Akazange Ayeke
NGO-October 5, 1995, uMatt Tapio oneminyaka engu-14 ubudala wahlinzwa ukuze kukhishwe isimila ebuchosheni. Lesi simila sasisongela impilo yakhe. Lokhu kuhlinzwa kwakungokokuqala kokuningi ayesazobhekana nakho eminyakeni emibili nesigamu eyayizolandela. Kwalandela ukwelashwa ngemithi nangemisebe.
UMatt wayehlala eMichigan, e-U.S.A., lapho ayefunda khona esikoleni somphakathi futhi eya nasemihlanganweni yobuKristu. Wayesebenzisa amathuba ngokunenzuzo ukuze akhulume nothisha nalabo afunda nabo ngezinkolelo zakhe futhi ehlanganyela ekuhambeleni abanye enkonzweni yasobala. Phakathi nokulaliswa kwakhe kaningi esibhedlela—wachitha izinyanga ezingu-18 kule minyaka emibili nengxenye edlule yokuphila kwakhe esesibhedlela—wahambisela abantu ahlangana nabo lapho amakhulu ezincwadi zeBhayibheli.
Izikhathi eziningi kwakubonakala sengathi uMatt wayengeke asinde, kodwa isikhathi ngasinye wayelulama. Ngesinye isikhathi, lapho eyiswa esibhedlela, wagula kabi futhi wayeka ukuphefumula. Waphaphanyiswa ngenqubo okuthiwa i-cardiopulmonary resuscitation futhi wasinda. Lapho ephaphama, waqala ukukhala ememeza, ethi: “Ngiyiqhawe! Ngiyiqhawe! Angilona igwala!” Abantu bathi ukholo lukaMatt kuNkulunkulu yilona olwamgcina ephila isikhathi eside kangaka.
UMatt wabona ukugcwaliseka kwesifiso sakhe esikhulu ngo-January 13, 1996, lapho ebhapathizwa ebonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwakhe kuJehova uNkulunkulu. Wabhapathizwa yedwa ngenxa yengozi yokuthi wayengase athelele abanye isifo. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva wabuyela esibhedlela ukuze ayohlinzwa futhi. Ngo-August 1997, uMatt wahlanza ngokuqhubekayo amasonto amaningi, kodwa wasinda ngemva kokuhlinzwa futhi.
Phakathi nakho konke lokhu, uMatt waqhubeka enamahlaya, encokola nodokotela nabahlengikazi. Babengaqondi ukuthi kungani ayenamahlaya kangaka. Omunye wodokotela wamtshela: “Matt, ukube benginguwe, bengizovala ikhethini, ngizigubuzele bese ngixosha wonke umuntu.”
Ngo-February 1998, uMatt wabuyela ekhaya okokugcina evela esibhedlela. Wayejabule kakhulu ngokuthi uyaphila nangokuthi usebuyele ekhaya kangangokuthi ngokushesha ngemva kokungena emnyango, wathi: “Angive ngijabula! Ake sithandaze.” Wabe esetshela uJehova ngomthandazo indlela ayejabule ngayo. Ekugcineni, ezinyangeni ezimbili kamuva, ngo-April 19, washona ngenxa yomdlavuza.
Ngaphambi kwalokho, kwadlalwa ikhasethi eqoshiwe yengxoxo eyaqhutshwa noMatt emhlanganweni woFakazi BakaJehova eHholo LoMbuso lakubo. Wabuzwa: “Ungathini kulabo bethu abasenempilo ngokuphathelene nenkonzo yethu nemihlangano yobuKristu?”
UMatt waphendula: “Yenza konke ongakwenza manje. . . . Ngeke wazi ukuthi uzokwehlelwa yini. . . . Kodwa noma kungenzekani, ungalokothi uyeke ukufakaza ngoJehova.”