Sasingesabi—UJehova Wayenathi

Ilandiswa u-Egyptia Petridou

Ngo-1972, oFakazi kulo lonke elaseKhupro bahlangana eNicosia ukuze bathamele inkulumo ekhethekile eyayinikezwa uNathan H. Knorr okwase kuyiminyaka ehola enkonzweni yoFakazi BakaJehova. Washeshe wangibona ngisathi ngizozethula, wabe esebuza: “Zithini ezaseGibhithe?” Sabonana noMfoweth’ uKnorr eminyakeni engu-20 ngaphambili edolobheni lakithi lase-Aleksandriya, eGibhithe.

NGAZALELWA e-Aleksandriya ngo-January 23, 1914, ngiyizibulo ezinganeni zasekhaya ezine. Sasihlala eduze kakhulu nolwandle. Ngaleso sikhathi i-Aleksandriya yayiyidolobha elihle elinabantu abavela emazweni ahlukahlukene futhi yaziwa ngezakhiwo ezinhle nangomlando. Ngenxa yokuthi abantu baseYurophu babehlala ndawonye nama-Arabhu, thina zingane safunda ukukhuluma isi-Arabhu, isiFulentshi, isiNgisi, nesiNtaliyane, kuhlanganise nolimi lwasekhaya, isiGreki.

Ngemva kokuqeda isikole, ngathola umsebenzi enkampanini yengqephu yaseFrance, futhi ngangikujabulela ukuklama nokuthunga izingubo ezinhle zabesifazane abayizitatanyiswa. Ngangiyikhonzile nenkolo futhi ngithanda ukufunda iBhayibheli, nakuba kwakukuncane kakhulu engangikuqonda.

Cishe ngaleso sikhathi—maphakathi nawo-1930—ngahlangana nensizwa enhle yaseKhupro. UTheodotos Petrides wayengumdlali we-wrestling onekhono, kodwa ekwazi nokwenza amaswidi namakhekhe, futhi wayesebenza esitolo samakhekhe esidumile. UTheodotos wavele wazifela ngami, ngangimncane ngomzimba ngishaya ngezinwele ezinsundu. Wayevame ukungiculela izingoma zothando zesiGreki emi ngaphandle kwefasitela lami. Sashada ngo-June 30, 1940. Zazingeve zimnandi lezo zinsuku. Sasihlala efulethini elingaphansi kwelikamama. UJohn, izibulo lethu, wazalwa ngo-1941.

Ukufunda Amaqiniso EBhayibheli

Kwase kuyisikhathi eside uTheodotos ekhathazekile ngenkolo yethu, futhi wayenemibuzo eminingi ngeBhayibheli. OFakazi BakaJehova base beqale ukufunda naye iBhayibheli, kodwa mina ngangingazi. Ngolunye usuku ngisekhaya nengane yethu, kwangqongqoza owesifazane othile wanginikeza ikhadi elalinomyalezo weBhayibheli. Ngenqena ukumphoxa, ngalithatha ngalifunda. Wabe esengibonisa izincwadi zeBhayibheli. Ngamangala kabi uma ngiphawula ukuthi zazifana nalezo uTheodotos ayeze nazo ekhaya!

Ngathi: “Phela nginazo lezi zincwadi. Ngicela ungene.” Ngaphandle kokuchitha isikhathi, ngamphonsa imibuzo lo Fakazi, u-Eleni Nicolaou. Wangiphendula ngesineke esebenzisa iBhayibheli. Ngakuthanda lokho. Ngokushesha ngaqala ukusiqonda isigijimi seBhayibheli. Ngesikhathi sobabili sisathule, u-Eleni wabona isithombe somyeni wami. Wababaza: “Ngiyamazi lo mlisa!” Yase idalulekile imfihlo kaTheodotos. Kwangimangaza ukuthi uTheo wayeya emihlanganweni yobuKristu ngaphandle kwami—engangitshelanga nokungitshela! Lapho ebuya ekhaya ngalolo suku, ngathi kuye: “Kuleli sonto ngihamba nawe ukuya lapho wawuye khona ngeSonto elidlule!”

Emhlanganweni wokuqala engaya kuwo kwakuneqembu labantu abangaba yishumi ababedingida incwadi yeBhayibheli kaMika. Ngalalela yonke into! Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, njalo ngoLwesihlanu kusihlwa, uGeorge noKaterini Petraki babeza bezosifundela. Ubaba nabafowethu ababili babengahambisani neze nokufunda kwethu noFakazi, kodwa udadewethu wayengenankinga, nakuba engazange abe uFakazi. Kodwa umama walamukela iqiniso leBhayibheli. Ngo-1942, umama, uTheodotos nami sabhapathizwa olwandle e-Aleksandriya, sibonisa ukuzinikezela kwethu kuJehova.

Ukuphila Kwethu Kuyaphazamiseka

Ngo-1939, kwaqala iMpi Yezwe II futhi ngokushesha yayisishisa phansi. Ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1940, uJenene waseJalimane, u-Erwin Rommel namabutho lakhe ayehlome ngombayimbayi babekanise e-El Alamein eseduze, kanti i-Aleksandriya yayigcwele amabutho aseBrithani. Saqongelela ukudla okomile. Ngaleso sikhathi uTheodotos wacelwa ukuba anakekele isitolo esisha samaswidi namakhekhe somqashi wakhe ePort Taufiq, eduze kwaseSuez, ngakho sathuthela lapho. OFakazi ababili abakhuluma isiGreki baqala ukusifuna. Nakuba babengalazi ikheli lethu, bashumayela endlini ngendlu baze basithola.

Ngesikhathi sihlala ePort Taufiq, safundela uStavros noGiula Kypraios nezingane zabo, uTotos noGeorgia, futhi baba abangane bethu abakhulu. UStavros wayengeve ekuthanda ukutadisha iBhayibheli kangangokuthi wayehlehlisa wonke amawashi ayesendlini ngehora ukuze sishiywe isitimela sokugcina bese kudingeka sihlale, singabe sisahamba. Sasixoxa kuze kube sebusuku.

Sahlala ePort Taufiq izinyanga ezingu-18, kodwa lapho umama eqala ukugula sabuyela e-Aleksandriya. Washona ngo-1947, ethembekile kuJehova. Nakulokhu, sambona uJehova esikhuthaza esebenzisa ubudlelwane bethu nabafowethu abangamaKristu avuthiwe. Sasiba nanethuba lokwamukela izithunywa zevangeli ezazisuke zidlula ziya ezabelweni zazo kwamanye amazwe lapho imikhumbi ezazihamba ngayo isami okwesikhashana e-Aleksandriya.

Injabulo Kanye Nezinkinga

Ngo-1952, ngathola indodana yethu yesibili, uJames. Njengabazali, sakuqaphela ukubaluleka kokukhulisa amadodana ethu ekhaya elingokomoya, ngakho, umuzi wethu sawuvula ukuze kuqhutshelwe kuwo imihlangano futhi sasivame ukumema izikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele. Ngakho, izibulo lethu, uJohn, walithanda iqiniso leBhayibheli, futhi waqala ukuphayona esanda kweva eminyakeni eyishumi nambili. Ngesikhathi esifanayo wayengena nesikole sasebusuku eqedela imfundo yakhe.

Kuthe kusenjalo, kwatholakala ukuthi uTheodotos unesifo senhliziyo esibi kakhulu futhi welulekwa ukuba ayeke umsebenzi ayewenza. Indodana yethu, uJames, yayineminyaka emine nje kuphela. Sasizokwenzenjani? Kanti akathembisanga yini uJehova: “Ungesabi, ngoba nginawe”? (Isaya 41:10) Ungacabanga nje ukuthi samangala futhi sajabula kanjani lapho ngo-1956 sicelwa ukuba siyokhonza njengamaphayona e-Ismailia eseduze kweSuez Canal! Iminyaka eyalandela yayineziyaluyalu kakhulu eGibhithe, futhi abafowethu abangamaKristu babesidinga kakhulu isikhuthazo.

Ngo-1960, kwadingeka ukuba sihambe eGibhithe, umuntu ngamunye ephethe ipotimende eyodwa. Sathuthela esiqhingini saseKhupro, lapho umyeni wami edabuka khona. Ngalesi sikhathi, uTheodotos wayesegula kakhulu, engasakwazi nokusebenza. Nokho, umzalwane othile nomkakhe basinikeza indawo yokuhlala. Ngokudabukisayo, umyeni wami washona ngemva kweminyaka emibili, futhi ngasala ngedwa noJames owayesemncane. UJohn, naye owayesethuthele eKhupro, wayeseshadile futhi esenowakhe umkhaya okwakudingeka awunakekele.

Sanakekelwa Ezikhathini Ezinzima

UStavros noDora Kairis bathi masihlale nabo emzini wabo. Ngaguqa ngabonga uJehova ngokuphinde anakekele izidingo zethu. (IHu. 145:16) Lapho uStavros noDora benquma ukuthengisa umuzi wabo bakhe omunye oyisitezi oneHholo LoMbuso ngaphansi, ngomusa bakhela mina noJames indlu enamakamelo amabili exhumene neyabo.

Kamuva, noJames washada, futhi yena nomkakhe bakhonza njengamaphayona kwaze kwaba yilapho kuzalwa ingane yabo yokuqala kwezine ababa nazo. Ngo-1974, ngemva kweminyaka emibili sivakashelwe uMfoweth’ uKnorr, isenzakalo esingasoze sasilibala, kwaba nezinxushunxushu zombangazwe eKhupro.a Abantu abaningi, kuhlanganise noFakazi, baphuma ngesamagundane emakhaya abo bengenalutho. Indodana yami uJohn yayiphakathi kwalabo bantu. Yathuthela eCanada nomkayo nezingane zabo ezintathu. Nokho, nakuba abaningi babehamba, kwaba nokwanda kwabamemezeli boMbuso eKhupro okwasijabulisa.

Lapho ngiqala ukuthola impesheni, ngakwazi ukuhlanganyela ngokwengeziwe enkonzweni. Nokho, eminyakeni embalwa edlule, ngashaywa unhlangothi ongabanga mubi kakhulu, ngahamba ngayohlala nendodana yami uJames nomkhaya wayo. Kodwa lapho sengigula kakhulu, ngalaliswa esibhedlela amasonto amaningana, ngemva kwalokho ngayiswa ekhaya lasebekhulile. Nakuba ngihlala ngisezinhlungwini, ngiyakwazi ukushumayeza abahlengikazi, iziguli nezivakashi. Ngichitha nesikhathi esiningi ngitadisha futhi ngosizo lwabafowethu abangokomoya abanomusa ngiyakwazi ukuya eSifundweni Sencwadi Sebandla esiseduze.

Induduzo Eminyakeni Yami Yokukhula

Ngiye ngiduduzeke lapho ngizwa ngabantu mina noTheodotos esaba nelungelo lokubasiza. Iningi lezingane zabo nabazukulu lisenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele—abanye bakhonza e-Australia, eCanada, eGrisi, eNgilandi naseSwitzerland. Manje indodana yami uJohn nomkayo bahlala eCanada nendodana yabo. Indodakazi yabo endala nomyeni wayo bangamaphayona. Indodakazi yabo encane, uLinda, nomyeni wayo, uJoshua Snape, bamenyelwe ekilasini le-124 lesikole saseGileyadi.

Indodana yami uJames nomkayo manje bahlala eJalimane. Amadodana abo amabili akhonza eBethel—enye ikhonza e-Athene, eGrisi, enye ikhonza eSelters, eJalimane. Indodana yabo yokugcina, indodakazi yabo nomyeni wayo, bonke bangamaphayona eJalimane.

Azive ziziningi izindaba esiyozixoxela umama nesithandwa sami uTheodotos lapho bevuswa! Bayojabula kakhulu ukubona ukuthi bawushiyela ifa elihle kanjani wonke umndeni.b

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 24]

Nakulokhu, sambona uJehova esikhuthaza esebenzisa ubudlelwane bethu nabafowethu abangamaKristu avuthiwe

[Ibalazwe ekhasini 24]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IKHUPRO

INICOSIA

ULWANDLE IMEDITHERA

IGIBHITHE

ICAIRO

I-El Alamein

I-Aleksandriya

I-Ismailia

ISuez

IPort Taufiq

I-Suez Canal

[Umthombo]

Based on NASA/Visible Earth imagery

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

NginoTheodotos ngo-1938

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

Indodana yami uJames nomkayo

[Isithombe ekhasini 25]

Indodana yami uJohn nomkayo