Ngabelethelwa eSt. Paul, Minnesota, e-U.S.A., ngo-1954 ababelethi bami bebangatlhagi begodu banganayo imali enengi nokho, khaya besimaKhatholika. Mina ngingowesibili ebantwaneni abahlanu, bengifunda esikolweni samaKhatholika, yeke bengisiza abaphristi nakuneminyanya esondweni. Nanyana kunjalo bekukuncani engikwaziko ngeBhayibheli. Khona bengikholelwa ukuthi ukhona uZimu odale zoke izinto kodwana isondo lona besele ngingasalithembi.

Hlangana nomnyakami wokuthoma esikolweni sezemithetho iWilliam Mitchell College of Law. Kwafika aboFakazi bakaJehova ekhaya, bangifumana ngisahlanza izembatho. Bavuma ukubuya ngesinye isikhathi, nababuyako ngababuza imibuzo emibili ngathi,“Kubayini abantu abalungileko bangaphumeleli?” Ngabuye angababuza ngathi, “Khuyini umuntu ekufuze ayenze nakazakuthaba?” Banginikela incwadi ethi, The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life neBhayibheli i-New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures ebeyinombala ohlaza okudosa amehlo. Ngavuma bona bangifundele  iBhayibheli, ngafunda okunengi, ngayithanda indaba engayizwa yokuthi umBuso kaZimu ngurhulumende esiwutlhogako begodu ngiwo ozokubusa abantu ephasini. Ngabona ukuthi ukubusa komuntu akuphumeleli kunalokho kuletha isizi, ukutlhaga nokungabi nobulungisa ephasini.

Ngazinikela kuJehova ekuthomeni kwaka-1982 begodu ngabhajadiswa ekukhambeni komnyaka lowo emhlanganweni onesihloko esithi, “Kingdom Truth” ebewuseSt. Paul Civic Center. Ngemva kweveke kuphele umhlangano ngabuyela ecivic center ngiyokutlola iimfundo ezizongisiza bona ngibe mjameli womthetho. Ekuthomeni kwaka-Oktoba ngafumana imiphumela eyangazisa bona ngiphemelele sele ngingaba mjameli womthetho.

Emhlanganweni othi, “Kingdom Truth” ngahlangana noMike Richardson ovela eBethel yeBrooklyn. Wangitjela ukuthi sele kune-ofisi lezemithetho emzimkhulu. Ngakhumbula amezwi womTopiya osemtlolweni wezEnzo 8:36 ngazibuza ukuthi, ‘Khuyini engivimbela bona ngingayi ukuyokusebenza e-ofisini lezemithetho?’ Yeke ngafaka isibawo sokuyokusebenza eBethel.

Akhenge kubaphathe kuhle ababelethi bami ukuthi sele nginguFakazi kaJehova. Ubaba wangibuza ukuthi ukusebenzela iWatchtower kuzokusiza ngani ukuba kwami mjameli wezemithetho, ngatjelwa ukuthi ngiyokwenza umsebenzi wokuvolonthiya. Ngamtjela ukuthi ngenyanga ngizokunikelwa i-$75 begodu imali leyo beyifunyanwa ngiyo woke amalunga weBethel.

Ngebanga lokuthi bekufuze ngisebenze isikhathi esithileko ekhotho, lokho kwenza bona ngithome ukusebenza eBethel yeNew York ngo-1984. Ngasebenza e-Ofisini lezomThetho eBethel, ngakuthabela tle ukusebenza lapho.

Ibhaysikobho yeStanley esedorobheni leNew Jersey yathengwa ngoNovemba 1983. Abafowethu bafaka isibawo sokulungisa umakhiwo lo kunye nendlela igezi esebenza ngayo kuhlanganise namaphayphu wamanzi ebesele amadala. Kwathi abafowethu nabahlangana nabaphathi babahlathululela indlela abanqophe ukusebenzisa ngayo iStanley Theater njengombana bazokubambela kiyo imihlangano emikhulu nemincani yaboFakazi bakaJehova. Lokho kwabamraro, imithetho yedorobho malungana nemakhiwo beyingavumi bona kube nemakhiwo wokulotjha hlangana nomphakathi. IStanley Theater beyisedorobheni  lamabhizimisi, yeke balinga ukufaka esinye isibawo kodwana akhenge bavunyelwe.

Hlangana nevekami yokuthoma ngiseBethel, ihlangano yathumela indaba le ekhotho. Njengombana ngasebenza iminyaka emibili ekhotho yeSt. Paul, Minnesota besele ngiyijayele indlela abasebenza ngayo, omunye umjamelethu wathi iStanley Theater beyisetjenziswa mphakathi, isetjenziselwa ukubukela amafilimu nomculo, alo yini eyenza kungavumeleki bona kube nezinto zekolo? Ikhotho yacabanga ngesibawo sethu, yathi ikhotho yedorobheni leJersey akhenge ihloniphe amalungelo wezekolo begodu akhenge ihloniphe newethu amalungelo. Ikhotho le yalayelwa bona ikhuphe incwadi evumako bona aboFakazi bakaJehova basebenzise indawo le begodu lokho kwangitjengisa bona uJehova uyibusise kangangani ihlanganwakhe esebenza ngezemithetho.

Abafowethu nabodadwethu bathomisa ijima elikhulu lokulungisa indawo le, umnyanya wokukhutjhwa kwabonongorwana weklasi lama-79 leGiliyadi waba sedorobheni leJersey eWolweni lemiHlangano ngoSeptemba 8, 1985, kungakapheli nomnyaka ijima lokulungisa liphelile. Ngakuthabela ukuba nesandla ekuthuthukisweni komBuso kaZimu njengombana bengisebenza ngaphasi komnyango wezemithetho. Ngathaba khulu ngendlela engingakhenge ngithabe ngayo ngaphambi kokuthi ngisebenze eBethel. Ebengingakwaziko kukuthi zinengi kangangani iimbusiso uJehova angibekele zona.

Ngabo-1980 bekuyinto ejayelekileko ukuthi abodorhodera bakatelele abantu abadala ababoFakazi bona bafakelwe iingazi. Abomma abazithweleko nabo bebaqalene nesitjhijilo sokuthi umthetho bewuthi abanalungelo lokwala ukufakelwa iingazi. Abahluleli bebathi nakungenzeka umma ahlongakala isanelo belizokusala lingasenambelethi.

Ngezi-29 Disemba 1988 uDadwethu uDenise Nicoleau walahlekelwa ziingazi ezinengi ngemva kobana abelethe indodanakhe. Kwaphuma iingazi ezinengi khulu kuye, udorhoderakhe wabawa imvumwakhe bona amfake iingazi kodwana uDadwethu uNicoleau akhenge avume. Ngelanga elilandelako isibhedlela saya ekhotho siyokufuna imvumo yokuthi bamfakele iingazi. Ikhotho akhenge ikhulume naye namkha ubabakwakhe, kunalokho yathi udadwethu uNicolea kufuze afakelwe iingazi.

NgoDisemba 30 uDadwethu uNicoleau wafakelwa iingazi ngitjho nanyana yena nomndanakhe bangakhenge bavume. Amalungu wemndeni nabadala ababili balinga ukukhandela abodorhodera bona bangamfakeli uDadwethu uNicoleau iingazi, ngebangelo babotjhwa  mhlokho. Ngelanga elilandelako ngoDisemba 31 ngoMgqibelo iindaba zeNew York City and Long Island zaveza ukubotjhwa kwabo.

NgoMvulo ekuseni ngakhuluma nomahluleli obekadosa iintambo ibizo lakhe bekunguMilton Mollen. Ngafika kuye ngathula indabami ngamtjela ukuthi umahluleli obekaphethe umlandu lo wakhupha isiqunto angakasivumeli bona sikhulume ekhotho. Unomzana uMollen wathi ngize e-ofisini lakhe entambama mhlokho sizokukhuluma ngayo indaba le. Sinomfowethu uPhilip Brumley ebengibika kuye sakhamba sayokuhlangana nonomzana uMollen. Umahluleli wabiza nomjameli wesibhedlela bona abekhona lapho. Sakhuluma bekwaphakama amaphapho. UMfowethu uBrumley wangitlolela iphetjhana wathi, “akhewehlise ummoya.” Akutjhoko bekufanele ngombana vele besele ngifuthumele tle!

Ngemva kwe-awara unomzana uMollen wathi sizokuthoma ngawo umlandu lo kusasa. Lokho bekunikela umjameli wesibhedlela isikhathi esincani sokulungiselela umlandu lo. Ngabona ukuthi mbala uJehova uyasiqinisekisa ukuthi sizowuthumba umlandu lo. Kwangithabisa ukubona ukuthi uJehova uyasisebenzisa ukuzalisekisa intandwakhe.

Umlandu lo sawulungiselela bekwaba sebusuku. Ikhotho beyiseduze neBethel yeBrooklyn, yeke inengi leza lazosisekela. Ngemva kokobona abahluleli abane ebebakhona mhloko balalele indabethu bakhupha isiqunto sokobana uDadwethu uNicoleau unelungelo lokukhetha ukulatjhwa ngaphandle kokufakelwa iingazi. Ikhotho ephakemeko yavumelana nalokho uDadwethu uNicoleau akufunako begodu yathi akukafuzi ukuthi amakhotho ahlulele ngaphambi kokuthi abantu babe nelungelo lokukhuluma batjho abakufunako ngombana lokho kuphikisana namalungelwabo.

Ikhotho ephakemeko yeNew York yaqinisekisa amalungelo kaDadwethu uNicoleau bona alatjhwe ngaphandle kokufakelwa iingazi. Mlandu lo neminye emithathu engaba nelungelo lokuthi ngibe khona nasiyithumbako. (Qala ibhoksi elithi,  “State Supreme Court Victories.”) Ngabuye ngaba nelungelo lokuhlangana nabajameli beBethel silungisa iindaba zokuthathwa kwabantwana, zesihlukaniso, zezindlu nezemakhiwo.

Nangithoma ukuhlangana nomkami uDawn bekahlukene ubabakwakhe begodu anabantwana abathathu. Bekasebenza begodu aphayona, waqalana neentjhijilo ezinengi epilwenakhe kodwana kwangithinta ngaphakathi ukubona indlela azimisele ngayo ukulotjha uJehova. Ngo-1992 saya emhlanganweni wesifunda ebewuseNew York City ebewunesihloko esithi, “Light Bearers” kulapho engabawa khona ukuhlekisana naye. Ngemva komnyaka munye satjhada ngabona ukuthi uJehova ungibusisile ngokutjhada nomfazi omthandako nothabela ipilo, ngakuthabela ukuphila noDawn.—IzA. 31:12.

Nasiqeda ukutjhada, umntwanethu omkhulu bekaneminyaka eli-16 omunye aneminyaka eli-13 besekuthi umaswaphela aneminyaka eli-11. Bengifuna ukubakhulisa kuhle njengobaba, yeke ngafunda koke ebengingakufumana eencwadini zethu ezikhuluma ngokuba ngusingababa. Besikhamba sihlangana neenqabo kodwana okungithabisako kukuthi abantwabami bangamukela njengobaba begodu bebangithemba bangiqala njengobaba onethando nongumnganabo. Besihlala samukela abangani babantwana bethu nabazokuvakatjha besithabela ukuba nabantwana abathabileko ngendlini.

Ngo-2013 sinoDawn safudukela eWisconsin siyokusiza ababelethi bethu ebesele baluphele. Kulapho engafumana khona ukuthi ngisesenelungelo lokusebenza eBethel. Bangibawa bona ngisize kwesikhatjhana emnyangweni wezemithetho.

NgoSeptemba 2018, ngayelela ukuthi bengikhohlela khulu. Ngaya kudorhodera, wangihlahluba kodwana bekangazi ukuthi umraro ukuphi. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi ngaya komunye udorhodera yena wangithumela kudorhodera ohlola ukusebenza kwengqondo ngoJanabari 2019 udorhodera wezengqondo lo wafumana bona nginokugula okungakajayeleki okusengqondweni okubizwa ngokuthi yi-prograssive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

Ngemva kwamalanga amathathu ngidlala umdlalo wokutjhelela e-aysini ngatshinyeza umkhonwami. Umdlalo lo, ngiwudlale ukuphila kwami koke, bengiwuthanda tle. Bengazi bona angisakghoni ukulawula indlela engenza ngayo izinto. Indlela ukugula kwami ebekurhagala ngayo bekuthusa tle ngombana bekuphazamisa indlela engikhuluma ngayo, indlela engikhamba ngayo nendlela engiginya ngayo.

Kwangithabisa ukusebenzisa ikghono enginalo lokuba mjameli bona ngithuthukise umBuso kaZimu. Ngiyathaba nangicabanga bona ngibe nelungelo lokutlola iincwadi ezinengi neendaba ezifundwa bodorhodera, bajameli nabahluleli begodu ngibe neenkulumo ezinengi ephasini loke ezijamela amalungelo waboFakazi bona bakghona ukukhetha ukungalatjhwa ngokuthelelwa iingazi. Nangihlathulula umtlolo kaLukasi 17:10 ngingathi, ‘Ngisisebenzi esingasizi ngalitho. Ngenze lokho ebekufuze ngikwenze.’