LE NGEMINYE yemikhumbulo yangaphambilini enginayo ngobaba, indoda ezothileko nezikhandlako. Bekanamazizo anamandla wobulungiswa, ngalokho msinyana ngo-1953 nekezwa umlayezo weBhayibheli waba nekareko kiwo. Kusukela mhlokho, wenza koke osemandlenakhe ukukudlulisela ebantwaneni bakhe lokho ebekakufunda. Ekuthomeni umma bekangakazimiseli ukutjhiya amasikwakhe wobuKatolika. Kodwana ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, naye wathoma ukwamukela iimfundiso zeBhayibheli.

Bekubudisi ngababelethi bethu ukufunda nathi. UMma bekangakafundi kangako, kanti uBaba bekasebenza budisi emasimini begodu isikhathi eside. Ngezinye iinkhathi bekadinwa khulu kangangobana bekayenda nekufundwako. Nokho, imizamwakhe yaba nomphumela. Bengingomkhulu, ngalokho ngasiza ekufundiseni udadwethu nabanakwethu ababili. Lokhu bekuhlanganisa nento uBaba egade ahlala ayitjho—ithando lakaNowa ngomndenakhe, walitjengisa ngokulalela uZimu. Qala bona bengikuthanda kangangani ukulandisa kweBhayibhelokhu! Kungasikade, soke besele siya emihlanganweni eWolweni lomBuso eRoseto degli Abruzzi, idorobha eliseligwini le-Adriatic e-Italy.

Ngo-1955, bengineminyaka eli-11 kwaphela lokha mina nomma siya eentabeni zetjingalanga emhlanganweni wethu wesigodi wokuthoma, eRome. Kusukela mhlokho, ngaqala imibuthano emikhulu le njengengcenye ehle khulu yokuphila kobuKrestu.

Ngabhabhadiswa ngomnyaka olandelako, begodu msinyana ngemva kwalokho ngangenela ikonzo yesikhathi esizeleko. Nengineminyaka eli-17, ngaba liphayona elikhethekileko eLatina, esewula yeRome, emakhilomitha angaba ma-300 ukusuka ekhaya. Bekuyidorobha elitjha, ngalokho akunamuntu obekatshwenyeka khulu ngokuthi umakhelwanakhe ucabangani. Mina negade ngiphayona naye sathatjiswa kurhatjha iincwadi ezinengi zeBhayibheli, kodwana njengombana bengisesemncani, bengikuhlulukela khulu ekhaya! Nanyana kunjalo, bengifuna ukulalela isinqophiso engisinikelweko.

Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi ngabelwa eMilan ukuyokusiza ngamalungiselelo womHlangano weenTjhaba wango-1963 othi, “Iindaba Ezimnandi Zaphakade.” Emhlanganweni  loyo, bengisebenza nabanye njengesisebenzi sokuzithandela, kuhlanganise noPaolo Piccioli, umzalwana osesemutjha ovela eFlorence. Ngelanga lesibili lomhlangano, wanikela ikulumo etjhukumisako ngokungatjhadi. Ngikhumbula ngicabanga, ‘Umzalwana lo ngekhe atjhade.’ Nokho, sathoma ukubhalelana iincwadi begodu kwakhanya bona sinokunengi esifana ngakho—imigomwethu, ithando lethu ngoJehova, nesifiso sethu esinamandla sokumlalela. Ngo-1965 mina noPaolo satjhada.

Ngaba liphayona lesikhathi esizeleko eFlorence iminyaka elitjhumi. Bekuthabisa ukubona ukwanda emabandleni, ukubona ngokukhethekileko abatjha bathuthuka. Mina noPaolo sathabela ukuba nesikhathi nabo eengcocweni ezingokomoya nakezokuzithabisa, ngokuvamileko uPaolo bekadlala nabo ibholo. Bengikuthabela ukuba nesikhathi nendodakwami, kodwana bengibona bonyana ilutjheli nemindeni yebandleni iyazuza kuye begodu itlhoga ikareko yomusa nesikhathisakhe.

Kusangithabisa ukubuyela emva ngicabange ngeemfundo zeBhayibheli ezinengi ebesiziraga. Omunye ebesifunda naye ngu-Adriana, owakhuluma neminye iimndeni eembili ngalokho abekakufunda. Bahlela umhlangano nomphristi bona bazokucoca ngeemfundiso zesondo ezinjengoZiquntathu nokungafi komphefumulo. Kwafika abobhitjhobhi abathathu emhlanganweni loyo. Iinhlathululo zabo bezihlangahlangene begodu zitjhentjhatjhentjha, okwenza esifunda nabo bakulemuka lula lokho nebazimadanisa neemfundiso zeBhayibheli ezikhanya bha. Kwamambala, umhlangano loyo wenza amatjhuguluko. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, amalunga ali-15 wemindeni leyo aba boFakazi.

Kuliqiniso, kwanje iindlela zokutjhumayela zihlukile. Ngesikhatheso, uPaolo waba “sikghwari” ekuqalaneni nabaphristi—begodu wahlangana nabanengi babo. Ngikhumbula omunye umhlangano awubamba phambi kwabalaleli abangasiboFakazi. Kwabonakala bonyana abaphristabo bahlele kusesengaphambili bona abalaleli babuze iimbuzo ebeyiqalwa njengebudisi. Nokho, isikhuni sabuya nomkhwezeli. Omunye umuntu wabuza bona kulungile na ngamasondo ukuthi angenele zepolotiki, njengombana sekumakhulu weminyaka enza lokho. Ikukhu yaquntwa umlomo. Khonokho, amalerhe acima, begodu umhlangano wajanyiswa. Ngemva kweminyaka sezwa bona abaphristi bahlela bonyana kucinywe amalerhe lokha izinto zingabakhambeli ngendlela abafuna ngayo.

Ngemva kobana mina noPaolo sitjhade iminyaka elitjhumi, samenywa bona siyokukhonza emsebenzini wokubhoda. UPaolo bekasebenza kuhle, ngalokho bekungasilula ukwenza isiqunto. Kodwana ngemva  kokuyicabangela ngomthandazo indaba le, sazenza safumaneka ekwenzeni isabelo esitjha sekonzo. Sakuthabela ukuba nesikhathi nemindeni ebesihlala kiyo. Ebusuku, kanengi besifunda njengesiqhema, begodu ngemva kwalokho uPaolo asize abantwana ngemisebenzabo yesikolo, khulukhulu nekungeyeembalo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uPaolo bekamfundi onetjiseko begodu akuthabela ukukhuluma ngezinto ezikarisako nezakhako azifundileko. NgaboMvulo, besivame ukutjhumayela emadorobheni abekanganaboFakazi, simeme abantu bazokulalela ikulumo ehleliweko ntambama.

Ngemva kweminyaka emibili kwaphela sisemsebenzini wokubhoda, sabizwa bona siyokukhonza eBethel yeRome. UPaolo bekazokutlhogomela iindaba zomthetho, mina ngabelwa eMnyangweni kaMagazini. Ukwenza itjhentjho bekungasilula, kodwana sazimisela ukulalela. Bekuthabisa ukubona ukukhula kancanikancani kwegatja nokwanda okukhulu kwabazalwana e-Italy. Ngesikhatheso, aboFakazi bakaJehova e-Italy bamukelwa njengekolo esemthethweni. Ngokuqinisekileko, besithabile ekonzweni yeBethel.

Nesikhonza eBethel, ubujamo bethu obusekelwe eBhayibhelini malungana neengazi bathoma ukwaziwa e-Italy. Ekuthomeni kwabo-1980, kwavulwa icala elingokomthetho elavusa inturhu malungana nalokhu. Isibili esiboFakazi samangalelwa ngamala ngokobana sibangele ukuhlongokala kwendodakazaso, nanyana eqinisweni yahlongakala ngebanga lobulwelwe beengazi obufumaneka ngefuzo kwabanengi esifundeni seMediterranean. Abanakwethu nabodade bemndenini weBethel basiza amagqwetha egade ajamele ababelethi abamaKrestu. Iphetjhana nomagazini okhethekileko we-Phaphama! kwasiza abantu bona bafumane amaqiniso begodu bazwisise kuhle lokho okutjhiwo liLizwi lakaZimu malungana neengazi. Hlangana neenyangezo, uPaolo kanengi bekasebenza ama-awara afikela kwali-16 ngelanga ngaphandle kokuphumula. Ngenza koke engingakwenza bona ngimsekele emizamwenakhe eqakathekileko.

Besele sitjhade iminyaka ema-20 nesiqalana nobujamo obungakalindeleki. Bengineminyaka ema-41 begodu uPaolo ana-49 nengimtjela bona ngicabanga ukuthi ngizithwele. Edayarinakhe, la atlole khona kwelangelo ngafumana amezwi athi: “Umthandazo: Nengabe kuliqiniso, sisiza sihlale ekonzweni yesikhathi esizeleko, singazigedli ngokomoya, begodu sisiza sibe babelethi abahle ngesibonelo sethu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ngisiza ngisebenzise okunganani iphesenti linye lalokho ebengikutjho esiteji  eminyakeni engaphezu kwama-30 edlulileko.” Ngokuya ngemiphumela, kufuze bona uJehova wawuphendula umthandazwakhe—newami.

Ukubelethwa kwaka-Ilaria kwaletha amatjhuguluko amakhulu ekuphileni kwethu. Eqinisweni besiba neenkhathi lapho sidana, njengombana kutjho izAga 24:10: “Newunyefako ngesikhathi sokubandezelwa, umkhawulo wamandlakho uyabonakala.” Kodwana sasekelana, sikhumbula ukuqakatheka kokukhuthazana.

U-Ilaria akazazi ukutjho indlela athaba ngayo ngokubelethwa boFakazi ababili ebebamajadu ekonzweni yesikhathi esizeleko. Khenge azizwe alahliwe; wakhulela emndenini ovamileko. Emini bengihlala nginaye. Ebusuku uPaolo nekafika ekhaya, kanengi bekaba nomsebenzini okufuze awuqedelele; nokho, bekaba nesikhathi naye, adlale naye amsize ngomsebenzi wesikolo. Bekakwenza lokhu ngitjho nanyana bekutjho ukuthi kungenzeka angalali bekube li-awara lesibili nofana lesithathu ekuseni bona aqedelele umsebenzakhe. U-Ilaria bekavame ukuthi, “Ubaba mnganami omkhulu.”

Njengombana ungacabanga, bekutlhoga ukungatjhuguluki—begodu ngezinye iinkhathi ukuqina—ukusiza u-Ilaria ahlale endleleni yobuKrestu. Ngikhumbula esinye isehlakalo lapho angakhenge aziphathe ngokufaneleko nekadlala nomnganakhe. Sahlathulula ngokweBhayibheli bona kubayini bekufuze angaziphathi ngendlela leya. Begodu samenza wabawa ukulitjalelwa emnganinakhe sikhona.

U-Ilaria ngokuzimisela uthi uyalithokozela ithando ngekonzo ababelethi bakhe abalitjengisako. Nje, njengombana selatjhadile, uzwisisa ngokuzeleko bona kuqakatheke kangangani ukulalela uJehova nokulandela isinqophiso sakhe.

Ngo-2008, uPaolo wafumana bona unekankere. Ekuthomeni kwabonakala ngasuthi uPaolo uzokuphola, begodu wangikhuthaza khulu. Ekungezeleleni ekufuneni iinluleko zokwelapha ezingcono ezifumanekako, sindawonye no-Ilaria saphendukela kuJehova ngemithandazo emide, simbawa bona asisize siqalane nengomuso. Nanyana kunjalo, ngabukela indoda egade iqinile begodu inamandla irhwahlaphala kancanikancani. Ukuhlongakala kwakhe ngo-2010 kwaba buhlungu khulu kimi. Nokho ngafumana induduzo nengicabanga ngesikufikeleleko eminyakeni ema-45 sindawonye. Sanikela uJehova okungcono khulu. Ngiyazi bona umsebenzethu uzokuba ligugu elihlala unomphela. Nami ngiqale phambili ekuboneni uPaolo avuswa, ngokuya kwamezwi kaJesu akuJwanisi 5:28, 29.

Ngaphakathi, ngisesemntazinyana loya oyithanda kwamanikelela indaba kaNowa. Umnqophwami awukatjhentjhi. Ngifuna ukulalela uJehova kungakhathaliseki bona ufunani. Ngiyaqiniseka bona nanyana ngiziphi iintjhijilo, ukuzidela, namtjhana ukulahlekelwa kuncani nekumadaniswa neembusiso uZimethu wezulwini asinikela zona. Ngikubonile lokhu—begodu ngiyakuqinisekisa, kuyafaneleka.