Ukusebenzela uJehova Okwempilo Yami Yonke

Ekuqaliseni komnyaka ngo-1942, i-United States isanda kungena eMpini Yomhlaba Wonke Yesibili ngangisemnyakeni wami wesihlanu ekholitshini njalo kwasekusele izinyanga ezilutshwana ukuthi ngithole idigiri yokuba ngumanjinela wezokwakha. Ngangihlala labanye abantwana besikolo ababili. Omunye wabo wathi ngihambe ngiyekhuluma lomuntu “owayevakatshela abafana abebehlala phansi.” Sengikhonale, ngahlangana lo-John O. (Johnny) Brehmer, owayenguFakazi kaJehova. Kwangimangalisa kakhulu ukuthi wayekhanya esenelisa ukuphendula yonke imibuzo esebenzisa iBhayibhili. Lokhu kwangitshaya ngaphakathi, okokuthi ngaqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhili loJohnny zikhathi zonke njalo ekucineni ngasengihamba laye ekutshumayeleni nxa ngilesikhathi.

Ubaba kaJohnny, u-Otto waba nguFakazi ngesikhathi engusibalukhulu webhanga leWalnut, e-Iowa. U-Otto wasitshiya isikhundla leso ukuze angene enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcweleyo. Ngokuya kwesikhathi wangikhuthaza ukuthi ngenze isinqumo esiqakathekileyo ngenxa yesibonelo sakhe esihle kanye lesemuli yakhe.

ISIKHATHI SOKWENZA ISINQUMO

Ngelinye ilanga isiphathamandla seYunivesithi sangitshela ukuthi angisenzi kahle ezifundweni zami lokuthi ngangingeke ngiphiwe isicoco lanxa ngangipasile kwezakuqala. Ngikhumbula ngikhuleka, ngincenga uJehova uNkulunkulu ngenhliziyo yami yonke, ngimcela ukuthi angiqondise. Kungakabi nsukungaki, ngabizwa yisikhwicamfundo sabomanjinela ukuthi sizokhuluma. Wangitshela ukuthi kufuneka umanjinela njalo yena wayesephendulile kudala ngetelegiramu ebatshela ukuthi ngizawamukela umsebenzi. Ngambonga kodwa ngasengimchasisela ukuthi kungani ngangizimisele ukusebenzela uJehova okwempilo yami yonke. Ngabhaphathizwa mhlaka-17 June ngo-1942, njalo akuthathanga sikhathi ngahle ngabekwa ukuthi ngibe liphayona, ibizo laboFakazi bakaJehova abasenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcweleyo.

Ngo-1942, ngabizwa ukuthi ngizongena ebuthweni njalo ngazithola sengithonisiswa yizikhulu zebutho, kumele ngichaze ukuthi kungani umzwangedwa wami ungangivumeli ukuthi ngiyekulwa impi. Ngabatshengisa ama-afidavithi engangiwaphiwe yizikhwicamfundo ekholitshini ayephathelane lokuziphatha kwami kuhle kanye lobungcitshi emsebenzini wobunjinela. Lanxa kwakulobufakazi lobu, ngacina ngibhadaliswe ifayindi ye-$10 000 ngasengigwetshelwa ukupika ejele iminyaka emihlanu eLeavenworth, edolobheni laseKansas e-United States.

IMPILO YAMI EJELE

OFakazi abasakhulayo abedlula-230, babegwetshelwe ukuthi bayesebenza epulazini laseLeavenworth, elaliyimpahla yejele yesizwe. Sasisebenzela epulazini leli, silindwe ngogadi abanengi. Abanye babo babekwazi ukuthi thina amaKhristu asingeneli kwezombangazwe njalo babeyihlonipha imibono yethu.

Abanye ogadi babesivumela ukuthi siqhubeke sisenza imihlangano yethu yokufunda iBhayibhili njalo babesincedisa lokuthi sithole amabhuku asekelwe eBhayibhilini ngesikhathi sisejele. Umaqhuzu wejele wacela ukuthi aphathelwe nyangazonke imagazini i-Consolation (esibizwa ngokuthi yi-Awake!)

UKUKHULULWA KWAMI LOKUBA NGUMNALI

Sengidonse iminyaka emithathu ejele, ngakhululwa mhlaka-16 February 1946, iMpi Yomhlaba Wonke Yesibili isanda kuphela. Ngiphuma nje ngahle ngabuyela enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcweleyo, ngaba liphayona. Ngatshelwa ukuthi ngibuyele edolobheni laseLeavenworth, eKansas. Lokhu kwangenza ngathikaza ngisesaba ngoba oFakazi bakaJehova babebandlululwa kakhulu edolobheni leli. Ukuthola umsebenzi kwakunzima, ngingasayiphathi eyobunzima bokuthola indawo yokuhlala.

Ngikhumbula ngithethiswa ngomunye ugadi esithi, “Akusuke eyadini yami!” Ngathi ngibona ethwele induku ye-baseball, ngethuka ngasuka buthumuthumu. Kwenye indlu omunye umama wathi, “Mana mbijana,” wasevala umnyango. Ngithe ngisalibele iwindi lavulwa phezulu, ngezwa sengithelwa ngamanzi angcolileyo ayegcwele enditshini ayesetshenziswe ukugezisa. Lanxa kunjalo, ngangithola izibusiso enkonzweni yami. Ngemva kwesikhathi, ngatshelwa ukuthi abanye engangibanike amabhuku eBhayibhili basebengoFakazi.

Ngo-1943, kwavulwa isikolo esitsha sabanali buqamama kwedolobho laseNew York. Ngabizwa ukuthi ngizongena, ngasengithola isicoco mhlaka-8 February 1948, ekilasini lesi-10. Isikolo lesi sacina sesibizwa ngokuthi yi-Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Sengiqedile, kwathiwa ngiyekuba ngumnali eGold Coast, namuhla ebizwa ngokuthi yiGhana.

Lapho ngifika eGold Coast, umsebenzi wami kwakuyikutshumayeza iziphathamandla zikahulumende labantu base-Europe. Ngempelaviki ngangisebenza lebandla laboFakazi bakaJehova njalo ngisiza amalunga ebandla enkonzweni yendlini ngendlu. Ngangivakatshela laboFakazi ababesezindaweni ezikhatshana okungelamabandla ngisiyabafundisa ukutshumayela. Kanti njalo ngangingumbonisi ohambelayo e-Ivory Coast, eyayiseduze khonapho, khathesi ebizwa ngokuthi yiCôte d’Ivoire.

Ngisemazweni la, ngafunda ukuphila njengabantu base-Africa​—⁠ukulala endlini yodaka, ukudla ngezandla, ukuya ngaphandle “egangeni” njengama-Israyeli ngesikhathi esehlane. (UDutheronomi 23:​12-​14) Ukwenza njalo kwasinceda, labanye abanali engangilabo ukuthi sifanane labantu bonke. Saqalisa ukufundisa amakhosikazi ezinye iziphathamandla zakuleyondawo iBhayibhili. Yikho-ke lapho abaphikisi befuna ukusithwalisa nzima njalo sebethole imvumo yokusithathela amaviza, amakhosikazi eziphathamandla lezi asilwela kubomkawo, icebo labaphikisi lacina lingasaphumelelanga!

Njengabanye abanali ababese-Africa, lami ngacina ngibanjwe luqhuqho. Ngangigodola kakhulu njalo ngitshiselwa ngiqhuqha okokuthi ngangingasakwazi ukuthi ngibambe ngaphi. Kwezinye izikhathi ngangibamba umhlathi wangaphansi ukuze ungaqhuqhi. Lanxa kwakunjalo, inkonzo yami yaqhubeka ingithokozisa njalo ngangisuthiseka.

Eminyakeni yami yokuqala emine ngise-Africa, ngangibhalelana lo-Eva Hallquist, engangimbone ngingakasuki e-United States. Ngezwa ukuthi uzathola isicoco sakhe ekilasini lesi-21 eSikolo seGileyadi mhlaka-19 July ngo-1953, emhlanganweni wezizwe waboFakazi bakaJehova owawuseYankee Stadium eNew York. Ngahlela lokhaphutheni womkhumbi ukuthi ngisebenze emkhunjini wakhe ukuze ngihambe mahala e-United States.

Lanxa uhambo lolu lwalunzima ngafika ngemva kwamalanga angu-22 ngayabonana lo-Eva emawofisini amakhulu aboFakazi bakaJehova eBrooklyn. Siphezu kophahla, sibona ubuhle bendawo yaseNew York lapho okufikela khona izikepe, ngamcela ukuthi atshade lami. Ngemva kwesikhathi, u-Eva walandela wazokhonza lami eGold Coast.

UKUNAKEKELA IMULI

Sesisebenze lo-Eva e-Africa okweminyaka eminengi, ngemukela incwadi eyayivela kumama esazisa ukuthi uBaba wayesebangwa lezibi ehlaselwe yimvukuzane. Mina lo-Eva sacela imvumo yokuthi sibuyele e-United States. Umkhuhlane wamqinela kakhulu uBaba, wacina efile.

Sokwedlule iminyaka engabamine sibuyele eGhana saphinda samukela umbiko wokuthi uMama laye usegula. Abanye abangane bethu bathi kungcono sibuyele ekhaya siyemgcina. Lokhu kwaba yisinqumo esinzima kakhulu kithi. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-15 singabanali, engu-11 yakhona ngikanye lomkami sabuyela e-United States.

Okweminyaka leyo sasebenza nzima sigcina uMama simncedisa lokuthi aye emihlanganweni nxa umzimba wakhe uvuma. Mhlaka-17 January ngo-1976 uMama wafa eleminyaka engu-86. Sisathi sikubonile, ngemva kweminyaka engu-9 izinto zantshintsha ngendlela ebuhlungu kakhulu. U-Eva wabanjwa imvukuzane. Salwisana lomkhuhlane lo ngazo zonke izindlela kodwa wamkhulela, watshona mhlaka-4 June ngo-1985 eseleminyaka engu-⁠70.

UKUNTSHINTSHA KWEZINTO EMSEBENZINI OJABULISAYO

Ngo-1988 ngamenywa ukuthi ngizobona ukwethulwa kwewofisi elitsha legatsha eliqhelisiweyo eGhana. Kwaba lilanga engingasoze ngilikhohlwe! Ngemva kweminyaka engu-40 ngifika eGhana ngiqeda ukuthola isicoco esikolo seGileyadi kwakulaboFakazi abalutshwana nje. Ngo-1988 babedlula i-34 000 kodwa namuhla sebephose bafike i-114 000!

Ngemva kweminyaka emibili ngivakatshele eGhana ngatshada loBetty Miller owayengumngane omkhulu ka-Eva mhlaka-6 August ngo-1990. Mina laye silokhu sisebenzela uJehova okwempilo yethu yonke. Silindele ngabomvu ilanga esizaphinda sibone ngalo abazali bethu, okhulu labogogo kanye lo-Eva sebevusiwe ePharadayisi emhlabeni.​—ImiSebenzi 24:15.

Ngizwa inyembezi zihlengezela nxa ngikhumbula ngesibusiso esimangalisayo sokusetshenziswa nguJehova enkonzweni yakhe okweminyaka edlula engu-70. Ngihlala ngimbonga ngokungisekela kwakhe ukuze ngenze inkonzo yakhe umsebenzi wempilo yami yonke. Lanxa sengileminyaka edlula engu-90 khathesi, uJehova umanjinela omkhulu kulabo bonke emhlabeni ulokhu enginika amandla lesikhuthazo ukuze ngiqhubeke ngisenkonzweni.