M/V Anastasis

Twamala emyaka munaana ku Victoria Alliance Church — emyaka emirungi mwe twafuna mikwano mingi emirungi ne tulaba omukono gwa Mukama nga gukola mu bulamu bw'abantu bangi. Nnatandika okwenyigira mu kibiina ky'abasumba (ministerium), era nga wayiseewo omwaka gumu, ne nnondebwa okuba omuwandiisi w'ekibiina ekyo. Buli mwezi twakuŋŋaananga okulya ekyemisana n'okugumyagana. Kyali mu biseera bya ttoggo eby'omwaka gwa 1985 lwe nnafuna essimu okuva e San Pedro, California.

Eyankubira essimu yambuuza oba nnali mpulidde ku kyombo ekiyitibwa M/V Anastasis. Nnamuddamu nti nedda, kwe kutandika okuntegeeza ku kyombo kino ekinene eky'ennyanja ekyali kigulibbwa Youth With A Mission. Ekirooto kyabwe kwali kutambula okutuuka mu bitundu by'ensi ebyetaaga, nga batwala abasawo, abazimbi, n'ebibinja by'ababuulizi b'enjiri. Kyali kyetaagisa okukola omulimu munene ku kyombo nga tekinnaba kutuukiriza ebiragiro by'obukuumi bw'abakuumi b'ennyanja ba Amerika, kwe baali bagenda okukireeta mu dry docks e Victoria. "Omukugu waffe omukulu ow'ebyuma, John Brignall, ajja kubeera e Victoria ku Lwakubiri," eyankubira essimu bwe yagamba. "Oyinza okutuyamba ng'oteekateeka omuntu okumusanga ku kisaawe ky'ennyonyi n'okumutwala mu graving docks?" Nnamuddamu nti nzija kusanyuka okukikola nze kennyini, kale ku Lwakubiri olw'omu wiiki eyaddirira, ne ntandika omukwano gwange ogw'ekiseera ekiwanvu ne John Brignall ne Anastasis.

Ekyombo bwe kyasembayo okutuuka e Victoria mu Sebuttemba 1985, nze nnali omuntu ow'olubereberye okulinnya ku kyombo. John yanguwa okuntegeeza ku maka ge, ne mikwano gye egiwerako, era n'oluvannyuma, Don Stephens, omutandisi era Pulezidenti wa Mercy Ships. Don yali wa kisa nnyo mu kunnyaniriza ku kyombo, n'atandika okuntegeeza ebirooto bye ku kiseera Anastasis kw'anaabeera e Victoria, ekiseera kye yasuubira okuba emyezi esatu oba ena.

"Tujja kwetaaga ebifo by'ofiisi ebiriko essimu," bwe yagamba, "n'ekifo eky'okwezannyiza (gymnasium) ebibinja byaffe eby'emizannyo mwe biyinza okwegezaamu." "Obirina," ne nnyanukula, "Ekkanisa yaffe eggule gy'oli." Bwe yambuuza oba waaliwo olukalala lw'ennamba z'essimu z'abasumba b'omu kitundu, ne mmutegeeza ku kifo kyange eky'obuwandiisi bw'ekibiina, nga nnina mu ofiisi yange byonna bye yali yeetaaga. Mu butonde yasanyuka nnyo! Amakanisa gaaniriza Don n'abakozi be n'ekisa, omukwano gwaffe ne gukula, era ne mmanyibwa nga 'omusajja waabwe ow'emirembe' (Lukka 10:6). Abakozi bonna beenyigira mu makanisa g'omu kitundu, nga tebabuukabuuka nga banoonya eryo lye baagala okusinga, wabula nga banywerera ku kkanisa emu. Ekkanisa yaffe yaweebwa omukisa mungi olw'okubaawo kw'amaka ga Brignall n'abalala nga kkumi abajjanga bulijjo. Ekiseera bwe kyeyongera okuva ku myezi mitono egyasuubirwa okutuuka ku myezi kkumi n'ena emiramba, abakozi ne batandika okuwulira nti Victoria ge maka gaabwe — era ffenna twawulira bwe tutyo.

Mu Novemba 1986, Anastasis eyali yaakaweebwa layisinsi era nga ewandiisiddwa mu Lloyds, yava e Victoria okutandika obuweereza bwayo. Lwali lunaku lwa mpewo nnyingi nnyo, naye emitima gyaffe gyali gyokya nga tuyimba ennyimba z'okusiibula. Nze ne Anne twali tuyitiddwa okuseeyeeyera n'ekyombo okutuuka ku mwalo gwakyo ogw'olubereberye.

Guno gwali mukisa gwa kikula ogw'okukyala mu Olympia, ekibuga ekikulu eky'essaza erya Washington eririraanye, mu Amerika. Nga wayiseewo wiiki emu, kyali kiseera kyaffe okuwa okugwa mu kifuba n'okunywegera emikwano mingi gye twali tufunye, nga bo bagoba amaato nga bagenda ku bukiikaddyo okutuuka e Mexico n'abo abaali beetaaga ab'eggwanga eryo. Tetwalowooza nti M/V Anastasis yali agenda kufuuka kitundu kya maanyi eky'ebiseera eby'omu maaso Mukama bye yali atuteekerateekera. Ekyo nga tekinnaba kubaawo, waaliwo amayinja g'okulinnyako amalala abiri Mukama ge yalina okututeekera mu maaso. Awatali gano, tetwandisobodde kugoberera bulagirizi bwe bwe yatuyita oluvannyuma.

Bwe twatuuka mu Canada mu 1975, twajja nga 'bannamawanga abakkiriziddwa okubeera' (landed immigrants) nga tulina eddembe erifaanagana kumpi n'ery'omutuuze yenna ow'eggwanga. Twasobola okulonda naye tetwasobola kwesimbawo mu bwapaalamende. Twasanyukira okubeera mu ggwanga lino eddungi era twali twenyumiririza okuyitibwa 'Bannakanada.' (Bannakanada Abawelusi!!) Kyokka, ekimu ku bizibu by'okuba omuntu akkiriziddwa okubeera mu ggwanga kiri nti oyinza okubeera ebweru w'eggwanga mu kiseera kimu okumala ekkomo ery'emyezi mukaaga. Bw'obeera ebweru okusingawo ku ekyo, kyetaagisa okuddamu okusaba obwannamawanga — era ekyo si kya kakasa.

Bwe nnasooka okuyingira mu Canada, nnali nnina omulimu ogunywevu gwe nnali ndaga ku ne sipoonsa ku Toronto French School. Kyali kijja kutuuka ekiseera lwe ssaalina nsimbi ziyingira wadde obukwakkulizo bwonna bwe nnandiwadde ofiisi y'abasenguse. Mu kiseera ekifaanana ng'ekyo, kyandibadde kizibu nnyo okuddamu okuyingira mu Canada wadde nga nnalina amaka e Victoria era nga bawala baffe baali babeera eyo.

Mazima ddala, ssaali ndowooza ku kino mu 1989 muwala waffe omuto, Lynette, bwe yali ateekateeka embaga ye ey'obugole ne Phillip, Omuwositureeliya, era ng'ayagala okuva mu Canada okugenda okubeera 'down under' (mu Awusiteraliya). Yayagala okufuuka omutuuze wa Canada ng'embaga ye tennatuuka, olwo singa yali ayagadde okudda mu Canada, yandisobodde okukikola. Nze ne Anne tetwakifiirako nnyo naye ne tusalawo nti kyandibadde kirungi gye tuli okukola kye kimu. Tetwalaba kiseera kyonna kye twandyetaaze okukozesa obwannakyalo bwaffe, wadde okulaba ensonga yonna ey'okutakifuuka. Okuva olwo twakyusa endowooza yaffe era tumanyi engeri, ne mu kino, Mukama gye yali atuteekerateekera. Bwe kityo, mu Juuni 1989 nze ne Anne twakkirizibwa nga abatuuze ba Canada.

Ejjinja ery'okulinnyako ery'okubiri lyali likwata ku maka gaffe. Mu 1986, twalina amaka amalungi mu bitundu ebyetoolodde Victoria, naye gaalina ebizibu ebinene bibiri. Nga ndi musumba, emirundi mingi nnasembezanga abantu mu maka gaffe olw'okubawa amagezi, ekintu ekyetaaga okukuuma ebyama. Kino kyali kizibu kubanga amaka gaffe gaali 'open plan' nga galina enzigi ntono ezaawula ekifo eky'okubeeramu.

Eky'okubiri, waaliwo obusaawe bw'omuddo busatu obwetaaga okulabirirwa bulijjo, ate nga nze siri wa kwagala mulimu gwa nnimiro. Omusawo wange bwe yazuula nti nnali nnina obuzibu obutono ku mutima (prolapse), twategeera nti kyali kiseera kya kwesengula okugenda mu maka amalala, agasingako okutuukiragana n'embeera yaffe ey'obulamu. Twalanga amaka gaffe okugatunda ne twewuunya bwe twafuna omuguzi mu wiiki emu. Omukyala yali agenda okusasula kye twali twetaaze mu ssente enkalu, ku nsonga emu — nti twava mu nnyumba ng'omwezi gunaggwaako, nga wabuluseewo wiiki ssatu zokka.

Mu butuufu, ekyo kyategeeza nti twalina ennaku kkumi zokka, kubanga twali tugenda mu kiwummulo mu kiseera ekyo, nga twateekateeka okukyala mwannyinaze mu Awusiteraliya, n'okuva eyo okutuuka e Kuala Lumpur okukyala Vincent Cheah, mukyala we Shirley n'abayizi abalala abaali kitundu ky'obuweereza bwaffe obw'obusumba (chaplaincy) mu Bumalaysia bwe twali e Kitchener. Twakkiriziganya ku ndagaano ne tutandika okupakanga. Ebintu byaffe eby'omu nnyumba byateekebwa mu maka g'abantu b'ekkanisa, ate obusanduuko obwo obutono bwonna ne buterekebwa mu ofiisi z'ekkanisa. Twasuubira okugenda okubeera mu nnyumba ey'okupangisa nga tukomyewo, ekyandituwadde ebbanga ery'okunoonya amaka amalala. Naye ekyo tekyabaawo, kubanga Lynette yali alabye 'amaka amatuufu ennyo' mu ntambula ze ez'okugenda n'okuva ku mirimu.

Tetwewuunya kusanga nga gasukka ku bbeeyi gye twali tusobola, nga galina obungi bwa ssente (equity) obusukka doola 50,000 okusinga ennyumba gye twali tutunze, naye twewuunya nnyo omuweereza waffe ow'amayumba bwe yannyonnyola nti kyandisoboka okufuna mmwanyi (mortgage) ng'ebisasulwa byayo bifaanagana n'ebyo bye twali tusasula dda. Ate era, ennyumba yalina apaatimenti ey'omu ttaka (basement) nga obupangisa obuvaamu bwandisasuddeko ekitundu ku mmwanyi. Awo omutunzi n'akendeeza ku bbeeyi ye, ne tugwa mu katego. Emmwanyi empya yali ya kika kya 'equity access,' ekitegeeza nti twasobolanga okusasula omuwendo omukulu ekiseera kyonna awatali kibonerezo. Ate era twasobolanga okuggyamu ssente buli lwe twandyetaaze ssente ez'enyongeza — ne bwe nnaabanga sifuna nsimbi zonna eziyingira!

Twagenda mu kiwummulo, nga tuwa muwala waffe omuto, Lynette, 'obuyinza obw'amateeka' (power of attorney) okugula ennyumba, nga ffe twali twota omusana ku mabbali g'ennyanja mu Bumalaysia. Bwe twakomawo nga wayiseewo wiiki ttaano ku lyato (ferry) ery'oluvannyuma okuva e Vancouver, twawuniikirira okusanga nga mikwano gyaffe egy'omu kkanisa gyali gizze ebintu byaffe byonna eby'omu nnyumba mu nnyumba empya, ne baayaliira n'obuliri era nga bateeka n'ebibbo eby'okuliisa mu ddiroowa! Ennyumba eyo efuuse mukisa munene gye tuli okuva lwe twagigula. Bwe twali tuli wala oluvannyuma lwa 1991 — olugero olukyaliyo mu maaso — twagipangisa abayizi ba yunivasite abaagikuuma bulungi ate era ne basasula emmwanyi yaffe yonna — ekintu kye ssaasuubira bwe twasooka okugula ennyumba. Kaakati efuuse ekkubo lyokka ery'okufuna ssente gye tuli nga tusembeza abayizi okuva mu masomero amakulu (colleges) ag'e Victoria era eyongeddeko obungi bwa ssente (equity) okusinga emirundi ebiri mu myaka munaana egiyise. Tukakasa nti Mukama ye yatuluŋŋamya, mu kufuna obwannamawanga bwaffe ne mu kugula ennyumba eno. Awatali kimu ku ebyo, tetwandisobodde kukola ekyo ekikoleddwa — era tumwebaza.