Ngabona “Omncane” Eba ‘Isizwe Esinamandla’

NJENGOBA ILANDISWA NGUWILLIAM DINGMAN

Unyaka kwakungu-1936; indawo kwakuseSalem, e-Oregon, e-U.S.A. Ngangisemhlanganweni woFakazi BakaJehova. Kwabuzwa umbuzo othi: “Sikuphi isixuku esikhulu?” (IsAmbulo 7:9) Kwakuyimi kuphela owayeqala ukuba khona, ngakho bonke bangikhomba bathi, “Nasiya!”

PHAKATHI nawo-1930, babembalwa phakathi koFakazi BakaJehova ababenethemba leBhayibheli lokuphila phakade ePharadesi emhlabeni. (IHubo 37:29; Luka 23:43) Izinto sezishintshe ngokuphawulekayo kusukela ngaleso sikhathi. Kodwa ake ngilandise ngezenzakalo ezaholela ekubeni ngibe kulowo mhlangano eSalem, e-Oregon.

Ubaba wayenesikhokhelo se-Golden Age, igama lakuqala likamagazini i-Phaphama! Lapho ngisemusha, ngangikujabulela ukuyifunda, futhi ngaqiniseka ukuthi iqukethe iqiniso elibalulekile leBhayibheli. Ngakho ngolunye usuku ngathumela isigqebhezana esasisekhasini elingemuva kuyi-Golden Age. Sasithi umfundi angathola izincwajana ezingu-20, incwadi, bese etshelwa negama lebandla loFakazi BakaJehova eliseduze. Lapho ngithola lezo zincwadi, ngangena endlini ngendlu ngazihambisa zonke lezo zincwajana kanye nencwadi.

Ngaleso sikhathi ngangingakaze ngifunde nothile iBhayibheli. Empeleni, ngangingakaze ngikhulume nomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Kodwa manje, njengoba ngase nginekheli leHholo LoMbuso eliseduze, ngahamba amakhilomitha angu-40 ngemoto ngiya emhlanganweni eSalem, e-Oregon. Kwakulapho-ke lapho ngiseneminyaka engu-18 nje kuphela ubudala ngakhonjwa khona kwathiwa ‘ngiyisixuku esikhulu.’

Nakuba ngangingayilungiselelanga nhlobo inkonzo, ngaqala ukushumayela neBandla LaseSalem. Ngakhuthazwa ukuba ngikhulumele amaphuzu amathathu ayisisekelo lapho ngifakaza. Elokuqala, ukuthi uJehova unguNkulunkulu; elesibili, ukuthi uJesu Kristu uyiNkosi ayimisile; kanti elesithathu, ukuthi uMbuso uwukuphela kwethemba lezwe. Ngazama ukuhlanganyela leso sigijimi nabantu endlini ngayinye.

Ngemva kokuhlanganyela iminyaka emibili noFakazi BakaJehova eSalem, ngabhapathizwa ngo-April 3, 1938. Abafowethu baseSalem bajabula ukubona abaningana bethu ‘abesixuku esikhulu’ bebhapathizwa. Ngo-February 1939, ngaba iphayona, noma isikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele. Ngo-December walowo nyaka, ngamukela isimemo sokuthuthela e-Arizona, lapho indingeko yabamemezeli boMbuso yayinkulu khona.

Ukuphayona E-Arizona

Umsebenzi woFakazi BakaJehova wawumusha e-Arizona, futhi zaziziningi izinto abantu ababengaziqondi ngokuphathelene nathi, ngakho lapho i-United States ingenela iMpi Yezwe II, sashushiswa kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho ngikhonza eStafford, e-Arizona, ngo-1942, kwakunamahlebezi okuthi iqembu lamaMormon lalizosihlasela. Mina nengangiphayona nabo sasihlala eduze komuzi wombhishobhi wamaMormon owayesihlonipha futhi wathi: “Ukube izithunywa zevangeli zamaMormon bezishiseka njengoFakazi, khona-ke iSonto LamaMormon beliyokwanda.” Ngakho esontweni wathi: “Ngiyezwa ukuthi kunamahlebezi okuthi kunesixuku esizohlasela abafana abangoFakazi. Nokho, ngakhelene nalabo bafana, futhi uma kunesixuku esizobahlasela, kuzoba nesibhamu ngalé kocingo. Leso sibhamu ngeke siqondiswe koFakazi. Sizoqondiswa esixukwini esizohlasela. Ngakho uma nifuna ukuhlasela njengesixuku, niyazi ukuthi niyobhekana nani.” Leso sixuku sabahlaseli asizange sifike.

Phakathi neminyaka emithathu ngise-Arizona, saboshwa futhi sagqunywa ejele izikhathi eziningana. Ngesinye isikhathi ngavalelwa izinsuku ezingu-30. Ukuze simelane nokuhlukunyezwa amaphoyisa enkonzweni yethu, sakha lokho esakubiza ngokuthi ophunyuka bemphethe (flying squad). UFakazi owayeqondisa wasitshela: “Sizokwenza ngokuvumelana negama lethu. Siqala ngehora lesihlanu noma lesithupha ekuseni, sishiye ipheshana noma incwajana emnyango ngamunye, bese sishaya sichitha.” Iqembu lethu ‘lophunyuka bemphethe’ lahlanganisa ingxenye enkulu impela yesifundazwe sase-Arizona. Nokho, ekugcineni kwayekwa ukusebenza ngalelo qembu ngoba leyo ndlela yokushumayela yayingasiniki ithuba lokusiza abanesithakazelo.

ISikole SaseGileyadi Nenkonzo Ekhethekile

Ngo-December 1942, ngangiphakathi kwedlanzana lamaphayona ase-Arizona athola incwadi eyayiwamemela esikoleni esisha sezithunywa zevangeli esasimiswe oFakazi BakaJehova. Ekuqaleni lesi sikole sasibizwa ngokuthi i-Watchtower Bible College of Gilead. Kamuva lelo gama lashintsha laba i-Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. Sasisendaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha acishe abe ngu-4 800 ukusuka e-Arizona, eduze kwedolobha lase-Ithaca enyakatho yesifundazwe saseNew York.

Ngemva kokuvakashela e-Oregon isikhashana, ngo-January 1943, idlanzana lethu, amaphayona, lakushiya ukushisa kwase-Arizona Desert sihamba ngebhasi lakwaGreyhound. Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa kamuva safika lapho sasilibangise khona futhi sathola kusebusika likhithikile enyakatho yeNew York. Isikole savulwa ngo-February 1, 1943, lapho umongameli waso, uNathan H. Knorr, enkulumweni yakhe yokuvula ayinikeza kubafundi abayikhulu, athi: “Injongo yaleli kolishi AKUKHONA ukunihlomisela ukuba izikhonzi ezimisiwe. Seniyizikhonzi kakade futhi sekuyiminyaka eminingi nikhuthele enkonzweni. . . . Imfundo yakuleli kolishi ihloselwe ngokukhethekile ukunilungiselela ukuba nibe izikhonzi ezifaneleka ngokwengeziwe emasimini eniya kuwo.”

Njengoba ngangingafundanga kangako, ekuqaleni ngazizwa ngingakhululekile eGileyadi. Kodwa abafundisi babebonisa ukuqonda, futhi ngagcina sengizijabulela kakhulu izifundo zami. Ikilasi lethu lathweswa iziqu ngemva kwezinyanga ezinhlanu zokuqeqeshwa okunzulu. Ngemva kwalokho, abambalwa bethu bathunyelwa endlunkulu yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova eBrooklyn, eNew York, lapho sathola khona okunye ukuqeqeshwa kokusilungiselela ukukhonza emsebenzini wokujikeleza njengababonisi besifunda. Isabelo sami sokuqala sasiseNyakatho naseNingizimu Carolina.

Ngalezo zinsuku, umbonisi wesifunda cishe wayehlala esendleleni. Sasihlala usuku olulodwa ebandleni elincane noma izinsuku ezimbili uma lilikhulu. Amabandla amaningi ngaleso sikhathi ayemancane. Ngakho ngemva kokuchitha usuku lonke, futhi ngokuvamile ngihlalé nengibahambele kwaze kwaba cishe phakathi kwamabili ngiphendula nemibuzo, ngangivuka cishe ngehora lesihlanu ngosuku olulandelayo ukuze ngiye ebandleni elilandelayo. Ngakhonza njengombonisi wesifunda cishe unyaka, futhi ngemva kwalokho ngaphayona isikhashana eTennessee naseNew York.

Ukuya ECuba Nokuqhubekela EPuerto Rico

Ngo-May 1945, nginabanye abambalwa, ngathunyelwa njengesithunywa sevangeli esabelweni sami sokuqala sakwelinye izwe, eCuba! Ngobusuku esafika ngabo eHavana, eyinhloko-dolobha yaseCuba, saya emsebenzini kamagazini. Sahlala eHavana saze sakwazi ukuthola indlu eSanta Clara. Imadlana esasiyithola nyanga zonke yokunakekela zonke izidingo zethu, kuhlanganise nokudla nokukhokhela indawo yokuhlala kwakungu-R110 umuntu emunye. Senza imibhede nefenisha ngezinto ezazitholakala futhi sasisebenzisa amabhokisi ama-apula njengamakhabethe.

Ngonyaka olandelayo ngabelwa emsebenzini wesifunda. Ngaleso sikhathi lonke elaseCuba laliyisifunda esisodwa. Ngenxa yokuthi umbonisi wesifunda owayengandulele wayenemilenze emide futhi ekujabulela ukuhamba, abafowethu nodadewethu kwakudingeka bagijime ngokoqobo ukuze bahambisane naye. Ngokusobala babecabanga ukuthi nami ngangizoba njalo, ngakho babehlele kahle zonke izinto eziphathelene nokuhambela kwami. Babengaphumi ngosuku olulodwa bonke ukuya enkonzweni kodwa babehlukane baba amaqembu futhi besebenza nami ngokushintshana. Ngosuku lokuqala elinye iqembu laya nami ensimini ekude; ngosuku olulandelayo elinye iqembu langiyisa kwenye ekude, njalonjalo. Ngangikhathele lapho ngiqeda ukubahambela, kodwa ngangikujabulele. Nginezinkumbulo eziyigugu zalelo bandla.

Ngo-1950 sase sinabamemezeli boMbuso abangaphezu kuka-7 000 eCuba, okwakuyinani elalicishe lilingane nelaseMexico. Ngo-July walowo nyaka, ngaya emhlanganweni wezizwe Wokwanda KoMbuso Ongokwasezulwini eYankee Stadium eNew York City. Ngemva kwalokho, ngathola isabelo esisha sezithunywa zevangeli, ePuerto Rico. Phakathi kwezithunywa zevangeli ezintsha zekilasi le-12 laseGileyadi kwakuno-Estelle noThelma Weakley, engahambisana nabo ngendiza siya ePuerto Rico.

Eminyakeni engu-8 kamuva mina no-Estelle sashada ngendlela enesizotha eBayamón, ePuerto Rico, endaweni yesikhulumi ngesikhathi sekhefu somhlangano wesifunda. Ngaphambi nangemva komshado wethu, ngakhonza njengombonisi wesifunda. Phakathi neminyaka engaphezu kweyishumi sisePuerto Rico, mina no-Estelle sabona ukwanda okukhulu—kusuka kubamemezeli abangaphansi kuka-500 kuya kwabangaphezu kuka-2 000. Sakwazi ukusiza abaningi kwaze kwaba seqophelweni lokuzinikezela nobhapathizo, futhi sahlanganyela ekumiseni amabandla amasha amaningi.

Ngo-December 1960, uMilton Henschel owayevela endlunkulu yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova eBrooklyn, eNew York, wahambela ePuerto Rico futhi wakhuluma nezithunywa zevangeli. Wabuza ukuthi babekhona yini ababengazenza batholakalele isabelo esihlukile. Mina no-Estelle sasiphakathi kwalabo abasabela.

Ikhaya Lethu EDominican Republic

Isabelo sethu esisha kwakuyiDominican Republic, futhi samisa u-June 1, 1961 njengosuku lwethu lokushintshela lapho. Ngo-May 30, umashiqela waseDominican, uRafael Trujillo, wabulawa, futhi izindiza ezingena kulelozwe zamiswa. Nokho, zasheshe zavulelwa futhi, futhi sakwazi ukuya eDominican Republic ngendiza ngo-June 1 njengoba sasihlelile.

Kwakunesiyaluyalu ezweni lapho sifika, futhi amabutho ayeviva nje impela. Kwakwesatshwa ukuthi kuzoba khona ukuvukela, futhi amasosha ayesesha wonke umuntu emgwaqweni omkhulu. Samiswa ezindaweni eziningi zokusesha, futhi endaweni ngayinye umthwalo wethu wawuseshwa. Kwakukhishwa yonke into ezikhwameni zethu, ngisho nezinto ezincane kakhulu. Sangena kanjalo-ke eDominican Republic.

Sahlala enhloko-dolobha, iSanto Domingo, amasonto ambalwa ngaphambi kokuya esabelweni sethu sokuqala eLa Romana. Phakathi nokubusa kobushiqela kukaTrujillo, umphakathi wawutshelwe ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova babengamaKhomanisi futhi babengabantu ababi kakhulu. Ngenxa yalokho, oFakazi babeshushiswa ngonya. Nokho, kancane kancane, sakwazi ukunqoba lolo bandlululo.

Ngemva kokusebenza isikhashana eLa Romana, saphinde saqala ukukhonza emsebenzini wesifunda. Khona-ke, ngo-1964, sabelwa edolobheni laseSantiago njengezithunywa zevangeli. Ngonyaka olandelayo iDominican Republic yavukelwa, futhi lelozwe laphinde laba nesiyaluyalu. Phakathi naleso siyaluyalu sashintshelwa eSan Francisco de Macorís, idolobha elaziwa ngokushisekela ezombangazwe. Nokho, sashumayela ngokukhululekile ngaphandle kokuphazanyiswa. Saze samisa ibandla elisha naphezu kwesiyaluyalu sezombangazwe. Eminyakeni eyalandela, izabelo zethu zashintshwa kaningi ngaphambi kokuba siphinde sabelwe kuleli khaya lethu lamanje eSantiago.

Ngokuqinisekile siye sabona isibusiso sikaJehova emsebenzini owenziwa lapha eDominican Republic. Lapho sifika ngo-1961, kwakunoFakazi abangaba ngu-600 namabandla angu-20. Manje sekunabamemezeli abacishe babe ngu-20 000 abashumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu emabandleni angaphezu kuka-300. Kunamathemba amakhulu okwanda okwengeziwe, njengoba kuboniswa abangu-69 908 ababekhona eSikhumbuzweni sokufa kukaKristu ngo-1996. Lelo nani liliphinda cishe kathathu nengxenye inani labamemezeli!

Sesiyisizwe Esinamandla

Ngisho noma isimo sezwe siqhubeka sishintsha, isigijimi seBhayibheli esishunyayelwa oFakazi BakaJehova sisefana. (1 Korinte 7:31) UJehova usenguNkulunkulu, uKristu useyiNkosi, futhi kusobala kakhulu kunanini ngaphambili ukuthi uMbuso uwukuphela kwethemba lezwe.

Ngesikhathi esifanayo, kuye kwaba noshintsho olumangalisayo phakathi kwabantu bakaJehova selokhu ngaya kulowaya mhlangano eSalem, e-Oregon, eminyakeni engaba ngu-60 edlule. Isixuku esikhulu ngempela siye sakhula, saba ngaphezu kwezigidi ezinhlanu. Kunjengoba nje uJehova abikezela ngabantu bakhe: “Omncane uyakuba-yinkulungwane, ophansi abe-yisizwe esinamandla; mina nginguJehova, ngiyakukusheshisa ngesikhathi sakho.”—Isaya 60:22.

Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-60 ngisenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele, ngiyajabula ngokuba nentokozo yokuqhubeka ngishumayela futhi ngifundisa esabelweni sami njengesithunywa sevangeli. Yeka ilungelo elihle lokuba nengxenye kulowo msebenzi nelokubona “omncane” eba ‘isizwe esinamandla’!

[Isithombe ekhasini 21]

Nginomkami, eDominican Republic