Uvuyo Endilufumene Ekukhonzeni UYehova
NGOKUBALISWA NGUGEORGE BRUMLEY
Ndandisandula kugqiba ukufundisa iqela lamapolisa aselula aqeqeshwayo kaKumkani uHaile Selassie xa omnye wawo wandixelela bucala ukuba wayesazi ukuba ndandingumfundisi wamaNgqina kaYehova. Wabuza ngolangazelelo, “Ngaba ungafundisisa iBhayibhile kunye nam?”
EKUBENI umsebenzi wethu ngoko wawuvaliwe e-Ethiopia, ndandinokugxothelwa ngaphandle kwelo lizwe, njengamanye amaNgqina, ukuba ndandibhaqiwe ngabasemagunyeni. Ndandithandabuza enoba lo mfundi wayenyanisekile na okanye wayethunyelwe ngurhulumente ukuba andibambise. Njengentloko-ntsapho enabantwana abathathu abancinane emele ibakhulise, ingcamango yokuphulukana nomsebenzi, ukugxothelwa ngaphandle kwelizwe nokushiya abahlobo endandibathanda yandoyikisa.
Usenokubuza, ‘Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze umntu waseMerika omele axhase intsapho yakhe akhethe ukuza kuhlala kumntla Afrika, kude nekhaya kwakunye nezalamane zakhe?’ Ndivumele ndichaze.
Ukukhulela EUnited States
Ngeminyaka yee-1920, xa ndandisekwisikolo samabanga aphantsi, utata warhumela iphephancwadi IMboniselo waza wafumana yonke imiqulu yeStudies in the Scriptures. UTata wakunandipha ukuzifunda ezi ncwadi waza wazifunda ngomdla omkhulu. Wayengumntu okrelekrele nonentlondi, njengoko kunokubonakala kwintlondi awayedla ngokuyenza kwiindwendwe zakhe awayedla ngokuzimema ngeeCawa. Wayenencwadi entle enoqweqwe olwenziwe ngethwathwa ebhalwe “IBhayibhile Engcwele” ngoonobumba begolide ngaphambili nangasemva. Wayedla ngokuqala incoko athi, “Kanene, kungeCawa. Ngaba ungasifundela iindinyana ezimbalwa?”
Undwendwe lwaludla ngokuvuma, kodwa xa luvula incwadi, kwakungekho nelinye iphepha elibhaliweyo! Kakade ke, umntu wayemangaliswa. Utata wayedla ngokuthi ‘abashumayeli abazi nto ngeBhayibhile’ aze athabathe iBhayibhile afunde kwiGenesis 2:7. Apho ichaza ngokudalwa komntu wokuqala, iBhayibhile ithi: “Umntu ke waba ngumphefumlo ophilileyo.”—Genesis 2:7.
Utata wayedla ngokuchaza ukuba umntu akanamphefumlo kodwa ungumphefumlo, nokuthi umvuzo wesono kukufa, nokuthi xa umntu esifa, ufe ngokwenene, akazi nto kwaphela. (INtshumayeli 9:5, 10; Hezekile 18:4; Roma 6:23) Kwanangaphambi kokuba ndikwazi ukufunda kakuhle, ndandiyicengceleza iGenesis 2:7. Ezi zizinto zokuqala endisazikhumbulayo ezivuyisa gqitha ngokwazi iinyaniso zeBhayibhile nokwabelana ngazo nabanye.
Ekubeni sasifumana IMboniselo ekhayeni lethu, intsapho yonke yaqalisa ukunandipha esi sondlo sokomoya. Umakhulu wam wayehlala kunye nathi, yaye waba ngumvakalisi weendaba ezilungileyo wokuqala kwintsapho yakowethu. Kwakungekho bandla eCarbondale, eIllinois, apho sasihlala khona, kodwa kwakuqhutywa iintlanganiso ezingacwangciswanga. Umama wayedla ngokuhamba nathi bantwana sobahlanu siye kwelinye icala ledolophu apho amanenekazi asele ekhulile ayeqhubela khona isifundo seMboniselo. Nathi saqalisa ukuba nenxaxheba kubulungiseleli basentsimini.
Ukuyeka Ukusebenza Ngoonomathotholo Uye Entolongweni
Ndatshata ngowe-1937 xa ndandineminyaka eli-17 kuphela. Ndazama ukuphila ngokulungisa oonomathotholo nangokufundisa abanye obo buchule. Emva kokuzalwa kwabantwana ababini, uPeggy noHank, umtshato wam waphela. Ndim owabangela umtshato uqhawuke; ndandingaphili ubomi bobuKristu. Into yokuba ndingazange ndikwazi ukukhulisa abantwana bam ababini abadala iye yalinxeba elingapholiyo kum.
Kwaqhambuka iMfazwe Yehlabathi II ndaza ndaqalisa ukucinga ngezinto ezininzi. Amaqela ezomkhosi andinika ilungelo lokuba ndibe ngumphathi mkhosi ndize ndifundise abo babebizelwe emkhosini ubuchule endandinabo ngonomathotholo, kodwa inkxalabo yam ngoko uYehova wayekucinga ngemfazwe yandibangela ukuba ndiqalise ukuthandaza yonke imihla. Umrhumo wam weMboniselo wawuphelile, yaye uLucille Haworth wafumana iphepha lesaziso sokuphela kwawo waza wandityelela. UPerry Haworth, owayengutata kaLucille, nabaninzi kwintsapho yakowabo enkulu babengamaNgqina ukususela ngeminyaka yee-1930. Sathandana noLucille, saza satshata ngoDisemba we-1943.
Ngowe-1944, ndabhaptizwa ndaza ndathelela umfazi wam kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo njengovulindlela. Kungekudala ndabizelwa emkhosini kodwa ndala. Ngenxa yoko, ndagwetywa iminyaka emithathu kumzi karhulumente wokuguqula izimilo e-El Reno, eOklahoma. Kwakuluvuyo ukubandezeleka ngenxa kaYehova. Ntsasa nganye xa ndandivuka ndize ndiphawule ukuba ndiphi yaye kutheni ndilapho, ndandiziva ndaneliseke kakhulu kwaye ndandimbulela uYehova. Emva kwemfazwe abo kuthi babengaphezu kweminyaka engama-25 ubudala bakhululwa. Ndakhululwa ngoFebruwari wowe-1946.
Ubulungiseleli Bexesha Elizeleyo
Xa ndathelela uLucille kwakhona, wayenguvulindlela kwidolophu encinane yaseWagoner, eOklahoma. Sasingenayo inqwelo-mafutha, ngoko sasihamba ngeenyawo kuyo yonke indawo, sigubungela yonke idolophu. Kamva safudukela eWewoka, eOklahoma. Kungekudala ndafumana umsebenzi kwiziko losasazo elikufuphi ndaza ndaqalisa ukusebenza apho. Ukusebenza iiyure ezintandathu ngosuku nokuzalisa ixesha lobuvulindlela kwakungelula, kodwa sasilivuyela ilungelo esasinalo lokukhonza uYehova. Sakwazi ukuthenga inqwelo-mafutha endala ngaphambi kwendibano yaseLos Angeles ngowe-1947. Saqalisa ukucinga ngokufaka isicelo sokuya kwiSikolo seBhayibhile seWatchtower saseGiliyadi ukuze siqeqeshelwe ubuvangeli basemazweni.
Saqonda ukuba eli yayiza kuba linyathelo elikhulu, yaye asizange sifune ukwenza isigqibo sokushiya iUnited States ngokukhawuleza. Ndandisebuhlungu ngokwahlukana nabantwana bam, ngoko saphinda sazama ukufumana ilungelo lokubagcina. Ngenxa yendlela endandifudula ndiphila ngayo nangenxa yokuba ndandikhe ndavalelwa entolongweni, asizange siphumelele. Ngoko ke sagqiba kwelokuba sizame ukuba ngabavangeli basemazweni. Samenyelwa kwiklasi ye-12 yaseGiliyadi.
Saphumelela kwesi sikolo ngowe-1949, kodwa kuqala sabelwa ukutyelela amabandla eTennessee. Emva kweminyaka emithathu yomsebenzi wokuhambahamba eUnited States, safumana ileta evela kwiofisi kaMongameli weWatch Tower Society ebuza ukuba sasingethandi na ukwenza umsebenzi wokufundisa kwisikolo esise-Ethiopia ukongezelela kumsebenzi wokushumayela. Enye yezinto ezazifunwa nguloo rhulumente yayikukuba abavangeli basemazweni bafundise. Savuma, yaye ehlotyeni lowe-1952, saya e-Ethiopia.
Ukufika kwethu e-Ethiopia, sasifundisa kwiiklasi zamabanga aphantsi kusasa size siqhube izifundo zeBhayibhile ngesisa emva kwemini. Kungekudala baba baninzi abaqalisa ukuza kwizifundo zeBhayibhile kangangokuba ngokufuthi sasifundisa iBhayibhile iiyure ezintathu okanye ezine ngemini. Abanye babafundi babengamapolisa; abanye babengabafundisi-ntsapho okanye abadikoni kwizikolo zabavangeli nakwizikolo zobuOthodoki zase-Ethiopia. Maxa wambi kwakubakho abangaphezu kwama-20 kwiklasi nganye yokufundisisa iBhayibhile! Uninzi lwabafundi lwalushiya unqulo lobuxoki lwaza lwaqalisa ukukhonza uYehova. Sachwayita kakhulu. Kwakhona, ntsasa nganye xa ndivuka, ndandibulela kuYehova.
Ukuba Ngumzali Nokushumayela Ngaphantsi Kokuvalwa Komsebenzi
Ngowe-1954 safumanisa ukuba sasiza kuba ngabazali, ngoko kwafuneka sigqibe enoba sasiza kubuyela eUnited States okanye sihlale e-Ethiopia kusini na. Kakade ke, ukuhlala kwakuya kuxhomekeka ekufumaneni kwam umsebenzi wempangelo. Ndafumana umsebenzi wobunjineli, ndandisebenza kwijelo losasazo likaKumkani uHaile Selassie. Ngoko sahlala.
NgoSeptemba 8, 1954, intombi yethu uJudith yazalwa. Ngenxa yokuba ndandisebenzela uKumkani ndandicinga ukuba ndifumene umsebenzi osisigxina, kodwa emva kweminyaka emibini ndaphulukana naloo msebenzi. Noko ke, kungaphelanga nenyanga, ndaqeshwa liSebe lamaPolisa—yaye landithembisa ngomvuzo othe chatha—ukuba ndifundise iqela labafana indlela yokulungisa oonomathotholo abasetyenziselwa ukusasaza nokwamkela ingxelo. Kwiminyaka emithathu elandelayo, oonyana bethu uPhilip noLeslie bazalwa.
Ngeli thuba inkululeko yethu yokuba nesabelo kumsebenzi wokushumayela yayiguquka. ICawa yobuOthodoki yase-Ethiopia yayiphembelele urhulumente ukuba agxothe bonke abavangeli basemazweni bamaNgqina kaYehova. Ngokucetyiswa nguMbutho, incwadi yam yemvume yokungena kwelinye ilizwe ndayiguqula ekubeni yeyomsebenzi wobuvangeli yaba yeyomsebenzi wempangelo. Umsebenzi wethu wobuvangeli wavalwa, yaye kwafuneka ukuba sibe nobulumko yaye sisebenzise ingqondo. Iintlanganiso zebandla zonke zaziqhubeka, kodwa sasihlanganisana njengamaqela amancinane.
Amapolisa ayegqogqa amakhaya awahlukahlukeneyo abo kwakukrokrelwa ukuba bangamaNgqina. Noko ke, engazi wona, umphathi wamapolisa owayengumnquli kaYehova wayesoloko esicebisa xa kwakuza kugqogqwa. Ngenxa yoko, akuzange kubekho luncwadi luthinjwayo ngaloo minyaka. Sasiqhuba izifundo zethu zeMboniselo ngeeCawa ngokuya kwiindawo zokudlela ekupheleni kwedolophu apho kwakufumaneka khona iitafile zokudlela ngaphandle.
Kungeli thuba, xa ndandifundisa amapolisa aqeqeshwayo indlela yokulungisa oonomathotholo, awathi umfundi endimkhankanye ekuqaleni wacela isifundo seBhayibhile. Ndavakalelwa kukuba wayenyanisekile, ngoko saqalisa. Emva kwezifundo nje ezibini, kweza umfundi wesibini kunye naye, kwaza kwalandela owesithathu. Ndabalumkisa ukuba bangaxeleli namnye, ukuba babefundisisa kunye nam, yaye abazange baxele.
Ngowe-1958 kwaqhutywa iNdibano Yezizwe Ngezizwe Yokuthanda KukaThixo eYankee Stadium kwiiPolo Grounds eNew York. Ngeli thuba uPeggy noHank, kwanamanye amalungu amaninzi entsapho yam enkulu, babe ngamaNgqina akhutheleyo. Hayi indlela endavuya ngayo kuba ndakwazi ukuya! Andizange ndivuyele nje kuphela ukudibana kwakhona nabantwana bam ababini abadala kwakunye namanye amalungu entsapho kodwa ndavuyiswa kukubona isihlwele sabantu abangaphezu kwekota yesigidi sihlanganisene kusuku lokugqibela lwendibano!
Kunyaka olandelayo umongameli woMbutho, uNathan H. Knorr, wasityelela e-Ethiopia. Wanikela amacebiso amahle ngendlela yokuqhubeka nomsebenzi nangona wawuvaliwe yaye wayenomdla nakwintsapho yethu nendlela esasiqhuba ngayo ngokomoya. Ndamxelela ukuba sasifundisa abantwana ukuthandaza. Ndambuza ukuba wayengathanda na ukuva uJudith xa ethandaza. Wathi ewe, emva koko wamxelela oku: “Uthandaze kakuhle kakhulu, Judith.” Ngexesha lesidlo ndacela uMzalwana uKnorr ukuba asithandazele, yaye emva kokuba egqibile, uJudith wathi: “Uthandaze kakuhle kakhulu, Mzalwana uKnorr!”
Ukukhulisa Abantwana Bethu EUnited States
Isivumelwano sam neSebe lamaPolisa saphela ngowe-1959. Sasisafuna ukuhlala, kodwa urhulumente wala ukuba ndivunyelwe ndihlale kwakhona. Ngoko sasiza kuyaphi? Ndazama ukuya kwamanye amazwe apho abazalwana babefuneka kakhulu khona kodwa andizange ndikwazi. Siphoxekile noko, sabuyela eUnited States. Ekufikeni kwethu, savuyela umanyano lwentsapho kwakhona; abantwana bam bobahlanu baqhelana yaye bathandana ngokukhawuleza. Bamanyana ukususela ngoko.
Sahlala eWichita, eKansas, apho ndafumana umsebenzi njengononjineli koonomathotholo nomdlali wamacwecwe. ULucille wenza imisebenzi yasekhaya, yaye abantwana babehamba isikolo esasikufuphi nekhaya. Ndandiqhuba isifundo sentsapho seMboniselo rhoqo ngoMvulo ebusuku, ndandisoloko ndizama ukusenza sibe nomdla. Sasibuza yonke imihla ukuba akukhange kubekho zingxaki na esikolweni.
Njengoko umntwana ngamnye wabhalisa kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli Sobuthixo, olu qeqesho lwabanceda esikolweni. Sabaqeqeshela inkonzo yasentsimini kwasebusaneni. Bafunda ukuhambisa uncwadi lweBhayibhile ezindlwini, yaye babesiya nathi kwizifundo zeBhayibhile zamakhaya.
Sazama nokufundisa abantwana izinto ezisisiseko ebomini, sibachazela ukuba ngamnye wabo akanakusoloko enento omnye anayo. Ngokomzekelo, babengenakusoloko befumana isipho esifanayo bonke. Sasidla ngokuqiqa nabo ngale ndlela, “Xa kunokwenzeka umnakwenu okanye udadewenu afumane into yokudlala ube ungenayo wena, ngaba kufanelekile ukuba ukhalaze?” Kakade ke, ngamanye amaxesha abanye abantwana babefumana okuthile, ngoko akukho namnye owayetyeshelwa. Sasibathanda bonke ngalo lonke ixesha, sasingaze sithande omnye ukodlula abanye ababini.
Maxa wambi abanye abantwana babevunyelwa ukwenza izinto abantwana bethu ababengavumelekanga ukuba bazenze. Ndandisoloko ndisiva besithi, “Uzibani-bani unokuyenza, kutheni thina singenakuyenza?” Ndandizama ukuchaza, kodwa maxa wambi impendulo yayisithi, “Awungowalaa ntsapho; ungowakwaBrumley. Sinemithetho eyahlukileyo.”
Ukukhonza EPeru
Ukususela ekubuyeni kwethu e-Ethiopia, mna noLucille sasisoloko silangazelela ukuba nesabelo kumsebenzi wobuvangeli basemazweni kwakhona. Ekugqibeleni, ngowe-1972, kwavela ithuba lokuya ePeru, eMzantsi Merika. Akukho ndawo ilunge ngakumbi engesasiyikhethile ukuze sikhulisele kuyo abantwana bethu ngexesha leminyaka yabo yeshumi elivisayo. Unxulumano abalunandipha nabavangeli basemazweni, oovulindlela abakhethekileyo, nabanye ababeze kukhonza ePeru lwabanceda ukuba bazibonele indlela ababevuya ngayo abo ngokwenene babefuna izilangazelelo zoBukumkani kuqala. UPhilip wayelubiza olu nxulumano ngokuba yimpembelelo yoontanga elungileyo.
Emva kwethuba abanye abahlobo esasinabo eKansas beva indlela esasiphumelele ngayo kubulungiseleli boBukumkani, baza basithelela ePeru. Ndalungisa ikhaya lethu ukuba lifane nekhaya labavangeli basemazweni. Ngamnye wayenemisebenzi awayeyabelwe ukuze bonke bakwazi ukunandipha inkonzo yasentsimini. Sasisiba nengxubusho yombhalo weBhayibhile etafileni ntsasa nganye. Yayilithuba elimnandi kuthi sonke. Kwakhona, njengoko ndandivuka ntsasa nganye ndize ndiphawule indawo endandikuyo nesizathu sokubalapho kwam, ndandisenza umbulelo onzulu kuYehova.
Ekuhambeni kwethuba uJudith watshata waza wabuyela eUnited States, apho waqhubeka nobulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo. Emva kweminyaka emithathu yenkonzo yobuvulindlela obukhethekileyo, uPhilip wenza isicelo waza wamkelwa kwinkonzo yaseBheteli eBrooklyn, ENew York. Ekugqibeleni, uLeslie naye waphindela eUnited States. Bahamba iintliziyo zabo zithatha zibeka yaye ngokufuthi baye basixelela ukuba ukubasa kwethu ePeru yayiyeyona nto ilunge ngakumbi kwesakha sabenzela zona.
Njengoko imeko yezoqoqosho ePeru yayiya isiba nzima, saphawula ukuba nathi kwakufuneka sihambe. Ekubuyeleni kwethu eWichita ngowe-1978, safumana iqela lamaNgqina athetha iSpanish. Lasicela ukuba sihlale kunye nalo size silincede, yaye senjenjalo ngovuyo. Kwasekwa ibandla, yaye ngokukhawuleza salithanda ngendlela esasithanda ngayo amanye esasifudula siwakhonza ngaphambili.
Ubizo lwase-Ecuador
Nangona ndagula ndaza ndashwabana icala, ndandisenethemba elikhulu lokuba mna noLucille sasinokukhonza kwakhona kwelinye ilizwe. Ngowe-1984 umveleli ohambahambayo wasixelela ngolwando olwaluqhubeka e-Ecuador nemfuneko yabadala abangamaKristu. Ndakhankanya ukuba kwakungekho nto ingako endandinokuyenza kwinkonzo yasentsimini ngenxa yobuqhwala bam, kodwa wandiqinisekisa ukuba kwanomdala oneminyaka engama-65 ubudala, oshwabene icala angaluncedo.
Emva kokumka kwakhe asizange silale ubusuku bonke, sixubusha ngokuya e-Ecuador. ULucille wayenomnqweno ovuthayo wokuya njengam. Ngoko kwiiveki ezimbini sathengisa ishishini lethu elincinane lokulwa izinambuzane ezitshabalalisayo. Sathengisa indlu yethu kwiintsuku nje ezilishumi. Ngaloo ndlela, ebudaleni bethu, kwakhona sabuyela kuvuyo lwethu olukhulu, olo lwenkonzo yobuvangeli basemazweni.
Sahlala eQuito, yaye inkonzo yasentsimini yaliluncuthu, mhla ngamnye kwakubakho amava amatsha achwayitisayo. Kodwa, ngowe-1987, emva kokuxilongwa kwafunyaniswa ukuba ndandinomhlaza emathunjini; kwafuneka ndiye kutyandwa ngokukhawuleza. Saphindela eWichita ukuze ndiye kufumana utyando yaye lwaba yimpumelelo. Emva kokuba siphindele eQuito iminyaka nje emibini kwabhaqwa umhlaza kwakhona, yaye kwafuneka sibuyele eUnited States ngokusisigxina. Sahlala kumNtla Carolina, apho sihlala khona ngoku.
Ubomi, Obutyebileyo Nobunomvuzo
Ngokwasemzimbeni ikamva lam limfiliba. Ngowe-1989 kwafuneka ndenziwe icolostomy. Sekunjalo, ndisakwazi ukukhonza njengomdala nokuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile eziliqela zabo beza ekhayeni lam. Kwiminyaka edlulileyo, ngokoqobo siye sanceda amakhulu ngokutyala, ukunkcenkcesha, okanye ngokuhlakulela imbewu yenyaniso. Olo luvuyo olungapheliyo, kungakhathaliseki nokuba oko kwenzeke izihlandlo ezingaphi.
Ukongezelela, ndiye ndanovuyo olukhulu lokubona ukuba bonke abantwana bam bakhonza uYehova. Kangangeminyaka engama-30 uPeggy ebepheleka umyeni wakhe, uPaul Moske, kumsebenzi wokuhambahamba eUnited States. UPhilip nomfazi wakhe, uElizabeth, kunye noJudith bakwinkonzo ekhethekileyo yexesha elizeleyo eNew York. UHank noLeslie kunye namaqabane abo bangamaNgqina akhutheleyo, yaye abanakwethu noodade wethu abane kunye neentsapho zabo, kuquka nezinye izalamane ezingaphezu kwama-80, bonke bakhonza uYehova. Yaye uLucille ebengumzekelo womfazi ongumKristu kwiminyaka emalunga nama-50 sitshatile. Kwiminyaka yakutshanje uye wenza imisebenzi emininzi engemyoli ngaphandle kokukhalaza enyamekela impilo yam enkenenkene.
Eneneni, ubomi bam bebuzaliswe luvuyo. Bebumnandi ngaphezu kokuba amazwi enokuchaza. Ukukhonza uYehova kuluvuyo kangangokuba ngumnqweno wam osuka entliziyweni ukumkhonza ngonaphakade kulo mhlaba. Ndihlala ndikhumbula INdumiso 59:16, ethi: “Ke mna, ndiya kuvuma ngamandla akho, ndimemelele kwakusasa ngenceba yakho, kuba ubuyingxonde kum, nendawo endisabela kuyo ngemini yokubandezelwa kwam.”
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]
UGeorge Brumley nokumkani uHaile Salessie wase-Ethiopia
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]
UGeorge Brumley nomfazi wakhe, uLucille