Uhambo Olungenamkhawulo
Njengoba ilandiswa uEva Carol Abbott
NGAZALWA ngo-1908, ngenyanga kaDecember ngomhla ka-21, nguGrace Pearl noWilliam Reuben Vaughan. Ngazalelwa epulazini ngase-Emporia, eKansas, U.S.A. Sasuka e-Emporia sathuthela ezinkangala zaseColorado, lapho ukuphila kwakunzima futhi kunesizungu khona. Sasineshede, iwindmill nendlu umama angichazela ukuthi yayifana nemoto ehamba kujantshi. Yayinekhishi elikhulu kakhulu nelinye ikamelo elikhulu elalihlanganisa ikamelo lokuhlala nelokulala.
Nokho, omakhelwane abathile abambalwa, babehlala emigodini efulelwe ngamasoyi. Lezindlu zokuhlala zazinengxenye evele ngaphezu kwenhlabathi nengxenye engaphansi. Phakathi nezikhathi zasebusika ezinde, amaqhugwane abo ayembozwa yiqhwa. Ezikhathini ezinjalo labomakhelwane abavalelwe yiqhwa babeshayela abazali bami izingcingo (nakuba babempofu, babenazo izingcingo) bebuza isikhathi, futhi ngemva kokuba betsheliwe, umbuzo olandelayo wawuthi, ‘Ingabe usho isikhathi sasebusuku noma sasekuseni?’
Ezikhathini ezithile onyakeni thina bantu basemapulazini, njengoba sasibizwa kanjalo, sasiya ehlathini izinsuku eziningi ngesikhathi esithile siyogawula izigxobo. Izigxobo zazilayishwa zibe yinqwaba ezinqoleni ezidonswa amahhashi anamandla bese ziyiswa edolobheni ukuze ziyokwenanwa ngokudla, impahla yasebusika, nembewu eyayizohlwanyelwa ehlobo. Phakathi nalesikhathi ngangisala noMama kuphela, futhi phakathi nobusuku obude wayefunda ngokuphindaphinda iBhayibheli lakhe kuze kube phakathi kwamabili. Wayekholelwa ngokunamandla ukuthi uNkulunkulu wayenabantu bakhe, futhi wayethungatha umkhondo wabo.
Lapho ngineminyaka emithathu, abazali bami bathuthela epulazini eliseKansas ngasedolobheni elincane laseKiowa. Ingxenye yohambo yahanjwa ngenqola, ubaba ayeyemboze ngoseyili phezulu. Ngaphathwa umkhuhlane, futhi ngisakhumbula ngilele kumatilasi wotshani enqoleni, ngimbeswe kahle futhi ngifudumele, ngibukela isibani sikaphalafini esasilenga kuseyili siya ngapha nangapha. Umama wayengihlikihla ngenhlanganisela yamafutha engulube, iturpentine, novaselina. Ngisakhumbula indlela okwakuzwakala kumnandi ngayo kanye nokufudumala nothando okwakuhambisana nakho.
Ukuqala Kohambo
Okunye engikukhumbulayo okwenzeka ngisemncane kuwukuthuthela kwethu eAlva, eOklahoma. UMama wayesalokhu ethungatha umkhondo oya “kubantu bakaNkulunkulu.” Ngolunye usuku uMama wathola amapheshana afundisa ngeBhayibheli kuvulandi wethu. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho ubaba wahanjelwa icolporteur (isikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele) esitolo lapho ayesebenza khona, elambonisa omunye wemiqulu yeStudies in the Scriptures ebhalwe uC. T. Russell, umongameli wokuqala weWatch Tower Society. Nakuba uBaba athenga leyoncwadi, yafundwa umama futhi wathola ukuthi isigijimi sasivela emthonjeni ofanayo nalowo wamapheshana ayeshiywe kuvulandi.
Icolporteur lamemela uBaba emhlanganweni wesifundo seBhayibheli ngaleyontambama. Wakhetha ukungayi, kodwa saya noMama. Ngikhumbula kancane ngikulomhlangano, kodwa uMama wangitshela imininingwane yawo izikhathi eziningi. Kwakunabayi-10 noma abayi-12 ababekhona, futhi kwabuzwa umbuzo othi, “Sifa kanjani?” Udade owayekhona waphendula, “Njengesilwane sasendle.” Umama washaqeka. Wangenela: “Uxolo, kodwa ingabe nginizwisisa kahle ukuthi nikholelwa ekutheni sifa njengesilwane sasendle?” Umzalwane owayeqhuba umhlangano waphendula: “Ungavula yini kumShumayeli 3:19-21 bese uzifundela ngokwakho?”
“Bangivumela ukuba ngiphazamise wonke lowomhlangano ngemibuzo yami elandelanayo, futhi banikela ubusuku bonke beyiphendula,” ngitshelwa uMama ngenjabulo. Ngiyakhumbula indlela umama ayejabule ngayo lapho sesibuyela ekhaya. Ngokuqinisekile wayethole abantu bakaNkulunkulu nenkambo yokuphila ayefuna ukuyilandela. Lesi kwakuyisiqalo sohambo!
Lokhu kwenzeka ngo-1913. Ngokushesha kwaba khona ukuboniswa kwesithombe esinyakazayo nombukiso wamaslides weWatch Tower Society, i“Photo-Drama of Creation.” UMama wajabula kakhulu ngokuba ngomunye wababekhona phakathi nokuboniswa kwawo ehholo lasedolobheni. Leyominyaka siseAlva kwakuyiminyaka efudumeza inhliziyo kuMama. Ngangiyaye ngithi kuye, “Mama, usuyahleka manje, futhi wawungavamile ukuhleka kangaka.”
Ngalesikhathi uMama wayesethathe ukuma okuqinile eqinisweni. Lokhu kwakungesikhathi lapho abaFundi BeBhayibheli abathile babekholelwa ukuthi babeyothathwa bayiswe ezulwini ‘noma nini nje kusukela manje,’ ngakho baba nombono wokuphila ngokunethezeka okwakuzolandela ngokushesha. Kodwa kwakungenjalo ngoMama. Wayengagcwalisiwe amathemba okuya ezulwini ngokushesha. Umama uthi ‘wayematasa kakhulu, efunda, etadisha, eya ezifundweni, futhi ehlanganyela ekushumayeleni izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso.’
Ngesikhashana kwagqashuka iMpi Yezwe I, futhi lokhu kwaletha ushushiso oluvela kuzakhamuzi zasedolobheni. Ngisakhumbula ngihamba noMama indlu ngendlu sicela abantu ukuba basayine iphepha lokucela, sinxusa uhulumeni waseU.S. ukuba akhulule uMzalwane uRutherford nabangane bakhe abayisikhombisa ejele lombuso laseAtlanta, eGeorgia, lapho babeboshwe khona ngokungemthetho. Kodwa kwenzeka into ethile eyasiphoqelela ukuba sithuthe.
Impi yaphela, futhi kwadlanga ubhememe lomkhuhlane. Umkhuhlane washiya umama engasenawo amandla angokomzimba. Odokotela beluleka uBaba ukuba amyise eningizimu California lapho isimo sezulu sasiyoba ngesingcono khona. Safika eLos Angeles futhi sahlala eAlhambra. enye yezindawo ezizungeze idolobha. Lapho ngabhekana nokwenza isinqumo esikhulu ekuphileni kwami.
Ngo-1924 mina nomngane wami sagibela isitimela esasiya eLos Angeles ukuze siye emngcwabeni kadade ongumKristu esasimthanda. Ohambweni lwethu lokubuya, saxoxa ngendaba yokuzehlukanisela (manje osekwaziwa ngokuthi ukuzinikezela). Ngaqala ukucabanga ngokungathi sína ngokuphila kwami siqu futhi ngaxoxa noMama ngalokhu. Lokhu kwangenza ngayicwaninga lendaba ngisebenzisa omagazini ababuye banyatheliswa abahlehlela emuva onyakeni ka-1908 beWatch Tower, ngifunda zonke izihloko ezaziphathelene nokuzehlukanisela. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho nganikezela ukuphila kwami kuJehova, futhi ngabhapathizwa ngo-October 1925.
Abalingani Ohambweni
Ngolunye usuku ngo-1927, ngatshelwa ukuthi kwakunomzalwane okwakuthiwa uHerbert Abbott owayefuna ukungibona. Ngashaqeka, ngoba ngangingamazi nakumazi. Kodwa akuzange kungithathe isikhathi ukuba ngimazi. Ukwazi ukuthi ngangineminyaka eyi-18 futhi ngineminyaka emibili ngazehlukanisela kwamjabulisa. Sabonana, sathembisana izinyanga ezintathu, futhi sashada ngoJuly 1927.
Mina noHerbert sathenga indlu emagqumeni amahle asePasadena. Ngolunye usuku entwasahlobo ka-1928, ngeza neposi, elalihlanganisa ukwaziswa ngokuqondene nenkonzo yamaphayona. Kusihlwa lapho uHerbert efika ekhaya evela emsebenzini, ngasikisela umqondo wokuthi sithengise umuzi wethu futhi singenele inkonzo yamaphayona yesikhathi esigcwele. Wathi uma ngangizimisele ukudela indlela yethu yokuphila yangaleso sikhathi, wayengeke enqabe.
Sathola insimu eDolobheni iCharles, eIowa, esasizoyisebenza ngemva kokubuya emhlanganweni eDetroit, eMichigan. Lathi lifika ihlobo sabe sesiqedile ukulungiselela ukuphayona, kodwa samangaliswa ukuthi ngangikhulelwe. Yini okwakumelwe siyenze? Ukushintsha izinhloso zethu manje kwakuyofana nokuthi sasithi: “Siyazi, Jehova, ukuthi ungasinakekela sibabili kodwa hhayi sibathathu.”
Ngemva komhlangano, mina noHerbert saya esabelweni sethu eDolobheni iCharles. Kodwa cishe enyangeni yesishiyagalombili yokukhulelwa kwami, kwabonakala kuwukuhlakanipha ukuba sibuyele eLos Angeles. Ekuqaleni kukaJanuary 1929 indodakazi yethu enhle uPerousia Carol yazalwa. Nokho, injabulo yethu nayo yaba izinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye kuphela; yafa ngo-October.
Isithembiso sikaJehova sovuko sasikhanya bhá ezingqondweni zethu. Nokho, ukufa kuyisitha, futhi ukubona indodakazi yethu encane ifile kwakuqeda amandla! Umcabango odabukisayo wendodakazi yethu ethandekayo ilele emhlabathini obandayo wadanjiswa ulwazi lwethu lweZwi likaNkulunkulu. Yayimane ilele; iyohlala enkumbulweni kaJehova. (Johane 11:11-14, 23-25) Ngempela, iye yalala isikhathi eside, kodwa ngolunye usuku esikhathini esizayo iyovuka futhi ibonakalise iZwi likaNkulunkulu njengeliyiqiniso. Isifiso sami esiqhubekayo siwukuthi kwangathi ingaletha udumo egameni likaJehova elikhulu kuze kube phakade.
Uhambo Namakharavani
Saphinda senza amalungiselelo okuphayona. NgoMarch ngonyaka olandelayo sathenga ikharavani embozwe ngoseyili enendawo engaphezulu esongwayo futhi sathengisa imoto yethu enendawo yabantu abayisikhombisa iStudebaker sathenga iModel A Ford eyayidonsa ikharavani. Yaqala kanjalo-ke iminyaka yethu engama-25 yohambo namakharavani.
Ikharavani encane eyayisihambisa kahle yasiqhuba iminyaka engaphezu kweyisishiyagalombili. Yayinendawo yaphansi engamamitha ayi-1,2 x 1,5, futhi indawo yokuphekela yayiyipulangwe elingamasentimitha ayi-28 x 30 elalikwazi ukukhishwa. Kwakunemibhede emibili esesimweni esikahle, nesitofu sikapetroli esivutha izindawo ezimbili, ithunga lamanzi, isibani sikapetroli, ihitha kaphalafini, ibhavu lokugeza, ipulangwe lokuwasha, iayina kapetroli netafula loku-ayinela. Futhi ngaphezu kwesitofu kwakuneshalofu elithwalwayo elinekhabethe elincane engangibeka kulo izitsha zethu ezinhle zobumba olucolisakele, ezaziyisipho somshado. Ngobunye ubusuku amabhawodi abambe ishalofu akhumuka, futhi ishalofu laphuka. Kwawa futhi, nesibani sikapetroli kodwa ayibanga khona enye ingozi ngaphandle kokuthi izitsha zethu ezinhle zaba yizicucwana!
Ezikhathini ezimbalwa kwakudingeka sifake useyili omusha wokwemboza ikharavani. Ukuze senze lokhu sasithenga oseyili abasindayo ababesetshenziswa abalimi bezithelo ukuze bamboze izihlahla zamawolintshi ukuba zingafuseki lapho kubulawa izilokazane. Sasisika useyili ube yiziqephu bese siwuthunga ngezinsungulo ezisandilinga kuze kube yilapho sesimboze yonke indawo engaphezulu yekharavani.
UMsombuluko kwakuwusuku lokuhlanza izingubo. Sasihlanza futhi siyakaze izingubo emanzini esiwakhe emfudlaneni, emfuleni, noma emthonjeni wedolobha futhi sasiwafudumeza emlilweni esasiwubase phansi. Futhi sasinohhavini osongwayo, engangiwusebenzisela ukubhaka ikhekhe esasizolidla nokudla kwasemini kwangesonto elilandelayo. Manje sase silungele ukubhekana nenselele yensimu yethu.
Ngawo-1930 sathatha uhambo olusuka emapulazini luya emadolobheni. Ngezinye izikhathi sasilandela umgwaqo owawuthubeleza amakhilomitha amaningi udabula izintaba nezindonga uya endlini ethile, kanti siyothola indlu iyinxiwa. Ukuze sixazulule lenkinga, sasisebenzisa izibona kude ukuze sibone uma kwakukhona izimpahla ezazinekwe ocingweni, uma kwakunentuthu eshunqayo, noma uma mhlawumbe kwakunezinkomo eziseduze. Lokhu kwasongela isikhathi negas. Yebo, sasingakwazi ukubona ngazo zonke izikhathi ukuthi kwakunendlu emgwaqweni, ngakho sasiyaye sibuze omakhelwane ukuthi umgwaqo wawusiyisa endlini ethile yini.
Ngesinye isikhathi sasingazi ukuthi yini okwakumelwe siyenze. Kwakunepulazi elaliqhele ngamakhilomitha angama-24 ngaphesheya kwentaba, kodwa omakhelwane babengaqiniseki ukuthi wayekhona yini umuntu owayehlala lapho. Kwakumelwe sicabangele igas yokuhamba ngosuku olulandelayo. Sasiseduze nomfudlana onobubanzi obungamamitha ayi-1,2 kuya ku-1,5, futhi uHerb wayomile. Waguqa ukuze aphuze, lapho okuthile okucwebezelayo kukhanga amehlo akhe. Wafaka isandla osebeni lomfudlana futhi wakhipha imali ewuhlweza efinyelela kumadollar ambalwa. Ngakho, ngokuqinisekile, sayeka ukungabaza futhi saqhubekela phambili. Kwakuwuhambo olude, olunzima futhi umninipulazi wayengenaso isithakazelo, kodwa sasazi ukuthi insimu yayihlanganisiwe, futhi nomninipulazi wayethole ubufakazi.
Izindleko Zohambo
Kuyo yonke leminyaka, saba nokuhlangenwe nakho okuningi okujabulisayo, nokuhlekisayo. Ngokwesibonelo, kwake kwaba nesikhathi esabhekana ngaso nokuhlaselwa yizixuku eComing, eCalifornia. Mina nabanye odade abane sasiza uAleck Bangle (manje oseyisithunywa sevangeli eJamaica), lapho ayeshaywa. Kwakunezibukeli ezingaphezu kwekhulu emgwaqweni, zonke ezazihalalisela umhluphi. Kuyahlekisa manje uma ngikhumbula ngesikhathi ngikhumula amaxhumela ami futhi ngishaya umhluphi ekhanda njengoba ayekhothama ukuze agadle ngegalelo elinzima kumzalwane wethu uAleck!
Umagazini iConsolation (manje osekuthiwa iPhaphama!) kaMay 29, 1940, wawunesembozo esinesithombe sikamongameli wesithathu waseMelika, uThomas Jefferson, nefulegi laseMelika. Njengoba lezo kwakuyizinsuku zenkathazo nokushushiswa, ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi kwakuyoba okuhle ukuphatha njalo iziboniselo ezimbalwa zalomagazini esikhwameni sami somagazini, uma kwenzeka siwudinge. Nembala, ngomunye uMgqibelo lapho ngifakaza ngomagazini emgwaqweni, ngakhuluma namadoda amabili ayesejikeni. Enye, eyayibukeka inonya olukhulu, yakhuluma ngokulwa: “Nokho, nkosazane, uma ubuneyodwa enefulegi laseMelika, bengizoyithatha, kodwa nina boFakazi Baka—” Ngaphambi kokuba aqhubeke, impendulo yami, ngokuqinisekile, yayiwukuthi: “Oh, Mnumzane, ngijabula kakhulu ngoba nginawo kanye lona owufunayo,” futhi ngakhipha lowomagazini esikhwameni sami somagazini. Yayeka ukukhehlezisa imali eyayisekhukhwini layo, yaphenduka yaba bomvu, yangingiza yase inginika iminikelo—futhi ngayinika umagazini!
Ngaba nesinye isikhathi esihlekisayo lapho sasihambisa incwajana ekhethekile kubo bonke abefundisi—iThe Kingdom, the Hope of the World. Kwenye indlu, umfundisi wangivulela. Wayengenaso nesincane isithakazelo sokuyamukela, kodwa sasinikezwe iziyalezo zokuyishiya emnyango uma kwenzeka, ngakho ngathi ngesizotha: “Lena incwajana yakho, Mnumzane, futhi ngizokubekela yona lapha phansi.” Ngaphenduka ukuze ngihambe, kodwa njengoba ngangihamba endleleni, lencwajana yadlula indiza kimi yayowela enhlabathini eduze kwexhaphozi. Ngayicosha, ngingathandi ukuyishiya lapho, kodwa ngalesosikhathi kwaqhamuka inja enkulu emva kwami igwavuma, yahlwitha incwajana esandleni sami, futhi yagijimela kumniniyo, umfundisi. Ngakho lokho engingazange ngikwazi ukukuhambisa, inja yakwenza!
Ngo-1953, mina, uMama, noHerbert sayokwakha eSacramento. Njengoba impilo kaHerbert yayimkhathaza, kwadingeka ukuba sobabili sishintshe indlela yethu yokuphila. Ngimbonga njalo uJehova ngokuthi ngibusiswe ngomama othembekile nomyeni oqotho. Bobabili abasekho manje, sebemukele umvuzo wabo wasezulwini. Umama wafa ngo-1975; uHerbert waqeda inkambo yakhe yasemhlabeni ngoSeptember 1980, eneminyaka engama-82 ubudala. Ngisalokhu nginesizungu esikhulu, kodwa lapho ngikhumbula iminyaka yethu yenkonzo sindawonye, ngiyaduduzeka. Futhi ngiyazi ukuthi loluhambo alunakuba namkhawulo, ngoba uJehova, ngeNdodana yakhe uJesu Kristu, unguMholi wami ohambweni oluqhubeka kuze kube phakade.