UJehova Uye Wangisekela Njengomngane

Njengoba ilandiswa uMaria Hombach

NGISEYINTOMBAZANE encane eneminyaka eyisithupha, esikoleni ngafunda ingoma emnandi yomdabu yamaJalimane: “Ingabe uyazi ukuthi zingaki izinkanyezi ezisesibhakabhakeni esiluhlaza? . . . UNkulunkulu, iNkosi, uzibalile zonke, ayikho neyodwa angayazi . . . Uyakwazi nawe, futhi ukuthanda kakhulu.” (Ihunyushwe isuselwa esiJalimaneni.) Ngolunye usuku ngangiyihlabelela lapho umama ethi: “Nawe uyakwazi futhi uyakuthanda.” Kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuqhubeke, uNkulunkulu waba njengomngane kimi. Nganquma ukuba nami ngimthande. Lokhu kwakungaphambi kweMpi Yezwe I lapho sasihlala eBad Ems emfuleni iLahn.

Eminyakeni eyishumi nesikhombisa kamuva, phakathi nesikhathi seholide ngo-1924, ngahlangana nentombazane ewuntanga yami. Yayingomunye wabaFundi BeBhayibheli, namuhla abaziwa njengoFakazi BakaJehova. Isikhathi esingamasonto amane, sasinezingxoxo ezishisayo ngenkolo. Khona-ke kwaphakama indaba ‘yesihogo.’ “Ubungenakulifaka ikati eliphilayo kuhhavini oshisayo, akunjalo?” yabuza. Lokho kwangishaya njengombani, futhi ngaqaphela ukuthi ngangikhohliswe ngokuhlazisayo. Manje ngangikwazi ukufunda konke ngoNkulunkulu—lokho ayikho ngempela, empeleni, konke engangifune ukukwazi ngaye kusukela ngisengumntwana!

Kimi kwakunjengokuthola ‘ingcebo efihlwe ensimini.’ (Mathewu 13:44) Lapho ngiphindela ekhaya, ngaphuthuma ngentshiseko komakhelwane, inhliziyo yami yayichichima ifuna ukuhlanganyela izinto ezintsha engangizifundile. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, ngathuthela edolobheni laseSindelfingen eliseningizimu neJalimane, lapho kwakuhlala khona iqembu labaFundi BeBhayibheli abangama-20. Ngahlanganyela nabo ngentshiseko kulomsebenzi omusha wobuvangeli wokuhamba indlu nendlu.

Isikhathi sokuqala engezwa ngaso ngenkonzo yamaphayona kwakungo-1929 phakathi nenkulumo eyayinikezwa uMzalwane oyisikhonzi esijikelezayo. Wabuza ukuthi ubani ongathanda ukuba yiphayona. Ngaphakamisa isandla sami ngokuzenzakalelayo. Kimi kwakungekho-mibandela nakungabaza. Inhliziyo yami yathi: “Nangu mina; ngithume.”—Isaya 6:8.

Ngokushesha ngesula emsebenzini wami wasehhovisi futhi ngo-October 1, 1929, ngaqala inkonzo yamaphayona akhethekile, njengoba ibizwa kanjalo namuhla, eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeJalimane. ELimburg, eBonn, ezikebheni zamazwe ezithwala impahla ethekwini laseCologne, nakwezinye izindawo, ngokushesha nangokungagodli satshala imbewu yeqiniso ngezincwadi.—UmShumayeli 11:1.

Ukubona Ubungane BukaNkulunkulu

Lapho uAdolf Hitler emisa umbuso wakhe wobushiqela eJalimane ngo-1933, kwadingeka ngiyiyeke inkonzo yamaphayona futhi ngiphindele eBad Ems. Ngokushesha iziphathimandla zathola ukuthi ngangingazange ngivote okhethweni. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva, kweza amaphoyisa amabili ezosesha ikamelo lami. Kwelinye igumbi kwakunobhasikidi kadoti, engangisanda kufaka kuwo wonke amakheli oFakazi engikanye nabo. Sasingasekho isikhathi sokuwuchitha! Amaphoyisa apeketula yonke into—ngaphandle kwalobhasikidi.

Yeka indlela engakwazisa ngayo ukuthi udadewethu uAnna, ngalesosikhathi, naye wayamukele ubungane noNkulunkulu weqiniso! Sobabili, ngo-1934, sathuthela edolobheni laseFreudenstadt futhi lapho saqala ukusakaza izincwadi zeBhayibheli ngokucophelela. Ngesinye isikhathi phakathi neholide, sakwazi ukuvakasha ngokunyenya ngesitimela edolobheni lasekhaya eBad Ems, ngokuphuthuma sasakaza izincwajana ezingangomagazini ezingama-240 ezazigcwele ibhokisi, sase sinyamalala. Ukuhlupha kwamaGestapo eFreudenstadt kwasiphoqelela ukuba sithuthele kwelinye idolobha, futhi ngo-1936 saya eStuttgart. Lapho, ngafuna ukuqondiswa kwethu komshoshaphansi—futhi zisuka nje nganikezwa “umsebenzi” wokuba ngiwenze. Njalo ngangithola amakhadi emikhonzo anemifanekiso. Empeleni, ayeyizigijimi ezifihliwe. Umsebenzi wami kwakuwukuwaletha endaweni eyimfihlo edolobheni. Ukuze ngingawufaki engozini lomsebenzi, ngatshelwa ukuba ngingahambisi noma iyiphi incwadi. Konke kwahamba kahle kwaze kwaba ngoAugust 1936.

Ngolunye usuku, ngathola ikhadi elalingiyaleza ukuba ngobusuku obuthile ngime phambi kwesonto elaziwayo. Lapho ngangizokwamukela ukwaziswa okwengeziwe. Ngaya endaweni esasizohlangana kuyo. Kwakumnyama bhuqe. Leyondoda yazethula ngokuthi inguJulius Riffel. Ngangazi ukuthi, leli, kwakuyigama lomzalwane othembekile owayesebenza ngomshoshaphansi. Ngokushesha wangitshela ukuba ngiye eBad Ems ngosuku oluthile ukuze ngiyohlangana nothile. Ngokushesha wanyamalala.

Nokho, esiteshini eBad Ems, ngangilindwe amaGestapo wodwa. Lwalubhede kuphi uhlelo? Indoda eyayimi phambi kwesonto—empeleni eyayingumzalwane ovela eDresden, uHans Müller, eyayazi konke ngokuphathelene nomsebenzi womshoshaphansi eJalimane futhi eyayisiqale ukusebenzelana namaGestapo—yayingibekele ugibe. Kodwa aluzange lusebenze. Ngokushesha ngaphambi kwalokho, umama wayengazise ukuthi wayehlatshwe isifo sohlangothi esingesibi kangako, futhi mina, empendulweni yami ngangithembise ukumvakashela eBad Ems ngosuku oluthile. Ngokujabulisayo lwaqondana “nokuthunywa,” futhi izincwadi zethu zanikeza ubufakazi bokuthi ngangikhona eStuttgart ngesikhathi kwenziwa ukwaphulwa komthetho ekuthethweni kwecala lami kwakamuva. Okwangimangalisa ukuthi, ngadedelwa. Yebo, ngoFebruary 1939, ngemva kokuvalelwa izinyanga ezinhlanu nengxenye ejele, ngaphinde ngakhululwa!

Ukusabela Ebunganeni Bakhe

Yebo, angizange ngihlele ukuhlala ngingenzi lutho, ikakhulukazi njengoba abaningi babafowethu babehlupheka ezinkanjini zokuhlushwa noma beboshiwe kwezinye izindawo.

Ngemva kokuba abazalwane abanemithwalo yemfanelo baseJalimane beboshiwe ngosizo lukaMüller, uLudwig Cyranek wengamela ukusakazwa kokudla okungokomoya esikhundleni sabo. Lomzalwane, owayeyisisebenzi saseBethel ngaphambili eMagdeburg, wayesanda kukhululwa ejele, futhi wangivakashela eBad Ems. Wathi: “Woza, Maria! Masiqhubeke sisebenza.” Wangibuyisela eStuttgart, lapho ngathola khona umsebenzi wokuziphilisa. Nokho, umsebenzi wami wangempela owaqala ngoMarch 1939, kwakuyilowo wokusakaza amapotimende ayegcwele omagazini beWatchtower abanyatheliswe kabusha eStuttgart nasezindaweni ezingomakhelwane. Abanye oFakazi bahlanganyela ngesibindi kulomsebenzi.

Ngalesosikhathi, uMzalwan’ uCyranek wahlanganisa zonke izindawo ngaphandle kwengxenye esenyakatho-mpumalanga yezwe. Njengoba izakhamuzi ezingoFakazi zaziqashiwe, kwakudingeka ahambe ngokucophelela okukhulu futhi ngezinye izikhathi kwakudingeka alale emahlathini. Izitimela ezisheshayo zazimletha njalo eStuttgart, lapho ayengitshela khona imibiko ekhethekile ngesimo sethu eJalimane. Ngangibhala izincwadi ezivamile, ngibhale lezigijimi phakathi nemigqa ngoyinki ongabonakali bese ngizithumela, zidlule ekhelini elisemvilophini, ziye eBethel yaseNetherlands.

Kuyadabukisa ukusho ukuthi, omunye umzalwane wesibili wayesephenduke imbuka enethemba lokukhululwa ejele. Ngemva konyaka, wakhaphela amaqembu aseStuttgart nakwezinye izindawo kumaGestapo. NgoFebruary 6, 1940, saboshwa. ULudwig Cyranek waya emzini kaMüller eDresden—ecabanga ukuthi uMüller wayesalokhu enguFakazi okanye nathi—futhi wabanjwa lapho. UMzalwan’ uCyranek kamuva wagwetshelwa ukufa futhi wanqunywa ngoJuly 3, 1941.a

Manje izitha zethu zazikholelwa ukuthi zaziwukhubaze ngokuphelele umsebenzi wethu eJalimane. Kodwa kwase kwenziwe amalungiselelo kakade okuqikelela ukuthi amanzi eqiniso ayeqhubeka egeleza, ngisho nakuba ayemfimfa. Ngokwesibonelo, iqembu laseHolzgerlingen lakwazi ukuqhubeka lishiseka kwaze kwaba sekupheleni kwempi ngo-1945.

Akalokothi Ashiye Abangane Bakhe

Sobabili mina noAnna, nabanye odade abathembekile, sasithunyelwe ejele laseStuttgart. Njalo ngangizwa iziboshwa zishaywa. Ukuvalelwa wedwa esitokisini ungenzi lutho kungokuhlangenwe nakho okubuhlungu. Kodwa njengoba sasingakaze siphuthe emihlanganweni yobuKristu futhi sisebancane, sasikwazi ukukhumbula cishe zonke izihloko zeWatchtower. Ngenxa yalokho, ukholo lwethu lwahlala luqinile, futhi sakwazi ukukhuthazela.

Ngolunye usuku, amadoda amabili amaGestapo avela eDresden eza ukuzothatha mina nesiboshwa engangikanye naso uGertrud Pfisterer (manje ongowakwaWulle) ukuze siyokhomba abanye. Ngokuvamile, iziboshwa zazivunyelwa ukuba zihambe ngezitimela ezihamba kancane kuphela, ezazithatha izinsuku eziningi. Kodwa thina sagcinelwa inqola yonke yesitimela esisheshayo, naphezu kokuba sasigcwele swí. “Nibaluleke kakhulu kithi. Asifuni ukulahlekelwa yini,” kwachaza izikhulu.

EDresden, amaGestapo eza kimi nembuka lesithathu elalivela ezinhlwini zethu. Ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi kwakukhona okushaya amanzi, ngakho ngavele ngathula, angizange ngimbingelele nokumbingelela. Khona-ke ngalethwa phambi kwendoda ende, ekhuluphele egqoke izingubo zamasosha: imbuka elinguMüller, engangihlangane nalo phambi kwesonto. Ngaphuma endlini ngingazange ngiwuthi vú. AmaGestapo awazange athole lutho kimi.

Lamambuka wonke aba nesiphetho esibi. Njengoba amaNazi ayesho, ayesithanda isenzo sokukhaphela kodwa hhayi umkhapheli ngokwakhe. Bonke bobathathu babekwa phambili empini ngasempumalanga futhi abazange babuye. Yeka ukuthi yayihluke kanjani imiphumela ngalabo abangazange balokothe badele ubungane noNkulunkulu nabantu bakhe! Abaningi balabo abathembekile, omunye wabo nguErich Frost noKonrad Franke, abahlupheka kakhulu ngenxa yeNkosi futhi kamuva baba ababonisi begatsha laseJalimane, baphuma bephila esithandweni somlilo woshushiso.b

AmaGestapo aseStuttgart—eneqholo elikhulu ngalabo ‘ayebabambile’—acela abangane bawo baseDresden ngoMay 1940 ukuba basibuyise. Amacala ethu ayezothethwa eningizimu Jalimane. Kodwa amaGestapo asenyakatho naseningizimu ngokusobala ayengezwani, ngakho ihhovisi laseDresden lenqaba, ngenxa yalokho lawo avela eStuttgart eza futhi asithwala wona ngokwawo. Kwakuzokwenzekani manje? Uhambo lokuya esiteshini lwaba uhambo olujabulisayo olugudla umfula iElbe; kwase kuyisikhathi eside sisezitokisini singayiboni imithi eluhlaza nesibhakabhaka esiluhlaza. Njengakuqala, yonke inqola yesitimela yagcinelwa thina kuphela, futhi saze ngisho savunyelwa ukuba sihlabelele izingoma zoMbuso. Lapho sishintsha izitimela, sathola ukudla endlini yokudlela yasesiteshini. Cabanga, ekuseni sasithole nje ucezu lwesinkwa esomile, futhi manje kwase kwenzeka lokhu!

Icala lami lathethwa enkantolo yaseStuttgart ngoSeptember 17, 1940. Ngokubhala nangokudlulisa izincwadi zikaLudwig Cyranek, ngangazise abantu abahlala kwamanye amazwe ngomsebenzi wethu womshoshaphansi nangokushushiswa kwethu. Leso kwakuyisenzo esikhulu sokuzama ukugumbuqela uhulumeni, esasinesigwebo sokufa. Khona-ke kwabonakala njengephupho lapho mina, ongummangalelwa omkhulu waseStuttgart, ngigwetshwa iminyaka emithathu nengxenye kuphela yokuvalelwa ngedwa esitokisini! Ngokusobala, isikhulu samaGestapo uSchlipf, owaba nomusa kithi nowayehlushwa unembeza, wayesebenzise ithonya lakhe. Wake wasitshela ukuthi wayengasakwazi ngisho nokulala ngenxa yethu “mantombazane.” EDresden ngangingeke ngiphunyuke kalula kanjalo.

Ukuzuza Ebunganeni Obuhlala Njalo

Nakuba ukudla ejele kwakungekubi njengoba kwakunjalo ezinkanjini zokuhlushwa, ngancipha kakhulu futhi ekugcineni ngaba ngangothi lokuvungula. Iminyaka u-1940 kuya ku-1942 yedlula, futhi ngokuvamile ngangicabanga: ‘Lapho isigwebo sakho sesiphelile, bayokufaka enkanjini yokuhlushwa lapho uyoba nabanye odade futhi ngeke usaba wedwa.’ Ngangingakwazi okuzayo.

Onogada bamangala kakhulu lapho isicelo sokuba ngikhululwe, esasenziwe abazali bami abangamaKatolika, samukelwa. (Ngangikwenqabe ngokuphindaphindiwe ukwenza isicelo esinjalo mina mathupha.) Nakuba engikholwa nabo babefakwa ezinkanjini zokuhlushwa, mina—engigwetshelwe icala elikhulu lokuzama ukugumbuqela uhulumeni futhi ngingazange ngihlehle nakanye—kwakumelwe ngiphunyuke kalula kanjalo! Ngakho ngaphinde ngakhululeka futhi ngo-1943 khona-ke ngaba sesimweni, sokuthatha incwadi engokwasezulwini eHolzgerlingen ngisebenzisa ukuqapha okukhulu. Lapho sengiyikopishile, ngangiyifihla phakathi kwebhodlela nesigubhu kwefulaski egcwele ikhofi futhi ngayisa kubazalwane abahlala eduze koMfula iRhine nasengxenyeni yeWesterwald yaseJalimane. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuya ekupheleni kwempi, ngakwazi ukusebenza ngokungaphazanyiswa. Kamuva ngezwa ukuthi izikhulu zamaphoyisa ezinomusa ezazamukele imibiko yokukhalaza ngathi azizange ziyidlulisele kumaGestapo.

Futhi kwenzekani ngemva kuka-1945? Nganginesifiso sokuphinde ngiphayone ngokushesha ngangokunokwenzeka. Ngokungalindelekile neze kwafika isimemo esihle kunazo zonke engake ngazithola. Angikaze ngicabange ngisho nasephusheni ngokumenyelwa ukuyosebenza eBethel eWiesbaden!

Futhi kusukela ngoMarch 1, 1946, yilapho ebengilokhu ngikhona, eBethel (manje eseSelters/Taunus). Iminyaka eminingi ngiye ngaba nenjabulo yokusebenza ehhovisi eliqondiswa owayengumbonisi wegatsha uKonrad Franke. Ngasebenza futhi ngenjabulo nakweminye iminyango, ngokwesibonelo, elondolo. Ngisho nanamuhla, ngineminyaka engama-87, ngisasebenza lapho amahora athile ngesonto ngigoqa amathawula. Uma uke weza wazobona iBethel yethu, mhlawumbe siye sabonana.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngaba nelungelo lokusiza abantu abaningana ukuba bamukele iqiniso, kuhlanganise umama nomunye udadewethu ongokwenyama. Amazwi kamama athi, “Nawe uyakwazi futhi uyakuthanda,” ngiye ngawathola eyiqiniso, njengoba kwakunjalo nangamazwi omhubi athi, “Uzakukuphasa.” (IHubo 55:22) Yeka injabulo okuye kwaba yiyo ukuthanda uJehova lapho engisekela njengomngane!

[Imibhalo yaphansi]