Ibali Lobomi

Sele Ingamashumi Asixhenxe Iminyaka Ndibambelele Esondweni Lendoda EngumYuda

Kubalisa uLeonard Smith

Xa ndandiqala ukuba kwishumi elivisayo, ndachukunyiswa ziindinyana ezimbini zeBhayibhile. Nangona sekudlule iminyaka engama-70, ndisayikhumbula intsingiselo kaZekariya 8:23, othetha ‘ngamadoda alishumi’ abambe “isondo lendoda engumYuda.” Athi kulo mYuda: “Siza kuhamba nani, kuba sivile ukuba uThixo unani.”

INDODA yomYuda imela amaKristu athanjisiweyo yaye “amadoda alishumi” amela ‘ezinye izimvu’ okanye “amaYonadabhi” njengoko zazibizwa ngolo hlobo ngelo xesha.a (Yoh. 10:16) Emva kokuba ndiqonde loo nyaniso, ndabona ukuba ukuzaliseka kwethemba endinalo lokuphila emhlabeni ngonaphakade kuxhomekeke ekuluxhaseni kwam ngokuthembeka udidi lwabathanjiswa.

Nomzekelo kaYesu ‘wezimvu’ ‘neebhokhwe’ okuMateyu 25:31-46, wandichukumisa kakhulu. ‘Izimvu’ zifuzisela abo ekugqibeleni baye bagwetywa njengabalungileyo ngenxa yokuba baye benza okuhle kubazalwana bakaKristu abathanjisiweyo abasesemhlabeni. NjengomYonadabhi oselula, ndazixelela ukuba ‘Len, ukuze uKristu akugqale njengemvu, umele uxhase abazalwana bakhe abathanjisiweyo, wamkele ukhokelo lwabo kuba uThixo unabo.’ Le ndlela ndisiqonda ngayo esi sibhalo iye yandikhokela ebudeni beminyaka engaphezu kwengamashumi asixhenxe.

‘NDIKWEYIPHI INDAWO?’

UMama wabhaptizwa ngowe-1925 kwiholo ekuqhutyelwa kuyo iintlanganiso eBheteli. Le holo yayibizwa ngokuba yiLondon Tabernacle yaye yayisetyenziswa ngabazalwana ababekuloo mmandla. Ndazalwa ngo-Oktobha 15, 1926. NgoMatshi 1940, ndabhaptizwa kwindibano eyayiseDover kunxweme lwaseNgilani. Ndikhule ndiyithanda inyaniso eseBhayibhileni. Ekubeni uMama wayengumKristu othanjisiweyo, ‘isondo lomYuda’ lokuqala endabambelela kulo lelikaMama. Ngelo xesha, utata nosisi babengamkhonzi uYehova. SasikwiBandla laseGillingham elikumzantsi-mpuma weNgilani nelalinamaKristu athanjisiweyo aliqela. UMama wandimisela umzekelo omhle wokuba nenzondelelo kumsebenzi wokushumayela.

NgoSeptemba 1941, kwindibano eyayikwisixeko saseLeicester, kwanikelwa intetho eyayithetha ngembambano yolawulo lwendalo iphela eyayinomxholo othi “Ingqibelelo.” Loo ntetho yandinceda okwesihlandlo sokuqala ndaqonda ukuba sibandakanyekile kwimbambano ephakathi koYehova noSathana. Ngoko, kufuneka simele uYehova size sigcine ingqibelelo kuye njengoMongami Wendalo Iphela.

Kuloo ndibano, kwathethwa kakhulu ngenkonzo yobuvulindlela yaye ulutsha lwakhuthazwa ukuba luzibekele usukelo lokuba ngoovulindlela. Intetho eyayinomxholo othi “Indawo Yoovulindlela Entlanganweni” yandenza ndazibuza ukuba mna ndikweyiphi indawo. Loo ndibano yandeyisela ekubeni ndazi ukuba imbopheleleko yam njengomYonadabhi kukwenza konke endinokukwenza ukuncedisa udidi lwabathanjiswa kumsebenzi wokushumayela. Ngoxa ndandiselapho eLeicester, ndazalisa isicelo sokuba nguvulindlela.

INKONZO YOBUVULINDLELA EBUDENI BEMFAZWE

NgoDisemba 1, 1941, xa ndandineminyaka eli-15 ubudala, ndaba nguvulindlela okhethekileyo. Umama waba ngumntu wokuqala endaba nguvulindlela kunye naye, kodwa emva konyaka kwafuneka ayeke ukuba nguvulindlela ngenxa yempilo. Iofisi yesebe yaseLondon yandithumelela uRon Parkin ngelo xesha owayekwiKomiti Yesebe ePuerto Rico.

Sathunyelwa kwiidolophu ezingaselunxwemeni iBroadstairs neRamsgate kwiphondo laseKent, apho saqesha igumbi. Umxhesho wovulindlela okhethekileyo wawumalunga nee-R63 ngokwemali yangoku. Emva kokuhlawula irenti, sasingabi namali yaye singaqiniseki ngento esiza kuyitya. Kodwa uYehova wayesoloko ezinyamekela iimfuno zethu.

Sasihamba ngeebhayisikile, sikhwelise imithwalo emikhulu kuloo mimoya ivuthuza ngamandla sisuka eNorth Sea. Kwakhona kwakufuneka sijamelane neenqwelo-moya ezazihlasela yaye imijukujelwa iGerman V-1 yayibhabhela kufutshane neKent ukuze iqhushumbise iLondon. Ngenye imini ndatsiba ukwehla ebhayisikileni ndaza ndaziphosa phantsi xa ibhombu yagqitha phezu kwentloko yam yaza yaqhushumba kwityholo elalikufutshane. Nakuba kwakunjalo kwakumnandi xa sasingoovulindlela eKent.

NDABA “NGUMFANA WASEBHETELI”

Umama wayedla ngokuthetha kakuhle ngeBheteli. Wayedla ngokuthi: “Ayikho enye into ebhetele endikunqwenelela yona ngaphandle kokuba ube ngumfana waseBheteli.” Ngoko khawucinge nje indlela endavuya ndaza ndothuka ngayo, xa ngoJanuwari 1946 ndamenyelwa kwiBheteli yaseLondon ukuze ndincedise kangangeeveki ezintathu. Ekupheleni kwezo veki, uPryce Hughes, osisicaka sesebe wandicela ukuba ndihlale eBheteli. Uqeqesho endalufumana apho luye lwandinceda ebomini.

Ngelo xesha amalungu entsapho yaseBheteli yaseLondon ayemalunga nama-30, uninzi lwawo ingabazalwana abangatshatanga kanti abaliqela kwabo bazalwana babethanjisiwe phakathi kwabo kukho uPryce Hughes, uEdgar Clay noJack Barr, owaba lilungu leQumrhu Elilawulayo. Kwakulilungelo ukuthi ndingumfana ndixhase abazalwana bakaKristu ndize ndisebenze ngaphantsi kokhokelo lwezi ‘ntsika’!—Gal. 2:9.

Ngenye imini eBheteli, omnye umzalwana wandixelela ukuba kukho udade osemnyango owayefuna ukundibona. Ndothuka ndakufumanisa ukuba yayingumama efake ipasile ekhwapheni. Wathi wayengazelanga ukuza kundiphazamisa emsebenzini kodwa wandinika le pasile waza wandishiya. Yayinedyasi eshushu. Uthando lwakhe lwandikhumbuza uHana owazisela unyana wakhe oselula uSamuweli isambatho ngoxa wayekhonza kwitabanekile.—1 Sam. 2:18, 19.

IGILIYADI—AMAVA ANGALIBALEKIYO

Ngowe-1947, phakathi kwabo babekhonza eBheteli sakhethwa sibahlanu saza samenyelwa kwiSikolo saseGiliyadi eUnited States, yaye kunyaka olandelayo saya kwiklasi ye-11. Ukufika kwethu apho, ingqele yayiqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo kumantla eNew York kwindawo esasiqhutyelwa kuso isikolo. Yandinceda gqitha la dyasi ishushu ndandiyiphathelwe nguMama.

Andizange ndizilibale iinyanga ezintandathu endazichitha eGiliyadi. Ukuba phakathi kwabanye abafundi abasuka kumazwe awahlukahlukeneyo ali-16 kwandenza ndaphangalala. Ukongezelela ekuqeqeshweni ngokomoya, ndiye ndazuza ekuncokoleni namaKristu aqolileyo. Omnye wabahlohli uLloyd Barry; uAlbert Schroeder; noJohn Booth, owayengumveleli kwifama yoBukumkani (apho iSikolo SaseGiliyadi sasikhona) kamva baba ngamalungu eQumrhu Elilawulayo. Ndiyasixabisa isiluleko sothando endasinikwa ngaba bazalwana nomzekelo wabo wokuthembeka kuYehova nakwintlangano yakhe.

UMSEBENZI WESIPHALUKA NOKUBUYELA EBHETELI

Emva kokuba sisuka eGiliyadi, ndabelwa kumsebenzi wesiphaluka kwidolophana yaseOhio, eUnited States. Ndandineminyaka engama-21 kuphela ubudala, kodwa abazalwana bakwamkela ngobubele ukuba nenzondelelo kwam ndiselula. Kweso siphaluka ndafunda lukhulu kubantu abadala abanamava.

Emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa, ndacelwa ukuba ndibuyele eBheteli yaseBrooklyn ukuze ndiqeqeshwe ngokungakumbi. Ebudeni belo xesha, ndafumana ithuba lokwazi iintsika ezinjengoMilton Henschel, uKarl Klein, uNathan Knorr, uT. J. (Bud) Sullivan noLyman Swingle, abakha baba ngamalungu eQumrhu Elilawulayo. Kwakukhuthaza ngokwenene ukubabona besebenza uze uqwalasele nendlela abazenza ngayo izinto njengamaKristu. Ndiye ndanentembelo engakumbi kwintlangano kaYehova. Ndabuyiselwa eYurophu ukuze ndiqhubeke nokushumayela apho.

Umama wasweleka ngoFebruwari 1950. Emva komngcwabo, ndancokola notata nodadewethu, uDora. Ndababuza ngoko bazimisele kuko ngenyaniso ekubeni ngoku uMama engasekho ndibe nam ndingasahlali ekhaya. Babemazi yaye bemhlonela omnye umzalwana osele aluphele nowayethanjisiwe, uHarry Browning yaye bavuma ukuncokola naye ngenyaniso. Emva konyaka uTata noDora babhaptizwa. Kamva uTata waba sisicaka kwiBandla laseGillingham. Emva kokusweleka kukaTata, uDora watshata nomdala othembekileyo uRoy Moreton yaye wakhonza uYehova ngokunyanisekileyo de wasweleka ngowama-2010.

UKUNCEDA EFRANSI

Esikolweni ndandifunde isiFrentshi, isiJamani nesiLatini yaye kuzo zontathu ezi lwimi, isiFrentshi ndandingasichani ncam. Ngenxa yoko, xa ndacelwa ukuba ndiye kunceda kwiBheteli yaseParis, eFransi, ndaya kodwa ndithandabuza. Apho, ndaba nelungelo lokusebenza nesicaka sesebe uHenri Geiger, umzalwana othanjisiweyo owayesele ekhulile. Isabelo endandisinikiwe sasinzima kodwa ndafunda lukhulu ngendlela yokusebenzisana nabantu.

Ukongezelela, indibano yezizwe ngezizwe yokuqala emva kwemfazwe, eParis kwakucetywe ukuba ibe ngowe-1951 yaye ndandinenxaxheba kumalungiselelo ayo. Umveleli ohambahambayo oselula uLéopold Jontès weza eBheteli ukuza kundinceda. Kamva uLéopold wamiselwa ukuba abe ngumveleli wesebe. Indibano yabanjelwa ePalais des sports, kufutshane ne-Eiffel Tower. Iindwendwe zeza zisuka kumazwe angama-28. Ngosuku lokugqibela, amaNgqina athetha isiFrentshi angama-6 000 akuvuyela gqitha ukuva ukuba ababekho babeli-10 456!

Ukuqala kwam ukuya eFransi, ndandingasithethi kakuhle isiFrentshi. Eyona nto yenza ukuba izinto zibe mbi ngakumbi, yimpazamo endandiyenza yokuthetha kuphela xa ndiqinisekile ngamagama esiFrentshi endiza kuwasebenzisa. Kodwa xa ungenzi mpazamo, awulungiswa yaye akwenzi nkqubela.

Ndagqiba ekubeni ndiyilungise imeko ngokuya kwisikolo esifundisa abantu basemzini isiFrentshi. Ndandisiya eklasini ngokuhlwa ngeentsuku ezingezizo ezeentlanganiso. Ndaqalisa ukusithanda isiFrentshi, yaye ndiye ndaqhubeka ndisithanda ukutyhubela iminyaka. Ngenxa yoko ndiye ndanceda kwisebe laseFransi kumsebenzi wokuguqulela. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ndaguqulela ukusuka kwisiNgesi ukuya kwisiFrentshi. Kwakulilungelo ukunceda ukudlulisela kubazalwana abathetha isiFrentshi abasehlabathini lonke ukutya kokomoya okuvela kudidi lwekhoboka.—Mat. 24:45-47.

UKUTSHATA NAMALUNGELO ANGAKUMBI

Ngowe-1956, ndatshata noEsther, uvulindlela waseSwitzerland endandidibene naye kwiminyaka embalwa ngaphambilana. Satshatela kwiHolo yoBukumkani ekufutshane neBheteli yaseLondon (iLondon Tabernacle yakudala, awabhaptizelwa kuyo uMama). Intetho yomtshato yayinikelwa nguMzalwan’ uHughes. Kwakukho nomama kaEsther owayenethemba lokuphila ezulwini. Emtshatweni andizange ndifumane nje kuphela iqabane elithandekayo nelinyanisekileyo kodwa ndafumana neeyure ezininzi zokuncokola nomkhwekazi othanda izinto zokomoya, de wagqiba ikhondo lakhe lasemhlabeni ngowama-2000.

Emva kokuba sitshatile, mna noEsther sasingahlali eBheteli. Ngoxa ndandisengumguquleli waseBheteli, uEsther wayenguvulindlela okhethekileyo kwiidolophu zaseParis. Wanceda abantu abaliqela ukuba babe ngabakhonzi bakaYehova. Ngowe-1964 kwathiwa masiye kuhlala eBheteli. Kwaza ngowe-1976, xa kwakuqala ukumiselwa iiKomiti zamaSebe, ndamiselwa njengelungu layo. Ebudeni beminyaka emininzi, uEsther uye waqhubeka endixhasa ngothando.

“ANIYI KUSOLOKO NINAM”

Ndikhe ndanelungelo lokumana ndityelela kwikomkhulu lehlabathi eNew York. Ebudeni baloo matyelelo, ndiye ndafumana amacebiso asebenzisekayo kumalungu awahlukahlukeneyo eQumrhu Elilawulayo. Ngokomzekelo, ngesinye isihlandlo xa ndandixhalabile ngenxa yokuba umsebenzi ndandingazi kuwugqiba ngexesha, uMzalwana uKnorr wancuma waza wathi: “Mus’ ukuzikhathaza. Sebenza!” Ukususela ngoko, amaxesha amaninzi xa umsebenzi umninzi, kunokuba ndizikhathaze ndenza umsebenzi ngamnye, de ndiwugqibe wonke, yaye ndidla ngokuwugqiba ngexesha.

Ngaphambi nje kokufa kwakhe, uYesu wathi kubafundi bakhe: “Aniyi kusoloko ninam.” (Mat. 26:11) Nathi njengezinye izimvu siyazi ukuba asizi kusoloko sikunye nabazalwana bakaKristu abathanjisiweyo apha emhlabeni. Noko ke, ndikugqala njengelungelo elingenakuthelekiswa nanto ukunxulumana nabathanjiswa abaninzi kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwama-70—ndibambelele ngoxabiso kwisondo lendoda engumYuda.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 21]

UMzalwan’ uKnorr wancuma waza wathi: “Mus’ ukuzikhathaza. Sebenza!”

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 19]

(Ekhohlo) UMama noTata

(Ekunene) Kwisikolo saseGiliyadi ngowe-1948, ndinxibe idyasi eshushu endandiyiphiwe nguMama

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 20]

Nditolikela uMzalwan’ uLloyd Barry kunikezelo lwesebe laseFransi ngowe-1997

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 21]

(Ekhohlo) Ndikunye noEsther ngosuku lwethu lomtshato

(Ekunene) Sikumsebenzi wokushumayela