Ibali Lobomi

Iinzuzo Zokunyaniseka Kwentsapho Yakuthi

KUBALISA UKATHLEEN COOKE

NGOXA wayetyelele izalamane zakhe eGlasgow, eSkotlani, ngowe-1911, umakhulu uMary Ellen Thompson waya kuphulaphula intetho eyayinikelwa nguCharles Taze Russell, ilungu elaliphambili laBafundi beBhayibhile, kamva abaziwa ngokuba ngamaNgqina kaYehova. Kwamvuyisa gqitha umakhulu oko wayekuva. Ekubuyeleni kwakhe eMzantsi Afrika, waqhagamshelana naBafundi beBhayibhile basekuhlaleni. NgoAprili 1914 waba ngomnye wabali-16 ababhaptizwa kwindibano yokuqala yaBafundi beBhayibhile eMzantsi Afrika. Ngelo xesha intombi yakhe uEdith, owaba ngumama wam, wayeneminyaka emithandathu ubudala.

Emva kokufa kukaMzalwan’ uRussell ngowe-1916, kwabakho ukungavisisani phakathi kwaBafundi beBhayibhile ehlabathini lonke. EThekwini inani labo banyanisekileyo lehla ukusuka kuma-60 laya kutsho kubantu abamalunga ne-12. Umakhulu uIngeborg Myrdal, nonyana wakhe uHenry owayekwishumi elivisayo nowayesandul’ ukubhaptizwa, baxhasa abo banyanisekileyo. Ngowe-1924, uHenry waba yicolporteur, njengoko abalungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo bamaNgqina kaYehova babebizwa njalo ngelo xesha. Washumayela kwiindawo ezininzi ezikumazantsi eAfrika kwiminyaka emihlanu eyalandelayo. Ngowe-1930, uHenry noEdith batshata, ibe ndazalwa emva kweminyaka emithathu kamva.

Ukwanda Kwentsapho

Sakha sahlala eMozambique okwexeshana, kodwa ngowe-1939 saya kuhlala nabazali bakamama eRhawutini. Utatomkhulu wayengenamdla kwinyaniso yeBhayibhile ibe maxa wambi wayeluchasa unqulo lukamakhulu, kodwa nakuba kunjalo wayenobubele. Udadewethu, uThelma, wazalwa ngowe-1940, ibe mna naye safunda ukunyamekela abantu abadala. Amaxesha amaninzi isidlo sangokuhlwa sasiye sithabathe ixesha elide njengoko sincokola ngezinto ezenzekileyo emini okanye ezenzeka kudala.

Intsapho yakowethu yayikuvuyela ukutyelelwa ngamanye amaNgqina, ingakumbi lawo akwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Ngexesha lesidlo sangokuhlwa nawo ayencokola ngezinto ezenzeke emini, ibe oko kwasenza salixabisa ngakumbi ilifa lokomoya esinalo. Oku kwawomeleza umnqweno wethu wokuba ngoovulindlela njengabo.

Sisebancinane gqitha, safundiswa ukukuthanda ukufunda. Umama, utata nomakhulu babedla ngokusifundela iincwadi ezinamabali amnandi okanye iBhayibhile. Iintlanganiso zamaKristu nentsimi zaziyinxalenye yobomi bethu. Utata wayesisicaka seBandla laseJohannesburg (ngoku esibizwa ngokuba ngumveleli owongamelayo), ngenxa yoko kwakufuneka sonke sifike kwangethuba kwiintlanganiso. Xa sinendibano, utata wayexakeka elungiselela indibano, ngoxa umama enceda iindwendwe zifumane indawo yokuhlala.

Indibano Ekhethekileyo

Indibano eyayiseRhawutini ngowe-1948 yayikhethekile. Yasisihlandlo sokuqala ukuba kubekho amalungu avela kwikomkhulu lamaNgqina kaYehova, eBrooklyn, eNew York. Utata wanikwa isabelo sokuba asebenzise imoto yakhe ukuze anyamekele uNathan Knorr noMilton Henschel ngento yokuhamba. Ndabhaptizwa kuloo ndibano.

Kungekudala emva koko, utata wamangaliswa kukuva uyise esithi uzisola gqitha ngokuthi emva kokufa kukaMzalwan’ uRussell aphenjelelwe ngabo bashiya aBafundi beBhayibhile. Wafa emva kweenyanga ezithile. Ukanti yena umakhulu, wahlala enyanisekile de wafa ngowe-1955 enethemba lokuphila ezulwini.

Iziganeko Ezaba Nefuthe Kubomi Bam

NgoFebruwari 1, 1949, ndaba nguvulindlela othe ngxi. Kungekudala ndaba nemihlali xa ndeva isaziso sokuba kuza kubakho indibano yezizwe ngezizwe kwisiXeko saseNew York kunyaka olandelayo. Sasikulangazelela ukuya, nto nje sasiswele iintsiba. Kwandula ke, ngoFebruwari 1950, utatomkhulu uThompson wafa, waza umakhulu wasihlawulela sobahlanu ngemali awayeyifumene njengelifa.

Kwiiveki ezithile ngaphambi kokuba sihambe, kwafika ileta evela kwikomkhulu lamaNgqina kaYehova eBrooklyn, eNew York. Yayindimemela kwiklasi ye-16 yesikolo saseGiliyadi sabavangeli basemazweni. Ndavuya gqitha, kuba ndandingekabi neminyaka eli-17 ubudala. Kulo klasi ndaba ngomnye wabafundi abalishumi abavela eMzantsi Afrika, abanandipha elo lungelo lingathethekiyo.

Emva kokuba siphumelele ngoFebruwari 1951, abasibhozo kuthi babuyiselwa eMzantsi Afrika ukuba baze kuba ngabavangeli basemazweni. Kwiminyaka elandelayo, mna neqabane endandisebenza nalo sashumayela ubukhulu becala kwiidolophana ekwakuthethwa isiBhulu kuzo. Ekuqaleni ndandingalwazi kakuhle olo lwimi, ibe ndikhumbula ngenye imini ndigoduka ngebhayisekile ndikhala ngokungabi nampumelelo kwam kubulungiseleli. Noko ke, ekuhambeni kwexesha ndaphucula ibe uYehova wayisikelela imigudu yam.

Umtshato Nomsebenzi Wokuhambahamba

Ngowe-1955, ndazana noJohn Cooke. Wanceda ekuqalisweni komsebenzi wokushumayela eFransi, ePortugal naseSpeyin ngaphambili nasemva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II ibe wayengumvangeli wasemazweni eAfrika kunyaka endadibana naye ngawo. Emva koko wandibhalela wathi: “Ndehlelwe zizinto ezintathu ezothusayo ngeveki nye . . . Umzalwana onesisa uye wandipha imoto encinane; ndiye ndamiselwa njengesicaka sesithili; kwaye ndiphandliwe.”a Satshata ngoDisemba 1957.

Sisathandana, uJohn wandiqinisekisa ukuba ubomi bethu buya kuhlala bubangel’ umdla, ibe wayenyanisile. Sasityelela amabandla kulo lonke elaseMzantsi Afrika, ingakumbi awabantsundu. Veki nganye, sasinengxaki yokufumana imvume yokungena kwezo ngingqi, andisathethi ke ngokulala apho. Izihlandlo ezimbalwa, sasilala phantsi kwivenkile engenanto ekufuphi kwingingqi yabamhlophe, size sizame ukuba singabonwa ngabantu abadlulayo. Ngokuqhelekileyo sasihlala kubazalwana abamhlophe abakufuphi, nangona amaxesha amaninzi babehlala kude.

Olunye ucelomngeni esasijamelene nalo yayingamaxhobongwana ezakhiwo zendibano ezazisakhiwa ehlathini. Sasibonisa iifilimu ezenziwe ngamaNgqina kaYehova ezanceda abantu baqonda ukuba simanyene ehlabathini lonke. Sasihamba nejenareyitha yokuvelisa umbane, kuba ezo ngingqi zazidla ngokungabi nambane. Sasiba neengxaki kwiindawo ezingamathanga eBritani apho iincwadi zethu zazingavumelekanga yaye olunye ucelomngeni yayikukufunda isiZulu. Sekunjalo, sasikuvuyela ukunceda abazalwana bethu.

NgoAgasti 1961, uJohn waba ngumhlohli wokuqala weSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani saseMzantsi Afrika esasithabatha iiveki ezine, nesasilungiselelwe ukunceda abaveleli bamabandla. Wayenobuchule bokufundisa ibe wayefikelela iintliziyo zabafundi lula ngokuqiqa nabo nangokusebenzisa imizekeliso ecacileyo. Phantse unyaka onesiqingatha sasisithi silapha sibe siphaya ngenxa yeeklasi zabo bathetha isiNgesi. Xa uJohn efundisa, mna ndandishumayela namaNgqina asekuhlaleni. Emva koko, sothuswa kukufumana ileta eyayisimemela ukuba siye kusebenza kwiofisi yesebe laseMzantsi Afrika kufuphi naseRhawutini ngoJulayi 1, 1964.

Noko ke, impilo kaJohn yayiqalisa ukungaqondakali. Ngowe-1948 wahlaselwa sisifo sephepha ibe ukususela ngoko wayedla ngokuphelelwa ngamandla. Wayedla ngokuziva ngathi uphethwe ngumkhuhlane aze agule kangangeentsuku—engakwazi ukwenza nto ibe engafuni kubona bantu. Ugqirha esaya kuye ngaphambi kokuba nje sibizelwe esebeni wathi uJohn unengxaki yokudandatheka.

Sasingayicingi nokuyicinga into yokuba sehlise isantya kwinkonzo yethu, njengoko ugqirha wayecebise njalo. Kwiofisi yesebe, uJohn wanikwa umsebenzi kwiSebe Lenkonzo, ndaza mna ndanikwa umsebenzi wokuhlola iimpazamo kumanqaku abhalwayo. Kwasivuyisa gqitha ukuba negumbi lethu! Ngaphambi kokuba sitshate uJohn wayeshumayela kwintsimi yabantu abathetha isiPhuthukezi, ngoko ngowe-1967 sacelwa ukuba siye kunceda ekuphela kwentsapho yamaNgqina eyayikho ethetha isiPhuthukezi sishumayele kumaPhuthukezi amaninzi aseRhawutini nakufuphi. Oku kwakuthetha ukuba kwakuza kufuneka ndiphinde ndifunde olunye ulwimi.

Njengoko abantu abathetha isiPhuthukezi babethe saa kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo, sasihamba gqitha—maxa wambi iikhilomitha ezingama-300 ukuze sifumane abafanelekayo. Ngelo xesha, amaNgqina athetha isiPhuthukezi aseMozambique aqalisa ukusityelela kwiindibano zethu, oko kwaba luncedo gqitha kwabasebatsha. Kwiminyaka eli-11 sikwintsimi yesiPhuthukezi, sabona iqela lethu elincinane labantu abangama-30 lisanda lisiba ngamabandla amane.

Iinguqu Ekhaya

Ebudeni belo xesha, kwenzeka iinguqu ekhaya. Ngowe-1960 udadewethu, uThelma, watshata noJohn Urban, uvulindlela waseUnited States. Ngowe-1965 baya kwiklasi yama-40 yaseGiliyadi baza bakhonza ngokunyaniseka njengabavangeli basemazweni eBrazil kangangeminyaka engama-25. Ngowe-1990 babuyela eOhio ukuya kunyamekela abazali bakaJohn abagulayo. Phezu kwabo nje ubunzima bokunyamekela abazali abagulayo, baye bahlala kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo de kube ngoku.

Yena umakhulu wafa ngowe-1965 eneminyaka engama-98 ubudala esathembekile kuThixo yaye enethemba lokuphila ezulwini. Ngaloo nyaka utata wathabath’ umhla-phantsi. Ngoko xa mna noJohn sacelwa ukuba siye kunceda kwintsimi yesiPhuthukezi, utata nomama bathi baza kusincedisa. Balomeleza gqitha eli qela, ibe emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa kwamiswa ibandla. Kungekudala emva koko, umama wahlaselwa ngumhlaza, oye wambulala ngowe-1971. Utata wafa kwiminyaka esixhenxe emva koko.

Ukuhlangabezana Nokugula KukaJohn

Ngeyee-1970 kwaye kwacaca ukuba impilo kaJohn ayibi bhetele. Ngokuthe ngcembe kwafuneka ayeke amalungelo enkonzo athile awayewathanda kuquka ukuqhuba iSifundo seMboniselo veki nganye kwintsapho yaseBheteli nengxubusho yeBhayibhile yasekuseni. Wayeka ukusebenza kwiSebe Lenkonzo waza waya kusebenza kwiSebe Lembalelwano emva koko waya kusebenza egadini.

Ukuzimisela kukaJohn kwenza kwanzima ukuba enze utshintsho. Xa ndandizama ukumnqanda ukuba ayekelele kancinane, wayedla ngokundiqhula athi andizuva ngawe aze emva koko andange ngobubele. Ekugqibeleni sabona kukuhle ukuba siyishiye intsimi yesiPhuthukezi size sibe kwibandla elaliqhuba iintlanganiso zalo kwiHolo yoBukumkani elapha kwisebe.

Njengoko impilo kaJohn yayisiba mandundu, kwakuchukumisa ukubona indlela anolwalamano olusondeleyo ngayo noYehova. Xa evuka ezinzulwini zobusuku edandatheke gqitha, sasincokola de azole aze athandaze kuYehova ecela uncedo. Ekugqibeleni wakwazi ukuhlangabezana nale ngxaki yedwa ngokuzinyanzela ukuba aphindaphinde kancinane amazwi akweyabaseFilipi 4:6, 7 athi: “Musani ukuxhalela nantoni na . . . ” Emva koko wayezola aze aqalise ukuthandaza. Ndandidla ngokuvuka ndize ngokuzola ndijonge imilebe yakhe eshukumayo njengoko ethandaza ngokunyaniseka kuYehova.

Ekubeni isebe lethu lalixinana gqitha, kwaqaliswa ukwakhiwa kwesebe elitsha elikhulu ngaphandle kwaseRhawutini. Mna noJohn sasidla ngokutyelela le ndawo yakhiwayo ezolileyo, nekude kwingxolo nomoya ongcolileyo wasedolophini. Kwamnceda gqitha uJohn ukuvunyelwa kwethu ukuba siye kuhlala apho kwiindawo zokuhlala zokwexeshana de elo sebe litsha lagqitywa.

Ucelomngeni Olutsha

Njengoko ingqondo kaJohn yayingasasebenzi kakuhle, kwaba nzima ukuba aphumeze izabelo zakhe. Kwakundichukumisa gqitha ukubona indlela abanye ababemxhasa ngayo kwimigudu yakhe. Ngokomzekelo, xa umzalwana esiya kwenza uphando kwithala leencwadi likawonkewonke, wayehamba noJohn. UJohn wayebuya ezalise iipokotho ngamaphecana namaphephancwadi. Oku kwakumenza azive ephumeze okuthile yaye exatyisiwe.

Ekugqibeleni, isifo sika-Alzheimer samenza akakwazi ukufunda. Kwakusinceda ukuba neekhasethi zeencwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni nezeengoma zoBukumkani. Sasisoloko siphulaphule zona. UJohn wayedla ngokucaphuka ukuba andiphulaphulanga naye, ngoko ndandizixakekisa ngokunitha ebudeni bezo yure zininzi siphulaphule. Oku kwasenza sanemfumba yeejezi neengubo.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha, imeko kaJohn yafuna ndimnyamekele ngakumbi. Nangona ndadidla ngokudinwa gqitha ukuba ndifunde naye, kwakulilungelo ukumnyamekela de kwasekupheleni. Eso siphelo safika ngowe-1998 xa uJohn wafela ezandleni zam eneminyaka engama-85 ubudala—enyaniseke kwada kwasekugqibeleni. Ndilangazelela ngokungathethekiyo ukumbona eluvukweni, esempilweni nengqondo yakhe isebenza kakuhle!

Ukuhlaziyeka

Emva kokufa kukaJohn, kwakunzima ukungabi namntu. Ngoko ngoMeyi 1999, ndatyelela udadewethu, uThelma nomyeni wakhe eUnited States. Kwakuvuyisa gqitha ibe kuhlaziya ukudibana nabahlobo abaninzi abanyanisekileyo, ingakumbi xa sasityelele kwikomkhulu lamaNgqina kaYehova eNew York! Oko kwandikhuthaza gqitha ngokomoya nto leyo endandiyifuna.

Ukucinga ngobomi bentsapho yakuthi enyanisekileyo kundikhumbuza izinto ezininzi eziye zayingenelo kum. Ngokomzekelo, ngenxa yemfundiso noncedo lwabo ndiye ndafunda ukuphangalala ekuthandeni abantu bezinye iintlanga. Ndiye ndafunda ukuba nomonde, ukunyamezela nokuba bhetyebhetye. Ngaphezu kwako konke, ndiye ndabona indlela anobubele ngayo uYehova, uMphulaphuli wemithandazo. Ndiyavumelana nomdumisi owathi: “Unoyolo lowo umkhethayo uze umbangele asondele, ukuze ahlale ezintendelezweni zakho. Ngokuqinisekileyo siya kwaneliswa kukulunga kwendlu yakho.”—INdumiso 65:4.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

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Umakhulu neentombi zakhe

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Ndikunye nabazali bam xa ndandibhaptizwa ngowe-1948

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Ndikunye noAlbert Schroeder, owayebhalisa abafundi baseGiliyadi, nabafundi abasithoba abavela eMzantsi Afrika

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Ndikunye noJohn ngowe-1984