Ukuphila Ebengingeke Ngithande Ukukushintsha
ABANTU abaningi bayazisola ngendlela abaye bakuphila ngayo ukuphila kwabo. Bangase bathi: ‘Uma nje bengingake ngikwazi ukukuqala phansi ukuphila, yeka ukuthi ziningi kangakanani izinto ebengizozenza ngokwehlukile!’ Kodwa uma ngicabanga ngokuphila kwami, nakuba bekungekhona ukuphila okulula, bekuwukuphila ebengingeke ngithande ukukushintsha.
Abazali bami bangikhulisa njengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova futhi imithetho kaNkulunkulu yagxila enhliziyweni yami kusukela ebuntwaneni. (2 Thimothewu 3:15) Angikhumbuli nesisodwa isikhathi engangingayi ngaso emihlanganweni yoFakazi BakaJehova. Futhi njengentombazanyana encane, ngangihamba noFakazi abadala siye kubantu ukuze sibasize bafunde ngethemba leBhayibheli lokuphila okuphakade emhlabeni oyipharadesi ngaphansi kokubusa koMbuso kaNkulunkulu. (Mathewu 24:14) Ngisakhumbula ngineminyaka emihlanu ngihambisela abanye incwajana enesihloko esithi Umubuso Itemba Lomhlaba.
Abazali bami baqala ukuzwa ngeqiniso loMbuso kaNkulunkulu ngo-1917. Nakuba babesonta, bayibona inhlansi yeqiniso enkulumweni eyayinikezwa eBridgeton, eNew Jersey, e-U.S.A., ummeleli ojikelezayo we-Watchtower Society. Umkhulu naye wayeyilalele leyonkulumo, futhi waqiniseka ngokuthi lokho ayekuzwa kuyiqiniso. Khona-ke, lapho sengineminyaka engu-14, emhlanganweni woFakazi BakaJehova eDetroit, eMichigan, ngabhapathizwa ukuze ngibonise ukuthi nganginikezele ukuphila kwami kuJehova.
Ngaleyominyaka imihlangano yethu yamasonto onke yezifundo zeBhayibheli yayiqhutshelwa endlini yakithi yokuphumula. Ekugcineni kwathengwa isitolo sase siguqulwa senziwa iHholo LoMbuso. Emuva ngalesosikhathi kwakunamaHholo OMbuso ambalwa. Kodwa namhlanje, amashumi ezinkulungwane zalawomahholo zihlalisa amabandla angaphezu kuka-70 000 oFakazi BakaJehova emhlabeni wonke.
Ukuqala Inkonzo Yesikhathi Esigcwele
Umama waqala umsebenzi wakhe njengesikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele ngo-1939 futhi waqhubeka kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe eneminyaka engu-85 ubudala. Mina nomfowethu, uDick, saqala umsebenzi wethu wenkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele ngo-April 1, 1941, ngesikhathi iMpi Yezwe II isashisa eYurophu nokuphikiswa koFakazi BakaJehova kudlangile ngenxa yokuma kwethu kokungathathi-hlangothi kwezombangazwe.
Izinsizwa ezintathu ezingoFakazi ebandleni lakithi zagwetshwa iminyaka emihlanu ejele ngenxa yokungathathi-hlangothi kwazo. Yeka ukuthi kukhuthaza kanjani ukubona amabili alawomadoda esakhonza njengabadala ebandleni! Kamuva umfowethu wakhonza eBethel yaseBrooklyn, indlunkulu yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova, eNew York, futhi usakhonza njengomdala edolobheni lakithi laseMillville, eNew Jersey.
Leyominyaka yempi yayinzima kakhulu koFakazi BakaJehova e-United States, njengakwezinye izindawo. Ukuhlasela kwezixuku kwakuvamile. Izingane zazixoshwa esikoleni. (Bheka i-Phaphama! ka-July 22, 1993, ekhuluma ngokuphila kukaLillian Gobitas Klose.) Izinkulungwane zabafowethu abangokomoya zaboshwa, ngakho thina besifazane kwadingeka senze imisebenzi ehlukahlukene yebandla. Yingakho, nakuba ngangisemncane, ngangiwumphathi wezincwadi. Ngosizo lukaJehova sasinda kuleyominyaka enzima yempi, futhi lapho abazalwane bebuya ejele, izinto zaqhubekela phambili.
Kungalesisikhathi lapho uLyman Swingle owayevela eBethel avakashela khona ibandla lakithi. Wangikhuthaza ukuba ngize eBrooklyn ngizosiza emizamweni yokusiza oFakazi abakanye nathi baseYurophu ngemva kweMpi Yezwe II. Ngakho ngo-March 1948, ngaya eBrooklyn.
Iminyaka Ejabulisayo Ebandleni Elisha
Ngabelwa ebandleni elisha, eBrooklyn Center. Kwakuyibandla lokuqala ngqá elamiswa eDolobheni laseNew York nasezindaweni zangakhona ngaphambi kweMpi Yezwe I, nakuba lalibizwa ngelinye igama. Ngalesosikhathi laliseBrooklyn Heights. Kodwa lapho ngifika eBrooklyn Center ngo-1948, lase lisekhoneni lika-5th Avenue no-8th Street eBrooklyn. Cishe iminyaka engu-30, leyondawo eqashiwe yaba indawo yethu yokuhlangana, kwaze kwaba yilapho kuthengwa ihholo elisha ebangeni elifushane ukusuka lapho.
Angisoze ngalukhohlwa usuku lwami lokuqala emsebenzini wokushumayela eBrooklyn—kuHenry Street. Kwakuhluke ngempela ekushumayeleni edolobheni elincane. Kodwa ngokushesha ngahlangana nowesifazane osemusha owamukela izincwadi zeBhayibheli futhi wavuma ukuqhutshelwa isifundo seBhayibheli sasekhaya. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi waba isikhonzi sikaJehova esizinikezele, ngokufanayo nezingane zakhe ezimbili. Indodana yakhe, u-Arthur Iannone, njengamanje ikhonza eBethel yaseBrooklyn kanye nomkayo, uLinda, kanye nendodana yabo nomalokazana wabo.
Insimu yebandla esasishumayela kuyo yayinkulu futhi inezithelo. Ngosizo lukaJehova, ngakwazi ukubona izifundo zami zeBhayibheli eziningi zifunda iqiniso futhi zibhapathizwa. Kuze kube namuhla ezinye zikhonza njengezikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele kulelizwe. Ezinye ziyizithunywa zevangeli emazweni akude. Ezinye zaba abadala emabandleni. Futhi eziningi ziye zakhonza kwezinye izindima njengabamemezeli abathembekile bezindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu.
Ukwanda kwakumangalisa. Endaweni lapho kwakunebandla elilodwa vó eDolobheni laseNew York nendawo ezungezile, manje asecishe abengu-400 eDolobheni laseNew York kuphela. Yeka ukuthi nginezinkumbulo ezijabulisa kanjani ngokuhlanganyela kokunye kwalokhu kwanda!
Isithakazelo Sabakhuluma IsiFulentshi Siyanda
Ngawo-1960, saqala ukuthola abantu abaningi abakhuluma isiFulentshi ensimini yebandla ababevela eHaiti. Abaningi babesikhuluma kancane isiNgisi noma bengasikhulumi nhlobo. Lena kwakuyinselele. Sasingabasiza kanjani ukuba bafunde okwengeziwe ngeBhayibheli? Ngangingakwazi ukukhuluma isiFulentshi, kodwa ngiphethe incwadi yeBhayibheli yesiNgisi ngesinye isandla nenguqulo yesiFulentshi yayo leyoncwadi ngesinye, ngangikwazi ukuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli.
Nokho, yayingekho imihlangano eqhutshwa ngesiFulentshi ukuze kusizwe labantu bakhule ngokomoya. Yingakho noma yiziphi izithunywa zevangeli ezingoFakazi ezazivakashela eBrooklyn futhi ezazikwazi ukukhuluma isiFulentshi zazicelwa ngokushesha ukuba zizosiza. Omunye owaba ngowokuqala ukuzosisiza kwakunguNicolas Brisart, ongumxhumanisi weKomiti Yegatsha eGuadeloupe. Wanikeza inkulumo yethu yokuqala yeningi ngesiFulentshi emzini kaDade Bertha Luisdon, osakhonza uJehova ngokwethembeka. Kwakukhona abantu abangamashumi amabili nesikhombisa.
Nakuba kunjalo, ngalesosikhathi ayengekho amabandla akhuluma ezinye izilimi eDolobheni laseNew York, ngaphandle kweSipanishi. Ngakho umcabango wokumisa ibandla elingokomthetho labakhuluma isiFulentshi wawungafiki nhlobo. Eqinisweni, omunye umbonisi ojikelezayo wenza izinto zabukeka zingathembisi ngisho nangokwengeziwe lapho esitshela ukuthi isimiso ngalesosikhathi kwakuwukuba kukhuthazwe abantu abahlala kulelizwe ukuba bafunde isiNgisi.
UMfoweth’ uFred W. Franz, kamuva owaba umongameli we-Watch Tower Society, waba umthombo wesikhuthazo. Wathi: “Uma kuyintando kaJehova, Mary, lizoba khona iBandla labakhuluma isiFulentshi.” Omunye futhi owayekhuthaza kwakunguMfoweth’ uHarry Peloyan, umbonisi owengamele weBandla laseBrooklyn Center. Wathi njalo kusihlwa uma iHholo LoMbuso lingasebenzi sasingaba naso iSifundo Sencwadi Sebandla nezinkulumo zeningi ezingahlelelwe ibandla noma nini uma kufika isivakashi esikwaziyo ukukhuluma isiFulentshi.
Ngalesosikhathi sase sinabazalwane abaningi ababhapathiziwe abavela eHaiti ababethuthele lapha, kodwa akekho owayesenokuhlangenwe nakho okwanele kokuhola ngokwenhlangano olimini lwesiFulentshi. Khona-ke, uMfoweth’ uTimothy Galfas, owayefunda eParis futhi manje owayeseyilungu lomkhaya waseBethel yaseBrooklyn, wezwa ngesimo sethu. Njalo ngoMgqibelo ngemva kokusebenza eBethel, wayephuma, bese sithungatha abazalwane nodade baseHaiti ababehlala lapha kodwa bengazi ukuthi bangahlanganyela kuphi.
Ngokushesha sase sinabantu abacishe babengu-40 ababehlanganyela nathi. Sacela umbonisi wethu wesifunda ukuba abhalele iNhlangano ukuze isinike imvume yokuqhuba iSifundo Sencwadi Sebandla esihleliwe ngesiFulentshi. Yeka ukuthi sajabula kanjani lapho siyithola! Kamuva sathola nemvume yokuba nezinkulumo zeningi zasikhathi sonke neSifundo Se-Nqabayokulinda samasonto onke.
Ibandla Lokuqala Labakhuluma IsiFulentshi
Ngo-December 1, 1967, sathola imvume yokumisa ibandla labakhuluma isiFulentshi, okwakungelokuqala e-United States. Lalizohlanganyela iHholo LoMbuso elilodwa nebandla laseBrooklyn Center nelaseProspect. Sasijabule kakhulu! Sasazi ukuthi bonke babezothuthuka ngokomoya ngolimi abaluqondayo. Esakwazisa kakhulu kuleyominyaka yokukhula kwethu kwakuwukusekela kwabazalwane abanjengoHarry Peloyan, George Haddad, noCarlos Quiles, ababakha ikomiti yenkonzo yaseBrooklyn Center.
Sanda masinyane. Ngokushesha kwakhiwa amabandla amasha abakhuluma isiFulentshi eManhattan, eQueens, naseNyack, eNew York. Ababesiza kulokhu kwanda kwakunguJeff Keltz noTom Cecil baseBethel yaseBrooklyn. UMfoweth’ uKeltz wayekhonza njengombonisi wethu wesifunda, kanti uMfoweth’ uCecil uye wakhonza eKomitini yethu YoMhlangano Wesigodi. Nabanye basiza, njengezithunywa zevangeli okwadingeka ukuba zibuyele e-United States ngenxa yempilo zivela emazweni lapho ulimi lwakhona kuyisiFulentshi. Yeka ukuthi usizo lwazo lwalubaluleke kangakanani! Phakathi kwazo kwakukhona uStanley Boggus, okhonza njengombonisi owengamele nanjengombambeli wombonisi wesifunda.
Yeka ukuthi kuye kwaba isikhathi esijabulisa kanjani ukubona leliqenjana labakhuluma isiFulentshi elisekhoneni lika-5th Avenue no-8th Street likhula liba amabandla amaningi nezifunda ezimbili! Eqinisweni, saba nomhlangano wethu wokuqala wesifunda ngesiFulentshi ngo-April 1970. UMfoweth’ Nathan H. Knorr, owayengumongameli we-Watch Tower Society ngalesosikhathi, wakhuluma nathi ngoLwesihlanu ebusuku futhi wasifisela izilokotho ezinhle. Ngalelohlobo saba nomhlangano wethu wokuqala wesigodi, sihlezi enkundleni engenampheme eRoosevelt Stadium eJersey City, eNew Jersey. Kwakushisa futhi kunezintuli, kodwa abangaphezu kuka-200 ababekhona bajabula kakhulu ukuzwa sonke isimiso, kuhlanganise nedrama, ngesiFulentshi.
Futhi kwaba yinjabulo ngo-1986 lapho sivunyelwa ukusebenzisa iHholo Lomhlangano LoFakazi BakaJehova laseJersey City ngomhlangano wethu wesigodi. Emhlanganweni wesigodi wabakhuluma isiFulentshi lapho ngonyaka odlule, kwakunabangu-4 506, kwabhapathizwa abangu-101. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kwakunomunye umhlangano wesigodi wabakhuluma isiFulentshi eFlorida.
Engangihlala Nabo Endlini Abathembekile
Enye ingxenye yokuphila kwami eye yajabulisa eBrooklyn iwukuhlala endlini eyodwa nabanye odade ababesenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele. Abokuqala ababili (uRose Lewis Peloyan noMadelyn Murdock Wildman) baya eBethel. Kamuva abanye ababili (uLila Rogers Molohan noMargaret Stelmah) nabo baba amalungu omkhaya waseBethel. Abanye ababili (uBarbara Repasky Forbes noVirginia Burris Beltramelli) baya e-Watchtower Bible School of Gilead futhi omunye usakhonza eGuatemala omunye e-Uruguay.
Thina bodade sasizinika isikhathi njalo sokuxoxa ngomBhalo othile wetekisi ukuze siqale usuku lwethu, bese-ke siya emsebenzini wokuziphilisa nasenkonzweni. Sasibuya ebusuku sikhathele futhi silambile kodwa sijabule! Sasiba nokuhlangenwe nakho okuningi okwakhayo kokukuhlanganyela! Ngokwesibonelo, ngesinye isikhathi ngake ngafundela omunye wesifazane osemusha, u-Elisa Beumont Farina, owayephikelela ngokuthi isifundo sakhe siqhutshwe ngo-10:00 p.m. Wathuthuka ngokushesha. Mhla ngiqala ukuya naye enkonzweni, wathi: “Ungacabangi ukuthi ngizokwenza njalo lokhu!” Kodwa waba isikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele futhi kamuva waya esikoleni saseGileyadi, ekhonza iminyaka eminingi e-Ecuador. Usesenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele, eTrenton, eNew Jersey.
Abanye engangihlala nabo endlini baye bakhulisa abantwana abamazisayo nabamkhonzayo uJehova. Ngonyaka odlule indodakazi (uJodi Robertson Sakima) yomunye engangihlala naye (uVirginia Hendee Robertson) yashada futhi njengamanje ikhonza nomyeni wayo eBethel yaseBrooklyn.
Kulabo engike ngahlala nabo, abangaphezu kuka-20, ngiyajabula ukusho ukuthi bonke bahlala bethembekile kuJehova, futhi abaningi babo basaqhubeka nenkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele.
Ukujabulela Umkhaya Wethu Wembulunga Yonke
Kuye kwaba umthombo wenjabulo futhi ukwazana noFakazi abaningi bakwamanye amazwe. Ngokwesibonelo, ngenxa yokuthi sasihlala eduze kwendlunkulu yeNhlangano, sasiba nelungelo lokuhlangana nabafundi abeze esikoleni sezithunywa zevangeli saseGileyadi, ngalesosikhathi esasiseBethel yaseBrooklyn.
Abafundi ababili, uGuenter Buschbeck, njengamanje okhonza egatsheni lase-Austria, noWilli Konstanty, okhonza egatsheni laseJalimane, bababelwe eBandleni laseBrooklyn Center ngesikhathi besafunda eGileyadi. Yeka umthombo wesikhuthazo ababeyiwo! Babenethonya elihle kulabo engangihlala nabo endlini kangangokuthi nabo ngokushesha base becabanga ngenkonzo yaseGileyadi.
Izikhathi eziningana, ngiye ngaba nelungelo lokwandisa ubungani bami nomkhaya wethu womhlaba wonke ngokuya phesheya kwezilwandle. Ngiye ngaya emihlanganweni yezizwe futhi ngaphinde ngabona abaningi abaphothule eGileyadi engangibazi ngaphambili besezabelweni zabo.
Ukuphila Okugcwele
Uma ngibheka emuva ekuphileni kwami, ngingasho ngithi bekumangalisa—ukuphila okujabulisayo okugcwele izibusiso. Nakuba ngiye ngaba nazo izinkinga eziningi ezijwayelekile ezibangelwa yilesisimiso sezinto, akukho lutho oluye lwangenza ngazisola ngesikhathi sami esidlule noma ukuba ngehlukane nelungelo eliyigugu lenkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele.
Lapho ngisemncane, umama wagxilisa kimi amazwi eHubo 126:5, 6: “Abahlwanyela ngezinyembezi bayakuvuna ngokuthokoza. Ohamba ekhala izinyembezi, ephethe imbewu yokuhlwanyela, uyakubuya ngokuthokoza, ephethe izinyanda zakhe.” Lowombhalo useyisiqondiso kimi. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi izinkinga zaziyini, uJehova wangisiza ukuba ngithole indlela yokuzinqoba futhi ngilondoloze leyonjabulo.
Ukuphila kwami kuwukuphila ebengingeke ngithande ukukushintsha. Angizisoli ngokunikeza uJehova iminyaka engu-53 enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele. Ngibheke phambili ekuqhubekeni ngimkhonza ezweni lakhe elisha kuze kube phakade.—Njengoba ilandiswa uMary Kendall.
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UMary Kendall