UJehova Waba Nami
Njengoba ilandiswa nguMax Henning
Kwakungu-1933, futhi u-Adolf Hitler wayesanda kuqala ukubusa eJalimane. Nokho, oFakazi BakaJehova abangaba ngu-500 endaweni yaseBerlin abazange bantengantenge. Intsha eningi yaba amaphayona, noma izikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele, futhi enye yamukela ngisho nezabelo zakwamanye amazwe aseYurophu. Mina nomngane wami uWerner Flatten sasivame ukubuzana: “Sihlaleleni sichitha isikhathi sethu? Kungani singaphumi siyophayona?”
NGEMVA kwezinsuku ezingu-8 ngizelwe ngo-1909, nganakekelwa abazali bokutholwa abanothando. Ngo-1918 umkhaya wakithi wabhekana nosizi lapho udadewethu wokutholwa omncane eshona ngokungazelele. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho abaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi, bafika ekhaya, futhi abazali bami bokutholwa bamukela iqiniso leBhayibheli ngentshiseko. Nami bangifundisa ukuba ngazise izinto ezingokomoya.
Ngazikhandla esikoleni futhi ngaba umfakeli wamapayipi amanzi. Kodwa okubaluleke kakhulu, ngabonakalisa ukuma kwami okungokomoya. Mina noWerner saqala ukuphayona ngo-May 5, 1933. Sasihamba ngamabhayisekili siye edolobhaneni eliyibanga elingamakhilomitha angaba yikhulu ngaphandle kweBerlin, lapho sasihlala khona futhi sishumayele amasonto amabili. Ngemva kwalokho sasibuyela eBerlin ukuze sinakelele izinto ezidingekile. Kamuva sasibuyela ensimini esasishumayela kuyo amanye amasonto amabili.
Senza isicelo sokukhonza kwelinye izwe, kwathi ngo-December 1933 sathola isabelo sasendaweni eyayiyiYugoslavia ngaleso sikhathi. Nokho, ngaphambi kokuba sihambe, isabelo sethu sashintshwa saba se-Utrecht eNetherlands. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho ngabhapathizwa. Ngalezo zinsuku kwakungagcizelelwa kangako ukubhapathizwa; into ebalulekile kwakuyinkonzo. Ukuthembela kuJehova manje kwase kuyisici esivamile ekuphileni kwami. Ngangithola induduzo enkulu emazwini omhubi waseBhayibhelini: “Bheka, uNkulunkulu ungumsizi wami; iNkosi ikubo abaphasa umphefumulo wami.”—IHubo 54:4.
Ukuphayona ENetherlands
Ngokushesha ngemva kokufika eNetherlands, sabelwa kabusha edolobheni laseRotterdam. Uyise nendodana emkhayeni esasihlala nawo nabo babengamaphayona. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa, kwathengwa umuzi omkhulu owawuzoba indawo yokuhlala yamaphayona owawuseLeersum, idolobhana elingekude ne-Utrecht, futhi mina noWerner sathuthela lapho.
Ngenkathi sihlala kulelo khaya lamaphayona, sasihamba ngamabhayisekili siye emasimini aseduze kuthi emasimini aqhelile sisebenzise imoto egibelisa abantu abangu-7. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakunoFakazi abayikhulu kuphela kulo lonke elaseNetherlands. Namuhla, eminyakeni engu-60 kamuva, insimu esasiyisebenza sikulelo khaya lamaphayona isinabamemezeli abangaphezu kuka-4 000 abasemabandleni angaba ngu-50!
Sasisebenza kanzima, amahora angaba ngu-14 enkonzweni usuku ngalunye, futhi lokho kwakusigcina sijabule. Umgomo oyinhloko kwakuwukuhambisa izincwadi eziningi ngangokunokwenzeka. Sasijwayele ukushiyela abanesithakazelo izincwajana ezingaphezu kwekhulu ngosuku. Ngaleso sikhathi ukwenza izimpindelo nokuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli kwakungeyona ingxenye yomsebenzi wethu ovamile.
Ngolunye usuku mina nomngane wami sasisebenza edolobhaneni laseVreeswijk. Ngenkathi enikeza ubufakazi kumlisa owayesesangweni lekamu lebutho lempi, ngasebenzisa leso sikhathi ukuba ngifunde iBhayibheli. Laligcwele imigqa ebomvu neluhlaza. Kamuva, umbazi owayekade esebenza ophahleni eduze naleyo ndawo waxwayisa lomlisa owayesesangweni ngokuthi kungenzeka ngiyinhloli ethile. Ngenxa yalokho, ngalo lolo suku ngaboshwa lapho ngifakaza kumnini-sitolo, futhi ngaphucwa iBhayibheli lami.
Ngayiswa enkantolo. Lapho, kwathiwa ngalemigqa eseBhayibhelini lami bengizama ukudweba leliya kamu. Ngalahlwa icala, ijaji labe selingigweba iminyaka emibili ejele. Nokho, icala ladluliswa, futhi langithetha. Yeka indlela engangijabule ngayo ngokukhululeka, kodwa ngajabula nakakhulu lapho ngibuyiselwa iBhayibheli lami linawo wonke amaphuzu ayekulo!
Ehlobo ngo-1936, mina noRichard Brauning, elinye lamaphayona elalikuleli khaya, sachitha leyo nkathi yasehlobo sishumayela enyakatho yezwe. Ngenyanga yokuqala, sasebenza amahora angu-240 enkonzweni futhi sahambisa inqwaba yezincwadi. Sasihlala etendeni futhi sinakekela zonke izidingo zethu, siziwashela, siziphekela, senza nokunye.
Kamuva ngashintshelwa esikebheni esasibizwa ngokuthi i-Lightbearer, esasaziwa kakhulu enyakatho yeNetherlands. Kwakuhlala amaphayona amahlanu kulesi sikebhe, futhi sasikwazi ukufinyelela amasimu amaningi angawodwa sisuka kuso.
Amalungelo Engeziwe
Ngo-1938, ngabelwa ukuba yinceku yesifunda, njengoba ababonisi besifunda abangoFakazi BakaJehova babebizwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi. Ngakho ngayishiya i-Lightbearer ngabe sengiqala ukuhambela amabandla noFakazi abangabodwa ezifundazweni ezintathu eziseningizimu.
Ukuphela kwento yokuhamba esasinayo kwakuyibhayisekili. Ukuhamba ngisuka ebandleni noma eqenjini labathakazelayo ngiya kwelilandelayo kwakuvame ukuthatha usuku lonke. Phakathi kwamadolobha engangiwahambela kwakukhona iBreda, lapho ngihlala khona manje. Ngaleso sikhathi, kwakungenabandla eBreda kodwa kwakunombhangqwana owodwa okhulile ongoFakazi.
Ngenkathi ngikhonza abafowethu eLimburg, ngacelwa ukuba ngiphendule imibuzo eminingi eyayibuzwe isisebenzi sasemayini okuthiwa uJohan Pieper. Sathatha ukuma okuqinile ngenxa yeqiniso leBhayibheli futhi saba umshumayeli onesibindi. Eminyakeni emine kamuva sazithola sisekamu lokuhlushwa, lapho sachitha khona iminyaka emithathu nengxenye. Ngemva kokukhululwa saphinde saqala ukushumayela ngentshiseko, futhi nanamuhla sisengumdala okholekile. Lelo bandla elincane loFakazi abangu-12 eLimburg seliye lakhula laba amabandla angu-17 anabamemezeli abangaba ngu-1 550!
Ngaphansi Kokucindezela KwamaNazi
Ngo-May 1940 kwatheleka amaNazi eNetherlands. Ngathola isabelo sokuya ehhovisi legatsha le-Watch Tower Society elise-Amsterdam. Kwakudingeka senze umsebenzi wethu ngokukhulu ukuqapha, okwasenza sasiqonda isaga seBhayibheli esithi: ‘Umngane ungumzalwane ozalwa ekuhluphekeni.’ (IzAga 17:17) Isibopho sobunye esijabulisayo esasichuma ngalesi sikhathi sokucindezeleka saba nethonya elikhulu ekukhuleni kwami okungokomoya, futhi sangilolongela izinsuku ezinzima kakhudlwana ezaziseza.
Isabelo sami sasiwukwengamela ukudilivwa kwezincwadi emabandleni, ngokuvamile okwakwenziwa izithunywa. AmaGestapo ayelokhu efuna izinsizwa ezazizosebenza eJalimane ngempoqo, ngakho sasisebenzisa odade abangamaKristu njengezithunywa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uWilhelmina Bakker, oselokhu aziwa ngokuthi uNonnie, wathunyelwa kithi evela eHague, futhi ngamyisa lapho umbonisi wegatsha lethu, u-Arthur Winkler, ayecashe khona. Ukuze ngizame ukungaphawuleki nakancane, ngagqoka njengomlimi oyiDashi, ngagqoka izicathulo zokhuni nokunye, ngase ngiphelezela uNonnie ngemoto ehamba kujantshi. Kamuva ngathola ukuthi kwakunzima ukuba azibambe angahleki, njengoba ayecabanga ukuthi yilapho ngangiphawuleka khona.
Ngo-October 21, 1941, indawo yokugcina izincwadi nephepha e-Amsterdam yadalulwa esitheni. Phakathi nokuhlasela kwamaGestapo, uWinkler noNonnie baboshwa. Lapho sebeyiswe ejele, bezwa amanxusa amabili amaGestapo exoxa ngendlela abezingela ngayo “umuntu omncane onezinwele ezinsundu” ozidukele emigwaqweni enezixuku. Kwakusobala ukuthi babekhuluma ngami, ngakho uWinkler wakwazi ukuthumela umyalezo kubazalwane. Ngokushesha, ngayiswa eHague.
Phakathi nalesi sikhathi uNonnie wakhululwa ejele, wabe esebuyela eHague eyophayona. Ngaphinde ngahlangana naye lapho. Kodwa lapho inceku yebandla laseRotterdam iboshwa, ngathunyelwa lapho ngiyothatha indawo yayo. Kamuva inceku yeBandla LaseGouda yaboshwa, ngabe sengiyiswa lapho endaweni yayo. Ekugcineni, ngo-March 29, 1943, ngabanjwa. Lapho ngihlola isitokwe sethu sezincwadi zeBhayibheli, ngelanyelwa amaGestapo ayehlasela.
Ngaphandle kwezincwadi zeBhayibheli ezazendlalwe etafuleni, kwakukhona nohlu lwamagama abafowethu nodadewethu abangamaKristu, nakuba ayebhalwe ngezimpawu eziyimfihlo. Ngikhathazekile, ngathandazela ukuba uJehova anginikeze indlela yokuvikela labo ababesakhululekile ukuba bashumayele. Ngingabonwa, ngakwazi ukubeka isandla sami phezu kwaloluhlu lwamagama ngabe sengilufongqa entendeni yesandla. Ngemva kwalokho ngacela imvume yokuya endlini encane, lapho ngaludabudabula khona ngase ngiluhambisa namanzi.
Lapho ngisezimweni ezinzima kanjalo, ngangifunda ukuthola amandla endleleni uJehova asebenzalana ngayo nabantu bakhe esikhathini esidlule nasezithembisweni zakhe zokusikhulula. Nasi esinye isiqinisekiso esiphefumulelwe esasilokhu sisengqondweni yami: “Uma uJehova ebengenathi, lapho abantu besivukela, ngabe sebesigwinyile ekuvutheni kolaka lwabo kithina.”—IHubo 124:2, 3.
Amajele Namakamu Okuhlushwa
Ngayiswa ejele laseRotterdam, lapho ngajabulela khona ukuba neBhayibheli lami. Nganginanencwadi ethi Salvation, izingxenye zencwadi ethi Children, nesikhathi esiningi sokufunda zonke lezi zincwadi. Ngemva kwezinyanga eziyisithupha ngagula ngabangwa nezibi kwase kudingeka ukuba ngiye esibhedlela. Ngaphambi kokuba ngihambe ejele, ngafihla lezi zincwadi ngaphansi kukamatilasi. Kamuva ngathola ukuthi omunye uFakazi, uPiet Broertjes, washintshelwa esitokisini sami futhi wazithola. Ngaleyo ndlela lezi zincwadi zazisetshenziselwa ukuqinisa abanye futhi okholweni.
Lapho ngilulama ngashintshelwa ejele eliseHague. Ngenkathi ngilapho ngahlangana noLeo C. van der Tas, umfundi wezomthetho owayesejele ngenxa yokumelana nokulawula kwamaNazi. Wayengakaze ezwe ngoFakazi BakaJehova, futhi ngaba nethuba lokufakaza kuye. Ngezinye izikhathi wayengivusa ezinzulwini zobusuku angibuze imibuzo. Wayengenakukufihla ukwazisa ayenakho ngoFakazi, ikakhulukazi ngemva kokuthola ukuthi sasingase sikhululwe uma nje sasisayina incwadi yobufakazi elahla ukholo lwethu. Ngemva kwempi, uLeo waba ummeli futhi walwela i-Watch Tower Society emacaleni amaningi angokomthetho ayehilela inkululeko yokukhulekela.
Ngo-April 29, 1944, ngafakwa esitimeleni kuthathwa uhambo olubuhlungu lwezinsuku ezingu-18 oluya eJalimane. Ngo-May 18 ngavalelwa ekamu lokuhlushwa laseBuchenwald. Ukuphila kwakusabeka ngendlela engachazeki, kwaze kwaba yilapho sikhululwa amabutho aMazwe Asizanayo cishe ngemva konyaka. Kwafa izinkulungwane, abaningi befa phambi kwamehlo ethu. Njengoba ngangenqaba ukusebenza efektri eyayiseduze eyayikhiqiza izinto zempi, ngasetshenziswa endaweni yokuchitha indle.
Ngolunye usuku lefektri yahlaselwa ngamabhomu. Abaningi babalekela ezakhiweni zokulala ukuze baphephe, kanti abanye babalekela ehlathini. Amabhomu anhlanhlathayo ashaya izakhiwo zokulala, kwathi amabhomu avuthayo okhela ihlathi. Kwakwesabeka! Abaningi basha bephila! Ngangithole indawo yokucasha ephephile, futhi lapho umlilo ulotha, ngahamba phakathi kwentilibathwa yezidumbu sengiphindela ekamu.
Abantu abaningi namuhla bayazi ngoKuqothula kwamaNazi okwesabekayo. Ngiyambonga uJehova ngokuthi waqinisa ikhono lami lokucabanga, ukuze izinto ezishaqisayo engabhekana nazo zingabusi imicabango yami kuyo yonke leminyaka. Lapho ngicabanga ngenkathi yokuboshwa kwami, umuzwa ovelele engiba nawo owenjabulo ngenxa yokuthi ngiye ngagcina ubuqotho kuJehova kwaba inkazimulo egameni lakhe.—IHubo 124:6-8.
Umsebenzi Wangemva Kwempi
Ngemva kokukhululwa nokubuyela kwami e-Amsterdam, ngaqonda ehhovisi legatsha ukuze ngithole isabelo. Ngangilangazelela ukwazi izinto ezintsha ezazenzekile lapho ngingekho. UNonnie wayesesebenza lapho kakade. Phakathi nonyaka wokugcina wempi, wayekhonze njengesithunywa ediliva izincwadi zeBhayibheli emabandleni. Akaphindanga aboshwe, nakuba ayesinde ngokulambisa izikhathi eziningi.
Ngaphayona isikhashana eHaarlem, kodwa ngo-1946 ngacelwa ukuba ngiye egatsheni elise-Amsterdam ngiyosebenza eMnyangweni Wokuthumela Izincwadi. Ngasekupheleni kuka-1948, mina noNonnie sashada, sabe sesilishiya igatsha sayophayona ndawonye. Sasabelwe ukuphayona e-Assen. Eminyakeni engu-12 ngaphambili mina noRichard Brauning sasichithe isikhathi sasehlobo kuleyo ndawo, sihlala etendeni futhi sishumayela. Ngathola ukuthi uRichard wayedutshulwe wafa endleleni eya ekamu lokuhlushwa.
Isikhathi engasichitha ejele ngokusobala sasiyikhubazile impilo yami. Eminyakeni eyisithupha ngemva kokukhululwa eBuchenwald, ukugula kwangenza ngalala phansi izinyanga ezine. Eminyakeni eminingi kamuva, ngo-1957, ngaqunjwa phansi isifo sofuba unyaka wonke. Umzimba wami wawohloka, kodwa umoya wami wokuphayona wawusenamandla. Phakathi nenkathi yokugula kwami, ngangisebenzisa wonke amathuba ukuze ngifakaze. Nginomuzwa wokuthi lomoya wokuphayona wawuyisici esibalulekile esangenza ngangakuvumela ukugula kwami kungenze ngifofobale. Mina noNonnie sizimisele ukunamathela enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele uma nje impilo yethu isasivumela.
Ngemva kokululama kwami, sabelwa edolobheni laseBreda. Kwase kudlule iminyaka engu-21 ngihambelé leli dolobha okokuqala njengenceku yesifunda. Lapho sifika ngo-1959, kwakunebandla elincane elinoFakazi abangu-34. Namuhla, eminyakeni engu-37 kamuva, selikhule laba amabandla ayisithupha anoFakazi abangaphezu kuka-500, abahlanganyela emaHholo OMbuso amathathu! Emihlanganweni yethu yebandla nakwemikhulu, sibona abaningi abathola ulwazi lweqiniso leBhayibheli ngenxa yemizamo ethile esayenza. Sivame ukuzizwa njengomphostoli uJohane lapho ebhala: “Anginaso isizathu esikhulu sokubonga kunalezizinto, ukuba ngizwe ukuthi abantwana bami baqhubeka behamba eqinisweni.”—3 Johane 4.
Manje sesigugile. Ngineminyaka engu-86 futhi uNonnie unengu-78, kodwa kumelwe ngisho ukuthi ukuphayona kuwumsebenzi onempilo. Kusukela ngibe seBreda, ngiye nganqoba eziningi zezinkinga zempilo engazithola ngenkathi ngiboshiwe. Ngiye ngajabulela neminyaka eminingi ekhiqizayo enkonzweni kaJehova.
Lapho sibheka emuva eminyakeni eminingi yenkonzo ethelayo kuwumthombo wenjabulo kithi sobabili. Nsuku zonke sithandazela ukuba uJehova asinike umoya namandla okuqhubeka enkonzweni yakhe uma nje sisawadla anhlamvana. Ngokuqiniseka, sisho amazwi omhubi: “Bheka, uNkulunkulu ungumsizi wami; iNkosi ikubo abaphasa umphefumulo wami.”—IHubo 54:4.
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Simi eduze kwetende esasilisebenzisa lapho siphayona ngawo-1930
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Isikebhe esasiya ngaso ensimini engayodwa
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Kuxoxwa nami esimisweni somhlangano ngo-1957
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Nginomkami namuhla