“Ingelosi KaJehova Ikanise Nxazonke”

Ilandiswa uChristabel Connell

Sasilokhu siphendula imibuzo yeBhayibheli kaChristopher kangangokuthi akekho kithi owayebona ukuthi kwase kuhlwile; sasingaboni nokuthi uChristopher wayedamane ebuka ngaphandle ngefasitela. Ekugcineni wathi, “Sekuphephile manje, seningahamba.” Ngemva kwalokho, wasikhapha sayogibela amabhayisekili ethu savalelisana. Yini le ayeyibonile eyayiyingozi kangaka?

IGAMA lami nginguChristabel Earl futhi ngazalelwa eSheffield, eNgilandi, ngo-1927. Umuzi wakithi waqhunyiswa ngamabhomu phakathi neMpi Yezwe II, ngakho ngacelelwa ukuba ngihlale kwagogo ukuze ngiqhubeke nesikole. Lapho ngifunda kwesinye isikole samaKatolika, ngangihlale ngibuza izindela ukuthi kungani kwakunobubi nobudlova obungaka. Azikwazanga ukunginikeza impendulo egculisayo, ngisho nabantu abasontayo engababuza behluleka.

Ngemva kokuphela kweMpi Yezwe II, ngafundela ubuhlengikazi. Ngaya eLondon ngayosebenza ePaddington General Hospital, kodwa ngabona ubudlova obengeziwe kulelo dolobha. Ngemva nje kokuba umfowethu omdala eye eMpini YaseKorea, ngabona abantu ababili belwa khona kanye phambi kwesibhedlela, omunye waze walimala kakhulu. Akekho owasiza owayeshaywa futhi walimala kabi kangangokuthi wagcina eseyimpumputhe. Cishe kwakungaleso sikhathi lapho umama ahamba nami saya emihlanganweni yabantu abazama ukuxhumana nabafileyo, kodwa lutho ukuthola impendulo yokuthi kungani kwakunobubi obungaka.

Ngakhuthazwa Ukuba Ngitadishe IBhayibheli

Ngolunye usuku kwavakasha umfowethu omdala, uJohn, owayesengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Wangibuza: “Uyazi yini ukuthi kungani lezi zinto ezimbi zenzeka?” Ngathi angazi. Wavula iBhayibheli lakhe wafunda isAmbulo 12:7-12. Ngabona ukuthi ngokuyinhloko uSathane namademoni ababangela ububi obusemhlabeni. Wangeluleka ukuba ngifundelwe iBhayibheli, ngakho ngaqala ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho. Nokho, ngaleso sikhathi ngavumela ukwesaba abantu ukuba kungenze ngizindele ukubhapathizwa.—IzAga 29:25.

Udadewethu uDorothy naye wayesenguFakazi. Lapho ebuya emhlanganweni wezizwe owawuseNew York ngo-1953 enomzalwane ayethembisene naye, uBill Roberts, ngamtshela ukuthi udade othile wayengiqhubele isifundo seBhayibheli. UBill wangibuza: “Ubuyibheka yini yonke imiBhalo? Uzidwebelile yini izimpendulo encwadini yakho?” Lapho ngithi cha, wathi: “Lokho kusho ukuthi awukenzi lutho! Thintana nodade obekufundela niqale phansi!” Cishe ngaleso sikhathi ngaqala ukuhlushwa amademoni. Ngiyakhumbula ngicela uJehova ukuba angivikele futhi angikhulule ethonyeni lawo.

Ukuphayona EScotland Nase-Ireland

Ngabhapathizwa ngo-January 16, 1954. Ngo-May saphela isikhathi okwakumelwe ngisisebenze esibhedlela ngabe sengiqala ukuphayona ngo-June. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-8, ngathunyelwa eGrangemouth, eScotland, ukuba ngiyokhonza khona njengephayona elikhethekile. Kule ndawo ngabona ukuthi izingelosi zikaJehova ‘zazikanise nxazonke’ zami lapho ngisebenza leyo nsimu ecezile.—IHu. 34:7.

Ngo-1956, ngacelwa ukuba ngiyokhonza e-Ireland. Sahamba nabanye ababili engabelwa nabo saya edolobheni laseGalway. Ngosuku lokuqala sisenkonzweni, mina nengangihamba naye sangena emzini womfundisi othile. Akubanga mizuzu mingaki, kwafika iphoyisa lasithatha lasiyisa esiteshini samaphoyisa. Lapho selithole amagama namakheli ethu laya masinyane ocingweni. Salizwa lithi, “Yebo Fata, ngazi kahle lapho behlala khona.” Kwacaca ukuthi lalithunywe yilowaya mfundisi! Umninimuzi esasiqashe kwakhe wacindezelwa ukuba asixoshe, ngakho ihhovisi legatsha latusa ukuba sisuke kuleyo ndawo. Safika esiteshini sesitimela sekwephuze ngemizuzu eyishumi. Kodwa isitimela sasisekhona futhi kunendoda eyayilindile ukuze iqiniseke ukuthi sisitholile. Kwenzeka lokhu nje sisenamasonto amathathu kuphela eGalway!

Sabelwa eLimerick, elinye idolobha iSonto LamaKatolika elalinethonya elikhulu kakhulu kulo. Sasihlale siklolodelwa izixuku. Abantu abaningi babesaba ukusingenisa emizini yabo. Esikhathini esingangonyaka ngaphambi kokuba sifike, kwakushaywe umzalwane edolobhaneni laseCloonlara elaliseduze. Ngakho sajabula lapho sithola uChristopher, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni kwalesi sihloko, owasicela ukuba sibuye sizophendula imibuzo yakhe yeBhayibheli. Ngesikhathi sikwakhe, kwagulukudela umfundisi wafike wathi uChristopher makasixoshe. UChristopher wamphendula: “Laba besifazane bacelwe yimi ukuba beze lapha ekhaya futhi bangqongqozile ngaphambi kokuba bangene. Wena angikucelanga, futhi awungqongqozanga.” Umfundisi wahamba ebhodla umlilo.

Sasingazi ukuthi lo mfundisi wayeqoqe iqembu labantu libuthene ngaphandle komuzi kaChristopher lisilindile. Azi indlela abasizonda ngayo, uChristopher wenza njengoba kuchazwe ekuqaleni. Wasihlalisa kwakhe baze bahlakazeka. Kamuva sezwa ukuthi yena nomkhaya wakhe baphoqwa ukuba bathuthe kuleyo ndawo futhi baya eNgilandi.

Ngimenyelwa EGileyadi

Ngangihlela ukuya eMhlanganweni Wezizwe Wentando Yaphezulu eNew York lapho ngithola isimemo sokuya ekilasini laseGileyadi lama-33. Kunokuba ngibuyele ekhaya ngemva komhlangano, ngakhonza eCollingwood, e-Ontario, eCanada, kwaze kwaba yilapho kuvula iSikole SaseGileyadi ngo-1959. Kodwa ngesikhathi sisemhlanganweni ngangihlangane no-Eric Connell. Wayethole iqiniso ngo-1957 futhi waqala ukuphayona ngo-1958. Ngemva komhlangano wayengibhalela nsuku zonke ngiseCanada nangesikhathi ngisesikoleni saseGileyadi. Ngangizibuza ukuthi kazi sasiyokwenzenjani ngemva kokuba ngithweswe iziqu.

Ukuya eGileyadi kwaba isenzakalo esibaluleke kakhulu ekuphileni kwami. Ngangisekilasini elilodwa nodadewethu, uDorothy, nomyeni wakhe. Bona bathunyelwa ePortugal. Ngamangala ukuzwa ukuthi mina ngangizoya e-Ireland. Yeka indlela engadumala ngayo ngoba ngingezukuhamba nodadewethu! Ngabuza omunye wabafundisi ukuthi ngangenze iphutha elithile yini. Waphendula: “Cha. Wena nomngane wakho u-Eileen Mahoney, navuma ukuthi ningaya noma kuliphi izwe,” futhi ngokuqinisekile i-Ireland yayiphakathi kwalawo mazwe esasingaya kuwo.

Ngibuyela E-Ireland

Ngafika e-Ireland ngo-August 1959 futhi ngabelwa ukuyokhonza neBandla LaseDun Laoghaire. Phakathi naleso sikhathi, u-Eric wayesebuyele eNgilandi futhi wajabula kakhulu ngokuthi ngangiseduze kakhulu naye. Naye wayefuna ukuba isithunywa sevangeli. Wazitshela ukuthi njengoba ngaleso sikhathi kwakusathunyelwa izithunywa zevangeli e-Ireland, wayezophayona lapho. Wathuthela eDun Laoghaire futhi sashada ngo-1961.

Ngemva kwezinyanga eziyisithupha, u-Eric waba sengozini yesithuthuthu eyayiyimbi kakhulu. Ugebhezi lwakhe lwavaveka, futhi odokotela babengaqiniseki ukuthi babeyokwazi yini ukusindisa ukuphila kwakhe. Ngemva kokuhlala amasonto amathathu esibhedlela, ngamnakekela ekhaya izinyanga ezinhlanu waze walulama. Ngaqhubeka nenkonzo yami ngenza okusemandleni.

Ngo-1965 sabelwa ebandleni elalinabamemezeli abangu-8 eSligo, itheku elisogwini olusenyakatho-ntshonalanga. Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu, saya kwelinye ibandla elincane laseLondonderry, phezulu enyakatho. Ngolunye usuku sibuya enkonzweni yasensimini safica kubiyelwe ngocingo olunameva emgwaqweni esihlala ngakuwo. Kwase kuqale iZinxushunxushu ZaseNyakatho Ireland. Amaqembu entsha ayeshisa izimoto. Idolobha lase lihlukene, amaKatolika ngapha namaProthestani ngapha. Kwakuyingozi ukusuka kwenye indawo yedolobha uwelele kwenye.

Ukuphila Nokushumayela Phakathi Nalezo Zinxushunxushu

Inkonzo yethu yasiyisa ezindaweni eziningi. Saphinde sabona ukuthi izingelosi zazikanise nxazonke zethu. Lapho kubheduka udlame sisendaweni ethile, sasisuka masinyane bese sibuyela khona lapho isimo sesithe ukudamba. Ngesinye isikhathi kunodlame eduze nefulethi esasihlala kulo, izingcezu ezokhelekile zesitolo esasibudebuduze zaqhashela efasiteleni lethu. Saqwasha ubusuku bonke sesaba ukuthi hleze ifulethi lethu lokheleke. Ngemva kokuba sithuthele eBelfast ngo-1970, sezwa ukuthi isitolo sikapende sasale sokhelwa ngebhomu likaphethiloli sasha nokuthi ifulethi esasihlala kulo nalo lasha kuleso senzakalo.

Langa limbe mina nomunye udade sisenkonzweni sabona ipayipi elingajwayelekile ngasefasiteleni lomuzi othile. Sadlulela phambili. Ngemva kwemizuzu engemingaki, laqhuma. Abantu bendawo abaphuma bacabanga ukuthi yithi esasicuphe lelo bhomu lepayipi! Kusenjalo, omunye udade owayehlala kuleyo ndawo wathi masingene kwakhe. Omakhelwane babheka lokhu njengobufakazi bokuthi sasimsulwa.

Ngo-1971 saphinde saya eLondonderry siyovakashela omunye udade. Lapho simchazela indlela esize ngayo nangomgwaqo esidlule kuwo owawuvinjiwe, wabuza, “Bekungekho muntu yini lapho?” Wamangala lapho simtshela ukuthi bekunabantu kodwa ababanga nandaba nathi. Wayemangazwa yini? Yingoba ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ezandulele kwakudunwe imoto kadokotela neyephoyisa zase zishiswa.

Ngo-1972 saya eCork. Kamuva, sakhonza eNaas, sabe sesiya e-Arklow. Ekugcineni, ngo-1987, sabelwa eCastlebar, lapho sisakhonza khona nanamuhla. Lapha, saba nelungelo elikhulu lokusiza ekwakheni iHholo LoMbuso. U-Eric wagula kakhulu ngo-1999. Nokho, ngosizo lukaJehova nangokusekela kwebandla ngothando ngakwazi ukumnakekela futhi waze waba ngcono.

Mina no-Eric sesiye kabili eSikoleni Senkonzo Samaphayona futhi yena usakhonza njengomdala. Sengihlushwa isifo sokuqaqamba kwamalunga (arthritis) futhi kuye kwadingeka ngihlinzwe womabili amadolo nezinyonga. Nakuba kuye kwadingeka ukuba ngibhekane nokuphikiswa okunzima okungokwenkolo futhi ngiye ngaphila ezikhathini ezinzima kakhulu ngokwezombangazwe nezenhlalo, enye yezinto eyaba yinselele kakhulu kwaba ukuyeka ukushayela. Lokho kwaba uvivinyo lwangempela ngoba kwasho ukuthi kumelwe ngithembele kwabanye kakhulu. Ibandla liye lasiza kakhulu, futhi alive lisisekela. Manje sengihamba ngodondolo, futhi ngisebenzisa imotshwana enamasondo amathathu uma ngiya ezindaweni ezithe ukuqhela.

Mina no-Eric sesichithe iminyaka engaphezu kweyikhulu ihlangene sikhonza njengamaphayona akhethekile—engu-98 yayo lapha e-Ireland. Asikucabangi ukuyeka inkonzo. Asithembeli ezimangalisweni, kodwa sikholelwa ukuthi izingelosi zikaJehova ezinamandla ‘zikanise nxazonke’ zalabo abamesabayo nabamkhonza ngokwethembeka.