UYehova ‘Uyenze Yaphumelela Indlela Yam’

ABAZALI BAM BANDINCEDA NDAHAMBA KWINDLELA EFANELEKILEYO

Kwiminyaka yoo-1920 abazali bam bafunda inyaniso. Babengekatshati ngelo xesha. Mna ndazalwa ekuqaleni kuka-1939. Xa ndandisengumfanyana, sasihlala eNgilani. Ndandidla ngokuhamba nabo siye kwiintlanganiso. Ekuhambeni kwexesha ndabhalisa kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani. Ndisayikhumbula nangoku into eyenzekayo xa ndandiqala ukunikela intetho. Ndandineminyaka eyi-6. Ngoko kwafuneka ndime phezu kwebhokisi ukuze ndivele eqongeni. Ndathi ndakujonga abantu abadala endandiza kunikela kubo intetho, lwathi ngo ngo ngo uvalo.

Xa siza kuya entsimini, utata wayendibhalela intshumayelo elula ekhadini. Ukuqala kwam ukuya kunkqonkqoza ndodwa endlini ndandineminyaka eyi-8. Ndavuya kakhulu xa umninimzi efunda ikhadi endandimbonisa lona waza wathatha incwadi ethi “UThixo Makabe Nenyaniso.” Ndabaleka ndisehla isitrato ndisiya kuxelela utata. Ukuya entsimini nasesfundweni kwakundivuyisa kakhulu futhi kwandinceda ndafuna ukukhonza uYehova ixesha elizeleyo.

Ndaya ndiyithanda kakhulu iBhayibhile emva kokuba utata endenzele umrhumo weMboniselo. Ndandiyifunda isafika nje. Ndaya ndimthemba uYehova ndaza ndazahlulela kuye.

Ngo-1950 mna, umama notata saya eNew York kwiNdibano eyayisithi, Ukuvakaliswa KoBukumkani Kuhambela Phambili. Umxholo wosuku lwangoLwesine, ngoAgasti 3, wawusithi “Usuku Lomvangeli.” Ngaloo mini, uMzalwan’ uCarey Barber, owaba ngomnye wabazalwana abakwiQumrhu Elilawulayo emva koko, wanikela intetho yobhaptizo. Emva kwentetho wabuza abazalwana noodade ababeza kubhaptizwa imibuzo emibini. Ndaphakama ndathi, “Ewe!” Ndandineminyaka eyi-11 qha ngelo xesha, kodwa ndandiyiqonda indlela ebaluleke ngayo le nto ndiyenzayo. Ndandisoyika kodwa ukungena emanzini kuba ndandingekakwazi nokuqubha. Umalume wahamba nam xa sisiya kubhaptizwa, wandiqinisekisa ukuba andizutshona futhi andizurhaxwa. Nyhani, yonk’ into yenzeka ngokukhawuleza, zange ndinyathele naphantsi kuloo puli. Omnye umzalwana wandibamba wandintywilisela emanzini, ndabe sendithathwa ngomnye wandikhuphela ngaphandle kwepuli. Ukuqala ngolo suku lubalulekileyo, uYehova uye wayenza yaphumelela indlela yam.

NDAKHETHA UKUTHEMBA UYEHOVA

Ukugqiba kwam esikolweni, ndandifuna ukuba nguvulindlela, kodwa ootitshala bam babendikhuthazela iyunivesithi. Ndagqibela ndisiya nyhani; kodwa kungabanga xesha lide ndiseyunivesithi ndabona ukuba andinakuzenza kakuhle zombini, ndibambelele enyanisweni kwangaxeshanye ndijongane nezifundo zam. Ngoko ndacinga ukuba mandiyeke eyunivesithi. Ndathetha noYehova ngale nto ndaza ndabhalela ootitshala bam ileta ethetha kakuhle ebachazelayo ukuba andibuyi kunyaka ozayo. Indlela endandimthembe ngayo uYehova, ndingalibazisanga, ndaba nguvulindlela.

NgoJulayi 1957 ndaqala inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo kwidolophu yaseWellingborough. Ndabuza kubazalwana abakwisebe laseLondon umzalwana endinokushumayela naye. UMzalwan’ uBert Vaisey wandifundisa izinto ezininzi. Indlela awayekhuthele ngayo kumsebenzi wokushumayela yandenza ndanendlela yokuwenza kakuhle. Ibandla esasikulo lalinoodade abakhulileyo abayi-6. Ukulungiselela zonke iintlanganiso, ukuphendula, ukunikela iintetho nokwenza ezinye izinto kwandenza ndamthemba kakhulu uYehova, nokholo lwam lwaya luqina.

Ndasiwa etrongweni kuba ndingafuni ukuba semkhosini. Emva kwexeshana ndiphumile, ndadibana noBarbara owayenguvulindlela okhethekileyo. Satshata ngo-1959. Sasinomdla wokuya naphi na intlangano ethi masiye khona. Yasithumela eLancashire, ekumntla-ntshona weNgilani. NgoJanuwari 1961, ndacelwa ukuba ndiye kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani esasiza kuthatha inyanga kwiBheteli yaseLondon. Ukuphela kweso sikolo, ndathunyelwa kumsebenzi wesiphaluka. Ndandingayilindelanga tu ke leyo. Iiveki ezimbini ndandiqeqeshwa ngumzalwana owazi kakuhle lo msebenzi kwidolophu iBirmingham, noBarbara wayekunye nam. Emva koko sathunyelwa eLancashire naseCheshire.

SOZE UPHOXEKE XA UMTHEMBILE UYEHOVA

Xa sasiseholideyini ngoAgasti 1962, safumana ileta evela kwiofisi yesebe. Yayineefomu zezicelo zokuya kwiSikolo SaseGiliyadi. Sazithandazela ezi zicelo, emva koko sazigcwalisa saza sazibuyisela kwiofisi yesebe ngokukhawuleza njengokuba kwakutshiwo. Kwiinyanga ezintlanu emva koko, saya kwiklasi ye-38 yaseGiliyadi, eBrooklyn, eNew York. Apho sasiza kufundiswa iBhayibhile iinyanga eziyi-10.

Safunda into eninzi ngeLizwi LikaThixo, ngentlangano yakhe nangabazalwana noodade abasemhlabeni wonke. Sasineminyaka engaphezu kweyi-20 ngelo xesha, kodwa safunda into eninzi kwabanye abafundi ababekuloo klasi. Ndandikuvuyela ukusebenza noMzalwan’ uFred Rusk, omnye wabazalwana ababesifundisa. Enye into awayibethelelayo nendingasoze ndiyilibale kukuba xa ululeka, qiniseka ukuba yonke into oyithethayo uyithatha kwiZibhalo. Abanye abazalwana ababenikela iintetho esikolweni nguMzalwan’ uNathan Knorr, uFrederick Franz noKarl Klein. Safunda izinto ezininzi nakumzalwana owayethobekile uA. H. Macmillan, owasifundisa indlela uYehova awabanceda ngayo abantu bakhe ngexesha elalinzima kakhulu kubo, u-1914 ukuya ku-1919!

SATHUNYELWA KWENYE INDAWO

Ngasekupheleni kweklasi, uMzalwan’ uKnorr waxelela mna noBarbara ukuba siza kuthunyelwa eBurundi, eAfrika. Sakhawuleza saya kwilayibrari yaseBheteli, sakhangela iNcwadi Yonyaka eza kusixelela ukuba bangaphi abavakalisi abaseBurundi. Samangaliswa kukuba zange sifumane mpapasho esixelela ngenani labavakalisi abaseBurundi. Sasiza kushumayela kwindawo ekwakungekashunyayelwa tu kuyo nesasingayazi kangako. Sasinexhala. Saxelela uYehova, emva koko sazola.

Sasikwintsimi entsha, nayo yonke enye into yayintsha kuthi, imozulu, indlela ekuphilwa ngayo nolwimi oluthethwayo. Kwakufuneka sifunde isiFrentshi. Sasingazi nokuba siza kuhlala phi. Sineentsuku ezimbini sifikile, kwafika umzalwana esasikunye naye eGiliyadi, uHarry Arnott. Wayegqitha nje eze kusibona. Wayebuyela apho wayethunyelwe khona, eZambia. Wasinceda safumana indawo yokuhlala, eyaba likhaya labavangeli lokuqala. Kungabanga xesha lide, sachaswa ngabezomthetho basekuhlaleni ababengazi nto ngamaNgqina KaYehova. Kanye xa siqala ukonwaba, basixelela ukuba asizukwazi ukuhlala kule ndawo singenawo amaphepha asivumelayo. Okubuhlungu kwafuneka simke siye kwelinye ilizwe, eUganda.

Sasinexhala lokuya eUganda singenazo iivisa, kodwa sasithembe uYehova. Omnye umzalwana waseKhanada owayekhonza eUganda, kwindawo efuna abavakalisi abaninzi, wacacisela igosa elikwiofisi yabasuka kwamanye amazwe ukuba singoobani, sizokwenza ntoni. Eli gosa lathi singahlala iinyanga ezimbalwa de sifumane iivisa zethu. Savele sabona ukuba ngoku, sincedwa nguYehova.

IUganda yayingafani tu neBurundi. Kwakusele kushunyeyelwa ngoxa amaNgqina ayeyi-28 qha kwilizwe lonke. Baninzi abantu esasishumayela kubo ababethetha isiNgesi. Kodwa sabona ukuba, ukuze sincede abantu abanomdla bayazi kakuhle inyaniso, kufuneka sifunde nokuba lulwimi olunye kwezi lwimi zininzi zalapha. Saqala ukushumayela kuzo zonke iindawo zaseKampala. Apho kwakuthethwa kakhulu isiLuganda, ngoko sabona ukuba lolu ulwimi esimele silufunde. Sakwazi ukusithetha kakuhle emva kweminyaka, kodwa ukusazi kwasinceda sazibona iziphumo zomsebenzi esiwenzayo. Satsho sayiqonda kakuhle eyona nto kufuneka siyifundise abantu esibafundelayo. Nabo batsho bakwazi ukusixelela izinto abazicingayo ngento abayifundayo.

SAYA KWIINDAWO EZAHLUKENEYO

Kwakusivuyisa kakhulu ukufumana abantu ababeyithanda inyaniso. Savuya nakakhulu xa sacelwa ukuba sibe ngabaveleli besiphaluka kulo lonke elo lizwe. Sisalathiswa yiofisi yesebe yaseKenya, sahamba lonke ilizwe laseUganda sikhangela iindawo ekufuneka oovulindlela abakhethekileyo kuzo. Sasisoloko sisamkelwa ngabantu abangazange badibana namaNgqina. Babesenza sizive sisekhaya xa sifike kubo bade basenzele nento etyiwayo.

Kwafuneka ndiye kwenye indawo. Iintsuku ezimbini ndahamba ngetreyini ndisuka eKampala ndisiya eMombasa, eKenya. Apho ndafika ndakhwela inqanawa ndaya eSeychelles, eneziqithi ezininzi ezikwi-Indian Ocean. Emva kwexesha, ukusuka ngo-1965 ukuya ku-1972, ndandihamba noBarbara xa ndisiya eSeychelles. Ekuqaleni, kwakukho abavakalisi ababini qha apho, kodwa ekuhambeni kwexesha kwabakho iqela kwaza ekugqibeleni kwakho ibandla. Ezinye iindawo endandisiya kuzo yiEritrea, iEthiopia neSudan.

EUganda imeko yeepolitiki yatshintsha emva kokuba kuye kwalawula amajoni. Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo kwakunzima nyhani. Ndafunda ukuba eyona nto ifunekayo kukuthobela umyalelo oseBhayibhileni othi: “Buyiselani izinto zikaKesare kuKesare.” (Marko 12:17) Kwakhe kwafuneka ukuba bonke abantu abangengobaseUganda baye kubhalisa kwiposi abahlala kufutshane nayo. Sakhawuleza sayenza loo nto. Kungadlulanga ntsuku zingaphi, mna nomnye umvangeli wasemazweni samiswa ngamapolisa xa siseKampala. Yayingathi izibilini ziza kuphuma ngaphandle kukoyika. Asityhola esithi siziimpimpi aza asisa kwisitishi esikhulu samapolisa. Ukufika kwethu apho sabacacisela ukuba singabashumayeli bevangeli abangenanxa namntu nokuba sesibhalisile emapoliseni, kodwa zange bayivele ntweni yonke loo nto. Sabanjwa sasiwa kwisitishi samapolisa esikufutshane nekhaya labavangeli. Zehla izibilini xa sabonwa lelinye ipolisa elalisazi ukuba sibhalisile, lathi masikhululwe.

Ngezo ntsuku, kwakusoloko kusiba nzima xa simiswa ngamajoni endleleni, andisathethi ke xa loo majoni enxilile, kwakusiba nzima nyhani. Kodwa sasithandaza qho xa sidibana nawo, size sizole xa esithi masihambe. Okubuhlungu kukuba, ngo-1973 bagxothwa bonke abavangeli basemazweni eUganda.

Saphinda sathunyelwa kwenye indawo, ngoku eCôte d’Ivoire, eseNtshona Afrika. Kwaphinda kwafuneka sitshintshe, sifunde indlela yokuphila eyahluke mpela kwesiyaziyo, sithethe isiFrentshi qho, siqhelane nabavangeli basemazweni abasuka kwamanye amazwe. Nalapha, sabona ukuba salathiswa nguYehova kuba abantu abaneentliziyo ezifuna uYehova babesiba nomdla kwiindaba ezilungileyo. Sasibona ukuba ukuthemba uYehova kuyenza iphumelele indlela yethu.

Kungabanga xesha lide, kwafunyaniswa ukuba uBarbara unomhlaza. Sasiquqa ekhaya eYurophu kuba kulapho wayenyangwa khona, kodwa ngo-1983 kwacaca ukuba asisenakukwazi ukubuyela eAfrika. Sasibuhlungu kakhulu.

UBOMI BATSHINTSHA

Saya kukhonza eBheteli eLondon. Umhlaza waya umhlasela uBarbara de wasweleka. Intsapho yaseBheteli yayisoloko inam kuyo yonke into. Omnye umzalwana nodade wakwakhe bandinceda ndakwazi ukuphila ngaphandle koBarbara ndaza ndaqhubeka ndithembe uYehova. Ekuhambeni kwexesha ndadibana nodade owayesebenza eBheteli iintsuku ezithile evekini. Wayenguvulindlela okhethekileyo, owayemthanda kakhulu uYehova. Mna noAnn satshata ngo-1989, siseseBheteli eLondon nangoku.

Ukuqala ngo-1995 ukuya ku-2018, ndaba ngummeli wekomkhulu lehlabathi lamaNgqina KaYehova (owayekade ebizwa ngokuba ngumveleli wesebe), ndihambela amazwe aphantse abe yi-60. Kuwo onke loo mazwe, ndandifika ndiyibone indlela uYehova abakhathalele ngayo abantu bakhe abaphila kwiimeko ezahlukeneyo.

Ngo-2017 ndaya kumasebe aseAfrika. Ndandiqala ukuya noAnn eBurundi. Sobabini sasimangaliswa yindlela amaninzi ngayo amaNgqina. Kwisitrato endandishumayela kuso ngo-1964, ngoku kukho iBheteli entle. Ngoku eBurundi kukho abavakalisi abangaphezu kwe-15 500.

Ndavuya kakhulu xa ndandifumana iphepha elineendawo endiza kuya kuzo ngo-2018. Eyona nto yandivuyisayo kukubona ukuba ndiza kuya naseCôte d’Ivoire. Xa sasifika kwikomkhulu lakhona iAbidjan, yayingathi ndifika ekhaya. Ndathi xa ndijonga incwadi yefowuni eBheteli, ndabona ukuba kwindlu esecaleni kweyethu kuhlala umzalwana endimaziyo, uMzalwan’ uSossou. Ndakhumbula ukuba xa ndandiseAbidjan, yena wayengumveleli wedolophu. Kodwa ndafumanisa ukuba yayingenguye lo ndimbona kule ncwadi, yayingunyana wakhe.

UYehova uye wayigcina into asithembise yona. Izinto ezinzima endidlule kuzo zindifundise ukuba xa simthemba uYehova, nyhani uyenza iphumelele indlela yethu. Ndifuna ukuqhubeka ndihamba ngale ndlela iza kukhanya kakhulu kwihlabathi elitsha.—IMize. 4:18.