Ukwenza Amatjhuguluko Kube Nomvuzo

Ilandiswa nguJames A. Thompson

Nengibelethwako esewula ye-United States ngo-1928, ukuhlukana hlangana kwabantu abamhlophe nabanzima bekusemthethweni. Ukuphula umthetho loyo bekungabangela ukuvalelwa ejele namtjhana okumbi kunalokho.

NGESIKHATHESO kezinye iingcenye ze-United States, aboFakazi BakaJehova abamhlophe nabanzima bekufuze babe namabandla, iimfunda, neengodi ezihlukeneko. Ngo-1937 ubaba waba yinceku yebandla (nje ebizwa ngokobana mthintanisi wesihlopha sabadala) ebandleni labantu abanzima eChattanooga, eTennessee. UHenry Nichols bekayinceku yebandla labamhlophe.

Ngikhumbula izinto ezithabisako ngesikhathi ngisesemutjha ngihlezi emathurini ebusuku ngilalele uBaba noMzalwana uNichols bakhuluma. Ngitjho nanyana bengingazwisisi koke abakutjhoko, bengithabela ukuba seduze noBaba njengombana bobabili bademba indlela engcono yokwenza umsebenzi wokutjhumayela ngaphasi kobujamo bangesikhatheso.

Ekuthomeni kwaka-1930, umndenethu wavelelwa yihlekelele. UMma, ogade aneemnyaka ema-20 kwaphela, wahlongakala. UBaba kwafuze atlhogomele udadwethu oneemnyaka emine, uDoris, nami, ebengineemnyaka eembili kwaphela. Nanyana uBaba gade asand’ ukubhabhadiswa, wathuthuka kuhle ngokomoya.

Iimbonelo Ezaba Nomthelela Ekuphileni Kwami

Ngo-1933, uBaba wahlangana nodade omKrestu omuhle ekuthiwa nguLillie Mae Gwendolyn Thomas, begodu msinyana batjhada. Bobabili uMma noBaba basibekela isibonelo esihle sinoDoris ekukhonzeni uJehova ngokuthembeka.

Ngo-1938 amabandla waboFakazi BakaJehova akhombelwa bona asekele isiqunto sokobana  abadala emabandleni babekwe emzimkhulu eBrooklyn, eNew York, kunokobana bavowudelwe emabandleni. Abanye eChattanooga nebazaza ukwamukela itjhentjhweli, uBaba wamemezela ukusekela kwakhe itjhentjho lehlanganweli ngaphandle kwemibandela. Isibonelo sakhe sokuthembeka—kubandakanye nokusekelwa nguMma ngehliziyo yoke—kwangisiza bekube namhlanjesi.

Ukubhabhadiswa Nekonzo Yesikhathi Esizeleko

Ngo-1940 abambalwa ebandleni lethu baqatjha ibhesi baya emhlanganweni egade useDetroit, eMichigan. Abambalwa egade sikhambe nabo babhabhadiswa lapho. Abanye bazibuza bona kubayini ngingazange ngibhabhadiswe mhlokho, ngombana ngathoma ukutjhumayela ngiseseneemnyaka emihlanu begodu bengikhuthele khulu esimini.

Nebangibuza ngakho, ngaphendula, “Angikuzwisisi koke okubandakanyekako ekubhabhadisweni.” Ubaba wayidobha ngendlebe indaba leyo warareka. Kusukela mhlokho, wenza umzamo ongeziweko ukungisiza ngizwisise bona kutjho ukuthini ukubhabhadiswa nokuqakatheka kwakho. Ngo-Octoba 1, 1940, eenyangeni ezine ezalandelako, ngelanga elimakhaza khulu, ngabhabhadiswa esizibeni esingaphandle kweChattanooga.

Nengineemnyaka eli-14, ngathoma ukuphayona ngeenkhathi zamawolideyi wesikolo wehlobo. Bengitjhumayela emadorobhaneni weTennessee nesifundeni esingumakhelwana eGeorgia. Bengivuka ekuseni, ngenze ukudla kwangedina, ngikhwele ibhesi namtjhana isitimela sango-6:00 ekuseni ngiye esimini. Bengibuya ngabo-6:00 ntambama. Ukudla ebengikuphatha bekuphela kusesekude nokobana kufike isikhathi sedina. Ngitjho nanyana benginemali, bengingakwazi ukungena esitolo ngithenge ukudla okungeziweko ngombana ngimumuntu onzima. Ngesinye isikhathi, ngangena esitolo ngiyokuthenga i-ice cream kodwana ngaqothwa esitolweneso. Umfazi omhlophe onomusa wangilethela yona.

Nengingena esikolweni esiphakemeko, amajima wokulwela amalungelo wobuntu bekathoma ukurhagala eSewula. Iinhlangano ezinjenge-NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) bezikhuthaza abafundi bona bathathe amagadango. Sakhuthazwa bona sibe malunga. Iinkolo ezinengi zabantu abanzima, kuhlanganise nesami, zazibekela umnqopho wokobana boke abafundi babe malunga. Ngagandelelwa bona “ngisekele ihlanga lethu,” njengombana gade kutjhiwo. Kodwana ngala, ngihlathulula bona uZimu akakhethi begodu akaqali elinye ihlanga njengelingcono kunelinye. Ngalokho ngiqala kuZimu bona ararulule ukungalungi okunjalo.—Jwa. 17:14; IZe. 10:34, 35.

Msinyana ngemva kokuqeda isikolo esiphakemeko, ngaqunta ukufudukela eNew York City. Nokho, ngaphambukela ePhiladelphia, ePennsylvania, ukuyokuvakatjhela abangani engahlangana nabo ngaphambilini emhlanganweni. Ibandla lalapho bekungelokuthoma elinabantu abahlukahlukeneko ngokobuhlanga engaya kiyo. Hlangana nokuvakatjhela kwakhe ibandlelo, umbonisi okhambako wangibizela eqadi wangitjela bona ngabelwe ikulumo emhlanganweni olandelako. Lokho kwenza kwaba lula ngami bona ngiqunte ukuhlala lapho.

Hlangana kwabangani engabenza ePhiladelphia bekunodade omutjha okuthiwa nguGeraldine White—namtjhana uGerri, njengombana ngagcina sele ngimbiza njalo. Bekalazi kuhle iBhayibhili begodu bekanekghono lokukhuluma nabaninimuzi ekonzweni yendlu ngendlu.  Okuqakatheke ngokukhethekileko kukobana besinomgomo ofanako wokuba maphayona. Satjhada ngo-Apreli 23, 1949.

Ukumenyelwa EGiliyadi

Umnqophwethu kwekuthomeni bekukukuya eSikolweni SeGiliyadi sibe ziinthunywa zevangeli kwenye inarha. Sakuthabela ukutjhugulula ubujamo bethu bona sifanelekele ukuya eGiliyadi. Msinyana, sakhombelwa bona sithuthele eLawnside, eNew Jersey; ngemva kwalokho saya eChester, ePennsylvania; emaswapheleni saya e-Atlantic City, eNew Jersey. Nesise-Atlantic City, safaneleka ukwenza isibawo sokuya eGiliyadi, ngombana besele sitjhade iimnyaka eembili. Kodwana isimemo sethu sajanyiswa. Kubayini?

Ekuthomeni kwaka-1950, amasokana amanengi bekabizwa bona akhonze emasotjeni alwe epini ebeyiseKorea. Ikomidi ebizela abantu ebusotjeni ePhiladelphia beyibonakala inebandlululo kiboFakazi BakaJehova ngombana bangathathi hlangothi. Emaswapheleni, ngatjelwa lijaji bona ukuhlolwa okwenziwa yi-FBI ngingazi kukufakazele bona angithathi hlangothi. Ngalokho ngoJanabari 11, 1952, i-Presidential Appeal Board yangibeka esigabeni 4-D njengesikhonzi.

Ngo-Arhostosi womnyaka loyo, sinoGerri safumana isimemo sokuya eklasini la-20 leGiliyadi, elathoma ngoSeptemba. Hlangana neemfundo zethu, besilindele ukufumana isabelo sakenye inarha. Udadwethu, uDoris, wathweswa iziqu eklasini le-13 leGiliyadi begodu bekakhonza eBrazil. Qala bona sarareka kangangani nesifumana isabelo sokwenza umsebenzi wesifunda—ukuvakatjhela amabandla wabantu abanzima esifundeni esingesewula se-Alabama! Lokho kwasidanisa ngezinga elithileko ngombana besibeke iinhliziyo zethu ekukhonzeni kwenye inarha.

Ibandla lokuthoma esalivakatjhela beliseHuntsville. Nesifikako, saya kwadade omKrestu ebesizokuhlala kwakhe. Njengombana sipakulula izinto zethu, samuzwa akhuluma emrhaleni athi, “Abantwana bafikile.” Besineemnyaka ema-24 begodu besiqaleka sibancani kunalokho. Ibizwelo elithi, Abantwana, lasinamathela njengombana sikhonza isifundeso.

ISewula kanengi beyibizwa ngokobana yi-Bible Belt ngombana abantu abanengi lapho bebaqala iBhayibhili njengeliqakatheke khulu. Ngalokho kanengi besithomisa iinkulumiswano ngamaphuzu amathathu la alandekako:

(1) Ingcoco efitjhani ngobujamo bephasi.

(2) Isisombululo iBhayibhili esinikelako.

(3) Lokho iBhayibhili ethi sikwenze.

Ngemva kwalokho besikhambisa isiza kufundisa yeBhayibhili efaneleko. Ngonobangela wokuphumelela kwesigijimesi, ngabelwa bona ngibe nengcenye Emhlanganweni ogade unesihloko esithi Umphakathi Wephasi Elitjha ebewubanjelwe eNew York ngo-1953. Lapho ngenza umboniso omalungana netjumayelo leyo enamaphuzu amathathu.

Msinyana, ehlobo lango-1953, ngabelwa ukuyokukhonza njengombonisi wesigodi  eemfundeni zabantu abanzima eSewula. Isimethu beyihlanganisa indawo yoke yeVirginia ukuya eFlorida begodu ukuya etjhingalanga ye-Alabama neTennessee. Kwamambala, ababonisi abakhambako bekufuze bazivumelanise nobujamo bendawo. Ngokwesibonelo, kanengi besihlala emakhaya anganamaphayiphi akhambisa amanzi ngendlini begodu besihlambela ngesikotlelweni sesenke ngemva kwesitofu ngekhwitjhini. Okuthabisako, leyo gade kuyindawo efuthumele kinazo zoke ngendlini!

Isitjhijilo Sebandlululo Ngokobuhlanga

Ukukhonza eSewula bekutlhoga ukuhlela kusesengaphambili nokuhlakanipha bona izinto zenzeke. Abantu abanzima bebangakavunyelwa bona basebenzise iindawo ezibhadelwako zokuhlanza izembatho. Ngalokho uGerri bekaya lapho ahlathulule bona izambatho bekungezaka “Kkz. Thompson.” Abantu abanengi bebacabanga bona usisebenzi begodu ‘uKkz. Thompson’ loyo bekayikosikazi yendlu. Ababonisi besigodi nebatjengisa ngefilimu enesihloko esithi The New World Society in Action, bengifowunela esitolo ngiqatjhele “uNom Thompson” isikrini esikhulu. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, bengiya esitolo ngiyosithatha. Ngaso soke isikhathi besinomoya ophasi begodu ngokujayelekileko besenza ikonzo yethu ngaphandle komraro.

Bekunelinye ihlobo lebandlululo, ibandlululo lendawo, bekubandlululwa labo abavela eTlhagwini. Iphephandaba lendawo khelatlola ngokobana uJames A. Thompson, Jr., we-Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York uzokunikela ikulumo emhlanganweni. Abanye bacabanga bona lokho kutjho bona ngivela eNew York, begodu isivumelwano sethu sokusebenzisa iwolo yesikolo sasulwa. Ngalokho ngaya ekomidini yesikolo ngahlathulula bona ngafunda esikolweni esiseChattanooga. Ngalokho sanikelwa imvume yokubamba umhlangano wethu wesifunda.

Ukuninana ngobuhlanga kwarhagala hlangana kwaka-1950, begodu ngezinye iinkhathi bekuba nenturhu. Ngo-1954, abanye baboFakazi baphatheka kumbi lokha kunganaankhulumi zabantu abanzima emihlanganweni yesigodi eminengi. Sabakhuthaza abazalwana bethu abanzima bona babekezele. Ngehlobo elilandelako, ngabelwa ikulumo. Ngemva kwalokho, abazalwana abanzima abanengi ngeSewula bebasehlelweni.

Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, ukulwa ngobuhlanga eSewula kwancipha, kancani kancani amabandla athoma ukuhlangana. Lokhu kwatlhoga bona kwabelwe kabutjha abarhuweleli emabandleni ahlukahlukeneko kuhlanganise ukulungisa amasimu webandla nemithwalo yefanelo yabazalwana abadosa phambili. Abanye abazalwana, kokubili abanzima nabamhlophe, azange balithande ilungiselelo elitjheli. Nokho, abanengi, bebanganabandlululo, njengoBabethu wezulwini. Kuhle kuhle, abanengi gade babangani abatjhideleneko kungakhathaliseki bona bahlukile ngokombala. Ekhaya saba nokuhlangabezanwe nakho okufana nalokho ngabo-1930 nabo-1940 nengikhululako.

Isabelo Esitjha

NgoJanabari ka-1969, sinoGerri safumana isimemo sokuya eGuyana, eSouth America, sasamukela ngethabo isibaweso. Sathoma ngokuya eBrooklyn, eNew York, lapho ngafumana ibandulo lokutlhogomela umsebenzi wokutjhumayela eGuyana. Safika lapho ngoJulayi ka-1969. Ngemva kweemnyaka eli-16 ngisemsebenzini wokubhoda, bekulitjhentjho elikhulu ukuhlala  endaweni yinye. UGerri wasebenzisa amalanga wakhe amanengi asesimini njengesithunywa sevangeli, mina bengisebenza e-ofisini legatja.

Umsebenzami bewuhlanganisa koke kusukela ekusikeni utjani nekutlhogomeleni iincwadi zamabandla angaba ma-28 kuhlanganise nokuthintana nomzimkhulu weBrooklyn. Bengisebenza ama-awara ali-14 kuya kwali-15 qobe langa. Bekumsebenzi obudisi kithi sobabili, kodwana besisithabela isabelo sethu. Nesifikako, bekunabarhuweleli abama-950 eGuyana; namhlanjesi kunabarhuweleli abangaphezu kwe-2 500.

Ngitjho nanyana besithabela ubujamo bezulu obuhle neenthelo nemirorho emnandi, ithabo lethu leqiniso gade likukobana abantu abazithobileko ebebathanda ukwazi iqiniso leBhayibhili bebafunda ngoMbuso kaZimu. Kanengi uGerri bekaraga iimfundo zeBhayibhili ezima-20 qobe veke, begodu abanengi balabo esafunda nabo bathuthukela ekubhabhadisweni. Abanye, nekukhamba isikhathi, baba maphayona, badala bamabandla, baya ngitjho neGiliyadi baba ziinthunywa zevangeli.

Iintjhijilo, Khulu Khulu Zepilo

Ngo-1983 ababelethi bami e-United States batlhoga isizo. Mina, noDoris, noGerri, saba nomhlangano womndeni. UDoris, ogade sele akhonze iimnyaka ema-35 eBrazil njengesithunywa sevangeli, wakhetha ukubuya azobatlhogomela. Wathi kubayini kufuze kukhitjhwe iinthunywa zevangeli eembili esimini, nengabe kukhona sinye esingawenza umsebenzi? Solokho kwahlongakala ababelethi bethu, uDoris wahlala eChattanooga begodu ukhonza njengephayona elikhethekileko.

Ngo-1995 kwafumaneka bona nginekankere ye-prostate kwafuze ngibuyele e-United States. Sahlala eGoldsboro, eTlhagwini yeCarolina, ngombana simaphakathi nomdenami eTennessee newakaGerri ePennsylvania. Ikankere yami ingcono, begodu sikhonza ebandleni leGoldsboro njengamaphayona akhethekileko anganapilo kuhle.

Njengombana ngiqala emva emnyakeni ema-65 ngisekonzweni yesikhathi esizeleko, ngiyathaba bona uJehova usibusisile mina noGerri ngokwenza amatjhuguluko athileko bona simkhonze. Qala bona aliqiniso kangangani amezwi kaDavidi nekathi: “Kothembekileko [uJehova] uyokwenza ngokuthembeka”!—2 Sam. 22:26.

[Iinthombe ekhasini 3]

UBaba noMzalwan’ uNichols bangibekela isibonelo esihle

[Iinthombe ekhasini 4]

Ngo-1952, nginoGerri silungele ukuya eGiliyadi

[Iinthombe ekhasini 5]

Ngemva kokuya eGiliyadi, sabelwa emsebenzini wokubhoda eSewula

[Isithombe ekhasini 6]

Ngo-1966, ababonisi abakhambako nabafazi babo balungiselela umhlangano wesigodi oqarhe zoke iinhlanga

[Isithombe ekhasini 7]

Ikonzo yeenthunywa zevangeli eGuyana beyithabisa