“Inceba Yakho Ilungile Ngaphezu Kobomi”
Ngokubaliswa nguCalvin H. Holmes
KwakunguDisemba we-1930, yaye ndandisandul’ ukugqiba ukusenga iinkomo xa kwafika uTata evela kutyelela ummelwane okufuphi. “UWyman undiboleke le ncwadi,” watsho njengoko wayekhupha impapasho eluhlaza epokothweni yakhe. Yayinomxholo othi Deliverance, ipapashwe yiWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society. UTata owayengafane afunde nantoni na, wayifunda loo ncwadi de kwaba sezinzulwini zobusuku.
KAMVA, uTata waboleka ezinye iincwadi, enomxholo othi Light nenomxholo othi Reconciliation, ezipapashwe ngabapapashi abafanayo. Wafumana iBhayibhile kaMama endala waza wahlala kwada kwaba sebusuku kakhulu ukuze ayifunde esebenzisa isibane separafini. UTata watshintsha ngendlela engathethekiyo. Ngobo busika wathetha nathi ixesha elininzi—umama, oodadewethu abathathu, kunye nam—njengoko sasibuthelene phambi kwesitovu sethu esidala seenkuni.
UTata wathi abantu abapapasha ezi ncwadi kwakusithiwa ngaBafundi beBhayibhile yaye, ngokutsho kwabo, sasiphila ‘kwimihla yokugqibela.’ (2 Timoti 3:1-5) Wasichazela ukuba umhlaba wawungayi kutshatyalaliswa kwisiphelo sehlabathi kodwa phantsi koBukumkani bukaThixo uza kuguqulwa ube yiparadesi. (2 Petros 3:5-7, 13; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4) Oko kwakubangela umdla gqitha kum.
UTata waqalisa ukuthetha nam njengoko sasisebenza kunye. Ndisakhumbula ukuba sasihluba amakhasi ombona xa wandicacisela ukuba igama likaThixo nguYehova. (INdumiso 83:18) Ngenxa yoko, ngentwasahlobo yowe-1931, xa ndandineminyaka eli-14 kuphela ubudala, ndammela uYehova noBukumkani bakhe. Ndathandaza kuYehova ndikwisitiya esidala seapile emva kwendlu yaye ndithembisa ukuba ndiza kumkhonza ngonaphakade. Intliziyo yam yayisele ichukunyiswe yinceba kaThixo wethu omangalisayo nolungileyo.—INdumiso 63:3.
Sasihlala kwifama emalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-30 ukusuka eSt. Joseph, eMissouri, eUnited States, yaye sikumgama ongaphantsi kweekhilomitha ezingama-65 ukusuka eKansas City. UTata wazalelwa kwindlwana eyakhiwe ngomthi eyakhiwa ngukhokho wam kule fama ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane ye-19.
Ukuqeqeshelwa Ubulungiseleli
Kwihlobo lowe-1931, intsapho yakowethu yeva kunomathotholo intetho yesidlangalala ethi “UBukumkani, Ithemba Lehlabathi,” eyanikelwa nguJoseph Rutherford, owayesakuba ngumongameli weWatch Tower Society, kwindibano eyayiseColumbus, eOhio. Yandichukumisa gqitha, yaye ndavuyiswa kukwabelana noTata ekuhambiseni incwadana eyayiqulethe le ntetho ibalulekileyo yesidlangalala kubantu esibaziyo.
Ngentwasahlobo yowe-1932, ndaqalisa ukuya kwintlanganiso yamaNgqina kaYehova. Ummelwane wethu wamema mna noTata ukuze siye eSt. Joseph siye kuphulaphula intetho kaGeorge Draper, owayengumveleli ohambahambayo wamaNgqina kaYehova. Safika le ntlanganiso seyiphakathi, yaye ndafumana indawo yokuhlala emva komqolo owomeleleyo nobanzi kaJ. D. Dreyer, owayeza kuba nendima ebalulekileyo ebomini bam.
NgoSeptemba 1933, mna noTata saya kwindibano eyayiseKansas City, apho ndaba nesabelo okwesihlandlo sokuqala ekushumayeleni kuwonke wonke. UTata wandinika iincwadana ezintathu waza wandiyalela ukuba ndithi: “Ndingomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova oshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo. Ngokuqinisekileyo uye wamva uJudge Rutherford kunomathotholo. Iintetho zakhe zisasazwa kwizikhululo ezingaphezu kwama-300 veki nganye.” Ngoko ndahambisa incwadana. Ngobo busuku, njengoko ndandisenga iinkomo kuloo fama, ndacinga ukuba le yayiyeyona mini endingasokuze ndiyilibale ebomini bam.
Kungekudala ubusika obuqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo bafika, yaye kwakungelula kuthi ukuhamba. Kodwa uMzalwan’ uDreyer nomfazi wakhe basityelela baza bandicela ukuba ndiye endlwini yabo ngobusuku bangoMgqibelo ukuze ndilale apho. Ukuhamba ngeenyawo iikhilomitha ezili-10 ukuya kwikhaya lakwaDreyer kwaba lulutho kuba ngosuku olulandelayo ndakwazi ukubapheleka ukuya kubulungiseleli ndaza ndaya nakwiSifundo seMboniselo eSt. Joseph. Ukususela ngoko, ndandisiya rhoqo kubulungiseleli ngeeCawa. Uqeqesho kwanamacebiso kaMzalwan’ uDreyer ayexabiseke kunene.
NgoSeptemba 2, 1935, ekugqibeleni ndakwazi ukufuzisela uzahlulelo lwam kuYehova ngokubhaptizwa emanzini kwindibano eyayiseKansas City.
Ukuqalisa Umsebenzi Wobomi Bam Bonke
Ekuqaleni kowe-1936, ndafaka isicelo sokukhonza njengovulindlela, okanye umlungiseleli wexesha elizeleyo, yaye ndabekwa kuluhlu lwabo bafuna amaqabane obuvulindlela. Kungekudala emva koko ndafumana incwadi esuka kuEdward Stead waseArvada, eWyoming. Wandicacisela ukuba wayehlala kwisitulo esinamavili yaye wayefuna uncedo lokuba nguvulindlela. Ngokukhawuleza ndasamkela eso sicelo yaye ndamiselwa njengovulindlela ngoAprili 18, 1936.
Ngaphambi kokuba ndihambe ndiye kuMzalwan’ uStead, umama wathetha nam ecaleni. Wandibuza esithi: “Nyana, ngaba uqinisekile ukuba oku koko ufuna ukukwenza?”
Ndaphendula ndathi: “Ngaphandle kwako ubomi abuyi kuba nantsingiselo.” Kwakufuneka ndiqonde ukuba ububele bukaYehova bothando bubaluleke ngakumbi kunayo nayiphi na enye into.
Ukuba nguvulindlela noTed, njengoko sasimbiza njalo uMzalwan’ uStead, kwakuluqeqesho olukhulu. Wayenenzondelelo yaye wayenendlela enomtsalane yokuvakalisa isigidimi soBukumkani. Noko ke ekuphela kwento awayeyenza uTed kukubhala nokuthetha; onke amalungu akhe ayegogekile sisifo samathambo. Ndandivuka ekuseni ndimhlambe ndize ndimchebe iindevu, ndimlungiselele isidlo sasekuseni, ndize ndimtyise. Emva koko ndandimnxibisa ndize ndimlungiselele ukuya kwinkonzo yasentsimini. Ngelo hlobo sasingoovulindlela eWyoming naseMontana, simisa iintente ebusuku. UTed wayelala kwinqwelwana eyayakhiwe kwiveni yakhe, yaye mna ndandilala phantsi. Ekupheleni kwaloo nyaka ndafudukela entshona ukuze ndibe nguvulindlela eTennessee, eArkansas, naseMississippi.
NgoSeptemba 1937, ndaya kwindibano yokuqala eColumbus, eOhio. Apho kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuhambisela phambili umsebenzi wokushumayela kusetyenziswa igramafoni. Sihlandlo ngasinye esasidlala ngaso igramafoni sasisibiza ngokuthi yisetup. Ngenye inyanga ndaba neesetups ezingaphezu kwama-500, yaye kwaphulaphula abantu abangaphezu kwama-800. Emva kokunikela ubungqina kwiidolophu ezininzi empumalanga Tennessee, eVirginia, naseWest Virginia, ndamenywa ukuba ndikhonze njengovulindlela okhethekileyo kwisabelo esitsha, ndisebenza kunye nesicaka secandelo, njengokuba abaveleli abahambahambayo babebizwa njalo ngoko.
Ndatyelela amabandla kwanamaqela akwanti eWest Virginia—ndichitha iintsuku ezimbini ukuya kwezine kwibandla ngalinye—yaye ndikhokela entsimini. Ndandula ke, ngoJanuwari 1941, ndamiselwa njengesicaka secandelo. Ngelo xesha uMama kwanoodadewethu abathathu—uClara, uLois, noRuth—babesele bengabameli boBukumkani. Ngoko intsapho yakowethu yonke yaya kunye kwindibano eyayiseSt. Louis ngelo hlobo.
Kungekudala emva kwendibano, izicaka zecandelo zaxelelwa ukuba umsebenzi wamacandelo wawuza kupheliswa ekupheleni kukaNovemba 1941. Kunyaka olandelayo iUnited States yabandakanyeka kwiMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Ndabelwa kumsebenzi wokuba nguvulindlela okhethekileyo, owawufuna ukuba ndichithe iiyure ezili-175 ngenyanga kubulungiseleli.
Amalungelo Akhethekileyo Enkonzo
NgoJulayi 1942, ndafumana incwadi endibuza enoba ndandikulungele kusini na ukukhonza kwamanye amazwe. Emva kokuba ndivumile, ndafumana isimemo sokuya eBheteli, kwiqumrhu lehlabathi lamaNgqina kaYehova, eBrooklyn, eNew York. Kwangaxeshanye kwabizwa nabazalwana abamalunga nama-20 abangatshatanga ukuze bafumane uqeqesho olukhethekileyo.
UNathan H. Knorr, owayesakuba ngumongameli weWatch Tower Society, wacacisa ukuba umsebenzi wokushumayela uye wancipha yaye siza kuqeqeshwa ukuze someleze amabandla ngokomoya. Wathi: “Asifuni ukwazi ngeengxaki zamabandla nje kuphela kodwa ngoko nikwenzileyo ngazo.”
Ngoxa sasiseBheteli, uFred Franz, owaba ngumongameli emva koMzalwan’ uKnorr ngowe-1977, wanikela intetho apho wathi: “IMfazwe Yehlabathi II iza kuphela, yaye umsebenzi omkhulu wokushumayela uza kuvulwa. Alithandabuzeki elokuba kuseza kuhlanganiselwa izigidi kwintlangano kaYehova!” Loo ntetho yasiguqula ngokupheleleyo isimo sam sengqondo. Xa sanikwa izabelo, ndafumanisa ukuba ndandimele ndityelele onke amabandla akumazwana aseTennessee naseKentucky. Sasibizwa ngokuthi singabakhonzi kubazalwana, gama elo elaguqukela ekubeni kuthiwe ngabaveleli besiphaluka.
Ndaqalisa ukukhonza amabandla ngo-Oktobha 1, 1942, xa ndandineminyaka engama-25 kuphela ubudala. Ngelo xesha ekuphela kwendlela owawunokufikelela ngayo kwamanye amabandla yayikukuhamba okanye ukukhwela ihashe. Maxa wambi ndandilala kwigumbi elinye nentsapho yaloo mzi ndifikele kuwo.
Xa ndandikhonza kwiBandla laseGreeneville eTennessee ngoJulayi 1943, ndafumana isimemo sokuya kwiklasi yesibini yeSikolo seBhayibhile seWatchtower saseGiliyadi. EGiliyadi, ndafunda oko ngokwenene kuthethwa ‘kukunikela ingqalelo engakumbi kuneqhelekileyo kwizinto esizivileyo’ kwanokusoloko ‘sinokuninzi kokwenza emsebenzini weNkosi.’ (Hebhere 2:1; 1 Korinte 15:58) Ezo nyanga zintlanu zezifundo zesikolo zaphela ngokukhawuleza, yaye usuku lothweso-zidanga lwafika ngoJanuwari 31, 1944.
Ndaya EKhanada Ndandula Ke Ndaya EBelgium
Abaliqela kuthi babelwa eKhanada, apho umsebenzi wamaNgqina kaYehova wawusandula ukuvalwa. Ndafumana isabelo sokuhambahamba, esasiquka ukugubungela imigama emide ukusuka kwibandla elithile ukusa kwelinye. Njengoko ndandihambahamba, kwakuvuyisa ukuva amava ngendlela umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela owawuqhubeka ngayo ebudeni bokuvalwa komsebenzi eKhanada. (IZenzo 5:29) Abaninzi babalisa ngephulo lokushumayela ebudeni bobusuku obunye, kwahanjiswa incwadana kwindlu nganye ukusuka kwelinye icala laseKhanada ukusa kwelinye. Hayi indlela ezazimnandi ngayo iindaba esaziva ngoMeyi 1945 zokuba imfazwe yaseYurophu yayiphelile!
Ngelo hlobo, ngoxa ndandikhonza ibandla kwidolophana yaseOsage, eSaskatchewan, ndafumana incwadi evela kuMzalwan’ uKnorr, eyayifundeka ngolu hlobo: “Ndikujizeka ngelungelo lokuya eBelgium. . . . Mninzi umsebenzi omelwe wenziwe kwelo lizwe. Lilizwe elidlavulwe yimfazwe, yaye abazalwana bethu bafuna uncedo, yaye kubonakala kufanelekile ukuthumela umntu osuka eMerika ukubanika uncedo olufanelekileyo kwanentuthuzelo abayifunayo.” Ndakhawuleza ndamphendula, ndisamkela eso sabelo.
NgoNovemba 1945, ndandiseBheteli yaseBrooklyn ndifunda isiFrentshi kunye noCharles Eicher, umzalwana owayesele ekhulile ngeminyaka waseAlsace. Kwakhona ndafumana uqeqesho olukhawulezileyo ngenkqubo yesebe. Ngaphambi kokundulukela eYurophu, ndatyelela ngokufutshane intsapho yakowethu kwanezihlobo zam eSt. Joseph, eMissouri.
NgoDisemba 11, ndanduluka eNew York ndikhwele inqanawa iQueen Elizabeth, yaye emva kweentsuku ezine ndafika eSouthampton, eNgilani. Ndahlala inyanga kwisebe laseBritani, apho ndafumana uqeqesho olungakumbi. Emva koko, ngoJanuwari 15, 1946, ndawela iEnglish Channel ndaza ndehla eOstend, eBelgium. Ukusuka apho ndakhwela uloliwe osinge eBrussels, apho ndahlangatyezwa yintsapho yonke yaseBheteli kwisikhululo sikaloliwe.
Ukwanda Komsebenzi Emva Kwemfazwe
Isabelo sam sasikukongamela umsebenzi woBukumkani eBelgium, kodwa ndandingazi nowathwethwa ngolo lwimi. Malunga neenyanga ezintandathu, ndandisazi isiFrentshi esaneleyo ukuze ndithethe nabantu imihla ngemihla. Kwakulilungelo ukusebenza nabo babeka ubomi babo esichengeni ukuze bahambisele phambili umsebenzi wokushumayela ebudeni beminyaka emihlanu yokuthinjwa ngamaNazi. Bambi kubo babesandul’ ukukhululwa kwiinkampu zoxinaniso.
Abazalwana babekulangazelela ukulungelelanisa umsebenzi kwanokondla abo balambele inyaniso yeBhayibhile. Ngoko kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuqhuba iindibano kwanokutyelela kwabaveleli abahambahambayo emabandleni. Kwakhona safumana utyelelo olukhuthazayo lukaNathan Knorr, uMilton Henschel, uFred Franz, uGrant Suiter, noJohn Booth—bonke abangabameli bekomkhulu laseBrooklyn. Ngezo ntsuku zakudala, ndandikhonza njengomveleli wesiphaluka, umveleli wesithili, kwanomveleli wesebe. NgoDisemba 6, 1952, emva kweminyaka ephantse ibe sixhenxe ndikhonza eBelgium, ndatshata noEmilia Vanopslaugh, naye owayesebenza kwisebe laseBelgium.
Kwiinyanga ezimbalwa kamva, ngoAprili 11, 1953, ndabizelwa kwisikhululo samapolisa ndaza ndaxelelwa ukuba ubukho bam babuyingozi kunqabiseko lwaseBelgium. Ndaya eLuxembourg ukuze ndilinde ngoxa isibheno setyala lam senziwa kwiBhunga likaRhulumente.
NgoFebruwari 1954 iBhunga likaRhulumente laseBelgium lavumelana nesigqibo sokuba ubukho bam babuyingozi kweli lizwe. Kwanikelwa ubungqina bokuba emva kokuba ndifikile eBelgium, inani lamaNgqina liye landa ngokungathethekiyo kweli lizwe—ukususela kwangama-804 ngowe-1946 ukusa kwangama-3304 ngowe-1953—yaye, ngenxa yoko, unqabiseko eBelgium lwasongelwa kuba amaNgqina amaninzi aselula ayebumela ubundilele bamaKristu. Ngoko, mna noEmilia sabelwa eSwitzerland, apho saqalisa kumsebenzi wesiphaluka kwicandelo elithetha isiFrentshi.
ISikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani—isikolo esilungiselela ukuqeqesha amaKristu angabadala—samiselwa ngowe-1959 kuMzantsi Lansing, eNew York. Ndafumana isimemo sokuya khona ukuze ndifumane uqeqesho lokufundisa iiklasi zesi sikolo eYurophu. Ngoxa ndandiseUnited States, ndatyelela intsapho yakowethu eSt. Joseph, eMissouri. Apho ndambona okokugqibela umama endimthandayo. Wafa ngoJanuwari 1962; uTata wayesele efile ngoJuni 1955.
ISikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani eParis, eFransi, saqalisa ngoMatshi 1961, yaye uEmilia wandipheleka. Abaveleli bezithili, abaveleli beziphaluka, abaveleli bamabandla, kwakunye noovulindlela abakhethekileyo baza kwesi sikolo besuka eFransi, eBelgium, naseSwitzerland. Ebudeni beenyanga ezili-14 ezalandelayo, ndaqhuba iiklasi ezili-12 zezi zifundo zeeveki ezine. Ekugqibeleni, ngoAprili 1962, safumanisa ukuba uEmilia ukhulelwe.
Ukuhlengahlengisa Ngenxa Yeemeko
Sabuyela eGeneva, eSwitzerland, apho safumana imvume yokuhlala njengabemi abazinzileyo. Noko ke, kwakungelula ukufumana indawo yokuhlala, kuba izindlu zazinqongophele. Kwanokufumana umsebenzi kwakungelula. Ekugqibeleni ndafumana umsebenzi kwisebe levenkile enkulu embindini weGeneva.
Ndandisele ndichithe iminyaka engama-26 kubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo, ngoko ukuguquka kweemeko zethu kwakufuna uhlengahlengiso olukhulu. Ebudeni beminyaka engama-22 endandiyisebenza kwisebe lale venkile yaye ndikhulisa iintombi zethu ezimbini, uLois noEunice, intsapho yethu yayisoloko ibeka izilangazelelo zoBukumkani kuqala. (Mateyu 6:33) Emva kokuthabatha umhlala-phantsi ngowe-1985, ndaqalisa ukukhonza njengobambela umveleli wesiphaluka.
Impilo kaEmilia ibisoloko inkenenkene, kodwa wenza kangangoko anako kubulungiseleli. ULois wakhonza njengovulindlela kangangeminyaka elishumi. Enjani yona imbalasane yokomoya ukunandipha eyona ndibano yezizwe ngezizwe yakha yamnandi kunye naye eMoscow ebudeni behlobo lowe-1993! Kungekudala emva koko, ngoxa wayekwiholide eSenegal, eAfrika, uLois wafa ngoxa wayequbha elwandle. Uthando nobubele babazalwana bethu baseAfrika kwakunye nabavangeli basemazweni bandithuthuzela ngendlela engathethekiyo xa ndandiye kulungiselela umngcwabo wakhe eSenegal. Hayi indlela endikulangazelela ngayo ukubona uLois eluvukweni!—Yohane 5:28, 29.
Ndinombulelo kakhulu ngokunandipha inkxaso enyanisekileyo yeqabane elinothando ngaphezu kwamashumi amane eminyaka. Enyanisweni, phezu kwazo nje iintlungu neengxaki zam, inceba elungileyo kaYehova ibindanelisa yaye yenze ukuba ubomi bube nenjongo. Intliziyo yam indishukumisela ukuba ndivakalise ngokuphathelele uThixo wethu, uYehova, amazwi omdumisi owathi: “Ngokuba inceba [ububele obunothando, NW] yakho ilungile ngaphezu kobomi, umlomo wam uya kukuncoma.”—INdumiso 63:3.
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Sasihambisela phambili umsebenzi wokushumayela ngokusebenzisa igramafoni
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Abazali bam ngowe-1936
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Ukunikela ubungqina esitratweni eBelgium ngowe-1948