Xa Ndiza Kwenza Isigqibo, Ndandicinga NgoYehova

Ndazalelwa kwidolophu iAmioû, eLebanon, ngoMeyi 19, 1940. Kwiminyaka embalwa ndizelwe saya kuhlala kwidolophu iTripoli. Abantu basekhaya babemazi futhi bemthanda uYehova uThixo. Loo nto yayisenza sonwabe. Ndandingowokugqibela kubantwana abahlanu, oodadewethu abathathu nomkhuluwa. Kubazali bam imali yayingeyonto ibalulekileyo. Eyona nto yayibalulekile ekhaya yayikukufunda iBhayibhile, iintlanganiso nokunceda abantu bamazi uThixo.

Babebaninzi abathanjiswa kwibandla esasikulo. Omnye yayinguMichel Aboud. Yena wayeqhuba isifundo sencwadi sebandla. Wafunda inyaniso eNew York. Ngo-1921 waya kuxelela abantu baseLebanon le nyaniso babengayazi. Ndikhumbula indlela awayebahlonipha nawayebanceda ngayo oodade abasebatsha ababini ababepase kwiSikolo SaseGiliyadi, uAnne noGwen Beavor. Baba ngabahlobo bethu esasibathanda nyhani. Ndavuya kakhulu xa ndadibana noAnne eUnited States emva kweminyaka singasabonani. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ndaphinda ndadibana noGwen, sele etshate noWilfred Gooch, beseBheteli eLondon, eNgilani.

SISHUMAYELA ELEBANON

Xa ndandisengumfana, ayembalwa kakhulu amaNgqina eLebanon. Sasikhuthele, sifundisa abantu iBhayibhile. Ngelo xesha abefundisi babengafuni nokusibona. Ndisazikhumbula kakuhle ezinye izinto ezenzekayo.

Ngenye imini mna nodadewethu uSana sasishumayela kwezinye iiflethi. Kwathi gqi umfundisi kumgangatho esasishumayela kuwo. Inoba ukhona umntu owambizayo. Waqala wathuka udadewethu, emva koko wamtshova waqengqeleka kwiziteps, wonzakala. Kwabakho umntu obiza amapolisa. Ukufika kwawo acela umntu ukuba ancede uSana, wona ahamba nomfundisi. Xa efika emapoliseni afumanisa ukuba unompu. Umphathi wamapolisa wambuza: “Yintoni kanye kanye umsebenzi wakho? Ufundisa abantu ngoThixo okanye ngobundlobongela?”

Enye into endisayikhumbula kakuhle kuxa ibandla lethu laliqeshe ibhasi lisiya kushumayela kwenye idolophana. Sasishumayela kamnandi apho. Kodwa umfundisi walapho wathi akuva into esiyenzayo, waqokelela abantu efuna sihlaselwe. Bazama ukusiphazamisa, besigibisela nangamatye, bonzakalisa utata. Ndikhumbula ndibona ubuso bakhe bugcwele ligazi. Wabuyela ebhasini nomama, sonke sabalandela sifun’ ukubona ukuba akenzakalanga kakhulu na. Into endingasoze ndiyilibale yinto eyathethwa ngumama xa wayemosula elo gazi. Wathi: “Ndicela ubaxolele Yehova. Abayazi into abayenzayo.”

Kanti ngenye imini xa sasiye kubona abantu esizalana nabo kwidolophu yasekhaya, safika utatomkhulu ehleli nobhishophu. Lo bhishophu wayesazi ukuba utata nomama ngamaNgqina KaYehova. “Ndandineminyaka eyi-6 qha, kodwa ndimncinci ndinjalo, wazama ukundihlaza esithi: ‘Kutheni ungekabhaptizwa nje wena?’” Ndamxelela ukuba ndisemncinci. Andinakubhaptizwa ndingayazi kakuhle into ethethwa yiBhayibhile nokholo lwam lungekaqini. Akazange ayithande loo mpendulo, wathi kutatomkhulu andinambeko.

Abantu abaninzi eLebanon babengafani naba befundisi. Babenobubele, bebathanda abantu. Abaninzi babesimamela futhi sasinezifundo ezininzi.

SAYA KUHLALA KWELINYE ILIZWE

Ndisafunda kwafika umzalwana osemtsha eLebanon esuka eVenezuela. Wayesebandleni lethu, wathandana nodadewethu uWafa. Batshata, baya kuhlala eVenezuela. Kwiileta awayesibhalela zona uWafa wayehlala ecela utata ukuba nathi siye kuhlala khona. Wayesikhumbula kakhulu. Utata wade wavuma.

Ngo-1953 saya kuhlala eVenezuela, eCaracas, kufutshane nomzi omkhulu kaMongameli. Ndandisengumfanyana, ndivuyela ukumana ndibona umongameli egqitha, ekhwele imoto entle. Kodwa abazali bam babengade baliqhele eli lizwe, bazi ulwimi lwakhona, baqhele indlela ekuphilwa ngayo, ukutya nemozulu. Bathi xa beqala ukuqhela, kwenzeka into ebuhlungu.

KWENZEKA INTO EYASOPHUL’ IINTLIZIYO

Utata wagula. Yasothusa nyhani loo nto kuba wayengumntu owomeleleyo, owayengafan’ agule. Phofu sasingakhumbuli nokuba wakha wagula. Kwathiwa unomhlaza, waya kutyandwa. Emva kweveki kwenziwe olo tyando, wasweleka.

Ayichazeki indlela esasibuhlungu ngayo. Ndandiseneminyaka eyi-13. Zange siyilindele tu ke le into. Kwaba ngathi akukho nto iyoze iphinde ibe mnandi. Kwaqengqeleka iintsuku umama engade ayikholelwe into yokuba umyeni wakhe uswelekile. Kodwa sazama ukungahlali silusizi, uYehova wasinceda sakwazi ukunyamezela. Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-16, ndapasa ugrade 12 kwisikolo saseCaracas. Ndandifuna ukuncedisa ekhaya ngemali.

Ngelo xesha udadewethu uSana watshata noRubén Araujo, owayepase kwiSikolo SaseGiliyadi, babuyela eVenezuela. Bemka apho baya kuhlala eNew York. Abantu basekhaya bathi mandiye eyunivesithi. Ndaya kufunda eNew York, ndahlala nodadewethu nosbari. Bandinceda ndamthanda kakhulu uYehova. Ndancedwa nangabazalwana abaninzi ekwakudala bekhonza uYehova ababesebandleni lethu leSpanish eBrooklyn. Ababini kubo endavuya kakhulu ndakubazi nguMilton Henschel noFrederick Franz; bobabini babeseBheteli eBrooklyn.

Xa kwakuza kuphela unyaka wokuqala ndiseyunivesithi, ndacinga ngento endiyenzayo ebomini bam. Ndandifunde ndaza ndacingisisa ngamanqaku eMboniselo awayethetha ngamaKristu awayezimisele ukukhonza uYehova. Ndandiyibona indlela abonwabe ngayo oovulindlela nabazalwana abakhonza eBheteli abasebandleni lethu, ndifuna ukufana nabo. Ndandingekabhaptizwa ngelo xesha. Kungagqithanga xesha lide ndabona ukuba kuza kufuneka ndizahlulele kuYehova. Ndazahlulela, emva koko ndabhaptizwa ngoMatshi 30, 1957.

IZIGQIBO EZIBALULEKILEYO

Emva kokuba ndibhaptiziwe, ndacinga ngokuba nguvulindlela. Ndaya ndikufuna ngamandla ukuba kule nkonzo, kodwa ndabona ukuba kuza kuba nzima. Ndandingazukwazi ukuba nguvulindela ndiseyunivesithi. Sasibhalelana ekhaya sithetha ngento endandifuna ukuyenza; ukuyeka eyunivesithi ndiyoba nguvulindlela eVenezuela.

NgoJuni 1957 ndabuyela eCaracas. Ndafika ekhaya ndabona ukuba iimeko azintlanga. Kwakufuneka omnye umntu ophangelayo. Kwafuneka ndincede. Ndafumana umsebenzi ebhankini. Kodwa eyona nto ndandiyifuna kukuba nguvulindlela. Kaloku yiloo nto eyayindiyekise eyunivesithi. Ndazimisela ukuba nguvulindlela ndiphangela. Ngoko iminyaka emininzi ndandiphangela ebhankini ndikwanguvulindlela. Zange ndixakeke kangaka ndingazange ndivuye ngolu hlobo ebomini bam!

Ndadibana noSylvia, udade omhle waseJamani owayemthanda uYehova, satshata. Nale into yandivuyisa kakhulu. Wayefudukele eVenezuela nabazali bakhe. Saba nabantwana ababini, unyana uMichel (okanye uMike) nentombi uSamira. Umama wayehlala nathi, ngoko kwakufuneka ndihoye naye. Kwafuneka ndiyeke ukuba nguvulindlela, ndihoye intsapho. Loo nto zange indenze ndiyeke ukukhuthala kumsebenzi wokushumayela. Xa ndiseholideyini, sinoSylvia sasidla ngokuba ngoovulindlela abancedisayo.

ESINYE ISIGQIBO ESIBALULEKILEYO ENDASENZAYO

Xa kwakusenzeka into endithethe ngayo ekuqaleni kweli nqaku, abantwana babesesesikolweni. Ndandiphila kamnandi, ndihlonitshwa nangabanye abantu abaphangela ezibhankini. Kodwa eyona nto ndandifuna bayazi ngam kukuba ndingumkhonzi kaYehova. Ndandihlala ndicinga ukuba ndingenza ntoni ukuze abantu bazi loo nto ngam. Nomkam saxoxa ngemali esinayo. Sabona ukuba xa ndinokuyeka emsebenzini, ininzi imali yomhlala-phantsi endiza kuyifumana. Sasingenamatyala, ngoko sacinga ukuba xa sinokuba nezinto esizidingayo qha, singanayo imali enokusiqhuba ixesha elide.

Yayingekho lula tu le nto, kodwa sancedisana nomfazi wam endimthandayo nomama, yade yenzeka. Kwaphinda kwavuleka ithuba lokuba ndibe nguvulindlela. Ndandivuya kakhulu. Ndathi xa ndiza kuqala, kwathi gqi into esasingayilindelanga.

INTO ESASINGAYILINDELANGA

Ngenye imini ugqirha wethu wasixelela ukuba uSylvia umithi. Sasingayilindelanga ke le. Sasivuya; kodwa ndandicinga nangesigqibo sam sokuba nguvulindlela, ndizibuza ukuba ndiza kukwazi na ukuba nguye. Sakhawuleza salungisa iingqondo neentliziyo zethu, savuyela olu sana luzayo. Kodwa ndandisacinga ukuba ndiza kukwazi na ukuba nguvulindlela.

Sathetha ngento esiza kuyenza, sagqiba ekubeni ndingasijiki isigqibo sokuba nguvulindlela. Unyana wethu uGabriel wazalwa ngoAprili 1985. Ndayeka ukusebenza ebhankini, ngoJuni 1985 ndanguvulindlela. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ndaba kwiKomiti Yesebe. Kodwa iSebe lalingekho seCaracas, ngoko ndandiba seBheteli iintsuku ezimbini okanye ezintathu ngeveki, ndihamba umgama omalunga neekhilomitha eziyi-80.

SAPHINDA SAYA KUHLALA KWENYE INDAWO

Iofisi yesebe yayikwidolophu iLa Victoria, ngoko mna nentsapho sagqiba ekubeni siye kuhlala khona ukuze sibe kufutshane neBheteli. Zange ibe lula kuthi sonke le nto. Ndiyayincoma futhi ndiyibulela kakhulu intsapho yam kuba zange ibe nengxaki ngesi sigqibo. Udadewethu uBaha wathi uza kumhoya umama. UMike wayetshatile, kodwa uSamira noGabriel babesahlala ekhaya. Kwakuza kufuneka bashiye ootshomi babo eCaracas. USylvia wam endimthandayo yena kwakuza kufuneka ashiye idolophu elikomkhulu enabantu abaninzi, aye kuqala ubomi kwidolophu encinci. Sonke kwakufuneka siqhele ukuhlala kumzi omncinci. Ukumka kwethu eCaracas kwakuza kutshintsha izinto ezininzi.

Izinto zaphinda zatshintsha. UGabriel watshata, uSamira waya kuzihlalela. Ngo-2007 mna noSylvia sacelwa ukuba siye kuhlala eBheteli. Sisahlala khona ke nangoku. Unyana wethu omdala, uMike, ngumdala onguvulindlela nomfazi wakhe uMonica. NoGabriel ngumdala. Yena nomkakhe uAmbra bahlala eItaly. USamira yena nguvulindlela oncedisa eBheteli ehlala kwakhe.

NDINGAPHINDA NDIZENZE IZIGQIBO ENDAZENZAYO

Kuye kwafuneka ndenze izigqibo ezibalulekileyo ebomini bam. Andizisoli ngazo zonke ezo zigqibo, ndingaphinda ndizenze. Ndimbulela kakhulu uYehova ngazo zonke izinto endiye ndakwazi ukumenzela zona. Kuyo yonke le minyaka, ndiyibonile indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuhlala ubambelele kuYehova. Nokuba kufuneka senze izigqibo ezincinci okanye ezinkulu, usinika uxolo ‘olodlula indlela yabantu yokucinga.’ (Fil. 4:6, 7) Mna noSylvia siyakuthanda ukusebenza eBheteli. Siyabona ukuba uYehova uye wazisikelela izigqibo esizenzileyo kuba besihlala sicinga ngaye ngaphambi kokuba senze nantoni na.