Ngazalwa ngo-1954 eSt. Paul eMinnesota, eMelika. Imuli yangakithi yayiphakathi laphakathi inganothanga futhi ingadubeki. Sasisonta iRoma. Ngingowesibili ebantwaneni abahlanu. Ngisesemncane ngafunda esikolo seRoma njalo ngangincedisa umphristi esontweni. Lanxa kunjalo kulutshwana engangikwazi ngeBhayibhili. Ngangikholwa sibili ukuthi kuloNkulunkulu owadala zonke izinto kodwa ngangingakholwa ukuthi iRoma inganginceda ngimkhonze.

Ngomnyaka wami wokuqala ngiseWilliam Mitchell College of Law ngavakatshelwa ngenye indoda lomkayo abangoFakazi bakaJehova. Bangithola ngiwatsha basebesithi bazaphenduka. Sebephendukile ngababuza imibuzo le emibili: “Kungani abantu ababi bephumelela kakhulu kulabalungileyo? Kuyini okungenza abantu bathokoze?” Banginika ibhuku elithi The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life le-Nguqulo Yomhlaba Omutsha YeMibhalo Engcwele eyayilegwaliba elalikhanga elaliluhlaza. Ngavuma lokuthi bangifundise  iBhayibhili. Lokhu kwangivula amehlo sibili. Kwangithokozisa kakhulu ukwazi ukuthi uMbuso kaNkulunkulu yiwo uhulumende ozabusa umhlaba. Ngabona ukuthi abantu behlulekile sibili ukubusa lokuthi ukubusa kwabo kubangele ubuhlungu lenhlupho emhlabeni.

Ngazinikela kuJehova ekuqaliseni kuka-1982 futhi ngabhabhathizwa ngalowomnyaka eSt. Paul Civic Center emhlanganweni wesabelo owawulesihloko esithi “Kingdom Truth.” Ngeviki eyalandelayo ngabuyela endaweni le ukuze ngiyebhala umhloliso wobugqwetha. Ekuqaliseni kuka-October ngathola impumela yomhloliso futhi ngangipasile. Lokhu kwakusitsho ukuthi sengingaba ligqwetha.

Emhlanganweni lo ngahlangana loMike Richardson owayesebenza eBhetheli eBrooklyn wangitshela ukuthi sekuvulwe uhlangothi lwezomthetho emawofisini amakhulu. Ngakhumbula amazwi omthenwa ongumTopiya akumiSebenzi 8:36 ngasengizibuza, ‘Kuyini okungivimbela ukuthi ngicele ukuyasebenza kuhlangothi lwezomthetho?’ Yikho ngahambisa isicelo sami sokuya eBhetheli.

Abazali bami abakuthandanga ukuthi ngasenginguFakazi kaJehova. Ubaba wangibuza ukuthi ukusebenza eBhetheli kwakuzanginceda yini njengoba ngiligqwetha. Ngamchasisela ukuthi ngizabe ngilivolontiya njalo ngamtshela ukuthi ngizabe ngithola imadlana ngenyanga njengabo bonke ababesebenza eBhetheli.

Kodwa ngangingeke ngihle ngiye eBhetheli njengoba ngasengivume ukusebenza emthethwandaba. Yikho ngaqalisa ukusebenza eBhetheli eseBrooklyn eNew York ngo-1984. Ngacelwa ukuthi ngisebenze kuhlangothi lwezomthetho. Ulwazi engaluthola ngesikhathi ngisebenza emthethwandaba lwaluzakuba ngumphako.

IStanley Theater eseJersey City eNew Jersey yathengwa ngoNovember 1983. Abazalwane bacela imvumo yokulungisa izinto zamagetsi kanye lamaphayiphi esakhiweni lesi. Batshela iziphathamandla ukuthi babefuna iStanley Theater ibe yindawo lapho oFakazi bakaJehova ababezangenela khona imihlangano. Lokhu kwakuluhlupho ngoba imithetho yeJersey City emayelana lokusetshenziswa kwezakhiwo yayisithi indawo zokukhonzela kufanele zibe lapho okuhlala khona abantu. IStanley Theater yayisendaweni yamabhizimusi yikho iziphathamandla zala ukubanika imvumo. Abazalwane bacela ukuthi indaba yabo iphinde ikhangelwe kodwa iziphathamandla kazitshintshanga isinqumo sazo.

 Ngeviki yokuqala ngiseBhetheli inhlanganiso yahambisa indaba le emthethwandaba. Ngangizijayele kakhulu indaba ezinje njengoba ngangike ngasebenza okweminyaka emibili emthethwandaba oseSt. Paul, eMinnesota. Elinye lamagqwetha ethu lathi njengoba iStanley Theater yayike yaba yindawo yokubukelela amafilimu leyemibuthano yokuhlabela, kungani manje kwakungekho emthethweni ukuthi isetshenziselwe ukwenza imibuthano yokukhonza. Umthethwandaba wayihlola indaba le wasusithi iJersey City yayingalihloniphanga ilungelo lethu lokuba lenkululeko yokukhonza. Watshela iziphathamandla ukuthi zisinike imvumo njalo ngaqalisa ukubona indlela uJehova asincedisa ngayo endabeni zomthetho ukuze umsebenzi wakhe uqhubekele phambili. Ngathokoza kakhulu ukuthi kukhona lami engangikwenzile.

Abafowethu labodadewethu baqalisa umsebenzi omkhulu wokulungisisa iStanley Theater. NgoSeptember 8 1985 kungakapheli umnyaka kuqaliswe ukulungisiswa, abafundi bekilasi yesi-79 yeGiliyadi baphiwa izicoco zabo eWolu Yemihlangano Emikhulu eseJersey City. Ngakubona kuyisibusiso ukuncedisa emsebenzini kaJehova ngingelinye lamagqwetha. Ngathokoza kakhulu emsebenzini lo ukwedlula emsebenzini wobugqwetha engangiwenza ngingakabi seBhetheli. Ngangingacabangeli ukuthi uJehova wayesazongisebenzisa endabeni ezinengi zomthetho.

Ngabo-1980 odokotela lezibhedlela babejayele ukungahloniphi isifiso somuntu omdala onguFakazi ukuthi elatshwe kungasetshenziswa igazi. Omama abazithweleyo yibo ababethwaliswe nzima kakhulu ngoba omahluli babejayele ukuthi abalalo ilungelo lokwala ukufakwa igazi. Babesithi nxa umama engafakwanga igazi angafa umntwana asale engaselanina.

Mhlaka 29 December 1988 udadewethu uDenise Nicoleau wopha kakhulu ngemva kokubeletha indodana yakhe. Impilo yakhe yayisisengozini yikho udokotela wacela ukuthi amfake igazi. Udade Nicoleau wala. Ngelanga elalandelayo abesibhedlela bacela ukuthi umahluli abanike imvumo yokuthi bamfake igazi. Umahluli kazange anike udade Nicoleau kumbe umkakhe ithuba lokuchasisa ukuthi bona bathini ngendaba le futhi kazange abatshele ukuthi usenike abesibhedlela imvumo yokuthi afakwe igazi.

NgoLwesihlanu mhlaka 30 December abesibhedlela bafaka udade Nicoleau igazi lanxa umkakhe labanye abemuli ababelapho babesala. Ntambama abanengi abemuli labanye abadala babotshwa besetheswa icala lokuvimbela abesibhedlela ukuthi bangafiki embhedeni kadade Nicoleau ukuze bamfake igazi. Ngelanga elalandelayo  indaba yokubotshwa kwabo yayisikhulunywa kumaphephandaba, ku-TV lasemsakazweni eNew York lakwezinye indawo.

NgoMvulo ekuseni ngakhuluma lomahluli womthethwandaba omkhulu uMilton Mollen. Ngamchasisela okwakwenzakele ngamtshela lokuthi omunye umahluli wayenike isibhedlela imvumo yokuthi kufakwe umuntu igazi engezwanga ukuthi yena uthini. UMahluli uMollen wathi ngifike ewofisini yakhe emini sizexoxa ngendaba le langemithetho ephathelane layo. Mhlalokho ntambama ngahamba ewofisini kamahluli ngiloPhilip Brumley engangisebenza ngaphansi kwakhe. Umahluli wacela legqwetha lesibhedlela ukuthi libe khona. Saphikisana kwathunqa uthuli. Kwaba lesikhathi lapho umfowethu uBrumley angibhalela khona ebhukwini lakhe ukuthi ‘ngehlise umoya.’ Kwakufanele sibili ukuthi angikhuze ngoba ngasengizonde kakhulu ngizama ukuveza ukuthi igqwetha lesibhedlela lalikhuluma izinto ezingaqondanga.

Ngemva kwesikhathi esingaba lihora uMahluli uMollen wathi indaba le yiyo ezahle ibe ngeyokuqala ukuthethwa ngelanga elilandelayo. Sathi siphuma ewofisini yakhe wathi igqwetha lesibhedlela ‘lilomsebenzi onzima kusasa.’ Lokhu kwakusitsho ukuthi lalizathwala nzima lizama ukutshengisa ukuthi isibhedlela sasilelungelo lokubamba ngamandla udade Nicoleau ukuthi afakwe igazi. Ngabona ukuthi uJehova wayengiqinisekisa ukuthi singanqoba endabeni le. Kwakumangalisa ukubona indlela ayesisebenzisa ngayo ukuthi agcwalise injongo yakhe.

Sasebenza kwaze kwaba phakathi kobusuku silungiselela lokho esasizakutsho ngelanga elilandelayo. Umthethwandaba wawuseduze kweBhetheli yeBrooklyn yikho abanengi ababekuhlangothi lwezomthetho bazihambela ngenyawo besiyakhona. Ngemva kokulalela indaba yethu omahluli abane bathi kwakungamelanga udade Nicoleau afakwe igazi. Umthethwandaba omkhulu wasekela udade Nicoleau futhi wathi ukwenza isinqumo kungazange kubuzwe isigulane ukuthi sona sithini kuphikisana lamalungelo abantu.

Kungakabi lesikhathi eside kwenzakale lokhu uMthethwandaba Omkhulukazi weNew York wathi udade Nicoleau wayelelungelo lokwelatshwa engafakwanga igazi. Le kwakungenye yezindaba ezine engancedisa kizo eziphathelane lokufakwa igazi ezahanjiswa emithethwandaba emikhulukazi etshiyeneyo eMelika. (Khangela ibhokisi elithi  “ Indaba Esazinqoba Emithethwandaba Emikhulukazi YeMelika.”) Sengisebenze labanye abafowethu labodadewethu abangamagqwetha eBhetheli endabeni eziphathelane lokugcinwa kwabantwana, ukudivosa kanye lemithetho emayelana lokusetshenziswa komhlabathi lezakhiwo.

Ngathi ngiqalisa ukubonana lomkami uDawn, wayedivosile njalo ekhulisa abantwana abathathu. Wayesebenza ngapha ephayona. Lanxa wayeke wahlangana lobunzima empilweni ngathintwa yindlela ayezimisele ngayo ukukhonza uJehova. Ngo-1992 sangena umhlangano wesabelo eNew York City owawulesihloko esithi “Light Bearers.” Ngamkhombisa emhlanganweni lo futhi satshada ngemva komnyaka. Ukuba lenkosikazi eqakathekisa ukukhonza njalo ethanda ukuhleka izikholisela impilo kube yisipho esivela kuJehova. UDawn ubehlala engenzela okuhle empilweni yethu sindawonye.​—Zaga. 31:12.

Sathi sitshada izibulo lalileminyaka engu-16, olandelayo ele-13, isicino sile-11. Ngangifuna ukuba ngubaba omuhle yikho ngabala futhi ngakusebenzisa konke engakuthola emabhukwini ethu okukhuluma ngobaba okhulisa abantwana abangayisibo bakhe. Okweminyaka eminengi bekulobunzima kodwa ngiyathokoza ukuthi abantwana sebengibona njengomngane abangamthemba kanye lobaba olothando. Abangane babantwabethu babekhululekile ukubuya emzini wethu njalo sasikukholisa ukuba labasakhulayo laba.

Ngo-2013 mina loDawn saya eWisconsin ukuze siyenakekela abazali bethu abasebegugile. Okwangimangalisayo yikuthi angizange ngimiswe ukwenza umsebenzi engangiwenza eBhetheli. Ngacelwa ukuthi ngiqhubeke ngincedisa inhlanganiso endabeni zomthetho.

NgoSeptember 2018 ngananzelela ukuthi ngasengihlala ngikhwehlela ngingakakhulumi. Udokotela wangihlola kodwa wehluleka ukubona ukuthi kuyini okwakubangela lokhu. NgoJanuary 2019 omunye udokotela wangitshela ukuthi kungenzeka ngangilomkhuhlane ongajayelekanga njalo owawungahlasela umzimba wami wonke ngokuhamba kwesikhathi.

Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu ngathi ngidlala umdlalo engiwuthandayo ngawa ngephuka lapho okuhlangana khona isandla lengalo esandleni sokudla. Umdlalo lo ngangiwudlale okwempilo yami yonke futhi ngangiyingcitshi kuwo, yikho ngananzelela ukuthi imisipha yami yayingasasebenzi kuhle. Yangimangalisa indlela umkhuhlane lo owawumemetheka ngayo emzimbeni. Kwakulokhu kusiba nzima ngamandla ukuthi ngikhulume, ngihambahambe lokuthi ngiginye.

Ngiyathokoza okwamagama ukuthi ngenelisile ukuncedisa inhlanganiso kaJehova ngokuba ligqwetha layo. Ngiyathokoza lokuthi ngenelisile ukubhala izihloko ezinengi kubomagazini ababalwa ngodokotela, amagqwetha kanye labahluli. Kanti njalo ngangikhuluma emihlanganweni yezokwelapha lezomthetho emhlabeni wonke ngilwela ilungelo labantu bakaJehova lokukhetha ukwelatshwa bengafakwanga igazi. Lanxa kunjalo ngikhuluma amazwi akuLukha 17:10 athi: ‘Ngiyinceku engatsho lutho. Ngenze obekumele ngikwenze.’