Ndandifuna Ukufana Nentombi KaYifeta

Kubalisa uJoanna Soans

Xa ndandikwishumi elivisayo, ndaba nomnqweno onamandla wokufuna ukufana nentombi kaYifeta. Makhe ndikubalisele yintoni eyayisengqondweni yam yaye ekugqibeleni ndafana njani nayo.

NGOWE-1956, ndaya okokuqala kwindibano yamaNgqina kaYehova eyayiseBombay (ngoku eyiMumbai), eIndiya, yabutshintsha ubomi bam. Yandichukumisa gqitha intetho endayiva apho eyayithetha ngentombi kaYifeta.

Njengoko usenokuba ufundile eBhayibhileni, ngentombi kaYifeta, eyavuma ukuhlala ingatshatanga xa yayisekwishumi elivisayo. Loo nto yamenza uyise wakwazi ukuzalisekisa isifungo awayesenzile. Le ntwazana yakhonza endlwini kaThixo okanye emnqubeni ingatshatanga, ubomi bayo bonke.—ABagwebi 11:28-40.

Ndandikufuna gqitha ukufana nayo. Kodwa ndajamelana nengxaki enkulu—ngelo xesha, eIndiya ukuhlala ungatshatanga kwakuchasene nenkcubeko yethu.

Imvelaphi Yentsapho Yakowethu

Ndandingowesihlanu kubantwana abathandathu bakaBenjamin noMarcelina Soans eUdipi, isixeko esikwintshona yonxweme lwaseIndiya. Ulwimi lwethu lwenkobe sisiTulu, ulwimi oluthethwa ngabantu abamalunga nezigidi ezibini. Noko ke, njengenkoliso yabantu baseUdipi, safundiswa ngolwimi lwesiKannada.

Ukutshata uze ube nabantwana kuxatyisiwe kule ngingqi. Xa ndandikhula andikhumbuli ndifunda amabinzana esiTulu anjengathi “ukungatshati,” “ubulolo,” okanye “ukukhumbul’ ikhaya.” Kwakungathi ezi meko azizange zibekho. Ngokomzekelo, intsapho yakowethu, yayiquka ootatomkhulu noomakhulu becala lakulo tata nelakulo mama, oobawokazi, oodadobawo, oomalume, oomakazi abantakwethu nabazala.

Ngokwemveli, umnombo wethu ulandwa kwicala likamama, abantwana bajongwa njengabentsapho kamama kungekhona katata. Umlibo ulandwa ngaye, yaye amantombazana afumana ilifa elingakumbi. Kweminye imimandla yamaTulu, intombazana ayendi kodwa ngumyeni owendayo.

Ekubeni intsapho yakowethu yaba ngamaGqobhoka, ezinye izinto sasizenza ngendlela eyahlukileyo. Ngaphambi kokuba silale utatomkhulu wayekhokela intsapho xa kunqulwa, afunde iBhayibhile yesiTulu aze athandaze. Nanini na evula iBhayibhile yakhe endala aze asifundele yona, kwakuba ngathi uvula ibhokisi enobuncwane. Kwakuba mnandi gqitha. INdumiso 23:1 yayindichukumisa xa isithi: “UYehova ngumaLusi wam. Andiyi kuswela nto.” Ndandizibuza ukuba, ‘ngubani lo Yehova yaye kutheni kusithiwa ngumlusi nje?’

Awa ‘Amaxolo’ Emehlweni Am

Ngenxa yokudodobala kwezoqoqosho emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II, safudukela eBombay, isixeko esikumgama weekhilomitha ezingama-900 ukusuka apho sasihlala khona. Ngowe-1945, amaNgqina kaYehova amabini atyelela utata aza amnika iBhayibhile. Utata wasiqongqoloza isigidimi sayo kanye ngendlela umhlaba ongumqwebedu owafunxa ngayo amanzi emva kwemvula, yaye waqalisa ukuthetha nabanye abantu abathetha isiKannada ngezinto azifunde kuyo. Ekuqaleni kowe-1950, iqela elincinane lakhula laba libandla lokuqala elithetha isiKannada eBombay.

Utata nomama basifundisa ukuba sikukhuthalele ukufunda iBhayibhile yaye sikwazi nokufundisa abanye kakuhle. Suku ngalunye, babesenza ithuba lokuba bafunde baze bathandaze kunye nathi. (Duteronomi 6:6, 7; 2 Timoti 3:14-16) Ngenye imini xa ndandifunda iBhayibhile, ngokungathi kunjalo, awa amaxolo emehlweni am. Ndafunda ukuba uYehova ufaniswa nomalusi kuba uyabakhokela, abondle aze abakhusele abanquli bakhe.—INdumiso 23:1-6; 83:18.

UYehova Uye Wandikhokela

Ndabhaptizwa kancinane nje emva kwendibano engalibalekiyo eyayiseBombay ngowe-1956. Emva kweenyanga ezintandathu, ndalandela umzekelo womntakwethu omdala uPrabhaka ndaba ngumshumayeli ngokusisigxina. Nangona ndandikulungele ukwabelana nabanye ngeenyaniso zeBhayibhile, ayephela emqaleni xa ndizama ukuthetha ngezinto endizikholelwayo. Ndandi-a-a-za nelizwi lam lingcangcazela. Ndikhala ndaze ndathi: ‘Lo msebenzi ndingawenza ngoncedo lukaYehova kuphela.’

Uncedo oluvela kuYehova lwafika ngowe-1947 ngokuthunyelwa kwabathunywa bevangeli uHomer noRuth McKay baseKhanada, ababeqeqeshwe kwisikolo sabathunywa bevangeli samaNgqina kaYehova esiseNew York, eUnited States. Bandinceda kwiinxalenye ezahlukahlukeneyo zobulungiseleli, njengoko ndandiqalisa ukushumayela. URuth wayesoloko eqhelisela kunye nam iintshumayelo esizisebenzisa kwindlu ngendlu. Wayeyazi kakuhle indlela yokundithomalalisa. Ebambe izandla zam ezingcangcazelayo, wayeye athi: “Ungakhathazeki. Masizame kwindlu elandelayo.” Ilizwi lakhe elikhuthazayo landomeleza.

Ngenye imini, ndaxelelwa ukuba uElizabeth Chakranarayan, udade, osele ekhulile nonamava okufundisa iBhayibhile, uza kushumayela kunye nam. Ekuqaleni ndazibuza oku: ‘Ndiza kuhlala njani nalo dade? Mdala gqitha kunam.’ Kodwa kwacaca ukuba uza kuba ngoyena mntu ufanelekileyo.

“Enyanisweni Asingomalolo”

Isabelo sethu sokuqala sasiseAurangabad, isixeko esinembali, kumgama weekhilomitha ezingama-400 empuma yeBombay. Sakhawuleza saqonda ukuba sithi kuphela amaNgqina kwesi sixeko esinabantu abaphantse babesisigidi. Ukongezelela koko, kwafuneka ndifunde isiMarathi, ulwimi oluthethwa ngabantu abaninzi kweso sixeko.

Maxa wambi, ndandiziva ndililolo ndize ndicuntsule kulento yabantwana. Kodwa ilizwi lobuzali likaElizabeth lalindikhuthaza. Wayedla ngokuthi: “Maxa wambi sinokuziva singamalolo, kodwa enyanisweni asingawo. Nangona ukude kubahlobo nakwintsapho yakho, uYehova usoloko enawe. Menze umhlobo wakho ubulolo buya kuthi shwaka.” Ndawathabathela entliziweni amazwi akhe.

Xa imali ishokoxekile, sasihamba iikhilomitha ezingama-20 yonke imihla kwindlela enothuli, udaka, kubanda kushushu. Ehlotyeni amaqondo obushushu ayentinga ayokuthi xhaxhe kuma-40. Ngexesha lezantyalantyala zemvula, iinxalenye zalo mmandla wawuba ngumgxobhozo iinyanga eziliqela. Kodwa safumanisa ukuba yayingamasiko asekuhlaleni awayelucelomngeni kunemozulu.

Amabhinqa ayengathethi namadoda esidlangalaleni ngaphandle kokuba bayazalana yaye kwakungafane kwenzeke ukuba ibhinqa lifundise indoda. Ngenxa yoko sasigculelwa. Kwiinyanga ezintandathu zokuqala, yayiba sithi sobabini kuphela kwiintlanganiso veki nganye. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, abantu abanomdla baqalisa ukuza. Akuzange kubekudala kwasekwa iqela elincinane. Kangangokuba abanye babesiya nathi kubulungiseleli.

“Qhubeka Ubuphucula Ubuchule Bakho”

Malunga nasemva kweminyaka emibini, sabuyiselwa kwaseBombay. Ngoxa uElizabeth wayeqhubeka nomsebenzi wokushumayela, ndacelwa ukuba ndiye kuncedisa utata, owayekuphela komguquleli oguqulela kulwimi lwesiKannada. Waluvuyela uncedo lwam, ekubeni wayeneembopheleleko ezininzi ebandleni.

Ngowe-1966, abazali bam bagqiba ekubeni babuyele eUdipi, kowethu. Xa uTata wayeshiya iBombay wathi: “Qhubeka ubuphucula ubuchule bakho ntomb’ am. Guqulela ngendlela elula necacileyo. Ungazithembi ngokugqithiseleyo, yaye uthobeke. Kholosa ngoYehova.” Eli yaba licebiso lakhe lokugqibela, kuba wasweleka ngokukhawuleza emva kokubuyela eUdipi. Ndisazimisele ekwenzeni kanye oko wayendicebise kona kumsebenzi wam wokuguqulela de kwanamhla oku.

“Ngaba Awukufuni Ukuzinza?”

Kusisithethe eIndiya ukuba abazali babonele abantwana babo amaqabane omtshato besebancinane baze babakhuthaze babe nabantwana. Ngenxa yoko bendisoloko ndibuzwa ukuba: “Andikufuni na ukuzinza? Ngubani oza kukunyamekela xa sele waluphele? Awukhe uzive ulilolo?”

Maxa wambi ibiye indikhathaze le mibuzo. Ngoxa ndandiye ndiyifihle indlela endivakalelwa ngayo xa ndiphakathi kwabantu, ngasese ndandiye ndizityande igila kuYehova. Ndaziva ndithuthuzelekile kukwazi ukuba wayengandijongi njengomntu ongaphelelanga kuba ndingatshatanga. Ukuze ndihlaziye isigqibo sam sokuhlala ndingatshatanga, ndacinga ngentombi kaYifeta noYesu—babengatshatanga yaye bexakekile besenza ukuthanda kukaThixo.—Yohane 4:34.

Isipho Esivela KuYehova

Mna noElizabeth saqhubeka singabahlobo phantse iminyaka engama-50. Wasweleka ngowama-2005, eneminyaka engama-98 ubudala. Ekubeni wayengasakwazi ukufunda iBhayibhile ngenxa yorhatyazo, wayechitha ixesha elininzi ethetha ephalaz’ imbilini yakhe kuThixo. Ngamanye amaxesha ndandiye ndicinge ukuba kukho isibhalo asixubusha nomnye umntu egumbini lakhe, kodwa ke ndandiye ndifumanise ukuba uthetha noYehova. KuElizabeth uYehova wayengumntu wokwenene, yaye wayephila ngokungathi ukunye naye. Ndaye ndafunda ukuba le yeyona ndlela yokunqula uThixo ngokungagungqiyo, njengentombi kaYifeta. Ndinombulelo kuYehova ngokundinika udade osele ekhulile nonamava, ukuze andiqeqeshe xa ndandiselula nangamaxesha anzima.—INtshumayeli 4:9, 10.

Ezinjani iintsikelelo endiye ndazixhamla ngokukhonza uYehova njengentombi kaYifeta! Ukuhlala ndingatshatanga nokulandela isiluleko seBhayibhile kundincede ndakwazi ukuphila ubomi obunenzuzo, ngoxa ‘ndikhonza iNkosi rhoqo ngaphandle kwesiphazamiso.’—1 Korinte 7:35.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

Utata enikela intetho yesidlangalala eBombay kwiminyaka yee-1950.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

Ndikunye noElizabeth ngaphambi nje kokuba asweleke

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Ndibhengeza intetho yesidlangalala eBombay ngowe-1960

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 29]

Ndikunye nabanye abaguquleli kwiofisi yokuguqulela