Ukuphishekela Umgomo Engawubeka Ngineminyaka Eyisithupha Ubudala

NJENGOBA ILANDISWA NGUSANDRA COWAN

Abazali abaningi bayabakhethela abantwana babo umsebenzi wasikhathi sonke ekuphileni, njengomculo noma umdanso weballet, futhi baqale ukubaqeqesha besebancane kakhulu. Yilokho kanye umama akwenza kimi. Kusukela nginamasonto amabili ubudala, ngayiswa kuyo yonke imihlangano yobuKristu nasenkonzweni yasensimini.

LAPHO sengineminyaka emine ubudala, uMama wabona ukuthi ngase ngikulungele ukushumayela ngedwa. Ngiwukhumbula kahle umzamo wami wokuqala. Sasiye endlini enkulu yasepulazini ngemoto, futhi ngenkathi uMama nabanye belinde emotweni, ngehla futhi ngaya emnyango. Owesifazane onomusa walalela ngenkathi ngimhambisela izincwajana eziyishumi. Ukuze azikhokhele, wanginika isitini esikhulu sensipho. Kwadingeka ngisibambe ngezandla zami zombili. Ngangijabule!

Ngawo lowonyaka, ngo-1943, iWatchtower Bible School of Gilead yavula iminyango yayo ukuze izikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele ezingamaphayona ziqeqeshelwe umsebenzi wezithunywa zevangeli. UMama wangikhuthaza ukuba ngenze inkonzo yezithunywa zevangeli ibe umgomo wami ekuphileni. IMpi Yezwe II ngalesosikhathi yayidlangile eYurophu, futhi uMama wayengitshela ngabantwana abasebancane boFakazi ababehlukaniswa nabazali babo eYurophu. Wayefuna ukuba ngiqine ngokwanele ukuze ngimelane nanoma iluphi uhlobo lovivinyo.

Ehlobo lika-1946, ngabhapathizwa emhlanganweni wesigodi wezizwe zonke eCleveland, eOhio. Nakuba ngangineminyaka eyisithupha kuphela ubudala, ngangizimisele ukufeza ukuzinikezela kwami kuJehova. Ngalelohlobo ngakhonza njengephayona ngokokuqala ngqá. Ngiyakhumbula ngolunye usuku ekuseni ngihambisa omagazini abangu-40 kubantu ababehlezi ePlaza eSan Diego, eCalifornia. Ngiyaqiniseka ngokuthi kwakwenziwa ukuba mncane kwami nokuba yiqaphuqaphu.

Ngokuvamile sasishumayela ngaseBeth-Sarim, okuyilapho umongameli weWatch Tower Society owayegula, uMzalwan’ uRutherford, ayechithe khona isikhathi sasebusika ngaphambi kokufa kwakhe ngo-1942. Sasivakasha njalo futhi sasidla nezikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele lapho. Ukuvakasha okunjalo okujabulisayo kwangenza nganquma ukuthi ngempela yiloluhlobo lokuphila engangilufuna. Ngabe sengenza iSikole saseGileyadi nenkonzo yezithunywa zevangeli kwaba umgomo wami ekuphileni.

Ngonyaka olandelayo abazali bami bahlukanisa, kodwa isimo somkhaya esishintshile asizange silidambise ingokomoya lethu. UMama wayeyiphayona futhi ekukhathalele kakhulu ukuqeqeshwa mina nomfowethu esasikuthola. Umahambanendlwana wethu omncane wawuhlala uphithizela abafowethu nodade abangamaKristu ababezosivakashela. UMama wenza umzamo okhethekile wokuba ngihlangane nababethweswe iziqu eGileyadi. Ababili abanjalo ababethweswe iziqu kwakunguLloyd noMelba Barry, ababehambe ngomsebenzi wokujikeleza ngenkathi besalindele ukuya esabelweni sabo sakwelinye izwe eJapane. Bazinika isikhathi sokuba bangikhuthaze—intombazanyana eyayimagange ngokuba yisithunywa sevangeli—futhi lokho kwangihlaba umxhwele ngempela.

Lapho sengineminyaka eyishumi ubudala, uMama washada noFakazi omangalisayo futhi owayeyisikhonzi esiyiphayona. Akagcinanga ngokwamukela mina nomfowethu njengabantwana bakhe bokutholwa ngokukubhala ephepheni nje kuphela kodwa futhi wasamukela nasenhliziyweni yakhe. Uthando lwakhe ngoJehova nokushisekela inkonzo kwakungokuthelelanayo.

UMama noBaba basebenza njengeqembu ukuze baqondise sobabili thina bantwana eminyakeni enzima yokuthomba. Ikhaya lakithi laliyindawo engokomoya engibheka kuyo emuva ngokuziqhenya. Kubona ukuphayona behola imali encane kuyilapho bekhulisa abantwana ababili kwakungelula; kwakudinga ukuzidela. Kodwa uMama noBaba babethembele kuJehova futhi bebeka izithakazelo zoMbuso kuqala.

Yeka indlela engiwukhumbula kahle ngayo umhlangano wesigodi wezizwe zonke eDolobheni laseNew York ngo-1950! UBaba waboleka imali ebhange, futhi sagibelisa abanye abagibeli abathathu emotweni ukuze basize ngezindleko. Mina, uMama, uBaba, nomfowethu, sasihlezi ndawonye esihlalweni esingaphambili yonke indlela ukusuka eSan Diego kuya eNew York, kuyilapho abanye behlezi ngemuva. Ngenxa yokuthi umqashi kaBaba wenqaba ukumnika amasonto amabili engasebenzi, ukuya kulowomhlangano kwamlahlekisela umsebenzi wakhe. Kodwa njengoba uBaba asiqinisekisa, uJehova wayezozinakekela izidingo zethu, njengoba enza. UBaba wayithengisa imoto ukuze akhokhele isikweletu sasebhange, futhi ngemva kwalokho wathola umsebenzi ongcono. Lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho nokunye okufanayo kwaba usizo kakhulu kimi eminyakeni eminingi kamuva lapho mina nomyeni wami sibhekana nezimo ezinzima.

Ohambweni lwethu olubuyayo sisuka eNew York, savakashela eKingdom Farm, lapho ngabona khona iSikole sasaGileyadi ngokokuqala ngqá. Ngiyakhumbula ngimi kwelinye lamakilasi futhi ngithi ngenhliziyo, ‘Angikabi naneminyaka engu-11 ubudala. Ngeke kwenzeke ukuthi ngifike lapha. Kuzofika iArmagedoni kuqala.’ Kodwa lokho kuvakasha kwangenza ngazimisela kakhulu kunakuqala ukwenza iGileyadi umgomo wami.

Ukusebenzela Emgomeni Wami

Njalo ngamaholide asehlobo kuso sonke isikhathi sami sesikole, kusukela ebangeni lokuqala kuqhubeke, ngangiphayona. Khona-ke, emasontweni amabili ngemva kokuqeda esikoleni esiphakeme ngoJune 1957, ngaba yiphayona elivamile.

Umhlangano walabo abanesithakazelo eGileyadi owaba semhlanganweni wesigodi emhlanganweni waseLos Angeles ngo-1957 wawungokhethekile kimi. Njengoba ngangingena ethendeni lalowomhlangano, ngahlangana noBill, umzalwane osemusha engangimaze kusukela ngineminyaka eyisithupha ubudala. Onyakeni owodwa ngaphambili, wayekade engekho eyokhonza lapho indingeko inkulu khona eLouisiana. Samangala ukuthola ukuthi sobabili sasinesithakazelo kangakanani enkonzweni yezithunywa zevangeli. Ezinyangeni eziyisithupha kamuva sanquma ukuba siyihlanganyele ndawonye lenkonzo. Sabhalela iNhlangano sicela isabelo futhi enyangeni eyodwa ngaphambi komshado wethu, sasithola eRomney, eNtshonalanga Virginia.

Sathuthela lapho ngenkathi sisendleleni silibangise emhlanganweni wesigodi waseNew York ngo-1958. Ngenkathi sikulowomhlangano, saya emhlanganweni walabo abanesithakazelo eGileyadi. Kwakukhona amakhulu abantu. Sibuka lesosixuku, saba nomuzwa wokuthi amathemba ethu okubizelwa eGileyadi ayemancane ngempela. Nokho, sahambisa isicelo sokuqala, nakuba sasinamasonto angu-11 kuphela sishadile. Ngonyaka olandelayo emhlanganweni wesigodi ePhiladelphia, sahambisa isicelo sesibili.

Mina noBill ngenkathi siseRomney safunda ukuthembela kuJehova ukuze asisize phakathi nezikhathi ezinzima. IRomney yayiyidolobha elinezakhamuzi ezicishe zibe ngu-2 000. Umsebenzi wawungatholakali. Sasihlala kumahambanendlwana wokuzenzela ongamamitha amahlanu owawuklanyelwe isimo sezulu saseCalifornia. Sasingenamanzi, okokubasa, kanye nesiqandisi. Ngaphakathi kwakubanda kakhulu kangangokuba kwakudingeka siliqhephule iqhwa elisebhakedeni ukuze sithole amanzi. Abazalwane babesisiza ngangokusemandleni abo, besipha ukudla ababekuzingelile. Sasidla izinyamazane, amaraccoon, nezingwejeje. Ezikhathini ezingaphezu kwesisodwa sasicabanga ukuthi sasingeke sikuthole ukudla ngalolosuku, khona-ke uma sifika ekhaya sivela enkonzweni, sasithola ama-apula noma ushizi kushiywe phambi komnyango.

Sazabalaza izinyanga eziyisishiyagalolunye impilo siyibambe ngamazinyo ngezinye izikhathi. Ekugcineni, sanquma ukuthi kwakuyoba ukuhlakanipha ukuthuthela eBaltimore, eMaryland, lapho uBill ayengathola khona umsebenzi. Lapho sitshela abazalwane ngesinqumo sethu, bakhala nathi sakhala. Ngakho sanquma ukubekezela isikhashana.

Ngemva nje kwalokho uFakazi owayengumphathi esitolo esikhulu eWesternport, eMaryland, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-60, wathembisa ukunika uBill itoho. Ngayo lenyanga omunye esimqhubela isifundo seBhayibheli wasinika indlwana enhle encane enempahla nesitofu esikhulu samalahle. Kungalesosikhathi lapho uMalaki 3:10 aba umbhalo engiwuthanda kakhulu. UJehova wayesithulele isibusiso esasingaphezu kwalokho esasikulindele.

Ukuya eGileyadi Ekugcineni!

Olunye lwezinsuku ezijabulisa kakhulu ekuphileni kwethu kwakungolwangoNovember 1959, ngenkathi simenyelwa eGileyadi. Samenyelwa ekilasini lama-35, okungelokugcina elaba seKingdom Farm. Njengoba ngangimi kulelokilasi engangilivakashele ngisewumntwana, ngaba nomuzwa wemfudumalo, wenjabulo okungekho mazwi angawuchaza ngokufanelekile.

IGileyadi yayinjengendawo engokomoya eluhlaza endaweni ewugwadule. Kwakunjengokuphila ezweni elisha izinyanga ezinhlanu. Akuvamile ekuphileni ukuba silindele okuthile iminyaka eminingi bese sithola ukuthi kungcono kakhulu kunalokho ebesikulindele. Kodwa iGileyadi yayiyilokho kanye.

Sabelwa ukuya eNdiya, kodwa ekugcineni senqatshelwa ukuthola amavisa. Ngakho, ngemva konyaka silindile eDolobheni laseNew York, iWatch Tower Society yasabela kabusha eMorocco, eNyakatho Afrika.

Ukuba Izithunywa Zevangeli EMorocco

Sahlala iminyaka engu-24 ejabulisayo eMorocco, abantu bakhona sabathanda sifika nje. Safunda kokubili isiFulentshi nesiPanishi, izilimi ezasisiza ukuba sixhumane nabantu bezizwe eziningi abahlala lapho. Ngokuvamile kwakuyilabo ababevela kwamanye amazwe ababesabela esigijimini soMbuso.

Owesifazane othile engangitadisha naye iBhayibheli wayengumdansi weflamenco waseSpain owayeqashwe endaweni yomdanso eCasablanca. Ngemva kokufunda ngezimiso zeBhayibheli, wamshiya umninikazi wendawo yomdanso ayehlala naye futhi waphindela eSpain. Lapho wafakaza kubo bonke abasemkhayeni wakubo, futhi abanye babo bawamukela amaqiniso eBhayibheli ayewahlanganyela nabo. Kamuva wabuyela eCasablanca, lapho ahlala khona ethembekile kuNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngo-1990.

Eminyakeni yethu yokuqala embalwa eMorocco kwaba nokwanda okuningana kwamanani abamemezeli boMbuso. Nokho, lapho kuba nzima ngabantu bakwamanye amazwe ukuba bathole umsebenzi nezimvume zokuba izakhamuzi, oFakazi bafudukela eYurophu. Abanye balabo esasibafundela manje baseNew Zealand, eCanada, eUnited States, eBulgaria, eRussia, naseFrance, futhi abanye babo bahlanganyela enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele.

Ngokungalindelekile, ngoApril 1973 umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela wavinjelwa eMorocco. Yeka igalelo lokho okwakuyilo! Ngolunye usuku ngoLwesine kusihlwa, sasikade siyisixuku esijabulayo eHholo LoMbuso, sakhuluma kwaze kwaba yilapho kucinywa izibani ukuze sazi ukuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokuhamba. Sasingazi ukuthi sasingeke siphinde sizibone lezozibani zikhanyisele ubudlelwano bobuKristu obukhululeke njengalobo. Ngaphansi kwezimo zokuvinjelwa, imihlangano yethu nemihlangano yesifunda yayigcinwa ingamaqembu amancane emakhaya abazalwane. Ukuze babe khona emihlanganweni yesigodi, oFakazi babeya eFrance noma eSpain.

Njengoba amanani ethu ayencipha, oFakazi abambalwa ababesele eMorocco banamathelana ngempela omunye nomunye. Ngakho, lapho iWatch Tower Society ekugcineni inquma ukulivala igatsha futhi thina isabele kwezinye izindawo, sonke sakhihla isililo.

Ukuqhubekela EAfrika Ephakathi

Isabelo sethu esisha sasiseRipabhuliki YaseAfrika Ephakathi. Yeka ushintsho olukhulu ukusuka eNyakatho Afrika! Njengoba iMorocco yayinesimo sezulu esicishe sifane nesaseCalifornia, manje sazithola sisezindaweni ezishisayo futhi eziswakeme.

Kwakukhona izinkinga ezintsha okwakumelwe sibhekane nazo. Ngokwesibonelo, manje kwase kudingeka ngilawule ukwesaba kwami izinto ezinwabuzelayo. Ezehlakalweni ezintathu isibankwa sawela phezu kwekhanda lami njengoba ngangiphuma emnyango. Ngezinye izikhathi, lapho ngiqhuba isifundo seBhayibheli, igundane lalivele likhethe ukuzohlanganyela nathi! Nakuba kwakuthi mangigxume ngibaleke, ngafunda ukuzilawula, amehlo engasukile kuMnu. Gundane futhi ngangiphakamisa isikhwama sami nezinyawo kuze kube yilapho linquma ukuhamba. Ngathola ukuthi ungajwayelana nanoma yini uma nje ubekezela.

Lapho sesinezinyanga eziyisithupha silapho, kwamenyezelwa emsakazweni ukuthi umsebenzi wethu wawuvinjelwe. Ngakho amaHholo ethu oMbuso avalwa, futhi izithunywa zevangeli zacelwa ukuba zihambe. Yithina nomunye umbhanqwana kuphela esakwazi ukuqhubeka sihlale eminye iminyaka emithathu egatsheni. Khona-ke ngolunye usuku ngeSonto ekuseni phakathi neSifundo sethu seNqabayokulinda, kwafika amaphoyisa ahlomile futhi asiyisa ekomkhulu lawo. Akhulula abesifazane nabantwana, kodwa abagcina abazalwane abangu-23, kuhlanganise nomyeni wami, uBill. Ngemva kwezinsuku eziyisithupha amdedela ukuba ayobopha imithwalo ekhaya; ezinsukwini ezintathu kamuva, ngomyalo kahulumeni, sahamba kulelozwe, ngoMay 1989. Kwakungokunye ukuhamba okwakudindisa isililo esikhumulweni sezindiza, lapho abaningi babafowethu abathandekayo beza khona ukuzosivalelisa.

Ekugcineni, Ukuya eSierra Leone

Isabelo sethu samanje siseSierra Leone, eNtshonalanga Afrika, izwe elithandekayo elinogu oluhle, olunezihlabathi ezimhlophe. Abantu banobungane kakhulu, futhi inkonzo yasensimini iyajabulisa. Kuyo yonke imizi simenywa ukuba sihlale phansi, ngokuvamile ngaphansi komthunzi wesihlahla sikamango noma esikakhukhunathi. Abantu bayathanda ukukhuluma ngoNkulunkulu nokuzitholela awabo siqu amaBhayibheli ukuze balandelele.

Sobabili noBill sisebenza eKhaya LaseBethel eFreetown. Ngikhonza njengowamukela izingcingo ngisebenze nangezikhokhelo nama-akhawunti amabandla. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-16 yokukhonza emazweni lapho umsebenzi wethu ubuvinjelwe khona, kuyamangalisa ukukhonza ezweni lapho umsebenzi ukhululeke khona futhi uchuma.

Ngiqede iminyaka engu-30 yenkonzo yezithunywa zevangeli ngoJune 1991. Ngempela, uMama wabeka umgomo onomvuzo phambi kwami! Ukuba ubesaphila, bengiyothanda ukuphinda ngithi kuye, “Ngiyabonga, Mama!” Ngokujabulisayo, ngisakwazi ukuthi: “Ngiyabonga, Baba!”

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Umhlangano waseNew York, 1958

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35th class—July, 1960

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UBill noSandra Cowan, 1991