Mukutanga kwegore ra1942, nguva pfupi United States ichangobva kupindira muHondo Yenyika II, ndaiva mugore rechishanu repakoreji uye ndainge ndava pedyo nokuwana dhigirii rezvokuvaka. Ndaigara nevamwe vakomana vaviri. Mumwe wacho akandiudza kuti nditaure nemunhu ‘aiwanzoshanyira vakomana vaigara muimba yaiva pasi.’ Ndipo pandakasangana nemumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha ainzi John O. (Johnny) Brehmer. Ndakashamiswa zvikuru nekuwana kwaaiita mhinduro dzeBhaibheri kumibvunzo inenge yose. Zvakandibaya mwoyo, ndokutanga kudzidza Bhaibheri nguva dzose naJohnny uye ndakazotanga kuenda naye kunoparidzira pose pandaikwanisa.

Baba vaJohnny vainzi Otto, vakava Chapupu pavaiva mukuru mukuru werimwe bhangi rokuWalnut, muIowa. Vakasiya basa iroro kuti vashandise nguva yavo yakawanda pakushumira Jehovha. Mukufamba kwenguva, muenzaniso wavo pamwe chete nemhuri yavo, wakandikurudzira kuti ndiite chisarudzo chinokosha.

Mumwe musi, mukuru mukuru wepayunivhesiti akandiudza kuti zvidzidzo zvangu zvainge zvadzikira pane zvandaimboita saka ndaisagona kuwana dhigirii. Ndinoyeuka ndichinyengetera nomwoyo wose kuna Jehovha Mwari, ndichikumbira kuti anditungamirire. Pasina nguva ndakadaidzwa kuti ndinoonana nomudzidzisi wangu. Akandiudza kuti akanga agamuchira teregiramu yaitaura kuti pane kwaidiwa munhu anoshanda sainjiniya uye akanga atobvuma kuti ndaida basa racho asina kumbondibvunza. Ndakatenda mudzidzisi wangu nezvaainge aita asi ndakamutsanangurira kuti nei ndakanga ndatsunga kushumira Jehovha kwoupenyu hwangu hwose. Ndakabhabhatidzwa musi wa17 June 1942, uye pasina nguva ndakanga ndava piyona, sekudanwa kunoitwa vashumiri venguva yakazara veZvapupu zvaJehovha.

Muna 1942, ndakagamuchira tsamba yaitaura kuti ndaifanira kupinda muchiuto uye ndakamiswa pamberi pedare raipinza vanhu muchiuto, ndichitsanangura kuti nei hana yangu yaisandibvumira kubatanidzwa muhondo. Ndakavapa mapepa andainge ndapiwa nevadzidzisi vangu vokukoreji airatidza kuti ndaiva neunhu hwakanaka uye ndaiva nounyanzvi hwezvokuvaka. Pasinei nezvandakavaratidza, ndakabhadhariswa faindi yeUS$10 000 uye ndakatongerwa kugara kwemakore mashanu mujeri rokuUnited States, kuLeavenworth, muKansas.

Zvapupu zvechiduku zvinopfuura 230 zvainge zvatongerwa kuti zvishande papurazi raiva rejeri rokuLeavenworth.  Papurazi iri taipiwa basa rokuita tichitarisirwa nemagadhi. Vamwe vacho vaiziva kuti taisaita zvematongerwo enyika uye vaititsigira.

Panewo magadhi mashoma aitibvumira kuti tigare tichiita misangano yedu yokudzidza Bhaibheri. Vaitibatsirawo kuwana mabhuku anotsanangura Bhaibheri tiri mujeri. Mutarisiri wejeri akatonyoresa kuti agare achiwana magazini yainzi Consolation (yava kunzi Mukai!).

Ndakazosunungurwa musi wa16 February 1946, mwedzi mishoma Hondo Yenyika II yapera, pashure pokunge ndapika kwemakore matatu pamakore mashanu andakanga ndatongerwa. Ndakabva ndangotangazve basa renguva yakazara sapiyona. Ndakanzi ndidzokere kunoitira basa iri kuguta reLeavenworth, muKansas. Ndaizeza zvikuru kudzokera nokuti Zvapupu zvaJehovha zvaisafarirwa ikoko. Zvainge zvakaoma zvikuru kuwana basa rokuti ndizvitsigire uye kuwana pokugara.

Ndinoyeuka mumwe musi ndichiparidza paimba neimba pandakaona mumwe wemagadhi ekujeri kwandaimbova ndokubva ashevedzera kuti, “Ibva pamba pangu!” Pandakaona kuti aiva akabata chitsvimbo, ndakavhunduka uye ndakabva ipapo nokukurumidza. Pane imwe imba, mumwe mukadzi akati, “Chimbomira zvishoma,” ndokubva avhara dhoo. Ndakamumirira ndokungoerekana hwindo rekamuri repamusoro ravhurwa uye ndakadirwa mvura yakasviba, ndikatota muviri wose. Asi ushumiri hwangu hwaivawo nezvikomborero. Pave paya ndakazoziva kuti vamwe vaitora mabhuku eBhaibheri kwandiri vakazova Zvapupu.

Muna 1943, pakatangwa chikoro chitsva chokudzidzisa mamishinari, muNew York. Ndakakokwa kuti ndipinde kirasi yechi10 yechikoro chacho, uye ndakapedza musi wa8 February 1948. Chikoro ichi chakazosvika pakuzivikanwa seChikoro cheBhaibheri cheWatchtower cheGiriyedhi. Pandakapedza chikoro chacho ndakanzi ndiende kunoshanda kuGold Coast, yava kunzi Ghana.

Pandakasvika kuGold Coast, ndaifanira kuparidzira vakuru vakuru vehurumende uye vanhu vokuEurope. Pakupera kwevhiki ndaishanda neimwe ungano yeZvapupu zvaJehovha, uye ndaibatsira vaiva muungano yacho kuita basa rokuparidza paimba neimba. Ndaishanyirawo Zvapupu zvaiva zviri kwazvo zvoga, ndichivadzidzisa kuita basa rokuparidza. Uyewo ndaishanda semutariri anofambira muIvory Coast, yava kunzi Côte d’Ivoire.

Pandaishumira ndiri munzvimbo idzi, ndakadzidza kurarama sezvaiita zvizvarwa zvomuAfrica, zvakadai sokurara mudzimba dzakavakwa nevhu, kudya nemaoko, uye kuenda kunozvibatsira kusango sezvaiita vaIsraeri pavaiva murenje. (Dheuteronomio 23:12-14) Kuita zvose izvi kwakabatsira kuti  ini nemamwe mamishinari tifarirwe nevanhu. Madzimai evamwe vakuru vakuru vemunzvimbo yacho akatanga kudzidza Bhaibheri. Saka vamwe vaitipikisa pavakaronga kuti titorerwe mavhiza, madzimai evakuru vakuru akaita kuti varume vawo vasazvibvumira!

Sezvinongoitika kumamishinari akawanda anoshanda muAfrica, ndakazorwara nemarariya. Ndaitonhorwa ndichiita fivha yaiita kuti ndirasike pfungwa. Dzimwe nguva ndaitofanira kubata shaya yangu yepasi kuti isaramba ichidedera. Asi ndakaramba ndichifara uye ndichigutsikana nebasa randaiita.

Mumakore mana okutanga ndiri muAfrica, ndainyorerana tsamba naEva Hallquist wandakanga ndasangana naye ndisati ndabva kuUnited States. Ndakanzwa kuti aiva mukirasi yechi21 yeChikoro cheGiriyedhi uye aizopedza musi wa19 July 1953 pagungano renyika dzakawanda reZvapupu zvaJehovha raizoitirwa muYankee Stadium kuNew York. Ndakaronga nemumwe mutyairi wechikepe kuti ndaizoshanda muchikepe chake semubhadharo wekutakurwa kuenda kuUnited States.

Ndakazosvika pashure pemazuva 22, tichifamba mugungwa raiva risina kugadzikana, uye ndakabva ndanosangana naEva pamuzinda weZvapupu zvaJehovha kuBrooklyn. Ndiri pamusoro pechivako chomuzinda weZvapupu zvaJehovha, ndichiona panosvikira zvikepe muNew York, ndakamukumbira kuti tiroorane. Pashure, Eva akazouya kuGold Coast kuti tizoshumira pamwe chete.

Patakanga tava nemakore tichishumira muAfrica, ndakatumirwa tsamba naamai vangu vachiti Baba vainge vava kurwara zvakaipisisa nekenza. Takakumbira kumbobva kwataishumira, ndokudzokera kuUnited States. Utano hwababa hwakaramba huchidzikira uye pasina nguva vakazofa.

Makore mana tadzokera kuGhana, takaziviswa kuti Amai vangu vainge vava kurwarawo. Dzimwe shamwari dzedu dzakatikurudzira kuti tidzokere kumusha kunotarisira amai. Ndicho chaiva chisarudzo chakaoma zvikuru pane zvose zvataifanira kuita. Pashure pemakore 15 ebasa roumishinari, uye 11 acho ndiina Eva, takadzokera kuUnited States.

Kwemakore, taiita zvokuchinjana kutarisira Amai, tichivabatsira kuenda kumisangano pose pavaikwanisa. Vakazofa musi wa17 January 1976 vava nemakore 86. Ndakazorwadziwa zvakanyanya pashure pemakore 9 akatevera. Eva akabatwa chirwere chekenza. Takaedza zvose zvataigona, asi akazofa musi wa4 June 1985, ava nemakore 70.

Muna 1988 ndakakokwa pakutsaurirwa kwezvivako zvitsva zvainge zvawedzerwa pabazi rekuGhana. Chaiva chiitiko chisingakanganwiki! Pandakasvika muGhana ndichibva kuChikoro cheGiriyedhi makore 40 akanga apfuura, maingova nemazana mashomanana eZvapupu. Muna 1988 vainge vava kupfuura 34 000, uye parizvino vava kuda kusvika 114 000.

Makore maviri ndichangobva kuuya kuGhana, takaroorana neshamwari yepedyo yaEva yainzi Betty Miller, musi wa6 August 1990. Tave tichishumira Jehovha kwoupenyu hwedu hwose. Tinotarisira mberi patichazoonana navanasekuru navanambuya vedu, vabereki vedu uye naEva, pavachamutswa kuti vararame muParadhiso pasi pano.—Mabasa 24:15.

Pandinofunga nezveropafadzo yakakura yandakawana yokushandiswa naJehovha mubasa rake kwemakore anodarika 70, ndinonzwa ndichida kuchema. Ndinogara ndichitenda Jehovha nokundibatsira kuita kuti ndimushumire kwoupenyu hwangu hwose. Kunyange ndava nemakore anopfuura 90, Jehovha mugadziri mukuru wezvinhu zvose, achiri kupfuurira kundipa simba uye ushingi kuti ndirambe ndichimushumira.