Ngazalwa ngo-1927 edolobheni elincane eliseduze leChicago, e-Illinois, e-U.S.A. Sazalwa singu-5. Yimi, loJetha, loDon, loKarl, loJoy. Sonke sasizimisele ukukhonza uJehova ngenhliziyo yonke. UJetha wangena ikilasi yesibili yeGiliyadi ngo-1943. UDon yena wabizwa eBhetheli yeBrooklyn, eNew York ngo-1944. UKarl yena wabizwa ngo-1947. UJoy yena wahamba ngo-1951. Abakwenzayo kanye lalokho okwakusenziwa ngabazali bami kwangikhuthaza kakhulu.

Ubaba lomama babekuthanda ukubala iBhayibhili. Babemthanda uNkulunkulu njalo bafundisa lathi abantwana ukuthi simthande. Lanxa kunjalo, ubaba wathi evela empini yomhlaba yokuqala e-Europe wayengasafuni kuzwa ngamasonto. Umama wayembonga kakhulu uNkulunkulu ngokuthi ubaba uphenduke ephila. Yikho wathi kubaba: “Karl, asambe phela esontweni njengakudala.” Ubaba wathi: “Ngizakuphelekezela kodwa angisoze ngingene.” Umama wambuza wathi: “Yindaba?” Yena wathi: “Empini abafundisi besonto yinye babesekela amaqembu atshiyeneyo futhi omunye lomunye wayebusisa amasotsha eqembu lakhe! Manje uNkulunkulu wayesekela bani?”

Ngelinye ilanga umama eye esontweni, kwafika oFakazi bakaJehova ababili ngekhaya. Banika ubaba amabhuku amabili ayelesihloko esithi Light (Ukukhanya). Amabhuku la ayekhuluma ngalokho okusebhukwini leSambulo. Ubaba wakuthanda ababekutsho wasewathatha. Umama wathi ewabona waqalisa ukuwabala. Ngelinye ilanga wabona iphephandaba elalilesaziso esasinxusa abantu ababefuna ukufunda iBhayibhili besebenzisa amabhuku la. Wahamba njalo wathi efika wathola kulowesifazana osekhulile emnyango. Umama wamtshengisa ibhuku ayelithwele wambuza wathi, “Leli yilo yini esizalifunda?” Yena wathi, “Ye sithandwa sami yilo, ngena.” Ngeviki eyalandelayo umama wahamba lathi futhi kusukela lapho asizange silove.

Komunye umhlangano umqhubi wangicela ukuthi ngibale uHubo 144:15 othi abantu abakhonza uJehova bayathokoza. Ivesi le ngayithanda kakhulu futhi kulamanye amavesi amabili engawathandayo, u-1 Thimothi 1:11 othi uJehova ‘nguNkulunkulu othokozayo’ lo-Efesu 5:1 ositshela ukuthi ‘silingisele uNkulunkulu.’ Ngananzelela ukuthi ukukhonza uMdali wami kumele kungithokozise lokuthi kumele  ngimbonge ngesibusiso leso. Lezo yizinto ezimbili ebengizama ukuzenza impilo yami yonke.

Ibandla elaliseduze lakithi laliseChicago. Kwakungumango ongamakhilomitha angu-32 kodwa sasihamba kunjalo futhi ngangifunda okunengi ngeBhayibhili. Ngikhumbula ngelinye ilanga uJetha ephendula emhlanganweni. Ngathi ngimlalele ngakhulumela enhliziyweni ngathi: ‘Bengiyazi impendulo le, aluba ngiphakamisile.’ Ngaqalisa ukulungiselela izimpendulo lokuphendula. Engangikuqakathekisa kakhulu yikuthi ngangilokhu ngisondela kuJehova njengabanewethu labodadewethu. Ngabhabhathizwa ngo-1941.

Umhlangano engingasoze ngiwukhohlwe ngowabakhona ngo-1942 eCleveland, e-Ohio. Abanye abafowethu labodadewethu ababesemadolobheni adlula-50 e-United States babelalele umhlangano lo ngezokuxhumana. Mina labangekhaya labanye abazalwane sasihlala ematendeni eduze lalapho umhlangano owawusenzelwa khona. Impi yomhlaba wonke yesibili yayitshisa njalo oFakazi bakaJehova abanengi babehlukuluzwa. Ntambama ngabona abazalwane bepake izimota zafulathela amatende futhi babelayithe amalayithi. Emoteni ngayinye kwakuzaba lomuntu owayezalinda ubusuku bonke. Nxa bengabona sekulabantu ababefuna ukuzohlasela, abazalwane laba kwakumele babaphandle ngamalayithi ezimota zabo futhi batshaye lamawuta. Nxa bengenza njalo abanye babezagijima bazoncedisa. Ngakubona ukuthi abantu bakaJehova bahlala belungiselele loba yini engenzakala. Lokhu kwangenza ngabona ukuthi akumelanga ngethuke lutho. Ngalala behla futhi akulalutho olubi olwenzakalayo.

Ngemva kweminyaka eminengi ngathi sengicabangisisa ngomhlangano lo, ngabona ukuthi ngalesosikhathi umama wayengakhathazeki futhi wayengesabi. Wayemthemba uJehova kanye lenhlanganiso yakhe. Wangifundisa into engingasoze ngiyikhohlwe.

Umhlangano lo wathi usuzafika, umama waba liphayona lesikhathi sonke. Emhlanganweni wayelalelisisa kakhulu inkulumo ezazimayelana lenkonzo yesikhathi sonke. Sathi sesibuyela ngekhaya umama wathi, “Ngiyafuna sibili ukuqhubeka ngiphayona, kodwa kunzima ngoba ngilemisebenzi yangekhaya okuyabe kumele ngiyenze.” Wasibuza ukuthi singancedisa yini. Savuma wasenika munye ngamunye wethu indlu eyodwa kumbe ezimbili okwakumele azikline singakadli ukudla kwekuseni. Sesihambile esikolo wayesala ekhangela ukuthi sikline kuhle yini, abesesiya ekutshumayeleni. Wayelemisebenzi eminengi sibili okwakumele ayenze kodwa wayesikhulisa kuhle. Nxa sasiphenduka endlini sizokudla ukudla kwemini sasimthola ekhona futhi nxa sasitshayisa esikolo, sasimfica ekhona. Kwezinye izikhathi sasisithi nxa singatshayisa esikolo sihambe laye ekutshumayeleni. Lokhu kwasinceda sawuzwisisa umsebenzi wokuphayona.

Ngaba liphayona lesikhathi sonke ngileminyaka engu-16. Lanxa ubaba wayengakabi nguFakazi, wayejayele ukungibuza ukuthi izinto zihamba njani. Ngelinye ilanga ntambama ngamtshela ukuthi sengizame ngazama kodwa kuyala ukuthi ngithole umuntu wokufunda laye iBhayibhili. Ngathula  mbijana ngasengimbuza ngathi, “Uyafuna yini ukuthi ngikufundise iBhayibhili?” Wacabangisisa okwesikhatshana wasesithi, “Angiboni ukuthi ngiyabe ngiyalelani ukufunda.” Ubaba waba yisifundo sami sokuqala. Lokhu kwakuyisibusiso esikhulu kimi!

Safunda ibhuku elithi “The Truth Shall Make You Free” (Iqiniso Lizalikhulula). Sathi siqhubeka sifunda ngananzelela ukuthi ubaba wayengincedisa ukuthi ngingezelele ulwazi lwami futhi ngithuthukise indlela engifundisa ngayo. Ngikhumbula ngelinye ilanga, sathi siqeda ukubala indima wathi: “Okutshiwo libhuku ngiyakubona sibili. Kodwa ukwazi njani ukuthi kuliqiniso?” Wayengijumile ubaba kodwa ngathi: “Impendulo angilayo khathesi kodwa sizathi sesifunda ngesikhathi esilandelayo ngiyabe sengilayo.” Lakanye ngawathola amavesi ayesekela esasikufundile. Kusukela lapho ngasengilungiselela okuzwayo njalo ngichwayisisa. Lokhu kwanginceda ukuthi ngiqhubeke ngisibamazi uJehova futhi kwanceda lobaba ukuthi asondele kuye. Wayekusebenzisa ayekufunda futhi wabhabhathizwa ngo-1952.

Ngasuka ngekhaya ngileminyaka engu-17. UJetha a waba limishinari, uDon yena waya eBhetheli. Babeyithanda imisebenzi yabo yenkonzo futhi lokhu kwakungikhuthaza kakhulu. Ngakho ngafaka isicelo sokuya eBhetheli lesokuya eSikolo seGiliyadi, ngasengimelela uJehova ukuthi angikhethele ukuthi ufuna ngimkhonze ngingaphi. Ngo-1946 ngabizwa eBhetheli.

Lokhu ngafikayo eBhetheli sengenze imisebenzi eminengi etshiyeneyo. Lokhu kungenze ngafunda izinto ezinengi. Sengileminyaka engu-75 ngiseBhetheli futhi sonke isikhathi leso ngifundiswe ukuphrinta amabhuku lokuphatha izimali. Ngafundiswa lokuthenga izinto ezazisetshenziswa eBhetheli kanye lokuthumela izinto eziqakathekileyo kwezinye indawo. Kodwa engikukholisa kakhulu yimfundo evela kuJehova esiyithola eBhetheli ehlelweni lokukhonza kwekuseni kanye lezinye izinkulumo zemuli yeBhetheli.

Kukhona okunye okuqakathekileyo engakufunda kumnawami uKarl owabuya eBhetheli ngo-1947. Wayekuthanda ukutaditsha iBhayibhili futhi esenelisa ukufundisa kuhle. Ngake ngacela ukuthi angincedise kweyinye inkulumo okwakumele ngiyenze. Ngamchasisela uKarl ukuthi ngithole izinto ezinengi kodwa angisakwazi ukuthi ngithathe kuphi ngitshiye kuphi. Wangibuza umbuzo owodwa nje wathi, “Joel, isihloko senkulumo yakho sithini?” Ngakuzwisisa masinya ukuthi wayesitshoni. Kwakumele ngisebenzise izinto ezihambelana lesihloko kuphela besengitshiya okunye. Angizange ngikukhohlwe lokho angifundisa khona.

 Nxa sifuna ukuthokoza eBhetheli kumele sikukhuthalele ukutshumayela. Nxa singenza njalo kungasikhuthaza ukuhlangana labantu abayabe befuna ukufunda. Ngikhumbula ngelinye ilanga sitshumayela lomunye umzalwane ntambama eBronx eNew York City. Sahamba sayaphindela komunye umama owayethethe iNqabayokulinda le-Vukani! Safika sathi, “Namuhla sihamba sincedisa abantu ukuthi bafunde izinto eziduduzayo eziseBhayibhilini.” Yena wathi, “Nxa lihamba ngeBhayibhili ngenanini.” Sabala imibhalo eminengi ekhuluma ngoMbuso kaNkulunkulu kanye lomhlaba omutsha ozayo samchasisela okutshiwo yimibhalo le. Kukhanya wakuthanda akufundayo ngoba ngeviki elandelayo sathi sifika sathola ebize abangane bakhe ukuthi labo bazokuzwa. Yena lomkakhe bacina besiba ngoFakazi bakaJehova.

Ngathatha iminyaka engaba ngu-10 ngidinga umuntu wokutshada laye. Manje kuyini okwanginceda ukuthi ngithole inkosikazi efaneleyo? Ngathandaza kuJehova ngasengizibuza umbuzo lo, ‘Ngifuna ukwenzani ngingatshada?’

Ngemva komhlangano wesabelo owabakhona ngo-1953 eYankee Stadium, ngabona omunye udadewethu okuthiwa nguMary Aniol. Yena loJetha bangena ikilasi yesibili yeGiliyadi njalo basuka bayakuba ngamamishinari endaweni efananayo. UMary wangilandisela ngalokho ayekwenza ngesikhathi engumnali emazweni eCaribbea waphinda wangitshela langabantu ayebafundisa iBhayibhili eminyakeni yonke le. Sathi silokhu sisazana sananzelela ukuthi sonke sifuna ukusebenzela uJehova enkonzweni yesikhathi sonke. Uthando lwethu lwaqhubeka luvutha yikho satshada ngo-April 1955. Okwakusenziwa nguMary kwangenza ngabona ukuthi uyisipho esivela kuJehova sibili lokuthi abanye bangafunda okunengi kuye. Wayeyithanda imisebenzi ayeyiphiwa. Wayesebenza nzima, elendaba labanye futhi eqakathekisa imisebenzi yoMbuso ukwedlula loba yini empilweni yakhe. (Mat. 6:33) Senza umsebenzi wokuhambela okweminyaka emithathu, kwathi ngo-1958 sabizwa eBhetheli.

Ngafunda okunengi kuMary. Sathi sisanda kutshada, sasitaditsha sonke sibala amavesi angaba ngu-15 ndawonye. Omunye wayesithi angabala amavesi athile sixoxe ngawo besesibona ukuthi esikubalileyo singakusebenzisa njani empilweni zethu. UMary wayejayele ukungixoxela izinto ayezifundile eGiliyadi langesikhathi elimishinari. Ayengixoxela khona kwanginceda ukuthi ngibe ngumuntu oqedisisayo, lokuthi ngithuthukise indlela engifundisa ngayo, kanye lokuthi ngithole indlela engcono yokukhuthaza odadewethu.—Zaga. 25:11.

Ukufa kwangithathela isithandwa sami uMary ngo-2013. Ngikulindele ngabomvu ukumbona emhlabeni omutsha! Khathesi ngizimisele ukuqhubeka ngifunda okunengi kanye lokuthemba uJehova ngenhliziyo yami yonke. (Zaga. 3:​5, 6) Nxa ngicabanga ngalokho abantu bakaJehova abazakwenza emhlabeni omutsha ngiyaduduzeka futhi ngiyathokoza. Akuthandabuzwa ukuthi uMfundisi wethu omkhulu uJehova uzasifundisa izinto ezintsha futhi sizafunda okunengi ngaye! Ngiyaswela amazwi okumbonga uJehova ngakho konke asengifundise khona, kanye lendlela ezinengi abengitshengisa ngazo ukuthi ulomusa omkhulu.