EMINYAKENI yabo-1930 ubaba, umma amabizwabo nguJames noJessie Sinclair bafudukela eBronx iDorobho leNew York. Omunye wabangani babo bekunguWillie Sneddon, naye bekavela eScotland njengabo. Ngelanga abahlangana ngalo, kwathi kungakapheli nesikhathi eside babe sebakhuluma ngemindenabo. Ngesikhatheso mina bengingakabelethwa.

Umma wacocela uWillie ukuthi kwathi nakuphela iPi eyaba yiMbi khulu, uyise, nomnakwabo batjhingela ngemanzini ngesikhathi isikepe ebebathiya ngaso sizakutjhayisa imayini ye-North Sea. UWillie waphendula wathi, “Ubabakho usesirhogweni!” Kazi uWillie bekanguFakazi, yeke amezwakhe la amdanisa khulu umma. Lokho kwamenza wafuna ukwazi ngeqiniso leBhayibheli.

Into eyenza amagama kaWillie la aphathe umma kabuhlungu kangaka kukuthi uyise bekayindoda ezilungeleko. Kwathi kusese njalo uWillie wathi godu, “Kuzakusiza ngani nangikakutjela ukuthi uJesu naye waya esirhogweni?” Umma wakhumbula ukuthi esondweni lakhe babafundisa ukuthi uJesu waya esirhogweni bese wavuswa elangeni lesithathu. Wathoma wazibuza-ke kwanjesi ukuthi ‘nangabe isirhogo yindawo lapho kutjhiswa abantu abahlongakeleko, alo uJesu yena kubayini aya lapho?’ Umma wathoma lapho-ke ukufuna ukwazi iqiniso leBhayibheli. Wathoma ukuya esifundweni ebandleni leBronx, bese kwathi ngo-1940 wabhajadiswa.

Ngesikhatheso ababelethi abamaKrestu batjelwa ukuthi bafunde nabantwana babo iBhayibheli. Ngesikhathi ngisatataya ngifunda ukukhamba, ubaba bekasala nami umma nakaya esifundweni nesimini ngeempela veke. Kwathi ngemva kweminyaka embalwa sinobaba sathoma ukukhamba nomma esifundweni. Bekakukhuthalele khulu ukutjhumayela, begodu araga neemfundo zeBhayibheli. Ngebanga lokuthi iimfundo zakhe bezisemaduzelana kukhe kwaba nesikhathi la azihlanganisa khona, wazifundela zoke njalo. Nami bekuthi iinkolo nazivaliweko, ngikhambe naye eemfundweni zakhe. Ngafunda okunengi khulu ngeBhayibheli nokuthi kufuze ngibafundise njani abantu lokho elikutjhoko.

Ngibuhlungu ukutjho ukuthi nangisesemncani bengingalithandi kangako iqiniso.  Belingakaqakatheki kimi. Kodwana kwathi nangineminyaka eli-12 ngaba mtjhumayeli ongakabhajadiswa, begodu bengiya qobe esimini. Nangineminyaka eli-16 ngazinikela kuJehova. Nangibhajadiswako bekungomhlaka-24 Julayi 1954, emhlanganweni wesifunda ebewuseToronto, eCanada.

Abafowethu nabodade ebesinabo ebandleni bebasebenza eBethel abanye babo bakhe basebenza khona. Bangikhuthaza khulu tle. Amakghono ebebanawo wokukhuluma newokuhlathulula iBhayibheli angithinta khulu. Nami ngazibekela umgomo wokuya eBethel, ngitjho nanyana abotitjhere bami bebangikhuthaza bona ngiye-eyunivesithi. Emhlanganweni wesifunda esaba nawo eToronto ngafaka isibawo sokuyosebenza eBethel. Ngasifaka godu nangomnyaka ka-1955 emhlanganweni wesifunda ebewusekundleni iYankee eseDorobheni leNew York. Kwathi kungapheli nesikhathi eside, isibawo sami saphendulwa. Nangineminyaka eli-17 ngabizwa bona ngizokusebenza eBethel yeBrooklyn, bekungomhlaka-19 Septemba 1955. Elangeni lesibili ngifikile eBethel, ngayokusebenza ebindery e-117 Adams Street. Kwathi kungakabiphi, ngathoma ukusebenza emtjhinini wokuhlanganisa iincwadi, bengihlanganisa amakhasi ngama-32 ukwenzela bona umtjhini ukghone ukuzihlanganisa.

Ngathi sengiyoqeda umnyaka ngisebenza e-Bindery, ngathunyelwa eMnyango waboMagazini ngebanga lokuthi bengikwazi ukuthayipha. Ngalezankathi abafowethu nabodadwethu bebathayipha iimphande emapleyitini wesimbi angena emtjhinini wesiThala nePhaphama! Ngemva kweenyanga ezimbalwa ngayokusebenza emNyangweni oThumela iincwadi emabandleni. UKlaus Jensen obekasiphethe wangibawa ukuthi ngikhambe nomtjhayeli oyokuthutha iincwadi azithumele ephasini mazombe. Godu bekunabomagazini  ebekufuze baphekelelwe eposini, ukwenzela bona bathunyelwe emabandleni woke we-United States. UMfoweth’ uJensen wathi ubona ngasuthi umsebenzi wezandla ungifanele. Phela bengimncani khulu ngomzimba, bengiziphephukela. Bengikala amakhilogremu ama-57. Amakhambo lawo angiqinisa khulu emzimbeni. UMfoweth’ uJensen kwamambala bekayazi into engifaneleko.

UMnyango waboMagazini bewubuye usebenze nangama-oda wabomagazini bemabandleni. Ngawafunda njalo-ke amalimi abomagazini bethu ebebagadangiselwa kibo eBrooklyn. Nokho bengingakhenge khengiwezwe amanye amalimi, kodwana ebekungithabisa kukuthi abomagazini abaziinkulungwana ezimatjhumi bewafika neendaweni ezikude. Begodu bengingazi nokuthi ngelinye ilanga ngizakhe ngibe nelungelo lokuvakatjhela ezinengi zeendawezo.

Ngo-1961 ngabelwa bona ngiyokusebenza e-ofisini lezeeMali, obekaphethe i-ofiselo nguGrant Suiter. Kwathi ngemva kweminyaka embalwa ngayokusebenza noMfowethu uNathan Knorr obekamdosi phambili ehlanganweni ngesikhatheso. Wasitjela ukuthi omunye wabazalwana abasebenza naye kuzokufuze aye esiKolweni sabaTjhumayeli beVangeli ebesithatha inyanga. Bese nakabuya lapho uzokuyokusebenza emNyango weKonzo. Ngabelwa ukuthatha isikhundla sakhe begodu ngasebenzisana no-Don Adams. Kazi uDon nguye owamukela iforomu lami leBethel engalifaka emhlanganweni wesifunda wango-1955. Abanye abafowethu ebebasebenza e-ofisinelo nguWallen Robert noCharles Molohan. Sasebenza sobane njalo iminyaka engaphezu kwema-50. Kwamambala ngakuthabela khulu ukusebenza nabafowethu ebebathanda uZimabo.—Rhu. 133:1.

Kusukela ngo-1970 ngabelwa bona kanye namkha kabili ngomnyaka ngikhambe  ngivakatjhela amagatja ephasini loke. Bengikhamba ngivakatjhela imindeni yeBethel neenthunywa zevangeli. Bengifika ngibakhuthaze bengiqale namarekhodi wegatja. Maye uthi bekungithabisa na ukuhlangana nabafowethu nabodadwethu abafumana iziqu esiKolweni seGiliyadi eminyakeni yakade, begodu bekungithabisa nokubabona basakhonza uJehova ngokuthembeka. UZimu wangenzela umusa ngokuthi ngivakatjhele iinarha ezingaphezu kwezima-90 ngenza wona umsebenzi lo.

Boke abafowethu nabodadwethu ebebasebenza eBethel bebalwe emabandleni aseDorobheni leNew York. Mina bengisebandleni leBronx. Ibandla lokuthoma endaweni leyo selabeletha namanye amabandla amanengi. Ibandla lokuthomelo labe labizwa ngokuthi yi-Upper Bronx.

Phakathi kweminyaka yabo 1960 kwafika omunye umndeni wamaLatvia ebewuboFakazi. Wathoma ukuhlanganyela ebandleni le south Bronx waya esimini yebandlelo. ULivija indodakazabo ekulu yathi nayiqeda isikolo yaphayona. Ngemva kweenyanga ezimbalwa yaya eMassachusetts, ngomqopho wokusiza lapho kutlhogeka khona abatjhumayeli beendaba ezimnandi. Bengimtlolela ngimtjela ukuthi izinto zikhamba njani ebandleni, naye bekangitjela ukuthi izinto zimkhambela njani eBoston.

Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa, uLivija wabelwa bona abe liphayona elikhethekileko. Bekafuna ukusebenzela uJehova ngendlela ebekangakghona ngayo, lokho kwenza bona afake nesibawo sokuyosebenza eBethel bese kwathi ngomnyaka ka-1971 wabizwa. Bekungasuthi izinto zethu zihlelwe nguJehova. Ngomhlaka-27 Octoba 1973 satjhada, begodu sabusiseka khulu ngombana ikulumwethu yomtjhado sayibekelwa nguMfoweth’ uKnorr. IzAga 18:22 zithi: “Ofumana umfazi ufumene isipho esihle begodu uzuza umusa [kaJehova].” Mina noLivija sisebenze eBethel iminyaka engaphezu kwema-40 yoke. Sisasebenza nebandla leBronx.

Ukusebenza noMfoweth’ uKnorr kwamambala bekumnandi. Bekakhuthele khulu emsebenzini kaZimu begodu azithanda neenthunywa zevangeli ezisebenza ephasini loke. Kazi inengi labo iinarha ebelitjhumayela kizo bekungilo aboFakazi bokuthoma. Kwathi ngo-1976 uMfoweth’ uKnorr wasahlelwa yikankere, bekubuhlungu khulu ukumbona alwisana nobulwelobu. Kwakhamba isikhathi wahlala alele ngebanga lobulwelobu, wangibawa ukuthi ngimfundele iincwadi ebeziyokugadangiswa. Wathi angibize noMfoweth’ uFrederick Franz bona naye azokuzwa njengombana ngifunda. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi ngafumana ukuthi uMfowethu uKnorr bekanokufundela uMfowethu uFranz ngebanga lokuthi bekangasaboni.

UMfowethu uKnorr wahlongakala ngo-1977. Nokho thina ebesimazi kwasiduduza ukukhumbula ukuthi uqede ikambo yokuphila kwakhe kwephasini athembekile.  (IsAm. 2:10) Ngemva kwalokho-ke kwaba nguMfowethu uFranz owasidosa phambili.

Ngesikhatheso mina bengingunobhala kaMfowethu uMilton Henschel, umfowethu lo wasebenza amatjhumitjhumi weminyaka noMfowethu uKnorr. UMfowethu uHenschel wangitjela wathi, kuthoma nje umsebenzakho omkhulu eBethel kuzokuba kusiza uMfowethu uFranz. Ngiqiniseke ukuthi nakafuna ukusizwa ngananyana yini ngibe lapho. Bengimfundela iincwadi nabomagazini ngaphambi kokuthi ziyokugadangiswa. UMfowethu uFranz bekangakhohlwa lula njalo, begodu bekalalelisisa nawumfundelako. Kube sibusiso esikhulu kimi ukusiza uMfowethu uFranz bewaqeda ikambo yokuphila kwakhe kwephasini ngoDisemba 1992.

Yoke iminyaka ema-61 engayisebenza eBethel idlule msinya khulu. Ababelethi bami bahlongakala banobuhlobo obuhle noJehova, yeke ngisiqale ngabomvu isikhathi lapho ngizobamukela khona nabavukako ephasini elingcono. (Jwa. 5:28, 29) Abe akunalitho ephaseneli engamadaniswa nethabo engibe nalo ngokusebenza nabafowethu nabodadwethu ephasini loke. Mina nomkami uLivija sikutjho kuzale umlomo ukuthi ‘ukwenama [esikuphiwe nguJehova] kumamandlethu.’—Nerh. 8:10.

Ehlanganweni kaZimu akekho umuntu oqakatheke ukudlula abanye, kungebangelo umsebenzi wokutjhumayela uphumelela kangaka. Kungilethele ukwaneliseka ukusebenza nabafowethu nabodadwethu abakhutheleko nabathembekileko eminyakeni yoke le. Inengi lamaKrestu akhethiweko ekhe ngasebenza nalo, selawuqeda umsebenzalo wephasini. Nanyana kunjalo ngikuthabele khulu ukuba nabangani abathanda uJehova nabakhutheleko emsebenzinakhe.