NgoFebruwari ka-1998 amajoni karhulumente nomkhosi osuka kwiEconomic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) ahlasela abavukeli-mbuso ukuze baphume baphele eFreetown. Okubuhlungu kukuba omnye umzalwana wasweleka ebudeni bolo hlaselo.

Abavakalisi abamalunga nabayi-150 babalekela kwizindlu zabathunywa bevangeli eziseKissy naseCockerill. ULaddie Sandy, omnye woomantshingilane ababini baseBheteli, uthi: “Ngobunye ubusuku xa mna noPhilip Turay sasigadile, abavukeli-mbuso ababini bombutho weRUF ababexhobile, bafika eBheteli baza bathi masivule iminyango yeglasi. Njengoko sasibalekela kwindawo ekhuselekileyo, badubula indawo yokufaka isitshixo ngokuphindaphindiweyo. Okumangalisayo kukuba awuzange uvuleke ibe abazange bacinge ngokudubula iglasi. Bemka becaphukile.

“Emva kweentsuku ezimbini, babuya behamba nabanye abayi-20 bexhobe bafohlela. Sakhawuleza sazisa intsapho yaseBheteli saza sabalekela kwindawo engaphantsi yokuzimela. Mna nabanye abathandathu sazimela kwindawo emnyama emva kwemigqomo emikhulu emibini, singcangcazela luloyiko. Bambonzeleka baza badubula iminyango. Omnye wabo bavukeli wakhwaza wathi: ‘Khangelani loo maNgqina kaYehova nize niwanquml’ umqala.’ Sahlala siziqothile sithe cwaka njengoko babegqogqa yonk’ indawo kangangeeyure ezisixhenxe. Emva kokuba bemoshe izinto ezininzi, bathatha izinto abazifunayo baza bemka.

“Sathatha izinto ezimbalwa saza sabalekela kwikhaya labathunywa bevangeli eliseCockerill—indlu eyayikade ilikhaya laseBheteli eyayikufutshane. Endleleni eya apho saphangwa lelinye iqela labavukeli. Ukufika kwethu ekhayeni  labathunywa bevangeli sasingcangcazela sisoyika, kodwa savuyela nje ukuba sisaphila. Emva kokuphumla kangangeentsuku ezimbalwa sabuyela eBheteli ukuze silungise umonakalo.”

Kwiinyanga ezimbini kamva, emva kokuba imikhosi ye-ECOMOG ilawula isixeko, abathunywa bevangeli babuya besuka eGuinea. Babengazi ukuba abazukuhlala.

Kwiinyanga ezisibhozo kamva, ngoDisemba 1998, amakhulu-khulu eendwendwe ezazikwiNational Stadium eFreetown anandipha iNdibano yeSithili ‘Yokuphila Ngendlela KaThixo.’ Ngequbuliso, eva isithonga esitsholo phantsi abona nomsi onyukayo osuka ezintabeni. Abavukeli babebuyile!

Kwiintsuku ezalandelayo, imeko yaya isiba mandundu eFreetown. IKomiti yeSebe yaqesha inqwelo-moya encinane eyayiza kuhamba nabathunywa bevangeli abayi-12, amalungu aseBheteli asemzini asibhozo, amatsha-ntliziyo olwakhiwo amahlanu iwase eConakry. Kwiintsuku ezintathu kamva, ngoJanuwari 6, 1999 abavukeli baba sephulweni lokubulala kwanto. Benogonyamelo babulala abantu abamalunga ne-6 000. Bashunqula iingalo nemilenze yabantu, bohlutha abantwana abangamakhulu-khulu baza bonakalisa nezakhiwo ezininzi.

Omnye umzalwana othandwayo, uEdward Toby, wabulawa ngokumasikizi. Abavakalisi abangaphezu kwabayi-200 ababengcungcutheka babehlala eBheteli okanye kwikhaya labathunywa bevangeli eCockerill. Abanye babezimela ezindlwini zabo. AmaNgqina awayehlala kwikhaya labathunywa bevangeli eKissy, esekupheleni kwedolophu, ayedinga unyango ngokungxamisekileyo. Kodwa ayeza kuzibeka esichengeni ukuba ayeza kunqumla isixeko. Ngubani owayeza kuzincama? ULaddie Sandy noPhilip Turay, amagagu awayegada eBheteli ebusuku, bathi baza kuya.

 UPhilip uthi: “Kwakuthe saa esixekweni. Amajoni angabavukeli ayemisa abantu kwimida aze abaphathe kakubi. Abantu babengavunyelwa ukuphuma emakhayeni abo ukususela emva kwemini ukusa kwintsasa elandelayo, nto leyo eyayisivalela amathuba okuhamba. Emva kweentsuku ezimbini zolu hambo lwethu safika ikhaya labathunywa bevangeli laseKissy litshisiwe.

“Xa sasijonga iindawo ezikufutshane safumanisa ukuba omnye umzalwana, uAndrew Caulker, wayonzakele kakhulu entloko. Abavukeli bambophelela baza bamxhaxha ngezembe ngokuphindaphindiweyo. Okumangalisayo kukuba waphuncula kwaba bavukeli. Sambalekisela esibhedlele ibe ngoxa wayelapho wachacha. Kamva waba nguvulindlela othe ngxi.”

 Amanye amaKristu asinda ekufeni okanye ekonzakaleni ngenxa yokuba ayesaziwa ngokungathathi cala kwiipolitiki. Omnye umzalwana uthi: “Abavukeli basinyanzela ukuba sinxibe iiqhiya ezimhlophe size sidanise esitratweni, ngaloo ndlela sixhasa iqela labo. Aba bavukeli bathi: ‘Ukuba aniyenzi loo nto, siza kuninqumla iingalo okanye imilenze okanye sinibulale.’ Sityhwatyhwa luloyiko, mna nenkosikazi yam sema bucala saza sathandazela ngaphakathi sicela uncedo lukaYehova. Akusibona omnye umfana ongummelwane wethu okweli qela waxelela umphathi wabavukeli oku, ‘“Ngumzalwana” wethu lo. Akabandakanyeki kwiipolitiki, ngoko siza kumdanisela.’ Anelisekile umphathi wabavukeli wahamba, ibe thina sakhawuleza sagoduka.”

Kwathi kwakubakho isiqabu esixekweni, abazalwana ngobuchule baqalisa ukuqhuba iintlanganiso nokushumayela. Abavakalisi banxiba iibheji zendibano ukuze baziwe kwimida. Abazalwana abame emigceni kule mida, baba nobuchule bokuqalisa iincoko zeBhayibhile.

Njengoko kwakukho izinto ezingekhoyo esixekweni, isebe laseBritani lathumela iibhokisi eziyi-200 ezazinezinto zokunceda. UBillie Cowan noAlan Jones, basuka ngenqwelo-moya eConakry baya eFreetown ukuze bathathe iibhokisi badlule nazo kwiindawo ekuhlolwa kuzo impahla. Ezi mpahla zafika eBheteli ngaphambi kwexesha elibekiweyo lokungena. UJames Koroma, wathutha ezi bhokisi wazisa eConakry, ebuya noncwadi nezinye izinto ezibalulekileyo. Olunye lolo ncwadi lwasiwa kubavakalisi abakwiindawo ezikwanti eBo naseKenema.

NgoAgasti 9, 1999, abathunywa bevangeli abaseConakry baqalisa ukubuyela eFreetown. Kunyaka olandelayo umkhosi waseBritani wabakhuphela ngaphandle kweFreetown abavukeli. Kwaqhubeka kukho uhlaselo pha napha, kodwa ngoJanuwari 2002, kwathiwa imfazwe iphelile. Ngenxa yemfazwe  ethathe iminyaka eyi-11, kwabulawa abantu abayi-50 000, konzakala abayi-20 000, kwatshabalala imizi eyi-300 000 ibe abantu abayi-1.2 miliyoni bafudukela kwezinye iindawo.

Intlangano kaYehova iqhube njani ngeli xesha? Licacile elokuba uYehova uye wayikhusela waza wayisikelela. Ebudeni bemfazwe, kuye kwabhaptizwa abantu abamalunga nabayi-700. AmaNgqina amaninzi aye abhaca kwiindawo ezinemfazwe, sekunjalo inani labavakalisi eSierra Leone liye landa ngeepesenti eziyi-50. EGuinea abavakalisi baye banda ngaphezu kweepesenti eziyi-300. Okubaluleke ngakumbi kukuba, abantu bakaThixo bahlala bethembekile. ‘Kwiziko lenkxwaleko,’ baye bamanyana baza babonisa uthando njengamaKristu ibe baye “baqhubeka ngaphandle kokuyekelela befundisa kwaye bevakalisa iindaba ezilungileyo.”—Isa. 48:10; IZe. 5:42.