UHarvey bekangomkhulu kubafowabo abane. Ekhabo bafumana amaqiniso eMidland Junction eTjingalanga ye-Australia, ngesikhathi la umnotho bewubogagaboga khulu, ngabo-1930. UHarvey wakhula athanda uJehova bewabhajadiswa nakanemnyaka eli-14. Wafunda msinya bona angazali izabelo azinikelwa nguJehova. Lokha nakasasemsana, wala ukufunda isiThala esifundweni, aziqala njengongakafaneleki. Kodwana umfowethu obekakhuluma noHarvey wathi, “Nange umfowethu ehlanganweni kaJehova akubawa bona wenze okuthileko, kungombana uyakubona bona uyafaneleka.”—2 Kor. 3:5.

Mina nomma nodadwethu omkhulu, safunda iqiniso e-England. Ubaba wamukela iqiniso ngokukhamba kwesikhathi kodwana ekuthomeni bekaphikisa. Ngabhajadiswa ubaba angafuni, ngingakahlanganisi iminyaka elitjhumi. Ngazibekela umgomo wokuba liphayona ngemva kwalokho ngibe sithunywa sevangeli. Nanyana kunjalo ubaba bekangafuni ukuthi ngibe liphayona ngingakahlanganisi iminyaka ema-21. Bengingakazimiseli ukulinda isikhathi eside kangako. Udadwethu omkhulu wafudukela e-Australia, yeke nangineminyaka  eli-16 ubaba wangivumela bona ngiyokuhlala naye. Ekugcineni ngathi nangiba neminyaka eli-18 ngathoma ukuphayona.

Ngahlangana noHarvey e-Australia. Besinesifiso esifanako sokuba ziinthunywa zevangeli. Satjhada ngo-1951. Ngemva kokuphayona iminyaka emibili safumana isabelo sokujikeleza. Isigodi sethu besihlanganisa indawo ekulu yetjingalanga ye-Australia, nje-ke besijayele ukutjhayela eendaweni ezilibhudu nezimaqalanga.

Ngo-1954, samenywa etlasini lama-25 leGiliyadi. Bekuseduze bona ibhudango lethu lokuba ziinthunywa zevangeli lizaliseke! Safika eNew York ngomkhumbi sabe sathoma ukufunda iBhayibheli ngokungeneleleko. Okhunye ebekufuze sikufunde bekulilimu le-Spanish, ebelisitjhijilo khulu kuHarvey ngombana bekangakghoni ukuphimisela kuhle abo-r.

Njengombana isikolo siraga, abafundisi bamemezela ukuthi laba abanekareko yokufumana isabelo sokuya eJapan bangatlolisela ukufunda ilimu lesiJapan. Thina saqunta bona kube yihlangano kaJehova esikhethela isabelo. Kungasikade omunye wabafundisi beGiliyadi u-Albert Schroeder walemuka bona thina besingakatlolisi, wathi kithi: “Akhe nicabangisiseni ngakho godu.” Saraga nokungaqiniseki, yeke umfowethu uSchroeder wathi: “Mina nabanye abafundisi sinitlolisile, khenilinge bona isiJapan ningasikghona na.” uHarvey walibamba lula ilimeli.

Nasifika eJapan ngo-1955 bekunabarhuweleli abama-500 enarheni leyo. UHarvey bekaneminyaka ema-26 mina ngineminyaka ema-24. Safumana isabelo sokuya eKobe okuyidorobho ledoyelo leenkebhe, sahlala lapho iminyaka emine. Sathaba khulu nasifumana isabelo sokujikeleza eduze nedorobha leNagoya. Besiyithanda yoke into ekhambelana nesabelo sethu, abafowethu, ukudla, indawo ehle ebesikiyo. Kodwana kungasikade, safumana elinye ithuba lokungasali isabelo esivela kuJehova.

Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu sijikeleza, igatja leJapan lasibuza ukuthi singathanda na ukuya eTaiwan siyokusebenza hlangana nabantu bendabuko ama-Amis. Kwaba neehlubuki begodu iTaiwan beyitlhoga umfowethu osikhuluma kuhle isiJapan ukuthi azokusiza ekusombululeni ikinga  leyo. * Besiwuthanda umsebenzethu eJapan, ngakho lesi bekusiqunto esibudisi. Kodwana uHarvey bekafundile bona angasali isabelo, ngakho savuma ukuya.

Safika eTaiwan ngoNovemba 1962. Bekunabarhuweleli abazii-2 271 abanengi bakhona bama-Amis. Kokuthoma, bekutlhogeka sifunde isiChina. Besinesipele sinye notitjhere obekangasikhulumi isiNgisi, kodwana sasifunda.

Kungasikade siceda ukufika eTaiwan, uHarvey wafumana isabelo sokuba yinceku yegatja. Njengombana igatja belilincani, uHarvey bekakghona ukwenza umsebenzi we-ofisini kuthi ngesikhathi esifanako akghone nokuyosebenza nabafowethu abakhuluma isi-Amis iimveke ezintathu ngenyanga. Ngezinye iinkhathi bekanokuba mbonisi wesifunda, okuhlanganisa ukunikela iinkulumo emhlanganweni. UHarvey bekangakghona ukubeka iinkulumo ngelimi lesiJapan begodu abafowethu bama-Amis bebazomzwisisa. Nanyana kunjalo, urhulumende bekavumela imibuthwano yezekolo ibanjwe ngelimi lesiChina kwaphela. Nanoma bekangasazi kuhle isiChina wanikela ngaso iinkulumo, bese kuthi omunye umfowethu azitolike ngesi-Amis.

ITaiwan beyingaphasi kwelawulo lamasotja, ngebangelo bekufuze abafowethu babawe imvumo nabazokubamba imihlangano. Ukufumana imvumo bekungasilula begodu namapholisa bekariyada ukuyikhipha. Nakwenzeka kufike iveke yomhlangano amapholisa angakamnikeli imvumo, uHarvey bekakhamba ayokuhlala esitetjhini samapholisa bebamnikele yona. Iqhingeli belisebenza ngombana amapholisa bekahlaziseka khulu nakabona umuntu wenye indawo abalinde ngendlela leyo.

Ngemveke esasiba nabafowethu ngazo, besinokuthatha ikhambo elide ngeenyawo elithatha i-iri namkha ngaphezulu, sikhuphuka iintaba besiyame nemilambo. Ngikhumbula mhlazana ngikhuphuka intaba kokuthoma. Ngemva kokudla isidlo sekuseni, sakhwela ibhesi ngo-05:30 ekuseni esitjhingisa endaweni ekude, sayama nemilambo emikhulu besakhwela nentaba. Intaba leyo beyikhuphukela kangangokuthi iinthende zomfowethu obekaphambi kwami beziqalalene namehlwami.

Ekuseni kwamhlokho, uHarvey wakhamba nabafowethu bendaweni leyo bayokutjhumayela, mina ngatjhumayela ngedwa endaweni ehlala abantu abakhuluma isiJapan. Kwathi nakubetha iri lokuthoma ngazizwa ngiphelelwa mamandla ngombana bengingakadli ama-awara amanengi. Ekugcineni nangihlangana noHarvey, besele akhamba ayedwa. UHarvey wakhambisa abomagazini, abaninimuzi bamnikeza amaqanda amathathu. Wangitjengisa bona iqanda elihlaza lidliwa njani ngokuthi abhoboze imbobo ehlangothini linye bese alimunye. Bekungarhalisi lokho kodwana ngakwenza. Ngubani obekazokudla iqanda lesithathu? Ladliwa ngimi ngombana uHarvey wacabanga ukuthi bengekhe akghone ukungiguga nangingayatha ngebanga lendlala.

Komunye umhlangano wesigodi, ngaqalana nesitjhijilo esingakajayeleki. Besihlala kwamfowethu, eduze neWolo lomBuso. Ama-Amis akuthatha njengento eqakatheke khulu ukuhlamba, umfazi kamjikelezi wasilungiselela amanzi wokuhlamba. UHarvey bekabambekile ngakho wangibawa bona ngiyokuhlamba qangi. Kunezinto ezinthathu ebebazisebenzisa nabahlambako, ithunga lamanzi amakhaza, lamanzi atjhisako, novasi onganalitho. Okwangirara khulu kukuthi, umfazi kamjikelezi wabeka izintwezo ngaphandle kwendlu eqalane neWolo lomBuso, la abafowethu benza khona amalungiselelo womhlangano. Ngambawa irharideni ,wanginikela iplastiki esefelako. Ngabona kungcono ukusithela ngemva kwendlu kodwana bekunamarhansi, ngasaba ukuthi azongiluma . Ngacabanga: ‘Abafowethu bamajadu khulu bona bangalemuka ukuthi ngiyahlamba. Nangingahlambiko bazokuzwa ubuhlungu. Yeke kuncono ngihlambe, ngalokho ngahlamba.”

UHarvey walemuka ukuthi kubudisi ngabafowethu bama-Amis ukuthi bathuthuke etjhebiswaneni labo noZimu ngombana bebangakwazi ukufunda nokubhala begodu bezingekho iincwadi ngelimi labo. Njengombana bekungasikade ilimi lesi-Amis litlolwa phasi, kwabonakala kukuhle bona abafowethu bafundiswe ukutlola ilimi labo. Lo bekumsebenzi omkhulu kodwana abafowethu bagcina bakghonile ukufunda ngelimi labo. Iincwadi zesi-Amis zathonywa ukugadangiswa ngabo-1960, kwathi ngo-1968 kwathonywa ukugadangidwa isiThala ngesi-Amis.

Nanyana kunjalo, urhulumende bekangavumeli bona kugadangiswe iincwadi ezingasingelimi lesiChina. Nje-ke ukubalekela imiraro, isiThala sesi-Amis besigadangiswa ngeendlela ezihlukahlukeneko. Ngokwesibonelo, sakhe sasebenzisa esinye isiThala esinamalimi amabili, isiMandarin nesi-Amis kwesikhatjhana. Nakwenzeka bona abantu basole, bekubonakala ngathi sifundisa abantu bendawo isiChina. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi ihlanganano kaJehova iragele phambili igadangisa iincwadi ezinengi ngesi-Amis ukusiza abanengi bona bafunde iqiniso ngeBhayibheli.—IzE. 10:34, 35.

Kusukela ngabo-1960 kuya ngabo-1970, abafowethu abanengi bama-Amis bebangaphili ngemithetho yeBhayibheli. Njengombana  bebangazizwisisi kuhle iinkambiso zeBhayibheli, abanye bebasaziphatha kumbi badakwa, babhema bebahlafunye ne-betel nut. UHarvey wavakatjhela amabandla amanengi alinga ukusiza abafowethu baziwisise indlela uJehova aziqala ngayo izintwezi. Kwelinye lamakhambo lawo, kwenzeka indaba engikhulume ngayo ekuthomeni.

Abafowethu abathobekileko bebazimisele ukwenza amatjhuguluko, kodwana okudanisako kukuthi abanengi bebangakazimiseli, lokho kwabangela bona inani labatjhumayeli beTaiwan lehle kusukela een-2 240 latjhinga ema-900 hlangana neminyaka ema-20. Lokhu bekudanisa khulu. Nanyana kunjalo, besazi ukuthi uJehova bengekhe abusise ihlangano engakahlwengeki. (2 Kor. 7:1) Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi amabandla akghona ukulotjha uJehova ngendlela ayamukelako, sikhuluma nje ngesibusiso sakaJehova iTaiwan inabatjhumayeli abangaphezu kwee-11 000.

Kusukela ngabo-1980, sabona ukuthi amabandla wesi-Amis ayathuthuka, uHarvey wakghona ukudzimelela khudlwana ebantwini abakhuluma isiChina. Bekakuthabela ukusiza amadoda nabodade abanengana bona babeboFakazi. Ngikhumbula ukuthi wathaba kangangani omunye wamadoda lawo nakathoma ukuthandaza kokuthoma. Nami ngakuthabela ukusiza abanengi abaneenhliziyo ezilungileko ukuthi batjhidele eduze noJehova. Ngathabela nokusebenza eBethel yeTaiwan nendodana nendodakazi yomuntu ebengimfundela iBhayibheli.

Nje, sele ngingedwa. Pheze ngemva kweminyaka ema-59 sitjhadile, isithandwasami uHarvey sahlongakala ngoJanabari 1, 2010 sibulawa yikankere. Besele aneminyaka epheze ematjhumi nesithandathu asekonzweni yesikhathi esizeleko. Ngimkhumbula tle. Ngithabe khulu ukuthi ngakghona ukumsiza lokha umsebenzi wokutjhumayela usakhasa eenarheni ezimbilezi. Safunda ukukhuluma amalimi amabili we-Asia ebekabudisi, uHarvey yena wafunda nokuwatlola.

Ngemva kweminyaka ethileko, isiHlopha esiBusako saqunta ukuthi kungaba kuhle ngibuyele e-Australia. Into yokuthoma eyafika emkhumbulwenami kukuthi, ‘Angifuni ukukhamba eTaiwan.’ Kodwana uHarvey bekangifundisile bona ngingasali isabelo esivela ehlanganweni kaJehova, ngalokho bengekhe ngithome ngesikhatheso. Ngabona ukuhlakanipha kwesiquntweso ngombana besele ngiluphele, bengitlhoga ukutlhogonyelwa okwengeziweko.

Namhlanje ngisebenza eBethel ye-Australasia phakathi neveke kuthi, ngepelaveke ngisebenze nebandla. EBethel, ngiyakuthabela ukusebenzisa ilwazi lami lesiJapan nesiChina bona ngitjengise abantu abazokuvakatjha indawo. Kodwana ngililinde ngehlizywami yoke ilanga elithenjisiweko levuko, ngiyazi ukuthi uHarvey owafunda ukungasali isabelo asiphiwa nguJehova, uphephile emkhumbulwenakhe.—Jwa. 5:28, 29.