Incwadi Evela E-United States

Kusadliwa Ngoludala

UNGATHANDA yini ukwazi ukuthi okhokho bakho babephila kanjani kudala? Thina salithola ithuba lokwenza lokho. Sathatha uhambo olusuka eSwitzerland salibhekisa e-United States of America. Abantu abaningi bacabanga ukuthi izwe laseMelika liyizwe lobuchwepheshe kuyo yonke imikhakha, kodwa sathola ukuthi lalinjani eminyakeni engu-200 edlule. Woza nendlebe size nendaba.

Ngenxa yokuthi sikhuluma isiJalimane saseSwitzerland, sahamba sayochitha izinyanga ezintathu esifundazweni sase-Indiana. Umgomo wethu kwakuwukushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu emphakathini wama-Amish osakhuluma ulimi lokhokho bawo. Abaningi balaba bantu bahlala e-Indiana.

Ama-Amish ayinzalo yeqembu langekhulu le-17 elalibizwa ngokuthi ama-Anabaptist. Igama abizwa ngalo lisuselwa kumholi wawo, uJacob Amman, owayehlala eSwitzerland. Kuleyo minyaka yakudala, laba bantu abesaba uNkulunkulu bafunda iBhayibheli futhi bathola ukuthi ukubhapathizwa kwezinsana nokuya empini akulungile. Ngenxa yezinkolelo zabo, uhulumeni wabashushisa. Abambalwa kubo baze babulawa. Ushushiso lwadlanga, futhi abaningi baphoqeleka ukuba babalekele kwezinye izingxenye zeSwitzerland neFrance. Phakathi nekhulu leminyaka le-19, abaningi babalekela e-United States. Abazange bawalahle amasiko kanye nolimi lwabo, isiJalimane saseSwitzerland.

Laba bantu abanomusa abakholwanga lapho bezwa ukuthi sikhuluma ulimi lwabo! Ake sikuthathe sikubeke.

“Kungani nikhuluma ulimi lwethu?” Basibuza ngesiJalimane saseSwitzerland.

Saphendula: “Yingoba siphuma eSwitzerland.”

Bedidekile: “Kodwa aniwona nje ama-Amish!”

Abantu abaningi basamukela ngezandla ezifudumele emakhaya abo, sathola nethuba lokubona ukuthi kwakunjani ngesikhathi kusadliwa ngoludala. Esikhundleni sokukhanyisa ngogesi, kukhanyiswa ngezibani zamafutha, esikhundleni sezimoto, kunamahhashi namakalishi; esikhundleni sompompi, amanzi asadonswa phansi; esikhundleni semisakazo, kusahlatshelelwa.

Okwasihlaba umxhwele kakhulu ukuthobeka nokuba kwabo nesizotha. Ama-Amish amaningi azipha isikhathi sokufunda iBhayibheli nsuku zonke, futhi ayakujabulela ukuxoxa ngalo. Lokhu kwasivulela ithuba lokuba sixoxe nawo ngenjongo kaNkulunkulu ngesintu nangomhlaba.

Kungakabiphi, izindaba zokuthi kunezivakashi ezivela eSwitzerland zase zisakazeke endaweni. Abaningi bacela ukuba sivakashele izihlobo zabo, okuyinto esayenza ngenjabulo. Lapho sicelwa ukuba siye esikoleni sama-Amish sajabula kakhulu futhi sabheka phambili kukho. Sasilindelwe yini?

Sangena emagcekeni esikole futhi masinyane uthisha wathi asiye ekilasini, lapho sathola kunezingane ezingu-38 ezazizibuza ukuthi ingabe lezi zivakashi ezine zazibekwa yini lapha. Izingane ezifunda emakilasini angu-8 zazibuthanele kuleli kilasi elilodwa elikhulu; iminyaka yazo yobudala isukela kwengu-7 kuya kwengu-15. Amantombazane ayegqoke iyunifomu eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nezigqoko ezimhlophe; abafana begqoke amabhulukwe amnyama namahembe aluhlaza ngokunsundu. Leli kilasi lalinophahla oluphakeme, izindonga zalo ezintathu zipendwe ngombala oluhlaza okolwandle, futhi phambili kunebhodi lokubhala. Eduze kwalo kwakune-globe kanye namanye amabalazwe agoqiwe ephepha; ekhoneni kunesitofu esikhulu.

Sahlala ezihlalweni ezingaphambili, izingane zisigqolozele ubona nje ukuthi zilangazelela ukwazi ukuthi sizokwenzani lapha. Uthisha wabe esebiza abafundi bekilasi ngalinye ukuba beze edeskini lakhe wababuza ukuthi bawenzile yini umsebenzi wasekhaya ayebanike wona ngayizolo. Samangala lapho uthisha ebabuza ngeziNtaba ZaseSwitzerland. Izincwadi ayezisebenzisa zase zizindala impela, ngakho wasibuza ukuthi iSwitzerland isenjengoba ichazwa kulezi zincwadi zakhe yini. Ingabe izinkomo zisaklaba ezintabeni ezenile ehlobo? Ingabe lisalala iqhwa ezintabeni? Wamamatheka ngenjabulo lapho simbonisa izithombe ezinemibala egqamile zezintaba ezilele iqhwa ezazifakazela incwadi yakhe enezithombe ezinombala omnyama nomhlophe.

Inkosikazi kathisha nebuye ibe ngumabhalane wakhe, yasibuza umbuzo esivame ukuwubuzwa, “Niyakwazi yini ukucula ngendlela yomdabu?” Salandula, kodwa sacela bona ukuba basiculele, kwazise bangamagagu kulolu hlobo lomculo. Bavuma, futhi sajabulela unqambothi lwaleyo kwaya yabantu abangu-40. Ngemva kwalokho, uthisha wathi izingane mazithathe ikhefu.

Inkosikazi kathisha yabe isisicela ukuba sibaculele ingoma futhi njengoba sasizazi izingoma ezithile zomdabu sabahayela zona. Banele bangasizwa sicula onkabi ababesekhefini, babuya bazothi mbo ekilasini futhi sawakhipha wonke amaphimbo ethu.

Kamuva, saya ekhaya lama-Amish elinamalungu angu-12 njengoba sasimenyelwe isidlo sasemini. Etafuleni elide kwakudekwe izibiliboco—amazambane abondiwe, inyama yengulube, ummbila, isinkwa, ushizi, imifino, ukudla okwenziwe ngenhlama kafulawa (pastry) nophudingi. Ngaphambi kokudla, umuntu ngamunye wazithandazela. Njengoba sidla, sasilokhu sixoxa ngeSwitzerland, izwe lokhokho babo, futhi nabo basixoxela ngokuphila kwabo kwasepulazini. Izingane zazilokhu zihlebeza futhi zinsinsitheka. Lapho sonke sesiqedile ukudla, kwaphinde kwathandazwa futhi lowo mthandazo usho ukuthi izingane zingakhululeka zisuke etafuleni—kodwa zingayi ukuyodlala. Ingane ngayinye yabelwa ukuqoqa etafuleni nokugeza izitsha, okusho ukukha amanzi bese iwabeka esitofini.

Ngesikhathi izingane zisageza izitsha, abazali bazo basicela ukuba siyohlala nabo endlini yokuphumula. Abekho osofa kodwa sahlala kamnandi ezihlalweni zokhuni ezinqekuzayo. Bakhipha iBhayibheli elidala lesiJalimane elalisekhabetheni, futhi njengoba kuyinto evamile emakhaya ama-Amish sazithola sesixoxa kamnandi ngoNkulunkulu. Saphendula imibuzo enjengethi: Iyini injongo kaJehova uNkulunkulu ngomhlaba nangesintu? Wayesho ukuthini uJesu lapho ethi abamnene bayodla ifa lomhlaba? Ingabe ngempela uNkulunkulu uhlukumeza abantu ababi esihogweni somlilo phakade? Obani abalalela umyalo kaJesu wokushumayela izindaba ezinhle kuwo wonke umhlaba owakhiwe? Kwakungeve kumnandi ukuxoxa ngakho konke lokhu—nokunye okuningi—nabantu abathanda uNkulunkulu nabanamaBhayibheli abo.

Sinezinkumbulo ezimnandi ngokuvakashela kwethu abantu abasadla ngoludala. Siyethemba futhi sithandazela ukuthi ukuvakasha kwethu akugcinanga nje ngokusivulela ithuba lokuxoxa nabantu abaningi ngesiJalimane saseSwitzerland, kodwa nokuthi abaningi bayogcina bethole ulwazi olunembile lweqiniso oluseZwini likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli.