Okungcono Kakhulu Engingakwenza Ngokuphila Kwami

NJENGOBA ILANDISWA NGUBOB ANDERSON

Cishe eminyakeni eyishumi edlule, abangane abathile bangibuza: “Kungani uye waqhubeka isikhathi eside kangaka uphayona, Bob?” “Nokho,” ngamamatheka futhi ngathi, “kukhona yini okuthile okungcono kokukwenza eningacabanga ngakho kunokuphayona?”

NGANGINEMINYAKA engu-23 ubudala ngo-1931 lapho ngingenela inkonzo yamaphayona. Manje ngisonyakeni wami wama-87 futhi ngisaphayona. Ngiyazi ukuthi akukho okungcono engangingakwenza ngokuphila kwami. Ake ngichaze ukuthi kungani.

Ngo-1914 kwashiywa ipheshana ekhaya. Lalikhishwe AbaFundi BeBhayibheli Bomhlaba Wonke, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babebizwa kanjalo ngalesosikhathi. Lapho uFakazi owayeshiye ipheshana ebuya, umama wambuzisisa ngesihogo somlilo. Umama wayekhuliswe njengelungu laseWeseli elingaguquki kodwa lemfundiso engokwenkolo yokuhlushwa phakade wayengenakuyihlanganisa noNkulunkulu wothando. Ngokushesha nje lapho esefunde iqiniso lalendaba, wathi: “Ngizizwa ngijabule kakhudlwana kunanini ekuphileni kwami!”

Ngokushesha umama wayeka ukufundisa kuSonto-sikole samaWeseli futhi wazihlanganisa neqembu elincane labaFundi BeBhayibheli. Waqala ukushumayela edolobheni lakithi laseBirkenhead, elibhekene nesikhumulo saseLiverpool ngaphesheya koMfula iMersey, futhi ngokushesha wayesehamba ngebhayisikili eya emadolobhaneni aminingi aseduze. Wafakaza kulensimu ebanzi ukuphila kwakhe konke waze waziwa kahle, ebekela abantwana bakhe isibonelo esihle. Wafa ngo-1971 esemdala kakhulu eneminyaka engu-97, uFakazi oshisekayo kwaze kwaba sekugcineni.

Mina nodadewethu, uKathleen sakhishwa kuSonto-sikole samaWeseli ukuze sihambe nomama emihlanganweni yakhe nabaFundi BeBhayibheli. Kamuva, lapho nobaba esehamba nathi, abazali bami bahlela ukuba kube nesifundo seBhayibheli somkhaya sasikhathi sonke ngencwadi ethi The Harp of God. Isifundo esinjalo sasingokuthile okungavamile ngalezozinsuku, kodwa lesisisekelo sokuqala eqinisweni leBhayibheli eliyisisekelo sasizuzisa ngokucebile, njengoba ngokuhamba kwesikhathi sobabili sangenela inkonzo yamaphayona.

Umama wanamathela embonweni wokuthi ukubona “iPhoto-Drama of Creation” eLiverpool ngo-1920 kwakuyisikhathi senguquko engokomoya kithina bantwana, futhi wayeqinisile. Nakuba ngangimncane kangako, lowombukiso wangishiya nginemicabango ekhanyayo engqondweni yami. Engingasoze ngakukhohlwa ingxenye eyayibonisa ukuphila kukaJesu, ikakhulukazi njengoba yayimbonisa elibangise ekufeni kwakhe. Konke lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho kwangisiza ukuba ngigxile emsebenzini obaluleke kakhulu—ukushumayela!

Ekuqaleni kwawo-1920, ngaqala ukusakaza amapheshana nomama ngamaSonto ntambama. Ekuqaleni, sayalwa ukuba siwashiye ezindlini; kamuva, satshelwa ukuba siwanikeze abaninikhaya futhi kamuva siphindele kulabo ababenesithakazelo. Ngaso sonke isikhathi ngiye ngabheka lokhu njengesisekelo sokuqala somsebenzi wethu wanamuhla wezimpindelo nezifundo zeBhayibheli, ophumelela kakhulu namuhla.

Ukungenela Inkonzo Yamaphayona!

Mina noKathleen sabhapathizwa ngo-1927. Ngangisebenza njengosokhemisi oxuba imithi eLiverpool lapho ngizwa izwi lesinqumo lokwamukela igama elithi oFakazi BakaJehova ngo-1931. Ngase ngiwabone izikhathi eziningi ama-colporteur (manje abizwa ngokuthi amaphayona) eNhlangano esebenza insimu yamabhizinisi eLiverpool, futhi isibonelo sawo sangihlaba umxhwele kakhulu. Yeka indlela engangilangazelela ngayo ukukhululeka ezinhlanganweni zezwe, ukuze ngisebenzise ukuphila kwami enkonzweni kaJehova!

Phakathi nehlobo lalowonyaka ofanayo, umngane wami uGerry Garrard wangitshela ukuthi wayethole isabelo esivela kumongameli wesibili we-Watch Tower Society, uJoseph F. Rutherford, sokuyoshumayela eNdiya. Ngokushesha nje ngaphambi kokuba ahambe ngomkhumbi, wangivakashela futhi wakhuluma ngelungelo lenkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele. Njengoba ayevalelisa, waqhubeka engikhuthaza ethi: “Ngiyethemba uzoba yiphayona ngokushesha, Bob.” Futhi kwaba njalo. Ngabhalisa ngalowo-October. Yeka injabulo, yeka inkululeko, ngidabula phakathi kwemigwaqo yezwe ngebhayisikili ngishumayela emiphakathini esezindaweni eziqhelile! Ngalesosikhathi ngangazi ukuthi ngangingenela umsebenzi obaluleke ngaphezu kwayo yonke engangingayenza.

Isabelo sami sokuqala lapho ngaphayona khona noCyril Stentiford sasiseNingizimu Wales. Kamuva uCyril washada noKathleen, futhi baphayona ndawonye iminyaka eminingana. Indodakazi yabo, uRuth, nayo kamuva yangenela inkonzo yamaphayona. Ngo-1937, ngangiseFleetwood, eLancashire—ngisebenza no-Eric Cooke. Kuze kube yilesosikhathi, amaphayona ayesebenza izindawo zasemaphandleni zaseBrithani kuphela, ezingaphandle kwensimu yebandla. Kodwa u-Albert D. Schroeder, ngalesosikhathi owayenakekela umsebenzi wehhovisi legatsha leNhlangano laseLondon, wanquma ukuba sobabili sithuthele edolobheni laseBradford, eYorkshire. Lesi kwakuyisikhathi sokuqala amaphayona eBrithani abelwa ngaso ukuba asize ibandla elithile.

Ngo-1946, u-Eric waya eWatchtower Bible School of Gilead futhi wabelwa eRhodesia eseNingizimu, manje okuyiZimbabwe, futhi yena nomkakhe basakhonza ngokwethembeka njengezithunywa zevangeli eThekwini, eNingizimu Afrika.

Ngonyaka ka-1938 ngangikhonza kwesinye isabelo, manje ngikhonza njengenceku yesifunda (manje ebizwa ngokuthi umbonisi wesifunda) enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeLancashire naseLake District enhle. Lapho ngahlangana no-Olive Duckett, futhi ngemva kokuba sishadile, ngokushesha wahlanganyela nami emsebenzini wesifunda.

I-Ireland Phakathi Neminyaka Yempi

Ngokushesha ngemva kokuba iBrithani imemezele ukuthi izolwa neJalimane ngo-September 1939, isabelo sami sashintshelwa e-Ireland. Ukubuthelwa impi kwase kuqalile eBrithani, kodwa hhayi eRepublic yase-Ireland engaseningizimu, eyahlala iyizwe elingathathi-hlangothi phakathi nenkathi yempi. IRepublic yase-Ireland neNorthern Ireland kwakuzoba isifunda esisodwa. Nokho, kwakunemithetho evimbelayo, futhi kwakudingeka sithole izimvume zokuhamba ukuze siphume eBrithani siye kunoma iyiphi ingxenye ye-Ireland. Iziphathimandla zangitshela ukuthi ngingahamba, kodwa kwakumelwe ngivume ukuphindela eNgilandi ngokushesha lapho kubuthwa iqembu lobudala bami. Ngavuma ngomlomo, kodwa okwangimangaza ukuthi lapho imvume yami ikhishwa, kwakungekho mibandela efakiwe!

Ngalesosikhathi, kwakunoFakazi abangaphezudlwana nje kwekhulu kulo lonke elase-Ireland. Ekufikeni kwethu eDublin ngo-November 1939, uJack Corr, iphayona eselinesikhathi eside, wasihlangabeza. Wasitshela ukuthi kwakunamanye amaphayona amabili edolobheni eliseduze nabantu abambalwa abathakazelayo eDublin, cishe abangaba ngu-20 sebebonke. UJack waqasha ikamelo eDublin ukuze lisetshenziselwe umhlangano bonke abavuma ukuhlangana kulo njalo iSonto ngalinye. Lelilungiselelo laqhubeka kwaze kwaba yilapho ibandla limiswa ngo-1940.

INorthern Ireland, njengengxenye ye-United Kingdom, yayilwa neJalimane, ngakho njengoba sasiya ngasenyakatho silibangise eBelfast, sasinezincwadi ezazinamathikithi okuthenga ukudla nobumnyama okwakumelwe sibhekane nabo ebusuku. Nakuba kwakudingeka ukuba indiza yamaNazi indize ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-1 600 ukuze ifike eBelfast futhi iphindele esikhumulweni sazo eYurophu, bakwazi ukuliqhumisa ngokuphumelelayo idolobha ngamabhomu. Phakathi nokuhlasela kokuqala, iHholo LoMbuso lethu lalimala futhi isakhiwo sethu sokuhlala saqothulwa lapho sisavakashele abazalwane kwenye ingxenye yedolobha, ngakho sasinda ngokulambisa. Ngalobobusuku obufanayo, umkhaya woFakazi wabalekela emphemeni wendawo oyisiphephelo. Lapho ufika lapho, wathola umpheme ugcwele futhi kwadingeka ukuba uphindele ekhaya. Lompheme wadutshulwa ngokuqondile, futhi bonke ababekuwo bafa, kodwa abafowethu basinda benokusikeka nokulimala okuncane. Phakathi naleminyaka enzima yempi, akekho noyedwa kubafowethu owalimala kakhulu, okuyinto esambonga ngayo uJehova.

Amalungiselelo Okudla Okungokomoya

Njengoba impi yayiqhubeka, imithetho evimbelayo yayiya ngokuqina futhi ekugcineni kwasungulwa inqubo yokuhlolwa kweposi. Lokhu kwasho ukuthi INqabayokulinda yavinjelwa futhi ayizange ivunyelwe ukuba ingene ngaphakathi ezweni. Nakuba sasizibuza ukuthi yini esasingayenza, isandla sikaJehova sasingafinyeziwe. Ngolunye usuku ekuseni ngathola incwadi evela “kumzala” oseCanada owayengibhalela ngezindaba eziphathelene nomkhaya. Ngangingazi ukuthi wayengubani, kodwa emazwini ahambisana nencwadi wathi wayefake “isihloko esithakazelisayo seBhayibheli” ukuba ngisifunde. Kwakuyikhophi ye-Nqabayokulinda, kodwa ngenxa yokuthi yayinesembozo esingabhaliwe, umhloli wezincwadi akazange ayikhiphe.

Ngokushesha mina nomkami, sisizwa oFakazi bendawo, kuhlanganise noMaggie Cooper owayesebenza nge-“Photo-Drama,” saqala ukwenza amakhophi ezihloko. Ngokushesha sazihlela ukuze sihambise amakhophi angu-120 kulo lonke lelozwe, njengoba omagazini be-Nqabayokulinda abanesembozo esingabhaliwe babefika bevela kubangane abaningi abasha abaseCanada, e-Australia, nase-United States. Ngenxa yenkuthalo nomusa wabo, asizange siswele ngisho nowodwa umagazini phakathi nayo yonke inkathi yempi.

Sasikwazi ngisho nokubamba imihlangano emikhulu. Umhlangano wango-1941 wawuvelele lapho kukhululwa incwadi entsha ethi Children. Kwabonakala sengathi umhloli wezincwadi akazange amelane nencwadi ephathelene nabantwana, ngakho sakwazi ukungenisa izincwadi zethu ezweni ngaphandle kwenkinga! Kwesinye isenzakalo, sakwazi ukunyathelisa incwajana ethi Peace—Can It Last? endaweni esasihlala kuyo ngoba kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba amakhophi athunyelwe evela eLondon. Naphezu kwakho konke ukuvinjelwa kwethu, sasinakekelwa kahle ngokomoya.

Ukunqoba Ukuphikiswa

Umfundisi ohlala ekhaya laseBelfast elinakekela asebekhulile eliphethwe omunye woFakazi BakaJehova wathumelela umkakhe oseNgilandi ikhophi yencwadi ethi Riches. Wayemelene neqiniso, futhi empendulweni yakhe wakucacisa lokho. Wagomela nangokuthi ‘siyinhlangano engalishisekeli izwe.’ Umhloli weposi wakuphawula lokhu futhi wabika indaba kuyi-Criminal Investigation Department. Ngenxa yalokho, ngabizelwa esikhungweni samaphoyisa ukuze ngizochaza futhi ngacelwa ukuba ngize nekhophi yencwadi ethi Riches. Ngokuthakazelisayo, lapho lencwadi ekugcineni ibuyiswa, ngaphawula ukuthi izingxenye ezazidwetshelwe zonke zaziphathelene neSonto LamaRoma Katolika. Ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi lokhu kwakubalulekile, njengoba ngangazi ukuthi amaphoyisa ayewubheke ngabomvu umsebenzi we-IRA (Irish Republican Army).

Ngabuzisiswa ngokungathathi-hlangothi kwethu ngezikhathi zempi, ngoba amaphoyisa akuthola kunzima ukuqonda ukuma kwethu. Kodwa iziphathimandla azizange zisithathele isinyathelo. Kamuva, lapho ngifuna imvume yokuqhuba umhlangano, amaphoyisa agcizelela ukuthi ayezothumela izintatheli ezimbili ezingamaphoyisa. Ngathi: “Siyozamukela!” Ngakho zafika futhi zaba khona phakathi nawo wonke umhlangano wantambama, zibhala amaphuzu ngamafuphi. Ekupheleni kwesimiso, zabuza: “Kungani sithunyelwe lapha? Sikujabulela konke!” Zafika futhi ngosuku olulandelayo futhi zajabulela ukwamukela ikhophi yesihle yencwajana yethu ethi Peace—Can It Last? Yonke ingxenye yomhlangano esele yadlula ngaphandle kwanoma isiphi isenzakalo.

Ngokushesha lapho impi isiphelile nemibandela yokuhamba ingasaqinile, uPryce Hughes waseBethel yaseLondon weza eBelfast. Wayephelezelwa uHarold King, kamuva owabelwa eChina njengesithunywa sevangeli. Ngemva kweminyaka eyisithupha yokuhlukana nehhovisi legatsha laseLondon, sonke sakhuthazwa kakhulu izinkulumo lababazalwane abazinikeza. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, uHarold Duerden, elinye iphayona elithembekile, wathunyelwa evela eNgilandi ukuze aqinise umsebenzi woMbuso eBelfast.

Ukuphindela ENgilandi

Sakhula ekubathandeni abazalwane base-Ireland, futhi kwakunzima ukuphindela eNgilandi. Kodwa mina nomkami saphinde sabelwa eManchester futhi kamuva sathuthela eNewton-le-Willows, elinye idolobha laseLancashire lapho kwakunendingeko enkulu khona. ULois, indodakazi yethu, wazalwa ngo-1953, futhi kwakufudumeza inhliziyo ukumbona engenela inkonzo yamaphayona eneminyaka engu-16. Ngemva kokushada kwakhe noDavid Parkinson oyiphayona, bobabili baqhubeka nenkonzo yabo yesikhathi esigcwele eNorthern Ireland, ngezindlela eziningi belandela izinyathelo mina no-Olive esasizithathile. Manje, bona nabantwana babo, sebephinde baba seNgilandi, futhi sonke sikhonza ebandleni elilodwa.

Naphezu kokushintsha kwezimo zethu, angizange ngikuyeke ukuphayona—u-Olive akakaze afune ukuyeka, nami ngokufanayo. Ngaso sonke isikhathi ngiye ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi embhalweni wami ogciniwe wokuphayona kumelwe kuhlanganiswe ngokufanelekile nomkami ngoba ngaphandle kokusekela kwakhe kwasikhathi sonke, kothando, ngangingenakuqhubeka enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele. Eqinisweni, sobabili siyashesha ukukhathala manje, kodwa ukufakaza kuseyinjabulo, ikakhulukazi lapho sindawonye, siqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli nomakhelwane bethu. Phakathi neminyaka edlule, siye saba nelungelo lokusiza abantu abangaba yikhulu ukuba babe izinceku zikaJehova ezizinikezele, zabhapathizwa. Yeka ukuthi lokhu kuye kwaba injabulo kangakanani! Futhi ngicabanga ukuthi kumelwe ukuthi lesisibalo manje sesiye sanda ngokuphindaphindiwe njengoba imikhaya esidlulela esizukulwaneni sesithathu nesesine nayo iye yaba oFakazi.

Ngokuvamile mina no-Olive siye saxoxe ngamalungelo ethu amaningi nokuhlangenwe nakho kweminyaka edlule. Yeka ukuthi kuye kwaba iminyaka ejabulisa kanjani, futhi yeka indlela eye yadlula ngayo ngokushesha! Ngiyazi ukuthi ngangingenakuthola lutho olungcono lokulwenza ngokuphila kwami kunokukhonza uNkulunkulu wami, uJehova, njengephayona kuyo yonke leminyaka. Manje, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ngibheka emuva ngigcwele ukubonga noma ngibheka phambili ngethemba, ngithola amazwi kaJeremiya esho okukhulu kimi: “Ngumusa kaJehova ukuthi asiqediwe, ngokuba ububele bakhe abupheli. Busha ekuseni njalo; . . . ngakho ngiyakwethemba kuye.”—IsiLilo 3:22-24.

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

UBob no-Olive Anderson