Ndinombulelo Ngelifa Elomeleleyo LobuKristu

NGOKUBALISWA NGUGWEN GOOCH

Esikolweni ndandicula iculo elinamazwi athi, ‘uYehova oMkhulu ekwitrone yozuko lwakhe.’ Ndandisoloko ndizibuza, ‘Ngubani lo Yehova?’

UTATOMKHULU nomakhulu babemoyika uThixo. Ekuqaleni kule nkulungwane, banxulumana naBafundi beBhayibhile, njengokuba amaNgqina kaYehova ayebizwa njalo. Ubawo wayeqhuba kakuhle eshishinini lakhe kodwa ekuqaleni akazange alidlulisele kubantwana bakhe abathathu ilifa lobuKristu awayelinikiwe.

Kuxa uBawo wanika umntakwethu, uDouglas, udadewethu uAnne, nam incwadana ethi His Works nethi Who Is God? kuphela endaye ndafunda ukuba uYehova ligama loThixo oyinyaniso. (INdumiso 83:18) Ndachulumanca! Kodwa yintoni eyavuselela umdla kaBawo?

Ngowe-1938, xa wabona iintlanga zilungele imfazwe, uBawo waqonda ukuba kwakuya kufuneka amandla angaphaya kwawabantu ukuze kulungiswe iingxaki zehlabathi. Umakhulu wamnika incwadi ethi Enemies, epapashwe ngamaNgqina kaYehova. Ukususela ekuyifundeni, wafumanisa ukuba olona tshaba loluntu nguSathana uMtyholi yaye buBukumkani bukaThixo kuphela obunokuzisa uxolo lwehlabathi.a—Daniyeli 2:44; 2 Korinte 4:4.

Njengokuba imfazwe yayisondela, intsapho yethu yaqalisa ukuya ezintlanganisweni kwiHolo yoBukumkani yamaNgqina kaYehova eWood Green, eMntla London. NgoJuni 1939 saya eAlexandra Palace siye kuphulaphula intetho yesidlangalala ethi “Urhulumente Noxolo,” eyayinikelwa nguJoseph F. Rutherford, owayengumongameli weWatch Tower Society ngelo xesha. Intetho kaRutherford kwiSixeko saseNew York eMadison Square Garden yasasazwa kunomathotholo eLondon nakwezinye izixeko ezikhulu. Sasikwazi ukuyiva ngokucacileyo intetho kangangokuba xa ihlokondiba elaliqaqadekile laseNew York laphazamisayo, ndakhangela macala onke enoba kwakusenzeka na oko eqongeni!

Inzondelelo KaBawo Ngenyaniso YeBhayibhile

Zonke iingokuhlwa zangoMgqibelo uBawo wayefuna ukuba yonke intsapho ibe kunye ngexesha lesifundo seBhayibhile. Isifundo sethu sasisekelwe kumbandela weBhayibhile okwiMboniselo eza kufundwa kusuku olulandelayo. Ibonisa igalelo ezaba nalo ezi zifundo, de kube namhlanje ingxelo engoYoshuwa neyokurhangqwa kwesixeko saseAyi eyaxutyushwa kwiMboniselo kaMeyi 1, 1939 (yesiNgesi), ndisayikhumbula. Ndachukumiseka yiloo ngxelo kangangokuba ndajonga zonke iimbekiselo zayo eBhayibhileni yam. Ndalufumanisa olo hlolisiso luchulumancisa—yaye nangoku lusenjalo.

Ukwabelana nabanye ngoko sasikufunda kwabethelela iimfundiso zeBhayibhile entliziyweni yam. Ngenye imini uBawo wandinika igramafoni eyayinentshumayelo yeBhayibhile, incwadana esasiyisebenzisa kwisifundo seBhayibhile, nekhelingi lenenekazi eselikhulile. Emva koko wandicela ukuba ndilibuyele.

Ndabuza, “Yintoni endiza kuyithetha, yaye yintoni endiza kuyenza?”

UBawo waphendula, “Konke kulapho, dlala nje icwecwe, ufunde imibuzo, uvumele umninimzi afunde iimpendulo, uze ufunde izibhalo.”

Ndenza njengoko wayendixelele, yaye ngale ndlela ndafunda ukuqhuba isifundo seBhayibhile. Ngaloo ndlela ngokusebenzisa iZibhalo kubulungiseleli bam, ndakwazi ukubuqhela ngakumbi.

Ucelomngeni Lweminyaka Yemfazwe

IMfazwe Yehlabathi II yaqhambuka ngowe-1939, yaye kunyaka olandelayo ndabhaptizwa ndibonisa uzahlulelo lwam lokukhonza uYehova. Ndandineminyaka eli-13 kuphela ubudala. Ndagqiba ngoko kwelokuba ndibe nguvulindlela, njengoko abalungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo bebizwa njalo. Ndagqiba esikolweni ngowe-1941 yaye kwindibano eyayiseLeicester ndancedisa uDouglas kumsebenzi wokushumayela wexesha elizeleyo.

Kunyaka olandelayo, uBawo wabanjwa ngenxa yokuba isazela sakhe sasingamvumeli ukuba abe nenxaxheba emfazweni. Thina njengabantwana sasinceda umama, ukuze akwazi ukunyamekela ikhaya lethu ebudeni bexesha elinzima lemfazwe. Kwandula ke, emva kokuba uBawo ekhululwe entolongweni uDouglas wabizelwa inkonzo yasemkhosini. Iphephandaba lasekuhlaleni lalinamagqabaza athi, “Kutheni Unyana Ekhetha Intolongo NjengoYise.” Oko kwaphumela kubungqina obuhle, njengokuba kwavela ithuba lokucacisa isizathu sokuba amaKristu okwenyaniso angabandakanyeki ekubulaleni abanye abantu.—Yohane 13:35; 1 Yohane 3:10-12.

Ebudeni baloo minyaka yemfazwe, amaNgqina amaninzi awayekubulungiseleli bexesha elizeleyo ayesityelela rhoqo ekhaya, yaye iingxubusho zawo ezikhuthazayo nezisekelwe eBhayibhileni zashiya okuthile kum okungenakuphela. Phakathi kwaba bazalwana bathembekileyo bangamaKristu kwakukho uJohn Barr noAlbert Schroeder, ngoku abangamalungu eQumrhu Elilawulayo lamaNgqina kaYehova. Abazali bam babenomoya wokubuk’ iindwendwe, yaye basifundisa ukuba nathi sibe njalo.—Hebhere 13:2.

Ukulungela Ukunikela Impendulo

Kungekudala emva kokuba ndiqalisile ukuba nguvulindlela, ndadibana noHilda kubulungiseleli bendlu ngendlu. Enomsindo wathi: “Umyeni wam akakho uye kulwela abantu abanjengani! Kutheni kungekho mgudu niwenzayo ngokuphathelele imfazwe?”

Ndambuza, “Ukwazi kangakanani oko ndikwenzayo? Uyasazi isizathu sokuba ndize kuwe?”

Waphendula wathi, “Kubhetele ungene ngaphakathi uze undixelele.”

Ndakwazi ukucacisa ukuba sasinikela ngethemba lokwenyaniso ebantwini ababebandezeleka ngenxa yezinto ezimasikizi ezazisenziwa—ngokufuthi egameni likaThixo. UHilda waphulaphula ngoxabiso, yaye waba ngumntu wokuqala endamqhubela isifundo seBhayibhile ngokuthe rhoqo. EbeliNgqina elikhutheleyo ngoku kangangeminyaka engaphezu kwama-55.

Ekupheleni kwemfazwe, ndafumana isabelo esitsha sobuvulindlela eDorchester, idolophu ekumazantsi ntshona eNgilani. Esi yayisisihlandlo sokuqala endaye andabikho ngaso ekhaya. Ibandla lethu elincinane lalihlanganisana kwindlu yokutyela, kwisakhiwo senkulungwane ye-16 esasibizwa ngokuba yi-“The Old Tea House.” Kwakufuneka silungise iitafile nezitulo rhoqo xa kuza kungena iintlanganiso zethu. Yayahluke mpela kwiHolo yoBukumkani endandiyiqhelile. Sekunjalo, kwakukho ukutya kokomoya nonxulumano olufanayo lothando lwabazalwana noodade abangamaKristu.

Ngelo xesha abazali bam baya eTunbridge Wells kumazantsi eLondon. Ndabuyela ekhaya ukuze uBawo, uAnne, nam sikwazi ukuba ngoovulindlela sonke. Kungekudala ibandla lethu landa ukususela kumaNgqina ali-12 ukusa kwangama-70, ngoko intsapho yakowethu yacelwa ukuba iye eBrighton kunxweme olusemazantsi, apho kwakukho imfuneko enkulu yabavakalisi boBukumkani. Abaninzi basincedisa ngenzondelelo kumsebenzi wokushumayela nentsapho yakowethu engoovulindlela, yaye sabona uYehova ewusikelela ngokutyebileyo umsebenzi wethu. Kungekudala ibandla elinye lahlulahlulwa kathathu!

Isimemo Esingalindelekanga

Ngehlobo lowe-1950, intsapho yakowethu yayiphakathi kwabantu abangama-850 ababesuka eBritani ababekho kwiNdibano Yezizwe Ngezizwe Yolwando Lolawulo Lobuthixo eYankee Stadium kwiSixeko saseNew York. Oovulindlela abaninzi ababeza kuza kuloo ndibano ababesuka kwamanye amazwe bathunyelelwa isicelo sokuya kwiSikolo seBhayibhile seWatchtower saseGiliyadi, esasikufuphi noMzantsi Lansing, eNew York. Mna noDouglas noAnne, sasiphakathi kwabo! Ndikhumbula xa ndafaka isicelo sam kwibhokisi yeposi, ‘Ngoku eneneni sekunjalo! Kazi oku kuya kuphelela phi?’ Sekunjalo ndandizimisele ukuthi: “Ndikho, thuma mna.” (Isaya 6:8) Ndachulumanca xa ndafumana isicelo sokusala emva kwendibano ukuze ndibekho kwiklasi ye-16 yaseGiliyadi, ndawonye noDouglas noAnne. Sonke sasiqonda ukuba sasinokuthunyelwa njengabavangeli basemazweni kuyo nayiphi na indawo emhlabeni.

Emva kokunandipha indibano sisonke njengentsapho, kwafika ixesha lokuba abazali bethu babuyele eNgilani—bodwa. Sobathathu njengabantwana sathi ndlela-ntle njengoko babegoduka ngenqanawa iMauritania. Hayi indlela ekwakuchukumisa ngayo oko kwahlukana!

Isabelo Sobuvangeli Basemazweni

Iklasi ye-16 yaseGiliyadi yayinabafundi abali-120 ababesuka mbombo zone zomhlaba, kuquka abo babebandezeleka kwiinkampu zamaNazi zoxinaniso. Ekubeni iklasi yethu yayifundiswa iSpanish, sasilindele ukwabelwa kwilizwe elithetha iSpanish kuMzantsi Merika. Khawuthelekelele indlela esothuka ngayo xa ngemini yothweso zidanga safumanisa ukuba uDouglas wayabelwe eJapan, yaye mna noAnne sasabelwe eSyria. Ngoko sobabini kwafuneka sifunde isiArabhu, yaye saqhubeka naxa isabelo sethu satshintshayo saya eLebanon. Ngoxa sasilinde iivisa zethu, sasifumana izifundo ngesiArabhu kabini ngeveki kuGeorge Shakashiri, owayengumshicileli weWatch Tower Society eshicilela IMboniselo ngesiArabhu.

Hayi indlela ekwakuvuyisa ngayo ukuya kwilizwe eliseBhayibhileni esasifunde ngalo eklasini! UKeith noJoyce Chew, uEdna Stackhouse, uOlive Turner, uDoreen Warburton, noDoris Wood bahamba nathi ukuya apho. Enjani ukonwaba intsapho yabavangeli basemazweni esaba yiyo! INgqina lasekuhlaleni latyelela ikhaya lethu labavangeli basemazweni ukuze lisincede sikwazi ukuthetha olo lwimi. Ebudeni bokufundiswa kwethu yonke imihla, sasiye siqhelisele umboniso omfutshane, emva kwawo sasiye siphume size siwusebenzise kumsebenzi wethu wokushumayela.

Sachitha iqela leminyaka eTripoli, apho kwakukho ibandla elimiselweyo. UJoyce, uEdna, uOlive, uDoreen, uDoris, uAnne nam sasincedisa abafazi namantombazana amaNgqina asekuhlaleni ukuze babe nesabelo ezintlanganisweni kwanakubulungiseleli basesidlangalaleni. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoko, abazalwana noodade wethu abangamaKristu, belandela isithethe sasekuhlaleni, babengahlali bonke ezintlanganisweni, yaye aba dade bangamaKristu babengafane babe nesabelo kubulungiseleli bendlu ngendlu. Sasifuna uncedo lwabo ngolwimi ekushumayeleni kwethu ekuhleni, yaye sabakhuthaza ukuba babe nesabelo kulo msebenzi.

Mna noAnne sabelwa ukuya kunceda iqela elincinane lamaNgqina kwilizwe lamandulo laseSidon. Emva koko kungekudala, sacelwa ukuba sibuyele kwikomkhulu, iBeirut. Imbewu yenyaniso yeBhayibhile iye yatyalwa phakathi kubantu abathetha isiArmenia, ngoko safunda olo lwimi ukuze sibancede.

Ukutshintshwa Kwesabelo

Ndandidibene noWilfred Gooch ngaphambi kokuba ndihambe eNgilani. Wayengumzalwana onenkathalo owayekhonza kwiBheteli yaseLondon. UWilf wayelilungu leklasi ye-15 yaseGiliyadi, owaphumelela kwindibano eyayiseYankee Stadium ngowe-1950. Isabelo sakhe sobuvangeli basemazweni yayisesokukhonza kwiofisi yesebe yeWatch Tower Society eNigeria, yaye kangangexesha elithile sasibhalelana. Ngowe-1955 sobabini sabakho kwindibano eyayisithi “UBukumkani Obeyisayo” eyayiseLondon, yaye kufutshane nje emva kwayo saganana. Kunyaka owalandelayo, satshatela eGhana, yaye ndaya kuncedisa uWilf kwisabelo sakhe sobuvangeli basemazweni eLagos, eNigeria.

Emva kokuba ndishiye uAnne eLebanon, watshata umzalwana ongumKristu owayefunde inyaniso yeBhayibhile eYerusalem. Abazali bethu abazange bakwazi ukuya emitshatweni yethu, ekubeni mna, uDouglas, noAnne sasitshatele kwindawo ezahlukeneyo zomhlaba. Sekunjalo, babanelisekile kukwazi ukuba sonke sasonwabile sikhonza uThixo wethu, uYehova.

Umsebenzi ENigeria

Kwiofisi yesebe eLagos, ndabelwa ukuba ndicoce izindlu zamalungu asibhozo entsapho yethu yesebe ndiyilungiselele ukutya ndize ndiyihlambele neempahla zayo. Kum kwabonakala ngathi ndiye ndazuza kungekhona umyeni kuphela kodwa intsapho ngephanyazo!

Mna noWilf safunda imiboniso yeBhayibhile emifutshane ngolwimi lwesiYoruba, yaye savuzwa ngemigudu yethu. Umfundi oselula esathetha naye ngelo xesha ngoku unonyana nentombi abakhonza intsapho enkulu yaseBheteli eNigeria enamalungu angama-400.

Ngowe-1963, uWilf wafumana isimemo sokuya kuqeqesho lweenyanga ezilishumi zemfundiso ekhethekileyo eBrooklyn, eNew York. Emva kokulugqiba, ngokungalindelekanga waphinda wabelwa eNgilani. Ndasala eNigeria yaye ndanikwa iintsuku nje ezili-14 kuphela zokudibana noWilf eLondon. Ndahamba ndinxubile, ekubeni iNigeria yayisisabelo endandisithanda. Emva kokuba ndandichithe iminyaka eli-14 phesheya, ndathabatha ixesha ukuze ndiqhelane nobomi baseNgilani kwakhona. Noko ke, savuya kukuba kufuphi nabazali bethu abakhulileyo kwakhona ukuze sikwazi ukubanceda.

Ukomelezwa Lithemba Lethu

Ukususela ngowe-1980, ndaba nelungelo lokuhamba noWilf njengoko wayehamba amazwe amaninzi njengomveleli wecandelo. Ngokukhethekileyo ndandiye ndikhangele phambili ekuboneni amabuyelo ethu eNigeria. Kamva saya eScandinavia, eWest Indies, eMiddle East—kuquka naseLebanon. Yayiluvuyo olukhethekileyo kum ukuba neenkumbulo ezintle nokubona abo ndandibazi beselula ababekhonza njengabadala abangamaKristu.

Okubuhlungu kukuba, umyeni wam endimthandayo wafa ngentwasahlobo yowe-1992. Wayeneminyaka engama-69 kuphela ubudala. Kwaba buhlungu ngakumbi njengokuba oko kwenzeka ngesiquphe. Emva kweminyaka engama-35 sitshatile, kuye kwanzima ukukwamkela oko. Kodwa ndiye ndafumana uncedo nothando kwintsapho yehlabathi lonke engamaKristu. Ndiye ndanamava aliqela andonwabisayo endinokuwabalisa.

Bobabini abazali bam bamisela umzekelo obalaseleyo wengqibelelo yobuKristu. UMama wafa ngowe-1981 yaye uBawo ngowe-1986. UDouglas noAnne baqhubeka bekhonza uYehova ngokuthembeka. UDouglas nomfazi wakhe, uKam, babuyele eLondon, apho baye bahlala emva kokunyamekela uBawo. UAnne nentsapho yakhe bahlala eUnited States. Sonke siyalixabisa ithemba nelifa esilinikwe nguThixo. Siqhubeka ‘ngokulindela kuye,’ sijonge phambili kwixesha apho abaphilayo, kunye nabathandekayo babo abavusiweyo, beya kukhonza ngaxhatha linye njengamalungu entsapho kaYehova yasemhlabeni.—IZililo 3:24.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 23]

Ukususela kumantla ekhohlo ukusa ekunene:

UGwen xa wayeneminyaka eli-13 ebonisa isifundo esingumzekelo kwiHolo yoBukumkani yase-Enfield

Intsapho yabavangeli basemazweni eTripoli, eLebanon, ngowe-1951

UGwen nomyeni wakhe ongasekhoyo, uWilf