IGuadeloupe—“Isiqhingi Samanzi Amahle”
IGUADELOUPE, isendaweni engamakhilomitha angama-480 ukuya ngaseningizimu-mpumalanga yePuerto Rico, iyiqoqo leziqhingi cishe ezimaphakathi nochungechunge lweziqhingi zase-Lesser Antilles. Ebalazweni, iziqhingi ezimbili ezinkulu zibukeka njengovemvane oluvule izimpiko zalo. IBasse-Terre enezintaba, nentaba-mlilo yayo engakaveli obala iSoufrière, isentshonalanga, futhi iGrande Terre eyithafa isempumalanga. Leziqhingi zombili zihlukaniswe umsele omncane ngobubanzi weRivière Salée. Ezinye iziqhingi ezincane ezinhlanu nezinye iziqhingana zakha ledépartement yaphesheya eFrance, noma indawo yokuphatha.
Ngaphambi kokuba uChristopher Columbus asithole ngo-1493 futhi asiqambe igama elisetshenziswa manje elithi Guadeloupe, abantu bomdabu baseCaribbean babesibiza ngokuthi iKarukera—Isiqhingi Samanzi Amahle. Ngokungangabazeki, babecabanga ngemifula eminingi imisele, nezimpophoma zaseziqhingini. Namuhla, lelogama lifaneleke ngisho nangaphezulu ngenxa yamanzi amaningi eqiniso agelezela ezakhamuzini zakhona eziyizi-328 000. Nakuba kunamaKatolika amaningi, abaningi balabantu abahloniphayo futhi abanomoya omuhle ezihambini bamukela ngentshiseko amanzi ahlanzekile eqiniso avela eZwini likaNkulunkulu, iBhayibheli.
Amanzi Eqiniso Aqala Ukugeleza
Umfudlana wamanzi eqiniso waqala ukugelezela eGuadeloupe ngo-1938, ngaphambi nje kokugqashuka kweMpi Yezwe II. UCyril Winston nomkhaya wakhe bafika bevela esiqhingini esingumakhelwane saseDominica futhi baqala ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle kubantu basesiqhingini. Ngokushesha abantu abahlanu baqala ukuhlangana njalo, futhi ngoJune 1940 kwahlelwa ibandla lokuqala, elinabantu abacishe babe yi-15 ababeba khona eSifundweni SeNqabayokulinda samasonto onke esasiqhutshwa ngesiFulentshi.
Nokho, iMpi Yezwe II, yaletha ukucindezela okunamandla okuvela kuhulumeni olawulwa iJalimane eFrance. Phakathi nalesosikhathi zonke izincwadi ezazithwelwe umkhumbi zivela eBrooklyn zashiswa ezikhumulweni zemikhumbi lapho zifika, futhi kwanqanyulwa ukuxhumana nendlunkulu eBrooklyn. UMzalwane uWinston wagula kakhulu kwabe sekudingeka ukuba abuyele eDominica, lapho afela khona ezinyangeni ezintathu kamuva. Ukugeleza kwamanzi eqiniso kwancipha; kwakuyisikhathi esinzima ngeqembu elincane lamaKristu.
Ngemva kwempi, abazalwane bawuvuselela umsebenzi wabo ngangokusemandleni abo. Ukuze bafinyelele abantu abaningi ngangokunokwenzeka, bazama ukunikeza izinkulumo zeBhayibheli ezindaweni zomphakathi kusihlwa. Isikhulumi sasinikeza inkulumo yaso simi phezu kwento ephakeme, abantu besizungezile. Omunye umzalwane wayelungiselela ukukhanya ngokubamba ikhandlela ababezenzele lona. Ezikhathini zakusihlwa ezipholile, endaweni eshisayo, abantu abedlulayo nomakhelwane babekujabulela ukulalela iZwi likaNkulunkulu okwakuxoxwa ngalo obala.
Kodwa phakathi nenye inkulumo enjalo ngokushesha kwaqhamuka iqembu labafana abangamavulandlela amaKatolika. Lizungeze isikhulumi, laqala ukushaya amacilongo alo nezigubhu zalo ezinkulu, lizama ukuvala izwi lesikhulumi. Siqaphela ukuthi yini eyayenzeka, isikhulumi saqhubeka ngesizotha nenkulumo yaso kodwa ngokusebenzisa izandla nokunyakazisa izindebe zaso kuphela. Ngokushesha, amavulandlela, esephelelwe umoya, ayeka ahamba. Futhi umzalwane waqhubeka nenkulumo yakhe njengoba kwakuhleliwe.
Ukugeleza Kuyasheshiswa
Eminyakeni eminingi iqembu lezithunywa zevangeli lathunyelwa eGuadeloupe ukuze liyosiza iqembu elincane labamemezeli bakhona abashisekayo. Ekuqaleni, babenokuncane ababengakwenza ngenxa yokungalwazi ulimi. Nokho, phakathi nawo-1950, kwaqala ukufika izithunywa zevangeli ezikhuluma isiFulentshi, futhi umsebenzi waqhubekela phambili.
Nokho, ngenxa yokuphikisa okunamandla kwenkolo, abaningi abemukela iqiniso leBhayibheli kwakudingeka bathathe ukuma kwabo ngokuzimisela okungavamile. Lokhu kwaba njalo ngomunye wesifazane okwakudingeka ukuba abhapathizwe olwandle ebumnyameni ngehora lesihlanu ekuseni. Lona wesifazane nomyeni wakhe baqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli ndawonye. Kodwa lapho omakhelwane beqala ukubacindezela, indoda yasiyeka isifundo ngenxa yokwesaba ukulahlekelwa yibo njengabathengi esitolo sayo esincane somkhaya esithengisa ukudla nezintwana ezithile. Owesifazane waqhubeka futhi wenza intuthuko enhle. Nokho, ngokushesha, ukucindezeleka kwaba namandla kangangokuba umyeni wakhe wasongela ukumbulala.
Ngolunye usuku kusihlwa, wathola ummese ufihlwe ngaphansi komcamelo womyeni wakhe, futhi waba nomuzwa wokuthi, isimo sakhe, asizange simenze angabaze ngezinjongo zakhe. Ezwa ukuthi ukuphila kwakhe kwakusengozini, wabalekela ekhaya lomkhaya woFakazi, ehamba cishe amakhilomitha ayi-16 edabula ehlathini nasemasimini kabhanana. Ngesikhathi ebalekele umyeni wakhe, wacela ukuba abhapathizwe, ethi: “Uma kumelwe ngife ngenxa yokholo lwami, ngifuna ukubalwa phakathi kwabantu bakaJehova!” Kamuva lodade othembekile wangenela inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele futhi uye waba yiphayona elikhethekile iminyaka engama-24. Nakuba elahlekelwe umkhaya wakhe ongokwenyama ngenxa yokholo lwakhe, uye wazuza umkhaya omkhulu ongokomoya, njengoba kwathembisa uJesu kuMathewu 19:29. Uye wasiza abantu abangama-36 ukuba bafinyelele ekuzinikezeleni nobhapathizo.
Amanzi eqiniso aye asakazeka ngezindlela ezingalindelekile. Amadoda amabili angamaKatolika emzini okude esenyakatho athola iBhayibheli. Aqala ukulifunda nsuku zonke futhi ayefuna othile owayengawasiza ukuba aliqonde. Umakhelwane wawatshela ukuthi wayeyothintana nomzala wakhe, “okaJehova,” owayeyojabulela ukuwasiza. Kwakungokokuqala ngqa ukuba ezwe ngegama likaNkulunkulu.
Umzala wawathumelela omagazini abathile bePhaphama!, abangazange nje kuphela bajabulele ukubafunda bona ngokwabo kodwa futhi ababahambisela abanye emzini. Lapho ezwa ukuthi kwakunomhlangano eduze kwasePointe-à-Pitre, aya kuwo futhi atshela umbonisi wesifunda: “Size kulomhlangano, futhi singathanda ukubhapathizwa.” Eqinisweni, amukelwa ngokufudumele kodwa futhi asizwa ukuba aqonde ukuthi kumelwe kuthathwe izinyathelo ezithile futhi kwenziwe izinguquko ngaphambi kokufanelekela ubhapathizo. Ngakho kwenziwa amalungiselelo okuwasiza, futhi abhapathizwa emhlanganweni olandelayo.
Okuhlangenwe nakho okunjengalokhu kwaletha injabulo enkulu nesikhuthazo kubazalwane. Amanzi eqiniso aqhubeka nokugobhoza, futhi ngo-1960, kwaba nengqikithi yabamemezeli boMbuso abangama-251 eGuadeloupe.
Inselele Iyamukelwa
Inkinga enkulu kulesiqhingi esincane kuye kwaba ukuthola izindawo zemihlangano ezinkulu ngokwanele. Esikhathini eside bekukhona kuphela iziza ezimbili. Abazalwane babefisa kabi ukuba nemihlangano kuso sonke isiqhingi ukuze amanzi eqiniso afinyelele abantu abengeziwe.
Ekugcineni, abazalwane banquma ukuzakhela eyabo indawo. Baklama, futhi banikela ngemali eyanele, yesakhiwo esithuthwayo esakhiwe ngamapayipi ensimbi nezixwexwe zensimbi, esikhulu ngokwanele ukuba sihlalise abantu abangama-700. Lapho besebenzisa elabo siqu ‘ihholo lomhlangano’ okokuqala eBasse-Terre ngoJanuary 1966, isixuku esishisekayo sabangama-907 safika. Zisuka nje ‘ihholo’ lalilincane kakhulu!
Ngalelilungiselelo elisha, kuye kwaba nokwenzeka ukuba nemihlangano ngisho nakwezinye iziqhingi ezingaphandle. Lokhu kuye kwanikeza umfutho wangempela okusakaza amanzi eqiniso ezindaweni eziningi. Cabanga ngokusabela kwabantu bendawo eGrand-Bourg, idolobha elincane labantu abacishe babe yizi-6 000 esiqhingini saseMarie-Galante, lapho ‘behlaselwa’ izikebhe ezintathu ezithwele ababeze emhlanganweni abacishe babe yinkulungwane kanye nemithwalo yabo nezinye izinto. Kwakuyinto engakaze ibonakale ngaphambili—udwendwe olude lwabantu olusuka epoyinti ludabule edolobheni luya endaweni yomhlangano. Lokhu kwanikeza ubufakazi obuhle kubantu bendawo, futhi namuhla kunamabandla amathathu ashisekayo kulesiqhingi.
Eminyakeni eminingi edlule, “ihholo” belilokhu landiswa izikhathi eziningi. Ekugcineni, laba isakhiwo esingamathani angama-30, lithatha indawo engamamitha-skwele ayizi-3 000, linendawo yokuhlala abantu abayizi-5 000. Ngokusobala, kwakuwumsebenzi omkhulu ukulithwala, ukulakha, nokudiliza yonke into isikhathi ngasinye okunomhlangano ngaso. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kwakuya kuba nzima ukuthola izindawo ezifanelekile zokumisa “ihholo” elithuthwayo ngoba indawo engakhiwe yayithathwa ngokushesha imisebenzi yezokwakha. Kwakhanya ukuthi okuwukuphela kwekhambi kwakuwukuthola indawo okwakungabekwa kuyo “ihholo” unomphela.
UJehova waphinda walungiselela izidingo zabazalwane. Indawo emaphakathi naphakathi engaphezu kwamamitha-skwele ayizi-50 000 yatholakala. Ngeminikelo yomusa evela kuwo wonke amabandla eziqhingini, isiza sathengwa ngo-1979. Saba yindawo yasikhathi sonke yokukhulekela kweqiniso eGuadeloupe.
Ukugeleza Okwanda Njalo Kwamanzi Eqiniso
Emuva ngo-1954 lapho igatsha laseGuadeloupe limiswa okokuqala, kwakunabamemezeli boMbuso abayi-128. Manje lelonani seliye landa laba ngaphezu kwezi-4 500. Lokho kusho ukuthi cishe oyedwa kubantu abangama-72 eGuadeloupe unguFakazi kaJehova. Futhi ePointe-à-Pitre, inhlokodolobha, inani lingoyedwa kwabangama-29—ngokungangabazeki okungesinye sezilinganiso ezingcono kakhulu emhlabeni!
Laba abathembekile baye baba matasa nokusakaza amanzi eqiniso, beqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli zasemakhaya ezingaphezu kwezi-7 300 nabantu abathakazelayo kuyo yonke indawo. Imizamo yabo yabusiswa lapho abayizi-12 553 behlangane ngo-1986 ukuzokhumbula ukufa kweNkosi uJesu Kristu. Ngempela, abazalwane eGuadeloupe banomuzwa wokuthi uJehova uNkulunkulu ‘uzamazamisa’ iziqhingi zabo ukuze abuthele ndawonye “okunxanelekayo.”—Hagayi 2:7.
“Isiqhingi samanzi amahle” siba sihle kakhulu kunanini ngendlela engokomoya. Baningi abasabela obizweni lokuthi: “Woza!” nabathatha “amanzi okuphila ngesihle.”—IsAmbulo 22:17.
[Amabalazwe ekhasini 27]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
GUADELOUPE
GRANDE TERRE
Pointe-à-Pitre
Soufrière
Rivière Salée
BASSE-TERRE
MARIE GALANTE
Grand Bourg