Ndafumana Ubutyebi Obuxabiso Likhulu
NGOKUBALISWA NGUFLORENCE WIDDOWSON
Njengokuba kwakurhatyela, sagqiba kwelokuba simise iintente kufutshane nechibi elithile. Le yayingeyondawo ifanelekileyo yokuba amabhinqa amabini angamisa iintente kuyo, kodwa sacinga ukuba kwakungayi kubakho sikhwasilima ngobusuku nje obunye. Ngoxa ndandixakekile ndigxumeka intente, uMarjorie wayelungiselela isidlo sethu sangokuhlwa.
XA KANYE ndandigqiba ukubethelela isikhonkwane sokugqibela ndaphazanyiswa yintshukumo eyenzeka kufutshane nesiphunzi somthi esimnyama. Ndakhwaza uMarjorie ndibuza: “Usibonile esa siphunzi somthi sishukuma?”
“Hayi,” waphendula, edidekile noko.
Ndakhwaza ndathi: “Sishukumile ke, ndiyakuxelela. Khawundiph’ apha loo ketile!”
Ndiphethe yona, yaye ndixwaye izembe egxeni, ndafunzela ngakwelo chibi. Xa kanye ndandimalunga neso siphunzi somthi, kwathi gqi indoda emva kwaso!
Ndothuke ndinjalo ndakwazi ukubuza ndithi: “Ngaba la manzi akweli chibi ayaseleka?”
Yaphendula rhabaxa yathi: “Hayi, akaseleki, kodwa ukuba ufuna amanzi okusela, ndiza kukuphathela.”
Ngokukhawuleza ndabala obo bubele, yaye kwatsho kwathi qabu isakuphethuka ihambe. Ndigubha, ndangxama ndabuyela emva ndaza ndaxelela uMarjorie okwakwenzekile. Ngokukhawuleza sayichitha intente, sapakisha, saza semka. Kamva saxelelwa ukuba loo ndoda yayisandul’ ukukhululwa entolongweni.
Nangona ngokufuthi abo babehlola ilizwe befuna izimbiwa babemisa iintente zabo kuloo migodi yegolide yaseOstreliya emva phayaa ngowe-1937, thina sasingabahloli belizwe abahlukileyo. Sasifuna abantu abaxabisekileyo kuThixo.
Imvelaphi Yentsapho Yakowethu
Kwiminyaka elikhulu eyadlulayo, utata wayengumkhandi weentsimbi kwidolophana encinane yasePorepunkah kwilizwana laseVictoria. Ndazalelwa apho ngowe-1895, yaye ndakhula nabanakwethu abane kufutshane noMlambo iOvens, kumazantsi eNtaba iBuffalo. Abazali bam babengabahambi abakhutheleyo beCawa yaseUnion, yaye ndandisiya kwisikolo sangeCawa, utata awayeyingqonyela kuso.
Ngowe-1909, uMama wafunyanwa sisifo sentliziyo ebudeni boqhwithela olunamandla waza wafela ezandleni zikatata. Kwandula ke, ebutsheni bowe-1914, omnye wabanakwethu wemka ekhaya, emva kweeyure ezimbalwa, wabuyiselwa kuthi—selebanda. Wayezibulele. Saba buhlungu ngakumbi ngenxa yemfundiso yecawa yokuba uza kuya esihogweni, ekubeni ukuzibulala kwakusithiwa sisono esingaxolelekiyo.
Kamva kuloo nyaka kwaqhambuka iMfazwe Yehlabathi I, baza abanakwethu ababini bangenela inkonzo yasemkhosini. Iindaba ezibuhlungu zokuphalazwa kwegazi nokubandezeleka zabangela ukuba singamabhinqa aselula amathandathu, kunye notata, siqalise ukufundisisa incwadi yeBhayibhile kaYohane.
Ukufumana Ubutyebi Bokwenene
UEllen Hudson wayenencwadi ethi The Time Is at Hand, ebhalwe nguCharles Taze Russell. Umdla wakhe kuyo wasichaphazela sonke njengeqela. Xa waphawula ukuba le ncwadi yayiyenye nje kuphela kungcelele lwemiqulu emithandathu enomxholo othi Studies in the Scriptures, wabhalela i-International Bible Students Association eMelbourne ecela yonke imiqulu yolo ngcelele. Iqela lethu lavumelana ukuba sisebenzise umqulu wokuqala, othi The Divine Plan of the Ages, kufundisiso lwethu lweeveki ngeeveki.
Khawuyithelekelele indlela esavuya ngayo noTata xa safumanisa ukuba asikho isihogo somlilo. Uloyiko lokuba umnakwethu wayevaleleke kwisihogo somlilo lwaphela. Safunda inyaniso yokuba abafileyo abazi lutho, ngokungathi balele, yaye abaphili kwindawo ethile abathuthunjiswa kuyo. (INtshumayeli 9:5, 10; Yohane 11:11-14) Bambi kwiqela lethu elalifundisisa iBhayibhile bagqiba kwelokuba baye kubamelwane bethu ukuze bashumayele iinyaniso esasizifunda. Sasihamba ngeenyawo ukuya kwizindlu ezikufutshane, kodwa sasisebenzisa iibhayisekile kunye nenqwelwana enamavili amabini etsalwa lihashe ukuze sifikelele kwabo basemaphandleni.
Ndaqalisa ukuba nesabelo kubungqina bendlu ngendlu ngoSuku Lwamagorha, ngoNovemba 11, 1918. Sibathathu amalungu eqela lethu lofundisiso sahamba iikhilomitha ezingama-80 ukuya kwidolophu yaseWangaratta ukuya kusasaza iphecana elithi Peoples Pulpit. Emva kweminyaka eliqela, ngoxa ndandikwisabelo sokuya kushumayela komnye wemimandla esemaphandleni, kwenzeka oko ndikubalise ekuqaleni.
Ngowe-1919, ndaya kwindibano yaBafundi beBhayibhile eyayiseMelbourne. Apho, ngoAprili 22, 1919, ndafuzisela uzahlulelo lwam kuYehova ngokuntywiliselwa emanzini. Eso sidlo sokomoya salwenza nzulu uxabiso lwam ngobutyebi bokomoya boBukumkani bamazulu nangentlangano kaYehova yasemhlabeni.—Mateyu 13:44.
Andizange ndibuyele ekhaya emva kwaloo ndibano kodwa ndamkela isimemo sokuthelela uJane Nicholson, umshumayeli wexesha elizeleyo, kangangenyanga sinikela ubungqina. Isabelo sethu sasikukuya kwiindawo ezihlala abalimi nabafuyi beenkomo ecaleni koMlambo iKing. Kwiminyakana nje embalwa ngaphambili, lo mmandla weentaba wawuyindawo ezenzeka kuyo izinto ezazikumfanekiso bhanyabhanya othi The Man From Snowy River.
Ngowe-1921 safumana uncedo olubalaseleyo lokufundisisa iBhayibhile oluthi Uhadi LukaThixo. Xa uTata waqalisa ukusebenzisa le ncwadi kwiiklasi zakhe zesikolo sangeCawa, abazali abaninzi abazange bathande baza bamcela ukuba ayeke. Wenjenjalo ngoko nangoko. Kamva safumana incwadana ethi Isihogo, nemibuzo yayo ebangel’ umdla ekwiphepha elingaphandle ethi, “Siyintoni Na? Ngoobani Na Abalapho? Bangaphuma Na?” Utata wachulumanca gqitha bubungqina obucacileyo beBhayibhile obanikelwa ngalo mbandela kangangokuba ngokukhawuleza waqalisa ukuyisasaza kwindlu ngendlu. Wahambisa amakhulu azo kwidolophana yethu nakwiindawo zasemaphandleni ezikufutshane.
Ukuhamba Sishumayela NoTata
Ekugqibeleni, uTata wathenga inqwelo-mafutha ukuze afikelele abantu abakweminye imimandla ngesigidimi soBukumkani. Njengomkhandi weentsimbi, wayeqhele kakhulu amahashe, ngoko yaba ndim oqhuba inqwelo-mafutha. Ekuqaleni sasilala ezihotele. Ngokukhawuleza oku kwangqineka kuziindleko gqitha, saza saqalisa ukulala ngaphandle.
UTata walungisa isihlalo sangaphambili senqwelo-mafutha ukuze sikwazi ukulaliswa ndize ndikwazi ukulala kwinqwelo-mafutha. Senza intente encinane ukuze uTata alale kuyo. Emva kokulala ngaphandle iiveki eziliqela, sasibuyela ePorepunkah, apho uTata wayevula khona ivenkile yakhe yokukhanda iintsimbi kwakhona. Kwakusoloko kusimangalisa ukubona ukuba kwakukho abathengi abaninzi ababehlawula ukwenzela iindleko zohambo lwethu olulandelayo lokuya kushumayela.
Abantu abaninzi abanotyekelo olufanelekileyo babesabela kakuhle kutyelelo lwethu baze ekugqibeleni bamkele izifundo zeBhayibhile zamakhaya. Ngoku kukho amabandla asixhenxe aneeHolo zawo zoBukumkani kulo mmandla wawufudula ukhonzwa liqela lethu elincinane lasePorepunkah. Liyinyaniso elokuba ngubani na onokuyidela “imini yezinto ezincinane”?—Zekariya 4:10.
Ngowe-1931, ndikunye noTata senjenjeya ukuhamba ngenqwelo-mafutha iikhilomitha eziphantse zibe ngama-300 kwiindlela ezimbi ukuze siye kwintlanganiso ekhethekileyo, apho samkela khona igama lethu elitsha elithi, “AmaNgqina kaYehova.” Sobabini sachwayita gqitha leli gama likhethekileyo liseZibhalweni. (Isaya 43:10-12) Lalisichaza ngokucace ngakumbi kunegama elalingasahluli kangako elithi “ABafundi BeBhayibhile Bezizwe Ngezizwe,” esasisaziwa ngalo kwada kwangoko.
Ngaminazana ithile ngoxa sasinikela ubungqina kwidolophu yaseBethanga, ndadibana nomfundisi walapho weCawa yaseTshetshi. Wacaphuka waza waqalisa ukukhangela ukuba sizihambise phi na iincwadi zethu ezininzi, enyanzela abantu ukuba bazinikele kuye iincwadi zabo. Emva koko wazitshisa esidlangalaleni ezi ncwadi esazulwini sedolophu. Kodwa isikhuni sabuya nomkhwezeli.
Emva kokuba ndazise iofisi yesebe yoMbutho ngoko kwenzekileyo, kwashicilelwa ileta eyayisiya kuwonke wonke eyayigxeka oko kwenziwe ngulo mfundisi. Kwakhona, kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba amaNgqina ahamba ngeenqwelo-mafutha asasaze loo leta kuso sonke eso sithili. Xa mna noTata satyelela loo dolophu kwakhona, sahambisa iincwadi ezininzi kunangaphambili. Abantu bedolophu babenomdla wokwazi oko uncwadi “olwalelweyo” lwalukuqulethe!
Umntu wokuqala ukwamkela inyaniso yeBhayibhile kumntla-mpuma weVictoria ngenxa yokushumayela kwethu nguMilton Gibb. Phakathi kwamaxesha esasityelela ngawo, wayefundisisa lonke uncwadi loMbutho esasimshiyele lona. Ngesinye isihlandlo esasibuyele ngaso, wasothusa ngokuthi: “Ngoku ndingomnye wabafundi bakho.”
Nangona isigqibo sakhe sasindivuyisa, ndacacisa: “Akunjalo, Milton. Akunakuba ngomnye wabafundi bam.”
“Ukuba kunjalo ke, ndingomnye wabafundi bakaRutherford [ngoko owayengumongameli weWatch Tower Society].”
Kwakhona ndambonisa: “Akunjalo, akunguye nomnye wabafundi bakaRutherford, kodwa ndiyathemba ukuba ungomnye wabafundi bakaKristu.”
UMilton Gibb wangqineka engomnye nje wobutyebi obuxabisekileyo endiye ndachitha iminyaka emininzi kangaka ndibufuna. Yena noonyana bakhe ababini bangabadala abangamaKristu, yaye amanye amalungu entsapho yakhe akhuthele ebandleni.
Ukuhlangabezana Neemvavanyo Ezahlukahlukeneyo
Phezu kwako nje ukuvalwa komsebenzi wamaNgqina kaYehova eOstreliya ngoJanuwari 1941, saqhubeka nokushumayela, sisebenzisa iBhayibhile kuphela. Bandula ke ubuvulindlela bam, okanye ubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo, baphazamiseka xa ndabizwa ekhaya ukuya kunyamekela utata owayegula ngokungaginyisi mathe. Kamva, nam ndagula kwaza kwafuneka ndityandwe. Ukuchacha kwam ngokupheleleyo kwathabatha ithuba noko, kodwa ndakubona ukuba yinyaniso kwedinga likaThixo: ‘Andiyi kukha ndikuyekele, Andiyi kukha ndikushiye.’ (Hebhere 13:5) Omnye udade ongumKristu wandiqinisekisa, esithi: “Khumbula kaloku Flo, akuze ube wedwa. Yaye wena noYehova ningabona baninzi.”
Wandula ke utata wagulel’ ukufa kangangeeveki ezili-13. NgoJulayi 26, 1946, itshoba lalal’ umbethe. Wayebunandiphe ngokupheleleyo ubomi, ibe wayenethemba lasezulwini. (Filipi 3:14) Ngoko kubudala beminyaka engama-51, ndandisele ndedwa, ekubeni ndandikunye noTata iminyaka emininzi ebutsheni bam. Ndandula ke ndadibana nowayeza kuba ngumyeni wam. Satshata ngowe-1947 saza saqalisa ukuba ngoovulindlela kunye. Kodwa eli thuba lolonwabo alizange lihlale ixesha elide, ekubeni wafunyanwa kukufa kwamalungu omzimba ngowe-1953 waza akabi nakuzenzela nto.
Indlela umyeni wam athetha ngayo yachaphazeleka kakubi gqitha, yaye kwaba yinto phantse engenakwenzeka ukuncokola naye. Le yayiyeyona nto inzima ekumnyamekeleni. Kwakunzima gqitha engqondweni ukuzama ukuqonda oko wayezabalazela ukukuthetha. Nangona sasihlala kwanti kungekho bandla likufutshane, uYehova akazange asishiye ebudeni baloo minyaka inzima. Ndandisoloko ndihambisana nayo yonke inkcazelo yentlangano esexesheni, yaye ndandisoloko ndifumana rhoqo ukutya kokomoya kwiphephancwadi IMboniselo noVukani! NgoDisemba 29, 1957, wayikhaba ibhekile umyeni wam endimthandayo.
Ubulungiseleli EAdelaide
Ndandisele ndedwa kwakhona. Ndandiza kwenza ntoni? Ngaba ndandiza kwamkelwa kwakhona njengomlungiseleli wexesha elizeleyo emva kokuyeka phantse iminyaka emihlanu? Ndamkelwa, ngoko ndawuthengisa umzi wam ndaza ndaqalisa phantsi kumsebenzi wobuvulindlela eAdelaide, isixeko esilikomkhulu kuMzantsi Ostreliya. Kwakufuneka oovulindlela apho ngelo xesha, yaye ndabelwa kwiBandla laseProspect.
Ekubeni ndandisoyika ukuqhuba phakathi kweenqwelo-mafutha zasesixekweni, ndayithengisa inqwelo-mafutha yam ndaza ndaqalisa ukusebenzisa ibhayisekile kwakhona. Ndayisebenzisa de ndaneminyaka engama-86 ubudala, ndisaziwa kuloo mmandla ngokuba “linenekazi elincinane elikhwele ibhayisekile eluhlaza.” Ekuhambeni kwethuba ndaya ndizoyika ngakumbi iinqwelo-mafutha ezininzi; ivili langaphambili lebhayisekile yam lalibonakala ngathi liyadidizela ngalo lonke ixesha. Eyona nto yandenza ndanikezela yenzeka ngenye imva kwemini xa ndawela eluthangweni. Ndazixelela ukuba, ‘kwanele,’ ndaza ndabuyela ekuhambeni ngeenyawo kwakhona.
Kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo, ngoxa ndandiye kwindibano yesithili, imilenze yam yaqalisa ukoyisakala, yaye ekugqibeleni ndatyandwa kabini apha kusikrotyana. Ndachacha kakuhle emva kotyando de inja enkulu yandingqula phantsi. Oko kwabangela ukuba kufuneke unyango olubhekele phaya, yaye ukususela ngoko kuye kwafuneka ndibe nomsimelelo ngalo lonke ixesha. Ingqondo yam isaphelele. Kunjengokuba omnye umhlobo wam ekubeka ngolu hlobo: “Kubonakala ngathi lo mzimba wakho waluphalayo uyashiywa yile ngqondo yakho yomntu osemtsha.”
Ukutyhubela iminyaka, ndiye ndabona amabandla aseAdelaide ekhula, esanda yaye esahlukana. Kwandula ke, ngowe-1983, xa ndandineminyaka engama-88, ndalishiya elaseAdelaide ndaya kuhlala nentsapho eseKyabram kwilizwana laseVictoria, apho ndiye ndahlala iminyaka elishumi ngolonwabo. Ndisakwazi ukuphuma ndiye kubulungiseleli basentsimini; abahlobo bam ebandleni bandihambisa ngenqwelo-mafutha rhoqo ukuze ndityelele abo bafumana amaphephancwadi kum rhoqo. Ngobubele aba bantu bayaphuma beze kwinqwelo-mafutha ukuze ndikwazi ukuthetha nabo.
Xa ndikhangela emva kule minyaka ingama-98 ndiyiphilileyo, ndibakhumbula ngothando abantu abaninzi abanyanisekileyo nabathembekileyo endiye ndadumisa uYehova nabo, ngokukodwa utata endandimthanda. Kubonakala ngathi ndiphile ubomi obude kunabo bonke abo bathembekileyo babengamaqabane am kubulungiseleli bobuvulindlela. Kodwa lolunjani lona uvuyo olundilindeleyo xa ndidibana kwakhona nabo banethemba lomvuzo wobomi kuBukumkani bukaThixo basemazulwini, ngokwenene ubutyebi obuxabiseke kakhulu!
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]
Ndabhaptizwa ngoAprili 22, 1919
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 31]
Kuyandivuyisa ukuqhubeka ndikhonza uYehova njengokuba ndisondela kwiminyaka eli-100