Ibali Lobomi

Uvuyo Olungenathelekiswa Nanto!

NGOKUBALISWA NGUREGINALD WALLWORK

“Akukho nto kweli hlabathi enokuthelekiswa novuyo esiye sanalo lokukhonza uYehova ixesha elizeleyo njengabavangeli basemazweni!” Ndafumana iphetshana elibhalwe la mazwi phakathi kwamaphepha omfazi wam kungekudala emva kokufa kwakhe ngoMeyi 1994.

NJENGOKO ndicinga ngamazwi kaIrene, ndikhumbula iminyaka engama-37, emnandi neyanelisayo esayichitha njengabavangeli basemazweni ePeru. Ukususela oko satshata ngoDisemba 1942, besisoloko sikuvuyela ukuba kunye njengamaqabane angamaKristu—yaye leyo yindlela entle yokuqalisa ibali lam.

UIrene wakhuliswa njengomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova eLiverpool, eNgilani. Ungomnye kumantombazana amathathu, yaye wafelwa nguyise ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Kamva unina watshata noWinton Fraser, yaye baba nonyana, uSidney. Kanye nje ngaphambi kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II, intsapho yakowabo yafudukela eBangor, eNorth Wales, yaye uIrene wabhaptizwa apho ngowe-1939. USidney wayebhaptizwe kunyaka ongaphambili, ngoko yena noIrene basebenza kunye njengoovulindlela—abavangeli bexesha elizeleyo—kunxweme olusemntla weWales, ukusuka eBangor ukusa eCaernarvon, kuquka nesiqithi saseAnglesey.

Ngelo xesha, ndandikwiBandla laseRuncorn, elimalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-20 ngasemzantsi-mpuma weLiverpool, apho ndandingumveleli owongamelayo ngokwentetho yanamhlanje. Kwindibano yesiphaluka uIrene weza kum eze kucela intsimi anokushumayela kuyo, njengoko wayeza kuhlala noVera, udadewabo otshatileyo ohlala eRuncorn. Mna noIrene saqalisa ukuba ngabahlobo ebudeni beeveki ezimbini ekunye nathi, yaye ndamtyelela eBangor izihlandlo eziliqela. Hayi indlela endavuya ngayo xa ngenye impela-veki uIrene wamkela isicelo sam somtshato!

Ukufika kwam ekhaya ngeCawa, kwangoko ndaqalisa ukulungiselela umtshato wethu, kodwa ngoLwesibini kwafika ucingo. Kulo kwakubhaliwe: “Ndilusizi kuba olu cingo luza kukukhathaza. Ndiyawurhoxisa umtshato wethu. Ileta isendleleni.” Ndothuka ndabanda. Ndazibuza, kazi konakele phi?

Ileta kaIrene yafika ngosuku olulandelayo. Wandixelela ukuba wayesiya eHorsforth eYorkshire ukuya kuba nguvulindlela kunye noHilda Padgett.a Wandichazela ukuba kwiinyanga ezili-12 ngaphambilana wayevumile ukuya kusebenza kwindawo enentswelo engakumbi ukuba angacelwa ukuba enjenjalo. Wabhala esithi: “Oku kwakunjengesibhambathiso endasenza kuYehova, yaye ndicinga ukuba ekubeni ndamthembisa ngaphambi kokuba ndikwazi, ndimele ndisizalisekise.” Nangona ndandibuhlungu, ndamhlonela gqitha ngenxa yengqibelelo awayenayo yaye nam ndamphendula ngocingo ndisithi: “Hamba. Ndiza kukulindela.”

Ngoxa wayeseYorkshire, uIrene wavalelwa entolongweni kangangeenyanga ezintathu ngenxa yokungavumi ukuxhasa imfazwe. Kodwa kwiinyanga ezili-18 kamva, ngoDisemba 1942, satshata.

Ukukhula Kwam

Ngowe-1919 umama wathenga iincwadi ezithi Studies in the Scriptures.b Nangona, njengokuba utata watsho ngelo xesha, uMama wayengazange afunde ncwadi ngaphambili, kodwa wayezimisele ukuzifundisisa ngenyameko ezi ncwadi kunye neBhayibhile yakhe. Wazifunda waza wabhaptizwa ngowe-1920.

Utata wayengekho ngqongqo yaye akazange amnqande umama ekwenzeni oko wayekufuna, yaye oko kwakuquka ukukhulisa abantwana babo abane—oodadewethu ababini uGwen noIvy; umkhuluwa wam, uAlec; nam—ngendlela yenyaniso. UStanley Rogers namanye amaNgqina athembekileyo eLiverpool babesiza eRuncorn ukuza kunikela iintetho zeBhayibhile, yaye kungekudala apho kwasekwa ibandla elitsha. Intsapho yakowethu yakhula ngokomoya yaye oku kwaba njalo nangebandla.

UGwen wayehamba isikolo seCawa yaseTshetshi kodwa wayeka nje akuba eqalisile ukufunda iBhayibhile noMama. Xa umfundisi waza kuqonda isizathu sokuba engasayi kwisikolo seCawa, wadibana nothotho lwemibuzo angazange akwazi ukuyiphendula. UGwen wabuza ngentsingiselo yoMthandazo weNkosi yaye ekugqibeleni yaba nguye omcaciselayo! Waqukumbela ngokucaphula eyoku-1 kwabaseKorinte 10:21, ecacisa ngokupheleleyo ukuba akanakuphinda ‘atye kwiitafile ezimbini.’ Ukuhamba kwakhe ekhaya, umfundisi wathi uza kumthandazela uGwen yaye uza kubuya aze kuphendula imibuzo yakhe, kodwa kunanamhlanje. Emva kokubhaptizwa kwakhe, kungekudala uGwen waba ngumshumayeli wexesha elizeleyo.

Ibandla lethu lalingumzekelo omhle wokunyamekela abantu abaselula. Ndikhumbula ndiphulaphule intetho eyayinikelwa ngumdala owayesityelele xa ndandineminyaka esixhenxe ubudala. Emva koko waza kuthetha nam. Ndamxelela ukuba bendifunda ngoAbraham nangokufuna kwakhe ukwenza idini ngonyana wakhe, uIsake. Wathi: “Yiya phaya ngaseqongeni uze undichazele ngalo nto.” Hayi indlela endandivuya ngayo kukuma apho ndize ndinikele “intetho yesidlangalala” yam yokuqala!

Ndabhaptizwa xa ndandineminyaka eli-15 ubudala ngowe-1931, ngonyaka umama awafa ngawo, yaye ndayeka esikolweni ndaza ndaqalisa ukufunda ukulungisa umbane. Ngowe-1936 kwakudlalwa iintetho zeBhayibhile ezirekhodiweyo esidlangalaleni, yaye omnye udade okhulileyo wandikhuthaza mna nomkhuluwa wam ukuba senze lo msebenzi. Ngoko ke mna noAlec saya eLiverpool siye kuthenga ibhayisekile size senzelwe inqwelana esecaleni yokuthwala umatshini wethu wokudlala amacwecwe. Kwafakelwa isandisi-lizwi ngasemva kule nqwelana phezu kombhobho owawusisibonakude oziimitha ezimbini ukuphakama. Umntu owayengumkhandi wasixelela ukuba akazange akhe enze into enjengale ngaphambili, kodwa wayenza kakuhle! Sayigubungela intsimi yethu sichwayitile, sinombulelo ngokhuthazo esalufumana kulo dade nangamalungelo esasiwafumana.

IMfazwe Yehlabathi II—Ixesha Lovavanyo

Njengokuba imfazwe yayisondela, mna noStanley Rogers sasixakekile sibhengeza intetho ethi “Face the Facts,” eyayiza kunikelwa kwiRoyal Albert Hall eLondon ngoSeptemba 11, 1938. Kamva ndaba nenxaxheba ekusasazeni le ntetho iyincwadana, kunye neyayisithi Fascism or Freedom, eyayipapashwe ngonyaka olandelayo. Zombini ezi ncwadana zazibhenca amabhongo kaHitler owayenguzwilakhe waseJamani. Ngeli xesha, ndandisaziwa eRuncorn ngokushumayela esidlangalaleni yaye ndandihlonelwa ngenxa yoko. Ekubeni ndandisoloko ndiphambili kumsebenzi wobuthixo oko kwandenzel’ igama elihle.

Inkampani endandisebenza kuyo kwakufuneka ibiyele umzi-mveliso omtsha ongaphandle kwedolophu. Ndathi ndakuva ukuba apho kwakuza kwenziwa izixhobo zemfazwe, ndalenza latsola elokuba andinakusebenza apho. Nangona abaqashi bam babengavuyiswa koku, umphathi wam wandithethelela yaye ndanikwa omnye umsebenzi. Kamva ndeva ukuba udadobawo wakhe wayengomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova.

Omnye endisebenza naye wandikhuthaza gqitha xa wathi: “Wenze kanye into ebesiyilindele, Reg, ekubeni sele kuyiminyaka emininzi ngoku usenza lo msebenzi weBhayibhile.” Sekunjalo, kwakufuneka ndihlale ndiphaphile, ekubeni abaninzi endandisebenza nabo babefuna ukundifaka engxakini.

NgoJuni 1940, inkundla yaseLiverpool yasamkela isicelo sam sokungayi emkhosini ukuba nje ndandiza kuhlala ndisenza umsebenzi endandiwenza. Phofu ke, oku kwandenza ndakwazi ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi wokushumayela njengomKristu.

Ukuqalisa Inkonzo Yexesha Elizeleyo

Njengoko imfazwe yayiphela, ndagqiba kwelokuba ndiyeke ukuphangela ndize ndisebenze noIrene kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Ngowe-1946, ndakha indlu erhuqwayo eziimitha ezintlanu yaza yaba likhaya lethu, yaye kunyaka olandelayo sacelwa ukuba sifudukele eAlveston, kwidolophana yaseGloucestershire. Ngenxa yoko, saba ngoovulindlela kwidolophu endala yaseCirencester nakwisixeko saseBath. Ngowe-1951, ndacelwa ukuba ndityelele amabandla asemzantsi Wales njengomveleli ohambahambayo, kodwa ngaphambi nje kokuba kuphele iminyaka emibini kamva, saya kwiSikolo seBhayibhile seWatchtower saseGiliyadi ukuze siqeqeshelwe ukuba ngabavangeli basemazweni.

Iklasi yama-21 yesi sikolo yaqhutyelwa eSouth Lansing, emantla eNew York, yaye sathweswa izidanga ngowe-1953 kwiNdibano Yebutho Lehlabathi Elitsha kwisiXeko saseNew York. Mna noIrene sasingazi ukuba siza kwabelwa phi de kwaba ngumhla wokuthweswa kwethu izidanga. Hayi indlela esavuya ngayo xa safumanisa ukuba siza kuthunyelwa ePeru. Sasivuyiswa yintoni? Kaloku uSidney Fraser, umntakwaboIrene, nomfazi wakhe uMagaret, bebesebenza kwiofisi yesebe yaseLima kangangonyaka emva kokuphumelela kwiklasi-19 yaseGiliyadi!

Ngoxa sasisalindele incwadi yokundwendwela, sasebenza okwethutyana kwiBheteli yaseBrooklyn, kodwa kungekudala saya eLima. Indawo yokuqala kwezilishumi esabelwa kuyo njengabavangeli basemazweni yayiyiCallao, izibuko eliyintloko lasePeru, entshona yeLima. Nangona sasisifunde kancinane iSpanish, ngelo xesha mna noIrene sasingakwazi ukuluthetha olu lwimi. Sasiza kuthini?

Iingxaki Namalungelo Okushumayela

EGiliyadi saxelelwa ukuba umama akalufundisi ukuthetha ulwimi usana lwakhe. Kunoko, usana luyafunda njengoko unina ethetha nalo. Ngoko sanikwa eli cebiso: “Ukususela ngoku, hambani niye kushumayela, yaye ulwimi lwalapho niza kulufunda ebantwini. Baza kuninceda.” Njengoko ndandizama ukulufunda olo lwimi lutsha, khawufan’ ucinge ngendlela endavakalelwa ngayo xa sathi sineveki nje sifikile, ndamiselwa njengomveleli owongamelayo weBandla laseCallao! Ndaya kubona uSidney Fraser, kodwa naye wandicebisa ngendlela efanayo neyaseGiliyadi—nxulumana nebandla nabantu abasentsimini yakho. Ndazimisela ukulisebenzisa eli cebiso.

Ngenye intsasa yangoMgqibelo, ndadibana nomchweli ekwivenkile yakhe. Wathi: “Ndixakekile, kodwa ungahlala phantsi uze uthethe.” Ndamxelela ukuba ndiza kwenjenjalo kodwa ndathi: “Xa ndisenza impazamo ndilungise. Andisayi kukhathazeka.” Wahleka waza wavuma. Ndandimtyelela kabini ngeveki ndaza ndafumanisa ukuba le yindlela entle yokufunda ulwimi olutsha, kanye njengokuba ndandixelelwe.

E-Ica kwisabelo sethu sesibini, ndaphinda ndadibana nomnye umchweli ndaza ndamxelela ngelungiselelo endandinalo eCallao. Wavuma ukundinceda ngendlela efanayo, ngoko ke ndenza inkqubela ekuthetheni iSpanish, nangona kwathabatha iminyaka emithathu ukuze ndikwazi ukusithetha ngokutyibilikayo. Le ndoda yayihlala ixakeke kakhulu, kodwa ndakwazi ukuqhuba isifundo seBhayibhile ngokufunda iZibhalo ndize ndiyicacisele intsingiselo yazo. Ngenye iveki xa ndandiye kuyibona, umqeshi wayo wandixelela ukuba ifumene omnye umsebenzi eLima. Kamva xa mna noIrene sasize kwindibano eseLima, ndaphinda ndadibana nale ndoda. Hayi indlela endavuya ngayo xa ndafumanisa ukuba iye yaqhagamshelana namaNgqina asekuhlaleni ukuze iqhubeke nesifundo sayo, yaye yona nentsapho yayo yonke baye baba ngabakhonzi bakaYehova abazahluleleyo!

Kwelinye ibandla, safumanisa ukuba esinye isibini esiselula sasingatshatanga, kodwa sasibhaptiziwe. Njengoko sasiqwalasela naso imigaqo yeZibhalo ethetha ngoku, sagqiba kwelokuba siwubhalise ngokusemthethweni umtshato waso, nto leyo eyayiza kusenza sifaneleke njengamaNgqina abhaptiziweyo. Ngoko ke ndalungiselela ukuhamba naso siye eofisini ukuya kubhalisa umtshato waso. Kodwa kwavela enye ingxaki kuba sasinabantwana abane abangazange babhaliswe, yaye le yayiyinto efunekayo ngokwasemthethweni. Sasingaqinisekanga ngento awayeza kuyithetha usodolophu. Wathi: “Ngenxa yokuba aba bantu balungileyo, aba bahlobo benu bangamaNgqina kaYehova, babone kufanelekile ukuba nize kubhalisa umtshato wenu, andizi kunibizela enkundleni njengokuba bekuya kuba njalo ngomntwana ngamnye kodwa ndiza kubabhalisa bonke ngesisa.” Hayi indlela esasinombulelo ngayo, ekubeni le ntsapho yayingamahlwempu yaye nayiphi na imali eyayiza kubizwa enkundleni yayiza kuba ngumthwalo omkhulu kubo!

Kamva uAlbert D. Schroeder osuka kwikomkhulu eliseBrooklyn lamaNgqina kaYehova wasityelela waza wacebisa ukuba kwakhiwe ikhaya elitsha labavangeli basemazweni komnye ummandla waseLima. Ngoko ke mna noIrene noodade ababini, uFrances noElizabeth Good abavela eUnited States, nesinye isibini esitshatileyo saseKhanada safudukela kwisithili saseSan Borja. Kwiminyaka emibini okanye emithathu sasikelelwa ngelinye ibandla eliqhuba kakuhle.

Xa sasabelwe eHuancayo, ummandla okwiimitha ezingaphezu kwama-3 000 ukuphakama, kwiintaba ezisembindini, sanxulumana nebandla lalapho elinamaNgqina angama-80. Apho ndaba nenxaxheba ekwakhiweni kweHolo yoBukumkani yesibini kwelo lizwe. Ndamiselwa njengommeli osemthethweni wamaNgqina kaYehova, ekubeni kwafuneka siye izihlandlo ezintathu enkundleni ukuze sifumane amalungelo asemthethweni ngesiza esasisithengile. Izinto ezinjalo, kwakunye nomsebenzi wokushumayela wabavangeli basemazweni abathembekileyo kwiminyaka engaphambili, kwamisela isiseko esihle solwando esilubonayo ePeru—ukususela kumaNgqina angama-283 ngowe-1953 ukusa kwangaphezu kwama-83 000 namhlanje.

Ukwahlukana Okubuhlungu

Sasinonxulumano oluhle nabavangeli basemazweni esasikunye nabo kumakhaya ethu abavangeli, apho ndandidla ngokuba nelungelo lokuba ngumveleli wekhaya. Ntsasa nganye yangoMvulo sasidibana size sithethe ngemisebenzi eyayiza kwenziwa ngaloo veki, size sabelane ngemisebenzi ukuze sinyamekele ikhaya lethu. Eyona nto sasiyiqonda ukuba ibalulekile, yayikukushumayela, yaye ngenxa yoko sasisebenza kunye ngemvisiswano. Okundivuyisayo kukuba asizange sibe neengxabano ezinkulu kumakhaya ethu.

Isabelo sethu sokugqibela sasiseBreña, elinye ihlomela-dolophu laseLima. Ibandla lalapho elinothando lamaNgqina angama-70 lakhula ngokukhawuleza langaphezu kwabantu abali-100, ngoxa kwasekwa elinye ibandla ePalominia. Kanye ngeli xesha uIrene wagula. Okokuqala ndaphawula ukuba ngamaxesha athile wayengasayikhumbuli into awayeyithethile, yaye ngamanye amaxesha wayekufumanisa kunzima ukukhumbula indlela yokugoduka. Nangona wafumana unyango olufanelekileyo, ngokuthe ngcembe imeko yakhe yayisiba nkenenkene.

Okubuhlungu kukuba, ngowe-1990, kwafuneka ndenze amalungiselelo okuba sibuyele eNgilani apho udadewethu uIvy wasamkela ngezandla ezishushu kwikhaya lakhe. Kwiminyaka emine kamva, xa wayeneminyaka engama-81 ubudala, uIrene wafa. Ndiye ndaqhubeka ndikwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo, ndingumdala kwelinye lamabandla amathathu kwidolophu endazalelwa kuyo. Maxa wambi, ndiyahamba ndiye eManchester ukuze ndikhuthaze iqela lesiSpanish elilapho.

Kutshanje kuye kwenzeka into eyaqala kumashumi eminyaka eyadlulayo xa ndandidlalela abaninimzi intshumayelo yemizuzu emihlanu ngegramafoni. Ndisayikhumbula kakuhle intombazana yesikolo eselula eyayime emva konina emnyango, iphulaphule eso sigidimi.

Ekugqibeleni le ntombazana yafudukela eKhanada, yaye umhlobo wayo osahlala eRuncorn yaye ngoku oliNgqina waqhubeka eqhagamshelana nayo. Kutshanje iye yabhala isithi amaNgqina amabini aye ayityelela aza athetha ngendlela efanayo naleyo wayiva kwicwecwe lemizuzu emihlanu awaliphulaphulayo. Iqonda ukuba le yinyaniso, ngoku ingumkhonzi ozahluleleyo kaYehova yaye yacela ukudlulisela umbulelo kwindoda eselula eyatyelela unina kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-60 eyadlulayo! Enyanisweni, asisoze sazi apho iimbewu zenyaniso ziya kuntshula zize zikhule khona.—INtshumayeli 11:6.

Ewe, xa ndikhangela emva ndiba nombulelo kakhulu ngobomi endibuchithe kwinkonzo kaYehova exabisekileyo. Ukususela ngomhla endazahlulela ngawo ngowe-1931, andizange ndiphoswe nayindibano enye yabantu bakaYehova. Nangona mna noIrene singazange sibe nabantwana bethu, ndiyavuya kuba ndinoonyana neentombi zokomoya ezingaphezu kwe-150, bonke abakhonza uBawo wethu osezulwini, uYehova. Njengoko umfazi wam othandekayo watsho, eneneni amalungelo esiye sawaxhamla aye asibangela sanovuyo olungenakuthelekiswa nanto.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

UMama, ebutsheni beminyaka yee-1900

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24, 25]

Ekhohlo: UHilda Padgett, mna, uIrene, noJoyce Rowley eLeeds, eNgilani, ngowe-1940

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

Ngasentla: Mna noIrene phambi kwendlu yethu erhuqwayo

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 27]

Ukubhengeza intetho yesidlangalala eCardiff, eWales, ngowe-1952