Into Ebhetele Kunodumo

KUBALISA UCHARLES SINUTKO

Ngowe-1957, ndamenyelwa ukuba ndenze isivumelwano sokucula eLas Vegas, eNevada, eUnited States kangangeeveki ezili-13, ndandiza kuhlawulwa iwaka leedola ngeveki yaye ukuba izinto zazihambe kakuhle ndandinokukwazi nokuqhubeka ndicula kangangezinye iiveki ezingama-50. Oko kwakuza kuthetha ukuba ndifumana ii-$50 000—yayininzi gqitha loo mali ngelo xesha. Mandikuxelele into eyakhokelela ekubeni ndifumane esi simemo esasiza kundingenisela imali eninzi nento eyayibangela kube nzima ukwenza isigqibo.

UTATA wayengummi waseUkraine yaye wazalelwa kwimpuma Yurophu ngowe-1910. Ngowe-1913 unina waya naye eUnited States xa wayebuyela emyenini wakhe. UTata watshata ngowe-1935 yaye ndazalwa ngonyaka olandelayo eAmbridge, ePennsylvania. Malunga nelo xesha abakhuluwa bakaTata ababini baba ngamaNgqina kaYehova.

Ngoxa mna nabaninawa bam abathathu sasisebancinane intsapho yethu yayihlala kufuphi naseNew Castle, ePennsylvania yaye okwethutyana uMama wafundisisa iBhayibhile namaNgqina. Abazali bam abazange babe ngamaNgqina ngelo xesha, kodwa uTata wayekholelwa ukuba abakhuluwa bakhe babenelungelo lokukholelwa into abathanda ukuyikholelwa. Nangona uTata wasikhulisa ukuba sithande ilizwe lethu, wayesoloko ebathethelela abanye ngelungelo abanalo lokunqula ngendlela abathanda ngayo.

Ukuba Yimvumi

Abazali bam babekholelwa ukuba ndinelizwi elimnandi, ngoko benza konke okusemandleni bendinceda ukuba ndenze inkqubela emculweni. Xa ndandimalunga neminyaka emithandathu okanye esixhenxe ubudala, uTata wayedla ngokundimisa phezu kwekhawuntara yasebharini kwi-nightclub ukuze ndicule ndidlale nesiginkci sam. Ndandicula ingoma ethi “Mama.” Le ngoma yayichaza iimpawu zomama onothando yaye yayiphela ngamazwi achukumisayo. Amadoda asebharini asele ezinkcinkce kanobom ngeenyembezi zeNkosazana ayedla ngokulila aze afake imali emnqwazini kaTata.

Ndaqala ukucula kwijelo likanomathotholo laseNew Castle, iWKST ngowe-1945, ndicula umculo wecountry. Kamva ndacula neengoma ezingakumbi ezaziwayo kwiHit Parade, inkqubo kanomathotholo eyayidlala veki nganye apho kwakuculwa iingoma ezilishumi ezibalaseleyo kuloo veki. Ngowe-1950 ndaqala ukubonakala kwinkqubo kaPaul Whiteman eyayidlala kumabonwakude. I“Rhapsody in Blue” kaGeorge Gershwin eyayiququzelelwa ngulo mfo isadumile nanamhlanje. Kungekudala emva koko uTata wayithengisa indlu yasekhaya eyayisePennsylvania yaye safudukela eCalifornia kummandla waseLos Angeles ngethemba lokuhambisela phambili umsebenzi wam njengemvumi.

Ngenxa yomonde kaTata, ndakhawuleza ndafumana inkqubo yam endandiyenza veki nganye kunomathotholo ePasadena nekamabonwakude endandiyenza isithuba esingangesiqingatha seyure veki nganye eHollywood. Ndandirekhoda neqela leokhestra elinamalungu alikhulu, likaTed Dale eCapitol Records yaye ndaba yimvumi kwijelo losasazo elibizwa ngokuba yiCBS. Ngowe-1955, ndaya neqela leemvumi kumnyhadala womculo eLake Tahoe kumntla weCalifornia. Ngoxa ndandilapho, imbono yam ngezinto eziza kuqala ebomini yatshintsha ngokuphawulekayo.

Ukuqalisa Kobomi Obutsha

Malunga nelo xesha, uTatomdal’ uJohn—umkhuluwa kaTata naye owasuka ePennsylvania wafudukela eCalifornia—wandinika incwadi ethi “UThixo Makabe Nenyaniso.”ab Ndahamba nayo xa ndisiya eLake Tahoe. Ekupheleni komnyhadala malunga neenzulu zobusuku, ndaqalisa ukufunda le ncwadi ngenjongo yokuziphumza ngaphambi kokuba ndilale. Ndavuyiswa kukufumana iimpendulo eziphuma eBhayibhileni zemibuzo endandisoloko ndizibuza yona.

Ngokukhawuleza emva koko ndaqalisa ukuncokola nezinye iimvumi kwinightclub, sasincokola de kuse. Sasixubusha ngemixholo enjengale, ubomi emva kokufa, kutheni uThixo evumele ubungendawo nothi ingaba abantu baya kugqibela ngokuzitshabalalisa bona nomhlaba. Kwiinyanga ezimbalwa kamva, ngoJulayi 9, 1955, kwindibano yesithili yamaNgqina kaYehova eyayiseWrigley Field, eLos Angeles, ndafuzisela uzahlulelo lwam lokukhonza uYehova uThixo ngokubhaptizwa.

Kungaphelanga neenyanga ezintandathu emva koko, ngenye intsasa yeKrismesi yowe-1955, ndamenywa lelinye iNgqina, uHenry Russell, ukuba ndihambe naye siye kutyelela uJack McCoy, owayesebenza kwiziko lezolonwabo. Naye uHenry wayengumalathisi kwiNBC. Ekufikeni kwethu, uJack wahlalisa abantwana bakhe abathathu nenkosikazi yakhe phantsi ukuze baphulaphule, nangona babesaqalisa ukuvula izipho zabo zeKrismesi. Kungekudala yena kunye nentsapho yakhe baba ngamaNgqina.

Malunga neli xesha ndafundisisa noMama yaye wayamkela inyaniso yeBhayibhile. Ekugqibeleni, waba ngomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova yaye waba nguvulindlela, umlungiseleli wexesha elizeleyo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, nabaninawa bam abathathu babhaptizwa yaye baba nesabelo kubulungiseleli bobuvulindlela okwexeshana. NgoSeptemba 1956, xa ndandineminyaka engama-20 ubudala, ndaba nguvulindlela.

Izigqibo Ngokuphathelele Umsebenzi Wam

Malunga neli xesha umhlobo wommeli wam, uGeorge Murphy, waba nomdla wokundinyusela. UGeorge wayedlala kwiifilim ezininzi ngeminyaka yee-1930 neyee-1940. Ngenxa yokwaziwa ngulo kaMurphy, ngoDisemba 1956, ndadlala kumboniso kaJackie Gleason kwijelo leCBS-TV kwisiXeko saseNew York. Oku kwandibeka kwinqwanqwa eliphezulu kuba lo mboniso wawubukelwa ngabantu abamalunga nama-20 000 000. Ngoxa ndandiseNew York, okokuqala ngqa ndatyelela kwikomkhulu lamaNgqina kaYehova eBrooklyn.

Emva kokudlala kumdlalo kaGleason, ndatyobela isivumelwano seminyaka esixhenxe nenkampani yeemovie ebizwa ngokuba yi-MGM. Ndanikwa inxalenye yokudlala ngokuthe rhoqo kungcelele lweemovie zaseNtshona. Noko ke, emva kwexesha elithile ndaqalisa ukukhathazwa sisazela kuba kwakufuneka ndidlale indawo yomngcakazi nenkcani ekudubuleni—nxalenye ezo zizukisa ukuziphatha okubi nezinye iindlela zokuziphatha ezingawafanelanga amaKristu. Ngoko ndemka apho. Abenza ushishino ngezolonwabo babecinga ukuba ndishiywa ziingqondo.

Kungelo xesha ke endathi ndafumana isimemo endithethe ngaso ekuqaleni sokuya kucula eLas Vegas. Kwakufuneka ndiqalise emsebenzini ngeveki yotyelelo lomveleli ohambahambayo. Ukuba ndandingazukuqalisa umsebenzi ngelo xesha ndandimele ndilibale. Ingqondo yam yabethabethana kuba uTata wayeyivuyela kakhulu into yokuba ndiza kufumana imali eninzi! Ndandivakalelwa kukuba wayefanele afumane imbuyekezo ngako konke awayendenzele kona ukuze ndibe kwinqanaba endandikulo kwezomculo.

Ngoko ndathetha noCarl Park, owayengumveleli owongamelayo nowayeyimvumi yaye ngeminyaka yee-1920 wayedlala ivayolin kwijelo losasazo laseNew York elibizwa ngokuba yiWBBR. Ndamxelela ukuba ukuba ndiyawamkela lo msebenzi ndinokuba nguvulindlela ubomi bam bonke ndingabi nangxaki yemali. Wathi: “Andinakukuxelela into omawuyenze kodwa ndingakunceda ufikelele esigqibeni.” Wabuza, “Ngaba ubunokuhamba ukuba umpostile uPawulos ebeza kutyelela ibandla lethu kule veki?” Wongezelela wathi, “Ucinga ukuba uYesu ebengathanda ukuba wenze ntoni?”

Ndacinga ukuba kucace gca oko. Ndathi ndakuxelela uTata ngesigqibo sam sokungawamkeli lo msebenzi waseLas Vegas, wathi ndiyamenzakalisa emphefumlweni. Ngobo busuku akazange alale endilinde ngompu. Wayenenjongo yokundibulala kodwa webiwa bubuthongo—mhlawumbi ngenxa yokuzinkcinkca kanobom ngotywala. Emva koko wazama ukuzibulala egaraji ngomsi ophuma kwinqwelo-mafutha. Ndabiza iqela lezohlangulo yaye lakwazi ukumnceda.

Ngenxa yokwazi ukuba uTata uyakhawuleza ukuba nomsindo, abaninzi ebandleni lethu babemoyika kodwa umveleli wethu wesiphaluka uRoy Dowell wayengamoyiki. Xa uRoy wayeyokumbona, uTata wamxelela ukuba ekuzalweni kwam kwakubonakala ngathi andizukuphila. UTata wathembisa uThixo ukuba ukuba ndiye ndaphila uya kunikela ngam enkonzweni Yakhe. URoy wambuza ukuba wakha wayicinga na into yokuba kusenokwenzeka ukuba uThixo ulindele ukuba azalisekise isithembiso sakhe. Kwamothusa oko uTata. Wandula ke uRoy wambuza, “Ukuba kwakufanelekile ukuba uNyana kaThixo akhonze ixesha elizeleyo kutheni kungafanelekanga ngowakho unyana?” Emva koko, uTata wabonakala elwamkela ukhetho endilwenzileyo.

Kwangaxeshanye, ngoJanuwari 1957, uShirley Large waseKhanada neqabane awayenguvulindlela nalo batyelela abahlobo babo. Saqhelana noShirley ngenxa yokuhamba naye neqabane lakhe kubulungiseleli bendlu ngendlu. Kungekudala emva koko, uShirley wandipheleka ukuya eHollywood Bowl, apho ndandicula noPearl Bailey.

Ukubambelela Kwisigqibo Sam

NgoSeptemba 1957, ndamiselwa ukuba ndiye kukhonza njengovulindlela okhethekileyo kwisixeko saseIowa. Ndathi ndakuxelela uTata ukuba ndisamkele eso sabelo, walila. Wayengaziqondi ezi mbono zam zintsha ngokuphathelele eyona nto ibalulekileyo. Ndaya eHollywood ndazirhoxisa zonke izivumelwano endandizenzile. UFred Waring owayengumbhexeshi ophambili kumculo weokhestra nowekwayari wayengomnye wabantu endandityikitye isivumelwano kunye nabo. Wathi ukuba andisigcini isivumelwano sam andisayi kuze ndiphinde ndibe yimvumi ehlawulwayo. Ngoko ndamchazela ukuba isizathu sokuba ndiyeke ukucula kukuba ndifuna ukwandisa ubulungiseleli bam enkonzweni kaYehova uThixo.

UMnu. Waring waphulaphula ngentlonelo njengoko ndandityatyadula, emva koko ndothuswa kukundiphendula kwakhe ngobubele, wathi: “Nyana, ndilusizi kuba uyeka umsebenzi omhle kangaka kodwa bendisemculweni ubomi bam bonke yaye ndiye ndabona ukuba zikho ezinye izinto ezibaluleke ngaphezu komculo ebomini. Ngamana uThixo angawusikelela umsebenzi wakho.” Ndisakhumbula endleleni egodukayo iinyembezi zizehlela ngenxa yovuyo, ngoku ndandikhululekile ukuba ndingachitha ubomi bam enkonzweni kaYehova.

“Luphi Ukholo Lwakho?”

Ndaqalisa ukukhonza eStrawberry Point, eIowa, idolophu enabemi abali-1 200 kunye neqabane endandishumayela nalo, uJoe Triff. UShirley weza kusityelela yaye sathetha ngomtshato. Ndandingenamali iseluvalelweni yaye naye wayengenayo. Imali endayifumana kumsebenzi endandiwenza yayilawulwa nguTata. Ngoko ndathi kuye: “Ndifuna ukutshata nawe kodwa siya kuphila ngantoni? Ekuphela kwemali endinayo ngumxhesho wee-$40 endiwufumanayo njengovulindlela okhethekileyo nyanga nganye.” Ezolile yaye engagwegwelezi njengesiqhelo wathi: “Kodwa Charles, luphi ukholo lwakho? UYesu wathi ukuba sifuna uBukumkani nobulungisa bakhe kuqala, uya kusongezelela ezinye izinto esizisweleyo.” (Mateyu 6:33) Savumelana. Satshata ngoNovemba 16, 1957.

Ndandiqhuba isifundo seBhayibhile nomnye umfama owayehlala ngaphandle kweStrawberry Point owayenendlu eyakhiwe ngamaplanga eyayiziimitha ezi-3.7 eziphindwe ngeemitha ezi-3.7 kwihlathana elikwifama yakhe. Kuloo ndlu wawungekho umbane, amanzi negunjana lokuhlambela. Kodwa ukuba sasifuna sasinokuhlala apho ngaphandle kwentlawulo. Yayiluhlobo lwakudala lwendlu kodwa sacinga ukuba siba kubulungiseleli imini yonke ekuphela kwento esasiyifuna yindawo yokulala.

Amanzi ndandiwakha kumthombo owawukufuphi. Le ndlu yethu sasiyifudumeza ngesitovu seenkuni size sifunde ngesibane separafini; uShirley wayepheka ngesitovu separafini. Sasihlambela kwibhafu endala. Sasiphulaphula iingcuka xa zikhala ebusuku size siqonde ukuba sinethamsanqa ngokuba kunye nangokukhonza uYehova sobabini kwindawo ababefuneka kakhulu kuyo abalungiseleli abangamaKristu. UBill Malenfant nenkosikazi yakhe uSandra, ngoku abakhonza kwikomkhulu laseBrooklyn, babengoovulindlela abakhethekileyo kwidolophu eyayithe qelele kuthi ngomgama omalunga neekhilomitha ezili-100, eDecorah, eIowa. Ngamathub’ athile, babedla ngokuza kuchitha usuku kunye nathi kwinkonzo yasentsimini. Ekugqibeleni, kwabakho ibandla elincinane elinabavakalisi abamalunga nama-25 eStrawberry Point.

Umsebenzi Wokuhambahamba

NgoMeyi 1960 samenyelwa kumsebenzi wesiphaluka, ubulungiseleli bokuhambahamba. Isiphaluka sokuqala sasikumNtla Carolina yaye sasiquka isixeko saseRaleigh, iGreensboro, neDurham needolophu ezincinane ezininzi zasemaphandleni. Indlela esasiphila ngayo yaba bhetele kuba iintsapho ezininzi esasihlala nazo zazisebenzisa umbane zinazo nezindlu zangasese ezisendlwini. Noko ke, into eyayisothusa zizilumkiso zabo babenezindlu zangasese ezingaphandle. Bathi kufuneka silumkele iinyoka ezibizwa ngokuba ziicopperheads neerattlesnakes kwindlela eya kwizindlu zangasese!

Ekuqaleni kowe-1963 satshintshelwa kwisiphaluka saseFlorida, apho ndahlaselwa sisifo sentliziyo yaye ndaphantse ndafa. Mhlawumbi ngendandifile ukuba sasingancedwanga nguBob noGinny Mackey baseTampa.c Bandisa kugqirha wabo yaye bada bahlawula namatyala ethu onke.

Ukusebenzisa Uqeqesho Lwangaphambili

Ngehlobo lowe-1963 ndamenyelwa eNew York ukuba ndiye kuncedisa kumalungiselelo endibano enkulu yamaNgqina kaYehova eyayiza kuqhutyelwa apho. Ndapheleka uMilton Henschel, owayesisithethi esimela amaNgqina kaYehova kwinkqubo kanomathotholo eyayisasazwa nguLarry King. UMnu. King usengumsasazi odumileyo kwiingxubusho zikamabonwakude. Wayenentlonelo kakhulu yaye isithuba esingangeyure emva kwaloo nkqubo wasibuza imibuzo emininzi ngokuphathelele umsebenzi wethu.

Kwasebudeni belo hlobo uHarold King, umvangeli wasemazweni owayesandul’ ukukhululwa entolongweni kwiTshayina yamaKomanisi, wayetyelele kwikomkhulu lamaNgqina. Ngenye ingokuhlwa wathetha nabaphulaphuli abangama-700, ebalisa amava akhe echaza nendlela olomelezeka ngayo ukholo lwakhe kukuvalelwa yedwa esiseleni kangangeminyaka emine. Ngoxa wayesentolongweni wayebhale iingoma ezinemixholo ethatyathwe eBhayibhileni nephathelele ubulungiseleli bobuKristu.

Ngaloo ngokuhlwa ingalibalekiyo ndacula noAudrey Knorr, uKarl Klein, noFred Franz—iNgqina lakudala elalifundiswe ukucula itenala—sicula ingoma ethi “Kwizindlu Ngezindlu,” ngoma leyo kamva yafakwa kwiculo elisetyenziswa ngamaNgqina kaYehova. UNathan Knorr, owayekhokela kumsebenzi wamaNgqina ngelo xesha, wandicela ukuba ndicule le ngoma kwiNdibano “Yeendaba Ezilungileyo Ezingunaphakade” eyayiza kuba seYankee Stadium yaye ndavuma.

Amava Omsebenzi Wokuhambahamba

Ngoxa sasikhonza eChicago, eIllinois, kwenzeka izinto ezimbini ezingalibalekiyo. Okokuqala, uShirley wabona uVera Stewart, owayenikele ubungqina kuye nonina eKhanada phakathi kwiminyaka yee-1940. UShirley owayeneminyaka eli-11 ubudala ngelo xesha, waba nemincili kukuva ngezithembiso zikaThixo eziseBhayibhileni. Wabuza kuVera, “Ucinga ukuba ndinokuphila kwelo hlabathi litsha?” UVera waphendula, “Andisiboni isizathu sokuba ungenakuphila kwihlabathi elitsha, Shirley.” Bobabini abawalibali loo mazwi. Ukususela ekuqaleni ukudibana kwakhe noVera, uShirley wayesazi ukuba ukukhonza uYehova yinto awayefuna ukuyenza.

Okwesibini, elinye iNgqina landibuza ukuba ndiyakhumbula na sifika kukho ingxowa yeetapile enobunzima obuziikhilogram ezingama-22 kwiveranda yethu ngobusika bowe-1958. Eneneni ndandikukhumbula oko. Safika ikho ngenye ingokuhlwa esayofika nzima ekhaya ngenxa yekhephu elalisiwa! Nangona sasingazi ukuba zivela phi ezo tapile, saqonda ukuba lilungiselelo likaYehova. Elo khephu lasivalela endlwini kangangeentsuku ezintlanu kodwa sanandipha ukutya iitapile ezibhakiweyo, ezigcadiweyo, ezicujiweyo nesuphu yazo! Sasingenako okunye ukutya. Elo Ngqina lalingasazi, lingazi nalapho sihlala khona kodwa lalivile ukuba kukho oovulindlela abakufuphi nalo ababetsala nzima. Lithi kwabakho into ethi malibuzise ngendawo esihlala kuyo esi sibini siselula. Amafama azi yonk’ into ngabamelwane bawo, ngoko laboniswa apho indlu yethu ikhoyo, lathwala loo ngxowa yeetapile kwelo khephu layisa endlwini yethu.

Umbulelo Ngokhetho Endalwenzayo

Ngowe-1993, emva kweminyaka engama-33 sikumsebenzi wokuhambahamba, impilo yam yaba nkenenkene kangangokuba kwafuneka ndiliyeke elo lungelo lenkonzo. Mna noShirley saba ngoovulindlela abakhethekileyo abampilo inkenenkene yaye sisekuloo nkonzo nanamhlanje. Ngoxa ndibuhlungu ngenxa yokuba ndingasenawo amandla okwenza umsebenzi wokuhambahamba, ndiyavuya kuba amandla am ndawachithela enkonzweni.

Abaninawa bam abathathu benza ukhetho olwahlukileyo. Ngamnye wabo wazibekela usukelo lwezinto eziphathekayo yaye akukho namnye kubo okhonza uYehova ngoku. Ngowe-1958, uTata wabhaptizwa. Yena kunye noMama banceda abantu abaninzi ukuba bazi uYehova, bazahlulele Kuye baze babhaptizwe. Bobabini bafa ngowe-1999. Ngaloo ndlela, isigqibo sam sokungalwamkeli udumo nobutyebi behlabathi sathetha ubomi kuTata nakwabanye abaninzi uTata noMama ababelana nabo ngenyaniso yeBhayibhile. Ndidla ngokuzibuza, ‘Ngaba ngendaqhubeka ndikhonza uYehova ukuba ndandingenzanga ukhetho endalwenzayo?’

Malunga neminyaka emihlanu ndiyekile kumsebenzi wesiphaluka, impilo yam yaba bhetele yaye ndakwazi ukwandisa ubulungiseleli bam. Ngoku ndikhonza njengomveleli owongamelayo kwibandla laseDesert Hot Springs, eCalifornia. Kwakhona ndinelungelo lokubambela kumsebenzi wesiphaluka, ndiba lilungu leekomiti ezikhethekileyo yaye maxa wambi ndiye ndifundise kwiSikolo Senkonzo Yobuvulindlela.

De kube ngoku, uShirley usengoyena mhlobo wam. Akukho mntu wumbi ndinandipha ubuhlobo bakhe njengaye. Sidla ngokuba neencoko zokomoya ezibangel’ umdla yaye sobabini siba nemincili ngeenyaniso zeBhayibhile esizixubushayo. Ndisenombulelo nangoku xa ndikhumbula umbuzo awandibuza wona ngokuzolileyo kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-47 eyadlulayo, “Kodwa Charles, luphi ukholo lwakho?” Ukuba izibini eziselula ezingamaKristu bezinokubuzana lo mbuzo, ndiyazibuza ukuba zingaphi kuzo ezinokufumana uvuyo neentsikelelo esiye sazifumana kubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

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UTatomdal’ uJohn ngowe-1935, unyaka awabhaptizwa ngawo

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Indlu yethu eyenziwe ngamaplanga

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Ifoto yabazali bam ngowe-1975, abaqhubeka bethembekile de baya kufa

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Mna noShirley namhlanje