Ukuhambela Okuyingqopha-mlando Kuletha Injabulo Esiqhingini
ICuba, isiqhingi esihle saseCaribbean, muva nje ibe nesikhathi sokuqabuleka okungokomoya engakaze ibe naso. Ukuphela kuka-1998 kwaletha isibusiso oFakazi BakaJehova abahlala kuleli lizwe laseWest Indies osekukudala besilindele. Okokuqala ngqá, ngemva kweminyaka engu-30, kwavakasha amalungu eNdikimba Ebusayo YoFakazi BakaJehova, ehamba nezinye izihambeli ezingu-15. Lezo zivakashi kwakuyizakhamuzi zase-Australia, e-Austria, eBelgium, eGreat Britain, e-Italy, eNew Zealand nasePuerto Rico.
LESI kwakuyisenzakalo esiyingqopha-mlando kubamemezeli boMbuso abangu-82 258 balapho nabangu-87 890 abahlanganyela nabo ekugubheni iSidlo SeNkosi Sakusihlwa entwasahlobo ka-1998.
Kusukela ngo-December 1 kuya ku-7, 1998, uLloyd Barry, uJohn Barr noGerrit Lösch bavakashela iKhaya LaseBethel eHavana baya nakweminye yeMihlangano Yesigodi ‘Yendlela KaNkulunkulu Yokuphila’ eyayiseCuba. Bakujabulela ukukwazi ukuhlangana nabadala abajikelezayo futhi bajwayelana kangcono neziphathimandla zikahulumeni waseCuba.
“Lesi kwaba isenzakalo esivelele esingokwasezulwini ekuphileni kwami nokomkami,” kusho uJohn Barr. “Abafowethu nodadewethu abathandekayo baseCuba balishisekela kakhulu iqiniso! Ngahamba lapho nginomuzwa wokuthi ubuzalwane bethu bomhlaba wonke buyigugu ngempela!” ULloyd Barry wanezela: “Leli sonto eliyingqopha-mlando lingisize ukuba ngisiqonde kangcono isimo sabafowethu bakuleyo ndawo.”
Phakathi neminyaka emihlanu edlule, oFakazi BakaJehova baye banikwa inkululeko eyengeziwe yokukhulekela eCuba, futhi amazwi eziphathimandla zaseCuba enza ukholelwe ukuthi zifisa ukuba lesi simo siqhubeke.
Ngo-September 1994, kwaqaliswa umsebenzi wokunyathelisa eKhaya LaseBethel eHavana. OFakazi BakaJehova baphinde bakwazi ukuhlangana ngokukhululekile nokufakaza endlini ngendlu. Kamuva, ngo-1998, iziphathimandla zakuvumela lokhu kuvakasha kwezihambeli zomhlaba wonke ezingu-18 ezingoFakazi BakaJehova, kuhlanganise namalungu amathathu eNdikimba Ebusayo.
Okunye Ukuhlangana Okujabulisayo
Lapho izihambeli zifika esikhumulweni sezindiza okuthiwa iJosé Martí eHavana, zamukelwa ngezandla ezifudumele yiqembu labameleli beziphathimandla zikahulumeni neqembu elalivela eKhaya LaseBethel, phakathi kwalo okwakukhona nomzalwane owayesakhumbula ukuhambela kokugcina kwelungu leNdikimba Ebusayo eCuba—uMilton Henschel—ngo-1961. Lo mzalwane wayeneminyaka engu-12 ngaleso sikhathi; manje ungumbonisi ojikelezayo.
Lapho lezi zihambeli zifika eKhaya LaseBethel, zabingelelwa ngezixha zezimbali ezazixube ama-gladiolus, ama-rose, ama-jasmine nama-daisy aphuzi nabomvu, ezazitshalelwe lesi senzakalo ngokukhethekile umzalwane othile. Izinyembezi zazizehlela nje lapho umkhaya waseBethel wamukela lezi zihambeli. Kamuva bahlanganyela ndawonye isidlo saseCuba sengulube eyosiwe, ilayisi nobhontshisi, usaladi, i-yucca ene-mojo (i-sauce eyenziwe ngogaliki namafutha omnqumo) kanye nesithelo. Ngemva kwesidlo ilungu ngalinye leNdikimba Ebusayo lanikeza inkulumo eyakhayo yokuba igugu kwenkonzo yaseBethel. Amazwi oMfoweth’ uLösch ayethinta inhliziyo ngokukhethekile, njengoba ayekhuluma nabafowethu ngeSpanishi. Umkhaya waseBethel unamalungu angu-48 ezisebenzi zokuzithandela zasikhathi sonke nangu-18 asizayo.
Nakuba izincwadi namaBhayibheli kwabafowethu baseCuba kunyatheliswa e-Italy, omagazini INqabayokulinda ne-Phaphama! bombala omnyama nomhlophe banyatheliswa kulelo lizwe, kusetshenziswa imishini emibili ye-mimeograph. Kudingeka kusetshenzwe kuze kube sebusuku kakhulu kwenziwa umsebenzi ophindaphindwayo egunjini eliminyene ukuze kunyatheliswe bonke omagazini abadingekayo. Izisebenzi zokuzithandela ziyazisa ngendlela ekhetheke kakhulu inkonzo yazo eyigugu eziyenzela uJehova.—2 Korinte 4:7.
Izici Ezivelele Zomhlangano
Iqembu lezihambeli ezingu-18 lahlukana laba amaqembu amathathu ukuze liye emihlanganweni yesigodi eyayisezindaweni ezintathu—eHavana, eCamagüey naseHolguín. Usuku ngalunye kulezi zinsuku ezintathu, iqembu elikhulu labafowethu nodadewethu, kuhlanganise nabadala abaningi namaphayona, lamenyelwa endaweni ngayinye yalezi. OFakazi bendawo babetshelwe ukuthi lowo kwakuzoba umhlangano okhethekile, kodwa babengazi ukuthi kwakuzoba namalungu eNdikimba Ebusayo. Cabanga indlela abamangala ngayo ukubona laba bafowethu abathandekayo nomkabo behla emabhasini ayeqashiwe ngoLwesihlanu ekuseni!
Le mihlangano yayiqhutshelwa ezindaweni ezingavalekile ezakhiwe abafowethu ngemvume yeziphathimandla. Enkundleni yomhlangano yaseHavana, phansi emnyango kwakuqoshwe “IHubo 133:1.” Lokhu kwakhumbuza abafowethu amazwi atholakala kulowo mbhalo, athi: “Bheka, kuhle, kumnandi kangaka ukuba abazalwane bahlalisane ndawonye bemunye.” Ngokuqinisekile, phakathi nalowo mhlangano, kwakunobudlelwane bobuKristu obuhle nobumnandi kuleyo ndawo.
Izivakashi zaphawula ngendlela izinkulumo nemiboniso okwanikezwa kahle ngayo, futhi zahlatshwa umxhwele indlela idrama eyenziwa ngayo, eyayisekelwe endabeni yeBhayibheli kaDaniyeli isahluko 3, eyenzeka eBabiloni lasendulo. Omunye udade waphawula: “Bonke abadlali babekahle kakhulu, futhi ukuhambisana kwamazwi nokunyakaza kwabo kwenziwa kahle kangangokuthi wawungenakuqaphela ukuthi umsindo wawuqoshwe kusengaphambili. . . . Abantu ababi baseBabiloni babebukeka bebabi ngempela, futhi amaHeberu amathathu ayeqinile futhi ezimisele.”
Abameleli boMnyango Wezenkolo nezinye izisebenzi zikahulumeni ezeza zizobona le mihlangano bancoma abafowethu ngokuhlela ababekwenzile nokuziphatha okuhle. UMfoweth’ uBarry wazwakalisa ukubonga okuqotho ngendlela iziphathimandla zaseCuba ezaziye zaziphatha kahle ngayo izivakashi eziyizihambeli. Ngehlombe elalishaywa kumiwe ngezinyawo, ngokuvamile imizuzu eminingana, abazalwane bazwakalisa ukwazisa kwabo ngezinkulumo nangokuvuma kweziphathimandla ukuba kube nale mihlangano. Omunye umkhaya wamaKristu wathi: “Lokhu kungaphezu kwalokho ebesikulindele—lokhu kusamhlangano wezizwe! Kuye kwaba kuhle kakhulu, ngoba kuye kwasinikeza ubufakazi bamandla kaJehova amakhulu okugcwalisa izithembiso zakhe.”
Le mihlangano yanikeza nethuba lokuba abanye babazi kangcono oFakazi. Omunye wabashayeli bamabhasi waba khona emhlanganweni ngoMgqibelo nangeSonto. Wathi wayezwe izinto eziningi ngoFakazi BakaJehova, kodwa manje wayesazi ukuthi bangabantu abakahle nabanokuthula.
“Izinto Esingasoze Sazikhohlwa”
Abantu baseCuba bahlaba umxhwele izihambeli ngemfudumalo nangokuba kwabo nobungane. Abantu baseCuba bakhuthele, baqotho futhi banomusa. Esinye isihambeli sathi: “Ngaphezu kwesikhathi esisodwa, abantu esingabazi ngokuphelele babefuna ukusisiza.”
Izihambeli zahlatshwa umxhwele ngokujulile ukholo, injabulo nothando okwaboniswa oFakazi abakanye nabo baseCuba. Naphezu kwezithiyo ezinkulu, baye benza uJehova waba inqaba yabo. (IHubo 91:2) UJohn Barr wathi: “Ziningi izinto eziye zangenza ngamangala ngenjabulo kulokhu okwakuwukuvakashela kwami kokuqala eCuba—ubuhle bezwe, isimo esihle sabantu engiye ngahlangana nabo, futhi ngaphezu kwakho konke, injabulo enkulu eqotho yoFakazi baseCuba. Ekuphileni kwami, angikaze ngikuzwe ukuhlatshelelwa ngaleya ndlela kwezingoma zethu zoMbuso okusuka enhliziyweni nehlombe elishaywa isikhathi eside kangakaya lapho izindaba ezingokomoya zithinta izinhliziyo zabo! Lezi izinto esingasoze sazikhohlwa. Ziyohlala ziyigugu kithina.”
IHubo 97:1 lithi: ‘Mazijabule iziqhingi eziningi.’ Ngempela, oFakazi BakaJehova basesiqhingini saseCuba bayayijabulela inkululeko yabo eyengeziwe yokukhulekela uNkulunkulu nokuvakasha okuyingqopha-mlando kwalezi zihambeli zomhlaba wonke.
[Izithombe ekhasini 8]
Amalungu eNdikimba Ebusayo asayina amaBhayibheli ayizipho, aphiwa iziphathimandla zikahulumeni
[Isithombe ekhasini 8]
IKhaya LaseBethel eHavana lavulwa kabusha ngo-1994
[Isithombe ekhasini 8]
Imikhaya eminingi yaba khona kule Mihlangano Yesigodi ekhethekile ‘Yendlela KaNkulunkulu Yokuphila’ eyayiseCuba