UJehova Uyasilonda

Njengoba ilandiswa nguErich Kattner

BHUKLU! Lowo kwakuwumsindo wencwadi eyashaya ekhanda lami. Lokhu kwakuwukuthintana kwami kokuqala neBhayibheli, futhi lalivela kumpristi ongumKatolika. Ngani? Ngenxa yombuzo engangiwubuzile.

Umpristi wayefundisa ikhathekizimu nenkolo futhi wayezama ukusikhuthaza thina bafana ukuba sibe ngabapristi. Emzamweni wakhe wokwenza lokhu, wasebenzisa umbhalo okweyoku-1 Thesalonika 4:17, lapho kukhulunywa khona ngalabo ‘abahlwithelwa emafwini ukuze bahlangabeze iNkosi emoyeni.’

Ngangihlala nginemibuzo eminingi, ngakho ngabuza: “Kungani uthi abapristi baya ngokuqondile ezulwini, kulapho, njengoba iSivumo sokholo sisho, kwadingeka ukuba uJesu aye esihogweni?” (IzEnzo 2:31) Kungalesosikhathi lapho iBhayibheli lashaya ekhanda lami.

Isifiso Sokwazi

Kodwa ngangizifuna ngobuqotho izimpendulo. Ngangithambekele kakhulu ekukhulekeleni uNkulunkulu, ngisho nalapho ngisewumfanyana. Ngangijwayele ukungena ngithandaze cishe kunoma iliphi isonto engangidlula kulo. Nokho ngangingenelisekile. Ngandlelathile zazilokhu zingicasula izinto engangizibona, njengokukhulekela izithombe kwabanye abantu noma ukuziphatha kwabanye abapristi.

Lapho cishe ngineminyaka eyisishiyagalombili kuphela, ngafunda incwadi yami yokuqala. Yayinesihloko esithi The Christianization of Brazil. Ngashaqeka.’ Kimina yayibonakala njengendaba exoxa ngokubulala, ukubulawa kwamaNdiya ngegama lenkolo. Ukuzwa ngezinto ezinjalo kwakwanele ukuba kuguqule ingqondo yami ngezinto eziningi.

Konke lokhu kwenzeka emuva nga wo-1920. Ngazalelwa eVienna, eAustria, ngoAugust 19, 1919, ngiwukuphela komntwana wabazali bami. Lapho cishe ngineminyaka eyisithupha, ubaba, unjiniyela kagesi, wathola umsebenzi enyakatho Czechoslovakia, engxenyeni yeSudetenland ekhuluma isiJalimane. Ngakho umkhaya wakithi wathuthela lapho, futhi ekugcineni waya edolobhaneni elibizwa ngokuthi iWarnsdorf.

Lalingangicaceli impela iSonto lamaKatolika. Ngolunye usuku, ngicasuke kakhulu ngenxa yokujeziswa engangiphinde ngakuthola kumpristi, ngakhala lapho ngibuyela ekhaya ngivela esikoleni. Lapho ngihamba ngidabula amasimu, ngacabanga ukuthi kwakungenakwenzeka ukuthi uNkulunkulu ukhona, ngenxa yezinto eziningi ezingaqondile engangizibonile nengangizifundisiwe.

Khona-ke ngezwa umculo wezinyoni, futhi ngabona izimbali, izimvemvane, nabo bonke ubuhle bendalo. Futhi kwasa kimi ukuthi kumelwe kube noNkulunkulu onothando kodwa ukuthi labo ababizwa ngokuthi abantu bakaNkulunkulu mhlawumbe babengesibo nakancane. Futhi mhlawumbe uNkulunkulu wayesidikilile isintu. Lokho kwenzeka lapho ngisho umthandazo wami wokuqala wangempela, onenjongo, ngicela ukuba uNkulunkulu angisize ngimazi uma wayezophinde abe nesithakazelo kumuntu. Lokho kwakungo-1928.

Cishe esikhathini esingangenyanga kamuva umama waya ukuyohlangana nezihlobo zomkhaya eVienna; kwakuwusuku lokuzalwa lukamama wakhe lweminyaka engama-60. Lapho umama wabona umfowabo, uRichard Tautz, ngalesosikhathi owayehlala eMaribor, eYugoslavia. Wayesanda kuba omunye wabaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babebizwa kanjalo. Umama wabuyela ekhaya ejabule kakhulu ngamaqiniso amasha eBhayibheli ayewazwile. Lokho akuxoxa kwaba nengqondo kimi. Kwabonakala sengathi isandla sikaJehova sasisebenza.—IHubo 121:5.

Ukwenza Engangikuzwile

Kamuva, abaFundi BeBhayibheli bafika besuka eJalimane, futhi kwashunyayelwa endaweni yakithi. Ezinyangeni ezithile kamuva, kwaqala ukuqhutshwa imihlangano yasikhathi sonke edolobheni elingumakhelwane eJalimane, futhi sahamba amakhilomitha ambalwa sesiwele umngcele ukuze sibe khona kuyo. Kungalesikhathi lapho ngahlangana no-Otto Estelmann, okwathi eminyakeni ethile kamuva ngasebenza naye eduze.

Ngo-1932 umkhaya wakithi wathuthela eBratislava, inhloko-dolobha yeSlovakia, cishe eqhele ngamakhilomitha angama-72 eVienna. Babengekho abanye oFakazi khona ngalesosikhathi. Nganquma ukuthi kwakumelwe ngishiseke emsebenzini wokushumayela. Ngakho ngakhetha lokho engacabanga ukuthi kwakuyinsimu enzima kunazo zonke, izakhiwo ezihlala kakhulukazi imikhaya yeziphathi-mandla zikahulumeni. Ngalesosikhathi kwakukhulunywa izilimi ezine eBratislava: ISlovak, isiCzech, isiJalimane, nesiHungarian.

Ngiphethe amakhadi ayenentshumayelo emfushane eyayibhalwe kuwo ngezilimi ezine, ngangihamba ngedwa ngingqongqoza eminyango. Ngezinye izikhathi ubaba, owayengakabi uFakazi, wayema ngaphesheya komgwaqo, engibuka futhi anikine ikhanda. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho naye wathatha ukuma okuqinile ngakuJehova.

NgoFebruary 15, 1935, emhlanganweni okhethekile nombonisi ojikelezayo ekhaya, mina, kanye nabanye, ngabhapathizwa kubhavu wokugeza. Ngalowonyaka ngaqeda esikoleni samabhizinisi futhi nganikezwa umsebenzi okhangayo, kodwa ngesikhathi esifanayo ngamenyelwa ukusebenza ehhovisi legatsha le Watch Tower Society ePrague, eCzechoslovakia. Ngemva kokuxoxa ngokungathi sína nabazali bami, sayisa lendaba kuJehova ngomthandazo. Ngakho, ngokushesha ngaphambi kokuba ngibe neminyaka eyi-16, ngangenela inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele ngoJune 1, 1935.

Ukukhonza Ngezikhathi Ezinzima

Ehhovisi leNhlangano ePrague, ngafunda ukusebenzisa imishini yokunyathelisa nokufaka okunyathelisiwe emakhasini. Sanyathelisa amapheshana abazalwane bethu baseJalimane, ababengaphansi kokuvinjelwa uHitler, sakhiqiza futhi neNqabayokulinda ngezilimi eziningi. Nokho, lezi kwakuyizikhathi ezinzima ngomsebenzi wethu eYurophu, futhi ekugcineni iziphathimandla zavala igatsha lethu ngoDecember 1938.

Ngabuyela ekhaya eBratislava, lapho uhulumeni wawususezandleni zezikhulu zamaNazi, futhi ngasebenza ngomshoshaphansi izinyanga ezimbili ngishumayela endlini ngendlu. Ngalesikhathi iHhovisi leWatch Tower Society eliseYurophu ePhakathi eBern, eSwitzerland, langibhalela ukuthi uma ngizimisele ukukhonza njengephayona noma kuphi emhlabeni, kumelwe ngize eBern.

Ngasamukela lesimemo futhi ngahamba ekhaya. Ngangimbona okokugcina ubaba, futhi kwakuzoba iminyaka engama-30 ngaphambi kokuba ngiphinde ngimbone umama. Kodwa uJehova wasilonda sobathathu ebunzimeni obuningi obalandela. Ngokwesibonelo, kamuva ngezwa ukuthi iHlinka Guarda elingadumile (uhlobo oluthile lweSS laseSlovakia) lalingilandela ngosuku engahamba ngalo eBratislava. Futhi endleleni, lapho izithunywa zamaNazi zithola ukuthi ngingomunye woFakazi BakaJehova, zazama ukuba ngiboshwe emingceleni yeYugoslavia neItaly. Kodwa uJehova waqhubeka engilonda.—IHubo 48:14; 61:3.

EBern ngezwa ukuthi ngangizothunyelwa eShanghai, eChina, kodwa kamuva lesabelo sashintshelwa eBrazil. Ngasebenza egatsheni laseBern ngaze ngathola imvume yami yokuya eBrazil. Ngalesikhathi zazanda iziphithiphithi eYurophu. Imingcele yayivalwa, ngakho ngoAugust 1939 iNhlangano yangikhuthaza ukuba ngiye eFrance. Umkhumbi wabathengi waseBrazil iSiqueira Campos wawuzosuka eLe Havre, eFrance, ngoAugust 31, futhi kwakumelwe ngigibele wona. Emahoreni amane nje ngaphambi kokuba kugqashuke iMpi Yezwe II, umkhumbi waqala uhambo lwawo.

Kamuva ngathola ukuthi abagibeli abayishumi nambili noma ngaphezudlwana engangigibele nabo engxenyeni ye sigaba sesibili, bonke babeyizithunywa zamaNazi. Babengakuthandi nakancane ukushumayela kwami. Bazama ukungikhipha emkhunjini izikhathi eziningi. EVigo, eSpain, ukaputeni onobungane wangixwayisa ngokuthi ngingayi ogwini uma sifika lapho. ELisbon, ePortugal, izithunywa ezingamaNazi zabhala isikhathi sokusuka komkhumbi okungeyiso ebhodini lezaziso ukuze ngisale ngedwa. Kodwa nalapha uJehova wayengilonda. (IHubo 121:3) Ngafika eSantos, eBrazil, ngobusuku ba ngoSeptember 24, 1939. Ngakusasa ngaya eSão Paulo, lapho ihhovisi leNhlangano lalikhona.

Ukukhonza EBrazil

NgoSeptember 1939 kwakunoFakazi abayi-127 kuphela eBrazil, ngalesosikhathi cishe eyayinezakhamuzi eziyizigidi ezingama-41. Cishe ngemva kwesonto ngiseSão Paulo, ngaya esabelweni sami samaphayona edolobheni eliseningizimu ekude, eRio Grande do Sul. Ngangizohlala noFakazi abakhuluma isiJalimane abangabokuzalwa ePoland ababehlala endaweni ekude esemahlanzeni.

Uhambo ngesitimela lwathatha izinsuku ezine. Ujantshi wawuphela eGiruá, eyayifana nedolobha elingamagebhugebhu eliseNtshonalanga lezinsuku zakudala zeNyakatho-Melika. Ngangisasalelwe amakhilomitha angama-32 ukusuka eGiruá ngiya endaweni esemahlanzeni ukuze ngifike lapho oFakazi babehlala khona. Iloli elalithutha izimpahla langigibelisa, langehlisa emgwaqweni ongcolile. Njengoba ngangihamba ngezinyawo cishe ibanga eliyikhilomitha nengxenye ngidabula ehlathini elihle futhi ngiwela umfudlana, ekugcineni ngafika.

Ngenxa yokuqhela kwalendawo, inkonzo yami yamaphayona yayilinganiselwe kuphela ezikhathini lapho othile ayengangithatha ngenqola yakhe encane edonswa ihhashi. Ukufinyelela abantu kwakuhilela ukuhamba izinsuku eziningi, ukulala emigwaqweni engcolile ukuze sigweme izinyoka noma ngaphansi kwenqola lapho lina. Sasishumayela futhi emadolobheni anjengeCruz Alta.

Ngo-1940 iNhlangano yaphinde yangabela ePôrto Alegre, inhloko-dolobha yeRio Grande do Sul. Lapho ngasebenza nomngane wami engamthola ngisewumntwana uOtto Estelmann, naye owayabelwe eBrazil. Lapho iziphathi-mandla kwabonakala kuyizikhulu zamaNazi. Saboshwa futhi sanikezwa ithuba lokusayina iphepha elalenqaba ukholo lwethu noma sihambe ngesitimela sasebusuku siyoboshwa emngceleni weUruguay. Ngalobobusuku sasisesitimeleni.

Ngaphansi Kokuvinjelwa

Lapho emngceleni sachitha cishe izinsuku ezimbili sigqunywe endlini. Kodwa uJehova waphinda wasisiza. Abanye osomabhizinisi abangamaJuda basinikeza usizo. Ngenxa yalokho, esikhundleni sokuba ngigqunywe ejele, ngavunyelwa ukuba ngenze umsebenzi wokuziphilisa, kodwa sasiqashelwe kakhulu. Sasingavunyelwe ukuba sithintane nehhovisi legatsha leNhlangano.

Nokho, ngolunye usuku emgwaqweni sahlangana nomzalwane oyiphayona ovela eYurophu owayabelwe eUruguay. Kwenzeka nje ukuba avakashele emngceleni. Yeka ukuhlangana! Wasipha iBhayibheli lesiJalimane neNqabayokulinda yesiNgisi. Kulapho lapho ngaqala khona ngempela ukufunda isiNgisi.

Khona-ke, ngoAugust 22, 1942, iBrazil yamemezela impi neJalimane neItaly, okwasho ushintsho esimweni sethu. Saphindiselwa ePôrto Alegre, futhi ngemva kokuphenywa, ngakhululwa. Ngemva kwalokho, ngahlangana noFakazi abathile abasebasha engangike ngababona ngaphambili endaweni esemahlanzeni engabelwa kuyo okokuqala. Ngakho ngakwazi ukuthintana nehhovisi legatsha, futhi ngaphinda ngaqala ukuphayona. Abane balentsha bahlanganyela nami emsebenzini wamaphayona, futhi sathola abantu abamukela isigijimi soMbuso, abanye babo basashumayela.

Iziphathi-mandla ezintsha zazisithanda, ngakho ngo-1943 sahlela umhlangano wokuqala omncane ePôrto Alegre. Ingqikithi yababa khona yaba ngama-50, cishe ingxenye yabo kwakungamaphoyisa omshoshaphansi. Esikhathini esingangonyaka kamuva, ngo-1944, sahlela omunye umhlangano. Ngemva kwalokho ngabizelwa ukuyokhonza ehhovisi legatsha leNhlangano, elase lithuthile eSão Paulo laya eRio de Janeiro.

IGileyadi Nangemva Kwayo

Ngo-1950 ngamenyelwa ukuba khona ekilasini le-16 le Watchtower Bible School of Gilead eNingizimu Lansing, eNew York. Ngemva kokuthola iziqu ngoFebruary 1951, ngathola isabelo samaphayona akhethekile esikhashana nebandla laseNingizimu Bronx, eNew York, kodwa kamuva ngaphindela eBrazil.

Cishe isikhathi esingangonyaka nengxenye ngakhonza njengommeleli ojikelezayo weNhlangano, kokubili njengombonisi wesigodi nanjengombonisi wesifunda. Khona-ke, ngoFebruary 1953, ngaphinda ngabizelwa ehhovisi legatsha eRio de Janeiro futhi ngabelwa ukwenza umsebenzi wokuhumusha. Kamuva, kusukela ngoSeptember 1961 kuya kuSeptember 1963, ngaba nelungelo lokusebenza esabelweni esikhethekile sokuhumusha endlunkulu yeNhlangano eBrooklyn, eNew York. Ngenkathi ngilapho, ngaya komunye umbhangqwana engawazi ngiseseBrazil. Indoda yavuma ukufunda nami ehhotela lapho babehlala khona futhi yalikholelwa iqiniso.

Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa kamuva, lapho sesibuyele eBrazil, ngaphinda ngaya kuyo. Kodwa yayinokuzethemba. Ngakho ngayitshela: “Bheka, Paul, ungunjiniyela. Kodwa ake sithi bengingunjiniyela futhi ngakutshela ukuthi uphahla lungawela phezu kwakho noma nini. Yini obungayenza? Nokho, ‘njengonjiniyela’ weBhayibheli, ngikutshela ukuthi ngaphandle kokuba wenze ngokuvumelana nalokho okwaziyo, usenkingeni.”

Ngokushesha yabhapathizwa futhi useneminyaka eminingana ekhonza njengomdala ongumKristu. Wayewusizo kakhulu futhi ekwakhiweni kwezakhiwo ezinkulu zegatsha elisha eCesário Lange, eSão Paulo, lapho thina esingama-480 manje sisebenza khona ukuze sikhonze izidingo ezingokomoya zesibalo esikhulayo soFakazi eBrazil.

Ukwanda Okuqhubekayo

Ngo-1945 savakashelwa okokuqala umongameli weWatch Tower Society, uNathan H. Knorr, kanye nowayeyiphini likamongameli ngalesosikhathi, uFrederick Franz. Kwahlelwa umhlangano endaweni yokuvivinya umzimba ePacaembu eDolobheni laseSão Paulo, futhi ngakhonza njengomhumusheli wabazalwane ababevakashile. Ababa khona baba ama-765.

Ngikhumbula uMzalwane uKnorr ebuka inkundla enkulu engumakhelwane futhi ezibuza ukuthi siyoke siyigcwalise yini. Nokho, ngoDecember 1973 sayigcwalisa, lapho abayizi-94 586 begcwalisa iPacaembu Stadium eMhlanganweni “Wokunqoba Kwaphezulu”. Lokhu kwafinyelela umvuthwandaba ngoAugust 1985 eMhlanganweni “Wabagcina Ubuqotho” eMorumbi Stadium, eDolobheni. laseSão Paulo, lapho kwakunabayizi-162 941. Futhi ngesikhathi esifanayo, abanye abayizi-86 410 babesenkundleni yebhola yaseRio de Janeiro. Kamuva, eminye imihlangano engama-23 yenyusa ingqikithi yababa khona eMihlanganweni “Yabagcina Ubuqotho” eBrazil yaba yizi-389 387!

Phakathi neminyaka edlule, ngiye ngaba nelungelo lokuhumushela izikhulumi ezisivakashelayo ezivela endlunkulu yaseBrooklyn, eNew York. Muva nje esinye sazo, lapho sihamba nami futhi siphawula abantu abaningi engangifunde nabo iBhayibheli eminyakeni edlule beza kimi bezongibingelela, ngokuntela sathi: “Angikaze ngiyibone indoda enabantwana abaningi kangaka ingenankosikazi.”

Okuhlangenwe nakho okuvelele ngempela ekuphileni kwami kuye kwaba futhi imihlangano yezizwe zonke engiye ngakwazi ukuba khona kuyo kwamanye amazwe. Emhlanganweni waseNuremberg ngo-1969, ngabona umama okokuqala eminyakeni engama-30. Wafa ethembekile ngo-1973. Ubaba akazange avunyelwe ukuphuma ezweni lakubo aye emhlanganweni, futhi angizange ngiphinde ngimbone ngemva kokuhamba ekhaya. Ngo-1978 ngaba nelungelo lokunikeza inkulumo yeningi emhlanganweni wezizwe zonke e Vienna, eAustria, umhlangano wokuqala omkhulu engaba khona kuwo edolobheni engazalelwa kulo.

Phakathi nale minyaka eminingi eBrazil, ngiye ngabona ukuthi uJehova nguYe “okhulisayo.” (1 Korinte 3:7) Ngo-1948 sadlula enanini labamemezeli abayi-1 000. Ngemva kwalokho, inani labamemezeli lafinyelela izi-12 992 ngo-1958 nezi-60 139 ngo-1970. Esikhundleni sabamemezeli boMbuso abayi-127 esasinabo ngoSeptember 1939, kwakunabayizi-196 948 ngoAugust 1986. Ngokuqinisekile, nakulelizwe ‘ophansi uye waba yisizwe esinamandla.’—Isaya 60:22.

Kodwa umphakathi waseBrazil nawo uye wanda, kusukela ezigidini ezingama-41 ngo-1939 kuya ezigidini ezingaphezu kwe-135 manje. Ngakho sisenensimu enkulu yomsebenzi. Kuye kwaba yinjabulo kimi ukuhileleka ngokoqobo ekwandeni okumangalisayo uJehova akunikezayo, futhi yeka indlela obekujabulisa ngayo! Ngakho ngingatusela noma ubani ofuna ukukhonza uJehova isikhathi esigcwele: Qhubeka! Ungesabi okungase kwenzeke, ngoba “uJehova uyakulondoloza ukuphuma kwakho nokungena kwakho.”—IHubo 121:7, 8.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 26]

“Ngikutshela ukuthi ngaphandle kokuba wenze ngokuvumelana nalokho okwaziyo, usenkingeni”

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

UN. H. Knorr ekhuluma, uErich Kattner ehumusha, eSão Paulo, eBrazil, ngo-1945