Pasina nguva, ndakatanga kuita zvekusimbisa muviri. Ndakazovhura imba yekuita maekisesaizi muSan Leandro, Califonia, U.S.A., ndokutanga kushanda nevanoita zvekusimbisa muviri, kusanganisira murume akambohwina mumakwikwi ekuva Mr. America. Zvisinei, kuva nemazimhasuru hakuna kugadzirisa zvaindinetsa.

Imwe shamwari yangu yekubasa iyo yaiziva nezvechido changu chokunzwisisa Bhaibheri, yakandibvunza kana ndaida kuonana nemumwe munhu aigona kundibatsira. Mangwana acho kuseni, mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha akauya kumba kwangu. Takaita maawa mana achipindura mibvunzo yangu achishandisa Bhaibheri. Ndakamuti adzoke manheru, uye paakadzoka takakurukura nezveBhaibheri kusvika pakati peusiku. Zvandakadzidza zvakandifadza zvokuti ndakamukumbira kuti azoendawo neni paaizonoparidza mangwana acho, kuti ndione kuti aizviita sei. Ndakashamiswa chaizvo nemashandisiro aaiita Bhaibheri pakupindura mibvunzo yevanhu. Ndakabva ndangosarudza kuti iri ndiro basa randaida kuita!

Saka ndakasiya bhizimisi rangu ndokutanga kuparidza nemurume iyeye aiva piyona, sekudanwa kunoitwa vamwe vashumiri vakagadzwa veZvapupu zvaJehovha. Muna May 1948, ndakabhabhatidzwa pagungano rakaitwa munhandare yeCow Palace Arena iri muSan Francisco, California. Gore iroro rava kunopera ndakabva ndavawo piyona.

Panguva iyoyo ndakakumbira kuti Zvapupu zvishanyire amai vangu. Vakabvuma zvavakadzidza uye pasina nguva vakava mumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha. Pasinei nekuti vaishorwa nevemumhuri, vakaramba vakatendeka kuna Mwari kwemakore akawanda kusvika pavakazofa. Hapana vamwe vemumhuri medu vakazova Zvapupu.

Muna 1950, ndakatamira kuguta reGrand Junction, muColorado, kwandakasangana naBillie. Akaberekwa muna 1928 uye akakura panguva yakaderera upfumi hwemunyika yose. Amai vake Minnie, vaimuverengera Bhaibheri manheru ega ega vachishandisa rambi reparafini. Paakazosvitsa makore mana, Billie akanga ava kugona kuverenga uye ava kutoziva nyaya dzakawanda dzemuBhaibheri nemusoro. Ma1940 ava kunopera, amai vake vakadzidza Bhaibheri neZvapupu ndokuona kuti hakuna nzvimbo inotambudzwa vanhu vachipiswa mumoto kana vafa. (Muparidzi 9:5, 10) Minnie nemurume wake vakazova Zvapupu.

Muna 1949, Billie akadzoka kubva kukoreji kuBoston ndokutanga kunyatsodzidza Bhaibheri. Akasarudza kupa upenyu hwake kuti anamate Mwari pane  kuva mudzidzisi wekuchikoro. Akabhabhatidzwa muna 1950 pagungano renyika dzakawanda reZvapupu zvaJehovha rakaitwa muYankee Stadium kuNew York. Pasina nguva ndakaonana naBillie, tikazoroorana, tikatanga ushumiri hwenguva yakazara pamwe chete.

Takatangira muguta reEugene, kuOregon, U.S.A., uye takava neushamwari hwakasimba nevanhu vakawanda veko. Muna 1953 takatamira kuguta reGrants Pass, kuOregon, kuti tinobatsira ungano diki yaiva ikoko. Gore iroro rava kunopera takakokwa kuti tipinde kirasi yechi23 yeGiriyedhi, chikoro cheZvapupu chekudzidzisa mamishinari, chiri pedyo neSouth Lansing, kuNew York, makiromita anenge 400 kuchamhembe kwakadziva kumadokero kweguta reNew York.

Muna December 1954, pashure pemwedzi mishanu tapedza Chikoro cheGiriyedhi, ini naBillie takaenda kuBrazil nendege yaiva neinjini mbiri. Tangopedza awa tiri mudenga, imwe injini yakafa, asi takamhara zvakanaka muBermuda. Takavazve nerimwe dambudziko rakatimanikidza kumhara muCuba. Takaita maawa 36 tiri munzira zvokuti takazosvika pamahofisi eZvapupu zvaJehovha muRio de Janeiro, kuBrazil nyama dzisisade.

Pashure penguva pfupi, takaenda nemamwe mamishinari maviri kuguta reBauru, muSão Paulo kunotanga musha mutsva wemamishinari. Guta racho raiva nevanhu vanopfuura 50 000, uye ndisu taiva Zvapupu zvekutanga ikoko.

Takatanga kuparidzira vanhu mudzimba dzavo, asi mupristi weChechi yeRoma akabva atanga kutipikisa. Aititevera achiudza vanhu vataiparidzira kuti vasateerera zvataitaura. Mumavhiki mashomanana, imwe mhuri yakakura yataidzidza nayo yakagamuchira chokwadi cheBhaibheri ndokuzobhabhatidzwa. Vamwe vakabva vatangawo kutodzidza Bhaibheri.

Mhuri iya yatakadzidza nayo yaiva nehama yaiva purezidhendi weimwe kirabhu yaiva nemukurumbira. Ndakaronga kuti tiitire gungano munzvimbo yekirabhu iyi. Mupristi weChechi yeRoma akaramba achiedza kuti chibvumirano chatainge taita chikanzurwe, asi purezidhendi wacho akaudza nhengo dzekirabhu kuti: “Kana mukachikanzura, ndichasiya basa!” Saka takabvumirwa kuita gungano racho.

Gore rakatevera, muna 1956, takakokwa kugungano reruwa rakaitirwa muguta reSantos, riri muSão Paulo. Zvapupu zvinenge 40 zvemuungano yedu zvakaenda kugungano iroro nechitima. Patakadzoka kuBauru, ndakasvikowana tsamba yaiti ndakanga ndava kunoshanda semutariri anoshanyira ungano dzeZvapupu zvaJehovha. Saka ndakatanga basa iroro randakazoita kwemakore angasvika 25 ndichitenderera nzvimbo dzakawanda munyika yakakura yeBrazil.

Panguva iyoyo kufamba kwainge kusiri nyore. Takapedza nyika yacho yose tichifamba nebhazi, chitima, ngoro, mabhasikoro uye netsoka. Rimwe remaguta atakatanga kuenda ndereJaú, riri muSão Paulo. Ikoko, takapikiswa nemumwe mupristi.

Akati, “Siyanai nekuparidzira ‘makwai angu!’”

Takabva tati, “Haasi ako, ndeaMwari.”

Takaronga kuti tiratidze vanhu firimu rebasa redu rekuparidza munyika yose raiva nemusoro unoti, The New World Society in Action, asi mupristi uya akaronga chikwata kuti atirwise. Takabva tangoudza mapurisa. Mupristi wacho nemhomho yake pavakasvika pataiva, vakawana pasingapindike nekuti paiva nemapurisa ainge akavanongedzera pfuti. Firimu iri rakanakidza boka rose rakakura raivapo.

Kare ikako, kwose kwataienda vanhu vaitipikisa uye vaitivenga nekuti vaisafarira zvechitendero.  Somuenzaniso patakaenda kuBrusque, guta riri pedyo nereBlumenau, kuSanta Catarina, takasangana nemapiyona maviri aishumira ikoko asi achipikiswa zvisingaiti. Zvisinei Mwari akakomborera zvikuru kutsungirira kwavakaita. Iye zvino, papfuura makore 50, asi kwatova neungano dzinopfuura 60 munharaunda iyoyo, neImba Yemagungano yakanaka iri muguta riri pedyo reItajaí!

Chimwe chinhu chatisingakanganwi mubasa redu rokushanyira ungano kwaiva kushanda kwataiita nemufaro nezvimwe Zvapupu pakugadzirira magungano makuru. Kuma1970, ndakava neropafadzo yekuva mutariri wegungano rakaitirwa munhandare yakakura yeMorumbi. Ungano dzingasvika 100 dzaiva pedyo nenhandare, dzakakumbirwa kuti imwe neimwe yadzo itumire vanhu 10 kuti vauye manheru kuzotsvaira nekuita mamwe mabasa, gungano richizoitwa mangwana acho.

Vamwe vatambi venhabvu pavaibuda munhandare manheru iwayo vainyomba vachiti: “Tionereiwo vanhu ava, vari kufunga kuti vanosvikepi nemabhurumu nezvikorobho.” Asi pakazosvika pakati peusiku nhandare yose yakanga yachena! Maneja wenzvimbo yacho akati: “Basa ramaita imi Zvapupu mumaawa mashomanana, raizotorera vashandi vedu vhiki rose kuti varipedze!”

Baba vangu vakashaya muna 1980, uye takabva tadzokera kuUnited States kuti tinochengeta amai vangu vaiva muguta reFremont, muCalifornia. Manheru taiita mabasa okutsvaira muzvivako, uye takaramba tiri mapiyona tichibatsira vanhu veko vaitaura chiPortuguese. Takazotamira kunharaunda yaiva pedyo yeSan Joaquin Valley, tikatanga kutsvaga vanhu vanotaura chiPortuguese kubva kuSacramento kusvika kuBakersfield. Iye zvino muCalifornia mava neungano dzechiPortuguese dzinosvika 10.

Pakashaya amai vangu muna 1995, takatamira kuFlorida, tichinochengeta baba vaBillie kusvikira pavakazofa. Amai vake vakanga vatoshaya kare muna 1975. Mugore ra2000 takatamira kugwenga riri kumusoro nechekumaodzanyemba muColorado, uko kwatakapayona tichiparidzira zvizvarwa zvekuAmerica zviri munharaunda yeNavajo neUte. Zvinosuwisa kuti Billie akafa muna February 2014.

Hakusi kufara kwandiri kuita kuti makore anopfuura 65 adarika, ndakaonana nemumwe weZvapupu zvaJehovha uyo akapindura mibvunzo yangu yakawanda achishandisa Bhaibheri! Chinonyanya kundifadza ndechekuti ndakaongorora kuti zvaaitaura ndizvo here zvinonyatsodzidziswa neBhaibheri. Izvi zvakazoita kuti ndiwane makomborero mubasa raMwari.