Ukutshintsha Kwesabelo Kubudala Bama-80

NGOKUBALISWA NGUGWENDOLINE MATTHEWS

Xa ndandihlanganisa iminyaka engama-80 ubudala, mna nomyeni wam sagqiba kwelokuba sipakishe konke okwethu size sikufake kwilori eqeshisayo emva koko silishiye elaseNgilani sisinge eSpeyin. Sasingakwazi ukuthetha iSpanish, yaye sasisiya kumzantsi-ntshona weSpeyin, kude lee neendawo ezazidla ngokutyelelwa rhoqo ngabakhenkethi abathetha isiNgesi. Inkoliso yabahlobo bethu yayicinga ukuba sishiywa ziingqondo, kodwa ngochulumanco ndazikhumbuza ukuba uAbraham wayeneminyaka engama-75 ubudala xa walishiyayo elaseUre.

KAMBE ke, iminyaka yethu siseSpeyin ukususela oko safikayo apha ngoAprili 1992 ibiyeminye yeyona minyaka inomvuzo omhle ebomini bethu. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba ndichaze isizathu sokufuduka kwethu, mandinibalisele indlela ubomi bethu kwinkonzo kaYehova obasikhokelela ngayo kwisigqibo esibaluleke ngolo hlobo.

Inyaniso YeBhayibhile Iguqula Ubomi Bethu

Ndakhuliselwa kwikhaya elithanda unqulo emzantsi-ntshona weLondon, eNgilani. UMama wayedla ngokuthabatha mna nodadewethu siye kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo zonqulo njengoko wayeqhubeka efuna ulwaneliseko olungokomoya. Ubawo, owayelele ngandletyana nye enesifo sephepha, wayengasipheleki. Kodwa wayengumfundi okhutheleyo weBhayibhile, kwaye wayeyikrwelela ngamaxesha onke efumana isicatshulwa esimvul’ amehlo. Obunye bobona butyebi bam endandibuxabisa yila Bhayibhile idlakadlaka eyayinexabiso elikhulu kuye.

Ngowe-1925, xa ndandineminyaka eli-14 ubudala, kwafakwa iphecana ngaphantsi kocango lwakowethu elalisimemela kwintetho yesidlangalala eyayikwiholo yedolophu yaseWest Ham. Umama kunye nommelwane bagqiba kwelokuba baye kule ntetho, yaye mna nodadewethu omncinane sabapheleka. Loo ntetho eyayisithi, “Izigidi Eziphilayo Ngoku Azisayi Kuze Zife,” yatyala imbewu yeenyaniso zeBhayibhile entliziyweni kaMama.

Kwinyanga ezimbalwa kamva, uTata wafa eneminyaka engama-38 ubudala. Ukufa kwakhe kwaba linxeba elikhulu, ekubeni kwasishiya sityumke iintliziyo yaye siziintsizana. Kwinkonzo yomngcwabo, eyayiqhutyelwa kwiCawa yasekuhlaleni yaseTshetshi, uMama wothuswa kukuva umfundisi esithi umphefumlo kaTata wawusezulwini. Wayesazi ngokusuka eBhayibhileni ukuba abafi balele emangcwabeni, yaye wayekukholelwa ngokuqinileyo ukuba ngaminazana ithile uTata wayeya kuvuselwa kubomi obungunaphakade emhlabeni. (INdumiso 37:9-11, 29; 146:3, 4; INtshumayeli 9:5; IZenzo 24:15; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4) Eyisekile kukuba kwakufuneka anxulumane nabantu abafundisa iLizwi likaThixo, wagqiba kwelokuba ahlakulele ubuhlobo nabaBafundi BeBhayibhile beZizwe ngeZizwe, njengoko ayebizwa njalo amaNgqina kaYehova.

Ekubeni sasingenayo imali yokuhamba ngezithuthi, veki nganye sasibetha ngezikaTshiwo iiyure ezimbini ukusuka ekhaya ukuya kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina kaYehova. Emva koko, sasichitha ezinye iiyure ezimbini sigoduka. Kodwa sasizixabisa kakhulu ezo ntlanganiso, yaye asizange siphoswe nayenye, kwanaxa inkungu edume kakubi yaseLondon yayikhasa kweso sixeko. Kungekudala uMama wagqiba kwelokuba ahlulele ubomi bakhe kuYehova aze abhaptizwe, yaye ngowe-1927, nam ndabhaptizwa.

Phezu kwabo nje ubunzima bethu bezoqoqosho, uMama wayesoloko endifundisa ukubaluleka kokuzibeka kuqala izinto zokomoya. UMateyu 6:33 wayesesinye sezona zibhalo awayezithanda, yaye ngokwenene ‘wafuna kuqala ubukumkani.’ Xa wabulawa ngumhlaza eselula ngowe-1935, wayecwangcisela ukusabela kwikhwelo labalungiseleli benkonzo yexesha elizeleyo ababenokuya kukhonza eFransi.

Imizekelo Eyasomelezayo

Kuloo minyaka yamandulo, bambi ababesiza kwiintlanganiso eLondon babefuna ukuvakalisa iimbono zabo, yaye aba bantu babeqhway’ iimbambano neempikiswano eziqatha. Sekunjalo, uMama wayesoloko esithi iya kuba kukunganyaniseki ukushiya intlangano kaYehova ngemva kokusifundisa kangaka. Amatyelelo kaJoseph F. Rutherford, ngoko owayengumongameli weWatch Tower Bible and Tract Society, asikhuthaza ukuba siqhubeke sikhonza ngokunyaniseka.

Ndimkhumbula uMzalwana uRutherford njengendoda enobubele, nengenekayo. Xa ndandisekwishumi elivisayo, iBandla laseLondon laba nethuba lokubethwa ngumoya yaye wayelapho. Ngandlel’ ithile wathana ntla nam—intombazanana ekwishumi elivisayo eneentloni—ndiphethe ikhamera waza wandibuza enoba bendingethandi kusini na ukumfota. Loo foto yaba sisikhumbuzo endinegugu siso.

Kamva, loo mava abethelela kum umahluko phakathi kwabo bakhokelayo ebandleni lamaKristu kwakunye namadoda abalaseleyo ehlabathi. Ndandisebenza njengeweyitala kwindlu enkulu yaseLondon ekwakumenywe uFranz von Papen, owayengomnye wabathunywa bakaHitler eze kufumana isidlo sasemini. Wala ukukhulula ikrele lakhe ngoxa wayesitya, ndakhubeka kulo ndaza ndayichitha isuphu endandiyiphethe. Enomsindo wathi eJamani ukungakhathali okunjalo kwakunokukhokelela ekubeni ndidutyulwe. Sade saya kuphela eso sidlo, ndicezela kuye!

Indibano engenakulibaleka, eyayiqhutyelwa eAlexandra Palace ngowe-1931, apho ndandiphulaphule uMzalwan’ uRutherford ethetha. Kulapho ngehlombe samkela igama lethu elitsha elithi, amaNgqina kaYehova. (Isaya 43:10, 12) Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, ngowe-1933, ndaqalisa inkonzo yobuvulindlela, njengokuba bubizwa njalo ubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo. Enye intsikelelo endisayikhumbulayo kuloo minyaka yileyo yokukwazi ukunxulumana nabafana abangoompondo zihlanjiwe abathi kamva bangabavangeli basemazweni kwimimandla ekude yomhlaba. Aba babequka uClaude Goodman, uHarold King, uJohn Cooke noEdwin Skinner. Imizekelo enjalo yokuthembeka yandenza ndafuna ukukhonza kwintsimi yasemzini.

Ubuvulindlela EMpuma Ngilani

Isabelo sam sobuvulindlela sasiseMpuma Ngilani, yaye ukushumayela apho kwakufuna ihlombe nenzondelelo. Ukuze sigubungele intsimi yethu ebanzi, sasihamba ngebhayisikile ukusuka kwenye idolophu ukuya kwenye idolophu nokusuka kwenye idolophana ukuya kwenye idolophana size sihlale kumagumbi aqeshiswayo. Kwakungekho mabandla kulo mmandla, ngoko ke mna neqabane lam sasizixubusha ngokwethu zonke inxalenye zeentlanganiso zeeveki ngeeveki. Kubulungiseleli bethu, sasihambisa amakhulu eencwadi neencwadana ezazichaza ngeenjongo zikaThixo.

Olunye utyelelo olungenakulibaleka kukwikhaya lomfundisi apho sathetha nomfundisi wasekuhlaleni weCawa yaseTshetshi. Kwinkoliso yemimandla, sasingasatyeleli kumfundisi waseTshetshi side siyigqibe kuba wayesitsalisa nzima xa evile ukuba sishumayela iindaba ezilungileyo kulo mmandla. Kodwa kule dolophana wonke umntu wayethetha kakuhle ngalo mfundisi. Wayetyelela abagulayo, wayebolekisa ngeencwadi kwabo bathanda ukufunda, wayede atyelele amarhamente akhe ukuze awacacisele iBhayibhile.

Eneneni, xa sathi samtyelela, wayenobuhlobo kakhulu, yaye wamkela iqela leencwadi. Wakwasiqinisekisa ukuba nabani na kule dolophana owayefuna iincwadi zethu, kodwa engakwazi ukuzihlawula, uya kumhlawulela. Seva ukuba amava akhe abuhlungu eMfazwe Yehlabathi I amenza wazimisela ukukhuthaza uxolo nokulunga kwinqila yakhe. Ngaphambi kokuba sinduluke wasisikelela waza wasikhuthaza ukuba siqhubeke nomsebenzi wethu omhle. Ukuhamba kwethu wasindulula ngamazwi afumaneka kwiNumeri 6:24 athi: “INkosi mayikusikelele, ikugcine.”—King James Version.

UMama wafa emva kweminyaka emibini ndiqalise ubuvulindlela, yaye ndabuyela eLondon ndingenamali yaye ndingenantsapho. INgqina endilithandayo elalingumSkotlani landinyamekela, lindinceda ukuba ndimelane nokufa kukaMama, laza landikhuthaza ukuba ndiqhubeke nobulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo. Ngoko ke ndabuyela kwaseMpuma Ngilani ndinoJulia Fairfax, iqabane elitsha elinguvulindlela. Salungisa inqwelo erhuqwayo endala ukuze isebenze njengekhaya elihambayo; sasisebenzisa iteletele okanye ilori ukufuduka kwenye indawo ukuya kwenye. Kwakunye nesibini esingamaqina, uAlbert noEthel Abbott, nabo ababenenqwelo encinane erhuqwayo, saqhubeka sishumayela. UAlbert noEthel baba njengabazali kum.

Xa ndandinguvulindlela eCambridgeshire, ndadibana noJohn Matthews, umzalwana othandekayo womKristu owayeseyingqinile ingqibelelo yakhe kuYehova ngaphantsi kweemeko ezinzima. Satshata ngowe-1940, kungekudala iqalile imfazwe yesibini yehlabathi.

Ixesha Lemfazwe Nentsapho

Xa sasisisibini esisandul’ ukuzimanya, ikhaya lethu laliyinqwelo encinane erhuqwayo elingana negumbi elincinane lokuphekela, yaye sasixhomekeke kwisithuthuthu ukuya kubulungiseleli bethu. Emva konyaka sitshatile, uJohn wagwetyelwa ukuya kusebenza efama kuba wala ukwenza inkonzo yasemkhosini ngenxa yonqulo lwakhe olusekelwe eBhayibhileni. (Isaya 2:4) Nangona oku kwathetha ukuphela kobuvulindlela bethu, isigwebo sikaJohn sangqineka siluncedo ekubeni ndandilindele ukuba nosana yaye wayeza kukwazi ukusixhasa.

Ebudeni beminyaka yemfazwe, sanandipha iintlanganiso ezikhethekileyo ezaziqhutywa phezu kwabo nje ubunzima. Ngowe-1941 sasikhwele isithuthuthu sethu mna noJohn, ndikhulelwe umntwana wethu wamazibulo, sisinge eManchester, eyayikumgama oziikhilomitha ezingama-300 qelele. Endleleni, sadlula iidolophu ezininzi ezazidilizwe ziziqhushumbisi, yaye sasingaqinisekanga enoba intlanganiso yayinokuqhutywa ngaphantsi kweemeko ezinjalo. Yaqhutywa eFree Trade Hall kumbindi weManchester eyayizel’ imi ngeembambo ngamaNgqina avela kwimimandla eliqela yaseNgilani, yaye kwaqhutywa lonke ucwangciso.

Xa sasiqukumbela intetho yaso, isithethi sokugqibela sendibano saxelela abaphulaphuli ukuba babefanele bemke apho ngokukhawuleza, njengoko kwakulindelwe uhlaselo lwasemoyeni. Isilumkiso sasifike ngexesha. Sasingekude kuyaphi eholweni xa seva ukukhala kweealamu noombayimbayi bokukhusela uhlaselo lwasemoyeni. Xa sakhangela ngasemva, sabona iinqwelo-moya ezininzi zisiwisa iziqhushumbisi embindini wesixeko. Simgama, phakathi komlilo nomsi, sasinokubona iholo esasisandul’ ukuba kuyo; itshe yaluthuthu! Okuvuyisayo kukuba, akuzange kubekho bazalwana okanye oodade wethu abangamaKristu ababulawayo.

Xa sasikhulisa abantwana bethu, asizange sikwazi ukuba ngoovulindlela, kodwa salivula ikhaya lethu kubaveleli abahambahambayo nakoovulindlela ababengenazo iindawo zokufak’ intloko. Ngaxa lithile, oovulindlela abathandathu babehlala ekhayeni lethu kangangeenyanga ezimbalwa. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo unxulumano nabo banjalo lwaba sisizathu esabangela ukuba intombi yethu uEunice ikhethe ukuqalisa ubuvulindlela ngowe-1961 xa yayineminyaka nje eli-15 ubudala. Okubuhlungu kukuba, unyana wethu, uDavid, akazange aqhubeke ekhonza uYehova ekukhuleni kwakhe, yaye enye intombi yethu, uLinda, yafa phantsi kweemeko ezimaxongo ebudeni bemfazwe.

Isigqibo Sethu Sokufudukela ESpeyin

Umzekelo nokhuthazo lukaMama lwakhulisa umnqweno wokuba ndibe ngumvangeli wasemazweni, yaye alizange libe mfiliba ngokupheleleyo olo sukelo. Ngaloo ndlela, sasichwayitile ngowe-1973, xa uEunice wafudukayo eNgilani esinge eSpeyin apho kwakukho imfuneko enkulu yabavakalisi boBukumkani. Eneneni, sasibuhlungu ukumbona esishiya, kodwa sasikwanelunda kukufuna kwakhe ukuya kukhonza kwilizwe lasemzini.

Besimtyelela uEunice ukutyhubela iminyaka, yaye salazi ngakumbi elaseSpeyin. Enyanisweni, mna noJohn sasimtyelela kwizabelo zakhe ezine ezahlukahlukeneyo. Kwandula ke, njengoko iminyaka iqengqeleka, amandla ethu aya encipha. UJohn wawa nto leyo eyayichaphazela kanobom impilo yakhe, yaye ndaye ndanesifo sentliziyo neengxaki kwidlala lengqula. Ngaphandle koko, sobabini sasigula sisifo samathambo. Nangona sasilufuna ngokwenene uncedo lukaEunice, sasingafuni ukuba ashiye isabelo sakhe ngenxa yethu.

Saxubusha izimvo zethu noEunice, yaye sathandazela ukhokelo. Wayekulungele ukuza ekhaya ukuze asincede. Kodwa sagqiba kwelokuba esona sicombululo yayikukuba mna noJohn siye kuhlala naye eSpeyin. Ukuba ndandingenakuba ngumvangeli wasemazweni, ubuncinane ndandinokuyixhasa intombi yam namaqabane ayo amabini angoovulindlela enkonzweni yexesha elizeleyo. Ngelo xesha, uNuria noAna, ababengamaqabane obuvulindlela kaEunice kangangeminyaka eli-15, babesele befana nje neentombi zam noJohn. Yaye kwakuxhelw’ exhukwane kubo xa sasiza kuhlala nabo kuyo nayiphi na indawo ababesabelwa kuyo.

Sekudlule iminyaka emithandathu ukususela oko sasenzayo eso sigqibo. Impilo yethu ayikhange ibe mandundu, yaye ubomi bethu buye babangela umdla ngakumbi. Andikasazi kangako iSpanish nangoku, kodwa oko akundithinteli ekushumayeleni. Mna noJohn siziva sisekhaya kwibandla lethu elincinane elise-Extremadura emzantsi-ntshona weSpeyin.

Ukuhlala eSpeyin kundifundise okuninzi ngohlobo lomsebenzi wethu wokushumayela ngoBukumkani wamazwe ngamazwe, kwaye ngoku ndikuqonda ngokucace ngakumbi oko kwathethwa, nguYesu Kristu xa wathi, “intsimi lihlabathi.”—Mateyu 13:38.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

Ubuvulindlela ngeminyaka yee-1930