Transcripts: Interviews and Experiences

Transcript: Baston Nyirenda: Nothing Can "Separate Us from God’s Love"
[Baston Nyirenda. Malawi Branch Committee]
Baston: In the mid-1960’s, when I was pioneering,
[Malawi]
the political system was changing rapidly in the country making it difficult for brothers to maintain their neutral stand.
[Black and white footage of political rally]
Brothers were beaten. Then Bibles and literature were burned for refusing to buy political party cards. They burned down the brothers’ homes and Kingdom Hall in my area. I was stopped because of not having a political party card. They tied my hands and started beating me severely. When they went to have supper, one stayed behind to guard me. He felt very sorry for me and said, “They will kill you when they return.” So he suggested that if I can be able to at least crawl, then he would untie me and allow me to escape. It was dark outside, and I dragged myself along until I reached a brother’s home who kindly assisted me. Jehovah made a way out so that I could endure. An official announcement was made that the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses was banned.
[A photo of a meeting in a forest clearing]
Our meetings were done at night from about nine pm to about one am in the morning. That is to avoid detection. We were not able to clap our hands when things go well or sing songs because for that we would be found. But, to show appreciation, we just had to rub hands together. At my workplace, it became known that I was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and was arrested. I was taken to Chichiri Prison and later transferred to Zumba Prison, were they kept condemned criminals. I was kept in a cell next to the execution gallows. I thought I was also going to be executed as well. Jehovah calmed me. And remembering Romans 8:38,39 I was convinced that even death would not separate me from God’s love. When I was released, I was so happy to be with Violet, my wife and the children. But because it was extremely dangerous to stay in Malawi at that time, we had to go to Mozambique in the Mlangeni camp, where we spend three years as refugees. We were permitted to have Bibles, songbooks, and other publications. When we look back at what happened at the Mlangeni camp, we see that it was Jehovah helping us to prepare for the things ahead. We had to memorise scriptures and also Kingdom songs. For the scriptures, for example, in 1974, the year text was taken from Habakkuk 3:17,18. And verse 18 says: “Yet as for me, I will exult in Jehovah; I will be joyful in the God of my salvation.” We didn’t know how helpful this text would be in the future.
[Soldiers holding guns]
Because of civil war in Mozambique, we were forced back to Malawi in 1975. I was arrested and sent to Dzaleka Prison. We had to work from morning to evening without food or rest. Cell blocks were overcrowded, with most of us sleeping on the floor. The scriptures and songs that we had memorised while we were at the Mlangeni refugee camp in Mozambique, we were really very strengthened it was when we were in Dzaleka Prison. And this was the time when that year text that we received in Mozambique helped us. The brother would say, “Habakkuk”, and then the other one would reply, “3 verses 17 and 18”. And then the others had to recite the words of these verses. With that, our faith was strengthened. Spiritual food was smuggled into the country by bicycle couriers who were travelling hundreds of kilometers. The magazines were printed on Bible paper, which is much lighter than regular paper so that the couriers could carry double the amount. We also were supplied with the mini magazines that could be folded and be put into a pocket. One day we received a smuggled copy of the Yearbook, which used to also contain the daily text. So, what we did with that was we copied all the days’ texts on the toilet tissues, and then we sent some of these to our sisters who were on the other prison blocks. All these were wonderful provisions from Jehovah that helped us quite a lot to be kept spiritually strong. In 2002, I was sent back to Zomba Prison,
[With a twinkle in his eye he smiles]
but this time, not as a prisoner, but as a District Overseer to care for a mini–Circuit Assembly. When I entered, my mind quickly went back to the 33 years when I was in the same prison next to the execution gallows. True, the words at Isaiah 54:17 came true, which says: “No weapon formed against you will have any success”.
[He prays with his wife]
As a family, Violet and I have endured government persecutions, refugee camps, prisons, beatings, lack of food and shelter, the death of loved ones, and at times thinking we would die ourselves. Yet, we were never beyond the reach of Jehovah’s loving hand. Through all of these challenges, we were and continue to be fully convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love.”
[On a bench he and his wife hold hands]
[Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2022 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania]