UMFANA ombona apha enompostile uPawulos nguTimoti. UTimoti uhlala nentsapho yakowabo eListra. Igama likanina nguYunike yaye uninakhulu nguLoyisi.

Sisihlandlo sesithathu esi uPawulos etyelela eListra. Malunga nonyaka ngaphambili, uPawulos noBharnabhas beza apha okokuqala kuhambo lokushumayela. Yaye ngoku uPawulos ubuyile kwakhona nomhlobo wakhe uSilas.

Ngaba uyayazi into ethethwa nguPawulos kuTimoti? ‘Ungathanda na ukuhamba nam noSilas?’ uyabuza. ‘Ungasincedisa ekushumayeleni kubantu abakwiindawo ezikude.’

‘Ewe,’ uyaphendula uTimoti, ‘ndingathanda ukuhamba.’ Kwangoko kamva uTimoti uyayishiya intsapho yakowabo aze ahambe noPawulos noSilas. Kodwa ngaphambi kokufunda ngohambo lwabo, masifumanise oko bekusenzeka kuPawulos. Sekumalunga neminyaka eli-17 okokoko uYesu wabonakala kuye endleleni eya eDamasko.

Khumbula, uPawulos wayeze eDamasko ngenjongo yokutshutshisa abafundi bakaYesu, kodwa ngoku ungumfundi yena ngokwakhe! Kamva, ezinye iintshaba ziceba ukumbulala uPawulos kuba aziyithandi imfundiso yakhe engoYesu. Kodwa abafundi banceda uPawulos abaleke. Bamfaka engobozini baze bamehlisele ngaphandle kodonga lwesixeko.

Kamva uPawulos uya kushumayela kwa-Antiyokwe. Kulapha apho abalandeli bakaYesu babizwa okokuqala njengamaKristu. Ukusuka kwa-Antiyokwe uPawulos noBharnabhas bathunyelwa ukuba baye kushumayela kumazwe akude. Esinye sezixeko abazityelelayo yiListra, ikhaya likaTimoti.

Ngoku, malunga nonyaka kamva, uPawulos ubuyele eListra okwesibini. Xa uTimoti ehamba noPawulos noSilas, uyazi na ukuba bayaphi? Khangela emaphini, size sifunde ngezinye zeendawo.

Kuqala, baya kwi-Ikoniyo ekufutshane, baze ke baye kwisixeko sesibini sakwa-Antiyokwe. Emva koko bayenyuka ukuya eTrowa, bandule ukunyukela eFilipi, eTesalonika naseBhereya. Uyayibona na iAthene emaphini? UPawulos ushumayela apho. Emva koku bachitha unyaka onesiqingatha beshumayela eKorinte. Ekugqibeleni bemisa kancinane e-Efese. Bandula ke babuyele eKesareya ngenqanawa, baze baye kwa-Antiyokwe, apho ahlala khona uPawulos.

Ngoko uTimoti uhamba amakhulukhulu eekhilomitha encedisa uPawulos ekushumayeleni “iindaba ezilungileyo” nokumisela amabandla amaninzi amaKristu. Xa ukhulile, ngaba uya kuba ngumkhonzi othembekileyo kaThixo njengoTimoti?