Ezivela Ezinqolobaneni Zethu
“Usuku Nosuku Ngiya Ngiwuthanda Umsebenzi Wama-colporteur”
NGO-1886, kwathunyelwa amakhophi ayikhulu ezincwadi ze-Millennial Dawn, uMqulu I, eChicago, e-Illinois esuka eBible House e-Allegheny, ePennsylvania, e-U.S.A. UCharles Taze Russell wayenethemba lokusakaza lo mqulu omusha ezitolo zezincwadi. Enye yezinkampani ezinkulu e-United States ezisakaza izincwadi zenkolo yayivumile ukuthunyelelwa isitokwe sezincwadi ze-Millennial Dawn. Kodwa ngemva kwamasonto amabili, zonke lezo zincwadi zabuyiselwa eBible House.
Kuthiwa umvangeli mumbe owayedumile wathukuthela lapho ebona lezo zincwadi zibekwe nezakhe eshalofini. Washo ngokucasuka ukuthi uma bengazisusi, yena nabo bonke abangane bakhe ababengabavangeli abadumile babezothatha izincwadi zabo—nebhizinisi labo—baye kwenye indawo. Umnikazi wenkampani wazibuyisa engathandi. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kunezikhangiso zale ncwadi ezazifakwe emaphephandabeni. Kodwa abaphikisi baqinisekisa ukuthi izivumelwano zokuyikhangisa ziyesulwa. Yayiyofika kanjani-ke le ncwadi entsha kubantu abafuna iqiniso?
Isisombululo kwaba ukusebenzisa ama-colporteur, njengoba amaphayona ayebizwa kanjalo.a Ngo-1881, i-Zion’s Watch Tower yayenze isicelo sabamemezeli abayinkulungwane ababengasakaza izincwadi zeBhayibheli isikhathi esigcwele. Nakuba kwasabela ama-colporteur angamakhulu ambalwa kuphela, asakaza izincwadi ezaziqukethe imbewu yeqiniso yonke indawo. Ngo-1897, kwase kusakazwe izincwadi ze-Dawn ezicishe zibe isigidi, iningi lazo lisakazwe ama-colporteur. Amaningi awo ayephila ngembuyiselo encane ayeyithola isikhathi ngasinye lapho ehambisa isikhokhelo se-Nqabayokulinda noma incwadi.
Ayengobani la ma-colporteur ayenesibindi? Amanye aqala esanda kweva eminyakeni eyishumi nambili, amanye aqala esekhulile. Amaningi ayengashadile noma eshadile kodwa engenabantwana, kodwa miningi nemikhaya eyangenela le nkonzo. Ama-colporteur avamile ayesebenza cishe usuku lonke kuyilapho ama-colporteur asizayo esebenza ihora elilodwa noma amabili ngosuku. Akuyena wonke umuntu owayevunyelwa impilo noma izimo ukuba abe i-colporteur. Kodwa emhlanganweni wesigodi wango-1906, labo ababengaba ama-colporteur batshelwa ukuthi kwakungadingeki ukuba babe “abafunde kakhulu, noma abahlakaniphe kakhulu noma abanolimi lwezingelosi.”
Cishe kuwo wonke amazwekazi, abantu abavamile babefeza umsebenzi ongaphezu kovamile. Omunye umzalwane wathi uhambise izincwadi ezilinganiselwa ku-15 000 phakathi neminyaka engu-7. Noma kunjalo, wathi: “Injongo yami yokungenela umsebenzi wama-colporteur kwakungekhona ukudayisa izincwadi, kodwa, kunalokho, kwakuwukufakazela uJehova neqiniso lakhe.” Imbewu yeqiniso yayimila nomaphi lapho ama-colporteur ayeyitshala khona, futhi amaqembu abaFundi BeBhayibheli aqala ukwanda.
Abafundisi babewadelela ama-colporteur, bewabiza ngabadayisi nje bezincwadi. INqabayokulinda ka-1892 yathi: “Bambalwa abawabheka njengabameleli beNkosi bangempela, noma abaqaphela lokho kuhlonipheka iNkosi ekubonayo ekuthobekeni nasekuzideleni kwabo.” Ngempela, ukuphila kwama-colporteur kwakungekho “ntofontofo,” njengokusho komunye wawo. Ngokuyinhloko ayehamba ngamabhayisekili futhi edinga izicathulo eziqinile. Lapho engenamali, ayenika abaninikhaya izincwadi bona bawanike ukudla. Ngemva kokuchitha usuku ensimini, laba bamemezeli babebuyela ematendeni nasezindlini abaziqashile bekhathele kodwa bejabule. Kwabe sekusungulwa iNqola Yama-colporteur, umahamba-nendlwana wokuzenzela owawonga isikhathi nemali eningi.b
Kusukela eMhlanganweni Wesigodi ka-1893 owawuseChicago, isimiso somhlangano sahlanganisa nezingxenye ezikhethekile zama-colporteur. Lezi zingxenye zaziba nezingxoxo zokuhlangenwe nakho okuthakazelisayo, izindlela zokushumayela ezisikiselwayo nezeluleko eziwusizo. UMfoweth’ uRussell wake wakhuthaza laba bashumayeli abakhuthele ukuba badle basuthe ekuseni, baphuze ingilazi yobisi emini futhi uma kushisa baphuze isiphuzo esibandayo esino-ayisikhilimu.
Ama-colporteur ayedinga umuntu azoshumayela naye ayebonakala ngokufaka umdweshu ophuzi. Ama-colporteur asemasha ayehanjiswa nasenokuhlangenwe nakho. Kusobala ukuthi ukuqeqeshwa okunjalo kwakudingeka, ngoba elinye i-colporteur elisha lapho lethula izincwadi lithukile lathi, “Awuzifuni lezi zincwadi, akunjalo?” Ngokujabulisayo, umninikhaya wayezifuna futhi kamuva waba udadewethu.
Omunye umzalwane wabuza, ‘Ingabe kufanele ngiqhubeke nokuphila kwami okunethezekile futhi nginikele ama-dollar (aseMelika) angu-1 000 emsebenzini wokushumayela ngonyaka, noma kufanele ngibe i-colporteur?’ Watshelwa ukuthi iNkosi yayiyokwazisa noma ikuphi, kodwa ukuyipha ngokuqondile isikhathi sakhe kwakuyomlethela izibusiso ezinkulu. UMary Hinds wabheka ukuba i-colporteur “njengendlela engcono kakhulu yokwenzela abantu abaningi kakhulu okuhle kakhulu.” U-Alberta Crosby onamahloni wathi, “Usuku nosuku ngiya ngiwuthanda umsebenzi wama-colporteur.”
Namuhla, abaningi abangabantwana abangokwenyama nabangokomoya balawo ma-colporteur ashisekayo basabambelele ngokuqinile efeni labo elingokomoya. Uma ozalweni lwakini ningakaze nibe nalo i-colporteur noma iphayona, kungani ungazami ukuba elokuqala? Nawe uyofunda ukuwuthanda ngokwengeziwe umsebenzi wokushumayela isikhathi esigcwele usuku nosuku.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Ngemva kuka-1931, kwasetshenziswa igama elithi “iphayona” esikhundleni selithi “colporteur.”
b Imininingwane ngomahamba-nendlwana iyovela komunye umagazini ozolandela.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 32]
Kwakungadingeki ukuba babe “abafunde kakhulu, noma abahlakaniphe kakhulu noma abanolimi lwezingelosi”
[Isithombe ekhasini 31]
I-colporteur u-A. W. Osei eGhana, ngawo-1930
[Izithombe ekhasini 32]
Phezulu: Ama-colporteur u-Edith Keen noGertrude Morris eNgilandi, ngawo-1918; ngezansi: UStanley Cossaboom noHenry Nonkes e-United States namabhokisi angenalutho ayenezincwadi abazihambisile