ISierra Leone—Ivumbulula “Amadayimane” Ayo Ayigugu Kunawo Wonke

NGONYAKA ka-1462, iqembu lamatilosi anesibindi angamaPutukezi lehlisa ugu lweNtshonalanga Afrika laze lafika endaweni engamakhilomitha angu-890 ukusuka enyakatho yenkabazwe. Alisatshiswanga izinganekwane ezikhuluma ngolwandle olumnyama olugcwele izinunu okuthiwa luseningizimu yeMorocco. Ngaphezu kwalokho, aliyamukelanga inkolelo eyayandile yokuthi eduze nenkabazwe ilanga lishisa kangangokuthi ulwandle luyabila.

Njengokwethemba kwalamatilosi, imikhumbi yawo yokhuni ayizange igqamuke amalangabi, futhi awazibonanga izinunu ezingenamakhanda zasenganekwaneni. Esikhundleni salokho, athola izingu ezinhle ezinesihlabathi esimhlophe ngalé kwazo okuphakeme izintaba eziluhlaza cwe, ezinothe ngamahlathi. Futhi lapho kuna izimvula ezina emazweni ashisayo ziwuminzisa umhlaba futhi imibani iphambana isibhakabhakeni, ukuduma kwezulu kwakundindizela kuqeqebuka kulezozintaba njengokubhonga kwesilo esithile esikhulu. Ngokuthakazelisayo, lawomatilosi aqamba leyondawo ngokuthi iSierra Leone—“Izintaba Eziyizingonyama”!

Njengoba iminyaka yayidlula, abantu bathola ukuthi ingcebo yaseSierra Leone ayipheleli ebuhleni. Kwakukhona nokumbiwa phansi: insimbi, ibauxite, irutile, ichromite, iplatinum, negolide. Kodwa kungo-1930 kuphela lapho kwatholakala khona okuthile okwenza ukuba izwe lezentengiselwano liliqaphele lelizwe elincane. Kwatholakala amadayimane! Kwatholakala ukuthi lamatshe ayigugu ayinala, eheha abahlwayi ngezinkulungwane.

Abanye baye bawacosha phansi ngokoqobo amadayimane. Owesifazane othile wathola inkunzi malanga yedayimane lapho ewasha izingubo zakhe emfudlaneni. Indoda ethile yavumbulula lelitshe eliyigugu elingamacarat angu-153 lapho itshala ubhatata ensimini. Nokho, ngokwengxenye enkulu ukuthola lamatshe ayigugu kuye kwadinga umzamo omkhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, amanye amadayimane agqibeke ekujuleni komhlabathi, ambeleké kuyikimberlite, uhlobo oluthile lwetshe. Ukuze umuntu abe nawo kuhilela ukumba, ukuqhumisa, ukugaya, nokuhlunga. Kudinga futhi ikhono, ulwazi, nokubekezela.

Nakuba umsebenzi omkhulu wokumba idayimane usaqhubeka kuze kube namuhla, ukufuna amatshe ayigugu ohlobo oluhlukile—amadayimane angokomoya anenani elikhulu kakhulu—bekuqhubeka eSierra Leone kusukela ngo-1915. Ngalowonyaka, indoda ethiwa nguAlfred Joseph yasuka eBarbados yeza kulelizwe ngomkhumbi okhipha intuthu. Lapha yaqala umsebenzi ‘wokuhlwaya,’ ingafuni amadayimane, kodwa ifuna abantu ababefisa ukukhonza uNkulunkulu weqiniso “ngomoya nangeqiniso.” (Johane 4:24) Lokhu kufuna kwenziwa ngendlela efanayo naleyo eyayenziwa amaKristu ekhulu lokuqala leminyaka—“phambi kwabantu nakuzo izindlu ngezindlu.” (IzEnzo 20:20) Eminyakeni eyisikhombisa kamuva, uAlfred Joseph wajoyinwa nguWilliam R. Brown kulomsebenzi, naye owayevela eWest Indies.

Ngasekupheleni kuka-1923, kwase kusungulwe ibandla elincane enhloko-dolobha, iFreetown. Lelobandla lalihlanganisa nabangu-14 ababesanda kubhaphathizwa. Namuhla, abantu abangu-632 emabandleni angu-30 bahlanganyela ngenkuthalo emsebenzini wokushumayela wasobala njengoFakazi BakaJehova. Imizamo yabo ekutholeni nasekuvumbululeni lokho okungabizwa ngokuthi amadayimane angokomoya ayigugu aseSierra Leone iyaqhubeka iphumelela kakhulu.

Abafuni Beqiniso Abakhuthele

Abanye abafundi bakaJesu Kristu baye babonakala befana namadayimane atholakala kalula phansi. Baye babafuna ngenkuthalo oFakazi BakaJehova. Omunye walaba kwakungumcwali wezinwele ogama lakhe nguJoan. Washayela indlunkulu yoFakazi yakuleyondawo eFreetown ucingo wacela isifundo seBhayibheli.

Yini eyashukumisela uJoan ukuba ashaye lolocingo? Uthi: “Angisikhumbuli isikhathi ekuphileni kwami engangingamfuni ngaso uNkulunkulu. Kusukela ebuntwaneni, ngiye ngajoyina amasonto amaningi namaqembu enkolo kodwa ngangingakutholi ukwaneliseka okungokomoya.

“Eminyakeni engaba yishumi eyedlule, ngaqala ukubaqaphela oFakazi, kodwa ngaphandle kwesizathu ngempela, ngakha umbono wokuthi labantu kwakufanele bagwenywe ngangokunokwenzeka. Lapho umngane womkhaya wakithi eba uFakazi, ngenza isikhokhelo somagazini beNqabayokulinda nePhaphama! Lokho ngakwenzela nje ukumjabulisa; angizange ngizihluphe ngokubafunda. Eqinisweni, ngangibasebenzisela ukugeza amafasitela akwami! Khona-ke kwafika iPhaphama! [yesiNgisi] eyangikhanga. Isihloko esasisesembozweni sasiphathelene nesidingo sethu sothando. [September 22, 1986] Ngayifunda futhi ngahlabeka umxhwele kakhulu. Yilowo magazini owangibangela ukuba ngicele isifundo seBhayibheli.” UJoan wathuthuka masinyane futhi ngokushesha wayesenguFakazi KaJehova obhapathiziwe.

Omunye umuntu owafuna iqiniso yinsizwa egama layo nguManso. Wayefuna ukuba ngumfundisi futhi waya esikoleni sokufundela ubufundisi. Kodwa lapho ebona ubuzenzisi babafundisi bakhe, wadikibala wayeka. Ngokulandelayo, uManso waqala ukuya kweminye imihlangano yenkolo. Ngelinye ilanga esendleleni evakashela umalume wakhe, wabona incwadi ekhishwa yiWatch Tower Society—ethi Ingabe IBhayibheli Ngempela LiyiZwi LikaNkulunkulu? Yayiphansi exhaphozini elinodaka. Njengoba isihloko samthakazelisa uManso, wayinyula lencwadi emanzini, wayomisa, wayifunda. Nali iqiniso abelifuna! Lencwadi yayikhuthaza abafundi ukuba babe khona emihlanganweni eHholo LoMbuso endaweni yakubo. Ngakho uManso waya, waqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli noFakazi, futhi ngokushesha wabhapathizwa. Manje ukhonza njengommemezeli wezindaba ezinhle oyiphayona lesikhathi esigcwele!

Ukusabela Osizweni Lwesineke

Nokho, abanye abafundi baye babonakala befana namadayimane agqibeke etsheni. Kuye kwadingeka umzamo wangempela ‘wokubavumbulula.’ UDonald, umdala ongumKristu, ukhumbula isineke esadingeka ukuze kusizwe owesifazane othiwa uMartha. Uthi: “Nakuba avuma ukufundelwa, ngaso sonke isikhathi wayesilindisa isikhathi eside ngaphambi kokuba siqale. Ngezinye izikhathi wayebeka ngamabomu imisebenzi ayengabe uyenzé kusengaphambili. Khona-ke wayesicela ukuba simlinde aze aqede ukuyenza. Ngezinye izikhathi sasilinda isikhathi esingaphezu kwehora. Wayethemba ukuthi sizodikibala sihambe, kodwa masonto onke sasizama ukuhlanganisa okungenani ukwaziswa okuncane okuzuzisayo. Waba yini umphumela? Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ukwazisa kwakhe kwakhula.

“Obunye ubunzima kwaba ukwenza uMartha aye emihlanganweni. Ngangiya nabanye oFakazi lapho ngiyoqhuba isifundo sakhe seBhayibheli ukuze azizwe ekhululekile lapho esefika eHholo LoMbuso. Kodwa walibala kangangokuthi lapho eseza ekugcineni, wayesazi cishe lonke ibandla!” Ukubekezela kwaba nemiphumela emihle. Manje uMartha ubhapathiziwe futhi unokuma okuhle nebandla.

Ekuqaleni uPius wayeliphikisa iqiniso. Ngesikhathi izithunywa zevangeli ezimbili ziqalisa isifundo seBhayibheli naye, uPius wayeseminyakeni yawo-70, eyilungu elishisekayo leqembu lezombangazwe, futhi engumgcini zimali wesonto lakhe. “Wayewaphikisa kakhulu cishe wonke amaphuzu esasixoxa ngawo,” kusho izithunywa zevangeli. “Masonto onke wayeqala ngesizotha, kodwa wayeya ngokuya ethukuthela. Masonto onke kwakuba yimpi yangempela, futhi kaningi kwakuthi masimdele simyeke phansi. Into eyinhloko eyayibanga ukuba siqhubeke siya kuye ukuthi njalo wayesilungiselela kahle isifundo.

“Ngemva kwesikhathi esingaba ngangonyaka lokhu kuqhubeka, uPius wathi wayesenqume ukuzihlolela yena ngokwakhe. Njengoba ayenguthisha othathe umhlala-phansi, wayeyazi indlela yokuhlola. Nsuku zonke amasonto amabili, wayekhwela intaba aye emtatsheni wezincwadi waseyunivesithi, lapho ayefike azingcwabe khona ngezincwadi ezikhulumela iBhayibheli nangezincwadi okubhekiselwa kuzo. Ngemva kwalokho wathi: ‘Manje sengiyakholwa ukuthi konke ebeningitshela khona kuyiqiniso. UNkulunkulu akasiye uZiqu-zintathu, asikho isihogo somlilo, futhi umphefumulo awuwona ongafi. Ngisho nabanye abantu basesontweni lami bayavuma ukuthi lokhu kunjalo.’ Ngemva kwalokho, uPius wathuthuka ngokushesha, wasula ndawo zombili kwezombangazwe nasesontweni. Ngemva kokubhapathizwa, wakhonza njengephayona elisizayo, echitha amahora angu-60 ngenyanga emsebenzini wokushumayela, kaningi ngangokunokwenzeka kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngo-1987.

“Okuthile esasingakwazi isikhathi eside,” kukhumbula izithunywa zevangeli ezazifundisa uPius, “ukuthi umama wakhe wayehlanganyela noFakazi BakaJehova. Wayekhumbula eya naye emihlanganweni lapho esemncane. Kodwa ngemva kokuba eseshonile, uPius wazithathela indlela yakhe. Ngemva kokubhapathizwa kwakhe, uPius wathi: ‘Okungiphethe kabuhlungu nje ukuthi umama akasakwazi ukungibona manje.’ Ubuso bakhe base buyaqhakaza, wayesenezela: ‘Kodwa uzongibona ezweni elisha!’”

Kuze kube namuhla, ukufuna amadayimane nokufuna abafundi kuyaqhubeka. Izikhangiso ezisemakhasini acwebezelayo ziqhosha ngokuthi “amadayimane ahlala kuze kube phakade.” Nokho, umnikazi wetshe eliyigugu elihle kanjalo akalijabuleli kuze kube phakade ngoba ngaphandle kwelungiselelo likaNkulunkulu lensindiso, ukufa kuyisabelo sabo bonke abantu abonayo. (Johane 3:16, 17) Kanjalo umsebenzi woFakazi BakaJehova eSierra Leone uveza ingcebo enenani elikhulu kakhulu ukwedlula amadayimane: izinceku zikaNkulunkulu nabafundi bakaJesu Kristu! Futhi iZwi likaJehova liyathembisa: “Owenza intando kaNkulunkulu uhlala kuze kube-phakade.”—1 Johane 2:17.

[Ibalazwe/Izithombe ekhasini 22, 23]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

[Izithombe]

Phakathi kwezimo ezinjengalezi, abamemezeli boMbuso bathola amadayimane angokomoya eSierra Leone