Ukwenza Uhlengahlengiso Kuye Kwandizisela Umvuzo
Kubalisa uJames A. Thompson
Ekuzalweni kwam kumazantsi eUnited States ngowe-1928, kwakungumthetho ukungahlali kwabantu abamhlophe nabamnyama. Xa ungawuthobeli loo mthetho wawunokuvalelwa entolongweni okanye ufumane enye into embi kunaleyo.
NGELO XESHA kwezinye iindawo zaseUnited States, amaNgqina kaYehova amhlophe namnyama ayemele abe namabandla, iziphaluka nezithili ezahlukeneyo. Ngowe-1937, utata waba sisicaka sebandla (ngoku esibizwa ngokuba ngumnxibelelanisi wequmrhu labadala) kwibandla labamnyama eChattanooga, eTennessee. UHenry Nichols wayesisicaka sebandla kwelabamhlophe.
Ndikhumbula ndisengumntwana ndihleli kwivaranda engasemva yasekhaya ebusuku ndiphulaphule uTata encokola noMzalwan’ uNichols. Nakubeni ndandingaziqondi zonke izinto ababencokola ngazo, ndandikuvuyela ukuba secaleni kukaTata njengoko babethetha ngeyona ndlela ibhetele yokuqhubeka nomsebenzi wokushumayela phantsi kweemeko zelo xesha.
Ekuqaleni kowe-1930, intsapho yakowethu yehlelwa yintlekele. Kwasweleka uMama eseneminyaka engama-20 ubudala. Kwafuneka uTata asale enyamekela udadewethu oneminyaka emine ubudala, uDoris nam ndineminyaka emibini ubudala. Nakubeni uTata wayesandul’ ukubhaptizwa, wenza inkqubela entle ngokomoya.
Imizekelo Eyandakhayo
Ngowe-1933, uTata wadibana nodade omhle ongumKristu ogama linguLillie Mae Gwendolyn Thomas yaye abazange balibazise batshata. UTata noMama basimisela umzekelo omhle sinoDoris wokukhonza uYehova ngokuthembeka.
Ngowe-1938, amabandla amaNgqina kaYehova acelwa ukuba axhase isindululo sokuba abadala bamabandla asekuhlaleni banconyelwe kwikomkhulu eliseBrooklyn, eNew York, kunokuba banconyelwe ekuhlaleni. Ngoxa abanye eChattanooga babemadolw’ anzima ukwamkela olo tshintsho, uTata waluxhasa ngokungagungqiyo uhlengahlengiso olwalusenziwa yintlangano. Umzekelo wakhe wokuthembeka—nokaMama wokusebenzisana naye ngokupheleleyo—undincede kwada kwangoku.
Ukubhaptizwa Nokuba Kwinkonzo Yexesha Elizeleyo
Ngowe-1940, abaliqela kwibandla lethu baqesha ibhasi baza bahamba ngayo ukuya kwindibano eyayiqhutyelwa eDetroit, eMichigan. Abambalwa kwiqela elalikuloo bhasi babhaptizwa kuloo ndibano. Abanye babemangaliswa yinto yokuba ndingabhaptizwanga ekubeni ndaqalisa ukushumayela ndineminyaka emihlanu ubudala yaye ndikuthanda nokushumayela.
Xa bandibuzayo ngaloo nto, ndabaphendula ndathi, “Andiyazi yonke into ephathelele ubhaptizo.” UTata wandiva yaye wakhwankqiswa yiloo nto. Ukususela ngoko, wenza imigudu engakumbi yokundinceda ndiqonde oko kuthethwa lubhaptizo nokubaluleka kwalo. Ngemini eyayiqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo, kwiinyanga ezine kamva ngo-Oktobha 1, 1940, ndabhaptizwa kwichibi elingaphandle eChattanooga.
Xa ndandineminyaka eli-14 ubudala, ndaqalisa ukuba nguvulindlela ngeeholide zesikolo zehlobo. Ndandishumayela kwiidolophu ezincinane zaseTennessee nakwiphondo laseGeorgia eliselumelwaneni. Xa ndisiya entsimini ndandivuka ekuseni, ndilungise isidlo sasemini ndize ndikhwele uloliwe okanye ibhasi yentsimbi yesi-6:00 ekuseni. Ndandibuya malunga nentsimbi yesi-6:00 ngongcwalazi. Ukutya endandikuphatha kwakuphela lisekude ixesha lesidlo sasemini. Nangona ndandinayo imali, ndandingenakungena evenkileni ndithenge okunye ukutya ngenxa yokuba ndandingumntu omnyama. Ngeny’ imini, ndangena evenkileni ukuze ndithenge i-ice-cream kodwa ndagxothwa. Linosizi elinye ibhinqa elimhlophe laphuma laza kundinika i-ice-cream ngaphandle.
Njengoko ndandiqalisa kumabanga aphakamileyo esikolweni, imibutho elwela amalungelo abantu yaliqinisa ifuthe lomzabalazo kuMzantsi welizwe. Imibutho enjengeNAACP (iNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People) yakhuthaza umzabalazo wabafundi. Sasikhuthazwa ukuba nathi sibe kuloo mibutho. Izikolo eziliqela zabantsundu, kuquka eso ndandifunda kuso, zakwenza usukelo ukujoyinisa bonke abafundi. Kwakusithiwa “mandixhase uhlanga lwam.” Kodwa andizange ndivume, ndibaxelela ukuba uThixo akanamkhethe yaye akanaluhlanga aluthanda ngaphezu kolunye. Ngoko ndinethemba lokuba nguThixo oza kulungisa okungekho sikweni okuqhubekayo.—Yoh. 17:14; IZe. 10:34, 35.
Emva nje kokuba ndigqibe amabanga aphakamileyo, ndagqiba kwelokuba ndifudukele kwisiXeko saseNew York. Noko ke, endleleni eya apho ndaya kudlula kwabanye abahlobo bam basePhiladelphia, ePennsylvania nendandidibene nabo kwenye indibano yesithili. Ndandiqala apho ukuya kwibandla elineentlanga ezahlukahlukeneyo. Kutyelelo lwakhe, umveleli ohambahambayo wandibizela bucala waza wandixelela ukuba ndiza kuba nesabelo kwiintlanganiso ezilandelayo. Ngoko ndagqiba kwelokuba ndihlale apho.
Phakathi kwabahlobo endazenzela bona ePhiladelphia, ngudade oselula ogama linguGeraldine White—mna ke ndandimbiza Gerri. Wayeyazi kakuhle iBhayibhile kwaye enobuchule bokunikela ubungqina kubulungiseleli bendlu ngendlu. Okwakubaluleke ngakumbi kum kukuba sasinosukelo olufanayo lokuba ngoovulindlela. Satshata ngoAprili 23, 1949.
Ukumenywa EGiliyadi
Kwasekuqaleni usukelo lwethu lwalukukuya kwiSikolo saseGiliyadi size sikhonze kwilizwe lasemzini njengabathunywa bevangeli. Sakuvuyela ukuhlengahlengisa iimeko zethu ukuze sifanelekele ukuya eGiliyadi. Ngokukhawuleza emva koko, sacelwa ukuba sifudukele eLawnside, eNew Jersey; emva koko saya eChester, ePennsylvania; ekugqibeleni saya kwisiXeko iAtlantic, eNew Jersey. Ngoxa sasikwisiXeko saseAtlantic safanelekela ukufaka isicelo sokuya eGiliyadi, njengoko sasisele sineminyaka emibini sitshatile. Kodwa kwathiwa makhe sime ngokuya eGiliyadi. Sasiyintoni isizathu?
Ebutsheni beminyaka yee-1950, abafana abaninzi babethunyelwa emkhosini ukuze balwe kwimfazwe eyayiseKorea. Ibhunga elalinyanzelisa ukuba abafana baye emkhosini ePhiladelphia laliwacalula amaNgqina kaYehova ngenxa yokungathathi kwawo icala. Ekugqibeleni, ijaji yandixelela ukuba iFBI ithe xa ibindiphanda yafumana ubungqina obuqinisekisa ukuba andithathi cala. Ngoko ngoJanuwari 11, 1952, iBhodi Yezibheno kaMongameli yandibeka kudidi lwe-4-D njengomlungiseleli.
NgoAgasti waloo nyaka, sinoGerri samenywa kwiklasi yama-20 yaseGiliyadi, eyaqalisa ngoSeptemba. Njengoko yayiqhubeka loo klasi sasicinga ukuba siza kwabelwa kwelinye ilizwe. Udadewethu uDoris wayephumelele kwiklasi ye-13 yaseGiliyadi kwaye wayekhonza eBrazil. Sothuka asalibala sinoGerri sakufumana isabelo sokusebenza esiphalukeni—sasiza kutyelela amabandla abantu abamnyama kumazantsi eAlabama! Saba buphoxeka noko kuba sasizixelele ukuba siza kukhonza kwilizwe lasemzini.
Ibandla lokuqala esalityelelayo laliseHuntsville. Ukufika kwethu, saya kwikhaya lomnye udade esasiza kuhlala naye. Njengoko sasisothula izinto zethu samva ethetha efowunini esithi, “Sebefikile abantwana.” Sasinama-24 eminyaka kuphela ubudala yaye sasibonakala sibancinane kunoko. Ngalo lonke ixesha sikwesi siphaluka sasibizwa ngokuba singaBantwana.
Kwakusoloko kubhekiselwa kuMzantsi Merika njengeNdawo yaMakholwa ngenxa yendlela abantu balapho ababeyixabise ngayo iBhayibhile. Ngoko incoko yethu nabantu yayisoloko igxininisa kwezi ngongoma zintathu zilandelayo:
(1) Amagqabaza amafutshane ngemeko yehlabathi.
(2) Sichaze isicombululo esiseBhayibhileni.
(3) Noko iBhayibhile isiyalela ukuba sikwenze.
Emva koko sasiye sibanike nayiphi na impapasho efanelekileyo yokufunda iBhayibhile. Ngenxa yokuphumelela kwale ndlela yokushumayela, ndabelwa intetho kwiNdibano Yebutho Lehlabathi Elitsha yowe-1953 kwisiXeko saseNew York. Kuloo ntetho ndenza umboniso wale ndlela yokushumayela.
Kungekudala emva koko, ngehlobo lowe-1953, ndabelwa ukukhonza njengomveleli wesithili kwiziphaluka zabamnyama kuMzantsi Merika. Sasisebenza ukusuka eVirginia siye kutsho eFlorida side sifike nakwintshona ekude yeAlabama neTennessee. Ngokwenene, abaveleli abahambahambayo kwakufuneka baziqhelanise neemeko. Ngokomzekelo, kumaxesha amaninzi sasihlala kumakhaya angenayo imibhobho yamanzi ashushu yaye sasihlambela kwibhafu eyayibekwa emva kwesitovu sasekhitshini. Leyo yayiyeyona ndawo ishushu kamnandi endlwini!
Ucelomngeni Lokucalucalulwa Ngokobuhlanga
Ukukhonza kuMzantsi Merika kwakufuna ukuceba nobulumko bokwenza izinto. Abantu abamnyama babengavumelekanga ukusa impahla yabo kwiindawo ezihlamba impahla. Ngenxa yoko, uGerri wayefika athi uzise impahla “kaNksk. Thompson.” Kubonakala ukuba abaninzi babecinga ukuba usisicaka yaye uNksk. Thompson wayengumqashi wakhe. Xa abaveleli bezithili babebonisa ngomboniso bhanyabhanya iThe New World Society in Action, ndandiye nditsalele umnxeba evenkileni ndize ndicele ukubekelwa bucala umabonwakude omkhulu “kaMnu. Thompson.” Ndandidla ngokuya kuwuthatha kamva. Sasisoloko sizolile yaye loo nto yayisenza sibufeze ubulungiseleli bethu ngaphandle kwenkathazo.
Kwakukho olunye uhlobo localucalulo, olwengingqi, olwalujoliswe kubantu abavela kuMntla Merika. Iphephandaba lasekuhlaleni lakha lanikela ingxelo yokuba uJames A. Thompson, Omnci. weWatchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York uza kube enikela intetho endibanweni. Abanye babecinga ukuba le nto ithetha ukuba ndivela eNew York yaye isivumelwano sethu sokusebenzisa iholo yesikolo sirhoxisiwe. Ngoko ndaya kwiqumrhu lesikolo ndaza ndalixelela ukuba ndandikhe ndafunda kwisikolo saseChattanooga. Saphinda sayinikwa imvume yokuqhuba indibano yesiphaluka.
Intiyo yobuhlanga yaya iqina ngeminyaka yee-1950, yaye ngamaxesha athile kwakusibakho ugonyamelo. Ngowe-1954, amanye amaNgqina akhathazwa yinto yokungabikho kwezithethi ezintsundu kucwangciso lweendibano ezininzi zesithili. Sabakhuthaza abazalwana ukuba babe nomonde. Kwihlobo elilandelayo, ndanikwa isabelo sentetho. Emva koko, nabanye abazalwana bakuMzantsi Merika bazifumana izabelo zentetho.
Ekuhambeni kwexesha, izidubedube zobuhlanga ezazikuMzantsi Merika zaphela, yaye ngokuthe ngcembe amabandla aqalisa ukumanyana. Oku kwakufuna ukuba abavakalisi batshintshelwe kumabandla awahlukahlukeneyo kuze kuhlengahlengiswe intsimi yamabandla kwaneembopheleleko zabazalwana ababekhokela. Abanye, kuquka abantsundu nabamhlophe, abazange balithande eli lungiselelo litsha. Noko ke, abaninzi babengenamkhethe, kanye njengoBawo wethu wasezulwini. Phofu ke, abaninzi babengabahlobo abasenyongweni, kungakhathaliseki ibala abalilo. Intsapho yakowethu yakha yakunandipha oku ngeminyaka yee-1930 neyee-1940 ngoxa ndandisakhula.
Isabelo Esitsha
NgoJanuwari 1969, mna noGerri safumana isimemo sokuya eGuyana, kuMzantsi Merika yaye sasamkela ngovuyo. Saqala saya eBrooklyn, eNew York, apho ndafumana khona uqeqesho lokukhokela umsebenzi wokushumayela eGuyana. Safika apho ngoJulayi 1969. Emva kweminyaka eli-16 sikumsebenzi wokuhambahamba, kwaba lucelomngeni ukuhlala ndawonye. UGerri wachitha ixesha elininzi ekubulungiseleli basentsimini njengomthunywa wevangeli, ngoxa mna ndandisebenza kwiofisi yesebe.
Phakathi kwezinto endandizenza yayikukucheba ingca nokuthumela uncwadi kumabandla angama-28 kwakunye nokuba nembalelwano nekomkhulu eliseBrooklyn. Ndandisebenza iiyure ezili-14 ukuya kutsho kwezili-15 ngemini. Wawunzima lo msebenzi kuthi sobabini, kodwa sasiwuthanda. Ukufika kwethu apho kwakukho abavakalisi abali-950 eGuyana; sithethanje bangaphezu kwama-2 500.
Nakuba sasinandipha imozulu entle kwakunye neziqhamo nemifuno enencasa, eyona nto yayisonwabisa kukubona abantu abathobekileyo abanxanelwe inyaniso eseBhayibhileni befunda ngoBukumkani bukaThixo. UGerri wayesoloko eqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile ezingama-20 veki nganye, yaye ezininzi kuzo zenza inkqubela zaza zabhaptizwa. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, abanye baba ngoovulindlela, abadala bebandla, abanye bada baya eGiliyadi baza baba ngabathunywa bevangeli.
Ucelomngeni, Ngokungakumbi Olwempilo
Ngowe-1983, abazali bam ababeseUnited States babefuna ukunyanyekelwa. Mna, uDoris noGerri sadibanis’ iintloko. UDoris, owayesele eneminyaka engama-35 engumthunywa wevangeli eBrazil, wakhetha ukugoduka aye kubanyamekela. Wabuza ukuba, kutheni kumele kuphume abathunywa bevangeli ababini, xa ekho omnye onokubanyamekela? Emva kokusweleka kwabazali bethu, uDoris wahlala eChattanooga, yaye unguvulindlela okhethekileyo.
Ngowe-1995 kwafunyaniswa ukuba ndinomhlaza wedlala lesinyi yaye kwanyanzeleka ukuba ndibuyele eUnited States. Saya kuhlala eGoldsboro, kuMntla Carolina, kuba yayiphakathi kwentsapho yakowethu eseTennessee neyakuloGerri esePennsylvania. Umhlaza endinawo ubekwe esweni, yaye sikhonza kwibandla laseGoldsboro njengoovulindlela abakhethekileyo abangenampilo.
Xa ndikhangela emva kwiminyaka engama-65 ndikubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo, ndimbulela kakhulu uYehova ngokusisikelela sinoGerri ngokwenza uhlengahlengiso ukuze simkhonze. Ayinyaniso amazwi kaDavide athi: “Kulowo unyanisekileyo [uYehova] uya kwenza ngokunyaniseka”!—2 Sam. 22:26.
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 3]
UTata noMzalwan’ uNichols bandimisela umzekelo omhle
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 4]
Ndim noGerri, xa sasiza kuya eGiliyadi ngowe-1952
[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 5]
Ukubuya kwethu eGiliyadi, sabelwa kumsebenzi wokuhambahamba kuMzantsi Merika
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 6]
Abaveleli abahambahambayo kunye nabafazi babo belungiselela indibano yesithili yabamhlophe nabantsundu, ngowe-1966
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Kwakumnandi gqitha ukuba ngabathunywa bevangeli eGuyana