Ukubeka ‘Isandla Sam Epuluweni Ndize Ndingakhangeli Emva’

NJENGOKUBA ndandikhwela kwinqwelo-moya ndisiya kwikhaya lam elitsha eBolivia, amazwi umama awayendibhalele wona kwileta yakhe yokugqibela ahlala enkenteza engqondweni. “Akukho namnye usibekileyo isandla sakhe epuluweni, abe emana ekhangela kokungasemva, ubulungeleyo ubukumkani bukaThixo.” (Luka 9:62) Ndandizimisele ukuwasebenzisa la mazwi.

Nangona umsebenzi wobuvangeli basemazweni wawuya kuba ngamava amatsha kum, ndandisele ndiyinandiphile inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo kangangeminyaka emihlanu. Inyaniso ndayifundiswa ngabazali bam, abaqalisa ukuyifundisisa emva ngowe-1923 naBafundi BeBhayibhile, njengokuba amaNgqina kaYehova ayebizwa ngolo hlobo ngoko. Nangona ngelo xesha ndandineminyaka emine kuphela ubudala, ndafuna ukuziqonda iimpapasho zeWatch Tower Society. Noko ke, kangangeminyaka emininzi intsapho yakowethu yayingenanto yakwenza nenyaniso. Ngezihlandlo ezithile bambi babamelwane bethu ababengaBafundi BeBhayibhile babesityelela. Kwakhona, ndikhumbula indlela ubawo awayebatyelela ngayo abamelwane ukuze aphulaphule iintetho zikaJudge Rutherford kunamathotholo.

Phofu ke, kwade kwangowe-1938 ekwathi iimbewu zenyaniso zaqalisa ukuthwala isiqhamo. Umama—ngoku owayeqhawule umtshato waza waphinda watshata—waqalisa ukuzamkela nokuzifunda ngomdla omkhulu iimpapasho ezazivela kumaNgqina kaYehova. Ndavuyiswa ngokukhethekileyo kukufunda ukuba “isihlwele esikhulu” sasiya kusinda kwintshabalaliso yale nkqubo yezinto ikhoyo size siphile emhlabeni ngonaphakade. (ISityhilelo 7:9-14) Kwafuneka ukuba kwabelwane nabanye ngale nkcazelo!

Ngoko emva kokubhaptizwa kwam ngoJuni 1939, ndaqalisa ukucinga ngokuba ngumlungiseleli wexesha elizeleyo, okanye uvulindlela. Emva kokufudukela eColorado, ndaqhelana noHelen Nichols nomama wakhe—ababengoodade ababini abathanjisiweyo nababengoovulindlela abathe ngxi. Amava amangalisayo abawabalisayo andikhuthaza ngokubhekele phaya ukuba ndikhonze njengovulindlela. Ngaloo ndlela, ngoMeyi 1940 ndafumana isabelo sam sokuqala sobuvulindlela sokuya eSalida, eColorado.

Uqeqesho LwaseGiliyadi Nesabelo Sasemzini

Emva kweminyaka embalwa yokuba nguvulindlela kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo zaseColorado naseIndiana, ndamenyelwa ukuya kwiklasi yesithathu yaseGiliyadi. Esi yayisisikolo esasilungiselelwe yiWatchtower Society sokuqeqesha abavangeli basemazweni. Kangangeenyanga ezintlanu ezimangalisayo ndanandipha iintsikelelo zeSikolo saseGiliyadi, kodwa emva kokuthwesw’ imbasa andizange ndisifumane ngokukhawuleza isabelo sasemzini. Ngelo xesha kwakusiliwa iMfazwe Yehlabathi II! Ngoko ndathunyeIwa okwexeshana ukuya kusebenza nabanye oodade abasixhenxe eWest Haven, eConnecticut. Ngowe-1945 ndabelwa ukusebenza eWashington, D.C. Sekunjalo, ngokukhawuleza yacaca indlela yokuya kwam kwisabelo sasemzini: eLa Paz, eBolivia.

Ngaphambi kokufumana isabelo sam, andizange ndakha ndeva nokuva ngeBolivia! Ngoko akumangalisi ukuba iingcinga ezikhathazayo zankentezayo engqondweni yam njengokuba sasingena kwinqwelo-moya: Ndandiya kuphumelela njani njengomvangeli wasemazweni? Ngaba ndandiya kuba nako ukubambelela kubo? Ukukhumbula icebiso likamama ‘lokubeka isandla sam epuluweni ndize ndingakhangeli emva’ kwasomeleza isigqibo sam sokwenza umsebenzi wam wobuvangeli basemazweni ukuba ube ngonempumelelo. Kwakhona, ndandingayi kuba ndodwa kweli lizwe litsha. Ababekunye nam yayingudade wethu nomkhwe ababethwesw’ imbasa kwiklasi yesine yaseGiliyadi. NgoJuni 9, 1946, inqwelo-moya yethu yafika eLa Paz.

Ukuba Phakathi Kovukelo-mbuso

Kanye ngosuku lokufika kwam, uthile wazama ukuqalisa ukuvukela umbuso ngokuphosa ibhombu kwiBhotwe likaRhulumente. Ibhombu ayizange isebenze, njengokuba kwabanjalo nangovukelo-mbuso. Kodwa kungadlulanga neenyanga ezimbini, kwaqhambuka olunye uvukelo-mbuso, yaye abantu abaninzi bafa yaye abanye bangxwelerheka. Umongameli welizwe, nabaphathiswa bakhe abathile, waxhonywa entendelezweni evulekileyo yedolophu. Oko kwakuyingabulazigcawu yobukho bam eBolivia.

Sekunjalo, emva koko kuphalazwa kwegazi koyikekayo, saba nako ‘ukuthuthuzela abo babesentlungwini,’ yaye abantu abaninzi baseBolivia babekuvuma ukufundisisa iBhayibhile kunye nathi. (Isaya 61:1, 2) Ngaloo mihla, sasidla ngokusebenzisa iintshumayelo ezirekhodiweyo njengendlela yokunikela ubungqina kubantu. Oku kwathetha ukuphatha igramafoni kunye nengxowa yeencwadi ukunyuka nokuhla ezo nduli zaseLa Paz eziphakame kangangama-3 660 eemitha. Ngenxa yokuba ulwazi lwam lweSpanish lwalulinganiselwe, bambi abantu babecinga ukuba ndandithengisa igramafoni namacwecwe!

Maninzi amava endawanandiphayo njengomvangeli wasemazweni omtsha. Ngenye imini, ngoxa ndandihamba kwindiu ngendlu kwelinye lawona macandelo abhetele aseLa Paz, isicakakazi seza emnyango saza sandimemela ngaphakathi. Inenekazi laloo ndlu laphulaphula kwintshumayelo yam laza larhumela IMboniselo. Kutheni lasabela ngokukhawuleza ngolo hlobo nje? Lalisandu ukutyandwa, yaye ngoxa lalisekliniki, lafunda iBhayibhile. Lafumanisa ukuba iimfundiso zeBhayibhile zazahluke ngokupheleleyo kwezo zifundiswa yicawa yalo, ngoko lakulangazelela ngokupheleleyo ukufunda uncwadi endandilishiyele Iona. Phofu ke, ngaphambi kokuba ndiphinde ndilityelele, lalindifuna, ekugqibeleni landifumana kwimbombo yesitrato ndinikela amaphephancwadi IMboniselo noVukani! kwababedlula ngendlela. Lathi, ‘Nceda uze kundibona!’ Laqhubela phambili ngokukhawuleza ukufundisisa kwalo iBhayibhile laza ngokukhawuleza labhaptizwa. Ngoku, emva kweminyaka engama-30, lisengumkhonzi kaYehova othembekileyo.

Unodoli Omdaka

Emva kokusebenza iminyaka eli-11 eLa Paz, sabelwa ukuya kusebenza kwinxalenye esemazantsi yeBolivia. Ngenxa yoko, udade wethu nomyeni wakhe, mna neqabane lam uEsther Erickson, saya kwidolophu encinane ebizwa ngokuba yiTupiza. Oku kwakungoFebruwari 1957. ITupiza yakhiwe kufutshane nendlela kaloliwe ephakathi kweBolivia neArgentina. Apho abantu babenobuhlobo, yaye kwakulula ukuqalisa izifundo zeBhayibhile. Enyanisweni, ngokukhawuleza salungiselela iintlanganiso ezithe rhoqo, ekwakusiya abantu abaliqela ababevela eTupiza.

Ngenye imini, safumana unodoli omdaka kwintendelezo yethu engaphambili. Kwakuthetha ukuthini oku? Kuyabonakala ukuba umfundisi wayeqalisile ukulumkisa abantu ngamaNgqina kaYehova, ngoko uthile wayezama ukuphosa ihechizo, okanye ibekelo kuthi! Phofu ke, ihechizo yabo yangqineka ingenamandla.

Ngenxa yokuba iTupiza yayiyidolophana, mna noEsther saphinda sabelwa eVillazón, enye idolophana esemdeni waseBolivia naseArgentina. Lo mmandla wawubharhile, unomoya, yaye ubanda! Kodwa asizange sidimazeke, njengokuba sasinentembelo yokufumana intsikelelo kaYehova.

Xa mna noEsther saqalisa ukusebenza loo dolophu, saphawula ukuba abantu babenamaqweqwe ezifestileni zabo awayesithi: “AmaNgqina kaYehova nabaVangeli Abamkelwa.” Kanti abantu baseVillazón babengazi ukuba ayengoobani na amaNgqina kaYehova! NjengaseTupiza, umfundisi waphazamisa, ekhupha amaqweqwe ecaweni ewanika abantu ukuba bawabeke ezifestileni zabo. Phezu kwawo nje amaqweqwe asezifestileni, abantu basabela kakuhle, yaye sahambisa iincwadi ezininzi saza saqalisa izifundo zeBhayibhile ezininzi. Ngokuthe ngcembe amaqweqwe athi pheselele ezifestileni.

Phofu ke, sasinokuziqhubela phi iintlanganiso? Elinye igumbi kwindlwana yethu salenza iHolo yoBukumkani. Ukwenza izihlalo sabeka amaplanga phezu kweebhokisi zeencwadi. Apho kwakungekho bazalwana babhaptiziweyo, ngoko mna noEsther sasithwala entloko size siqhube iintlanganiso ngokwethu. Okwasivuyisayo kukuba, kwiSikhumbuzo sokuqala sokufa kukaKristu esasiqhuba apho, saba nabangaphezu kwe-100 ababezile! Kuyinyaniso ukuba, bambi beza ngenxa yokufuna ukubona indlela igringas (iintombi zasemzini) ezaziqhuba ngayo iintlanganiso zazo. Kodwa bambi babo babeze ngenxa yokufuna ukwazi ngoku bangamaNgqina.

Sakwasebenza nedolophana encinane yaseLa Quiaca, eArgentina, apho saba nako ukuqalisa iqela lezifundo zeBhayibhile nabantu abanomdla. Ngenxa yokuba kwakusoloko kufuneka sinqumle emdeni rhoqo, satsala ingqalelo yepolisa elisemdeni. Ngenye imini, xa sasibuya sivela eLa Quiaca, indoda eyayingumlindi yasicela ukuba singawenzi umsebenzi wethu ngokuphandle, ekubeni umsebenzi wamaNgqina kaYehova wawubhangisiwe eArgentina. Ndathi kuyo, “Ndiyaqonda ukuba urhulumente wakho uyayinikela inkululeko yokunqula.” Yaphendula ngokuthi abefundisi babecinezele abaphathiswa baseburhulumenteni, nto leyo eyaphumela ekubhangisweni. Emva koko, wayesinikela umva ngalo lonke ixesha sinqumla umda sisiya eArgentina!

Sasebenza eVillazón kangangeminyaka emine. Iqabane lam lafundisisa nendoda emfazi wayo wayenechicheria, inkanti apho kwakuthengiswa iziselo ezibiliswe ngombona. Le ndoda yafunda inyaniso yaza kamva yabhaptizwa, ekugqibeleni yakhonza njengomdala de kwasekufeni kwayo. Kuthekani ngechicheria? Ngoku iyiHolo yoBukumkani! Xa sayishiyayo iVillazón, kwakukho ibandla labavakalisi abangama-20. Ngoku kukho amaNgqina angama-60, nabantu abamalunga ne-110 abaya kwiintlanganiso zempelaveki.

‘Ukungakhangeli Emva’

Emva kweVillazón kwafika isabelo sokuya eSanta Cruz, esisixeko esikwimpuma yaseBolivia. Olunjani uvuyo ekwaba lulo ukubona umsebenzi usanda ukusuka kwibandla elincinane labavakalisi abangama-20 ukusa kumabandla asithoba andayo. Emva koko, ngowe1965, ndabuyela eLa Paz ukuya kuhlala kwelinye lamakhaya abavangeli basemazweni, apho ndahlala khona ukususela ngoko.

NgoFebruwari 1978 udonga lwezitena lwawela phezu kwam njengokuba ndandiphuma kwibhasi yesixeko. Umlenze wam wasekunene waphuka kanobomi kangangokuba kwafuneka ukuba ndiphinde ndifunde ukuhamba. Kodwa ngoku ndinako ukubuyela enkonzweni ndize ndiqhube izifundo zeBhayibhile.

Inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo ibingasoloko ilula. Bekukho amahla-ndinyuka, ukukhathazeka nodano. Kodwa uvuyo lokufumana abantu abanjengezimvu nokubanceda ukuba bakhonze uYehova luyinto engaphezulu kunako nakuphi na ukudana. Ngoku, emva kweminyaka ephantse ibe ngama-44 yokuba kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo, ndisazimisele kunanini na ukugcina ‘isandla sam epuluweni’ nokuba nesabelo kumsebenzi osaza kwenziwa.—Ngokubaliswa nguBetty Jackson.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 28]

UBetty Jackson eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo eBolivia