Eyona Nto Ilungileyo Endinokuyenza Ngobomi Bam

NGOKUBALISWA NGUBOB ANDERSON

Malunga neminyaka elishumi edluleyo, abanye abahlobo bandibuza: “Kutheni uye waqhubeka ithuba elide kangaka njengovulindlela, Bob?” Ndancuma ndaza ndathi: “Kanene, ngaba ikho enye into elunge ngakumbi endinokuyenza ngaphandle kokuba nguvulindlela?”

NDANDINEMINYAKA engama-23 ubudala xa ndangenela inkonzo yobuvulindlela ngowe-1931. Ngoku ndineminyaka engama-87 ubudala yaye ndisenguvulindlela. Ndiyazi ukuba ayikho enye into elungileyo endandinokuyenza ngobomi bam. Makhe ndikucacisele isizathu.

Ngowe-1914 kwashiywa iphecana kwikhaya lethu. Lalipapashwe ngaBafundi BeBhayibhile Bezizwe Ngezizwe, njengoko amaNgqina kaYehova ayebizwa njalo ngelo xesha. Xa iNgqina labuyayo, umama walibuza ngokucokisekileyo malunga nesihogo somlilo. Wayekhuliswe njengomWesile ongqongqo kodwa kuye le mfundiso yentuthumbo kanaphakade ayizange ingqinelane noThixo wothando. Zisuka nje emva kokuba efunde inyaniso ngalo mbandela, wathi: “Ndiziva ndonwabe ngaphezu kokuba ndakha ndonwaba ebomini bam!”

Ngoko nangoko umama wayeka ukufundisa kwisikolo seCawa samaWesile waza wathelela iqela elincinane laBafundi beBhayibhile. Waqalisa ukushumayela kwidolophu yakowethu yaseBirkenhead, emelene nezibuko laseLiverpool ngaphesheya koMlambo iMersey, ibe kungekudala wayesoloko ekhwela ibhayisikile esiya kwiidolophu ezininzi ezikufuphi. Wayenikela ubungqina kulo mmandla mkhulu ubomi bakhe bonke waza waziwa ngokubanzi, ebamisela umzekelo omhle abantwana bakhe. Wafa ngowe-1971 sele emdala kakhulu eneminyaka engama-97 ubudala, eliNgqina elikhutheleyo de kwasekupheleni.

Mna nodade wethu, uKathleen, sayekiswa kwisikolo seCawa samaWesile ukuze sipheleke uMama xa esiya kwiintlanganiso zakhe naBafundi beBhayibhile. Kamva, xa ubawo wasithelelayo naye, abazali bam balungiselela isifundo seBhayibhile sentsapho esithe rhoqo kwincwadi ethi UHadi lukaThixo. Isifundo esinjalo sasiyinto entsha ngaloo mihla, kodwa ukubekelwa isiseko kwiinyaniso ezisisiseko zeBhayibhile kwasekuqaleni kwaba nomvuzo otyebileyo, ekubeni mna nodade wethu sangenela inkonzo yobuvulindlela ekuhambeni kwexesha.

Umama wayenembono yokuba ukubukela i-“Photo-Drama of Creation” eLiverpool ngowe-1920 kwabangela inguqulelo yokomoya kuthi bantwana, ibe wayechanile. Nangona ndandisemncinane, loo mboniso wasala ubetheleleke ngokunzulu engqondweni yam. Eyona nto ibalulekileyo endiyikhumbulayo licandelo elalibonisa ubomi bukaYesu, ngokukodwa njengoko lalimbonisa esiya ekufeni kwakhe. La mava ewonke andinceda ndatsolisa ingqalelo yam kowona msebenzi ubalulekileyo ebomini—ukushumayela!

Ebutsheni beminyaka yee-1920, ndaqalisa ukusasaza amaphecana kunye nomama ngemva kweemini zangeCawa. Ekuqaleni sayalelwa ukuba siwashiye emakhayeni; kamva saxelelwa ukuba siwanike abaninimzi sandule ke sibuyele kwabo babenomdla. Bendisoloko ndikugqala oku njengesiseko sokuqala somsebenzi wethu wamabuyelo nezifundo zeBhayibhile, onemveliso gqitha namhlanje.

Ukungenela Inkonzo Yobuvulindlela!

Mna noKathleen sabhaptizwa ngowe-1927. Ndandisebenza njengesazi semichiza (analytical chemist) eLiverpool, xa ngowe-1931, ndeva ngesigqibo sokwamkela igama elithi amaNgqina kaYehova. Ndandisoloko ndibona iicolporteur zoMbutho (ngoku ezibizwa ngokuba ngoovulindlela) zisebenza iindawo zamashishini eLiverpool, yaye umzekelo wazo wandichukumisa kakhulu. Hayi indlela endandikulangazelela ngayo ukukhululeka kunxulumano lwehlabathi, ndize ndichithele ubomi bam enkonzweni kaYehova!

Ebudeni behlobo laloo nyaka, umhlobo wam uGerry Garrard wandixelela ukuba wayamkele isabelo sokushumayela eIndiya esasivela kumongameli wesibini weWatch Tower Society, uJoseph F. Rutherford. Ngaphambi kokuba anduluke ngenqanawa, weza kundibona waza wathetha ngelungelo lenkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Njengoko wayehamba, wandikhuthaza ngokubhekele phaya esithi, “Ndiqinisekile ukuba uza kuba nguvulindlela kungekudala, Bob.” Ibe kwaba njalo. Ngaloo Oktobha ndabhalisa. Olunjani lona uvuyo, enjani yona inkululeko, ukuhamba ngebhayisikile ndityhutyha iindledlana zeli lizwe, ndishumayela kwiindawo ezikwanti! Ngoko ndandisazi ukuba ndandiqalisa owona msebenzi ubalulekileyo endandinokuwenza.

Isabelo sam sokuqala sobuvulindlela sasikuMzantsi Wales apho ndathelela uCyril Stentiford. Kamva uCyril watshata noKathleen, baza bangoovulindlela kangangeminyaka eliqela. Intombi yabo, uRuth, nayo yangenela inkonzo yobuvulindlela kamva. Ngowe-1937, ndandiseFleetwood, eLancashire—ndiliqabane likaEric Cooke. Kude kube lelo xesha, oovulindlela babesebenza kwiindawo ezisemaphandleni zaseBritani kuphela, ngaphandle kumhlaba webandla. Kodwa uAlbert D. Schroeder, ngelo xesha owayesalathisa umsebenzi kwiofisi yesebe yoMbutho eLondon, wagqiba ekubeni asifudusele kwisixeko saseBradford, eYorkshire. Esi yayisisihlandlo sokuqala ukuba oovulindlela baseBritani babelwe ukuya kunceda kwelinye ibandla.

Ngowe-1946, uEric waya kwiSikolo seBhayibhile seWatchtower saseGiliyadi waza wanikwa isabelo sokuya kuMzantsi Rhodesia, ngoku oyiZimbabwe, yaye yena nomkakhe basakhonza ngokuthembeka njengabavangeli basemazweni eThekwini, eMzantsi Afrika.

Ngowe-1938 ndafumana esinye isabelo, ngeli xesha ndandikhonza njengesicaka secandelo (ngoku esibizwa ngokuba ngumveleli wesiphaluka) kumntla-ntshona weLancashire neLake District entle. Apho ndadibana no-Olive Duckett, yaye emva kokuba sitshatile, ngoko nangoko wahamba nam kumsebenzi wesiphaluka.

I-Ireland Ebudeni Beminyaka Yemfazwe

Kungekudala emva kokuba iBritani iqalise ukulwa neJamani ngoSeptemba 1939, isabelo sam satshintshelwa eIreland. Ukubizelwa kwabantu emkhosini kwakuqalisile eBritani kodwa kwakungenjalo ngeRiphabliki yaseIreland esezantsi, eyahlala ililizwe elingundilele ngalo lonke ixesha lemfazwe. IRiphabliki yeIreland noMntla Ireland zazizakuba sisiphaluka esinye. Noko ke, kwakubekwe imiqathango, ibe kwakufuneka kufunyanwe imvume yokuhambahamba ukuze uyishiye iBritani usiya kuyo nayiphi na indawo eIreland. Abasemagunyeni bandixelela ukuba ndandinokuhamba, kodwa ndandimele ndivume ukuba ndiza kubuyela eNgilani ngokukhawuleza xa ndifikelela kubudala bokubizelwa emkhosini. Ndavuma nje ngomlomo, kodwa okwandimangalisayo kukuba xa iphepha-mvume lam lafikayo, kwakungekho miqathango eyayincanyatheliswe kulo konke konke!

Ngelo xesha, kwakukho amaNgqina angaphezu kwe-100 kuphela kwi-Ireland yonke. Ekufikeni kwethu eDublin ngoNovemba 1939, sadibana noJack Corr, uvulindlela oligqala. Wasixelela ukuba kwakukho abanye oovulindlela ababini kwidolophu ekufuphi nembinana yabantu abanomdla eDublin, babemalunga nama-20 xa bebonke. UJack waqesha igumbi eDublin ukwenzela intlanganiso abathi bonke bavuma ukuhlanganisana kulo rhoqo ngazo zonke iiCawa. Eli lungiselelo laqhubeka de ngowe-1940 kwasekwa ibandla.

UMntla Ireland, njengenxalenye yeUnited Kingdom, wawusilwa neJamani, ngoko njengoko sasisenjenjeya ukunyuka sisinga eBelfast, kwakufuneka sijamelane nengxaki yeencwadi zokufumana umxhesho wokudla nokucinywa kwezibane ebusuku kuphetshwa uhlaselo lwasemoyeni. Nangona iinqwelo-moya zamaNazi kwakufuneka zibhabhe ngaphezulu kuhle kweekhilomitha ezili-1 600 ukuze zifike eBelfast zize zibuyele emazikweni azo eYurophu, zakwazi ukusihlasela ngeebhombu esi sixeko ngokuphumelelayo. Ebudeni bohlaselo lokuqala, iHolo yethu yoBukumkani yonakaliswa laza igumbi lethu latshatyalaliswa ngoxa sasityelele abazalwana komnye ummandla wesixeko, ngoko sasinda ngendlela engummangaliso. Kwangobo busuku, enye intsapho yamaNgqina yabalekela kwindawo ekhuselekileyo yasekuhlaleni. Xa yafikayo apho, yafika izele imi ngeembambo kwaza kwafuneka ibuyele kwikhaya layo. Le ndawo ikhuselekileyo yatshatyalaliswa, laza itshoba lalal’ umbethe kubo bonke ababelapho, kodwa abazalwana bethu basinda banemikrwelo nokugruzuka nje okungephi. Ebudeni bale minyaka inzima yemfazwe, akukho namnye kubazalwana bethu owenzakala kakhulu, nto leyo eyenza sambulela uYehova.

Amalungiselelo Okudla Kokomoya

Njengoko imfazwe yayithabath’ unyawo, imiqathango yaya isiba qatha, ibe ekugqibeleni iincwadi ezishicilelweyo zazihlolwa. Oku kwathetha ukuthi IMboniselo yayithintelwa ibe yayingavumelekanga ukuba ingeniswe kweli lizwe. Nangona sasizibuza oko sasinokukwenza, isandla sikaYehova sasingesifutshane. Ngenye intsasa ndafumana ileta eyayivela ‘kumza’ oseKhanada owayendibhalele ngemicimbi yentsapho. Ndandingamazi ukuba wayengubani, kodwa kwiphetshana elisecaleni wathi wayendifakele “inqaku leBhayibhile elibangel’ umdla” ukuze ndilifunde. Yayingumbhalo weMboniselo, kodwa ngenxa yokuba ngaphandle yayingabhalwanga nto, ayizange ithatyathwe ngumntu ohlola iincwadi ezishicilelwayo.

Ngokukhawuleza mna nomfazi wam, ngokuncedwa ngamaNgqina asekuhlaleni, kuquka uMaggie Cooper owayesebenza nge-“Photo-Drama,” saqalisa ukuvelisa imibhalo yala manqaku. Kungekudala sazilungelelanisa ukuze sithumele imibhalo eli-120 kwilizwe lonke, njengoko amaphephancwadi iiMboniselo angabhalwanga ngaphandle ayefika rhoqo evela kubahlobo abaninzi abatsha eKhanada, eOstreliya naseUnited States. Ngenxa yenkuthalo nobubele babo, asizange siphoswe yiyo nayiphi na inkupho ebudeni balo lonke ixesha lemfazwe.

Kwakhona sasikwazi ukuba neendibano. Eyona ibalaseleyo yindibano eyaqhutywa ngowe-1941 xa kwakhutshwa impapasho entsha ethi Children. Kwabonakala ukuba umhloli weencwadi ezishicilelwayo akazange ayichase incwadi awayecinga ukuba ithetha ngabantwana, ngoko sakwazi ukungenisa isixa sethu kweli lizwe ngaphandle kwenkathazo! Ngesinye isihlandlo, safumana incwadana ethi Peace—Can It Last? eyayishicilelwe ekuhlaleni kuba kwakungekho ndlela yakungenisa imibhalo eyayivela eLondon. Phezu kwayo nje yonke imiqathango esasiyibekelwe, sasinyanyekelwe kakuhle ngokomoya.

Ukoyisa Inkcaso

Omnye umfundisi owayehlala eBelfast kwikhaya lokunyamekela abalupheleyo elaliphethwe ngomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova wathumela umbhalo wencwadi ethi Ubutyebi kumkakhe eNgilani. Lo mfazi wayeyichasile inyaniso, ibe kwimpendulo yakhe wayenza yacaca loo ngongoma. Kwakhona wathi thina ‘siyintlangano engalithandiyo ilizwe.’ Umhloli weencwadi ezishicilelwayo wakuphawula oku waza wawuxela lo mbandela kwiSebe Eliphanda Ngolwaphulo-mthetho. Ngenxa yoko, ndabizelwa kwisikhululo samapolisa ukuba ndiye kunikela ingcaciso yaye ndacelwa ukuba ndiye nombhalo wencwadi ethi Ubutyebi. Okubangel’ umdla kukuba xa le ncwadi yabuyiswayo ekugqibeleni, ndaphawula ukuba zonke iinxalenye ezazikrwelwe umgca ngaphantsi zazithetha ngeCawa yamaRoma Katolika. Ndavakalelwa kukuba oku kwakuphawuleka, ekubeni ndandisazi ukuba amapolisa ayeyijonge ngamehlw’ abomvu intshukumo yeIRA (Irish Republican Army).

Ndancinwa ngobundilele bethu ngamaxesha emfazwe, kuba amapolisa ayekufumanisa kunzima ukukuqonda ukuma kwethu. Kodwa abasemagunyeni abazange benze nanye into ngokuchasene nathi. Kamva, xa ndandifuna imvume yokuqhuba indibano, amapolisa azingisa ekubeni aza kuthumela oonondaba bamapolisa ababini. Ndathi, “Siya kubamkela!” Ngoko beza baza bahlala de yalucwangciso lwasemva kwemini, bebhala amanqaku amafutshane. Ekupheleni kocwangciso, babuza, “Bekutheni ukuze sithunyelwe apha? Siyakunandipha ukuba lapha!” Kwakhona beza kusuku olulandelayo baza bamkela ngovuyo umbhalo wesisa wencwadana yethu ethi Peace—Can It Last? Le ndibano yaphela kungenzekanga nto.

Kungekudala emva kokuba imfazwe iphelile nemiqathango yokuhambahamba isusiwe, uPryce Hughes owayevela kwiBheteli yaseLondon weza eBelfast. Wayephelekwa nguHarold King, owathi kamva wanikwa isabelo sokuya eTshayina njengomvangeli wasemazweni. Emva kweminyaka emithandathu yokwahlulwa kwiofisi yesebe yaseLondon, sonke sakhuthazwa kakhulu ziintetho ezanikelwa ngaba bazalwana. Kungekudala emva koko, uHarold Duerden, omnye uvulindlela othembekileyo, wathunyelwa evela eNgilani ukuze eze kuxhasa umsebenzi woBukumkani eBelfast.

Ukubuyela ENgilani

Sasibathanda kakhulu abazalwana bethu baseIreland, yaye kwakunzima ukubuyela eNgilani. Kodwa mna nomfazi wam sanikwa isabelo sokubuyela eManchester saza kamva safudukela eNewton-le-Willows, enye idolophu yaseLancashire apho kwakukho imfuneko enkulu khona. ULois, intombi yethu, wazalwa ngowe-1953, ibe kwakuvuyisa ukumbona engenela ubulungiseleli bobuvulindlela eneminyaka eli-16 ubudala. Emva kokutshata novulindlela uDavid Parkinson, baqhubeka nenkonzo yabo yexesha elizeleyo kuMntla Ireland, ngeendlela ezininzi behamba emanyathelweni esathi mna no-Olive sahamba kuwo. Ngoku, babuyele eNgilani kunye nabantwana babo, yaye sonke sikhonza kwibandla elinye.

Phezu kwako nje ukuguquka kweemeko zethu, andizange ndiyeke ukuba nguvulindlela—uOlive akazange akufune oko, nam ngokunjalo. Bendisoloko ndivakalelwa kukuba umfazi wam uye wanegalelo ekuqhubekeni kwam kubuvulindlela kuba ngaphandle kokundixhasa ngalo lonke ixesha nangothando, bendingenakuze ndiqhubeke nenkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Kakade ke, ngoku sobabini siyakhawuleza ukudinwa, kodwa ukunikela ubungqina kuseluvuyo, ngokukodwa xa sikunye, siqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile nabamelwane bethu. Ukutyhubela iminyaka, siye sanelungelo lokunceda abantu abamalunga nekhulu babe ngabakhonzi bakaYehova, abazahluleleyo nababhaptiziweyo. Olunjani lona uvuyo obekululo oko! Kwaye ndicinga ukuba eli nani limele ukuba liphindaphindeke kaninzi ngoku njengoko ezi ntsapho zandile ukuya kutsho kwisizukulwana sesithathu nesesine nazo ezingamaNgqina.

Mna no-Olive sisoloko sithetha ngamalungelo namava amaninzi esiwafumene ukutyhubela le minyaka. Hayi indlela ebivuyisa ngayo loo minyaka, yaye hayi indlela ekhawuleze yadlula ngephanyazo ngayo! Ndiyazi ukuba ayikho enye into elungileyo ebendinokuyenza ngobomi bam kunokukhonza uThixo wam, uYehova, njengovulindlela ngayo yonke le minyaka. Ngoku, enoba ndikhangela emva ndinombulelo okanye ndikhangela phambili ndinolindelo, ndiwafumanisa enentsingiselo enkulu amazwi kaYeremiya: “Kungeenceba zikaYehova le nto singagqityelwanga, ngokuba azipheli iimfesane zakhe. Zintsha imisó ngemisó; kukhulu ukuthembeka kwakhe. . . . Ngenxa yoko ndilindele kuye.”—IZililo 3:22-24.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

UBob no-Olive Anderson