Mu mpera z’ikinyejana cya 19, William Booth watangije itorero Armée du Salut (bisobanura ‘Ingabo y’Agakiza’) yanditse agira ati : "Akaga gakomeye ko mu kinyejana cya 20 kazaba : « Idini ritagira Umwuka Wera, Abakristu badafite Kristu, kubabarira kudaherekejwe no kwihana, agakiza katagira kuvuka ubwa kabiri, politiki idafatiye ku Mana ndetse n’abigisha ijuru batigisha ko abanyabyaha bazarimbuka.» Ibi bisa n’aho birimo ubuhanuzi bukomeye. 

Kuwa 9 Mata 1865, uwitwa Lee na Grant bahuriye mu ruganiriro rw’inzu yaberagamo umwiherero ahitwa Appomattox. 

We n’ingabo ze yahise ayamanika maze intambara yari imaze imyaka ine yose ihitana abantu n’ibintu iba irahagaze. Muri uwo mwaka kandi ni bwo Umwongereza w’imyaka 36 witwaga William Booth yahise agaba igitero ku bwami bw’umwijima abinyujije mu gushinga itorero Armée du Salut.

Imwe mu ntwaro zikomeye zari mu bubiko bwa Général Booth yari amasengesho y’imbaraga. Ibi ntibyari agashya kuri Booth gufata ijoro ryose asenga mu gihe yabaga yitegura ivugabutumwa. Aho yajyaga, abantu barakubitaga bakuzura. "Imbaraga z’Imana zaratwigaragarizaga bitangaje mu materaniro …kenshi iyo imbaraga z’Imana zamanukaga, wasangaga abantu bakituse hasi kubera kubonekerwa n’ubwiza bwa Yo."

Mu kubohora ababoshywe n’ubutware bw’umwijima, wasangaga itorero Armée du Salut Imana yararisize amavuta atangaje cyane cyane ufatiye ku bantu ryegerezaga ubutumnwa bwiza. Iyo yageraga ku rugamba, Général Booth yateraga hejuru agira ati : "Imbere dukize imitima, imbere mu barushye !" abanyabyaha baruhijwe barakijijwe, utubari twarafunzwe ndetse n’imidugudu iranyeganyezwa.

Iterambere rya Booth ryatumye akundwa ariko ryanatumye yangwa. Abakozi b’Imana bakorana na we bajugunywagaho amakara agurumana ndetse n’indi miriro y’ubwoko butari bumwe. Barakubiswe, batewe amabuye barirukankanwa kugeza ubwo bamwe banogokeraga mu nzira. Intwaro ikomeye aba bakozi b’Imana bakoresheje mu kurwanya abanzi babo ni iyi ngo : « Imana ibahe umugisha !», wongeyeho kubasengera. Général Booth we wasangaga abishyushyemo cyane. Iyo bamuciraga mu maso ubwo yari mu rugendo agana mu migi yo hagati mu Bwongereza (Midlands), Booth yabwiraga abo bafatanije umurimo w’Imana ati : "Mwikwihanagura, uyu ni umudari!"

Ijoro ku rindi, Booth yasubiraga iwe avirirana nyuma yo gukubitirwa mu midugudu yo mu Bwongereza. Nyuma y’ayo majoro yageragerejwemo, yafataga ukuboko kw’umufasha we maze akamubwir ati
 : "Mada, reka dusengane ! " yamaraga gusengana n’umufasha we Catherine maze akagarura imbaraga no kwizera, niko guhagurukira ku mavi. Umufasha wa Booth yaramukomezaga cyane. Dore uko yamubwiraga : "Niba tunaniwe, ibyiza ni uko twakwigendera tukarekera aho. Nta kibi nk’itorero ripfuye." N’ubwo umurimo wabagoraga, umuryango wa Booth wakomeje ibyishimo n’ubumwe. Bari bafite abana bane, Booth agakunda cyane kwishimisha no gukina nabo, cyane cyane ku dukino bakundaga.

Igihe kimwe bari mu rugendo, imodoka ya Booth yarahagaritswe ngo bayikorere isuku, maze aboneraho kubwiriza abakozi bari bihagarariye badafite icyo bakora, arababwira ati : "Bagabo, bamwe bo muri mwe ntibasenga. Hashize igihe kinini mwararetse gusenga. Ariko reka mbabwire : mbese ntimwanasengera abana banyu ngo bahinduke ?" Hashize akanya gato, abagabo bagera kuri 700 barapfukamye maze batangira gusenga bucece.

Mu kandi kanya, babiri mu bari kumwe na Booth batangira gushaka imirimo ariko bo ntibyabahira barabarwanya. Bamaze kunanizwa, bahamagaye Général Booth ngo asoze icyo gikorwa. Yabiherereje ubutumwa bukubiyemo aya magambo ngo : "NIMUGERAGEZE MURIRE" Bakoze uko ababwiye maze maze ububyutse butangira butyo.

Mu gihe cyose yamaze akorera Imana, William Booth yagenze kilometero kare miliyoni 7,5 kandi abwiriza inshuro 60 000.

Imana idufashe mu gihe nk’iki abantu bihebye kandi abandi bihugiyeho, maze tuvugire hamwe cyane na Général William Booth tuti : « Dukore nk’abikorera, dusenge nk’abisengera ».

Hifashishijwe: The Watchword

Inkuru ya David Smithers

Yashyizwe mu Kinyarwanda na Simeon Ngezahayo