Ngasabela Esikhathini Sokuvuna

NJENGOBA ILANDISWA NGUWINIFRED REMMIE

“UKUVUNA kukhulu, kodwa izisebenzi ziyingcosana.” Lamazwi eNkosi uJesu ashukunyiswa uzwela olujulile ngabantu ababekhathazekile futhi behlakazekile njengezimvu ezingenamelusi. Ngiye ngaba nomuzwa ofanayo, futhi eminyakeni engu-40 edlule, ngiye ngazama ngaso sonke isikhathi ukusabela kahle obizweni lweNkosi lokuyokwenza umsebenzi wokuvuna.—Mathewu 9:36, 37.

Ngazalelwa eNtshonalanga Afrika emkhayeni onabantwana abayisikhombisa, amantombazane kuphela. Abazali bethu babenothando, kodwa benemithetho eqinile; futhi babethanda inkolo kakhulu. Ukuya esontweni nakuSonto-sikole isonto ngalinye kwakuyinto engaguquki. Kimina lokhu kwakungeyona inkinga ngoba ngangizithanda izinto ezingokomoya. Eqinisweni, lapho ngineminyaka engu-12, ngamiswa ukuba ngiqhube amakilasi kuSonto-sikole.

Umshado Nokufuna Ukuthola Okuhlangenwe Nakho

Ngo-1941, lapho ngineminyaka engu-23 ubudala, ngashada noLichfield Remmie, umphathi wamabhuku ezimali ehhovisi likahulumeni. Ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo, sasimi kahle, kodwa uthando lokufuna ukuthola okuhlangenwe nakho kanye nesifiso sokwandisa ingcebo yezinto ezibonakalayo kwasenza sathuthela eLiberia ngo-1944. Ushintsho oluphawulekayo ekuphileni komyeni wami, futhi ekugcineni ekuphileni kwami, lwenzeka ngo-1950 lapho ehlangana noHoyle Ervin, isithunywa sevangeli soFakazi BakaJehova. Ngemva kokufunda amasonto amathathu nje, umyeni wami waqala ukuhlanganyela emsebenzini wokushumayela.

Ngacasuka lapho umyeni wami eyeka ukuya esontweni. Khumbula, wayengumProthestani othembekile owayezila nokuzila ukudla phakathi nenkathi yeLent (inkathi yokuzila nokubuyisana). Okokuqala lapho ngimbona ehamba eyoshumayela, ephethe isikhwama, ngathukuthela. “Konakeleni kuwe?” ngambuza ngithukuthele. “Indoda ebaluleke njengawe ihambe iyoshumayela nabantu abayiziwula njengalaba!” Wayezothile futhi ebeke umoya phansi phakathi nalenkulumo yokufutheka.

Ngosuku olulandelayo, uMzalwan’ uErvin wafika emzini wethu ezofunda noLichfield. Ngokuvamile, ngangingabonisi isithakazelo phakathi nesifundo. Mhlawumbe yilokho okwenza uMzalwan’ uErvin angibuze ukuthi angifundile yini. Ubani? Mina, angifundile? Yeka ukweyisa! Ngizombonisa ukuthi ngifunde kangakanani! Ngizoyidalula lenkolo yamanga!

Ukwamukela Iqiniso

Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokhu, ngabona incwadi ethi UNkulunkulu Makabe Oneqiniso phezu kwetafula lasegunjini lokuphumula. ‘Yeka isihloko esingenangqondo,’ ngicabanga. ‘UNkulunkulu ubelokhu eneqiniso, akunjalo?’ Lapho ngidlulisa amehlo kulencwadi, ngokushesha ngathola esinye isizathu sokukhononda. Yathi umuntu akanawo umphefumulo, ungumphefumulo! Ngisho nezinja kanye namakati kuyimiphefumulo! Lokhu kwangicasula ngempela. ‘Yeka imfundiso ewubuwula!’ ngicabanga.

Lapho umyeni wami efika ekhaya, ngakhuluma naye ngithukuthele. “Labakhohlisi bathi umuntu akanawo umphefumulo. Bangabaprofethi bamanga!” Umyeni wami akazange angiphikise; kunalokho, ngomoya ophansi waphendula: “Winnie konke kuseBhayibhelini.” Kamuva, lapho uMzalwan’ uErvin engibonisa ngesineke eBhayibhelini lami ukuthi siyimiphefumulo nokuthi umphefumulo uyafa, ngamangala. (Hezekeli 18:4) Okwangihlaba umxhwele kakhulu kwakuwumbhalo okuGenesise 2:7, othi “Umuntu [uAdamu] waba-kanjalo umphefumulo ophilayo.”

Yeka ukuthi nganginephutha kanjani! Ngazizwa ngikhohliswe abefundisi futhi angizange ngiphinde ngiye esontweni. Kunalokho, ngaqala ukuya emihlanganweni yobuKristu yoFakazi BakaJehova. Yeka ukuthi kwakuhlaba umxhwele kanjani ukubona uthando phakathi kwabo! Lena kwakumelwe kube inkolo yeqiniso.

Ukuvuna ECape Palmas

Cishe ezinyangeni ezintathu kamuva, umyeni wami waba nethuba lokweba isamba semali enkampanini ayesebenza kuyo—kodwa akazange ayebe. Ayesebenza nabo bahlekisa ngaye bathi: “Remmie, uyofa umpofu.”

Nokho, ngenxa yokwethembeka kwakhe, wakhushulelwa esikhundleni esiphakeme futhi wathunyelwa eCape Palmas ukuba ayovula ihhovisi elisha khona. Sashumayela ngentshiseko, futhi ezinyangeni ezimbili nje, sase sineqembu elincane elalinesithakazelo esijulile esigijimini seBhayibheli. Kamuva, lapho uLichfield eya enhloko-dolobha, eMonrovia, eyothenga izinto ezithile zehhovisi elisha, wabhapathizwa. Wabuye wacela nosizo eNhlanganweni lokunakekela labantu baseCape Palmas ababebonisa isithakazelo eqinisweni.

INhlangano yasabela ngokuthi ithumele uMzalwane noDade Faust eCape Palmas. Udade Faust waba usizo olukhulu kimi, futhi ngoDecember 1951, ngabonisa ukuzinikezela kwami kuJehova ngokubhapathizwa. Manje kunanini ngaphambili, ngazimisela ‘ukubutha isithelo sokuphila okuphakade.’ (Johane 4:35, 36) Ngo-April 1952, ngangenela inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele njengephayona.

Imizamo yami ngokushesha yabusiswa nguJehova; esikhathini esingaphansi konyaka, ngasiza abantu abahlanu ukuba bazinikezele futhi babhapathizwe. Omunye wabo, uLouissa Macintosh, wayengumzala wowayengumongameli waseLiberia, uW. V. S. Tubman. Wabhapathizwa futhi wangenela inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele futhi waqhubeka ethembekile kuNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngo-1984. Izikhathi eziningi wayefakaza kulowomongameli.

Ukuya EBuchanan EseNingizimu

Ngo-1957, phakathi nokuhambela kombonisi wesigodi, mina nomyeni wami samenywa ukuba sibe amaphayona akhethekile. Ngemva kwengxoxo ecatshangelwe ngomthandazo, sasamukela lesabelo. ULichfield wadinga izinyanga ezimbalwa ukuze aphethe kahle umsebenzi wakhe wokuziphilisa eCape Palmas, ngakho ngaya eBuchanan eseNingizimu, insimu eyayingakaze isetshenzwe, ukuyoqalisa umsebenzi lapho.

Lapho ngifika, umkhaya wakwaMaclean wanginika indawo yokuhlala. Ngosuku olulandelayo, njengoba kwakuyisiko, ngayiswa enduneni yesizwe samaPele. Lenduna kanye nomkhaya wayo bangamukela ngokufudumele, futhi ngafakaza eqenjini elincane labantu ekhaya layo. Abantu abangengaphansi kwabayisithupha engakhuluma nabo ngalolosuku, kuhlanganise nenduna kanye nomkayo, ekugcineni baba oFakazi.

Ngokushesha ngazithola sengiqhuba isifundo seNqabayokulinda nabantu abangaphezu kwabangu-20 ababakhona. Kwakumelwe ngithembele kuJehova ngokuphelele, wayenginika amandla nekhono engangikudinga ukuze nginakekele izimvu zakhe. Lapho ngizizwa ngikhathele futhi ngizizwa ngingafaneleki, ngangikhumbula abantu abathembekile bakudala, ikakhulukazi uDebora noHulida, ababenesibindi ekwenzeni umsebenzi ababewunikwe uJehova.—AbAhluleli 4:4-7, 14-16; 2 AmaKhosi 22:14-20.

NgoMarch 1958, ngemva nje kwezinyanga ezintathu ngiseBuchanan eseNingizimu, ngathola incwadi eyayingazisa ngokuhambela kombonisi wesifunda, uJohn Charuk. Ngaqasha indlu engaphansi kwesakhiwo eyayiyokwazi ukuhlalisa isixuku esikhulu sabantu. Khona-ke ngaya eBuchanan eseNyakatho ukuyohlangabeza uMzalwan’ uCharuk, kodwa akazange afike. Ngemva kokulinda kwaze kwahwalala, ngaphindela emuva eBuchanan eseNingizimu ngiyingcuba.

Cishe phakathi kwamabili, ngezwa ukungqongqoza emnyango. Lapho ngivula emnyango, angizange ngibone umbonisi wesifunda kuphela kodwa ngabona nomyeni wami, okufika kwakhe engangingakulindele kwaqondana kahle nokukaMzalwan’ uCharuk. Babengithole kanjani? Babehlangene nomzingeli bambuza ukuthi uyamazi yini owesifazane oshumayela kubantu ngoJehova. “Yebo,” ephendula, wayesebayalela indawo engihlala kuyo. Yeka ukuthi ngazizwa ngijabula kanjani ngokuthi ezinyangeni ezintathu nje kuphela ngiseBuchanan eseNingizimu, ukukhanya kwami kwakukhanya ngokugqame kangaka!—Mathewu 5:14-16.

Sajabulela inani eliphakeme labantu abangu-40 ababekhona phakathi nokuhambela kukaMzalwan’ uCharuk. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi kwamiswa ibandla elichumayo, futhi sakwazi ukwakha iHholo LoMbuso elihle. Nokho ukuphila kwakungahlali kungenazinkinga. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1963 kwaqala ushushiso olungokwenkolo eKolahun, futhi umyeni wami waboshwa futhi wagqunywa ejele. Washaywa kanzima kangangokuba kwadingeka alaliswe esibhedlela.

Ngokushesha ngemva kokudedelwa kwakhe, ngawo lowonyaka, saba nomhlangano eGbarnga. Ngosuku lokugcina amasosha asiqoqa sonke esasilapho futhi asiyala ukuba sikhulekele ifulege. Lapho senqaba, amasosha asiphoqa ukuba siphakamisele izandla zethu emoyeni futhi sibheke ngqó elangeni. Abuye ashaya abanye bethu ngezidunu zezibhamu zawo. Ukuze ngizisize ukuba ngigcine ubuqotho bami kuNkulunkulu, ngangicula ingoma yoMbuso ethi “Ningabesabi!” Ngemva kwalokho amasosha asigquma ejele elingcolile. Ezinsukwini ezintathu kamuva oFakazi bakwamanye amazwe badedelwa, futhi mina noLichfield sadingiselwa eSierra Leone. OFakazi bendawo badedelwa ngosuku olulandelayo.

Amalungelo Engeziwe Kanye Nemivuzo

Sabelwa ukuba sisebenze neBandla laseBo, eningizimu yeSierra Leone. Sakhonza lapho iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili ngaphambi kokuba sishintshelwe eNjala. Lapho siseNjala umyeni wami wamiswa ukuba akhonze njengombonisi wesifunda ongumbambeli, futhi ngaba nelungelo lokuhamba naye njengoba ayehlanganyela kulenkonzo. Khona-ke, phakathi nawo-1970, saphinde sabelwa eBandleni laseMpumalanga Freetown.

Ngiye ngathola umvuzo wokubona abaningi balaba engangifunda nabo iBhayibheli bemukela ukukhulekela kweqiniso. Nginabantwana abangokomoya abangaphezu kwabangu-60 kanye nabazukulu ‘abayizincwadi zokuncoma.’ (2 Korinte 3:1) Abanye kwakudingeka benze izinguquko ezinkulu, njengoba kwenza uVictoria Dyke, owayengumprofethikazi wehlelo lama-Aladura. Ngemva kokucabangela eyoku-1 Johane 5:21, ekugcineni walahla zonke izithombe zakhe kanye nezinto zokukhulekelwa. Wabonakalisa ukuzinikezela kwakhe ngobhapathizo futhi ekugcineni waba iphayona elikhethekile, esiza abaningi bezihlobo zakhe ukuba bamukele iqiniso.

NgoApril 1985, ngashonelwa ngumyeni wami, ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngaphambi kokuba sihlanganise iminyaka engu-44 sishadile. Kodwa angisele ngedwa. Ngiye ngaqhubeka ngikhonza uMsizi wami, uJehova, njengesikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele. Futhi ngizizwa nginesibopho esikhethekile nalabo engiye ngabasiza ukuba bamazi. Bangumkhaya ngomqondo okhethekile. Ngiyabathanda futhi nabo bayangithanda. Lapho ngigula, bayaphuthuma bazonginakekela, futhi nami ngiyabazisa.

Ngokungangabazeki, uma bekungadingeka ngiqale phansi, bengiyolithatha ngenjabulo isikela lami futhi ngihlanganyele emsebenzini wokuvuna njengesisebenzi esikanye noJehova.

[Isithombe ekhasini 23]

UWinifred Remmie namuhla