Ndakaberekwa muna 1948 mune imwe nharaunda diki iri nechekumaodzanyemba kweNigeria. Panguva iyoyo, babamunini vangu Moustapha, uye mukoma wangu Wahabi vakabhabhatidzwa sevamwe veZvapupu zvaJehovha. Pandaiva nemakore 9, baba vangu vakafa. Ndakashungurudzika chaizvo. Wahabi akandiudza kuti tinogona kuzoona baba zvakare vamutswa. Mashoko iwayo anonyaradza akaita kuti nditange kudzidza Bhaibheri. Ndakabhabhatidzwa muna 1963. Vakoma vangu vaviri nemunin’ina wangu vakazobhabhatidzwawo.

Muna 1965, ndakatanga kugara nemukoma wangu Wilson muLagos, uye ndainakidzwa nekushamwaridzana nemapiyona enguva dzese muungano yeIgbobi. Kufara kwavaiita uye kushingaira kwavo kwakandikurudzira, uye muna January 1968 ndakatangawo kupayona.

Imwe hama yaishumira paBheteri yainzi Albert Olugbebi, yakaronga musangano unokosha nesu vechidiki kuti itaure nezvekushumira semapiyona chaiwo kuchamhembe kweNigeria. Ndichiri kuyeuka Hama Olugbebi vachitaura zvinokurudzira vachiti: “Muchiri vechidiki, munogona kushandisa nguva yenyu nesimba renyu pakushumira Jehovha. Munda wakavhurika!” Ndaiva nechido  chekutevedzera muprofita Isaya pakuzvipira, saka ndakaendesa fomu rangu.—Isa. 6:8.

Muna May 1968, ndakanzi ndinoshumira sapiyona chaiye muguta reKano, riri kuchamhembe kweNigeria. Izvi zvakaitika panguva yairwiwa hondo yemuBiafra, iyo yakarwiwa kubva muna 1967 kusvika muna 1970. Hondo yacho yakaita kuti vanhu vakawanda vatambure uye vafe kuchamhembe kweNigeria, uye yakazopedzisira yava kumabvazuva kweNigeria. Imwe hama yakaedza kuita kuti ndisaenda nekuti yaisada kuti ndikuvadzwe. Asi ndakaiudza kuti: “Maita henyu nekuratidza kuti mune hanya neni. Asi kana Jehovha achida kuti ndimushumire ikoko, ndine chokwadi chekuti achava neni.”

Kuona zvakanga zvaitika muKano kwairwadza chaizvo. Hondo yakanga yasakadza guta iri rainge rakakura. Pataiva muushumiri, dzimwe nguva taiona zvitunha zvevanhu vakanga vaurayiwa. Kunyange zvazvo muKano maiva neungano dzakati wandei, hama dzakawanda dzakanga dzatiza. Makanga mangosara vaparidzi vasingasviki 15, avo vaitya uye vainge vakaora mwoyo. Hama nehanzvadzi idzodzo dzakafara chaizvo isu mapiyona chaiwo 6 patakasvika. Takavakurudzira uye vakatanga kunzwa zvakanaka. Takavabatsira kuti vatange kupinda misangano nekuita basa rekuparidza uye kuti vatumire mishumo yebasa rekuparidza uye maodha emabhuku kubazi.

Isu mapiyona chaiwo takatanga kudzidza mutauro unonzi Hausa. Vanhu vemunzvimbo iyoyo pavainzwa mashoko eUmambo mururimi rwavo, vaititeerera. Asi vanhu vemuchitendero chainge chakakurumbira munzvimbo iyoyo havana kufarira basa redu rekuparidza, saka taifanira kunyatsongwarira. Pane imwe nguva, ini nemumwe wangu takadzingirirwa nemurume ainge akabata banga. Asi sezvo taimhanya kumudarika, haana kukwanisa kutibata! Pasinei nengozi idzodzo, Jehovha akaita kuti ‘tigare takachengeteka’ uye vaparidzi vakatanga kuwedzera. (Pis. 4:8) Iye zvino muKano mune vaparidzi vanopfuura 500 vari muungano 11.

Pava paya muna August 1968, pashure pekunge tangoita mwedzi mishoma tiri muKano, ndakanzi ndiende kuNiamey, guta guru reRepublic of Niger, pamwe chete nemamwe mapiyona chaiwo  maviri. Pasina nguva, takazvionera tega kuti Niger, iyo iri muWest Africa, iri pakati penyika dzinopisa chaizvo pasi pano. Taifanira kudzidza kuparidza munzvimbo iyi inopisa zvakanyanya uye kudzidza mutauro unonyanya kutaurwa imomo, chiFrench. Kunyange zvazvo zvakanga zvisiri nyore, takavimba naJehovha uye takatanga kuparidza muguta guru iri pamwe chete nevaparidzi vashoma vaigara imomo. Munguva pfupi, anenge munhu wese muNiamey uyo aikwanisa kuverenga akanga agamuchira bhuku raishandiswa pakudzidza Bhaibheri rinonzi Zvokwadi Inotungamirira Kuupenyu Husingagumi. Vanhu vaitotitsvaga vachida bhuku iroro!

Pasina nguva, takaona kuti hurumende yemunyika iyoyo yaisafarira Zvapupu zvaJehovha. Muna July 1969, takaita gungano redunhu rekutanga munyika iyoyo paine vanhu vanenge 20. Taitarisira kuona vanhu vaviri vachibhabhatidzwa. Asi pazuva rekutanga regungano racho, mapurisa akasvika ndokumisa purogiramu yacho. Vakatora mapiyona chaiwo nemutariri wedunhu ndokuenda nesu kukembi yemapurisa. Pashure pekunge vatibvunzurudza, vakati tidzoke mangwana acho. Patakaona kuti zvinhu zvakanga zvisina kumira zvakanaka, takaronga kuti hurukuro yerubhabhatidzo iitirwe pamba pemumwe munhu uye vanhu vozoenda kurwizi chinyararire kunobhabhatidzwa.

Pashure pemavhiki mashoma, ini nemamwe mapiyona chaiwo mashanu takadzingwa nehurumende yeNiger. Vakatipa maawa 48 ekubuda munyika yacho uye taifanira kuronga tega kuti tobuda sei. Takateerera, uye takabva tananga kuhofisi yebazi yekuNigeria, kwatakabva tapiwa mabasa matsva.

Ndakanzi ndiende kune imwe nharaunda yemuNigeria inonzi Orisunbare, kwandakanakidzwa nekuparidza uye kuitisa zvidzidzo zveBhaibheri pamwe chete nevaparidzi vashoma vaigara ikoko. Asi pashure pemwedzi 6, hofisi yebazi yakanditi ndidzokere kuNiger ndiri ndega. Pakutanga ndakashamiswa uye ndakatya asi ndakazenge ndava kuda chaizvo kuonanazve nehama dzekuNiger!

Ndakadzokera kuNiamey. Mangwana acho, mumwe muzvinabhizimisi wekuNigeria akaziva kuti ndaiva Chapupu uye akatanga kubvunza mibvunzo ine chekuita neBhaibheri. Ndakadzidza naye uye pashure pekunge arega kuputa nekunwa zvakanyanya akabhabhatidzwa. Zvakandifadza kuparidza nehama nehanzvadzi munzvimbo dzakasiyana-siyana dzemuNiger, uye mumakore iwayo ndakaona vanhu vachigamuchira chokwadi. Pandakasvika ikoko, munyika yacho maiva neZvapupu 31, uye pandakazobvako, makanga mava ne69.

Gore ra1977 rava kunopera, ndakadzokera kuNigeria kunodzidziswa kwemavhiki matatu. Kosi yacho payakanga yapera, Malcolm Vigo, murongi muDare Rebazi akandiverengesa tsamba yakabva kubazi rekuSierra Leone. Hama dzeko dzaitsvaga  piyona asati aroora, akagwinya, achikwanisa kutaura Chirungu nechiFrench kuitira kuti azoshumira semutariri wedunhu muGuinea. Hama Vigo vakandiudza kuti ndiro basa randakanga ndichidzidziswa kuzoita. Vakanyatsonditsanangurira zvakajeka kuti iroro raisava basa riri nyore. Vakandiudza kuti, “Nyatsofunga usati wabvuma.” Ndakabva ndangovapindura kuti, “Sezvo Jehovha ari iye ari kundituma, ndichaenda.”

Ndakaenda kuSierra Leone nendege, uye ndakaonana nehama pahofisi yebazi. Imwe hama yemuDare Rebazi yakandiudza kuti, “Hatina zvakawanda zvatinoziva nezvebasa reUmambo kuGuinea.” Kunyange zvazvo bazi reSierra Leone riri iro raiona nezvebasa rekuparidza muGuinea, zvainge zvakaoma kukurukura nevaparidzi vemuGuinea, nekuti zvematongerwo enyika zvainge zvisina kugadzikana munyika yacho. Vakanga vaedza kakawanda kutuma hama kuti iende kunoshanyira hama dzemuGuinea, asi zvairamba. Saka ndakanzi ndiende kuConakry, guta guru remuGuinea, ndoedza kupiwa mvumo nehurumende yekugara imomo.

Pandakasvika muConakry, ndakaenda kuhofisi yemumiririri weNigeria uye ndakaonana naye. Ndakamuudza nezvechido changu chekuparidza muGuinea. Akandiudza kuti ndisagara munyika yacho nekuti ndaigona kusungwa kana kuitirwa zvimwe zvakatoipa. Akati, “Dzokera kuNigeria wonoparidza ikoko.” Ndakamupindura kuti, “Ndinoda kugara muno.” Saka akanyora tsamba kugurukota rinoona nezvekugara zvakanaka kwevanhu muGuinea kuti rindibatsire uye gurukota racho rakandibatsira.

Izvozvo zvichangoitika ndakadzokera kuhofisi yebazi rekuSierra Leone ndikaudza hama zvakanga zvasarudzwa negurukota racho. Hama dzakafara zvekufara zviya padzakanzwa kuti Jehovha akanga akomborera sei rwendo rwangu. Ndakanga ndabvumirwa nehurumende kugara muGuinea!

Kubva muna 1978 kusvika muna 1989, ndakashumira mubasa remudunhu kuGuinea, Sierra Leone, uye semutsivi wemutariri wedunhu kuLiberia. Mazuva ekutanga ndaimborwara rwara. Dzimwe nguva izvi zvaiitika ndiri kunzvimbo dziri kwadzo dzega. Asi hama dzaiita zvese zvadzaigona kuti dzindiendese kuchipatara.

Pane imwe nguva ndakarwara chaizvo nemalaria uye ndakaita makonye emudumbu. Pandakazopora, ndakaziva kuti hama dzakanga dzatoronga kwekundiviga. Pasinei nezvinhu izvi zvakaita kuti ndipotse ndafa, handina kumbobvira ndafunga nezvekusiya basa rangu. Uye ndinoramba ndiine chokwadi chekuti Mwari chete ndiye anogona kutichengetedza zvakakwana nekuti kunyange tikafa anogona kutimutsa.

Muna 1988, ndakaonana naDorcas, piyona anozvininipisa chaizvo uye anoda zvekunamata. Takachata uye akabatana neni pakuita basa remudunhu. Dorcas aratidza kuti mudzimai ane rudo uye akazvipira pakushumira Jehovha. Taifamba kwemakiromita 25 takatakura mabhegi edu  tichishanyira ungano. Pataienda kuungano dzainge dziri nechekure, taishandisa chero chifambiso chataikwanisa kuwana. Migwagwa yacho yaiva nemadhaka nemakomba.

Dorcas ane ushingi. Dzimwe nguva taiyambuka nzizi dzakazara makarwe. Pane rumwe rwendo rwemazuva mashanu rwatakaita, bhiriji rataiyambuka naro iro rainge rakagadzirwa nemiti rakatyoka uye taifanira kushandisa igwa. Dorcas akasimuka kuti abude muigwa ndokubva awira mumvura yakadzika. Hapana kana mumwe wedu aigona kushambira uye rwizi rwacho rwaiva nemakarwe. Sezvineiwo, vamwe vakomana vakabva vapinda mumvura vakamununura. Chiitiko ichi chakaita kuti tese tiri vaviri tiite kanguva tichirota hope dzinotyisa, asi takaramba tichiita basa redu.

Gore ra1992 richangotanga, takashamisika chaizvo kuziva kuti Dorcas akanga ava nepamuviri. Taifanira kusarudza kuti toramba tiri mapiyona chaiwo here. Takati, “Jehovha atipa chipo!” Saka takasarudza kupa mwanasikana wedu zita rekuti Jahgift. Jahgift paakanga ava nemakore mana aberekwa, kahanzvadzi kake, Eric, kakabva kauyawo. Vana vedu vari vaviri, zvipo zvinobva kuna Jehovha. Jahgift akamboshumira pahofisi yeshanduro muConakry, uye Eric mushumiri weungano.

Kunyange zvazvo Dorcas akambomira kushumira sapiyona chaiye, akaramba achishumira sapiyona wenguva dzese, kunyange patairera vana vedu. Ndichibatsirwa naJehovha, ndakaramba ndiri mubasa chairo renguva yakazara. Vana vedu pavakanga vakura, Dorcas akanga ava kukwanisazve kushumira sapiyona chaiye. Iye zvino ini nemudzimai wangu tava kushumira semamishinari ari mundima muConakry.

Kwese kunenge kuchidiwa naJehovha kuti ndiende, ndinoenda. Kakawanda, ini nemudzimai wangu tinonzwa kuti Jehovha ari kutidzivirira uye ari kutikomborera. Kuvimba naJehovha kwatibatsira kuti tisapinda mumatambudziko anosangana nevaya vanovimba nepfuma. Ini naDorcas takadzidza kubva pane zvakaitika kwatiri kuti Jehovha, “Mwari weruponeso rwedu,” ndiye anonyatsotichengetedza. (1 Mak. 16:35) Ndine chivimbo chekuti upenyu hwevanhu vese vanovimba naJehovha ‘huchange hwakaputirwa muhomwe yeupenyu.’—1 Sam. 25:29.