LE YENYE yezinto zokuqala endizikhumbulayo ngoTata owayethozamile nowayezibhokoxa. Wayekuthanda okusesikweni, ngoko wasithanda zisuka isigidimi seBhayibhile ukusiva kwakhe ngowe-1953. Ukususela ngoko, wenza okusemandleni ukuze asidlulisele kuthi bantwana bakhe. Ekuqaleni, uMama wayemathidala ukushiya izithethe zobuKatolika. Kodwa ethubeni, naye wazamkela iimfundiso zeBhayibhile.

Kwakunzima kubazali bethu ukufunda kunye nathi iBhayibhile—uMama wayengafundanga ncam, wabe uTata esebenza nzima ixesha elide emasimini. Sasikhe sithi sisafunda suke abiwe bubuthongo ngenxa yokudinwa. Noko ke, imigudu yakhe yeza neziqhamo. Ndandilizibulo, ngoko ndancedisa ekufundiseni udadewethu nabantakwethu ababini. Sasidla ngokuthetha ngendlela uNowa awayeyithanda ngayo intsapho yakhe nendlela awamthobela ngayo uThixo. Ndandilithanda gqitha eli bali likaNowa! Zange kube kudala sonke saqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso kwiHolo yoBukumkani yaseRoseto degli Abruzzi, isixeko esikunxweme lwaseItali iAdriatic.

Ngowe-1955, ndiseneminyaka eli-11 ndahamba noMama sanqumla iintaba sasinga entshona sisiya okokuqala kwindibano, eyayiseRoma. Ukususela ngoko, ezi ndibano zaba yeyona nto ndiyithanda gqitha kubomi bam bobuKristu.

Kunyaka olandelayo, ndabhaptizwa ndaza kungekudala ndaba nguvulindlela. Xa ndineminyaka eli-17, ndaba nguvulindlela okhethekileyo eLatina, isixeko esikumazantsi eRoma malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-300 ukusuka ekhaya. Eso yayisisixeko esitsha, kungekho mntu uzikhathazayo ngento yokuba abamelwana baza kuthini. Sinaloo dade ndandishumayela naye kwakumnandi ukusasaza uncwadi oluninzi lweBhayibhile, kodwa ekubeni ndandiselula, ndandikhumbula ekhaya! Sekunjalo, ndandincedwa kukukhumbula ukuba nguYehova ofuna ndibe lapho, ibe nam ndamthobela.

Kamva, ndathunyelwa eMilan ukuya kuncedisa kumalungiselelo eNdibano Yezizwe Ngezizwe yowe-1963 eyayinomxholo othi “Iindaba Ezilungileyo Ezingunaphakade.” Kuloo  ndibano, ndaba litsha-ntliziyo nabanye abaninzi, kuquka uPaolo Piccioli, umzalwana oselula owayevela eFlorence. Kusuku lwesibini lwendibano, wanikela udlwabevu lwentetho eyayithetha ngokungatshati. Ndikhumbula ndisithi, ‘Lo mzalwana akasoze atshate.’ Kodwa, saqalisa ukubhalelana ibe kwaye kwacaca ukuba zininzi izinto esifana ngazo—usukelo, ukuthanda uYehova nomnqweno wokumthobela. Saye satshata ngowe-1965.

Ndaba nguvulindlela othe ngxi eFlorence iminyaka elishumi. Kwakuvuyisa ukubona ulwando emabandleni, ingakumbi ukubona abaselula besenza inkqubela. SinoPaolo sasikuthanda ukuchitha ixesha sizonwabisa nabo yaye sincokola ngeBhayibhile. UPaolo wayede adlale nabo ibhola. Ndandikuthanda ukuchitha ixesha nomyeni wam, kodwa ndandibona ukuba olo lutsha nezinye iintsapho ebandleni, ziyancedakala ngumdla awubonisa kuzo nexesha alichitha nazo.

Ndisonwaba nangoku xa ndicinga ngezifundo zeBhayibhile ezininzi esasinazo. Omnye esasifunda naye nguAdriana, owancokola nezinye iintsapho ezimbini ngoko akufundileyo. Ezi ntsapho zalungiselela intlanganiso kunye nomfundisi ukuze zixubushe ngeemfundiso zecawa, ezifana noBathathu Emnye nokungafi komphefumlo. Kwafika iinkokeli ezintathu zecawa kuloo ntlanganiso. Zabamba ziyeka kunzima ukucacisa loo mfundiso yazo, kwaza kwalula kwabo sasibafundela ukubona eyona nto ifundiswa yiBhayibhile. Loo ntlanganiso yabavula amehlo. Abali-15 kwezo ntsapho baba ngamaNgqina.

Kakade ke, indlela esishumayela ngayo namhlanje yahlukile. Ngezo mini, uPaolo yayimxhaphakele into yokuxubusha nabefundisi ngeBhayibhile. Ndikhumbula kwenye exubusha nabo phambi kweqela labantu ababengengomaNgqina. Kwacaca zisuka ukuba abefundisi bacebise abathile kwabo bantu ukuba babuze imibuzo abacinga ukuba iza kuba nzima. Kodwa izinto zajika. Omnye wabuza enoba kwakufanelekile na ukuba icawa ifake impumlo kwezopolitiko, njengokuba iye yenjenjalo kangangeenkulungwane. Latshona emini kubefundisi. Kwathi kusenjalo, kwemka umbane, yaba iyaphela loo ntlanganiso. Seva kwiminyaka kamva, ukuba elo qhinga lokumka kombane laliphekwe kwangaphambili ngabefundisi besenzela ukuzihlangula xa besengxakini.

Emva kweminyaka elishumi sitshatile, sathunyelwa kwisiphaluka. UPaolo wayephangela kumsebenzi  ohlawulayo, ngoko zange sibe lula eso sigqibo. Kodwa emva kokuthandaza nokucingisisa, sasamkela eso sabelo. Kwakusiba mnandi ukuhlala nezo ntsapho sasifikela kuzo. Ngokuhlwa, sasilungiselela kunye nazo, aze emva koko uPaolo ancedise abantwana kwimisebenzi yesikolo eyenzelwa ekhaya, ngakumbi xa besenza izibalo. UPaolo wayeyithanda incwadi nokubalisa ngezinto azifundileyo ezakhayo nezibangela umdla. NgoMvulo, sasidla ngokuya kushumayela kwiidolophu ezingenawo amaNgqina, simemele abantu kwintetho yangokuhlwa.

Emva nje kweminyaka emibini sikwisiphaluka, sabizelwa kwiBheteli yaseRoma. UPaolo wayeza kunyamekela imicimbi yomthetho, mna ndiza kusebenza kwiSebe Lamaphephancwadi. Olu tshintsho lwalungelula, kodwa sasizimisele ukuthobela. Kwakuvuyisa ukubona ukwandiswa kwesebe nokwanda kwabazalwana eItali. Ngelo xesha, amaNgqina kaYehova aseItali amkelwa ngokusemthethweni. Kwaba mnandi kweso sabelo sitsha.

Ngoxa siseBheteli, iinkolelo zethu ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni ngokuphathelele igazi, zaba ngundaba-mlonyeni eItali. Ekuqaleni kweye-1980, kwavuka ityala elabangela imbambano ngalo mbandela. Isibini esingamaNgqina satyholwa ngokubangela ukufa kwentombi yaso, ngoxa eneneni yabulawa sisifo segazi esasulela abaninzi kuloo mmandla weMeditera. Intsapho yaseBheteli yancedisa amagqwetha abo bazali. Kwaprintwa iphecana kunye noVukani okhethekileyo owanceda abantu bazi eyona nyaniso, batsho baqonda noko kuthethwa liLizwi likaThixo ngegazi. Kwezo nyanga, uPaolo wayedla ngokusebenza iiyure ezili-16 ngosuku engaphumli. Ndandisenza konke okusemandleni ukuze ndimxhase.

Emva kweminyaka engama-20 sitshatile, kwenzeka into esasingayilindelanga. Ndandineminyaka engama-41 uPaolo ingama-49 xa ndamxelela ukuba ingathi ndikhulelwe. Kwidayari yakhe, yolo suku ndafumana la mazwi: “Umthandazo: Ukuba yinyaniso le, sincede siqhubeke nenkonzo yexesha elizeleyo, singapholi ngokomoya, sicela usincede sibe ngabazali abangumzekelo omhle. Phezu kwako konke, ndincede ndenze nokuba yipesente enye yezinto ebendisoloko ndizithetha ebantwini eqongeni kule minyaka ingaphezu kwama-30.” Xa ndijonga indlela izinto ezenzeka ngayo, ndiyabona ukuba uYehova wayiphendula imithandazo yethu.

Ukuzalwa kukaIlaria kwabutshintsha gqitha ubomi bethu. Eneneni, sasikhe sidimazeke,  njengokuba isitsho iMizekeliso 24:10: “Ngaba uzibonakalise udimazekile ngomhla wokubandezeleka? Uya kuphelelwa ngamandla.” Kodwa sasisomelezana, sikhumbula ukubaluleka kokukhuthazana.

Namhlanje, uIlaria usoloko esithi iyamvuyisa into yokuba wazalwa ngamaNgqina akwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Zange azive engahoywanga; wakhulela kwintsapho emthandayo neqhelekileyo. Emini, ndandiba kunye naye. Ukufika kwakhe uPaolo ekhaya ngokuhlwa, wayedla ngokuba nomsebenzi amele awugqibezele; kodwa wayedlala naye aze amncede kumsebenzi wesikolo. UPaolo wayekwenza oko nakuba kwakuthetha ukuba uza kulala ekuseni emva kokugqiba umsebenzi wakhe. UIlaria wayedla ngokuthi, “Oyena mhlobo wam nguTata.”

Kakade ke, kwakufuneka sizingise—sibe ngqongqo maxa wambi ukuze sincede uIlaria ahlale kwikhondo lobuKristu. Ndikhumbula ngenye imini edlala nenye intombazana engumhlobo wakhe waza wenza ukusa. Sasebenzisa iBhayibhile samcacisela isizathu sokuba engamele akwenze oko. Samxelela nokuba umele aye kucela uxolo kumhlobo wakhe nathi sikho.

UIlaria uthi uyixabisa gqitha into yokuba abazali bakhe babeyithanda intsimi. Ngoku sele etshatile, ukuqonda nangakumbi ukubaluleka kokuthobela uYehova nokulandela imiyalelo yakhe.

Ngowama-2008, uPaolo wafumanisa ukuba unomhlaza. Ekuqaleni, kwaba ngathi uza kuphila, ibe wayendikhuthaza kakhulu. Ukongezelela ekumfuneleni olona nyango lubhetele, sinoIlaria sasithandaza singaphezi kuYehova, sicela ukuba asiphe amandla okunyamezela. Sekunjalo, kwaba buhlungu ndibukele indoda ibikade yomelele inamandla isiya iphela. Ukufa kwakhe ngowama-2010 kwaba yintlungu engathethekiyo. Kodwa ndithuthuzelwa gqitha kukucinga ngazo zonke izinto esiye sazenza kunye kule minyaka ingama-45 sitshatile. UYehova samnika konke esinako. Ndiyazi ukuba akasoze awulibale umsebenzi wethu. Ndikhangele phambili ekuvusweni kukaPaolo, ngokuvisisana namazwi kaYesu akuYohane 5:28, 29.

Ngaphakathi kum, ndiseyilaa ntwazana ilithanda gqitha ibali likaNowa. Andikagungqi nangoku kwinto endandizimisele kuyo. Ndifuna ukuthobela uYehova, kuyo nantoni na ayifunayo. Ndiye ndafunda ukuba nayiphi na imiqobo, ukuzincama okanye ilahleko ayinakuthelekiswa neentsikelelo ezimangalisayo esizinikwa nguThixo wethu onothando. Ndikubone kusenzeka kum oku, ibe ndiyakuqinisekisa ukuba akuyompazamo ukuthobela uYehova.