Ibali Lobomi

Ukubulela UYehova—Ngenkonzo Yexesha Elizeleyo!

NGOKUBALISWA NGUSTANLEY E. REYNOLDS

Ndazalelwa eLondon, eNgilani, ngowe-1910. Emva kweMfazwe Yehlabathi I, abazali bam bafudukela kwidolophana yaseWiltshire ebizwa ngokuba yiWestbury Leigh. Ngoxa ndandisengumfana, ngokufuthi ndandizibuza ukuba, ‘Ngubani uThixo?’ Akukho mntu wakha wandiphendula. Yaye ndandingasiqondi isizathu sokuba kwindawo encinane njengaleyo yethu kufuneke iityalike ezimbini kunye necawa yokunqulela uThixo.

NGOWE-1935, kwiminyaka emine ngaphambi kokuba kuqalise iMfazwe Yehlabathi II, mna kunye nomninawa wam uDick, sahamba ngeebhayisikile saya eWeymouth kunxweme olukumzantsi weNgilani siye kwiholide esasiza kuyichitha sihleli ezintenteni. Njengoko sasihleli kwintente yethu siphulaphule imvula eyayigalela ngamandla yaye sixakwe yinto emasiyenze, satyelelwa linene elalisele likhulile laza landinika iincwadi ezintathu eziluncedo ekufundisiseni iBhayibhile—UHadi LukaThixo, iincwadi ethi Light I, nethi Light II. Ndazithabatha, ndivuyela ukufumana into endiza kuchitha ngayo isithukuthezi. Ngoko nangoko ndaba nemincili koko ndandikufunda, kodwa ndandingazi ukuba kwakuza kubuguqula ngokupheleleyo ubomi bam—kunye nobo bomninawa wam.

Ndathi ndakubuyela ekhaya, umama wandixelela ukuba uKate Parsons, owayehlala apho kwidolophana yethu, wayesasaza uhlobo olufanayo loncwadi lweBhayibhile. Wayesaziwa kakhulu ngenxa yokuba, nangona wayesele ekhulile, wayehamba ngesithuthuthu esincinane etyelela abantu kwindawo esasihlala kuyo eyayinemizi egqagqeneyo. Ndahamba ndaya kumbona, yaye wakuvuyela ukundinika incwadi ethi Creation nethi Riches kunye nezinye iimpapasho zeWatch Tower Society. Wandixelela nokuba wayengomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova.

Emva kokuba ndizifundile ezi ncwadi kunye neBhayibhile yam, ndaqonda ukuba uYehova nguThixo oyinyaniso, yaye ndandifuna ukumnqula. Ndathumela ileta yokuyeka ukuba lilungu lecawa yethu ndaza ndaqalisa ukuya kwizifundo zeBhayibhile ezaziqhutyelwa kwikhaya likaJohn noAlice Moody. Babehlala eWestbury, idolophu eyayikufuphi nathi. Sasibasixhenxe kuphela kwezo ntlanganiso. Ngaphambi nasemva kweentlanganiso, uKate Parsons wayedlala uhadi ngoxa sicula kunye iingoma zoBukumkani ngehlombe!

Kwiintsuku Zamandulo

Ndandibona ukuba siphila kumaxesha abalulekileyo, yaye ndandilangazelela ukuba nesabelo kumsebenzi wokushumayela ekwaprofetwa ngawo kuMateyu 24:14. Ngoko ndayeka ukutshaya, ndazithengela ingxowa yokufaka iincwadi, ndaza ndazahlulela kuThixo Omkhulu, uYehova.

NgoAgasti 1936, uJoseph F. Rutherford, umongameli weWatch Tower Society, wayetyelele eGlasgow, eSkotlani, eze kuthetha ngomxholo othi “IArmagedon.” Nangona iGlasgow yayikumgama omalunga nama-600 eekhilomitha, ndandizimisele ukuya ndize ndibhaptizwe kuloo ndibano. Imali yayinqongophele, ngoko ndahamba nebhayisikile yam ndakhwela nayo kuloliwe oya eCarlisle, idolophu ekumbindi weSkotlani, ukusuka apho ndaqhubeka nohambo ngebhayisikile umgama oli-160 eekhilomitha ukuya ngasentla. Kwakhona ndahamba umgama omde ngebhayisikile xa ndigoduka, ndabuya ndidinwe ndiyimfe kodwa ndandikhuthazekile ngokomoya.

Ukususela ngelo xesha, ndandihamba ngebhayisikile ngalo lonke ixesha ukuze ndabelane nabantu ngokholo lwam kwiidolophana ezikufuphi. Ngaloo mihla Ngqina ngalinye lalineqweqwe lokunikela ubungqina elalinesigidimi esiphuma eZibhalweni ukuze abaninimzi bafunde. Kwakhona sasineegramafoni ukuze sidlale amacwecwe eentetho zeBhayibhile ezazinikelwa ngumongameli woMbutho. Kakade ke, sasiphatha ingxowa yamaphephancwadi,a eyayisahlula njengamaNgqina kaYehova.

Ukuba Nguvulindlela Ngexesha Lemfazwe

Umninawa wam wabhaptizwa ngowe-1940. Imfazwe yehlabathi yesibini yayiqalise ngowe-1939, yaye sobabini sayibona imfuneko engxamisekileyo yabashumayeli bexesha elizeleyo. Ngenxa yoko, safaka izicelo zethu zobuvulindlela. Savuya kakhulu ukufumana isabelo sokuya sobabini kwikhaya loovulindlela eliseBristol, ukuze siye kuthelela uEdith Poole, uBert Farmer, uTom noDorothy Bridges, noBernard Houghton, nabanye oovulindlela ekwakukudala siluxabisa ukholo lwabo.

Salandwa yinqwelo-mafutha encinane eyayibhalwe emacaleni ngoonobumba abakhulu “AMANGQINA KAYEHOVA.” Yayiqhutywa nguStanley Jones, owathi kamva waba ngumvangeli wasemazweni eChina nowathi wavalelwa entolongweni apho iminyaka esixhenxe eyedwa esiseleni ngenxa yokushumayela.

Njengoko imfazwe yayiqhubeka, kwakunqabile ukuba silale ubusuku bonke. Kwakusiwa iziqhushumbisi kufuphi nekhaya lethu loovulindlela, yaye kwakufuneka sisoloko sigade izigcayiseli. Ngenye ingokuhlwa, sanduluka kumbindi wesixeko saseBristol emva kwendibano encinane emnandi ekwakuze kuyo amaNgqina angama-200 saza safika kwikhaya lethu elikhuseleke ukusa kumlinganiselo othile siphepha imvula yeziqhushumbisi ezazijoliswe kwiinqwelo-moya zohlaselo.

Ngentsasa elandelayo mna noDick sabuyela esixekweni ukuze siye kulanda ezinye zezinto ezazisele. Sathi nkamalala. IBristol yayiyingqushu. Sasivuthululwe sonke isixeko saza satshiswa. Isitrato iPark, indawo eyayineHolo yethu yoBukumkani, sasizele imfumba eqhumayo. Noko ke, akukho Ngqina lafayo okanye lenzakalayo. Okuvuyisayo kukuba, sasisele silufudusile uncwadi lwethu lweBhayibhile kwiHolo yoBukumkani saza salusasaza kumakhaya amalungu ebandla. Sambulela uYehova kwezi ziganeko zozibini.

Inkululeko Engalindelekanga

IBandla laseBristol endandikhonza kulo njengomveleli owongamelayo lalikhule laya kutsho kubalungiseleli abangama-64 ngexesha lokufumana kwam amaxwebhu okuya kwinkonzo yasemkhosini. Amanye amaNgqina amaninzi afakwa entolongweni ngenxa yobundilele bawo, yaye nam ndandilindele ukuba inkululeko yam yokushumayela incitshiswe ngokufanayo. Ityala lam lachotshelwa kwiNkundla yaseBristol apho uMzalwan’ uAnthony Buck, owayesakuba ligosa lentolongo, wathetha egameni lam. Wayeyindoda ekhaliphileyo, engenaloyiko, eyimela ngokuqinileyo inyaniso yeBhayibhile, yaye ngenxa yokundimela kwakhe kakuhle, ngokungalindelekanga ndakhululwa ngokupheleleyo kwinkonzo yasemkhosini ukuba nje ndandiza kuqhubeka nenkonzo yam yexesha elizeleyo!

Ndavuya gqitha kukufumana inkululeko, yaye ndazimisela ukuyisebenzisa ekushumayeleni ukusa kowona mlinganiselo mkhulu ndandinokuwufikelela. Ndathi ndakufumana umnxeba othi mandifike kwiofisi yesebe yaseLondon ndiye kuthetha noAlbert D. Schroeder, umveleli wesebe, ngokuzenzekelayo ndazibuza ngoko kwakundilindele. Khawufane ucinge indlela endothuka ngayo xa ndamenyelwa ukuba ndiye eYorkshire ukuze ndiye kukhonza njengomveleli ohambahambayo, ndityelele amabandla awahlukahlukeneyo veki nganye ukuze ndincede yaye ndikhuthaze abazalwana. Ndabona singandifanelanga eso sabelo, kodwa ndandikhululwe kwinkonzo yasemkhosini ngoko ndandifanele ndihambe. Ngoko ndalwamkela ukhokelo lukaYehova yaye ndakuvuyela ukuhamba.

UAlbert Schroeder wandazisa kubazalwana kwindibano eyayiseHuddersfield, yaye ngoAprili 1941, ndaqalisa kwisabelo sam esitsha. Hayi uvuyo endaba nalo ngokwazi abo bazalwana bathandekayo! Uthando nobubele babo bandenza ndaqonda nangakumbi ukuba uYehova unabo abantu abathandanayo nabazinikele ngokupheleleyo kuye.—Yohane 13:35.

Amalungelo Enkonzo Angakumbi

Ngowe-1941 kwaqhutywa indibano yeentsuku ezintlanu engasokuze ilibaleke kwiDe Montfort Hall yaseLeicester. Nangona kwakufunyanwa umxhesho olinganiselweyo wokutya yaye kukho nemiqathango ekusebenziseni izithuthi, inani lababekho ngeCawa lanyuka laya kutsho kwi-12 000; ukanti, ngelo xesha kwelo lizwe kwakukho amaNgqina angaphezulu nje kwe-11 000. Kwadlalwa iintetho ezirekhodiweyo ezazinikelwa ngumongameli woMbutho, kwaza kwakhululwa incwadi ethi Children. Ngokuqinisekileyo loo ndibano yayibalasele kwimbali yobuthixo yabantu bakaYehova baseBritani, nangona yaqhutywa ngexesha ekwakugquba ngalo iMfazwe Yehlabathi II.

Kungekudala emva kwale ndibano, ndafumana isimemo sokuya kukhonza kunye nentsapho yaseBheteli eLondon. Apho, ndandisebenza kwisebe lokuthumela nokupakisha yaye kamva ndasebenza eofisini, ndisebenza ngemibandela ephathelele amabandla.

Intsapho yaseBheteli kwakufuneka inyamezele kuba kwakukho iinqwelo-moya ezazihlasela iLondon ubusuku nemini, yaye abasemagunyeni babebagqogqa ngalo lonke ixesha abazalwana ababenembopheleleko ababesebenza apho. UPryce Hughes, uEwart Chitty, noFrank Platt bafakwa entolongweni ngenxa yobundilele babo, yaye ekugqibeleni uAlbert Schroeder wagxothelwa eUnited States. Nangona kwakukho ezi ngcinezelo, amabandla nezilangazelelo zoBukumkani zazinyanyekelwa.

Ukuya EGiliyadi!

Ekupheleni kwemfazwe ngowe-1945, ndafaka isicelo sokuqeqeshelwa ubuvangeli basemazweni kwiSikolo SeBhayibhile seWatchtower saseGiliyadi yaye ndamkelwa ukuba ndibe kwiklasi yesibhozo ngowe-1946. UMbutho wasilungiselela, kuquka uTony Attwood, uStanley Jones, uHarold King, uDon Rendell noStanley Woodburn, ukuba sihambe ngenqanawa ukusuka kwizibuko iCornish laseFowey. INgqina lasekuhlaleni lasilungiselela ukuba sifumane indawo kwinqanawa encinane yemithwalo eyayithwele uhlobo oluthile lodongwe. Indawo esasihlala kuyo yayixinene kakhulu, yaye umgangatho ongaphantsi wawusoloko ugutyungelwe ngamanzi. Hayi indlela esakhululeka ngayo xa ekugqibeleni safika kwizibuko esasiza kungena ngalo, iPhiladelphia!

Isikolo saseGiliyadi sasikwindawo entle eSouth Lansing kumantla eNew York, yaye uqeqesho endalufumana apho lwathetha lukhulu kum. Abafundi ababekwiklasi yethu babevela kumazwe ali-18,—uMbutho wawuqala ukubhalisa abalungiseleli abaninzi kangaka abavela kumazwe asemzini,—yaye sonke saba ngabahlobo abasondeleleneyo. Ndabunandipha kakhulu ubuhlobo balowo ndandihlala naye egumbini, uKalle Salavaara waseFinland.

Ixesha lahamba ngokukhawuleza, yaye ekupheleni kweenyanga ezintlanu umongameli woMbutho, uNathan H. Knorr, wafika evela kwikomkhulu laseBrooklyn eze kusinika izidanga zethu yaye eze kusixelela nangeendawo esasiza kwabelwa kuzo. Ngezo ntsuku, abafundi babengazazi iindawo abaza kuya kuzo de bazive xa zichazwa kumsitho owenzelwa abaphumeleleyo. Ndafumana isabelo sokubuyela kwiBheteli yaseLondon ndize ndiqhubeke nomsebenzi wam endandiwenza apho.

Ukubuyela ELondon

Iminyaka esemva kwemfazwe yayinzima kakhulu eBritani. Ukutya nezinye izinto ezininzi eziyimfuneko, kuquka iphepha, zaqhubeka zikhutshwa ngezixa ezilinganiselweyo. Kodwa saphumelela, yaye izilangazelelo zoBukumkani bukaYehova zaqhubela phambili. Ukongezelela ekusebenzeni eBheteli, ndandikhonza kwiindibano zesithili nezesiphaluka yaye ndandityelela amabandla, kuquka namanye aseIreland. Kwakhona ndafumana ilungelo lokubona uErich Frost nabanye abazalwana noodade abavela eYurophu nokuva kubo okuthile ngengqibelelo yamanye amaNgqina awayejamelene nezenzo ezingamasikizi kwiinkampu zoxinaniso zamaNazi. Eneneni inkonzo yaseBheteli yaba lilungelo eliyintsikelelo.

UJoan Webb ndandimazi kangangeminyaka elishumi, uvulindlela okhethekileyo owayekhonza eWatford, idolophu ekumantla eLondon. Satshata ngowe-1952. Sobabini sasifuna ukuqhubeka nenkonzo yexesha elizeleyo ngoko savuya kakhulu xa, emva kokuhamba kwam eBheteli, ndamiselwa njengomveleli wesiphaluka. Isiphaluka sokuqala esaya kuso sasingakunxweme olukumzantsi weNgilani, eSussex naseHampshire. Ukukhonza esiphalukeni kwakungelula ngezo ntsuku. Ngokuyintloko sasihamba ngoduladula, ngebhayisikile nangeenyawo. Amabandla amaninzi ayenentsimi enkulu esemaphandleni, ngokufuthi ekwakunzima ukuyifikelela, kodwa inani lamaNgqina lalisanda ngokuthe ngcembe.

KwisiXeko SaseNew York Ngowe-1958

Ngowe-1957, ndafumana esinye isimemo esivela eBheteli esithi: “Ngaba ungathanda ukuza eofisini ukuze uncedise ekwenzeni amalungiselelo okuya kwindibano yezizwe ngezizwe ezayo eza kuba seYankee Stadium nakwiPolo Grounds kwisiXeko saseNew York ngowe-1958?” Kungekudala mna noJoan sasixakeke zizicelo zabazalwana ababefuna ukuhamba ngeenqwelo-moya neenqanawa ezaziqeshwe nguMbutho. Emva koko kwabakho iNdibano Yezizwe Ngezizwe Yokuthanda KukaThixo eyadumayo nekwakuze kuyo abantu abangama-253 922. Kule ndibano, bangama-7 136 abafuzisela uzahlulelo lwabo kuYehova ngokuntywiliselwa emanzini—inani elingaphezulu lee kwelabo babhaptizwa ngePentekoste yowama-33 C.E., njengoko kuchazwe eBhayibhileni.—IZenzo 2:41.

Mna noJoan asisayi kuze sibulibale ububele bukaMzwalwan’ uKnorr xa wasimemela ukuba siye kuloo ndibano ukuze sincedise ekunyamekeleni iindwendwe ezazifika kwisiXeko saseNew York zivela kumazwe ali-123. Lawo yayingamava amnandi navuyisayo kuthi sobabini.

Iintsikelelo Zenkonzo Yexesha Elizeleyo

Ekubuyeni kwethu, saqhubeka nomsebenzi wethu wokuhambahamba de saba neengxaki zempilo. UJoan walaliswa esibhedlele, yaye mna ndaba nestroke. Safakwa kwizintlu zobuvulindlela obukhethekileyo kodwa kamva safumana ilungelo lokukhonza kwisiphaluka kwakhona okwexeshana. Ekugqibeleni, sabuyela eBristol yaye sisekwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Umninawa wam, uDick, kunye nentsapho yakhe bahlala kufuphi nathi, yaye ngokufuthi siye sincokole ngeentsuku ezadlulayo.

Ngowe-1971, ndaphulukana nokubona ngokuthi konakale iinwebu eziphakathi emehlweni ezingazange ziphinde zilunge. Ukususela ngoko kunzima kakhulu kum ukufunda, yaye ngoko ndifumanisa ukuba iikhasethi zoncwadi lweBhayibhile zililungiselelo elihle kakhulu elivela kuYehova. Mna noJoan sisaqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile zamakhaya, yaye ukutyhubela iminyaka, siye sanelungelo lokunceda abantu abamalunga nama-40 ukuba babe nolwazi ngenyaniso, kuquka enye intsapho enamalungu asixhenxe.

Xa sasizahlulela kuYehova kwiminyaka engaphezu kwama-60 eyadlulayo, sasinomnqweno wokungenela inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo size sihlale kuyo. Hayi indlela esinombulelo ngayo ngokuba sisenamandla okukhonza uYehova Omkhulu—ekuphela kwendlela esinokumbulela ngayo ngokulunga kwakhe kuthi nangenxa yeminyaka esiye saphila ngayo kunye sonwabile!

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

Ndikunye nomninawa wam uDick (ekugqibeleni ngasekhohlo; uDick umi ngeenyawo) nabanye oovulindlela phambi kwekhaya loovulindlela laseBristol

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

Ikhaya loovulindlela laseBristol ngowe-1940

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 26]

UStanley noJoan Reynolds ngemini ababetshata ngayo, ngoJanuwari 12, 1952, nanamhlanje