Yiza Sikwazise KumaBatak

Xa umkhenkethi wenkulungwane ye-13 waseItali, uMarco Polo, watyelela isiqithi saseSumatra eIndonesia, wabona abantu “abahlala ezintabeni abaphila . . . njengezilwanyana, nabatya inyama yabantu.” Kubonakala ukuba aba bantu ngamaBatak. Kodwa ke mna nenkosikazi yam asibaboni ngolo hlobo. Yiza sikwazise kwaba bantu sibaziyo nesibathandayo.

“HORAS!” Basamkela ngolo hlobo abahlobo bethu abatsha abangamaBatak xa sifika kumntla weSumatra, eIndonesia kwisabelo sethu njengabathunywa bevangeli kufutshane neLake Toba. ILake Toba elelona chibi lithand’ ukuba nentaba-mlilo ehlabathini, likhaya lamaBatak.—Funda ibhokisi ethi “Ichibi Elizolileyo Elalingasoloko Linjalo.”

AmaBatak lelinye lawona maqela makhulu omthonyama kwilizwe laseIndonesia. Eli qela linabantu abamalunga nezigidi ezisibhozo liyilwa ziintlanga ekusenokwenzeka ukuba zintandathu ezizimeleyo kodwa ezizalanayo—amaToba, amaSimalungun, amaKaro, amaDairi, ama-Angkola namaMandailing. Qela ngalinye libunjwa ngabantu abanesiduko esifanayo. Xa umBatak edibana nomnye, into yokuqala ayibuzayo yile, “Ungumni?” Bakhawuleza babone ukuba bayazalana na.

Imithetho Yomtshato

Imitshato yamaBatak ayidibanisi abantu ababini kuphela, kodwa ikwadibanisa neziduko zabo. Abantu abazalana ngoomama badla ngokutshatiswa kunye. Kodwa ukutshata nomntu ozalana naye ngotata okanye wesiduko esifanayo, kugqalwa njengehlazo elikhulu. Ngaphandle koko, imitshato yawo ilandela eli siko: Amadoda esiduko esinguA azithathela abafazi kwisiduko esinguB, amadoda esiduko esinguB wona athathe abafazi kwisiduko esinguC, aze amadoda esiduko esinguC athathe abafazi besiduko esinguA. Le mitshato iyalomeleza ulwalamano lwamaBatak ize iqinisekise ukuba esi sibini sitsha siyinxalenye yolu hlanga luzalanayo.

Nokuba izibini ezingamaBatak zinokutshata ngokusemthethweni zize zibe nabantwana, umtshato wazo awugqalwa ngabanye de zitshate ngokwesiko lamaBatak. Kule misitho kunokumenywa amakhulukhulu ezalamane yaye inokuqhubeka kangangeeyure eziliqela.

Ngokomzekelo, kwimitshato yamaKaro, ilobola ibalwa ngononophelo ize yabelwe amaqela athile phakathi kwabantu besiduko esinye. Emva koko umtshato uyaqhubeka. Amalungu entsapho adla ngokuyala esi sibini sitshatayo ixesha elide. Indoda nomtshakazi wayo banikela ingqalelo njengoko kuthethwa. Emva koko kuyatyiwa kuze kudaniswe.

Umhlaba Ochume Ngokwenene

Ngaphambili amaBatak amaninzi ayehlala kwizindlu ezibanzi ezinamaphahla aneenkcochoyi ezimbini ezifana neempondo zenyathi. Ezinye zezi zakhiwo zihonjisiweyo—ezenziwe ngeplanga, ngoqalo nangesugar-palm fibre—zazakhiwe phezu kwamaplanga yaye ezininzi kuzo zinokuhlala iintsapho ezili-12. Akuzange kusetyenziswe zikhonkwane. Kusekho izakhiwo ezinabantu abahlala kuzo ezineminyaka engama-300 zikhona. Ngaphantsi kwesi sakhiwo siphezulu kuhlala izilwanyana ezifuyiweyo—iinkomo, iinkukhu, izinja, iihagu neewater buffalo.

Ngokuyintloko abantu basekuhlaleni baziphilisa ngokulima, ngokuloba, ngemfuyo nangabakhenkethi. Enyanisweni, umhlaba omninzi ojikeleze iLake Toba uchumile. Kubonakala iintwana zerayisi ekhulayo eluhlaza entla kwechibi. Ikofu, iziqhamo nezinongo zikhula kakuhle kufutshane nemifuno ekhula kulo mhlaba uchumileyo usecaleni kwentaba-mlilo. Abalobi abahamba ngamaphenyane abo awenziwe ngamaplanga baloba kula manzi azolileyo nacwengileyo akweli chibi.

Xa kutshona ilanga, abantwana abachwayitileyo badlala baze baqubhe echibini, amadoda adibana ezivenkileni yaye kuvakala umculo kobo busuku buphole kamnandi. Eneneni, amaBatak ayaziwa ekuhlaleni ngokuba ziimvumi. Ayathanda nokudanisa—amadoda edanisa odwa nabafazi besenjenjalo—ngokushukumisa iingalo nezandla.

Imbali Enamahla Ndinyuka

Ukususela ngexesha likaMarco Polo de kwaba yinkulungwane ye-19, ingxelo yayisithi amaBatak ngamazim atya iintshaba zawo nezaphuli-mthetho. Noko ke, ngokutsho kukaLeonard Y. Andaya ongunjingalwazi wezembali, amanye “amabali akhwankqisayo obuzim kusenokwenzeka ukuba ayebaliswa kwangamaBatak ukuze abantu basemzini bangazami ukuthimba imihlaba yawo.” Enoba oko kuyinyaniso okanye akunjalo, incwadi ethi The Batak—Peoples of the Island of Sumatra ithi, “ngenkulungwane ye-19 urhulumente wamaDatshi wabenza ababikho mthethweni ubuzim kwiindawo eziphantsi kolawulo lwawo.”

AmaBatak ayekholelwa ukuba yonke into ekwindalo inomphefumlo yaye ayenqula oothixo nemimoya emininzi. Ayesenza nemibingelelo, eqhagamshelana nemimoya, evumisa yaye esebenzisa ubugqwirha. Ukuthakatha kusetyenziswa ubugqi, iitafile zokuvumisa nemixube yamayeza zazibhalwe kumaxolo omthi anokufikelela kubude obuziimitha ezili-15 nasongwe kakuhle kwaza kwenziwa incwadi ngawo. Yaye la maxolo ayegqunywe ngamalaphu ukuze kugxothwe imimoya emibi nokuze kuxelwe ikamva.

Ingxelo ibonisa ukuba abathunywa bevangeli bokuqala ukufika eBatak yayinguR. Burton noN. Ward becawa yaseBhaptizi abasuka eNtshona nabafika ngowe-1824. Emva kweminyaka elishumi, xa ubukhosi bamaDatshi babuzama ukuthimba iinxalenye zeli lizwe, abathunywa bevangeli ababini baseMerika uH. Lyman noS. Munson bafika kwilizwe lamaBatak kodwa kungekudala babulawa. Kwabakho nabanye abathunywa bevangeli ababini abangamaKatolika abahamba kwiindawo eziyingozi nakuba babelunyukisiwe, ekusenokwenzeka ukuba nabo babulawa.

Sekunjalo, ukho umthunywa wevangeli, uLudwig Nommensen waseJamani owaqalisa ukusebenza namaBatak ngowe1862, owaphumelelayo ekushumayeleni kuwo. Enyanisweni, ugqalwa njengomntu obalulekileyo nanamhlanje ngabantu basekuhlaleni. Namhlanje, amaBatak amaninzi azibanga engamaKristu, aze amanye abe ngamaSilamsi okanye abantu abakholelwa kwimimoya. Sekunjalo, amaninzi kuwo aye abambelela kwiinkolelo akhuliswe ngazo.

Afikelwa Ziindaba Ezilunge Ngokwenene

Malunga nonyaka we-1936, amaNgqina kaYehova afika eBatak, eze neendaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bukaThixo, ezo uYesu awaxela kwangaphambili ukuba ziya kushunyayelwa “kuwo wonke umhlaba.” (Mateyu 24:14) AmaBatak amaninzi asamkela isigidimi esisekelwe eBhayibhileni aza azilahla iinkolelo zawo. Ngenxa yoko, sithethanje kule ngingqi kukho amabandla angama-30 amaNgqina kaYehova.—Funda ibhokisi ethi “Umntu Owayeligqirha Owaba NgumKristu Wokwenene.”

Njengoko mna nenkosikazi yam sishumayela iindaba ezilungileyo kubantu bale ngingqi, sidla ngokudibana nabakhenkethi abamangaliswa bubuhle beLake Toba nemozulu yayo entle. Nathi siyavumelana nabo. Kodwa into esiyongezayo yeyokuba obona buhle bale ndawo ngabantu bayo—amaBatak anobubele.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 17]

ICHIBI ELIZOLILEYO ELALINGASOLOKO LINJALO

ILake Toba inobude obuziikhilomitha ezingama-87 nobubanzi obuziikhilomitha ezingama-27 yaye lelona chibi likhulu ehlabathini lonke kumachibi abangelwa kukudubula kwentaba-mlilo. Inzulu kangangokuba, ukuba amanzi ayo anokugubungela iUnited Kingdom, anokuba nobunzulu obumalunga nemitha. La manzi angqongwe ziiNtaba zaseBarisan, angowona mbono wakha mhle nothanda ukufotwa.

Eli chibi lavela xa kwadubula intaba-mlilo iinzululwazi ezikholelwa kukuba yeyona yakha yanamandla kwimbali yomhlaba. Emva kwexesha, isigingqi sayo esikhulu sazala ngamanzi saza saba lichibi elaziwa namhlanje ngokuba yiLake Toba. Ukufukuka komhlaba ezantsi kwechibi kwavelisa isiqithi esihle iSamosir, esiziiskwe khilomitha ezingama-647, ubukhulu obulingana neRiphabliki yaseSingapore.

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 18]

IPARADESI ENEMOZULU ENTLE

ILake Toba iziikhilomitha ezingama-300 ukusuka kwi-ikhweyitha, kodwa okumangalisayo kukuba yindawo epholileyo. Oku kubangelwa yinto yokuba eli chibi liziimitha ezingama-900 ngaphezu komphakamo wolwandle. Imithi yesundu neyompayini ikhula kakuhle kule paradesi iphole kamnandi.

Eli chibi lahlula izilwanyana ezininzi. Ngokomzekelo, iiorungutan, iinkawu ekuthiwa ziiwhite handed gibbon nezinye ezaziwa ngokuba ziinkawu zikaThomas ezitya amagqabi ziyabonakala entla kwechibi, kodwa ezantsi kwechibi kukho iitapir, iitarsier nezinye iinkawu ezitya amagqabi.

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 19]

UMNTU OWAYELIGQIRHA OWABA NGUMKRISTU WOKWENENE

UNursiah wayeyiḍukun yamaBatak, okanye igqirha. Wayesebenzisa imilingo ukuze anyange izigulo zabantu, agxothe imimoya emibi aze athethe “nabafileyo.”a Ishishini lakhe laliqhuba kakuhle yaye—nangona wayesenza izinto zobugqi—wayelilungu elihlonelwayo lecawa yamaProtestanti.

Xa uNursiah wadibana namaNgqina kaYehova, wothuka akufunda ukuba igama likaThixo nguYehova. (INdumiso 83:18) Kamva wafunda eBhayibhileni ukuba ngenkulungwane yokuqala bonke ababa ngamakholwa bayeka ukusebenzisa imilingo baza batshisa zonke iincwadi zabo zemilingo ukuze bakwazi ukukhonza uThixo ngendlela eyamkelekileyo. (IZenzo 19:18, 19) Nakuba loo nto yamenza wachaswa, wenza okufanayo ekholelwa ngokupheleleyo kumazwi kaYesu athi, “Inyaniso iya kunikhulula.”—Yohane 8:32.

Namhlanje, uNursiah nonyana wakhe, uBesli bangamaNgqina abhaptiziweyo yaye umyeni wakhe, uNengku uya rhoqo kwiintlanganiso zamaKristu. Uthi, “Ngoku ndikhonza uYehova yaye ndiphila ubomi obunentsingiselo! Xa ndandiyiḍukun, ndandikulangazelela ukwazi inyaniso. Ngoku ndaneliseke ngokwenene.”

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso]

UNursiah ekunye nomyeni wakhe nonyana wakhe

[Iimaphu ezikwiphepha 16]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Sumatra

Lake Toba

[Inkcazelo]

Based on NASA/Visible Earth imagery

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16, 17]

ILake Toba xa ijongwe ngokusuka kwiNtaba iPusuk Buhit

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

Ingxangxasi yaseSipisopiso, ekumntla weLake Toba ngasekupheleni kwayo, yehla kangangeemitha ezili-110.