NGAKHULELA eGraz, e-Austria. Nangineminyaka elikhomba ngaya esikolweni sesondo leRoma. Kodwana ngathuswa ziziga ezenziwa baphristi nabomma abazinikeleko besondweni, baziphatha kumbi ngokwamabhayi. Umma wathi kungcono ngisilise isikolwesi kungakapheli nomnyaka.

Ngasuka ekhaya ngayokuhlala kesinye isikolo. Kwakhe kwaba kumbi eGraz, kuthuthumba amabhomu ngapha nangapha. Ubaba weza agijima bona azongisa endaweni ephephileko. Saphephela edorobheni leSchladming. Sathi nasifika endaweni leyo kwathuthumba ibhrorho esiqeda ukudlula kilo. Kwesinye isikhathi bekuza isiphaphamtjhini sidumuze endaweni ebesihlala kiyo sinogogo. Kwathi nakuphela ipi, kwabonakala bona isondo norhulumende basidanisile.

Ngo-1950 kweza uFakazi ekhaya, wathoma ukucoca nomma. Bengibalalela nabacocako, umma nakamenywelwa esifundweni bengikhamba naye. Umma waqiniseka mhlokho bona aboFakazi bakaJehova baneqiniso. Wabhajadiswa ngo-1952.

Emihleni leyo ibandla lethu belizele abogogo kwaphela. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi savakatjhela ibandla elinabatjha abanengi, abogogo bebangasibanengi nokho. Nasibuyela eGraz, ngathoma ukuya kiyo yoke imihlangano, nami ngalemuka bona lokho engikufundako bekuliqiniso. Ngafunda nangoJehova ongabadanisiko abantu bakhe. Ubasekela nanyana banganandlela yokuphuma.—Rhu. 3:5, 6.

Bengikuthanda ukutjhumayela. Yeke, ngalinga ukutjhumayeza abantwana bekhaya. Abodadwethu abane abadala kimi bebangasahlali ekhaya bebabomistresi esikolweni. Kodwana bengibavakatjhela lapho bahlala khona ngibakhuthaze bona bafunde iBhayibheli. Nangambala balifunda baba boFakazi bakaJehova.

 Ngathi ngineemveke ezimbili ngingena umuzi nomuzi, ngahlangana nomma oseminyakeni ematjhumi amathathu, ngafunda naye iBhayibheli. Wathuthuka bewabhajadiswa. Ubabakwakhe namadodanakhe amabili bamlandela, nabo babhajadiswa. Isifundweso saqinisa ukukholwa kwami. Kubayini ngitjho njalo? Kazi mina khenge ngifundelwe iBhayibheli. Yeke bekufuze ngilungiselele kuhle isifundo ngasinye. Kuhlekuhle bengizifundisa mina, ngifundisa nomfundi! Lokho kwangenza ngalithanda khulu iqiniso, kwathi ngo-Apreli 1954 ngabhajadiswa.

Ngo-1955 ngaya emhlanganweni weentjhaba eGermany, eFrance ne-England. Ngathi ngiseLondon ngahlangana no-Albert Schroeder obekafundisa esiKolweni seGiliyadi, kamva owaba lilunga lesiHlopha esiBusako. Njengombana besisemiziyamu nje umnakwethu lo wasitjengisa imitlolo yakade okutjhugululwe kiyo iBhayibheli. Beyinebizo lakaZimu litlolwe ngesiHebheru. Wahlathulula bona beyiqakatheke kangangani. Lokho kwangikghwatha kwamambala, kwangenza ngazimisela khulu ukusekela iqiniso eliseliZwini lakaZimu.

Ngathoma ukuba liphayona lesikhathi esizeleko ngomhlaka-1 Janabari 1956. Ngemva kweenyanga ezine ngaba liphayona elikhethekileko e-Austria. Edorobheni engathunyelwa kilo iMistelbach bebangekho aboFakazi. Kodwana ngahlangabezana nomunye umraro. Mina nomuntu ebengiphayona naye besihlukile. Bese ngiyokuba neminyaka eli-19 ngivela edorobheni, yena ana-25 avela emakhaya. Bengilala ilanga belingene ngemlonyeni, yena avuka ngesamarimarima. Akube sentambama, mina ngisafuna ukuditjha, yena ufuna ukulala leso sikhathi. Kodwana ngokusebenzisa iinluleko zeBhayibheli, sabekezelelana sagcina sesiphumelela njengamaphayona.

Eqinisweni iintjhijilo esaqalana nazo zingaphezu kwalokho. Besahlunguphazwa kodwana nokho ‘besingakalahlwa.’ (2 Kor. 4:7-9) Kwathi ngelinye ilanga sisatjhumayela kumnandi kunjaya, abantu batjhapulula izinja. Sazithola sesiragelelwe zizinja ezikulu, nawuthi uyaziqala zimazinyo abukhali. Sabambana ngezandla, ngathandaza ngathi “Jehova ngiyakubawa, nakwenzaka zisibambe kwanga singazifela msinya.” Izinja zeza zizile, kodwana zathi nase ziseduze zajama, ngemva kwalokho zadlalisa imisila zajika. Savele sabona ukuthi la khona sivikelwe nguJehova. Ngemva kwalokho sayitjhumayela yoke indawo le, kwasimangaza ukubona abantu basilalela. Kungenzeka bazibuza ukuthi kuze njani izinjezi zingakasilumi mhlamunye bazibuza nokuthi sikghone njani ukubekezelela ukutlhoriswa okunje. Kungebangelo inengi labo namhlanjesi liboFakazi.

Kwaba nokhunye ukuthuselwa. Indoda ebesiqatjhe kwawo ngelinye ilanga yabuya ibuzwile, yafika yasithembisa ukuthi izasibulala batjho sinjalo nje sitshwenya nabomakhelwana. Umkakhe wazama ukumbonisa kodwana beyingafuni ukuzwa, phela beyidakiwe. Njengombana besingelawini elingaphezulu, besizwa koke okwenzeka ngelawini labo. Sabona kungcono sibeke iintulo emnyango begodu sathoma nokupaka imithwadlanethu. Sathi nasivula umnyango indoda nasi  iphethe umukhwa ongangani. Savele sabona ukuthi nasekunje ayikho enye sekuratha ummango, saphuma ngomnyango ongemva, safahla endleleni ede ebeyiphakathi kwamasimu. Sikhamba nje siphethe nemithwadlanethu. Akhenge sisalibeka lapho.

Saya ewotela, sabawa ukuqatjha ilawu. Sahlala pheze umnyaka woke lapho begodu lokho kwawuthuthukisa khulu umsebenzethu wokutjhumayela. Mhlamunye uyazibuza ukuthi njani? Iwotela le beyiphakathi nedorobho, yeke abanye babantu ebesibafundela bebeza kithi bazokufundela la sihlala khona. Kwathi kungakayiphi sabe sesibamba isifundo sencwadi nesiThala, besizibambela ngelawini lethu khona ewotelapho. Kanengi bekuba nabantu abangaba li-15.

Sahlala eMistelbach isikhathi esingaphezu komnyaka. Bese kwathi kamva ngabelwa bona ngiyokukhonza eFeldbach ebeyingesewula yeGraz. Lapho-ke bese ngiphayona nomunye udadwethu, nakhona bekunganabandla. Ilawu ebesihlala kilo belilincani begodu belisesitezini sesibili endlini ebeyakhiwe ngeengodo. Yeke ummoya bewungena hlangana neengodwezo. Seza neplani yokuvala iimbobwezo ngamaguranda. Namanzi besiwathola epetsini. Kodwana ngeze sathi siyazisola ngakho koke lokho. Kazi kwathi sekudlule iinyanga ezimbalwa, kwaba nesiqhema. Safunda nabantu bemzini owodwa abangaba ma-30, begodu boke njalo bababoFakazi.

Zoke izintwezo zangenza ngamthokoza khulu uJehova ngokusekela abantu ababeka umsebenzakhe phambili ekuphileni kwabo. Ngitjho nanyana abantu bangabhalelwa ukusisiza, uJehova yena angekhe abhalelwa.—Rhu. 121:1-3.

Ngo-1958 eDorobheni leNew York, ematatawini weYankee kwabanjelwa umhlangano weentjhabatjhaba. Ngafaka isibawo sokuya emhlanganweni lo, ngapha negatja le-Austria langibizela eklasini lesi-32 lesiKolo seGiliyadi. Bengeze ngalisa ilungelo elihle kangaka! Akhenge ngiriyade ngavele ngathi, “ngitjhinga khona.”

Eklasini leGiliyadi ngahlala hlanu kwakaMartin Poetzinger. Umnakwethu lo wabekezelela ukuhlunguphazwa okubuhlungu ekampeni yamaNazi. Naye waba lilunga lesiHlopha esiBusako. Ngezinye iinkhathi eklasini bekanande angihlebela, angibuza athi: “Erika, kutjho ukuthi lokhu ngesiJarimani?”

 Kwathi phakathi nokufunda kwethu eklasini, kwafika isikhathi lapho umnakwethu uNathan Knorr asinikela khona izabelo zethu. Mina ngabelwa eParaguay. Ngombana bengimncani bengitlhoga imvumo kababa bona ngiye eParaguay. Ngemva kokobana angivumele, ngafika eParaguay ngoMatjhi 1959. Ngahlaliswa endlini yeenthunywa zevangeli ese-Asunción, nomuntu ebengiphayona naye.

Kungapheli isikhathi esingangani ngahlangana noWalter Bright, naye obekasithunywa sevangeli owafunda eklasini lama-30 leGiliyadi. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi satjhada, saqalana neenqabo sisobabili. Bekuthi nanyana kunini nasiqalana neentjhijilo sifunde isithembiso sakaJehova esiku-Isaya 41:10 esithi: “Ungethuki ngombana nginguZimakho. Ngiyakuqinisa.” Amezwi la asiqinisekisa ukuthi nasilwela ukuhlala sithembekile kuZimu sibeke nomBuswakhe qangi, angeze asitjhiya.

Sakhamba njalo isikhathi, sabelwa emkhawulweni weBrazil. Umfundisi wendawo le watjela abantu abatjha bona bakape umuzi weenthunywa zevangeli ebesihlala kiwo ngamatje, nawo umzethu lo besele ungasesesebujamweni obuhle. UWalter wathoma ukufunda iBhayibheli nesikhulu samapholisa. Yeke, amapholisa bekaqiniseka bona siphephile, ubusuku nemini bekajama lapho besihlala khona begodu nabatjhutjhisaba akhenge basasitlhorisa. Kungapheli isikhathi esingangani, safuduka endaweni leyo, satjhinga endaweni engconywana khona ngeBrazil. Indawo le beyiyihle ngombana besikghona ukubamba imihlangano ngelimi leParaguay neleBrazil. Ngaphambi kokuthi sikhambe endaweni le, besele kunamabandla amabili amancani.

Abodorhodere bangitjela ukuthi angeze ngabafumana abantwana, yeke kungebangelo samangala khulu ngo-1962 nasizwa batjho sizokuba nomntwana. Sagcina sesinomzethu eFlorida yeHollywood ehlanu komndeni kaWalter. Kwadlula iminyaka embalwa, singakghoni ukuphayona. Kazi phela bekufuze sitlhogomele umndeni. Nanyana kunjalo besizithathela phezulu izinto ezimalungana nomBuso.—Mat. 6:33.

Kwathi ngoNovemba 1962 nasifika eFlorida samangala khulu nasifumana ukuthi kunokuhlukana kubanakwethu, safunda ukuthi abanakwethu abanzima bebahlanganyela bodwa begodu batjhumayela endawenabo bodwa. Abazalwana abamakhuwa nabo bebahlanganyela bodwa begodu batjhumayela bodwa. Kodwana ngebanga lokuthi uJehova akakhethi, ngokukhamba kwesikhathi abanakwethu abanzima nabamhlophe babuye bahlangana godu. Mbala isandla sakaJehova sabonakala endabeni le ngombana sikhuluma nje kunamabandla amanengi endaweni le.

Nokho okubuhlungu kukuthi ubabakwami uWalter wahlongakala ngo-2015 ngebanga lobulwele bekankere yengqondo. Bekayindoda ehle tle iminyaka ema-55 yoke, bekamthanda uJehova begodu wasiza nabazalwana abanengi. Ngiqale phambili ephasini elitjha, lapho ngizombona sele avusiwe begodu anepilo ehle.—IzE. 24:15.

Kungithokozisa khulu ukuthi ngisebenzele uZimu isikhathi esizeleko iminyaka ema-40 begodu ngithabele izinto ezihle neembusiso. Ngokwesibonelo mina noWalter kwasithabisa khulu ukubona abantu esifundele iBhayibheli abali-136 babhajadiswa. Iye neentjhijilo nazo bezikhona. Kodwana akhenge sizivumele zisenze silise ukulotjha uZimethu. Kunalokho satjhidela khulu kuye sathembela kuye bona asirarululele imirarwethu ngendlelakhe. Begodu ngilokho asenzela khona!—2 Thim. 4:16, 17.

Nanje ngisamkhumbula uWalter kodwana ukuphayona kuyangisiza ngiqalane nesitjhijilweso. Kungisiza khulu ukufundisa abanye ngeBhayibheli begodu ngicoce nabo ngethemba levuko. Ngingalitjho lizale umlomo lokuthi uJehova akhenge nakanye angilahle. Ube nami, wangiqinisa waraga nokungibamba “ngesidla sami sokuphumelela.”—Isa. 41:10.