MAPEPA angu anoratidza kuti ndakazvarwa muna 1924. Zvinoitawo sokuti ndakaberekerwa mumusha unonzi Shmakovka uri nechekumabvazuva kweRussia, pedyo nomuganhu wayo neChina.

Mumwe musi baba vangu pamwe nehanzvadzi dzangu vakatorwa nevapambi uye amai havana kuzoonana navo zvakare. Vakasara nemhuri yakakura yaingova nevana vaduku chete uye vakanga vakaomerwa nokuvawanira zvokudya. Mumwe muvakidzani akati aizoda kuenda nesu vana kusangano rechechi yeOrthodox raichengeta nherera rokuRussia, obva anonyepa kuti amai vedu vakatitiza.

Amai vakabvuma izvi nokuti dai vasina kudaro tingadai takafa nenzara. Iye zvino ndava nemakore ekuma80, saka ndinotenda chaizvo kuti amai vakatiendesa kumusha wenherera. Hapana mubvunzo kuti izvi zvakatiponesa. Asiwo ndinomboshushikana kuti nei amai vakaita saizvozvo.

Muna 1941 ndakatamira kuKorea uye ndakaroorwa nemurume wokuRussia aiva nemutsa ainzi Ivan. Muna 1942, tiri muguta guru reKorea rinonzi Seoul, takava nemwanasikana wedu wokutanga anonzi Olya. Muna 1945 takabereka mwanakomana wedu Kolya uyo akazoteverwa nemunin’ina wake Zhora muna 1948. Murume wangu aiita zvechitoro, ini ndichiita zvokusona. Guta reSeoul raitongwa neJapan saka vana vedu vakakura vachitaura chiJapanese kunyange zvazvo taitaura chiRussian kumba. Gore ra1950 risati rasvika, zvaiita sokuti vanhu vokuRussia, vokuAmerica uye vokuKorea vaiva muSeoul vaigarisana zvakanaka. Vose vaiuya kuzotenga pachitoro chedu.

Zvinhu zvakangoerekana zvachinja muna 1950. Masoja ekuNorth Korea akatora guta reSeoul. Hatina kukwanisa kutiza saka takasungwa pamwe chete nevamwe vaibva kune dzimwe nyika. Takapedza makore matatu nehafu tichiendeswa kunzvimbo dzakasiyana-siyana dzomuNorth Korea pamwe chete nevasungwa vehondo vokuBritain, Russia, America uye France. Taingogariswa chero padzimba dzavaiwana uye taingwarirawo kuti tisakuvadzwa nemabhomba.

Pamwe taimbogara mudzimba dzaidziya uye taipiwa zvokudya zvakakwana. Zvisinei, kakawanda taingodya mhunga chete uye tairara muzvivako zvisisagarwi tichitonhorwa. Vakawanda vedu vakafa nekushaya zvokudya zvinovaka muviri uye nokusabatwa zvakanaka. Ndairwadziwa zvikuru nokutambura kwaiita vana vangu. Chando chakakurumidza kutanga muNorth Korea gore iroro. Ndinoyeuka ndichipedza usiku hwose ndakasvinura ndichidziisa matombo pamoto ekuisa pedyo nevana vangu kuti vadziirwe.

Pakwainge kwava kudziya vamwe vagari vomuKorea vaitiratidza michero yomusango yaidyiwa ikoko uye taitsvaka hanyanisi, mashizha, mahabhurosi, mazambiringa uye hwowa. Vagari vemo vakanga vasingativengi asi vaitonzwa  tsitsi nokutambura kwataiita. Ndakadzidza kubata matatya kuti tiwedzere zvokudya zvedu. Zvaindidya mwoyo kunzwa vana vangu vachichemera matatya.

Rimwe gore muna October takaudzwa kuti tiende kuguta rinonzi Manp’o. Takaudzwa kuti paizova nezvikochikari zvokutakura vairwara nevana vaduku. Olya nababa vake vakanzi vaende neboka raifamba netsoka. Ndakasara nevanakomana vedu tikamirira kwemazuva kuti zvikochikari zviuye uye zvakazosvika.

Vasungwa vairwara vaingounganidzwa semasaga muzvikochikari. Izvi zvairwadza kuona! Ndakabereka Zhora uye ndakaedza kugadzika Kolya pakona mungoro asi akaridza mhere achiti: “Mhamha, Mhamha, ndinoda kufamba nemi! Musandisiya kani!”

Akatanga kutevera, kamwe karuoko kakabata nguo yangu achimhanya kuti tifambirane pamwe chete. Vasungwa vakawanda vakapfurwa parwendo urwu rwakanga rwakaipa zvikuru urwo rwakatora mazuva akati wandei. Shiri dzaitevera dzichijobora zvitunha zvaisara munzira. Takabva tazosvika kwaiva nemurume wangu naOlya. Takachema uye takambundirana. Usiku ihwohwo ndakaedzerwa ndichidziisa matombo mumoto. Ndakanga ndagadzikana mupfungwa nokuti iye zvino ndaiita kuti vana vangu vose vadziirwe.

Muna 1953 pataigara pedyo nemuganhu weNorth neSouth Korea, upenyu hwedu hwakanga hwati rerukei. Takapiwa hembe dzakanaka dzebasa, bhutsu, chingwa nezvihwitsi. Mushure menguva pfupi vanhu vokuBritain vakasunungurwa vachiteverwawo nevokuFrance. Asi isu takanga tisina nyika yedu chaiyo. Pakaenda vamwe vasungwa vose, takabva tasara toga. Takachema zvikuru uye takatadza kudya. Panguva iyi mukuru wejeri wokuKorea ndipo paakataura mashoko anorwadzwa ari kwokutanga kwenyaya ino.

Sezvineiwo, takabva tangoendeswa kuSouth Korea tichipfuura nemunzvimbo yakanga yabviswa mauto. Pashure  pokunge tabvunzurudzwa nevakuru vemasoja ekuAmerica, takabvumidzwa kuenda kuUnited States. Takaenda kuSan Francisco, California nechikepe uye ikoko taibatsirwa nesangano rinobatsira vanotambura. Takazotamira kuVirginia uye vanhu veko vataizivana navo vakatibatsira kuti tigone kuzviriritira. Takaguma tava kugara kuMaryland.

Taishamiswa nezvinhu zvataisaziva zvakadai sevacuum cleaner. Sezvo taiva vatsva munyika iyi taishanda zvakasimba uye kwemaawa akawanda. Asi zvakandirwadza kuona vaya vakanga vava nenguva vachigara munzvimbo iyi vachibata zvisina kunaka vaya vakanga vachangosvika. Tichangosvika, mumwe mupristi wechechi yeOrthodox akatiudza kuti: “Mava munyika yakakomborerwa. Kana muchida kubudirira musadyidzana nevanhu vokunyika kwenyu.” Zvakandishamisa uye zvakandivhiringidza. Taisafanira kuyamurana here?

Muna 1970 mumwe murume ainzi Bernie Battleman uyo aiva mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha akauya kumba kwedu kuti akurukure nesu nezveBhaibheri. Aiva munhu aiomerera pane zvaakadzidza achitaura zvinhu asingapotereri sezvataiva takangoita. Takataura naye kwemaawa akawanda. Sezvo ndakarererwa musangano raichengeta nherera reOrthodox, ndaiziva dzidziso dzechechi nemusoro. Asi handina kumbobvira ndafunga nezvokuva neBhaibheri rangu. Bernie akatipa Bhaibheri ndokubva ati: “Ndakupai Bhaibheri iri nokuti ndinokudai.” Akazoita kuti tidzidze Bhaibheri naBen, chimwe Chapupu chokuBelarus chaitaura chiRussian.

Ben nomudzimai wake vaindipindura mibvunzo yangu nemutsa vachishandisa Bhaibheri. Kunyange zvakadaro, ndaifunga kuti Zvapupu zvakawedzeredza magwaro matsvene. Chainyanya kundishatirisa ndechokuti mabhuku avo aiti Mariya aiva nevamwe vana kunze kwaJesu asi chechi yangu yairamba izvozvo.

Ndakakumbira imwe shamwari yangu yokuPoland kuti itarise zvaitaurwa neBhaibheri rake rechiPolish pana Mateu 13:55, 56. Paakaverenga vhesi yacho ndakashamisika kuti chaiva chokwadi kuti Jesu aiva nevanun’una. Iye akakumbirawo shamwari yake yaishanda paLibrary of Congress muWashington, D.C., kuti atarise vhesi yacho mumaBhaibheri ose aiva muraibhurari yacho. Akati maBhaibheri acho ose aitiwo Jesu aiva nevanun’una nehanzvadzi.

Ndaiva nemimwe mibvunzo yakawanda yakadai sokuti: Nei vana vachifa? Nei nyika dzichirwisana? Sei vanhu vasingawirirani kunyange  vaya vanotaura mutauro mumwe? Mhinduro dzandakawana muBhaibheri dzakandibaya mwoyo. Ndakadzidza kuti Mwari haadi kuti vanhu vatambure. Ndakaita sendichabata denga pandakadzidza kuti ndichazoonazve hama dzangu dzakatsakatika mukurwisana kwakasiyana-siyana. Zvishoma nezvishoma ndakatanga kuona Jehovha semunhu chaiye.

Rimwe zuva ndakanga ndichinyengetera kuzvidhori zvangu ndichikumbira Mwari kuti abatsire mwanakomana wangu uyo akanga achangobva kuhondo yokuVietnam nokuti akanga akaora mwoyo zvikuru. Ndakabva ndangoyeuka kuti ndaisafanira kunyengetera kuzvidhori, asi kuna Mwari mupenyu Jehovha. Ndakadambura zvidhori zvacho ndokuona kuti zvaingova pepawo zvaro rinopenya. Ndakanga ndazvitenga kuchechi asi usiku hwezuva iroro ndakazviparadza.

Zvakanga zvakandiomera kusiya chechi yandakakurira. Asi ndakanga ndava kukoshesa zvinodzidziswa neBhaibheri kupfuura zvimwe zvose. Gore rakatevera racho ini nemurume wangu nemwanasikana wedu takaenda kunoona mupristi wechechi yeRussian Orthodox. Ndaiva nebhuku remanotsi raiva nemibvunzo yeBhaibheri nemagwaro. Pandakaverenga magwaro acho eBhaibheri mupristi akadzungudza musoro ndokuti, “Wakarasika.” Akatiudza kuti tisazombotsika pamba pake zvakare.

Nyaya iyi yakabatsira mwanasikana wangu Olya uyo aiva nechido chokuziva uye aiomerera pamaonero ake. Akatangawo kunyatsoongorora Bhaibheri uye pasina nguva akanga ava kuenda neni kumisangano yeZvapupu. Ndakabhabhatidzwa muna 1972 uye Olya akabhabhatidzwa gore rakatevera racho.

Taigara tichiudzana kuti, Tinofanira kutarisa mberi tosiyana nezvakaitika kare. Saka takanga tisingazezi kutanga chimwe chinhu chitsva kana tikangova nechokwadi chokuti chakanaka. Ini nemwanasikana wangu patakatanga kuva noukama naMwari, takava nechido chakasimba chokuenda kudzimba dzevanhu tichivaudza zvataidzidza. Pamwe ndaimbotaura ndisina kufunga zvokuti mumwe wandaiparidza naye ndiye aitozoedza kudzikamisa zvinhu. Asi nokufamba kwenguva ndakadzidza kutaura nevanhu vemarudzi akasiyana-siyana avo vaidawo upenyu huri nani sezvandaiita.

Mumakore akatevera, ini nemwanasikana wangu taigara tichitaura kuti kana kurwisana kwenyika kwangopera taizoenda kuRussia kunobatsira vanhu vakaita sesu kudzidza nezvaMwari. Pakwakazopera pakutanga kwema1990, Olya akazadzisa chishuvo ichocho. Akatamira kuRussia uye akashanda semushumiri wenguva yakazara kwemakore 14. Akabatsira vakawanda kudzidza Bhaibheri uye akabatsira kushandura mabhuku eBhaibheri kubva muChirungu kuenda muchiRussian pahofisi yebazi reZvapupu zvaJehovha rokuRussia.

Iye zvino handichakwanisi kufamba, ndava kungoswera ndiri pamubhedha uye vana vangu vari kuita zvose zvavanogona kuti zvinhu zvindirerukire. Ndinotenda Mwari kuti ndakazonyatsowana upenyu huri nani mushure mokutambura kwemakore. Mashoko episarema romuBhaibheri remufudzi Dhavhidhi akazadzika kwandiri okuti: “[Mwari] anonditungamirira kunzvimbo dzokuzororera dzine mvura zhinji. Anozorodza mweya wangu. Anonditungamirira mumakwara okururama nokuda kwezita rake.”—Pisarema 23:2, 3. *