Ngasekuqaleni kuka-1963, ekuhambeleni kwesibili kukaMilton Henschel eSierra Leone, waxoxa ngesidingo okwase kuyisikhathi eside igatsha lizama ukuhlangabezana naso. Wakhuthaza abafowethu ukuba baqinise imizamo yokulwa nokungafundi.

Amanye amabandla ayeqhuba amakilasi okufunda ukufunda nokubhala ngolimi lwesiNgisi. Kodwa ngemva kokuvakasha kukaMfoweth’ uHenschel, abafowethu baqala ukufundisa abafundi ukufunda nokubhala ngolimi abaluncela. Amanye amabandla ayeqhuba amakilasi ngezilimi ezimbili noma ezintathu. La makilasi ayethandwa kakhulu kangangokuba kwabhalisa ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yabamemezeli ezweni lonke.

Ngo-1966, abafowethu baseLiberia babhala incwadi yokufunda ulimi lwesiKisi eyayinezithombe. Lapho beyitshengisa izikhulu zikahulumeni waseLiberia, zahlabeka umxhwele kangangokuba zanquma ukuyinyathelisa nokuyisakaza kubantu mahhala. Le ncwadi yasakazwa eGuinea, eLiberia naseSierra Leone, futhi yasiza amaKisi amaningi ukuba afunde ukufunda nokubhala. Kamuva, kwenziwa nezinye izincwadi zokufundisa ezinye izilimi, okwasiza abantu abaningi ukuba bakwazi ukufunda nokubhala.

Amakilasi okufunda ukufunda nokubhala abuye asiza abantu ukuba bathuthuke ngokomoya. Cabanga ngoSia Ngallah, ummemezeli ongabhapathiziwe owayeneminyaka engu-50 futhi engafundile. Ukuze akhumbule  isikhathi asisebenzile nezimpindelo azenzile, wayesebenzisa intambo emnyama nebomvu. Ngemva kokusebenza ihora, wayebopha ifindo entanjeni emnyama. Ngemva kokwenza impindelo, wayebopha ifindo entanjeni ebomvu. USia wayeya emakilasini okufundisa ukufunda nokubhala, okwamsiza wakwazi ukubhala kahle konke akwenza ensimini. Wathuthuka waze wabhapathizwa, wayeseba umshumayeli nomfundisi ophumelelayo.

Namuhla, amabandla amaningi eSierra Leone naseGuinea asawaqhuba amakilasi okufundisa ukufunda nokubhala. Isikhulu esiphezulu sikahulumeni waseSierra Leone satshela abafowethu ehhovisi legatsha: “Ngaphandle komsebenzi wenu wokufundisa ngeBhayibheli, nenza umsebenzi oncomekayo ngokusiza abantu bakule ndawo ukuba bakwazi ukufunda nokubhala.”

Njengoba abantu bezizwe ezihlukene befunda ukufunda, sakhula isidingo sokuhumusha. Izizwe eziningi zazinezincwadi zezwe ezimbalwa, uma zikhona, ngolimi lwazo. Abantu abafundile eSierra Leone bafunda isiNgisi, kanti abaseGuinea bafunda isiFulentshi. Yini eyayingenziwa ukuze bathole izincwadi zeBhayibheli ngezilimi zabo zomdabu?

Ngo-1959, izithunywa zevangeli ezimbili ezazithweswe iziqu eGileyadi zahumusha ipheshana nencwajana ngolimi lwesiMende, kodwa kwasakazwa amakhophi ambalwa kakhulu. Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi, incwajana ethi “Lezi Zindaba Ezilungileyo ZoMbuso” nethi Living in Hope of a Righteous New World zahunyushelwa olimini lwesiKisi. Kwasakazwa ezingaba ngu-30 000 futhi zasetshenziselwa ukuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli.

 Ngo-1975, ihhovisi legatsha laqala ukunyathelisa izihloko ezifundwayo ze-Nqabayokulinda ngesiKisi. Abamemezeli abangamaKisi babejabule befile! Omunye umzalwane wathi: “UJehova usenzele isimanga. Akekho namunye kithi owazi umnyango wesikole. Sasifana namatshe–singakwazi ukukhuluma. Kodwa manje njengoba sesine-Nqabayokulinda ngesiKisi, sesingakhuluma ngemisebenzi kaJehova emangalisayo.” (Luka 19:40) Nezinye izincwadi eziningi zahunyushelwa olimini lwesiKisi.

Namuhla, abantu abaningi eSierra Leone naseGuinea basafunda izincwadi zethu ngesiNgisi noma ngesiFulentshi, okuyizilimi ezisetshenziswa emihlanganweni yebandla. Kodwa muva nje inani lezincwadi zezilimi zomdabu liye landa kakhulu. Manje izincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini sezitholakala ngesiGuerze, isiKisi, isiKrio, isiManinkakan, isiMende, isiPular nesiSusu. Incwajwana ethi Lalela UNkulunkulu Uphile Phakade nethi Listen to God zitholakala ngazo zonke lezi zilimi. Lezi zinsiza kufundisa okulula ukuzisebenzisa zisiza abaningi abangakwazi ukufunda kahle ukuba bakwazi ukuqonda nokwazisa umyalezo weBhayibheli omangalisayo.

Ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1960, abafowethu eFreetown babelokhu befuna umhlaba abazokwakha kuwo ihhovisi legatsha elisha. Ekugcineni, ngo-1965, bathenga indawo ekuWilkinson Road. Isendaweni enhle kakhulu edolobheni futhi ibheke ulwandle.

Umklamo wokugcina wawuhlanganisa iHholo LoMbuso, ikhaya lezithunywa zevangeli namahhovisi, konke kusesakhiweni esisodwa esihle. Phakathi nokwakha, izimoto ezazicinanise uWilkinson Road zazivame ukuhamba kancane zize zicishe zime nse ngoba abashayeli nabagibeli bezama ukubuka isakhiwo. Sanikezelwa ngo-August 19, 1967. Bacishe bafike ku-300 abantu ababethamele isimiso,  kuhlanganise nezicukuthwane zendawo nogogo nomkhulu ababhapathizwa “uBible” Brown ngo-1923.

Lezi zakhiwo ezintsha zegatsha zenza abantu abaningi babheka umsebenzi woFakazi BakaJehova njengobalulekile. Kwaphendula nabagxeki benkolo ababethi oFakazi bazophela ngokushesha eSierra Leone. Izakhiwo ezintsha zaba ubufakazi obuqand’ ikhanda bokuthi oFakazi BakaJehova abayi ndawo.

Kusukela maphakathi nawo-1970 kuqhubeke, izithunywa zevangeli eziqeqeshwe eGileyadi zafaka umfutho emsebenzini owawenziwa eSierre Leone naseGuinea. Ezinye zaziye zakhonza kwamanye amazwe ase-Afrika futhi zazijwayela ngokushesha izimo zendawo. Ezinye zaziqala ukuza e-Afrika. Zaziyophila kanjani ezweni elalibizwa  ngokuthi “yithuna labelungu”? Awuzwe okunye kokuphawula kwazo.

“Abantu babethobekile futhi belambile ngokomoya. Ukubona iqiniso lenza ngcono ukuphila kwabo kwakunginika ukwaneliseka okukhulu.”—UHannelore Altmeyer.

“Ukuphila ezweni elishisayo neligcwele izifo kwakuyinselele. Kodwa injabulo elethwa ukusiza abantu abanhliziyo ziqotho ukuba bakhonze uJehova iwufanele umzamo.”—UCheryl Ferguson.

“Ngafunda ukuba nesineke. Lapho ngibuza udade ukuthi zizofika nini izivakashi zakhe, wathi: ‘Mhlawumbe namhlanje. Mhlawumbe kusasa. Noma ngale kwakusasa.’ Kumelwe ukuba wangibona ukuthi ngimangele ngoba wagcizelela: ‘Zizofika zona!’ ”—UChristine Jones.

“Izithunywa zevangeli ezingu-14 ezaziphuma ezizweni ezihlukahlukene namasiko angefani zazihlala ekhaya lezithunywa zevangeli eFreetown. Sonke sasisebenzisa izindlu zangasese ezimbili, isisefo sokugeza esisodwa, umshini wokuwasha owodwa nekhishi elilodwa. Ukudla kwakungekuningi futhi kungokwezinga eliphansi. Ugesi wawuvele unqamuke singalindele— kokunye kuphele izinsuku ungekho. Iningi lethu langenwa umalaleveva nezinye izifo ezibangelwa ukushisa. Nakuba kungabonakala sengathi zonke lezi zinto zazingasixova, safunda ukuphilisana ndawonye, ukuthethelela nokuzama ukuthola okuhlekisayo esimweni esinzima. Ukushumayela kwakumnandi kakhulu, futhi izithunywa zevangeli zaba abangane abasondelene.”—URobert noPualine Landis.

“Isikhathi esasichitha eSierra Leone siphakathi kwezikhathi ezimnandi kakhulu ekuphileni kwethu. Asizisoli  futhi asikhali ngalutho. Empeleni sisikhumbula kakhulu.”—UBenjamin noMonica Martin.

“Sake sachitha ubusuku nowesifazane othakazelayo owasiphakela ukudla okwakuxakile. Wathi: ‘Yinyoka. Ngiwakhiphile amazinyo ayo. Ningathanda ukuyidla?’ Sathi cha, siyabonga, kodwa wasincenga ukuba sidle. Nakuba izigigaba ezinjalo zazihlasimulisa umzimba, sasiwazisa umoya wokungenisa izihambi ababenawo abantu bakhona futhi lwakhula uthando lwethu ngabo.”—UFrederic noBarbara Morrisey.

“Phakathi neminyaka engu-43 ngisenkonzweni yezithunywa zevangeli, ngiye ngahlala nezithunywa zevangeli ezingaphezu kwekhulu. Yeka ilungelo okube yilo ukwazi abantu abaningi kangaka, bonke benobuntu obungefani kodwa besebenzela umgomo ofanayo! Futhi yeka injabulo okuyiyo ukuba yisisebenzi esikanye noNkulunkulu nokuba nengxenye ekuboneni abantu bamukela iqiniso leBhayibheli!”—ULynette Peters.

“Yeka injabulo okuyiyo ukuba yisisebenzi esikanye noNkulunkulu nokuba nengxenye ekuboneni abantu bamukela iqiniso leBhayibheli!”

Kusukela ngo-1947, zingu-154 izithunywa zevangeli eziye zakhonza eSierra Leone, zingu-88 ezikhonze eGuinea. Abanye oFakazi abaningi bafika bezokhonza lapho indingeko inkulu khona. Namuhla kunezithunywa zevangeli ezingu-44 eSierra Leone nezingu-31 eGuinea. Imizamo nokuzidela kwazo kuye kwasiza abantu abaningi. U-Alfred Gunn, osekhonze isikhathi eside njengelungu leKomiti Yegatsha, uthi: “Lapho sicabanga ngazo sifikelwa yinjabulo enkulu.”