“Ingelosi KaYehova Imisa Inkampu Macala Onke”
Kubalisa uChristabel Connell
Sasixakeke kukuphendula imibuzo yeBhayibhile kaChristopher kangangokude kungabikho namnye kuthi ophawulayo ukuba ubusuku buhambile; singaboni nokuba uChristopher wayemana ukukroba ngefestile. Ekugqibeleni wasijonga waza wathi, “Ningahamba ngoku nikhuselekile.” Wabe sele esikhapha wasisa kwiibhayisikile zethu saza sahamba. Yintoni le wayeyijongile iyingozi kangaka?
NDINGUCHRISTABEL EARL ibe ndazalelwa eSheffield, eNgilani, ngowe-1927. Umzi wasekhaya waqhushumbiswa ngeMfazwe Yehlabathi II, kwaza kwathiwa mandiye kuhlala nomakhulu de ndigqibe ukufunda. Kwesinye isikolo secawa endandifunda kuso, ndandisoloko ndibuza oonongendi ngesizathu sokubakho kobubi nogonyamelo olungaka. Bona nabanye abantu becawa endababuzayo abazange bandanelise ngeempendulo zabo.
Yathi yakuphela iMfazwe Yehlabathi II, ndaqeqeshelwa ukuba ngumongikazi. Ndafudukela eLondon ukuya kusebenza ePaddington General Hospital, kodwa kweso sixeko ndaphawula ukuba luthe chatha ugonyamelo. Kanye emva kokuba ubhuti wam eye kwiMfazwe yaseKorea, ndabona umlo ombi ngaphandle kweso sibhedlele. Akukho mntu owamncedayo lowo wayebethwa, ibe waphanyaka ngenxa yendlela awabethwa ngayo. Kanye ngelo xesha, umama wandisa kwiintlanganiso zabantu abasebenzelana nemimoya, kodwa loo nto ayizange indincede kwaphela ndiqonde isizathu sokubakho kobubi obungako.
Ndakhuthazwa Ukuba Ndifunde IBhayibhile
Ngenye imini ndatyelelwa ngubhuti wam omkhulu, uJohn, owayesandul’ ukuba liNgqina likaYehova. Wandibuza: “Ngaba uyasazi isizathu sokuba kwenzeke zonke ezi zinto zimbi?” “Hayi andazi,” ndaphendula ngelitshoyo. Watyhila iBhayibhile waza wandifundela iSityhilelo 12:7-12. Ngoko ndabona ukuba uSathana needemon zakhe ngabona nobangela bobungendawo obusehlabathini. Ndisenza ngokuvisisana necebiso likabhuti uJohn, ndavuma ukuqhutyelwa isifundo seBhayibhile kanye emva koko. Noko ke, ngelo xesha andizange ndibhaptizwe ngenxa yokoyika abantu.—IMize. 29:25.
Usisi uDorothy, naye wayesandul’ ukuba liNgqina. Ukubuya kwakhe kwindibano yezizwe ngezizwe eNew York (ngowe-1953) kunye nalowo wayeza kutshata naye, uBill Roberts, ndabaxelela ukuba bendiqhutyelwa isifundo seBhayibhile. UBill wandibuza: “Ngaba uye wazifunda zonke izibhalo ezisencwadini? Iimpendulo zona, ngaba uye wazikrwelela?” Ndathi ndakuphendula ngohayi, wathi: “Ibingesosifundo ke eso! Yiya kudade obekufundela niphinde niqalise isifundo!” Malunga nelo xesha ndakhathazwa ziidemon. Ndikhumbula ndithandaza kuYehova ndimcela ukuba andikhusele aze andikhulule kwimpembelelo yazo.
Ukuba Nguvulindlela ESkotlani NaseIreland
Ndabhaptizwa ngoJanuwari 16, 1954, ndagqiba isivumelwano sobongikazi endasenza nesibhedlele ngoMeyi ndaza ndaba nguvulindlela ngoJuni. Emva kweenyanga ezisibhozo ndathunyelwa eGrangemouth, eSkotlani njengovulindlela okhethekileyo. Apho ndavakalelwa kukuba iingelosi zikaYehova ‘zimise inkampu macala onke’ ngoxa ndisebenza kuloo ntsimi isemagqagaleni.—INdu. 34:7.
Ngowe-1956, ndacelwa ukuba ndiye kushumayela eIreland. Mna nabanye oodade ababini sathunyelwa kwisixeko saseGalway. Ngosuku nje lokuqala, ndangena emzini womfundisi. Kwangoko, kwangena ipolisa laza lathatha mna nalowo ndandihamba naye lasisa kwisikhululo samapolisa. Lakuba lifumene amagama needilesi zethu, ngoko nangoko lawa emnxebeni. Saliva lisithi, “Ewe, Mfundisi, ndiyazi apho bahlala khona.” Lalithunywe ngulo mfundisi! Umntu esasiqeshe kuye wanyanzelwa ukuba asigxothe, yaza iofisi yesebe yancomela ukuba simke kuloo ndawo. Safika kwisikhululo sikaloliwe kwimizuzu elishumi emva kwexesha lokuhamba kwakhe. Kodwa uloliwe wayengekahambi, ibe kwakukho indoda ethile eyayilindile ifuna ukuqinisekisa ukuba sikhwele. Loo nto yenzeka sineeveki nje ezintathu siseGalway!
Sathunyelwa eLimerick, esinye isixeko iCawa yamaKatolika eyayinefuthe elingathethekiyo kuso. Sasihlalele ukunxwalwa ngamahlokondiba. Abantu abaninzi babesoyika ukuthetha nathi. Kunyaka ongaphambi kwalowo omnye umzalwana wabethwa kwidolophana ekufutshane yaseCloonlara. Ngoko savuya sakudibana noChristopher, ekuthethwe ngaye ekuqaleni, owacela ukuba sibuye size kuphendula imibuzo yakhe yeBhayibhile. Sathi siselapho, kwangena umfundisi owanyanzela uChristopher ukuba asigxothe. Engavumelani nalo mfundisi wathi: “La mabhinqa ankqonkqozile ngaphambi kokuba angene yaye amkelekile ekhay’ apha. Wena akukhange unkqonkqoze yaye akwamkelekanga.” Lo mfundisi wathi gwiqi efuthekile.
Singazi thina, lo mfundisi wayeqokelele ihlokondiba lamadoda, awayesilinde ngaphandle komzi kaChristopher. Esazi ukuba la madoda akanalusini, uChristopher wenza ngendlela echazwe ekuqaleni kweli nqaku. Wasigcina emzini wakhe de emka. Kamva seva ukuba akuzange kube kudala emva koko uChristopher nentsapho yakhe bagxothwa kuloo ndawo yaye bafudukela eNgilani.
Ndamenyelwa EGiliyadi
Ndandisele ndilungiselele ukuya kwiNdibano Yezizwe Ngezizwe Yokuthanda KukaThixo yowe-1958 eNew York xa ndamenyelwa kwiklasi yama-33 yaseGiliyadi. Kunokuba ndigoduke emva kwendibano, ndakhonza eCollingwood, eOntario, eKhanada de iSikolo saseGiliyadi saqala ngowe-1959. Kodwa endibanweni ndadibana noEric Connell. Wayefunde inyaniso ngowe-1957 waza waba nguvulindlela ngowe-1958. Emva kwendibano, wandibhalela imihla ngemihla ngoxa ndandiseKhanada naxa ndandisesikolweni eGiliyadi. Ndandizibuza enoba kuza kwenzeka ntoni kuthi emva kokuba ndiphumelele.
Ukuya eGiliyadi kwakuyeyona nto ibalulekileyo ebomini. Sasikwiklasi enye noDorothy nomyeni wakhe. Bafumana isabelo sokuba ngabathunywa bevangeli ePortugal. Ndothuka ndakufumanisa ukuba ndabelwe eIreland. Yandidanisa into yokuba ndingazi kusebenza nosisi wam! Ndabuza omnye wabahlohli enoba kukho nto iphosakeleyo endandiyenzile. “Ayikho,” waphendula ngelitshoyo. “Wena noEileen Mahoney osebenza naye, niye navuma ukuthunyelwa naphi na ehlabathini,” kuquka naseIreland.
Ndabuyela EIreland
Ndabuyela eIreland ngoAgasti 1959 ndaza ndabelwa kwiBandla laseDun Laoghaire. Ngelo xesha, uEric wayebuyele eNgilani yaye wayevuya kuba ndandikufutshane. Naye wayefuna ukuba ngumthunywa wevangeli. Wathi ekubeni kuthunyelwa abathunywa bevangeli eIreland, uza kuba nguvulindlela apho. Wafudukela eDun Laoghaire, saza satshata ngowe-1961.
Emva kweenyanga ezintandathu, uEric wafumana ingozi embi yesithuthuthu. Ukhakhayi lwakhe lwachachamba, ibe oogqirha babengenathemba lokuba bangamsindisa. Emva kokulaliswa esibhedlele iiveki ezintathu, ndamonga ekhaya kangangeenyanga ezintlanu de wachacha. Ndaqhubeka ndisenza unako nako wokushumayela.
Ngowe-1965 sathunyelwa kwibandla elinabavakalisi abasibhozo eSligo, kwizibuko lonxweme olukumntla-ntshona. Kwiminyaka emithathu kamva, saya kwelinye ibandla elincinane eLondonderry, emantla. Ngenye imini sathi sibuya entsimini safika kubekwe ucingo oluhlabayo endleleni kufutshane nalapho sasihlala khona. Zaziqalile iZidubedube zoMntla Ireland. Amaqela olutsha ayetshisa iimoto. Isixeko sasisele siqhekeke kubini, kukho icala lamaProtestanti nelamaKatolika. Kwakuyingozi ukusuka kwelinye icala lesixeko ukuya kwelinye.
Ukuphila Nokushumayela Phakathi Kwezidubedube
Noko ke, sashumayela kuyo yonk’ indawo. Kwakhona, sasivakalelwa kukuba iingelosi zimise inkampu macala onke kuthi. Sasithi sakuzibona sikwindawo enezixholoxholo sikhawuleze siyishiye size sibuye xa sele ihlile loo mimoya. Kwakha kwathi kuvuke isiphendu kufutshane nendawo esihlala kuyo, izinto ezazisitsha kwivenkile yepeyinti ekufutshane zabhabha zaza kubetheka ezifestileni zethu. Asizange sikwazi ukulala sisoyikela ukuba kutshe kule ndawo sihlala kuyo. Sathi sele sifudukele eBelfast ngowe-1970, seva ukuba ibhombu yepetroli iyitshisile laa venkile yepeyinti, nendawo esasikade sihlala kuyo ayisindanga.
Ngeny’ imini ndathi ndihamba nomnye udade entsimini ndaphawula umbhobho ongaqhelekanga owawuhleli efestileni. Sadlula kuloo ndlu. Kwimizuzu nje engephi waqhushumba. Abantu balapho baphuma baza bacinga ukuba sithi ababeke loo bhombu ingumbhobho! Ngelo xesha kanye omnye udade ohlala apho wasimemela emzini wakhe. Loo nto yenza abamelwane bakhe baqonde ukuba asinatyala.
Ngowe-1971 sabuyela eLondonderry ukuya kutyelela omnye udade. Sathi sakuchaza indlela nomda esasidlule kuwo, wabuza ukuba, “Ngaba bekungekho mntu kuloo mda?” Samxelela ukuba, “Bebekho, kodwa khange basihoye,” ibe yammangalisa loo nto. Ngoba? Ngenxa yokuba kwiintsuku ezingaphambili omnye ugqirha nelinye ipolisa babehluthelwe iimoto zaza zatshiswa.
Ngowe-1972 safudukela eCork. Emva koko, saya kukhonza eNaas, sasuka apho saya eArklow. Ekugqibeleni, ngowe-1987 sabelwa eCastlebar, ibe siselapho nanamhlanje. Apha siye sanelungelo elingathethekiyo lokuncedisa ukwakha iHolo yoBukumkani. Ngowe-1999 uEric wahlaselwa kukugula. Kodwa uYehova nebandla elinothando bandixhasa, yaye loo nto yandinceda ndakwazi ukuphinda ndimonge de aphile.
Mna noEric siye kabini kwiSikolo Senkonzo Yobuvulindlela. Usengumdala nangoku. Ndim nje okhathazwa sisifo samathambo yaye sendivela kufakelwa amahleza namadolo. Nangona ndiye ndachaswa ngokonqulo ndaza ndaphila phakathi kwezidubedube zopolitiko kwakunye nemilo yabantu, eyona nto yaba buhlungu kum kukunyanzeleka ukuba ndiyeke ukuqhuba imoto. Kwaba luvavanyo kakhulu kuba andisakwazi ukuya naphi na apho ndifuna ukuya khona. Ibandla liye landinceda laza landixhasa gqitha. Ngoku sendihamba ngomsimelelo, yaye ndisebenzisa isithuthuthu sebhetri xa ndisiya kwiindawo ezimganyana.
SinoEric besingoovulindlela abakhethekileyo kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwe-100—engama-98 kuyo siyichithe apha eIreland. Asiyicingi nokuyicinga into yokuzibeka phantsi iintambo. Asixhomekekanga kwimimangaliso, kodwa siyakholelwa kwelokuba iingelosi ezinamandla zikaYehova ‘zimisa inkampu macala onke’ kwabo bamoyikayo nabamkhonza ngokuthembeka.