubwiriza mu ifasi yari itarabwirizwamo, dutega gari ya moshi itugeza mu mugi wubatswe mu misozi, maze dukodesha icyumba cyo kubamo. Ibiro by’ishami byatwoherereje amagazeti 800 yo gukoresha mu murimo. Twajyaga kenshi ku iposita gufata amakarito y’amagazeti tukayazana aho twari ducumbitse.

Mu wa 1962, muri Burezili hose habaye Ishuri ry’Umurimo w’Ubwami ryari rigenewe abavandimwe na bashiki bacu b’abamisiyonari. Namaze amezi atandatu nigisha muri ayo mashuri mu turere dutandukanye, ntari kumwe na Mary. Nigishije ishuri mu migi ya Manaus, Belém, Fortaleza, Recife na Salvador. Nateguye Ikoraniro ry’intara ribera mu nzu mberabyombi izwi cyane y’i Manaus. Icyo gihe haguye imvura nyinshi, yanduza amazi yo kunywa, kandi ituma abaje mu ikoraniro batabona ahantu hakwiriye bafatira amafunguro. Nabivuganyeho n’umukuru w’abasirikare, aduha amazi yo kunywa ahagije, kandi yohereza abasirikare bashinga amahema abiri manini yo gutekeramo no kuriramo.

Muri icyo gihe ntabaga mu rugo, Mary yabwirizaga mu mugi w’ubucuruzi, wari wiganjemo abimukira bavuye muri Porutugali bashishikazwaga n’ifaranga gusa. Yabuze umuntu n’umwe wemera ko baganira kuri Bibiliya, maze abwira incuti ze ati “niba hari ahantu muri iyi si ntashobora kuba, ni muri Porutugali.” Ntiyari azi ko nyuma yaho gato, twari kubona ibaruwa idusaba kujya gukorera umurimo muri Porutugali. Icyo gihe umurimo wari warabuzanyijwe muri icyo gihugu,  ariko twemeye kujyayo nubwo Mary yabanje gutinya.

Twageze i Lisbone muri Porutugali muri Kanama 1964. Abapolisi bashinzwe ubutasi batotezaga cyane abavandimwe. Mu mizo ya mbere byari bihuje n’ubwenge ko twirinda kuvugana n’abavandimwe baho. Twagumye mu icumbi kugeza ubwo duhawe uburenganzira bwo gutura. Tumaze kubona viza, twakodesheje inzu. Muri Mutarama 1965, twarashyize tuvugana n’abavandimwe bo ku biro by’ishami. Twarishimye cyane igihe twajyaga mu materaniro bwa mbere nyuma y’amezi atanu!

Twamenye ko polisi yasakaga ingo z’abavandimwe buri munsi. Amateraniro yaberaga mu ngo z’abavandimwe kubera ko Inzu z’Ubwami zari zarafunzwe. Abahamya benshi barafatwaga bakajya guhatwa ibibazo ku biro bya polisi. Abapolisi bigirizagaho nkana abavandimwe, bakabahatira kuvuga amazina y’abayoboraga amateraniro. Ibyo byatumye abavandimwe biga amayeri yo kudakoresha amazina yabo yose kandi natwe ni ko twabigenzaga.

Twifuzaga mbere na mbere gufasha abavandimwe kubona ibitabo byari kubafasha gukomeza kwihangana. Mary yari ashinzwe gukora kopi z’ibice byo kwigwa mu Munara w’Umurinzi.

Muri Kamena 1966, i Lisbone habaye urubanza rukomeye. Abari bagize itorero ryo mu mugi wa Feijó bose uko bari 49 bashyikirijwe urukiko bashinjwa kujya mu materaniro atemewe. Nabafashije kwitegura urubanza no kwiregura, nigira nk’aho ndi umushinjacyaha. Twari tuzi ko n’ubundi tuzatsindwa, ariko twabonaga ko tubonye uburyo bwo kubwiriza. Umwavoka wacu yanzuye asubiramo amagambo ya Gamaliyeli wo mu kinyejana cya mbere (Ibyak 5:33-39). Inkuru y’urwo rubanza yavuzwe cyane mu itangazamakuru, kandi abo bavandimwe na bashiki bacu 49 bafunzwe iminsi iri hagati ya 45 n’amezi atanu n’igice. Twarishimye cyane igihe umwavoka wacu yemeraga kwiga Bibiliya kandi agatangira guterana.

Mu Kuboza 1966, nabaye umugenzuzi w’ibiro by’ishami kandi nibanze cyane ku bibazo birebana n’amategeko. Twarwanye inkundura kugira ngo Abahamya ba Yehova bahabwe umudendezo wo kuyoboka Imana (Fili 1:7). Amaherezo ku itariki ya 18 Ukuboza 1974, twahawe ubuzima gatozi. Umuvandimwe Nathan Knorr na Frederick Franz baturutse ku cyicaro gikuru, baza kwishimana natwe mu materaniro atazibagirana yabereye mu migi ya Oporto na Lisbone, haterana abantu 46.870.

 Yehova yatumye umurimo waguka ugera mu birwa bya Açores, Kapuveri, Madère na Sao-Tomé-et-Principe, byakoreshwagamo igiporutugali. Ibyo byatumye dukenera ibiro by’ishami binini kandi twabibonye mu mwaka wa 1988. Ku itariki ya 23 Mata 1988, umuvandimwe Milton Henschel yatanze disikuru yo kwegurira Yehova ibiro by’ishami bishya. Icyo gihe hateranye abantu 45.522, harimo n’abavandimwe na bashiki bacu 20 bari barakoreye umurimo w’ubumisiyonari muri Porutugali.

Jye na Mary twamaze imyaka myinshi dukorana n’abavandimwe b’indahemuka kandi byatugiriye akamaro. Urugero, igihe najyanaga n’umuvandimwe Theodore Jaracz gusura ibiro by’ishami nize isomo ry’ingirakamaro. Ibyo biro by’ishami byari bifite ibibazo bikomeye, kandi abagize Komite y’Ibiro by’Ishami nta ko batari baragize ngo babikemure, ariko biba iby’ubusa. Umuvandimwe Jaracz yarabahumurije arababwira ati “ubu ni cyo gihe cyo kureka umwuka wera ukaba ari wo ubikemura.” Nanone igihe twasuraga icyicaro gikuru i Brooklyn, jye n’umugore wanjye n’abandi bavandimwe twataramanye n’umuvandimwe Franz. Twamusabye kugira icyo atubwira ku birebana n’imyaka myinshi yari amaze mu murimo wa Yehova, aratubwira ati “icyo nabisabira ni iki: muzagume mu muryango wa Yehova haba mu byiza no mu bibi. Ni wo wonyine ukora umurimo wo kubwiriza ubutumwa bwiza bw’Ubwami bw’Imana nk’uko Yesu yabitegetse abigishwa be.”

Jye n’umugore wanjye twakurikije iyo nama, kandi byatumye tugira ibyishimo. Nanone igihe twasuraga ibiro by’amashami hirya no hino ku isi, twabonye ibintu byinshi bishimishije. Twishimiraga guhura n’abantu bari mu kigero gitandukanye, tukabizeza ko umurimo bakorera Yehova ari uw’agaciro, kandi tukabatera inkunga yo gukomeza kumukorera.

Ubu hashize imyaka myinshi, kandi dufite imyaka isaga 80. Mary akunda kurwaragurika (2 Kor 12:9). Ibigeragezo byakomeje ukwizera kwacu, binatuma tumaramaza gukomeza kubera Yehova indahemuka. Iyo dushubije amaso inyuma mu myaka yose tumaze dukorera Yehova, twibonera rwose ko yatugaragarije ubuntu butagereranywa mu buryo bwinshi. *