Ukubeka ‘Isandla Sami Egejeni Ngingabuki Emuva’

NJENGOBA ngangikhwela indiza eyayiya ekhaya lami elisha eBolivia, amazwi umama ayengibhalele wona encwadini yakhe yokugcina ayelokhu ebuya engqondweni yami. “Akakho othi esebeké isandla sakhe egejeni, abuke emuva, ofanele umbuso kaNkulunkulu.” (Luka 9:62) Ngangizimisele ukuwasebenzisa lamazwi.

Nakuba umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli wawuyoba okuhlangenwe nakho okusha, kakade ngase ngijabulele inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele cishe iminyaka eyisihlanu. Iqiniso ngalifunda kubazali bami, abaqala ukutadisha emuva ngo-1923 nabaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi Bakajehova babebizwa kanjalo ngalesosikhathi. Nakuba ngangineminyaka emine kuphela ngalesosikhathi, ngangifuna ukuziqonda izincwadi zeWatch Tower Society. Nokho, kwaba yiminyaka eminingi abazali bami bengenzi lutho ngeqiniso. Ngezikhathi ezithile abanye omakhelwane bethu ababengabaFundi BeBhayibheli babesivakashela. Ngikhumbula, futhi, indlela uBaba ayevakashela ngayo omakhelwane ukuze alalele izintshumayelo zeJaji uRutherford.

Nokho, imbewu yeqiniso yaze yaqala ukuthela izithelo ngo-1938. Umama—owayesedivosile waphinde washada—waqala ukwamukela nokufunda ngentshiseko izincwadi ezivela koFakazi BakaJehova. Ukwazi ukuthi “isixuku esikhulu” sasiyosinda ekubhujisweni kwalesimiso sezinto samanje futhi siphile phakade emhlabeni kwangijabulisa ngokukhethekile. (IsAmbulo 7:9-14) Lokhu kwaziswa kwakumelwe kuhlanganyelwe nabanye!

Ngakho ngemva kokubhapathizwa ngo-June 1939, ngaqala ukucabanga ngokuba isikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele, noma iphayona. Ngemva kokuthuthela eColorado, ngajwayelana noHelen Nichols nonina—odade ababili abagcotshiwe ababengamaphayona avamile. Okuhlangenwe nakho okujabulisayo ababekuxoxa kwangikhuthaza ngokwengeziwe ukuba ngikhonze njengephayona. Ngalokho, ngoMay 1940 ngathola isabelo sami sokuqala senkonzo yamaphayona eSalida, eColorado.

Ukuqeqeshwa KwaseGileyadi Nesabelo Sakwamanye Amazwe

Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa yokuphayona ezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zeColorado naselndiana, ngamenyelwa ukuba khona ekilasini lesithathu laseGileyadi. Lesi kwakuyisikole esasihlelwe yiWatch Tower Society sokuqeqesha izithunywa zevangeli. Ezinyangeni eziyisihlanu ezijabulisayo ngajabulela izibusiso zeSikole saseGileyadi, kodwa ngemva kokuthola iziqu angizange ngisithole ngokushesha isabelo sakwamanye amazwe. Kwakulwiwa iMpi Yezwe II! Ngakho okwesikhashana ngathunyelwa ukuyosebenza nabanye odade abayisikhombisa eWest Haven, eConnecticut. Ngo-1945 ngabelwa ukuyosebenza eWashington, D.C. Nokho, izinto zasheshe zalunga ukuba ngiqonde esabelweni sami sakwamanye amazwe: eLa Paz, eBolivia.

Ngaphambi kokuba ngithole isabelo sami, ngangingakaze ngizwe ngisho nokuzwa ngeBolivia! Akumangalisi ukuthi imicabango ephazamisayo yagcwala engqondweni yami njengoba ngangikhwela indiza: Ngangiyophumelela kanjani njengesithunywa sevangeli? Ingabe ngangiyokwazi ukunamathela kukho? Ukukhumbula iseluleko sikamama sokuba ‘ngibeke isandla sami egejeni ngingabuki emuva’ kwaqinisa ukuzimisela kwami ukuphumelela emsebenzini wami wezithunywa zevangeli. Futhi, ngangingenakuba ngedwa kulelizwe elisha. Ngangiphelezelwa udadewethu nomyeni wakhe ababethole iziqu ekilasini lesine laseGileyadi. NgoJune 9, 1946, indiza yethu yafika eLa Paz.

Phakathi Nokugumbuqelwa Kombuso

Ngalo kanye usuku engafika ngalo, othile wazama ukugumbuqela umbuso ngokwehlisela ibhomu eSigodlweni sikaHulumeni. Ibhomu lahluleka, njengoba kwaba njalo nangokugumbuqela umbuso. Kodwa esikhathini esingaphansi kwezinyanga ezimbili kamuva, kwagqashuka okunye ukugumbuqelwa kombuso, futhi abaningi bafa abanye balimala. Umongameli wezwe, kanye nezinye izikhonzi zakhe, walengiswa esigxotsheni sikagesi endaweni eyinhloko yezamabhizinisi. Kwaba njalo ukufika kwami eBolivia.

Nokho, ngemva kwalokho kuchitheka kwegazi okwesabekayo, sakwazi ‘ukududuza abalilayo,’ futhi abaningi babantu baseBolivia abathobekile babezimisele ukutadisha nathi iBhayibheli. (Isaya 61:1, 2) Ngalezozinsuku, sasivame ukusebenzisa izintshumayelo ezirekhodiwe njengendlela yokufakaza kubantu. Lokhu kwakusho ukuthwala kokubili igilamafoni nesikhwama sezincwadi sehla senyuka emagqumeni aseLa Paz nokuphakama okumangalisayo okungamamitha ayizi-3 660. Ngenxa yeSipanishi sami esilinganiselwe, abanye abantu babecabanga ukuthi ngangidayisa igilamafoni namarekhodi!

Kuningi okuhlangenwe nakho engakujabulela njengesithunywa sevangeli esisha. Ngolunye usuku, ngihamba indlu ngendlu kwenye yezingxenye ezingcono zaseLa Paz, isisebenzi sangivulela emnyango sangingenisa. Inkosikazi yekhaya yalalela intshumayelo yami yase yenza isikhokhelo seNqabayokulinda. Kungani kwaba nalokhu kusabela okusheshayo? Yayisanda kuhlinzwa, futhi ngesikhathi isemthola-mpilo, yayifunda iBhayibheli. Yathola ukuthi izimfundiso zeBhayibheli zihluke ngokuphelele kulokho isonto layo elalikufundisa, ngakho yayikushisekela kakhulu ukufunda izincwadi engangiyishiyele zona. Nokho, ngaphambi kokuba ngibuyele ngiyivakashele, yeza ingifuna, ekugcineni yaze yangithola ejikeni lomgwaqo ngihambisa omagazini beNqabayokulinda nePhaphama! kwabadlulayo. ‘Siza ufike uzongibona!’ iphikelela. Yathuthuka ngokushesha nesifundo sayo seBhayibheli futhi yabhapathizwa ngokushesha. Manje, eminyakeni engama-30 kamuva, isiyinceku kaJehova ethembekile.

Udoli Ongcolile

Ngemva kokusebenza iminyaka eyi-11 eLa Paz, sanikezwa isabelo engxenyeni eseningizimu yeBolivia. Ngakho-ke, mina, udadewethu nomyeni wakhe, kanye nengangihamba naye uEsther Erickson, saya edolobheni elincane okuthiwa iTupiza. Lokhu kwakungo-February 1957. ITupiza ingakujantshi ophakathi kweBolivia neArgentina. Lapho abantu babenobungane, futhi kwakulula ukuqalisa izifundo zeBhayibheli. Eqinisweni, sahlela ngokushesha imihlangano yasikhathi sonke, okwakuba khona kuyo abaningana abavela eTupiza.

Ngolunye usuku, sathola udoli ongcolile egcekeni lethu elingaphambili. Kwakusho ukuthini lokhu? Ngokusobala umpristi wayeseqale ukuxwayisa abantu ngokumelene noFakazi BakaJehova, ngalokho othile wayezama ukusibekela ihechizo, noma umuthi. Nokho, ihechizo yabo yabonakala ingenamandla.

Ngenxa yokuthi iTupiza yayiyidolobha elincane, mina noEsther sasheshe sabelwa eVillazón, elinye idolobha elincane elisemngceleni weBolivia neArgentina. Lendawo yayiwugwadule, inomoya omningi, futhi ibanda! Kodwa asizange sidumazeke, njengoba sasiqiniseka ngokuthola isibusiso sikaJehova.

Lapho mina noEsther siqala ukusebenza lelodolobha, saphawula ukuthi abantu babenamakhadi emafasiteleni abo ayethi: “OFakazi BakaJehova Nabavangeli Abemukelwa.” Nokho abantu baseVillazón babengazi lutho ngokuthi babengobani oFakazi BakaJehova! NjengaseTupiza, umpristi wayesengenele, enikeza abantu amakhadi esontweni ukuba bawafake emafasiteleni abo. Naphezu kwalawo makhadi asemafasiteleni, abantu basabela kahle, futhi sashiya izincwadi eziningi saqalisa izifundo zeBhayibheli eziningi. Kancane kancane lawomakhadi anyamalala emafasiteleni.

Nokho, sasizoyenzelaphi imihlangano? Sashintsha ikamelo elilodwa endlini yethu encane salenza iHholo LoMbuso. Ukuze senze izihlalo sabeka amapulangwe phezu kwamabhokisi ezincwadi. Babengekho abazalwane abazinikezele lapho, ngakho mina noEsther safaka izembozo zekhanda sase siyiqhuba thina imihlangano. Bajabula lapho eSikhumbuzweni sokuqala sokufa kukaKristu esasenzela lapho, siba nabangaphezu kwabayikhulu ababa khona! Kuyiqiniso, abanye beza ngoba befuna ukuzobona indlela amagringas (amantombazane akwamanye amazwe) aqhuba ngayo imihlangano yawo. Kodwa abanye balabo okokuqala abeza ngoba bezobona nje, bangoFakazi manje.

Sasebenza futhi edolobheni elincane laseLa Quiaca, eArgentina, lapho sakwazi khona ukuqalisa izifundo eziningi zeBhayibheli nabantu abathakazelayo. Ngenxa yokuba kwakudingeka seqe imingcele kaningi, sadonsa ukunakekela kwephoyisa lasemngceleni. Ngolunye usuku, lapho sibuya eLa Quiaca, indoda engumlindi yasicela ukuba singawenzi umsebenzi wethu obala kangaka, njengoba umsebenzi woFakazi BakaJehova wawuvinjelwe eArgentina. Ngathi kuyo, “Ngiyaqonda ukuthi uhulumeni wenu uyayivumela inkululeko yokukhulekela.” Yaphendula ngokuthi abapristi babecindezele izikhonzi kuhulumeni, okwaphumela ekuvinjelweni. Nakuba kunjalo, ngemva kwalokho, noma nini lapho seqa umngcele siya eArgentina yayimane ifulathele!

Sasebenza eVillazón iminyaka emine. Engangihamba naye wafunda nendoda emfazi wayo wayenechichería, inkantini lapho iziphuzo ezenziwa ngemvubelo yamabele zithengiswa khona. Lendoda yafunda iqiniso futhi kamuva yabhapathizwa, ekugcineni yakhonza njengomdala kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwayo. Kwenzekani ngechichería? Manje isiyiHholo LoMbuso! Lapho sihamba eVillazón, kwakunabamemezeli bebandla abangama-20. Manje cishe sekunoFakazi abangama-60, cishe nabayi-110 ababa khona emihlanganweni yangezimpelasonto.

‘Ukungabheki Neze Emuva’

Ngemva kokuhamba eVillazón ngathola isabelo eSanta Cruz, idolobha elisengxenyeni esempumalanga yeBolivia. Yeka injabulo okwakuyiyo ukubona umsebenzi ukhula usuka ebandleni elincane labamemezeli abangama-20 uya emabandleni achumayo ayisishiyagalolunye. Khona-ke, ngo-1965, ngaphindela eLa Paz ngayohlala kwelinye lamakhaya ezithunywa zevangeli, lapho ngiye ngahlala khona kuze kube namuhla.

NgoFebruary 1978 udonga lwesitini esingashiswanga lwadilikela kimi njengoba ngangehla ebhasini ledolobha. Umlenze wami wangakwesokudla waphuka kabi kangangokuba kwadingeka ukuba ngifunde ukuhamba futhi. Kodwa manje ngiyakwazi ukubuyela enkonzweni ngiqhube izifundo zeBhayibheli.

Cha, inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele ibingelula ngaso sonke isikhathi. Bekunezingqinamba ezithile, izinkinga nokudumazeka. Kodwa injabulo yokuthola abantu abanjengezimvu nokubasiza bakhonze uJehova kuye kwenana ngokwedlulele noma ikuphi ukudumazeka. Manje, cishe ngemva kweminyaka engama-44 yenkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele, ngisazimisele njenganini ngaphambili ukugcina ‘isandla sami sisegejeni’ futhi ngihlanganyele emsebenzini okusamelwe wenziwe.—Njengoba ilandiswa uBetty Jackson.

[Isithombe ekhasini 28]

UBetty Jackson eshumayela izindaba ezinhle eBolivia