Ibali Lobomi
Indlela Esinge Kwihlabathi Elitsha
Kubalisa uJack Pramberg
Kummandla ongaphandle kweArboga, idolophu encinane nentle kumbindi waseSweden, amaNgqina kaYehova aneofisi yesebe enamatsha-ntliziyo angaphezu kwama-80. Eli likhaya lethu, mna nomfazi wam uKarin, sisebenza kwaye sihlala kwalapha. Seza njani apha?
NGASEKUPHELENI kwenkulungwane ye-19, intombazana yaseSweden eneminyaka eli-15 yafudukela eUnited States. Kwindawo ehlala iimbacu kwiSixeko saseNew York, yadibana nomatiloshe waseSweden. Bathandana baza batshata, bandula ke bazala unyana—ndim ke lowo. Ndazalelwa eBronx, eNew York, eU.S.A., ngowe-1916, ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi I.
Kungekudala emva koko, safudukela eBrooklyn, kufuphi neBrooklyn Heights. Kamva utata wandibalisela ukuba mna naye sasikhe sahamba ngesikhephe kufuphi neBrooklyn Bridge, yaye kulapho wawunokubona khona ikomkhulu lamaNgqina kaYehova. Ndandingazi ukuba oko kwenziwa apho kuza kubuchaphazela ubomi bam.
Ngowe-1918 iMfazwe Yehlabathi I yaphela, yaye okwexeshana kwakusekuphelile ukubulawa kwabantu eYurophu. Amajoni agoduka kodwa aba nengxaki yokungafumani umsebenzi nendlala. Utata wabona ukuba kungakuhle ukubuyela eSweden, yaye senjenjalo ngowe-1923. Sahlala e-Erikstad, idolophana ekufuphi nesikhululo sikaloliwe, kummandla waseDalsland. Utata waqalisa ishishini loononjineli, ngoko ndakhulela apho ndaza ndafunda khona.
Kwatyalwa Imbewu
Ishishini likatata alizange lihambe kakuhle. Ngoko ekuqaleni kwee-1930, waba ngumatiloshe kwakhona. Sasala sodwa—umama eneengxaki ezininzi yaye mna ndinyamekela ishishini lasekhaya. Ngolunye usuku, uMama watyelela ubawokazi, uJohan. Ekubeni wayexhalatyiswe ziimeko zehlabathi, wambuza: “Johan, ngaba izinto ziza kuqhubeka zilolu hlobo?”
Wathi kuye: “Akunjalo, Ruth.” Waqhubeka emxelela ngesithembiso sikaThixo sokuphelisa ubungendawo nokuzisa ulawulo olulungileyo emhlabeni esebenzisa uBukumkani, uYesu Kristu enguKumkani. (Isaya 9:6, 7; Daniyeli 2:44) Wamchazela ukuba uBukumkani, uYesu awasifundisa ukuba sibuthandazele, yayilulawulo okanye urhulumente olungileyo, oya kuzisa umhlaba oyiparadesi.—Mateyu 6:9, 10; ISityhilelo 21:3, 4.
Amchukumisa gqitha uMama loo mathemba. Waya ekhaya, ehamba ebulela uThixo endleleni. Kodwa mna noTata asizange siyithande into yokuba uMama ngoku enomdla kunqulo. Kanye ngelo xesha, phakathi kweyee-1930, ndafudukela eTrollhättan kwintshona yeSweden, apho ndafumana umsebenzi kumzi-mveliso omkhulu. Kungekudala uMama noTata, owayesandul’ ukubuya kumsebenzi wakhe njengomatiloshe, bafudukela kwindawo endihlala kuyo. Ngoko intsapho yakowethu yamanyana kwakhona.
Ukuze anelise intswelo yakhe yokomoya, umama wafuna amaNgqina kaYehova kule ndawo. Ngelo xesha, ayehlanganiselana emakhayeni, kanye njengokuba amaKristu okuqala ayesenjenjalo. (Filemon 1, 2) Ngolunye usuku, yayilithuba likaMama lokuba asebenzise indlu yasekhaya ukuze kuqhutyelwe kuyo iintlanganiso. Enexhala, wacela kuTata imvume yokumema abahlobo bakhe. Utata waphendula: “Abahlobo bakho ngabahlobo bam.”
Ngoko babamkelekile ekhaya. Njengoko babengena, mna ndahamba. Kodwa akubanga thuba lide nam ndahlala xa befika. Ububele bamaNgqina nendlela aqiqa ngayo kwandenza ndayeka ukuwathiya. Kwaqalisa ukutyalwa kwembewu entliziyweni yam—ithemba ngekamva.
Ukuya Elwandle
Kumele ukuba ndifuze uTata ngokuthanda ulwandle, kuba nam ndaba ngumatiloshe. Kwakhona ndaqonda ukuba ndinentswelo yokomoya. Xa sasisezibukweni, ndandidla ngokuqhagamshelana namaNgqina kaYehova. EAmsterdam, eHolland (ngoku eyiNetherlands), ndaya eposini ndifuna ukwazi apho ndinokuwafumana khona. Emva kwexesha, ndafumana iadresi ndaza ndaya ngokukhawuleza. Ndamkelwa yintwazana eneminyaka eli-10 emnyango. Kwakungekho mntu ndimaziyo, kodwa ngoko nangoko ndakhawuleza ndaqhelana nayo nentsapho yakowayo—ndabona indlela abazalwana abathandana ngayo!
Nangona sasingathethi ulwimi olufanayo, xa le ntsapho yatyhila ikhalenda nocwangciso lukaloliwe yaza yazoba imaphu, ndaqonda ukuba kwakuza kubakho indibano kwidolophu ekufuphi yaseHaarlem. Ndaya apho, yaye nangona ndandingakuva oko kuthethwayo, ndakuthanda. Xa ndabona amaNgqina esasaza izimemo zentetho yesidlangalala eza kubakho ngeCawa, ndafuna ukuba nenxaxheba nam. Ngoko ndandihamba ndichola izimemo ezilahlwe ngabantu ndize ndizisasaze kwakhona.
Ngenye imini, safika eBuenos Aires, eArgentina, yaye ndafumana iofisi yesebe yamaNgqina kaYehova. Phakathi kwakukho iofisi negumbi lokugcina iincwadi. Kwidesika, kwakuhleli elinye ibhinqa linitha, yaye kwakukho intombazana encinane, mhlawumbi intombi yalo, idlala ngonodoli. Kwakusebusuku, yaye kukho indoda ethile isothula iincwadi kwithala, kuquka nencwadi ethi Creation ngolwimi lwaseSweden. Xa ndibona indlela abonwabe ngayo, ndaqonda ukuba ndifuna ukuba yinxalenye yaba bantu.
Xa sigoduka, inqanawa yethu yakhwelisa abantu abavela kwinqwelo-moya yomkhosi waseKhanada eye yawela kunxweme lwaseNewfoundland. Kwiintsuku ezimbalwa kamva, sasikufuphi neSkotlani, apho isikhephe semfazwe saseNgilani sathimba isikhephe sethu. Sasiwa eKirkwall kwiziQithi zaseOrkney ukuze sigocagocwe. Yayisele iqalisile iMfazwe Yehlabathi II, yaye amajoni amaNazi kaHitler ahlasela iPoland ngoSeptemba 1939. Emva kweentsuku ezimbalwa sakhululwa, sabuyela eSweden ngaphandle kwengxaki.
Ndabuyela ekhaya, yaye ndakwazi nokunikela ingqalelo kwizinto zokomoya. Ngoku ndandifuna ngokwenene ukuba yinxalenye yabantu bakaThixo yaye ndandingafuni ukukutyeshela ukuhlanganisana nabo. (Hebhere 10:24, 25) Kuyandivuyisa ukukhumbula ukuba njengomatiloshe, ndandidla ngokushumayela kwabanye oomatiloshe, yaye ndiyazi ukuba omnye wabo waba liNgqina.
Uhlobo Olukhethekileyo Lwenkonzo
Ekuqaleni kowe-1940, ndatyelela iofisi yesebe lamaNgqina kaYehova eStockholm. Ndamkelwa nguJohan H. Eneroth, owayesongamela umsebenzi wokushumayela eSweden ngelo xesha. Xa ndamxelela ukuba ndifuna ukuba nenxaxheba ngokuzeleyo kumsebenzi wokushumayela njengovulindlela, wandithi ntsho waza wandibuza, “Ngaba uyakholelwa ukuba le yintlangano kaThixo?”
Ndaphendula ndathi: “Ewe.” Oku kwakhokelela ekubeni ndibhaptizwe ngoJuni 22, 1942, ndaza ndaqalisa ukukhonza kwisebe kwindawo emnandi kunye nabazalwana bam. Sasichitha iimpela-veki entsimini. Ehlotyeni sasidla ngokuhamba ngebhayisekile sisiya kwintsimi ekude size sichithe yonke impela-veki sishumayela, silala phezu kwefula ebusuku.
Kodwa ke, ubukhulu becala sasishumayela kwindlu ngendlu eStockholm nakwiindawo ezikufuphi. Ngenye imini, ndabona indoda kumgangatho ongaphantsi kwendlu yayo, ibhuduzela ilungisa isixhobo sokubilisa amanzi. Ngoko ndayincedisa. Xa loo manzi ayeka ukuvuza, le ndoda yandijonga inombulelo yaza yathi: “Ndicinga ukuba ikho enye into oyizeleyo. Ngoko masinyuke size sihlambe izandla zethu, sifumane ikomityi yekofu.” Senjenjalo, yaye ngoxa siphunga ndayishumayeza. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, yaba ngumKristu.
Nangona iSweden yayingenanxaxheba kwimfazwe, abantu balapho babechatshazelwa yiyo. Baninzi abafana ababizelwa emkhosini, kuquka nam. Xa ndala ukwenza uqeqesho lwasemkhosini, ndavalelwa okwexeshana. Kamva, ndagwetyelwa ukuba ndiye kwinkampu yentolongo. AmaNgqina aselula ayedla ngokuya kwijaji, yaye sasikwazi ukunikela ubungqina ngoBukumkani bukaThixo. Kwakuzaliseka isiprofeto sikaYesu esithi: “Niya kurholelwa phambi kweerhuluneli nookumkani ngenxa yam, ukuze kube bubungqina kubo nakwiintlanga.”—Mateyu 10:18.
Ubomi Bam Buyatshintsha
Ngowe-1945 imfazwe yaphela eYurophu. Kamva kuloo nyaka, uNathan H. Knorr, owayesongamela umsebenzi ehlabathini lonke, wasityelela evela eBrooklyn, ehamba nonobhala wakhe, uMilton Henschel. Utyelelo lwabo lwalubaluleke kakhulu ukuze umsebenzi wokushumayela eSweden ulungelelaniswe—yaye nam ndazuza lukhulu. Xa ndeva ukuba ndingakwazi ukuya kwiSikolo SeBhayibhile SeWatchtower saseGiliyadi, ndabhalisa ngoko nangoko.
Kunyaka olandelayo, ndandihleli eklasini kweso sikolo, esasiseSouth Lansing, eNew York ngelo xesha. Ebudeni bezi zifundo zeenyanga ezintlanu, ndafumana uqeqesho olwandenza ndayixabisa ngqitha iBhayibhile nentlangano kaThixo. Ndafumanisa ukuba abo balathisayo kumsebenzi wokushumayela ehlabathini lonke babenobubele novelwano. Babezibhokoxa emsebenzini, bekunye nathi. (Mateyu 24:14) Nangona oku kungazange kundothuse, kwandivuyisa xa ndikubona ngawam amehlo.
Kungekudala kwafika ixesha—ngoFebruwari 9, 1947—lokuba iklasi yesibhozo yeSikolo saseGiliyadi ifumane izidanga. UMzalwan’ uKnorr wenza isaziso selizwe ngamnye wethu aza kuya kulo. Xa kwafika ithuba lokuba achaze mna, wathi: “UMzalwan’ uPramberg ubuyela eSweden ukuya kukhonza abazalwana bakhe apho.” Mandivume ukuba ndandingakuvuyeli kangako ukuya ekhaya.
Ukuhlangabezana Nesabelo Esinzima
Xa ndabuyela eSweden, ndeva ngomsebenzi omtsha oqalwa kumazwe amaninzi ehlabathini lonke—umsebenzi wesithili. Ndamiselwa ukuba ndikhonze njengomveleli wesithili wokuqala eSweden, yaye isabelo sam yayikukuhamba kulo lonke eli lizwe. Ndandilungiselela yaye ndinyamekela oko kamva kwabizwa ngokuba ziindibano zesiphaluka, ezazibakho kwizixeko nakwiidolophu eziseSweden. Ekubeni sasiqala ukubakho esi sabelo, ndandingenayo inkcazelo eninzi. Mna noMzalwan’ uEneroth senza ucwangciso oluthile kangangoko sinako. Ndandithandaza izihlandlo ezininzi kuYehova ekufumaneni kwam esi sabelo. Ndakhonza kangangeminyaka eli-15 kuloo msebenzi wesithili.
Ngaloo maxesha kwakunzima ukufumana indawo efanelekileyo yokuba neendibano. Kwakufuneka saneliseke kukuhlanganisana kwiiholo zomngqungqo nezinye iindawo ezifana nezo, ezazingafudumalanga kangako yaye zingekho kwimeko entle. Ngokomzekelo enye indawo esahlanganisana kuyo yayiseRökiö, eFinland. Le holo yasekuhlaleni yayindala yaye ingasasetyenziswa. Kwakukho ikhephu ngaphandle, yaye iqondo lobushushu lalisisine ngaphantsi kweqondo lokukhenkca. Ngoko saqalisa ukubasa umlilo kwizitovu ezikhulu zokufudumeza ezenziwe ngemigqomo yeoli. Kodwa ke sasingazi ukuba iintaka zazakhe izindlu zazo kwitshimini. Kwazala umsi kuloo ndawo. Sekunjalo, sambathe iidyasi yaye amehlo ebuhlungu, wonke umntu waqhubeka ehleli phantsi. Le ndibano yayingenakulibaleka.
Ngaphezu kokulungiselela iindibano zesiphaluka zeentsuku ezintathu kwakufanele silungiselele abantu ukutya. Ekuqaleni, sasingenazo izinto zokupheka yaye singenalwazi ngokwenziwa kwamalungiselelo anjalo. Kodwa sasinabazalwana noodade abanomoy’ omhle ababekuvuyela ukwenza loo msebenzi. Ngosuku olungaphambi kwendibano, wawunokubabona begobe kwisitya esikhulu, bechuba iitapile ngoxa bebalisa amava yaye bekunandipha oko bakwenzayo. Abazalwana noodade abaninzi bazana kwezo zihlandlo zinjalo ngoxa besebenza kunye.
Ukuhamba siphethe iiplacards sibhengeza ezi ndibano zesiphaluka kwakungomnye wemisebenzi yethu. Sasihamba kwiidolophu nakwiidolophana, simemela abahlali kwintetho yesidlangalala. Ngokuqhelekileyo abantu babenobubele yaye benembeko. Ngenye imini kwidolophu yaseFinspång, isitrato sasinabasebenzi abavela kumzi-mveliso. Ngesiquphe omnye wabo wakhwaza esithi: “Jongani, naba abantu uHitler angakwazanga ukuboyisa!”
Isiganeko Esikhulu Ebomini Bam
Kungekudala ubomi bam njengomlungiseleli ohambahambayo babuza kutshintsha emva kokudibana noKarin, ibhinqa elihle eliselula. Sobabini samenywa ukuba siye kwindibano yezizwe ngezizwe eYankee Stadium, kwiSixeko saseNew York, ngoJulayi 1953. Apho, ebudeni bekhefu ngoMvulo ngomhla wama-20, uMilton Henschel wasitshatisa. Yayiyinto engaqhelekanga ukuba yenziwe kwindawo yebhola. Emva kokukhonza kunye kumsebenzi wokuhambahamba de kwangowe-1962, mna noKarin samenywa ukuba sibe kunye nentsapho yaseBheteli eSweden. Ekuqaleni, ndandisebenza kwiSebe Loncwadi. Emva koko, ngenxa yoqeqesho endalufumana kwezokukhanda, ndabelwa ukuba ndinyamekele oomatshini bokushicilela kwakunye neminye imisebenzi. UKarin wasebenza kangangeminyaka kwindawo yokuhlamba iimpahla. Ngoku kangangeminyaka emininzi, ebesebenza njengomhloli weempazamo kwiSebe Lokuguqulela.
Siye saba nobomi obumnandi nobonwabisayo sikhonza uYehova kunye njengesibini esitshatileyo kangangeminyaka engama-54! Ngokwenene uYehova uye wayisikelela intlangano yakhe yabakhonzi abanothando nabazibhokoxayo emsebenzini. Ngowe-1940, ukuqala kwam ukusebenza kwisebe, kwakukho amaNgqina ali-1 500 kuphela eSweden. Kodwa ngoku angaphezu kwama-22 000. Ulwando luye lwaba lukhulu nakakhulu kwezinye iindawo zomhlaba, kangangokuba ngoku singaphezu kwezigidi ezithandathu ezinesiqingatha.
Umoya kaYehova uyawuxhasa umsebenzi wethu, uhlala usalathisa. Sinokholo, asiphazanyiswa luluntu olungazinzanga. Sisinge kwilizwe elitsha likaThixo. Mna noKarin sibulela uThixo ngabo bonke ubulungisa bakhe yaye mihla le sithandazela amandla okukwazi ukugcina ingqibelelo size ekugqibeleni silufikele usukelo lwethu—ukukholisa uThixo nokufumana ubomi obungunaphakade!—Mateyu 24:13.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 12]
Ndikunye nomama
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Ndihamba ngesikhephe noTata ngasekuqaleni kweminyaka yee-1920
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Sikunye noHerman Henschel (uyise kaMilton) eGiliyadi, ngowe-1946
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Satshata eYankee Stadium ngoJulayi 20, 1953