NGABO-1930 umama lobaba, uJames loJessie Sinclair bathutha eScotland bayahlala eBronx eNew York. Umngane omutsha abafika baba laye endaweni le nguWillie Sneddon laye owayedabuka eScotland. Bathi beqala ukubonana loWillie baxoxaxoxa ngezomndeni. Mina ngangingakazalwa kusenzakala konke lokhu.

Ekuxoxeni kwabo umama watshela uWillie ukuthi uyise lomnewabo bafela elwandle bebulawa libhomba eladubuka latshaya isikepe sabo. UWillie waphendula wathi: “Uyihlo usesihogweni!” * UWillie wayenguFakazi kaJehova futhi kulapho umama aqalisa khona ukuzwa iqiniso eliseBhayibhilini.

Okwatshiwo nguWillie kwamkhathaza umama ngoba wayekwazi ukuthi uyise wayengumuntu olungileyo. UWillie waphinda wathi: “Uyakwazi ukuthi iBhayibhili lithi uJesu laye waya esihogweni?” Umama wakhumbula imfundiso ayejayele ukuyizwa esontweni ephathelane lokuthi uJesu waya esihogweni wasevuswa ngelanga lesithathu. Ngakho waqalisa ukuzibuza ukuthi, ‘Nxa isihogo siyindawo okutshiselwa kuyo abantu abenza okubi, uJesu wayesiyadingani endaweni enjalo?’ Ingxoxo le yenza umama waba lesifiso sokufunda iqiniso. Yikho waqalisa ukungena imihlangano ebandleni leBronx njalo wabhabhathizwa ngo-1940.

Ngalesosikhathi kwakungakhuthazwa kangako ukuthi abazali bafunde iBhayibhili labantwababo. Ngakho ngisesemncane ubaba wayesala enginakekela nxa umama esiya emihlanganweni loba ekutshumayeleni. Kodwa ngemva kweminyaka ethile mina lobaba saqalisa ukuhamba lomama emihlanganweni. Umama wayekhuthele kakhulu ekutshumayeleni njalo wayefunda iBhayibhili labantu abanengi. Abanye ayefunda labo babehlala eduzeduze ngakho wayebahlanganisa ukuze afunde labo bendawonye. Ngangijayele ukuhamba lomama ekutshumayeleni nxa izikolo zivaliwe futhi lokhu kwanginceda ukuthi ngiyazi iMibhalo lokuthi ngenelise ukufundisa abanye iqiniso.

Kuyadanisa ukutsho ukuthi ngisesemncane ngangingalikhwabithi kangako  iqiniso engangilifunda eBhayibhilini. Kodwa ngathi sengileminyaka engu-12 ngaba ngummemezeli njalo ngasengikuthanda ukutshumayela. Ngathi sengileminyaka engu-16 ngazinikela kuJehova ngasengibhabhathizwa mhlaka 24 July ngo-1954 emhlanganweni owawuseToronto eCanada.

Ebandleni lethu kwakulabazalwane ababeseBhetheli labanye ababeke basebenza khona. Abazalwane laba bangikhuthaza kakhulu. Okunye engakuthandayo yindlela ababefundisa ngayo lababechaza ngayo iMibhalo. Lanxa ababalisi bami babefuna ngiye eyunivesithi mina ngasengizimisele ukuya eBhetheli. Ngakho ngafila ifomu lokuyasebenza eBhetheli ngesikhathi ngisemhlanganweni owawuseToronto. Ngaphinda ngathumela elinye futhi ngo-1955 emhlanganweni owawuseYankee Stadium eNew York. Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile ngamukela incwadi eyayingazisa ukuthi ngizoqala ukusebenza eBhetheli eBrooklyn mhlaka 19 September ngo-1955. Ngangileminyaka engu-17 ngalesosikhathi. Ngelanga lesibili ngifike eBhetheli ngaqalisa ukusebenza kuhlangothi lokudinda amabhuku ku-117 Adams Street. Ngangisebenza emtshineni owawuhlanganisa amakhasi amabhuku ukuze alungele ukufakwa emtshineni wokuthunga.

Ngathi sengilenyanga ngisebenza kuhlangothi lolu ngantshintshelwa kuHlangothi Lwabomagazini ngoba ngangikwazi ukuthayipha. Ngalesosikhathi abafowethu labodadewethu babethayipha amakheli abantu ababefuna iNqabayokulinda le-Vukani! Ngemva kwezinyanga ezithile ngantshintshwa futhi ngayasebenzela kuhlangothi lokuthumela amabhuku emabandleni. Kwelinye ilanga umzalwane owayekhokhela uhlangothi lolu okuthiwa nguKlaus Jensen wangicela ukuthi ngisebenze  lomtshayeli weroli eyayihambisa amabhuku lapho okufikela khona izikepe ukuze ahanjiswe kwamanye amazwe. Amanye sasiwahambisa eposo ukuze athunyelwe emabandleni atshiyeneyo e-United States. Ngalesosikhathi ngangicakile futhi ngangilesisindo esingamakhilogramu angu-57 kuphela. Yikho umfowethu uJensen wangikhuthaza ukuthi ngenze umsebenzi lo ngoba wawuzanginceda ukuthi ngiqine. Lakanye kwanginceda ukwenza umsebenzi lo.

Okunye esasikwenza kuHlangothi Lwabomagazini yikulungisa ama-oda ayevela emabandleni. Lokhu kwangenza ngabona ukuthi eBrooklyn kwakudindwa omagazini ngezindimi ezinengi besebethunyelwa kwamanye amazwe. Ngangingakaze ngizwe ngezinye izindimi ezazidindwa lapho kodwa kwakungithokozisa ukubona omagazini bethunyelwa lasezindaweni ezikhatshana kakhulu. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngathola isibusiso sokuvakatshela lezozindawo lanxa nje ekuqaliseni ngangingacabangi ukuthi ngizake ngifike kuzo.

Ngo-1961 ngatshelwa ukuthi ngiyesebenzela kuhlangothi olubona ngezimali olwalukhangelwa ngumfowethu uGrant Suiter. Ngemva kweminyaka ethile ngikuloluhlangothi ngabizwa ngumfowethu uNathan Knorr owayekhokhela enhlanganisweni ngalesosikhathi. Wafika wangitshela ukuthi ngasengizasebenzela ewofisini yakhe ngoba umzalwane owayesenza lowomsebenzi wayesiya eSikolo Senkonzo SoMbuso njalo nxa angaphenduka wayesezasebenzela kuHlangothi Lwenkonzo. Ngafika ngasebenza lomfowethu uDon Adams njalo nguye owamukela ifomu lami leBhetheli ngo-1955. Abanye abazalwane esasisebenza labo nguRobert Wallen loCharles Molohan. Ngasebenza labazalwane laba abathembekileyo okweminyaka edlula 50 futhi ukusebenza labo kwangisiza kakhulu.—Hubo. 133:1.

 Kusukela ngo-1970 nganikwa umsebenzi wokuhambela amagatsha atshiyeneyo okwamaviki athile ngomnyaka loba ngemva kweminyaka emibili. Umsebenzi lo wawugoqela ukuvakatshela abazalwane abasebenza eBhetheli labanali ababekulawomazwe kanye lokukhangela amarekhodi aphathelane lomsebenzi owenziwa kulawo magatsha. Kwangithokozisa kakhulu ukuhlangana labanye abanali ababengene emakilasini okuqala eSikolo seGiliyadi lokubona ukuthi babelokhu besebenza gadalala. Sengifike emazweni adlula 90 ngisenza umsebenzi lo.

Bonke abafowethu labodadewethu ababesebenza eBhetheli eBrooklyn babefakwe emabandleni asedolobheni leNew York. Mina ngahanjiswa ebandleni leBronx futhi ngalesosikhathi ibandla lelo laselikhule kakhulu laze laqunywa phakathi. Elokuqala lalibizwa ngokuthi yi-Upper Bronx njalo yilo engangingena kulo.

Ngo-1960 kwafika enye imuli ebandleni lethu edabuka eLatvia. Indodakazi yakhona elizibulo okwakuthiwa nguLivija yathi iqeda isikolo yahle yaqalisa ukuphayona. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezithile uLivija wasuka eBronx wayancedisa eBoston lapho okwakulabamemezeli abalutshwana khona. Ngaqalisa ukumbhalela izincwadi ngimtshela okwakusenzakala ebandleni lethu futhi laye wayengitshela ngenkonzo yakhe.

Ngemva kweminyaka ethile uLivija waba liphayona eliqakathekileyo. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi wayefuna ukwenza okunengi enkonzweni wafila ifomu lokuyasebenza eBhetheli wasebizwa ngo-1971. Kwakungani uJehova ungitshela okuthile ngentombi le. Lakanye satshada mhlaka 27 October ngo-1973 futhi inkulumo yomtshado wethu yenziwa ngumfowethu uKnorr. UZaga 18:22 uthi: “Lowo ozuza umfazi ufumana okuhle, athole umusa kaJehova.” Mina lomkami uLivija sesisebenze eBhetheli ndawonye okweminyaka edlula 40 futhi silokhu sisebandleni leBronx.

Ukusebenza lomfowethu uKnorr kwangithokozisa kakhulu. Umzalwane lo wayekhuthele emsebenzini kaJehova futhi wayebathanda abanali ababesemazweni atshiyeneyo. Abanye abanali babengoFakazi bokuqala kulawomazwe. Kwangizwisa ubuhlungu ukubona umfowethu uKnorr ehlaselwa ngumkhuhlane wemvukuzane ngo-1976. Ngesinye isikhathi engasenelisi ukubuya emsebenzini wangicela ukuthi ngimbalele amanye amabhuku ayeselungela ukudindwa. Wangicela ukuthi ngibize umfowethu uFrederick Franz ukuze laye abekhona ngesikhathi ngibala. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngezwa ukuthi umfowethu uKnorr nguye owayejayele ukubalela umfowethu uFranz ngoba wayesehlutshwa ngamehlo.

Umfowethu uKnorr watshona ngo-1977 kodwa okwasiduduzayo sonke esasimazi yikuthi wahlala ethembekile kwaze kwaba sekufeni. (Isam. 2:10) Ngemva kwalokho  umfowethu uFranz nguye owayesekhokhela enhlanganisweni.

Ngalesosikhathi ngaba ngumabhalani kamfowethu uMilton Henschel owayesebenze lomfowethu uKnorr okweminyaka eminengi. Umfowethu uHenschel wangitshela ukuthi umsebenzi esengizawenza ngowokuncedisa umfowethu uFranz ngakho konke akudingayo. Ngakho yimi engasengimbalela konke okulotshiweyo kungakayidindwa. Umfowethu uFranz wayekubamba konke engangimbalela khona ngoba wayelengqondo ebukhali. Kwakuyisibusiso esikhulu kimi ukuncedisa umfowethu lo waze watshona ngo-December 1992.

Sengisebenze eBhetheli okweminyaka engu-61 futhi isikhathi besigijima kakhulu. Abazali bami bafa belokhu bethembekile kuJehova njalo ngikhangelele ukuphinda ngihlangane labo emhlabeni omutsha. (Joh. 5:28, 29) Akulalutho olukhona emhlabeni lo engingaluqathanisa lobuhle bokusebenza lamadoda labesifazane abathembekileyo ukuze sisize abantu bakaNkulunkulu emhlabeni wonke. Engingakutsho yikuthi okweminyaka yonke le sisenkonzweni yesikhathi sonke lomkami, ‘ukuthokoza kukaJehova kube ngamandla ethu.’—Neh. 8:10.

Esengikubonile yikuthi akulamuntu oqakathekileyo enhlanganisweni, umsebenzi kaJehova uyaqhubeka loba sekutheni. Kube yisibusiso esikhulu kimi ukusebenza labafowethu labodadewethu abakhutheleyo njalo abathembekileyo. Abanye abagcotshiweyo engasebenza labo sebathola umvuzo wabo ezulwini. Ngiyathokoza kakhulu ngokuthi ngathola ithuba lokusebenza labantu ababemthanda uJehova.