Indlela Yokuphila Enenjongo
NJENGOBA ILANDISWA NGUMELVA A. WIELAND
Ngo-March 1940, ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa ngibhapathiziwe, udadewethu uPhyllis weza kimi ezongibuza: “Kungani ungaphayoni?” “Ngiphayone?” ngibuza. “Usho ukushumayela isikhathi esigcwele, cishe nsuku zonke?”
‘NGINGABA kanjani iphayona,’ ngicabanga, ‘njengoba nginolwazi oluncane lweBhayibheli futhi nginemali encane nakakhulu ebhange?’ Nokho, umbuzo kaPhyllis wangenza ngacabanga. Futhi ngathandaza kakhulu ngakho.
Ekugcineni ngacabanga, ‘Kungani ngingamethembi uNkulunkulu lapho ethembisa ukuthi uzosinakekela uma sifuna uMbuso wakhe kuqala?’ (Mathewu 6:33) Ngakho ngo-June 1940, ngafaka isaziso sokuyeka umsebenzi wami wokuthunga. Ngemva kwalokho ngabhalela ihhovisi legatsha le-Watch Tower Society e-Australia, ngicela isabelo sokuphayona.
Isabelo Sokuphila Kwami Konke
Emasontweni ambalwa kamuva, ngathola impendulo, ingazisa ukuthi isabelo ngangiyosinikezwa ngemva komhlangano owawuzobanjelwa emagcekeni asendlunkulu yoFakazi BakaJehova eStrathfield, umuzi ongasedolobheni lase-Australia elikhulukazi, iSydney. Ekuseni ngemva komhlangano, ngaya ehhovisi ngiyolanda isabelo sami.
Owayesebenza kulelohhovisi wachaza: “Simatasa kakhulu elondolo okwamanje. Ungakwazi yini ukuhlala usize amasonto ambalwa?” Kwakungo-August 1940—futhi namanje ngisasebenza elondolo! Ngalesosikhathi kwakunabangu-35 kuphela emkhayeni wasendlunkulu; manje kunaba-ngu-276.
Kodwa ungase uzibuze ukuthi kungani ngibheka ukusebenza elondolo ‘njengendlela yokuphila enenjongo,’ ikakhulukazi njengoba lokhu kuye kwaba umsebenzi wami iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 manje. Ngaphambi kokuba ngichaze, ake nginixoxele ngengangikuphishekela ebusheni bami.
Ezemidlalo Zaba Indlela Yokuphila
Ngazalelwa eMelbourne ngo-January 1, 1914, ngiyizibulo kubantwana abahlanu. Sasinabazali abanothando ababephila ngezimiso eziphakeme futhi ababenikeza isijeziso lapho kudingeka. Futhi sakhuliswa ngendlela engokwenkolo engahleliwe, ngoba abazali bethu babengasonti. Nakuba kunjalo, babegcizelela ukuthi thina bantwana siye emakilasini kaSonto-sikole eSheshi.
Lapho ngiyeka isikole ngo-1928 futhi ngiqala ukusebenza njengomthungikazi, nganquma ukuchitha isikhathi sami esiningi sokuphumula ngidlala imidlalo, ngikholelwa ukuthi lokhu kungangisiza ukuba nginqobe amahloni. Ngajoyina iqembu lethenisi futhi ngadlala nalo kwaze kwaphela unyaka. Ebusika ngangidlala ibhola lomnqakiswano ne-baseball, kuthi ehlobo ngidlale neqembu lekhilikithi labesifazane. Ngangiwukhonze ngempela umdlalo wekhilikithi, futhi ngazama kanzima ukuba umpetha wokuphonsa ngokushesha ukuze ngifanelekele ukudlala emidlalweni yamazwe.
Umgomo Ohlukile Kowezemidlalo
Ebusheni bami ngakhathazwa imfundiso yokuthi uNkulunkulu wothando wayenendawo ebizwa ngokuthi isihogo lapho labo abenza izinto ezimbi beyohlushwa khona unomphela. Lokhu kwamane nje kwangaba nangqondo kimi. Ngakho cabanga ngenjabulo engaba nayo lapho ngokungazelele ngifunda eBhayibhelini incazelo eyiqiniso yelithi “isihogo.” Kwenzeka ngalendlela:
Udadewethu uPhyllis, engimshiya ngeminyaka emihlanu, naye wayekuthanda ukudlala imidlalo, futhi sasiseqenjini elilodwa lekhilikithi labesifazane. Ngo-1936 esasinaye eqenjini wethula uPhyllis ensizweni okuthiwa uJim eyayaziwa ngokuthi ithanda inkolo kakhulu. Ngokushesha uJim waqala ukukhuluma noPhyllis ngezimfundiso zeBhayibheli. Waba nesithakazelo. Wayengitshela: “Akuve kunengqondo.”
Ngalesosikhathi mina noPhyllis sasihlanganyela ikamelo elilodwa ekhaya, futhi wazama ukuvusa isithakazelo kimi ngalokho uJim ayemtshela khona ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. “Uzokwenza lokho ohulumeni babantu abahlulekile ukukwenza,” engitshela ngenjabulo. Nokho, ngamphikisa, ngithi lena kwakumane nje kungenye inkolo esidida izingqondo nokuthi akekho owaziyo ngempela ngekusasa. Kodwa uPhyllis waphikelela eshiya nezincwadi ekamelweni, ethemba ukuthi ngingase ngizifunde.
Ngangifisa ukwazi ukuthi kungani uPhyllis ayeshiseka kangaka ngalenkolelo entsha, ngakho ngolunye usuku ngayithatha incwajana. Yayinesihloko esithakazelisayo esithi Hereafter. Ngaba ‘nesithakazelo’ lapho ngiphenya amakhasi ayo futhi ngibona igama elithi “isihogo”. Ngamangala lapho ngifunda ukuthi igama eliseBhayibhelini elithi “isihogo” empeleni libhekisela ethuneni elivamile lesintu nokuthi kokubili abantu abahle nababi baya lapho. Ngafunda nokuthi isihogo akuyona indawo yokuhlushwa; abafileyo abezwa lutho.—UmShumayeli 9:5, 10; IHubo 146:3, 4.
Lokhu kwaba nengqondo kimi, ikakhulukazi lapho lencwajana ichaza ukuthi uNkulunkulu onothando namandla uye wathembisa ukubuyisa abafileyo ngesimangaliso esibizwa ngokuthi uvuko. (Johane 5:28, 29) Manje ngase ngifuna nokuthola okwengeziwe ngezinto uJim ayezitshela uPhyllis. Ngathola i-King James Version encane engangiyinikezwe ubaba lapho ngisengumntwana ngase ngibheka imibhalo eyayisencwajaneni. Lokhu kwaqinisekisa okwakushiwo ngesihogo nesimo sabafileyo.
Okunye okuthakazelisayo okwangimangalisa kwakuwukufunda ukuthi uNkulunkulu unegama lakhe, elithi Jehova. (IHubo 83:18) Ngabona nanokuthi uNkulunkulu wayenenjongo, noma isizathu, nganoma yini ayeyenza noma ayeyivumela ukuba yenzeke. Lokhu kwangenza ngazibuza, ‘Iyini ngempela injongo yami ekuphileni?’ Kusukela ngalesosikhathi ngaqala ukuzibuza ukuthi kwakungizuzisa yini ukubheka ezemidlalo njengezibaluleke kakhulu—ngize ngicishe ngidele yonke into.
Ukwenza Ngokuvumelana Nezinqumo
UJim noPhyllis babengazi ukuthi umbono wami ngokuphila wase ushintshile, kodwa babona lapho umkhaya wakithi umenyelwe emcimbini womngane othile. Ngalezozinsuku, uma kuba nesenzakalo esinjalo bonke abakhona babesukuma, bashayanise izingilazi egameni leNkosi yaseNgilandi, bese bonke bephakamisa izingilazi zabo ukuze baphuze egameni lenkosi. Nokho, nganquma ukungasukumi kanye noJim noPhyllis. Bakhexa imilomo lapho bengibona ngilokhu ngihlezi! Yiqiniso, sasingaqondile ukweyisa, kodwa njengamaKristu saba nomuzwa wokuthi kufanele singathathi-hlangothi futhi singahlanganyeli emikhosini enjalo yobuzwe.—Johane 17:16.
Nakuba kunjalo, abazali bami nabanye emkhayeni wakithi bashaqeka. Bathi asithembekile, noma siyahlanya—noma kokubili! Khona-ke, lapho mina noPhyllis sisemkhosini wokuklonyeliswa waminyaka yonke weqembu lekhilikithi labesifazane, kwenzeka into efanayo phakathi nomkhosi wobuzwe. Umphumela waba ukuthi sobabili sisule kuleliqembu. Lokhu kwakungenzima njengoba ngangicabanga ukuthi kuzoba njalo, ngoba ngase ngiqaphele ukuthi ukudumisa nokwethembeka kwami kufanele kuye kuKristu Jesu, iNkosi yoMbuso kaNkulunkulu ongokwasezulwini.
UPhyllis wabe esechaza ukuthi kudingeka ngibe khona njalo emihlanganweni yoFakazi BakaJehova ukuze ngakhe ukholo lwami ngolwazi lweBhayibheli olwengeziwe. Ngalesosikhathi kwakunebandla elilodwa vó eMelbourne, ngakho ngaqala ukuya emihlanganweni lapho njalo ngeSonto ntambama. Ngokushesha ngase ngiqiniseka ukuthi lena yinhlangano kaNkulunkulu yeqiniso yasemhlabeni.
Kungakabiphi ngamenywa ukuba ngihlanganyele emsebenzini webandla wokushumayela endlini ngendlu. Ngaqale ngaba manqikanqika, kodwa ngelinye iSonto ekuseni nganquma ukuphelezela ukuze nje ngibone indlela okwakwenziwa ngayo. Ngajabula lapho ngabelwa ukuba ngihambe noFakazi onokuhlangenwe nakho owakhuluma ngokuzethemba endlini yokuqala futhi umninikhaya wasabela kahle. Ngacabanga, ‘Bekungenzima kakhulu lokho, kodwa kuzodingeka ngiprakthize kakhulu ngaphambi kokuba ngenze kahle ngalendlela.’ Ngakho cabanga ngokushaqeka engaba nakho lapho, ngemva kokuphuma kuleyondlu yokuqala, loFakazi ethi kimi, “Manje usuzokwazi ukuzihambela wedwa.”
“Ngedwa?” ngibuza, ngishaqekile! “Ubothi uyadlala! Ngizothini uma umuntu ebuza umbuzo futhi ngingayazi impendulo?” Kodwa engihamba naye wangicindezela. Ngakho, ngiqhaqhazela ngokoqobo, ngahamba ngedwa kuyilapho eqhubeka efakaza kubantu ngakolunye uhlangothi lomgwaqo. Ngandlela-thile ngasinda ngalolosuku lokuqala.
Kusukela ngalesosikhathi ngaqala ukuhlanganyela emsebenzini wokushumayela njalo ngeSonto ekuseni. Lapho othile endlini engibuza umbuzo engangingakwazi ukuwuphendula, ngangithi, “Ngizowucwaninga bese ngibuya ngizokubona.” Ngokujabulisayo, uJehova waqhubeka enginika amandla nesibindi sokuqhubeka nendlela yami yokuphila entsha enenjongo. Nganikezela ukuphila kwami kuye, kwathi ngo-October 1939, ngabhapathizwa echibini elisedolobheni laseMelbourne. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho uPhyllis, owayeseshade noJim, wabuza ukuthi kungani ngingaqali ukuphayona.
Inkonzo Yasegatsheni
Ngo-January 1941, ngokushesha ngemva kokuba ngiqale ukusebenza eBethel, njengoba sasilibiza kanjalo ihhovisi legatsha, umsebenzi woFakazi BakaJehova e-Australia wavinjelwa. Ngemva kwalokho umbutho wezempi wathatha iKhaya lethu laseBethel elaliseStrathfield, ngase ngithunyelwa epulazini leNhlangano e-Ingleburn, eliqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-48 ukusuka edolobheni. Ngo-June 1943 izinkantolo zayikhulula i-Watch Tower Society ecaleni futhi zaphelisa ukuvinjelwa. Ngasekupheleni kwalowonyaka, abangu-25 bethu bamenywa ukuba baphindele eBethel eseStrathfield. Ngaqhubeka ngisebenza elondolo, ngihlanganyela nakweminye imisebenzi kulelokhaya.
Ishumi leminyaka elalandela labonakala lidlula ngokushesha. Kwathi ngo-1956, ngashada nesasikanye naye eBethel, uTed Wieland. UTed wayeyindoda ezothile, enesineke kakhulu, futhi sajabula lapho sivunyelwa ukuba siqhubeke sihlala eBethel njengendoda nomfazi. Sobabili sasiyazisa indlela yethu yokuphila enenjongo, sijabula ngelungelo lokukhonza egatsheni lase-Australia. Yiqiniso, ngaphezu komsebenzi wethu waseBethel, sajabulela ukusebenza ndawonye sisiza abanye ukuba babe abafundi bakaKristu. Ngokwesibonelo, ningafunda ngomkhaya wakwaWeekes kumagazini i-Phaphama! ka-October 22, 1993.
Ukwanda okuqhubekayo kokushumayela ngoMbuso kwadinga ukuba kwenezelwe izisebenzi eziyishumi noma ezingu-12 kuphela phakathi neminyaka yami yokuqala engu-30 ngiseBethel. Kodwa isimo sashintsha ngokushesha ngawo-1970 lapho siqala ukunyathelisa umagazini INqabayokulinda ne-Phaphama! lapha. Ukwakha kwaqala ngendawo yokunyathelisa entsha ngo-January 1972. Ngokushesha kwafika umshini wokunyathelisa ongamathani angu-40 uvela eJapane, futhi ngo-1973 sase sinyathelisa cishe omagazini abangu-700 000 ngenyanga. Manje umkhaya wethu waseBethel waqala ukukhula ngempela.
Iminyaka yawo-1970 yaletha nosizi kimi. Okokuqala, umyeni wami othandekayo, uTed, washona ngo-1975 eneminyaka engu-80 ubudala. Kuthe kungakapheli nonyaka, ubaba osekhulile naye washona. Ngathola induduzo enkulu kuJehova naseZwini lakhe, iBhayibheli, nakubafowethu nodadewethu abangokomoya. Futhi kwangisiza kakhulu ukuhlale ngimatasa eBethel ngemisebenzi yami enenjongo phakathi nalesisikhathi esidabukisayo ekuphileni kwami.
Nokho, ukuphila kuyaqhubeka, futhi ngaphinde ngathola ukwaneliseka nezibusiso, manje sengingumfelokazi. Ngo-1978, ngaba khona emhlanganweni owawuseLondon, eNgilandi, futhi ngemva kwalokho ngavakashela indlunkulu yomhlaba wonke ye-Watch Tower Society eBrooklyn, eNew York. Ukubona amakhulukhulu abafowethu nodadewethu esebenza ngenjabulo lapho eBethel yaseBrooklyn kuye kwahlale kungivuselela kuze kube manje.
Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yawo-1970, sezwa ukuthi kwakuhlelwa ukuba kwandiswe ngokwengeziwe isakhiwo seBethel yase-Australia. Nokho, kwakungeke kwandiswe eStrathfield, lapho indawo yabe isisiphelele khona. Kunalokho, isakhiwo esisha esikhulukazi sasizokwakhiwa endaweni yethu ese-Ingleburn, lapho ngangisebenze khona phakathi nokuvinjelwa ekuqaleni kwawo-1940.
Indlela Yokuphila Enenjongo Iyaqhubeka
Yeka injabulo eyaba khona ngo-January 1982 lapho sithuthela ezakhiweni zethu ezintsha! Yiqiniso, kwaqale kwaba khona ukudumala okuncane ngokushiya indawo esiyijwayele, kodwa ngokushesha salijabulela ikhaya lethu elisha elinamakamelo angu-73 amahle. Manje kunokuba sibone izindonga zamatshe nemigwaqo yedolobha ngaphandle, sesibona amasimu aluhlaza nezihlahla, izinkomo ziklabile, nokuvela nokushona kwelanga okukhazimulayo—isimo esijabulisa kakhulu.
Ekwindla ngo-March 19, 1983, saba nesimiso esijabulisayo sokunikezelwa kwesakhiwo esisha. ULloyd Barry weNdikimba Ebusayo yoFakazi BakaJehova wanikeza inkulumo yokunikezela eshukumisayo. Ngakujabulela ukuba khona kwakhe nomkakhe esimisweni sokunikezela, njengoba ngangisebenze nabo eBethel yaseStrathfield lapho sonke sisebasha.
Ukwanda okuqhubekayo komsebenzi wokushumayela ngoMbuso kwenza kwadingeka ukuba kwandiswe ngokwengeziwe izakhiwo zethu lapha e-Ingleburn. Ngo-1987 ihhovisi landiswa. Kuthe ngo-November 25, 1989, isakhiwo sokuhlala esisha esinezitezi ezinhlanu nengxenye eyenezelwe yefekthri enezitezi ezintathu kwanikezelwa. Yeka indlela esesande ngayo—kusukela siyizikhonzi ezingaphansi kuka-4 000 e-Australia lapho ngiqala inkonzo yami size sicishe sibe ngu-59 000!
Muva nje igatsha lase-Australia liye lenziwa elinye lamaHhovisi Obunjiniyela Ezifunda kwamathathu eNhlangano, kanye neJapane neJalimane. Lokhu kuye kwenza kwadingeka kwandiswe isakhiwo saseBethel ngisho nakakhulu. Esinye isakhiwo samahhovisi esinezitezi ezintathu manje sesiphelile, futhi umsebenzi usuzophela esakhiweni sokuhlala esinezitezi ezinhlanu, esiyoba namanye amakamelo angu-80 okuhlalisa umkhaya wethu owanda njalo.
Elondolo, sineqembu elikhulu elenza umsebenzi, kodwa ngihlale ngikhumbula loluyasuku lwango-August ngo-1940 lapho ngimenywa ukuba ngisize kulomnyango amasonto amabili. Angive ngibonga ngokuthi lawomasonto amabili aye aluleka aba iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50 nangokuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu uqondisé izinyathelo zami zaba sendleleni yokuphila enenjongo kangaka.
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Lapho ngineminyaka engu-25 ubudala
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Usuku lwethu lomshado ngo-1956
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Ngo-1938 mina nodadewethu sasingene shí kwezemidlalo, kodwa manje ukuphila kwami kukhiqiza kakhulu ngokwengeziwe