Ibali Lobomi
Ukhetho Olufanelekileyo Lwakhokelela Kwiintsikelelo Zobomi Bam Bonke
Kubalisa uPaul Kushnir
NGOWE-1897 utatomkhulu nomakhulu bafudukela eKhanada besuka eUkraine baza bahlala kufuphi neYorkton, eSaskatchewan. Bafika benabantwana abane—amakhwenkwe amathathu nentombi. Ngowe-1923 loo ntombi, uMarinka, yazala mna; yaye ndingowesixhenxe kubantwana bayo. Ngelo xesha ubomi babulula yaye buseluxolweni. Sasifumana ukutya okunesondlo yaye sasineempahla ezifudumeleyo, yaye urhulumente wayesixhasa ngezinto eziyimfuneko. Abamelwane abanobubele babekulungele ukuncedana. Ngobusika bowe-1925, satyelelwa ngomnye wabaFundi beBhayibhile, njengoko ayesaziwa njalo amaNgqina kaYehova ngelo xesha. Ukususela ngaloo mini senza izigqibo endingekazisoli ngazo unanamhla.
Ukufumana Kwethu Inyaniso Ekhaya
UMama wazamkela iincwadana ezivela kulo Mfundi weBhayibhile yaye kungekudala wayibona inyaniso. Wenza inkqubela yokomoya ngokukhawuleza waza wabhaptizwa ngowe-1926. Xa uMama waba nguMfundi weBhayibhile, oko kwayitshintsha indlela esasibujonga ngayo ubomi njengentsapho. Ekhaya, saba nomoya wokubuka iindwendwe. Abaveleli abahambahambayo nabanye aBafundi beBhayibhile babedla ngokuhlala ekhaya. Ngowe-1928 umveleli ohambahambayo wasibonisa i-“Eureka Drama,” uhlelo olwenziwe lula lwe-“Photo-Drama of Creation.” Waboleka kuthi bantwana isele lokudlala elalisenza isandi esithi nqakra. Xa eli sele lalisithi nqakra, kwakulixesha lokutshintsha islide. Sayivuyela into yokuba isele lethu libe negalelo nalo.
Umveleli ohambahambayo uEmil Zarysky wayedla ngokufikela ekhaya ehamba ngekharavani. Ngamanye amaxesha wayehamba nonyana wakhe osel’ ethe dlundlu, owayesikhuthaza ukuba thina bantwana sicinge ngokuba ngabalungiseleli okanye oovulindlela bexesha elizeleyo. Oovulindlela abaninzi nabo babedla ngokufikela ekhaya. Ngeny’ imini, umama waboleka omnye uvulindlela ihempe ngoxa wayemthungela eyakhe eqhaqhekileyo. Ngempazamo wahamba nayo xa wayegoduka. Emva kwexesha elide, wayithumela waza wacela uxolo. Wabhala wathi: “Bendingenazo iisenti ezilishumi ukuze ndikwazi ukuyiposa.” Sasinqwenela ukuba ngewayeyigcinile loo hempe! Ndandinomnqweno wokuba ngenye imini ndingakwazi ukuxelisa oovulindlela abazincamileyo. Ndiyambulela uMama ngomoya wakhe wokubuk’ indwendwe, kuba oko kwasinceda ebomini kwaza kwasenza sabathanda abazalwana bethu.—1 Petros 4:8, 9.
UTata akazange abe nguMfundi weBhayibhile; kodwa wayengachasanga nto. Ngowe-1930 wada wavumela abazalwana ukuba basebenzise ishedi yakhe enkulu ukuze baqhube indibano yosuku olunye. Nangona ndandineminyaka esixhenxe ubudala, kwandichukumisa ukubona abantu bonwabile yaye isisihlandlo esinesidima. UTata wafa ngowe-1933. UMama, owayengumhlolokazi yaye enabantwana abasibhozo ngelo xesha, waqhubeka ezimisele, ezama ukusigcina sikunqulo lwenyaniso. Wayeqiniseka ukuba ndiya naye kwiintlanganiso. Ngelo xesha, zazisiba ngathi azipheli iintlanganiso, yaye ndandinqwenela ukuba nam ndivunyelwe ukuba ndidlale nabanye abantwana ngaphandle. Kodwa ngenxa yokuhlonela uMama, ndandihlala ngaphakathi. Xa uMama wayepheka, wayedla ngokucaphula isibhalo aze andibuze apho sifumaneka khona eBhayibhileni. Ngowe-1933 ngenxa yesivuno esikhulu kwabakho ingeniso ethe chatha, ibe uMama wathenga ngayo imoto. Abanye abamelwane bamgxeka ngokusafaza ngemali, kodwa wayefuna ukuba le moto isincede kwinkonzo yethu. Wayechanile.
Ndancedwa Ngabanye Ukuze Ndenze Izigqibo Ezifanelekileyo
Kuye kufike ixesha laxa umntu oselula kufuneka enze izigqibo eziza kuchaphazela ikamva lakhe. Bathi bakufikelwa lelo xesha, oodadewethu abadala, uHelen noKay, baqalisa ukuba ngoovulindlela. Omnye uvulindlela owayedla ngokutyelela ekhaya yayinguJohn Jazewsky, umzalwana oselula. UMama wacela uJohn ukuba ahlale okwethutyana ukuze amncedise efama. Kamva, uJohn watshata uKay, yaye baba ngoovulindlela kufutshane nasekhaya. Xa ndandineminyaka eli-12 ubudala, bandicela ukuba ndihambe nabo ukuya entsimini ebudeni beeholide zesikolo. Oku kwandinceda ndabona ukuba kunjani ukuba nguvulindlela.
Ekuhambeni kwexesha, mna nomkhuluwa wam uJohn, sakwazi ukunyamekela ifama. Oku kwanceda uMama wasebenzisa iinyanga zehlobo ukuze abe nguvulindlela ongumncedani. Wayesebenzisa inqwelwana enamavili amabini eyayitsalwa lihashe elidala. UTata wayelithiye igama eli xhego linenkani lehashe esithi nguSaul, kodwa uMama wayegqala esi silwanyana njengesilulamileyo. Mna noJohn sasiyithanda ifama, kodwa sihlandlo ngasinye uMama efika ekhaya ebuya entsimini aze asibalisele amava akhe, uthando lwethu ngefama lwaya luncipha yaye sabuthanda nangakumbi ubuvulindlela. Ngowe-1938, ndaqalisa ukuya rhoqo entsimini, yaye ngoFebruwari 9, 1940, ndabhaptizwa.
Kamva, ndamiselwa njengesicaka sebandla. Ndandinyamekela iingxelo zebandla yaye kwakundivuyisa ukubona ulwando. Ndandabelwe intsimi kwidolophu emalunga neekhilomitha ezili-16 ukusuka ekhaya. Ebusika, veki nganye ndandibetha ngezikaTshiwo ndiye kule dolophu, ndize ndilale usuku olunye okanye ezimbini kwindlu yenye intsapho eyayinomdla eBhayibhileni. Emva kwengxubusho endandinayo nomfundisi ongumLuthere—ngxubusho leyo endandiye ndamdlakazelisa ke noko kuyo—wandigrogrisa ngokundithumelela amapolisa ukuba andahlukani namarhamente akhe. Oku kwandenza ndazimisela nangakumbi ukuqhubela phambili.
Ngowe-1942 udadewethu uKay nomyeni wakhe, uJohn, benza ilungiselelo lokuya kwindibano eyayiseCleveland, eOhio, eUnited States. Ndavuya gqitha xa bathi mandihambe nabo. Le ndibano yandinceda kakhulu. Yandomeleza kusukelo endandinalo ngekamva. Xa uMzalwan’ uNathan Knorr, ngelo xesha owayekhokela kumsebenzi ehlabathini, wathi kufuneka oovulindlela abali-10 000, ndenza isigqibo kanye apho sokuba ngomnye wabo!
NgoJanuwari 1943, uHenry, umveleli ohambahambayo, watyelela ibandla lethu. Wanikela intetho echukumisayo eyasenza saba nenzondelelo. Ngosuku olulandelayo emva kwaloo ntetho, iqondo lobushushu lalingama-40 ngaphantsi kweqondo lomkhenkce ngokukaCelsius (-40), yaye umoya ovuthuzayo owawuvela ngasemntla-ntshona wawusitsho kuqhaqhazele amazinyo. Xa imozulu injalo sasidla ngokuhlala ezindlwini zethu, kodwa uHenry wayesitsha ziintambo efuna ukuya entsimini. Yena nabanye bakhwela kwisileyi esinophahla esasitsalwa ngamahashe, besinge kwidolophana ekwiikhilomitha ezili-11. Ndahamba ndedwa ndisiya kwintsapho eyayinabafana abahlanu. Basamkela isifundo seBhayibhile, yaye ekuhambeni kwexesha bayamkela inyaniso.
Ukushumayela Ngoxa Sivalwe Umlomo
Ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi II, umsebenzi woBukumkani wavalwa eKhanada. Kwakufuneka sizifihle iincwadi zethu zeBhayibhile, yaye ifama yethu yayineendawo ezininzi zokufihla izinto. Amapolisa ayesiza qho, kodwa angafumani nto. Xa sasishumayela, sasisebenzisa iBhayibhile nje kuphela. Sasiba ngamaqela amancinane kwiintlanganiso zethu, yaye mna nomkhuluwa wam uJohn sacelwa ukuba senze umsebenzi wokuhambisa iipasile neencwadi ngohlobo lokuba zingabonwa ngabasemagunyeni.
Ebudeni bemfazwe, ibandla lethu laba nenxaxheba kwiphulo elenziwa ehlabathini lokuhambisa incwadana ethi End of Nazism. Sasihamba ebusuku. Ndandisoyika njengoko sasichwechwa sisiya kumakhaya abantu size sishiye iincwadana kwiminyango yabo. Le yayiyeyona nto yothusayo kwendakha ndazenza. Kwathi qabu xa sasishiya incwadana yokugqibela! Sakhawuleza sabuyela emotweni, sabala ukuba sonke siphelele, sandula ke saphel’ emehlweni.
Ubuvulindlela, Iintolongo Neendibano
NgoMeyi 1, 1943, ndamshiya uMama. Ndemka ekhaya ndineedola ezingama-20 esipajini nesutikheyisi nje encinane, ndaya kwisabelo sam sokuqala sobuvulindlela. UMzalwan’ uTom Troop nentsapho yakhe enobubele, bandamkela ngezandla ezishushu eQuill Lake, eSaskatchewan. Kunyaka olandela lowo, ndaya kwintsimi engabelwanga bani eseWeyburn, eSaskatchewan. Ngoxa sasishumayela esitratweni ngoDisemba 24, 1944, ndabanjwa. Emva kokuba ndichithe ixesha elithile entolongweni yasekuhlaleni, ndasiwa kwintolongo eseJasper, eAlberta. Ndandikunye namanye amaNgqina, singqongwe bubungangamsha bendalo kaYehova, iiCanadian Rockies. Ngasekuqaleni kowe-1945, amagosa asivumela ukuba siye kwintlanganiso eyayiza kuba se-Edmonton, eAlberta. UMzalwan’ uKnorr wanikela ingxelo evuyisayo ngenkqubela yomsebenzi ehlabathini. Sasikulangazelela ukukhululwa size sikwazi ukuya entsimini kwakhona.
Ekukhululweni kwam, ndaqhubeka nobuvulindlela. Kungekudala emva koko, kwenziwa isaziso sokuba iNdibano “Yolwando LweeNtlanga Zonke” iza kuba seLos Angeles, eKhalifoniya. Omnye umzalwana owayekwindawo endandisandul’ ukwabelwa kuyo wafakela izitulo ezihlala abantu abangama-20 kwilori yakhe. NgoAgasti 1, 1947, saba nohambo endingasoze ndilulibale, sihamba iikhilomitha ezingama-7 200 sicanda emathafeni, sityhubela entlango yaye sibona neendawo ezintle kakhulu, ezinjengepaki yaseYellowstone neyaseYosemite. Lonke olo hambo lwathabatha iintsuku ezingama-27—yaye lwalumnandi ngeyona ndlela!
Asisoze siyilibale loo ndibano. Ukuze ndifak’ isandla ngokuzeleyo kuyo, ndandisiba ngumlindi emini ndize ndibe ngunogada ebusuku. Emva kokuya kwintlanganiso yabo banomdla wenkonzo yobuvangeli basemazweni, ndayizalisa ifomu kodwa ndingathembanga nto. Ngoxa ndisalinde impendulo, ngowe-1948, ndaya kukhonza njengovulindlela kwiphondo laseKhanada iQuebec.—Isaya 6:8.
Ukuya EGiliyadi Nasemva Koko
Ngowe-1949, ndavuya gqitha xa ndafumana isimemo sokuya kwiklasi ye-14 yeSikolo SeBhayibhile SeWatchtower SaseGiliyadi. Uqeqesho endalufumana apho lwandomeleza ukholo lwaza lwandenza ndasondela nangakumbi kuYehova. UJohn noKay babesele bevela kwiklasi ye-11 yaye babengabavangeli basemazweni eNorthern Rhodesia (ngoku eyiZambia). Umkhuluwa wam uJohn yena waya eGiliyadi ngowe-1956. Yena kunye nomfazi wakhe, uFrieda, baya eBrazil baza bahlala iminyaka engama-32 de kwaba sekufeni kwakhe.
Ngosuku lokuphumelela kwam ngoFebruwari 1950, ndakhuthazwa gqitha yimiyalezo emibini eyayithunyelwe ngocingo, omnye wawuvela kuMama kanti omnye uvela kwintsapho yakwaTroop eQuill Lake. Ucingo olwaluvela kule ntsapho olwalunomxholo othi “Icebiso Kophumeleleyo,” lwalufundeka ngolu hlobo: “Olu lolona suku lukhethekileyo kuwe. Lusuku oya kusoloko uluxabisa; ngamana ungaphumelela uze wonwabe.”
Ndafumana isabelo sokuya kwisixeko saseQuebec, kodwa kangangethuba ndahlala eKingdom Farm, eNew York State, apho kwakukho iSikolo saseGiliyadi. Ngenye imini, uMzalwan’ uKnorr wandibuza enoba ndingakuvuyela kusini na ukuya eBelgium. Noko ke, kwiintsuku ezimbalwa kamva, wandibuza enoba ndiyafuna kusini na ukuya eNetherlands. Ileta yesabelo endayifumanayo, yathi ndiza kuba “sisicaka sesebe.” Ndothuka gqitha.
NgoAgasti 24, 1950, ndahamba ngenqanawa iintsuku ezili-11 ndisingise eNetherlands—ndafumana ixesha elaneleyo lokufunda INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike eyayisandul’ ukukhululwa. Ndafika eRotterdam ngoSeptemba 5, 1950, apho ndamkelwa ngezandla ezishushu yintsapho yaseBheteli. Phezu kwazo nje iinkxwaleko zeMfazwe Yehlabathi II, abazalwana babeqhuba kakuhle ekucwangciseni imisebenzi yamaKristu. Ngoxa ndiphulaphule amava abo okugcina ingqibelelo ebudeni bokutshutshiswa kanobom, ndandicinga ukuba kuza kuba nzima ngaba bazalwana ukuba phantsi kwesicaka sesebe esiselula nesingenamava njengam. Noko ke, kungekudala kwabonakala ukuba ayikho into eyothusayo.
Kodwa ke, zazikho izinto ezazifuna ukulungiswa. Ndafika kanye ngaphambi kwendibano yaye kwandivuyisa ukubona indlela amawaka eendwendwe ahlaliswa ngayo kwindawo yendibano. Kwindibano elandelayo, ndacebisa ukuba abazalwana bahlaliswe kumakhaya abazalwana. Abazalwana balibona lilihle eli cebiso—kodwa lingafanelekanga kwilizwe labo. Emva kokuba siwushukuxile lo mbandela, safikelela kwesi sigqibo—isiqingatha seendwendwe siza kuhlala kwindawo yendibano size esinye sihlale kumakhaya abantu abangengawo amaNgqina kwisixeko sendibano. Ndavuyiswa gqitha ngumphumo woko kangangokuba ndakuveza oku kuMzalwan’ uKnorr xa wayeze endibanweni. Noko ke, ndayeka ukuvakalelwa kukuba sifeze okuthile xa kamva ndafunda ingxelo ngendibano yethu kwiMboniselo, eyathi: “Siyaqiniseka ukuba kwixesha elizayo abazalwana baya kuba nokholo baze benze amalungiselelo okuhlalisa iindwendwe kwindawo eziza kukwazi kuyo ukunikela ubungqina, kumakhaya abantu.” Senza kanye loo nto “kwixesha elizayo”!
NgoJulayi 1961, abameli ababini beofisi yethu yesebe bamenywa ukuba baye kwintlanganiso kunye nabanye abameli besebe eLondon. UMzalwan’ uKnorr wenza isaziso sokuba INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele iza kuguqulelwa ngeelwimi ezingakumbi kuquka isiDatshi. Yayiziindaba ezimnandi gqitha ezo! Ngethamsanqa, sasingazi ukuba loo msebenzi uya kuba mkhulu kangakanani na. Kwiminyaka emibini kamva, ngowe-1963, ndakuvuyela gqitha ukuba nenxaxheba kucwangciso lwendibano eNew York ekwakhululwa kulo INguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo ZamaKristu ZesiGrike ngesiDatshi.
Izigqibo Nezabelo Ezitsha
NgoAgasti 1961, ndatshata noLeida Wamelink. Yonke intsapho yakowabo yayamkele inyaniso ngowe-1942 ngexesha lokutshutshisa kwamaNazi. ULeida wayenguvulindlela ukususela ngowe-1950 waza waya eBheteli ukususela ngowe-1953. Indlela awayekhuthele ngayo eBheteli nasebandleni yandibonisa ukuba wayeza kuba liqabane elinyanisekileyo kubulungiseleli bam.
Emva konyaka satshata, ndamenywa eBrooklyn ukuze ndifumane uqeqesho olungakumbi lweenyanga ezilishumi. Lalingekho ilungiselelo lokuba abafazi bahambe nabayeni babo. Nangona impilo yakhe yayingentle, eqhutywa luthando uLeida wathi mandisamkele esi simemo. Kamva, impilo kaLeida yaba nkenenkene ngakumbi. Sazama ukuqhubeka siseBheteli kodwa ekugqibeleni sagqiba kwelokuba siqhubeke nenkonzo yethu entsimini. Ngoko saqalisa umsebenzi wokutyelela amabandla. Kungekudala emva koko, umfazi wam kwafuneka enziwe utyando. Ngenxa yenkxaso esayifumana kubazalwana, sakwazi ukujamelana nale meko, yaye emva konyaka ndakwazi nokwamkela isabelo sokuba ngumveleli wesithili.
Saba kumsebenzi wokutyelela amabandla kangangeminyaka esixhenxe. Kwakhona kwafuneka ndijamelane nesinye isigqibo esinzulu xa ndacelwa ukuba ndifundise kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani eBheteli. Savuma, nangona kwakunzima ukutshintsha yaye siwuthanda umsebenzi wokuhambahamba. Iiklasi ezingama-47 zesi sikolo, nganye ithabatha iiveki ezimbini, zandinika ithuba lokudlulisela iintsikelelo zokomoya kubadala bamabandla.
Ngelo xesha, ndandisenza amalungiselelo okutyelela umama ngowe-1978. Kodwa ngequbuliso, ngoAprili 29, 1977, safumana ileta ethi uMama akasaphili. Ndaba buhlungu gqitha ndakuqonda ukuba andisayi kuphinda ndilive ilizwi lakhe elinobubele okanye ndiphinde ndimbulele ngayo yonke into andenzele yona.
Ekupheleni kweSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani, sacelwa ukuba sibe ngamalungu ekhaya laseBheteli. Kwiminyaka kamva, ndaba ngusihlalo weKomiti yeSebe kangangeminyaka elishumi. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, iQumrhu Elilawulayo lamisela usihlalo omtsha, owayekwazi ukusingatha ezo mbopheleleko ngendlela ebhetele. Ndiyayibulela loo nto.
Ukukhonza Logama Iminyaka Isavuma
Ngoku sobabini noLeida sineminyaka engama-83 ubudala. Ndiye ndakuvuyela ukuba kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo kangangeminyaka engama-60, engama-45 kuyo ndiyichithe nomfazi wam. Inkxaso yakhe kuzo zonke izabelo zethu uye wayigqala njengenkonzo yokuzinikela kuYehova. Ngoku, senza okusemandleni ethu eBheteli nasebandleni.—Isaya 46:4.
Ngamaxesha athile, siyavuyiswa kukuzikhumbuza ngezinye izinto eziye zaba ziimbalasane ebomini bethu. Asizisoli ngoko siye sakwenza enkonzweni kaYehova, yaye siqinisekile ukuba izigqibo esiye sazenza ngaphambili ebomini bethu zezona zifanelekileyo. Sizimisele ukuqhubeka sikhonza yaye sidumisa uYehova ngawo onke amandla ethu.
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 13]
Ndikunye noBill, umkhuluwa wam, noSaul, ihashe lasekhaya
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
Ngosuku lwethu lomtshato, ngoAgasti 1961
[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 15]
Ndikunye noLeida namhlanje