UYehova Uye Wandinyamekela Kakuhle
UBUNCINANE ndingathi nje ndaqalisa ukukhonza uYehova ngendlela engaqhelekanga. Ndakhulela kummandla omhle osemaphandleni okumntla okude weNew Zealand, omiwe ngokuyintloko ngabantu abangamaMaori njengam. Ngoxa ndandikhwele ihashe ngenye imini, endleleni kweza kum ukabawo uBen. Yayingowe-1942, ekwindla (eMzantsi weIkhweyita, entlakohlaza kuMntla weIkhweyita). Ndandineminyaka engama-27 yaye ngelo xesha ndandingumTshetsi okhutheleyo.
Kangangeminyaka emininzi uBen wayefunda iincwadi zikaJudge Rutherford, owayengumongameli weWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society ngelo xesha, yaye ngoku wayephethe ileta evela kwiofisi eyintloko yeWatch Tower Society eseNew Zealand eyayimcela ukuba amemele abantu basekuhlaleni kwindawo abanokuqhubela kuyo iSidlo SeNkosi Sangokuhlwa. Ngaphezu koko, uBen wayemele afune umntu owayeza kuqhuba loo nkonzo. Ejonge kum, uBen wathi: “Nguwe ke oza kuyiqhuba.” Ndineqhayiya ngokugqalwa ndifanelekile—yaye ekubeni ndandisitya umthendeleko ecaweni—ndavuma.
Ngaloo ngokuhlwa ke, abantu abanokuba ngama-40 bahlanganisana kwikhaya likaBen ukuze bakhumbuze ukufa kweNkosi yethu, yaye akukho namnye kubo owayeliNgqina likaYehova. Ekufikeni kwam ukabawo wandinika ulwandlalo lwentetho. Andizange ndiyinanze ingoma ecetyisiweyo ndaza ndacela usibali kaBen ukuba avule ngomthandazo. Ndandula ke ndahlabela mgama ndanikela umbandela okulwandlalo, owawunothotho lwemibuzo kunye neempendulo ezisekelwe eZibhalweni. Umfundisi wasekuhlaleni owayekho waphazamisa ngokuphikisa, kodwa oko kuphikisa kwaphendulwa ngokufundwa kweZibhalo ezikulwandlalo.
Ndikhumbula ukuba omnye waloo mibuzo eyayikulwandlalo wawunxulumene nexesha lonyaka esasimele sikhunjulwe ngalo eso siganeko. Hayi indlela ekwakusanelisa ngayo xa bonke ababekho bakhangela phandle ngefestile baza bayibona inyanga isisonka. Lalicacile elokuba umhla yayinguNisan 14.
Obunjani bona ubusuku eyaba bubo obo! Isikhumbuzo sethu sathabatha iiyure ezine! Kwabuzwa imibuzo emininzi yaza yaphendulwa ngokusuka eZibhalweni ezazikulwandlalo loMbutho. Xa ndikhangela emva, ndiyazi ukuba ndandingenakuphumelela kuloo meko ngaphandle kokunyanyekelwa nguYehova—nakubeni ngelo xesha ndandingenguye omnye wamaNgqina akhe azahluleleyo. Sekunjalo, ngobo busuku beSikhumbuzo ngowe-1942, ndayifumana injongo yam ebomini.
Ubomi Bobuntwana
Ndazalwa ngowe-1914. Utata wafa kwiinyanga ezine ngaphambi kokuba ndizalwe, yaye ndikhumbula ndisengumntwana omncinane ndibamonela abanye abantwana ababenooyise ababathandayo. Ndandikunqwenela gqitha oko. Kumama ukuphila engenamyeni kwakungumzabalazo onzima, izinto zaba mbi ngakumbi ngenxa yemiphumo emibi yeMfazwe Yehlabathi I.
Ebutsheni bam, ndatshata nebhinqa eliselula eligama linguAgnes Cope, yaye ebeliqabane lam ebomini kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwama-58. Ekuqaleni sazabalaza kunye ukuze siphumelele ebomini. Ndoyisakala kukuba ngumlimi ngenxa yembalela enkulu. Ndafumana isiqabu ngokungenela ezemidlalo, kodwa ndandingenanjongo yokwenene ebomini de kwaba ngaloo mava eSikhumbuzo sowe-1942.
Ukunikela Ubungqina Kwizizalwana
Emva kweso Sikhumbuzo, ndafundisisa iBhayibhile ngokunyaniseka, ndaxubusha nabanye ookabawo bam ngoncwadi lweBhayibhile olupapashwa yiWatch Tower Society. NgoSeptemba 1943 amanye amaNgqina kaYehova awayevela komnye ummandla atyelela indawo esasihlala kuyo ekwanti. Saba nengxubusho eshushu, kangangeeyure ezine. Ngoko, xa ndafumanisa ukuba babeza kunduluka ngentsasa elandelayo, ndabuza: “Kwala ntoni ukuba ndingabhaptizwa ngoku?” Mna kunye nookabawo bam ababini santywiliselwa emanzini ngecala emva kwentsimbi yokuqala kusasa.
Emva koko, ndawutyhutyha loo mmandla ndinikela ubungqina kwizizalwana zam. Zimbi zasabela, yaye kwezi ndasekela iingxubusho zam kuMateyu isahluko 24. Ezinye zazingasabeli, yaye kwiimeko ezinjalo ndasebenzisa amazwi kaYesu awawathetha kubaFarisi abhalwe kuMateyu isahluko 23. Noko ke, ekuhambeni kwexesha ndafunda ukuba nobuchule ngakumbi, ndixelisa uBawo wethu wasezulwini onobubele nonothando.—Mateyu 5:43-45.
Ekuqaleni umfazi wam wawuchasa umnqweno wam wokukhonza uYehova. Noko ke, kungekudala wandithelela, yaye ngoDisemba 1943 waba ngumncedani ozahluleleyo nobhaptiziweyo. Abanye abantu abahlanu abasuka kwilali esasihlala kuyo eWaima nabo babhaptizwa kunye naye, nto leyo eyenza ukuba xa bebonke abavakalisi boBukumkani kuloo lali babe sithoba.
Iintsikelelo Phezu Kwayo Nje Inkcaso
Kwakhona ebudeni bowe-1944 satyelelwa ngabazalwana ababesuka komnye ummandla, yaye ngesi sihlandlo banikela uqeqesho olwaluyimfuneko kubulungiseleli obucwangcisiweyo bendlu ngendlu. Njengokuba ubukho bethu ekuhlaleni baba yinto eyaziwayo, inkcaso evela kubameli beNgqobhoko yaba qatha. (Yohane 15:20) Sasihleli sisiba neengxwabangxwaba nabefundisi basekuhlaleni, size sixubushe ngeemfundiso ixesha elide. Kodwa uYehova wasinika uloyiso, yaye abanye abantu basekuhlaleni, kuquka udade wethu, bamkela inyameko kaYehova enothando.
NgoJuni 1944 kwasekwa ibandla eWaima. Ukutshutshiwa nokuthiywa ngabantu bonqulo kwanda. AmaNgqina kaYehova akazange anikwe imvume yokungcwaba kwindawo yokungcwaba yasekuhlaleni. Maxa wambi inkcaso yayisiba nogonyamelo. Sasiphathwa kakubi ngokwasemzimbeni. Inqwelo-mafutha yam kunye negaraji eyayihlala kuyo yatshiswa yaluthuthu. Sekunjalo, ngentsikelelo kaYehova, kwisithuba esingaphantsi kweenyanga ezintathu, sakwazi ukuthenga ilori. Yaye ndasebenzisa inqwelo etsalwa ngamahashe ukusa intsapho yam ekhulayo kwiintlanganiso.
Ngenxa yenani elalisanda labantu ababenxulumana nathi kwabonakala ukuba siyifuna ngokungxamisekileyo indawo yokuhlanganisana enkulu, ngoko sagqiba kwelokuba sakhe iHolo yoBukumkani eWaima. Le yaba yiHolo yoBukumkani yokuqala ukwakhiwa eNew Zealand. Kwinyanga yesine emva kokuba imithi yokuqala igawulwe ngoDisemba 1, 1949, kwaqhutywa indibano kwaza kwanikezelwa iholo entsha enezihlalo ezingama-260. Ngaloo mihla loo nto yayiyinto enkulu gqitha, eyaphunyezwa ngoncedo lukaYehova.
Ubungqina Obungakumbi Bokuba UYehova Uyasinyamekela
Ekubeni inani labavakalisi boBukumkani kummandla okude lee kumntla weNew Zealand laliqhubeka lisanda, abaveleli abahambahambayo ababetyelele banikela ukhuthazo lokukhonza apho imfuneko yayinkulu khona. Ndisabela koko, ngowe-1956, ndafudusa intsapho yam saya ePukekohe, ngezantsi kweAuckland. Sakhonza apho kangangeminyaka eli-13.—Thelekisa IZenzo 16:9.
Ndihlala ndiyikhumbula imizekelo emibini yendlela awandinyamekela ngayo uYehova ebudeni beli xesha. Ngoxa ndandiqeshwe libhunga lenqila njengomqhubi welori nokusebenza ngomatshini, ndamenywa kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani esasiza kuthabatha iiveki ezine kwiofisi yesebe yeWatch Tower Society eAuckland. Ngenxa yoku, ndacela ukuba ndingabikho emsebenzini kangangeeveki ezine, yaye unonjineli oyintloko wathi: “Ungakhululeka. Ndinqwenela ukuba abantu abangakumbi babe njengawe. Xa ubuya, uze uze kundibona eofisini yam.” Xa ndatyelela iofisi yakhe kamva, ndafumana intlawulo yezo veki zine endandingekho ngazo. Ngaloo ndlela, iintswelo zezinto eziphathekayo zentsapho yam zanyanyekelwa.—Mateyu 6:33.
Lowo yayingumzekelo wokuqala. Owesibini wenzeka emva kokuba mna nomfazi wam singenele inkonzo yobuvulindlela obuthe ngxi ngowe-1968. Kwakhona, sathembela ngoYehova ukuze asixhase, yaye wasivuza. Ngenye intsasa emva kwesidlo sakusasa, umfazi wam wavula ucango lwesikhenkcisi ibe ekuphela kwento eyayilapho yayiyintwana nje yebhotolo. Wathi: “Sarn, siphelelwe yinto etyiwayo. Ngaba, sekunjalo siza kuya enkonzweni namhlanje?” Ngaba uyazi ukuba ndaphendula ndathini? Ndathi, “Ewe!”
Kumzi wokuqala esangena kuwo, umninimzi walwamkela uncwadi esamnika lona waza ngobubele wasipha amaqanda njengomnikelo. Umntu wesibini esamtyelelayo wasipha imifuno—iikumara (ibhatata), ikholiflawa, neminqathe. Okunye ukutya esabuyela nako ekhaya yayiyinyama nebhotolo. Hayi indlela aba yinyaniso ngayo kwimeko yethu amazwi kaYesu: “Yondelani ezintakeni zasezulwini; ngokuba azihlwayeli, azivuni, azibutheli koovimba; ukanti ke uYihlo osemazulwini uyazondla. Nina anizidlule kakhulu na?”—Mateyu 6:26.
Isabelo Kummandla Othe Qelele
IRarotonga kwiziQithi zikaCook! Esi yayisisabelo sethu njengoovulindlela abakhethekileyo ngowe-1970. Sasiza kuba likhaya lethu kangangeminyaka emine elandelayo. Ucelomngeni lokuqala apha yayikukufunda ulwimi olutsha. Noko ke, ngenxa yokufana kolwimi lwesiMaori saseNew Zealand nesiMaori seziQithi zikaCook, ndakwazi ukunikela intetho yam yesidlangalala yokuqala kwiveki yesihlanu ndifikile.
KwiziQithi zikaCook, babembalwa abavakalisi boBukumkani, yaye sasingenandawo yakuhlanganisana. Kwakhona, ekuphenduleni umthandazo, uYehova wazanelisa iintswelo zethu. Incoko nje engacwangciswanga kunye nonovenkile yakhokelela ekufumaneni kwethu umhlaba ofanelekileyo oqeshisayo, yaye ngesithuba sonyaka saba nekhaya elincinane neHolo yoBukumkani enezihlalo ezili-140. Ukususela ngoko safumana iintsikelelo ngeentsikelelo, ukuze kudunyiswe uYehova.
Into esayixabisa ngokukhethekileyo yayibububele abantu beso siqithi abasenzela bona. Izihlandlo eziliqela, ngoxa sikubulungiseleli, sasinikwa iziselo ezihlaziyayo—eyona nto ithandwa gqitha kuloo mozulu ishushu nefumileyo. Sasidla ngokufika ekhaya kukho iibhanana, iipopo, iimango neeorenji zibekwe nje phambi komnyango wethu.
Ngowe-1971 mna nomfazi wam, siphelekwa ngabanye abavakalisi abathathu baseRarotonga, satyelela kwisiqithi saseAitutaki, esibalasele ngamachibi aso amahle. Safumana abantu abathanda iLizwi likaThixo phakathi kwabemi abanezinwe saza saqalisa izifundo zeBhayibhile zekhaya ezine, esaziqhuba ngembalelwano emva kokubuyela kwethu eRarotonga. Ekuhambeni kwexesha ezo zifundo ezaziseAitutaki zabhaptizwa yaye kwasekwa ibandla. Ngowe-1978 iHolo yoBukumkani yesibini kwiziQithi zikaCook yakhiwa apho. UYehova wasabela ekutyaleni nasekunkcenkcesheleni kwethu ngokuqhubeka ekhulisa.—1 Korinte 3:6, 7.
Ndaba nelungelo lokutyelela iziqithi ezilishumi kwiqela leziQithi zikaCook, ngokufuthi ndityelela phantsi kweemeko ezilingayo. Kolunye uhambo ngenqanawa olwalusiya eAtiu, ekumgama ozikhilomitha ezili-180, sahamba iintsuku ezingaphezu kwezintandathu ngenxa yomoya omkhulu nolwandle olulwayo. (Thelekisa eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 11:26.) Nakubeni ukutya kwakunqongophele yaye abaninzi ababesecaleni kwam begula ngenxa yendlela eyayihamba ngayo inqanawa elwandle, ndandinombulelo ngenxa yokunyanyekelwa nguYehova, okwakhokelela ekubeni ndifike ndikhuselekile kwindawo endandisinge kuyo.
Ngowe-1974 asizange siyinikwe imvume yokuhlala kwiziQithi zikaCook, yaye ngoko kwafuneka sibuyele eNew Zealand. Ngelo xesha kwakukho amabandla amathathu kwezo ziqithi.
Amalungelo Enkonzo Angakumbi—Novavanyo
Emva eNew Zealand, kwavuleka amathuba amatsha. (1 Korinte 16:9) UMbutho wawufuna umntu owayenokuguqulela IMboniselo nolunye uncwadi lweBhayibhile aluse kulwimi lwesiMaori lweziQithi zikaCook. Ndanikwa elo lungelo, yaye kuselilungelo lam nanamhlanje. Ndandula ke ndanikwa ilungelo lokuphinda ndityelele rhoqo kubazalwana bam kwiziQithi zikaCook, okokuqala njengomveleli wesiphaluka, ndaza ke ndabatyelela njengomveleli wesithili obambeleyo.
Kolunye lwaloo matyelelo, uMzalwan’ uAlex Napa, owayenguvulindlela okhethekileyo eRarotonga, wahamba nam kuhambo olude elwandle olwathabatha iintsuku ezingama-23 sisiya eManahiki, eRakahanga nasePenrhyn—ziqithi ezo ezisemantla eziQithi zikaCook. Kwisiqithi ngasinye, uYehova washukumisa iintliziyo zabantu basekuhlaleni abanobubele ukuba basinike iindawo zokulala baze bamkele noncwadi lweBhayibhile oluninzi. (Thelekisa IZenzo 16:15.) Kwezi ziqithi, iiperile ezivela kwizilwanyana zaselwandle zininzi gqitha, yaye kwizihlandlo ezininzi abantu banikela ngeeperile njengomnikelo wokugubungela iindleko zomsebenzi wokushumayela owenziwa ehlabathini jikelele. Ngoko, njengoko sasinikela ngeeperile zokomoya, safumana ezokoqobo.—Thelekisa uMateyu 13:45, 46.
Hayi indlela omhle ngayo loo mmandla wehlabathi ukwanti! Khawube nomfanekiso-ngqondweni nje wookrebe abakhulu bedada ngoxolo kunye nabantwana echibini! Onjani wona umbono ukuba mhle isibhakabhaka esiba nawo ebusuku! Hayi indlela ayinyaniso ngayo amazwi omdumisi: “Imini impompozela imini intetho, ubusuku buxelela ubusuku ukwazi.”—INdumiso 19:2.
Kwathi ke, kwiminyaka esithoba edluleyo, kwafika uvavanyo lwengqibelelo lokwenene. Umfazi wam walaliswa esibhedlele ubuchopho bakhe buchatshazelwe ligazi. Kwakufuneka utyando, kodwa ugqirha wabhebhetha ukulwenza ngaphandle kokusebenzisa igazi. Mna nomfazi wam ngenxa yezazela zethu asizange sivumelane nesenzo esasiya kuvukela umthetho kaThixo. Kodwa isazela saloo gqirha utyandayo samxelela ukuba asebenzise zonke iindlela ezikhoyo zokusindisa ubomi, kuquka igazi.
Impilo yomfazi wam yaba nkenenkene gqitha, yaye walaliswa kwigumbi labagula kakhulu, kwavunyelwa abantu abambalwa ukuba bamtyelele. Waba nengxaki yokungeva ngenxa yokuxinezeleka kweengqongqwana (eardrums). Leyo yaba yimeko engamanqam. Emva kokuba ndimtyelele ngesinye isihlandlo omnye ugqirha wandilandela ukuya kwinqwelo-mafutha yam, emi ngelithi ekuphela kwendlela angasinda ngayo umfazi wam kukuba atyandwe kusetyenziswa igazi yaye wandibongoza ukuba ndiyivume loo nto. Kodwa ke mna nomfazi wam sathembela ngoYehova—nokuba ukuthobela umthetho wakhe kukhokelela ekuphulukaneni neminyaka embalwa kobu bomi bangoku.
Ngequbuliso, yaphucula ngokuphawulekayo imeko yomfazi wam. Ngenye imini ndafika ehleli ebhedini efunda. Kwiintsuku ezilandelelanayo waqalisa ukunikela ubungqina kubaguli nakubongikazi. Ndaza ke ndabizelwa kwiofisi yalo gqirha utyandayo. Wathi: “Mnu. Wharerau, ngokwenene uyindoda enethamsanqa! Sikholelwa kwelokuba ingxaki yomfazi wakho inyangiwe.” Ngokungalindelekanga, uxinezeleko lwakhe lwegazi lwaba kwimeko entle. Sikunye, mna nomfazi wam sambulela uYehova saza sazimisela kwakhona ukwenza konke okusemandleni ethu enkonzweni yakhe.
Kwakhona ngoku ndabelwe kwiziQithi zikaCook yaye kwakhona ndikhonza eRarotonga. Elinjani lona ukusikeleleka ilungelo! Xa sikhangela emva mna nomfazi wam sinombulelo wokunyanyekelwa nguYehova enkonzweni yakhe kangangeminyaka ephantse ibe ngaphezu kwamashumi amahlanu. Ngezinto eziphathekayo, asizange sakha asabi nazo izinto eziyimfuneko ebomini. Ngengqiqo yokomoya, iintsikelelo andinakuzibala zonke ngenxa yobuninzi. Intsikelelo ebalaseleyo linani lezizalwana zam zokwenyama eziye zafumana inyaniso. Ndingakhankanya ezingaphezu kwama-200 ngoku ezingamaNgqina kaYehova abhaptiziweyo, kuquka nabantwana bazo abangama-65. Omnye umzukulwana wam ulilungu lentsapho yaseBheteli eNew Zealand, ngoxa enye intombi yam nomyeni noonyana bayo ababini besenza umsebenzi wokwakha kumasebe.—3 Yohane 4.
Xa ndikhangela phambili, ndivuyiswa lithemba lokuphila eParadisi apho, emhlabeni jikelele, ubuhle buya kugqwesa kwanobo bendulana entle eluhlaza endazalelwa kuyo. Elinjani lona ilungelo ekuya kuba lilo ukwamkela umama notata eluvukweni ndize ndibazise ngentlawulelo, ngoBukumkani nangabo bonke ubungqina bokunyanyekelwa nguYehova.
Uzimiselo lwam, olomelezwa kukwazi ukuba uThixo uyandinyamekela, lunjengokuba umdumisi watshoyo kwiNdumiso 104:33: “Ndiya kuvuma kuYehova logama ndidla ubomi, ndiya kumbethela uhadi uThixo wam ekubeni ndingokhoyo.”—Ngokubaliswa nguSarn Wharerau.
[Picture of Sarn Wharerau on page 26]
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]
IHolo yoBukumkani yokuqala eyakhiwa eNew Zealand, ngowe-1950