“Umusa Wakho Umnandi Kunokuphila”
Njengoba ilandiswa uCalvin H. Holmes
Kwakungu-December ka-1930, futhi ngangisanda kuqeda ukusenga izinkomo lapho kufika ubaba evela ukuyovakashela umakhelwane. “UWyman ungiboleke le ncwadi,” esho ehosha ekhukhwini incwadi eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Yayinesihloko esithi Deliverance, inyatheliswé i-Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Ubaba, owayengavamile ukufunda, wafunda leyo ncwadi kwaze kwaba sebusuku kakhulu.
KAMUVA, ubaba waboleka ezinye izincwadi, ezinezihloko ezinjengesithi Light nesithi Reconciliation, ezazinyatheliswa inhlangano efanayo. Wathola iBhayibheli elidala likamama futhi wayehlala kuze kube sebusuku kakhulu efunda, ekhanyise isibani sikaphalafini. Ubaba washintsha kakhulu. Ngalobo busika waxoxa nathi amahora amaningi—mina nomama nodadewethu abathathu—siququbele phambi kwesitofu sezinkuni esasisidala.
Ubaba wathi abantu abanyathelisa lezi zincwadi babizwa ngokuthi abaFundi BeBhayibheli futhi bathi siphila “ezinsukwini zokugcina.” (2 Thimothewu 3:1-5) Wachaza ukuthi ekupheleni kwezwe, umhlaba ngeke ubhujiswe kodwa ngaphansi koMbuso kaNkulunkulu uyoguqulwa ube ipharadesi. (2 Petru 3:5-7, 13; IsAmbulo 21:3, 4) Lokho ngakuzwa kuthakazelisa ngempela.
Ubaba waqala ukuxoxa nami lapho sisebenza ndawonye. Ngiyakhumbula ukuthi sasihluba ummbila lapho engichazela ukuthi igama likaNkulunkulu uJehova. (IHubo 83:18) Ngakho, entwasahlobo ka-1931, lapho ngineminyaka engu-14 kuphela, ngenza isinqumo sokumelela uJehova noMbuso wakhe. Ngathandaza kuJehova engadini endala yezihlahla zama-apula ngemva kwendlu futhi ngamthembisa ngobuqotho ukuthi ngiyomkhonza phakade. Kakade inhliziyo yami yayisishukunyiswe umusa wothando kaNkulunkulu wethu omuhle.—IHubo 63:3.
Sasihlala epulazini elisebangeni elingamakhilomitha angu-30 ukusuka eSt. Joseph, eMissouri, e-U.S.A., nesebangeni elingamakhilomitha angaphansi kuka-65 ukusuka eKansas City. Ubaba wazalelwa exhokovaneni umkhulu ayelakhe ngezinkuni kuleli pulazi engxenyeni yokuqala yekhulu le-19 leminyaka.
Ukuqeqeshelwa Inkonzo
Ehlobo lika-1931, umkhaya wakithi wezwa emsakazweni inkulumo yeningi enesihloko esithi “UMbuso, Ithemba Lomhlaba,” eyayibekwe emhlanganweni waseColumbus, e-Ohio, nguJoseph Rutherford, owayengumongameli we-Watch Tower Society ngaleso sikhathi. Yashukumisa inhliziyo yami, futhi ngakujabulela ukuhlanganyela nobaba ekusakazeni incwajana eyayinale nkulumo yeningi ebalulekile kubantu esibajwayele.
Entwasahlobo ka-1932, ngaba semhlanganweni woFakazi BakaJehova okokuqala ngqá. Umakhelwane wethu wasimema sinobaba ukuba siyolalela inkulumo eSt. Joseph eyayizobekwa uGeorge Draper, umbonisi ojikelezayo woFakazi BakaJehova. Lapho sifika, kwase kusele ingxenye yokugcina yomhlangano, futhi ngathola indawo yokuhlala ngemva kukaJ. D. Drey-er owayeyisidlakela futhi emkhulu, owayezoba nendima ebalulekile ekuphileni kwami.
Ngo-September 1933, ngaya emhlanganweni eKansas City nobaba, lapho ngahlanganyela ekushumayeleni obala okokuqala. Ubaba wanginika izincwajana ezintathu futhi wangiyala ukuba ngithi: “Ngingomunye woFakazi BakaJehova abashumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu. Akungabazeki ukuthi uke wamuzwa uMahlulel’uRutherford emsakazweni. Izinkulumo zakhe zisakazwa eziteshini ezingaphezu kuka-300 isonto ngalinye.” Bese ngihambisa incwajana engangomagazini. Ngalobo busuku, lapho ngisenga izinkomo epulazini, ngacabanga ukuthi lolo kwakube usuku engingenakululibala ekuphileni kwami.
Ngokushesha kwangena ubusika, futhi sasingasakwazi ukuhamba kakhulu. Kodwa sabe sesivakashelwa uMfoweth’uDreyer nomkakhe futhi babuza ukuthi ngangingathanda yini ukubavakashela ngoMgqibelo kusihlwa bese ngilala khona. Uhambo lwamakhilomitha ayishumi lokuya kwaDreyer lwaluwufanele ngempela umzamo ngoba ngosuku olulandelayo ngakwazi ukuya nabo enkonzweni naseSifundweni Se-Nqabayokulinda eSt. Joseph. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, zimbalwa kakhulu izikhathi engiye ngaphutha ngazo ukuhlanganyela enkonzweni ngamaSonto. Ukuqeqesha neseluleko sikaMfoweth’uDreyer kwaba inzuzo engenakuqhathaniswa.
Ekugcineni, ngo-September 2, 1935, ngakwazi ukubonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwami kuJehova ngobhapathizo lwamanzi emhlanganweni eKansas City.
Ukuqala Komsebenzi Wokuphila Konke
Ekuqaleni kuka-1936, ngafaka isicelo sokukhonza njengephayona, noma isikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele, futhi ngafakwa ohlwini lwalabo abafuna abantu abazophayona nabo. Ngemva nje kwalokho ngathola incwadi eyayivela ku-Edward Stead wase-Arvada, eWyoming. Wachaza ukuthi wayehamba ngesihlalo sabakhubazekile futhi wayedinga usizo ukuze akwazi ukuphayona. Ngasamukela ngokushesha isicelo sakhe futhi ngamiswa njengephayona ngo-April 18, 1936.
Ngaphambi kokuba ngihambe ngiyosebenza noMfoweth’uStead, umama wakhuluma nami ngasese. Wabuza: “Ndodana, uyaqiniseka ukuthi yilokho ofuna ukukwenza?”
Ngaphendula ngathi: “Ngaphandle kwalokho ukuphila ngeke kube nenjongo.” Ngase ngiqonda ukuthi umusa wothando kaJehova ubaluleke kunanoma yini enye.
Ukuphayona noTed, njengoba sasimbiza kanjalo uMfoweth’uStead, kwangiqeqesha kakhulu. Wayeshiseka futhi enendlela ekhangayo yokubeka isigijimi soMbuso. Kodwa uTed wayekwazi ukubhala nokukhuluma kuphela; wonke amalunga akhe ayegogwe isifo samathambo. Ngangivuka ekuseni kakhulu ngimgeze ngimshefe, ngilungise ukudla kwasekuseni bese ngimfunza. Ngemva kwalokho ngangimgqokisa futhi ngimlungisele inkonzo. Ngalelo hlobo saphayona eWyoming naseMontana, sikanisa ebusuku. UTed wayelala endlwaneni ekhethekile eyayakhelwe evenini yakhe, futhi mina ngangilala phansi. Kamuva ngalowo nyaka ngathuthela ngaseningizimu ukuze ngiphayone eTennessee, e-Arkansas naseMississippi.
Ngo-September 1937, ngangiqala ngqá ukuya emhlanganweni omkhulu eColum-bus, e-Ohio. Lapho, kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuba kuqalwe ukusetshenziswa kwegilamafomu emsebenzini wokushumayela. Ithuba ngalinye lapho sisebenzise igilamafomu sasilibiza ngokuthi i-setup. Ngenye inyanga ngaba nama-setup angaphezu kuka-500 futhi athanyelwa abantu abangaphezu kuka-800. Ngemva kokufakaza emadolobheni amaningi asempumalanga yeTennessee, eVirginia naseNtshonalanga Virginia, ngamenyelwa ukukhonza njengephayona elikhethekile emkhakheni omusha, ngisebenzelana nenceku yesifunda, njengoba ababonisi abajikelezayo babebizwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi.
Ngangihambela amabandla namaqembu angawodwa eNtshonalanga Virginia—ngichitha amasonto amabili kuya kwamane ebandleni noma eqenjini ngalinye—futhi ngihola enkonzweni yasensimini. Khona-ke, ngo-January 1941, ngamiswa njengenceku yesifunda. Ngaleso sikhathi umama nodadewethu abathathu—uClara, uLois noRuth—base benze isinqumo sokumelela uMbuso. Ngakho wonke umkhaya wakithi waba ndawonye emhlanganweni omkhulu eSt. Louis ngalelo hlobo.
Ngemva nje komhlangano, izinceku zezifunda zaziswa ukuthi umsebenzi wesifunda wawuzomiswa ekupheleni kuka-November 1941. Ngenyanga eyalandela i-United States yangenela iMpi Yezwe II. Ngabelwa enkonzweni yamaphayona akhethekile, okwakudingeka uchithe amahora angu-175 ngenyanga enkonzweni.
Amalungelo Akhethekile Enkonzo
Ngo-July 1942, ngathola incwadi eyayibuza ukuthi ngingathanda yini ukuyokhonza kwelinye izwe. Ngemva kokuvuma, ngamenyelwa eBethel, endlunkulu yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova, eBrooklyn, eNew York. Kwabizwa abazalwane abangashadile abangaba ngu-20 bezothola lokho kuqeqeshwa okukhethekile ngesikhathi esifanayo.
UNathan H. Knorr, owayengumongameli we-Watch Tower Society ngaleso sikhathi, wachaza ukuthi umsebenzi wokushumayela wawehlile futhi sasizoqeqeshelwa ukuqinisa amabandla ngokomoya. “Asifuni nje ukwazi ukuthi yini eyonakele emabandleni,” esho, “kodwa nokuthi nenzeni ngalokho.”
Lapho siseseBethel, uFred Franz, owalandela uMfoweth’uKnorr njengomongameli ngo-1977, wanikeza inkulumo athi kuyo: “IMpi Yezwe II izophela, futhi kuzovuleka umsebenzi omkhulu wokushumayela. Akungabazeki ukuthi kusazobuthelwa izigidi enhlanganweni kaJehova!” Leyo nkulumo yawushintsha ngokuphelele umbono wami. Lapho sinikwa izabelo, ngathola ukuthi kwakufanele ngihambele wonke amabandla ezifundazweni zaseTennessee naseKentucky. Sasibizwa ngokuthi siyizinceku zabazalwane, osekwashintshwa kwathiwa umbonisi wesifunda.
Ngaqala ukukhonza amabandla ngo-October 1, 1942, lapho ngiseneminyaka engu-25 kuphela. Ngaleso sikhathi ukuphela kwendlela yokufinyelela amanye amabandla kwakungezinyawo noma ngehhashi. Ngezinye izikhathi ngangilala egunjini elilodwa nomkhaya ongamukele.
Lapho ngikhonza iBandla LaseGreeneville eTennessee ngo-July 1943, ngathola isimemo sokuba sekilasini lesibili le-Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. EGileyadi, ngafunda lokho okushiwoyo ngempela ‘ngokuzinaka ngaphezu kokujwayelekile izinto esazizwa’ nokuba ‘nokuningi kokukwenza emsebenzini weNkosi’ ngaso sonke isikhathi. (Heberu 2:1; 1 Korinte 15:58) Izinyanga ezinhlanu zokufunda kulesi sikole zaphela ngokushesha, futhi kwafika usuku lokuthweswa iziqu ngo-January 31, 1944.
Ukuya ECanada Nokudlulela EBelgium
Iningi lethu labelwa eCanada, lapho umsebenzi woFakazi BakaJehova wawusanda kuvulwa. Ngabelwa emsebenzini wokujikeleza, ngezinye izikhathi owawudinga ukuba ngihambe amabanga amade ngisuka kwelinye ibandla ngiya kwelinye. Njengoba ngangihambela amabandla, kwakujabulisa ukuzwa okuhlangenwe nakho okuphathelene nendlela umsebenzi wokushumayela owawenziwa ngayo lapho usavinjelwe eCanada. (IzEnzo 5:29) Abaningi babexoxa ngomkhankaso lapho ngobusuku obubodwa, kwahanjiswa incwajana endlini ngayinye kulo lonke elaseCanada. Yeka ukuthi kwaba izindaba ezinhle kanjani ukuzwa ngo-May 1945 ukuthi impi yayisiphelile eYurophu!
Ngalelo hlobo, lapho ngikhonza ibandla elisedolobhaneni lase-Osage, eSaskatchewan, ngathola incwadi eyayivela kuMfoweth’uKnorr, eyayithi: “Ngikunika ilungelo lokuba uye eBelgium. . . . Kunomsebenzi omningi kakhulu okumelwe wenziwe kulelo lizwe. Liyizwe elikhungethwe impi, futhi abafowethu badinga usizo, futhi kubonakala kufaneleka ukuba kuthunyelwe othile ovela eMelika ukuze abanike usizo nenduduzo efanele abayidingayo.” Ngaphendula ngokushesha, ngamukela leso sabelo.
Ngo-November 1945, ngabe sengiseBethel yaseBrooklyn ngifunda isiFulentshi noCharles Eicher, umfowethu owayesekhulile wase-Alsace. Ngathola nokuqeqeshwa okusheshayo ngenqubo yegatsha. Ngaphambi kokuba ngiye eYurophu, ngavakashela umkhaya wakithi nabangane eSt. Joseph, eMissouri okwesikhashana.
Ngo-December 11, ngayishiya iNew York ngihamba nge-Queen Elizabeth, futhi ngemva kwezinsuku ezine ngafika eSouthampton, eNgilandi. Ngahlala inyanga eyodwa egatsheni laseBrithani, lapho ngaqeqeshwa khona ngokwengeziwe. Ngemva kwalokho, ngo-January 15, 1946, ngawela i-English Channel ngafika e-Ostend, eBelgium. Ukusuka lapho ngahamba ngesitimela ngaya eBrussels, lapho wonke umkhaya waseBethel wangihlangabeza esiteshini sesitimela.
Ukwanda Komsebenzi Ngemva Kwempi
Isabelo sami sasiwukwengamela umsebenzi woMbuso eBelgium, kodwa ngangingakwazi ngisho nokukhuluma ulimi lwakhona. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingaba isithupha, ngabe sengikwazi ukuxoxa ngesiFulentshi. Kwakuyilungelo ukusebenza nabantu ababefake ukuphila kwabo engozini ukuze baqhubeke ngomsebenzi wokushumayela phakathi neminyaka emihlanu yokubusa kwamaNazi. Abanye babo babesanda kukhululwa emakamu okuhlushwa.
Abafowethu babemagange ngokuhlela umsebenzi nokondla labo abalambele iqiniso leBhayibheli. Ngakho kwenziwa amalungiselelo emihlangano nawokuba ababonisi abajikelezayo bahambele amabandla. Futhi sakhuthazwa ukuhanjelwa uNathan Knorr, uMilton Henschel, uFred Franz, uGrant Suiter noJohn Booth—bonke ababengabameleli abavela endlunkulu eBrooklyn. Ngalezo zinsuku, ngakhonza njengombonisi wesifunda, wesigodi nowegatsha. Ngo-December 6, 1952, cishe ngemva kweminyaka engu-7 ngikhonza eBelgium, ngashada no-Emilia Vanopslaugh, naye owayesebenza egatsheni laseBelgium.
Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa, ngo-April 11, 1953, ngabizelwa esiteshini samaphoyisa futhi ngatshelwa ukuthi ukuba khona kwami kwakwenza iBelgium ingalondeki. Ngaya eLuxembourg ngayolinda khona lapho isikhalo secala lami sisafakwe eMkhandlwini Wombuso.
Ngo-February 1954 uMkhandlu Wombuso WaseBelgium wasekela isinqumo sokuthi ukuba khona kwami kwakuyingozi ezweni. Ubufakazi obanikezwa babuwukuthi kusukela ngafika eBelgium, inani loFakazi ezweni lalikhuphuke kakhulu—lisuka kwabangu-804 ngo-1946 laya kwabangu-3 304 ngo-1953—futhi ngenxa yalokho, ukulondeka eBelgium kwakusongelwa ngoba intsha eningi engoFakazi yayikumelela ngokuqinile ukungathathi hlangothi kobuKristu. Ngakho, mina no-Emilia sabelwa eSwitzerland, lapho saqala khona ukukhonza emsebenzini wesifunda engxenyeni ekhuluma isiFulentshi.
Ngo-1959 kwamiswa iSikole Senkonzo SoMbuso—isikole esiqeqesha ngokwengeziwe abadala abangamaKristu—eSouth Lansing, eNew York. Ngamenyelwa lapho ukuze ngiqeqeshelwe ukufundisa amakilasi alesi sikole eYurophu. Lapho ngisese-United States, ngavakashela umkhaya wakithi eSt. Joseph, eMissouri. Lapho, ngambona okokugcina umama wami othandekayo. Washona ngo-January 1962; ubaba wayeshone ngo-June 1955.
ISikole Senkonzo SoMbuso eParis, eFrance, saqala ngo-March 1961, futhi u-Emilia wahamba nami. Ababonisi bezigodi, bezifunda, bamabandla namaphayona akhethekile beza esikoleni bevela eFrance, eBelgium naseSwitzerland. Ezinyangeni ezingu-14 ezalandela, ngaqhuba amakilasi angu-12 alezi zifundo ezazithatha amasonto amane. Ngemva kwalokho, ngo-April 1962, sathola ukuthi u-Emilia wayesekhulelwe.
Ukuzivumelanisa Nezimo
Sabuyela eGeneva, eSwitzerland, lapho sasiyizakhamuzi zakhona. Nokho, kwakungelula ukuthola indawo yokuhlala, ngoba izindlu zazintuleka kakhulu. Ukuthola umsebenzi nakho kwakungelula. Ekugcineni ngathola umsebenzi esitolo esikhulu enkabeni yeGeneva.
Ngangibe senkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele iminyaka engu-26, ngakho izimo zethu ezishintshile zazidinga ukuba senze ushintsho olukhulu. Phakathi neminyaka engu-22 ngisebenza kuleso sitolo esikhulu futhi ngisiza ekukhuliseni amadodakazi ethu amabili, uLois no-Eunice, umkhaya wethu wawubeka izithakazelo zoMbuso kuqala ngaso sonke isikhathi. (Mathewu 6:33) Ngemva kokuthatha umhlala-phansi emsebenzini wokuziphilisa ngo-1985, ngaqala ukukhonza njengombambeli wombonisi wesifunda.
Impilo ka-Emilia isibuthakathaka, kodwa wenza okusemandleni akhe enkonzweni. ULois wakhonza njengephayona iminyaka engaba yishumi. Yeka ukuthi kwaba isenzakalo esingokomoya esikhetheke kanjani ukukwazi ukujabulela naye lowaya mhlangano wezizwe zonke omangalisayo eMoscow ehlobo lika-1993! Ngemva nje kwalokho, eseholideni eSenegal, e-Afrika, uLois washona ebhukuda olwandle. Uthando nomusa wabafowethu base-Afrika nezithunywa zevangeli kwangiduduza kakhulu lapho ngiya eSenegal ngiyomngcwaba. Yeka ukuthi ngikulangazelela kanjani ukubona uLois ngovuko!—Johane 5:28, 29.
Ngiyakwazisa ukuthi ngiye ngajabulela ukusekela kokwethembeka komngane onothando isikhathi esingaphezu kwamashumi amane eminyaka. Ngokuqinisekile, naphezu kwezinkathazo zami ezihlukahlukene, umusa kaJehova wothando uye wajabulisa futhi wenza ukuphila kwaba nenjongo. Inhliziyo yami ishukunyiselwa ukusho amazwi omhubi ngokuphathelene noNkulunkulu wethu, uJehova: “Ngokuba umusa wakho umnandi kunokuphila; izindebe zami ziyakukudumisa.”—IHubo 63:3.
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Saqala umsebenzi wokushumayela ngegilamafomu
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Abazali bami ngo-1936
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Ukufakaza emgwaqweni eBelgium ngo-1948