NJENGOMBANA akhulela emphakathini otlhagako eCôte d’Ivoire, uPascal wakufuna khulu ukuphila okungcono. Nekasesembethi maguduva osafundako, wazibuza, ‘Ngingalifumanaphi ithuba lokuba yikutani kezemidlalo ngibe nayinjinga?’ Nekaseminyakeni yama-20, waphetha ngokuthi eYurobhu kula aya khona. Njengombana bekanganazo iincwadi zokukhamba, kwafuze angene eYurobhu ngokungasisemthethweni.

Ngo-1998, nekana-27, uPascal wathoma ikhambo lakhe. Weqa umkhawulo wangena eGhana, warabhula iTogo wayokuphumela eBenin, ekugcineni wafika edorobheni leBirni Nkonni eNiger. Nje-ke khona besekazokuhlangana neembila zithutha. Nekazakuya etlhagwini, bekufuze agove itrogo, ayokudlula eRhalawumbeni leSahara. Bekuzakuthi nekafika eMedithera, akhwele isikepe esiya eYurobhu. Ngilokho ebekakuhlelile—kodwana wakhandelwa zizinto ezimbili ezenzeka eNiger.

Kokuthoma, waphelelwa yimali. Kwesibili, wahlangana noNoé oliphayona, owathoma ukumfundela iBhayibheli. Akufundako kwamthinta khulu kangangobana wabe watjhentjha nombonwakhe ngokuphila. Iminqophwakhe ngezinto eziphathekako yajanyiselwa zizinto ezingokomoya. NgoDisemba 1999, uPascal wabhajadiswa. Ukuthi umthokoza kangangani uJehova, kwabonakala mhla athoma ukuphayona ngo-2001 eNiger—edorobheni lalapho afunda khona iqiniso. Uzizwa njani ngekonzwakhe? Uthi, “Ngithola okungcono khulu ekuphileni!”

NjengoPascal, inengi labantu lilemukile bona nelizakwaneliseka epilweni, kufuze lidzimelele ekufuneni izinto ezingokomoya. Nebazakufikelela iminqopho enjalo, abanye batjhiye iYurobhu bafudukela e-Afrika bonyana bakhonze eendaweni lapho kunetlhogeko ekulu yabarhuweleli bomBuso. Eqinisweni, pheze aboFakazi abama-65 abavela eYurobhu—abahlangana kweminyaka eli-17 nema-70—bafudukela la umsebenzi wokutjhumayela wande khona, eenarheni zeTjingalanga ye-Afrika eBenin, eBurkina Faso, eNiger, neTogo. * Khuyini eyabatjhukumisela bona benze itjhentjho elikhulu kangaka, begodu waba yini umphumela walokho?

U-Anne-Rakel ovela eDenmark uthi: “Ababelethi bami bebaziinthunywa zevangeli eSenegal. Bebahlala bakhuluma kamnandi ngepilo yeenthunywa zevangeli kangangobana ngafuna ukuphila okunjalo.” Pheze eminyakeni eli-15 eyadlulako, u-Anne-Rakel gade asanduk’uhlanganisa iminyaka ema-20, nakazakufudukela eTogo lapho akhonza khona ebandleni lelimi lezandla. Ukufuduka kwakhe kwabakhuthaza njani abanye? Uthi: “Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi udadwethu omncani nomnakwethu bangilandela eTogo.”

U-Aurele, umzalwana otjhadileko oneminyaka ema-70 ovela eFrance, uthi: “Eminyakeni emihlanu edlulileko, nangithatha umhlalaphasi, bekufuze ngikhethe hlangana nokuphila okuthulileko eFrance bese ngilindele iPharadesi lifike, namtjhana ngithathe amagadango wokwandisa ikonzwami.” U-Aurele wakhetha ukwandisa ikonzwakhe. Pheze eminyakeni emithathu edlulileko, yena nomkakhe, u-Albert-Fayette, bafudukela eBenin. U-Aurele uthi, “Ukuzinikela kwethu bona sikhonze uJehova la yinto ehle khulu ekhe sayenza.” Nakaragako, “umphumela waba kukuthi, iingcenye zesimethu ezimagega nelwandle zingenza ngizibone ngisePharadesi.”

Eminyakeni eli-16 eyadlulako, uClodomir nomkakhe uLysianne, bafuduka eFrance baya eBenin. Ekuthomeni, bebawukhumbula khulu umndeni nabangani babo beFrance, begodu isibilesi besinevalo lokuthi singabhalelwa kujayelana nepilwaso etja. Nanyana kunjalo, belingekho ibanga lokusaba. Baba nethabo elikhulu. UClodomir uthi, “Nasesibala ngokwesilinganiso, eminyakeni eli-16 le, saba nelungelo lokusiza umuntu ngamunye ngomnyaka bona amukele iqiniso.”

USébastien noJohanna, isibili esitjhadileko esivela eFrance, safudukela eBenin ngo-2010. USébastien uthi, “Kunomsebenzi omnengi ebandleni. Ngokukhonza la, zinengi izinto ozifundako begodu lokho kwenzeka msinyana!” Abantu basabela njani ekonzweni? UJohanna uthi: “Abantu bomele iqiniso. Ngitjho nalapho singasi sekonzweni yokutjhumayela, abantu bayasivimba, basibuze imibuzo yeBhayibheli, bafune neencwadi zethu.” Ukufuduka kuwuthinte njani umtjhadwabo? USébastien uthi: “Kuwuqinisile umtjhadwethu. Kuyathabisa ukusebenza nomkami mihle namalanga ekonzweni.”

U-Eric nomkakhe, uKaty, bakhonza endaweni enabantu abangasi banengi kangako etlhagwini yeBenin. Eminyakeni elitjhumi edlulileko, nebasahlala eFrance, bathoma ukufunda iinhloko ezikhuluma ngokukhonza lapho kunetlhogeko ekulu, bebacoca nabatjhumayeli besikhathi esizeleko. Lokhu kwabasela isifiso sabo sokufudukela ngaphetjheya—okungilokho abakwenza ngo-2005. Babona ituthuko ethabisa kwamambala. U-Eric uthi: “Eminyakeni eembili edlulileko, isiqhema sethu edorobheni leTanguiéta besinabarhuweleli abali-9; kwanje sinabarhuweleli abama- 30. NgoSondo, ababa khona emhlanganweni baba hlangana nama-50 nama-80. Awazi bona kuthabisa kangangani ukubona ituthuko enjalo!”

Ngiziphi iintjhijilo abanye “abakhonza lapho kunetlhogeko ekulu khona” abaqalana nazo? UBenjamin, oneminyaka ema-33, mnakwabo laka-Anne-Rakel. Ngo-2000 eDenmark, wahlangana nesithunywa sevangeli ebesikhonza  eTogo. UBenjamin uyakhumbula: “Nengitjela isithunywa sevangeli bona ngifuna ukuphayona, sathi: ‘Bewazi na, ukuthi ungakghona ukuphayona eTogo.’” UBenjamin wacabanga ngalokho. Uthi: “Bengingakayihlanganisi iminyaka ema-20 ngesikhatheso, kodwana abodadwethu ababili besele bakhonza eTogo. Lokho kwangenzela ubulula bokuya lapho.” Wafuduka-ke. Nanyana kunjalo bekusese nesinye isitjhijilo. UBenjamin uyanaba: “Bengingazi nalinye ibizo lesiFrench. Iinyanga ezisithandathu zokuthoma bezibudisi ngombana bengingakghoni ukucoca.” Nokho, ngokukhamba kwesikhathi wenza ituthuko. Kwanje uBenjamin ukhonza eBethel yeBenin, udiliva iincwadi begodu usiza emnyangweni wezamakhophyutha.

U-Eric noKaty, okukhulunywe ngabo ngaphambilini, bakhonza esimini yabantu abakhuluma amalimi wakwezinye iinarha eFrance ngaphambi kobana bafudukele eBenin. Gade ihluke ngani-ke indawo le eseTjingalanga ne-Afrika? UKaty uthi: “Gade kungasilula ukufumana indawo efaneleko yokuhlala. Iinyanga ezinengi besihlala ngendlini enganagezi namanzi wepompi.” U-Eric uyangezelela: “Emphakathini wakhona bebasirasela ngombhino ubusuku boke. Bekufuze ubekezelele izinto ezifana nalezi begodu uzivumelanise nobujamo.” Bobabili bayavuma: “Ithabo lokukhonza esimini engakhenge kutjhunyayelwe kiyo lidlula nanyana ngibuphi ubudisi.”

UMichel noMarie-Agnès, isibili esitjhadileko esivela eFrance esiseminyakenaso yama-50, safudukela eBenin pheze iminyaka emihlanu edlulileko. Bazizwa batshwenyekile. UMichel uthi: “Abanye bamadanisa ukufuduka kwethu nomuntu oqaqada phezu kwentambo asunduza ingolovana! Bekungakuthusa lokho nengabe awazi bona umuntu oqaqada phezu kwentambo loyo bekunguJehova. Yeke, safuduka-ke ngombana uJehova bekasisekela.”

Labo abahlangabezana neentjhijilo ezinjengezalabo abatjhumayela la umsebenzi wokutjhumayela wande khona baveza ukuqakatheka kokuzilungiselela ngokusebenzisa amagadango la: Hlela kusesengaphambili. Funda ukuzivumelanisa nobujamo. Isebenzise kuhle imali. Thembela kuJehova.—Luk. 14:28-30.

USébastien, okukhulunywe ngaye ngaphambilini, uyalandisa: “Ngaphambi kobana bafuduke yena noJohanna babeka imali iminyaka emibili ngokunciphisa iindleko zabo zokuzithabisa nokungasathengi izinto abangazitlhogiko.” Bona baragele phambili bakhonza kezinye iinarha, umnyaka ngamunye bebasebenza eYurobhu iinyanga ezimbalwa, ebekubavumela bona baphayone eBenin umnyaka woke.

UMarie-Thérèse ungomunye wabodade abama-20 abangakatjhadi abavela kezinye iinarha abakhonza “lapho  kunetlhogeko ekulu” eTjingalanga ye-Afrika. Yena-ke, wasebenza njengomtjhayeli webhesi eFrance; ngo-2006 wathatha ilifu yonyaka woke bona ayokuphayona eNiger. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, besele azi ukuthi le yipilo egade afuna ukuyiphila. UMarie-Thérèse uthi: “Ngemva kokubuyela eFrance, ngakhuluma nomqatjhami ngesifiso sami sokutjhentjha indlela engisebenza ngayo, begodu bekazimisele ukuyitjhentjha. Kwanje, kusukela ngoMeyi bekube ngu-Arhostosi, ngisebenza njengomtjhayeli webhesi eFrance, bese kuthi ngoSeptemba kuya ku-Apreli, ngikhonze njengephayona eNiger.”

Labo ‘abafuna qangi umBuso’ bangaba nethemba lokobana uJehova uzobanikela ‘zoke ezinye izinto abazitlhogako.’ (Mat. 6:33) Ngokwesibonelo: Cabanga ngalokho okwenzeka kuSaphira, udade ongakatjhadi ovela eFrance oseminyakeni yama-20 ophayona eBenin. Ngo-2011 wabuyela eFrance bona ayozifunela imali, khona azokwazi ukuzisekela emnyakeni olandelako (okumnyakakhe wesithandathu) e-Afrika. USaphira uyalandisa: “BekungeLesihlanu, kulilanga lami lokugcina emsebenzini, kodwana bengisatlhoga amalanga alitjhumi wokusebenza bona ngifumane imali eyaneleko yomnyaka olandelako. Bengisasalelwe naziimveke ezimbili kwaphela eFrance. Ngathandaza kuJehova, ngihlathulula ubujamo bami. Msinyana ngemva kwalokho, ngafowunelwa ngebekampani efunelana umsebenzi, bangibuza bona ngingakghona ukujamiselela omunye emsebenzini iimveke ezimbili na.” NgoMvulo uSaphira waya endaweni yomsebenzi bona abandulwe sisebenzi azokungena esikhundleni saso. Nasekatjho uthi: “Okwararako kulokha nengifumana bona umuntu lo naye ngudade omKrestu obekafuna amalanga alitjhumi wokuya esiKolweni seKonzo samaPhayona! Umqatjhakhe wala ukumnikela ilifu bekube kulapho afumana umuntu ozomjamiselela. Wabawa uJehova bona angenele—njengombana nami ngimbawile.”

Abanye abavela kezinye iindawo bakhonze eTjingalanga ye-Afrika iminyaka eminengi khulu begodu indawo leyo beseyilikhaya labo. Abanye bakghone ukuhlala iminyaka embalwa ngemva kwalokho babuyela eenarheni zemakhabo. Kodwana nanamhlanjesi, abantu abanjalo abakhe batjhumayela la umsebenzi wokutjhumayela wande khona basazuza eminyakeni abayikhonze kezinye iinarha. Bafunde bona ukwaneliseka kwamambala ekuphileni kuza ngokukhonza uJehova.