UBABA nomama babonana ngo-1919 emhlanganweni wesigodi wabaFundi BeBhayibheli Bezizwe Zonke eCedar Point, e-Ohio, e-U.S.A. Bashada ngasekupheleni kwawo lowo nyaka. Mina ngazalwa ngo-1922, uPaul umfowethu wazalwa eminyakeni emibili kamuva. Umkami, uGrace wazalwa ngo-1930. Abazali bakhe uRoy noRuth Howell, bakhulela emkhayeni wabaFundi BeBhayibheli kanti nomkhulu nogogo wakhe babengabaFundi BeBhayibheli futhi bengabangane boMfoweth’ uCharles Taze Russell.

Sabonana noGrace ngo-1947, futhi sashada ngo-July 16, 1949. Ngaphambi kokuba sishade, saxoxa kabanzi ngekusasa lethu. Sazenzela isinqumo sokuhlanganyela enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele nokungabi nazingane. Saqala ukuphayona ndawonye ngo-October 1, 1950. Kwathi ngo-1952, sacelwa ukuba siyojikeleza.

Sobabili sasinomuzwa wokuthi sidinga usizo olwengeziwe ukuze sifeze lesi sabelo esisha. Njengoba ngifunda kubazalwane ababengomakadebona, ngacelela noGrace usizo. Ngaya kuMarvin Holien okwase kuyisikhathi eside engumngane womndeni wakithi futhi enokuhlangenwe nakho kokukhonza njengombonisi ojikelezayo, ngambuza: “UGrace usemncane futhi akanakho okuhlangenwe nakho. Ukhona yini ocabanga ukuthi angasebenza naye ukuze amqeqeshe?” Waphendula: “Yebo, ukhona u-Edna Winkle oyiphayona eselimnkantsh ubomvu, futhi angamsiza kakhulu.” Kamuva uGrace wathi ngo-Edna: “Wangenza ngakhululeka lapho ngishumayela endlini ngendlu, wayenekhono lokusingatha izimpikiswano futhi wangifundisa ukulalela umninikhaya ukuze ngikwazi ukusho into efanele. Ngangivele ngidinga umuntu onjalo!”

Mina noGrace sakhonza ezifundeni ezimbili esifundazweni sase-Iowa, kuhlanganise nasezingxenyeni ezithile zesifundazwe saseMinnesota nesaseNingizimu Dakota. Sabe sesishintshelwa eSifundeni SaseNew York 1, esasihlanganisa idolobha laseBrooklyn nelaseQueens. Asisoze sayilibala indlela esasizizwa sibancane ngayo kuleso sabelo. Leso sifunda sasihlanganisa iBandla LaseBrooklyn Heights,  elalihlanganyela eHholo LoMbuso laseBethel futhi linamalungu amaningi omkhaya waseBethel angomakadebona. Ngemva kokunikeza inkulumo yami yokuqala yenkonzo kulelo bandla, uMfoweth’ uKnorr weza kimi wathi: “Malcolm, usinikeze iseluleko ngezinto okumelwe sisebenzele kuzo, futhi besifaneleka. Ungakhohlwa ukuthi uma ungasisizi ngokusinika iseluleko somusa, uyobe ungelona neze usizo enhlanganweni. Qhubeka nomsebenzi omuhle.” Ngemva kwalowo mhlangano, ngaxoxela uGrace ngalokhu. Kamuva saya esitezi esiphezulu ekamelweni esasilala kulo eBethel. Ngendlela esasikhathazeke ngayo, savele sakhala.

Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa, sathola incwadi esimemela ukuba siye ekilasini lama-24 leSikole SaseGileyadi, elalizophothula ngo-February 1955. Satshelwa ngaphambi kokuya kulesi sikole ukuthi akukhona ukuthi sizoqeqeshelwa ukuba izithunywa zevangeli. Kunalokho ukuqeqeshwa esasizokuthola kwakuzosihlomisa ukuba siphumelele ngokwengeziwe emsebenzini wokujikeleza. Ukuya kulesi sikole kwasijabulisa kakhulu kodwa futhi kwasenza sathobeka.

Lapho siqeda izifundo zethu, ngabelwa ukuba ngibe umbonisi wesigodi. Isigodi sethu sasihlanganisa isifundazwe sase-Indiana, esaseMichigan nesase-Ohio. Ngo-December 1955, sathola incwadi evela kuMfoweth’ uKnorr singalindele, eyayithi: “Ngicela ukhululeke usho ukuthi ucabangani ngalokhu, futhi ube qotho. Ngicela ungazise enikukhethayo: ukuza eBethel nizohlala lapha . . . noma ukukhonza isikhathi esithile eBethel bese niya esabelweni sakwelinye izwe kamuva. Uma nikhetha ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi wokuba umbonisi wesigodi nowesifunda nalokho ngiyojabula ukukwazi.” Saphendula sathi siyokujabulela ukwenza noma yini esabelwa ukuba siyenze. Akubanga nsuku zatshwala, sabizwa eBethel!

Iminyaka yami ejabulisayo yenkonzo yaseBethel yahlanganisa nokunakekela izabelo zokunikeza izinkulumo nokufundisa kulo lonke elase-United States. Ngahlanganyela ekuqeqesheni nasekusizeni izinsizwa eziningi kamuva ezanikezwa imithwalo yemfanelo emikhulu enhlanganweni kaJehova. Ekugcineni, ngakhonza njengonobhala woMfoweth’ uKnorr ehhovisi elalihlela umsebenzi wokushumayela emhlabeni wonke.

Ngayijabulela ngokukhethekile iminyaka engayichitha ngisebenza eMnyangweni Wenkonzo. Lapho, ngakwazi ukusebenza noT. J (Bud) Sullivan. Wayesebe umbonisi walowo mnyango iminyaka eminingi. Kodwa bakhona nabanye engafunda okuningi kubo. Omunye wabo nguFred Rusk, owayabelwe ukuba angiqeqeshe. Ngisahleka namanje uma ngikhumbula  umbuzo engake ngambuza wona, “Fred kungani ulungisa izinto eziningi ezincwadini engizibhalayo?” Wamane wahleka, kodwa wabe esenezela la mazwi angisangulukisa, “Malcolm, lapho into uyisho ngomlomo, ungakwazi ukuqhubeka uyichaza ngamanye amazwi, kodwa lapho uyibhala, ikakhulukazi uma ivela lapha, kumelwe icace futhi inembe ngangokunokwenzeka.” Wabe esethi ngomusa, “Ungakhathazeki—wenza kahle, futhi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uzobe usuwenza kahle nakakhulu.”

Phakathi neminyaka yenkonzo yakhe yaseBethel, uGrace wanikwa izabelo ezihlukahlukene, ezihlanganisa ukuhlanza izindlu, enakekela amakamelo amalungu aseBethel. Wayewujabulela lowo msebenzi. Kuze kube manje, lapho ngezinye izikhathi sihlangana nabazalwane ababeseyizinsizwa ngaleyo minyaka, bamtshela bemomotheka, “Wangifundisa ukuba ngazi ukuthi umbhede wendlulwa kanjani ngempela, futhi ukukutshela iqiniso umama wajabula ngokungifundisa kwakho.” UGrace wakujabulela nokusebenza emnyangweni kamagazini, wezincwadi nowokwenza amakhasethi. Ukwenza lezo zabelo ezihlukahlukene kwamsiza ukuba aqaphele ukuthi noma yini esiyenzayo, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi sikhonza kuphi enhlanganweni kaJehova, iyohlale iyilungelo nesibusiso esikhulu. Usazizwa ngaleyo ndlela nanamuhla.

Maphakathi nawo-1970, saqala ukuqaphela ukuthi abazali bethu ababekhula badinga ukunakekelwa okwengeziwe. Ekugcineni, kwadingeka senze isinqumo esinzima. Sasingafuni ukuhamba eBethel nokuhlukana nezinceku esasikhonza nazo uJehova esase sizithanda kakhulu. Noma kunjalo, ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi kwakuwumthwalo wami wemfanelo ukunakekela abazali bethu. Ngakho-ke, sagcina sihambile eBethel sinethemba lokuthi singase sibuye uma kwenzeka isimo sethu sishintsha.

Ukuze sizondle, ngaqala ukudayisa umshuwalense. Ngiyohlale ngikukhumbula lokho enye imenenja eyangitshela kona lapho ngiqeqeshwa: “Lo msebenzi uchunyiswa kakhulu ukuhambela abantu kusihlwa. Yileso sikhathi abatholakala ngaso. Akukho okubaluleke ngaphezu kokuba ube khona kusihlwa, ubahambele.” Ngaphendula, “Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi ukhuluma ngoba unokuhlangenwe nakho kwalokho, futhi ngiyawuhlonipha umbono wakho. Kodwa nginezinye izibopho ezingokomoya engingakaze ngizidebeselele, futhi angihlose kuqala ukuzidebeselela manje. Ngizobahambela ngezinye izinsuku kusihlwa, kodwa ngawoLwesibili nangawoLwesine kusihlwa, kudingeka ngiye emihlanganweni ebaluleke kakhulu.” UJehova wangibusisa ngempela ngokungaphuthi imihlangano ngenxa yomsebenzi wokuziphilisa.

Ngangiseceleni kukamama lapho eshona ekhaya lasebekhulile ngo-July 1987. Umhlengikazi ophethe weza kuGrace wathi: “Nkosikazi Allen, ungahamba uye ekhaya uyophumula. Wonke umuntu uyazi ukuthi ubulokhu ulapha ukuze unakekele unyokozala. Ungaba nokuthula kwengqondo futhi ungazenyezi.”

 Ngo-December 1987, saphinde sagcwalisa amafomu esicelo sokuyokhonza eBethel, indawo esasiyithanda. Kodwa ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa kwatholakala ukuthi uGrace wayenomdlavuza kapopopo. Ngemva kokuhlinzwa nokululama kwakhe ngokuphumelelayo, watshelwa ukuthi akasenawo umdlavuza. Nokho, phakathi naleso sikhathi sathola incwadi evela eBethel eyayitusa ukuba siqhubeke nenkonzo yethu ebandleni esasikulo. Sazimisela ukuqhubekela phambili nomsebenzi wethu woMbuso.

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngathola umsebenzi eTexas. Saba nomuzwa wokuthi indawo yalapho eyayithe ukufudumala yayizosilungela sobabili, futhi kwaba njalo. Sekuyiminyaka engaba ngu-25 silapha eTexas, sizungezwe abafowethu nodadewethu abakhathalelayo esisondelene nabo kakhulu.

UGrace uye waba neziwombe eziningana zokulwisana nomdlavuza kapopopo nowendlala yegilo, futhi muva nje, ubephethwe umdlavuza webele. Kodwa akakaze akhononde ngobunzima bakhe noma abukele phansi izimiso zobunhloko nokubaluleka kokubambisana. Sekukaningi ebuzwa, “Iyini imfihlo yokuphumelela kwenu njengombhangqwana neyenjabulo esobala kini nobabili?” Unikeza izizathu ezine: “Singabangane abakhulu. Sikhulumisana njalo nsuku zonke. Sithanda ukuvakasha sobabili nsuku zonke. Asilokothi silale sithukuthelelene.” Yebo, kuyenzeka ngezinye izikhathi sizwisane ubuhlungu, kodwa siyathethelelana sidlulise—futhi leyo ndlela isebenza ngempela.

Phakathi nabo bonke ubunzima esiye sabhekana nabo, kunezifundo ezinhle eziningana esiye sazifunda:

1. Ncika kuJehova ngaso sonke isikhathi futhi wamukele lokho akuvumelayo. Ungalokothi uncike kokwakho ukuqonda.—IzAga 3:5, 6; Jer. 17:7.

2. Thembela eZwini likaJehova ukuze uthole isiqondiso, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ubhekene nodaba olunjani. Kubalulekile ukulalela uJehova nemithetho yakhe. Awukwazi ukugxamalaza—kuphakathi kokuthi uyalalela noma cha.—Roma 6:16; Heb. 4:12.

3. Yinye kuphela into ebaluleke kakhulu ekuphileni—ukuba negama elihle noJehova. Beka izithakazelo zakhe kuqala, hhayi ukufuna ingcebo yezinto ezibonakalayo.—IzAga 28:20; UmSh. 7:1; Math. 6:33, 34.

4. Thandazela ukuba ube okhiqiza nokhuthele ngangokunokwenzeka enkonzweni kaJehova. Gxila kulokho okwaziyo ukukwenza, hhayi kulokho okukwehlulayo.—Math. 22:37; 2 Thim. 4:2.

5. Yazi ukuthi ayikho enye inhlangano uJehova ayibusisayo nayamukelayo.—Joh. 6:68.

Mina noGrace sesikhonze uJehova iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-75 umuntu ngamunye, kanti cishe isingu-65 iminyaka sikhonza njengombhangqwana. Ngempela, siye saba nesikhathi esimnandi kakhulu sokukhonza uJehova ndawonye phakathi nawo wonke la mashumi eminyaka. Sethemba futhi sithandazela ukuba bonke abafowethu nodadewethu nabo banambithe babone ukuthi kuzuzisa kangakanani ukuncika kuJehova.