Isifiso SikaJoshua
NGO-MARCH 6, 1992, umkhaya wakwaWood watshelwa ukuthi ilungu lawo elincane, uJoshua oneminyaka eyisikhombisa ubudala, wayenohlobo olubi lwe-leukemia, isifo esisongela ukuphila. Umfowabo kaJoshua omdala, oneminyaka engu-16, nodadewabo, oneminyaka engu-19, bayizikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele (amaphayona) zoFakazi BakaJehova, njengoba kunjalo nangoyise. Omunye umfowabo kaJoshua uneminyaka eyishumi ubudala.
Ukuze kwelashwe isifo sikaJoshua, kwaqaliswa ngokushesha indlela enamandla yokwelapha nge-chemotherapy. Omunye wemiphumela emibi kwakuwukungakuthandi ukudla, ngakho kwakuyilokhu kuwumzukuzuku ukwenza uJoshua adle. Ngo-July wonke umkhaya wanquma ukuya emhlanganweni wesigodi woFakazi BakaJehova eLafayette, eLouisiana, e-U.S.A., engekude nekhaya lawo eWinnfield. Ngesikhathi uJoshua elapho, isimo sakhe saba sibi kakhulu, ngoMgqibelo ekuseni wayiswa egumbini labembulwa bembeswa lasesibhedlela. Ngemva komhlangano abazali bakhe bamyisa esibhedlela saseNew Orleans, lapho avame ukwelashwa khona.
Lapho umkhaya useNew Orleans, isisebenzi sezenhlalakahle esithile satshela unina kaJoshua, u-April, ngohlelo olugcwalisa izifiso zezingane ezigula kakhulu. U-April wanikezwa iphepha lokufaka isicelo saloluhlelo, futhi yena nomyeni wakhe, uPaul, baligcwalisa. Lapho uJoshua ebuyiselwa eNew Orleans ekupheleni kuka-August ezele ukuhlolwa kwakhe akuthola zinyanga zonke, uJim, indoda ethile ewumgqugquzeli waloluhlelo, weza wazoxoxa noJoshua ngesifiso sakhe.
“Ngifuna ukuya eNew York,” kusho uJoshua.
Njengoba ngokuvamile izingane zifisa ukuya epaki elithile lokuzijabulisa, uJim wabuza ukuthi kungani uJoshua ayefuna ukuya eNew York. “Ngifuna ukubona i-Watchtower Society,” kuphendula uJoshua.
“Yini leyo?” kubuza uJim.
“Phela, yilapho benza khona omagazini, amaBhayibheli, izincwadi, namapheshana.”
U-April wamchazela ngokuqhubekayo uJim ngendlunkulu yoFakazi BakaJehova kanye nomsebenzi wokunyathelisa owenziwa khona. “Umfowethu uvakashele khona njengamanje,” kusho uJoshua, “futhi ngingathanda ukuhamba nomkhaya wakithi wonke.”
Ngemva kokuzwa ukuthi babeyisithupha emkhayeni, uJim wabuza uJoshua ukuthi wayengeke yini athande ukuba kunalokho aye eDisney World eFlorida. UJoshua wayeqiniseka ngokufuna ukuya eNew York. UJim wachaza ukuthi wayengazi noma isicelo sakhe sasiyogcwaliswa yini kodwa wathi wayesazohlola. UJim wabuza uJoshua ukuthi yini enye angayikhetha.
“Umshini we-computer ye-IBM,” kuphendula uJoshua.
“Kungani kufanele kube i-IBM?” uJim wayefuna ukwazi.
UJoshua wathi kwakungenxa yokuthi wayezokwazi ukuthola iBhayibheli lifakwe ku-discette evela e-Watch Tower Society. (UJoshua wayazi ukuthi i-discette yeBhayibheli isebenza kuma-computer afanelana nayo e-IBM.) UJim waphinda wabuza: “Uyaqiniseka ukuthi awufuni ukuya eDisney World?”
“Ngiyaqiniseka,” kusho uJoshua.
Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, uJim wabuya ezotshela uJoshua ukuthi isifiso sakhe sokuya eNew York nomkhaya wakubo sasivunyiwe. “UJosh uwuhlobo lwengane engajatshuliswa kakhulu izinto ezijabulisa abantu abaningi,” kuchaza unina, “kodwa ngangijabule kakhulu!”
Ngo-September 30 umkhaya wakwaWood wahamba ngendiza usuka eNew Orleans uya eDolobheni laseNew York. Akekho kubo owayeke wavakashela izakhiwo ze-Watchtower ngaphandle kukaBuddy, umfana omdala, owayeyekhona emasontweni ambalwa ngaphambili. Bonke beyisithupha bahlala ehhotela iRamada Inn eManhattan, eNew York, futhi banikezwa imoto yohlobo lwe-limousine eyabayisa ezakhiweni zoFakazi zokuthumela, zokunyathelisa, amahhovisi, kanye nezokuhlala ezingaphesheya kwe-East River eBrooklyn.
Phakathi nezinsuku ezimbili belapho, umkhaya wabukiswa umqondisi izakhiwo zasendlunkulu. Ngolunye usuku bathatha uhambo bebuka izakhiwo zasehhovisi kanye nesakhiwo sefektri esinezakhiwo ezinhlanu. Ngosuku olulandelayo, bavakashela isakhiwo esingamamitha skwele angu-90-000 esinendawo yokuthumela izinto, indawo yokwenza amakhasethi, kanye neminye imisebenzi, babuka nezinye zezakhiwo ezingu-21 zezindawo zokuhlala ezihlalisa izisebenzi zokuzithandela ezingaphezu kwezinkulungwane ezintathu. Phakathi nokuhlala komkhaya lapho, kwenziwa amalungiselelo akhethekile okuba bajabulele ukudla nezisebenzi zasendlunkulu izikhathi ezintathu, ukuba badlele kwenye yezindlu zokudlela eziyishumi.
Ngo-October 3 umkhaya waqasha imoto futhi wahamba ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-160 ukuya ngasenyakatho ukuze uvakashele i-Watchtower Farms. Wabukiswa isakhiwo esikhulu sokunyathelisa esilapho wabona futhi nalapho ingxenye enkulu yokudla kwezisebenzi zasendlunkulu ilinywa khona. Ntambama, lomkhaya wavashela Isikhungo Semfundo Se-Watchtower esisakhiwa, esiseduze nePatterson, eNew York, ibanga elithatha ihora ngemoto ukusuka e-Watchtower Farms wabe usuphindela eNew York lapho kuhwalala.
Ngosuku olulandelayo i-limousine yabathatha yabayisa eKennedy Airport yaseNew York ukuze bayothola indiza yokubuyela emuva eNew Orleans. Isifiso sikaJoshua sokubona “lapho kwenziwa khona omagazini, amaBhayibheli, izincwadi, namapheshana” sasigcwalisiwe. Umkhaya wakwaWood ulubonga ngokujulile uhlelo lokwanelisa isifiso sengane egula kakhulu ngohambo lwawo olwakhokhelwa zonke izindleko, oluqinisayo ngokomoya.
Emasontweni ambalwa kamuva, maphakathi no-November, lapho esesibhedlela eNew Orleans ukuze ayothola ukwelashwa kwakhe kwanyanga zonke, uJoshua wamenywa ukuba azobuka umculi odumile womculo omdala nowesimanje uGarth Brooks lapho ecula eMonroe, eLouisiana. Ngemva kwalokho, uMnu. Brooks ebizela uJoshua noyise ngemva kwesiteji, uJoshua wamnikeza incwadi yeBhayibheli eyinsiza kufundisa ethi Ungaphila Phakade EPharadesi Emhlabeni. Lapho uJoshua ebuza uMnu. Brooks ukuthi ingane yakhe yayisaphila yini (unendodakazi encane), samthinta ngendlela ebonakalayo isithakazelo sikaJoshua.
Ngokuqinisekile kuyaqabula lapho ingane ikhathalela izithakazelo zabanye, ikakhulu lapho lokho ekukhethayo kubonisa isithakazelo ezintweni ezingokomoya! Uma bewungasho isifiso sakho, ingabe ubungakhetha lokho okungazuzisa wena nabanye ngokomoya?
[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]
Lapho uJoshua nomkhaya wakubo bavakashela khona
Ngakwesokudla: Isikhungo Semfundo Se-Watchtower
Ngezansi: Isakhiwo samahhovisi sase-Watchtower
Ngakwesobunxele: Isakhiwo i-360 Furman, esinoMnyango Wezokuthumela
Ngezansi: Isakhiwo sefektri
Ngakwesobunxele: I-Watchtower Farms nesakhiwo sokunyathelisa