Ngo-February 1998, amasosha ombuso kanye namasosha e-Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) aqala umkhankaso wokulwa nokuxosha amasosha angamavukela-mbuso eFreetown. Ngeshwa, phakathi naleso sikhathi omunye umfowethu wabulawa yinhlamvu eyayizintazela.

Abamemezeli abangaba ngu-150 bacasha emakhaya ezithunywa zevangeli eKissy naseCockerill. ULaddie Sandy, omunye kwababili ababeqapha iBethel ebusuku, uyalandisa: “Ngelinye ilanga kusihlwa, ngesikhathi mina noPhilip Turay sisebenza eBethel, kwathi memfu amavukela-mbuso eRUF amabili ayehlomile, asiphoqa ukuba sivule iminyango yengilazi esendaweni yokwamukela izivakashi. Njengoba sibalekela endaweni ephephile, adubula ephindelela izihluthulelo zezicabha. Isimanga ukuthi azivulekanga, nawo angacabanga ukudubula izicabha zengilazi. Avele ahamba ethukuthele.

“Ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbili, la mavukela-mbuso abuya namanye ayengaba ngu-20 ayenequnga, ehlome eyizingovolo. Saqaphelisa umkhaya waseBethel ngokushesha futhi sabalekela endaweni ephephile eyayilungiselelwe kusengaphambili ngaphansi kwesakhiwo. Sonke esingu-7 sacasha endaweni emnyama ngemva kwemiphongolo emibili emikhulu, kuxega amadolo ukwesaba. Amavukela-mbuso adubula izihluthulelo zeminyango zaze zavuleka, asho phakathi. Omunye wawo wabhavumula: ‘Bacingeni lab’ oFakazi BakaJehova, nibanqume oqhoqhoqho.’ Saqojama, sathula sathi cwaka njengoba beguduza isakhiwo amahora angu-7. Ngemva kokucekela phansi izinto eziningi, ahamba.

 “Sathatha okungokwethu sabalekela ekhaya lezithunywa zevangeli eCockerill ngenhla nomgwaqo—elalikade liyiBethel. Endleleni, elinye iqembu lamavukela-mbuso lasiqhwaga izimpahla zethu. Safika ekhaya lezithunywa zevangeli sethuke kakhulu kodwa sijabule ngokuthi sisaphila. Ngemva kokuphumula izinsukwana, sabuyela eBethel siyolungisa umonakalo.”

Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbili, lapho idolobha seliphethwe amabutho e-ECOMOG, izithunywa zevangeli zaqala ukubuya zisuka eGuinea. Nokho, zazingabuzanga elangeni.

Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-8, ngo-December 1998, izethameli eziningi zaziseNational Stadium yaseFreetown zethamele uMhlangano Wesigodi onesihloko esithi “Indlela KaNkulunkulu Yokuphila.” Dukuduku, zezwa ukuqhuma kwebhomu okungekukhulu, zabona kushunqa intuthu ezintabeni. Amavukela-mbuso ayesegasele!

Ezinsukwini ezalandela, isimo saba sibi nakakhulu eFreetown. IKomiti Yegatsha yaqasha indiza encane eyathutha izithunywa zevangeli ezingu-12, izikhonzi zaseBethel zokufika ezingu-8 namavolontiya ezokwakha amahlanu bayiswa eConakry. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezintathu, ngo-January 6, 1999, amavukela-mbuso aqala ukubulala okunesihluku okubizwa ngokuthi i-Operation Coboshisa. Bayicekela phansi ngobudlova obunyantisayo iFreetown, babulala izakhamuzi ezingaba ngu-6 000. Amavukela-mbuso ajuqa ngokungakhethi izingalo nemilenze yabantu, athumba amakhulu ngamakhulu ezingane, abhidliza nezinkulungwane zemizi.

U-Edward Toby, umzalwane owayethandeka kakhulu, wabulawa ngesikhulu isihluku. Abamemezeli abangaphezu kuka-200 ababehlukumezekile bahlaliswa eBethel noma ekhaya lezithunywa zevangeli eliseCockerill. Abanye babecasha emizini yabo. OFakazi ababecashe ekhaya lezithunywa zevangeli eliseKissy, empumalanga yedolobha, ngasemaphethelweni  alo, babedinga kakhulu imithi. Kodwa ukunqamula edolobheni kwakuyingozi kakhulu. Ubani owayengalokotha ahambise leyo mithi? Ngokushesha uLaddie Sandy noPhilip Turay, ababeqapha iBethel kusihlwa futhi benesibindi esesabekayo, bavolontiya ukuyihambisa.

UPhilip uyakhumbula: “Kwakuxabene ubendle kulo lonke idolobha. Amavukela-mbuso ayevale izindawo zokungena eziningi, ehlukumeza nabantu. Kwakunomthetho oqinile wewashi owawuqala ukusebenza ntambama kuze kube ngakusasa emini yasekuseni, okwakwenza kube nzima ukuhamba. Sathatha uhambo oluya ekhaya lezithunywa zevangeli eKissy, safika khona ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbili, kodwa salithola licekelwe phansi lashiswa nangomlilo.

 “Njengoba sihlola indawo engalapho, sathola omunye wabafowethu, u-Andrew Caulker, owayelimele kakhulu ekhanda. Wayebanjwe amavukela-mbuso amshaya ekhanda ngembazo ephindelela. Ngenhlanhla wasinda futhi wabaleka. Samphuthumisa esibhedlela, lapho alulama khona kancane kancane. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi waba iphayona elivamile.”

Abanye oFakazi babesinda ekufeni noma ekulimaleni ngenxa yedumela labo njengamaKristu angaluthathi uhlangothi. Omunye umzalwane uyalandisa: “Amavukela-mbuso asiphoqa ukuba sishuqule amaduku amhlophe bese siyadansa emgwaqweni sibonise ukuthi siyawasekela. Athi: ‘Uma ningafuni, sizonigenca izingalo noma imilenze noma sinibulale.’ Sethuke kakhulu, mina nomkami sabuyela eceleni, sathandazela usizo lukaJehova buthule. Insizwa engumakhelwane eyayicheme namavukela-mbuso yabona ukuthi sisenkingeni, yatshela umphathi wamavukela-mbuso: ‘ “Umfowethu” lo. Akangeni kwezombusazwe, ngakho sizomdansela.’ Egculisekile, umphathi wahamba wasishiya, sabalekela endlini.”

Njengoba isimo siya siba ngcono kulo lonke idolobha, abafowethu baqala ukuqhuba imihlangano nokuya ensimini ngokuqapha. Abamemezeli babefaka amabheji omhlangano ukuze babonakale ezindaweni ezazivinjiwe. Abafowethu ababelinde emigqeni emide ezindaweni ezazivinjiwe baba nekhono lokuqala izingxoxo zeBhayibheli.

Njengoba zazingekho izidingo zokuphila kulo lonke idolobha, igatsha laseBrithani lathumela amabhokisi angu-200 anezimpahla zokusisiza. UBilly Cowan no-Alan Jones basuka ngendiza eConakry beza eFreetown ukuze badlulisele izimpahla zosizo kuzo zonke izindawo okungenwa kuzo ezazivinjiwe. Lezi zimpahla zafika eBethel ngaphambi nje kokuba kuqale umthetho wewashi kusihlwa. UJames Koroma wayethunywa ukuba ahambise iposi eConakry, abuye  nezincwadi kanye nezinye izimpahla ezibalulekile. Okunye kwalokhu kudla okungokomoya kwakuthunyelwa kubamemezeli abasezindaweni eziqhelile eBo naseKenema.

Ngo-August 9, 1999, izithunywa zevangeli ezaziseConakry zaqala ukubuyela eFreetown. Ngonyaka olandelayo amasosha ahlomile aseBrithani axosha amavukela-mbuso eFreetown. Ukulwa okungatheni kwaqhubeka isikhashana, kodwa ngo-January 2002, impi yayisiphelile. Ngenxa yempi eyathatha iminyaka engu-11, kwakubulawe abantu abangu-50 000, abangu-20 000 belinyaziwe, imizi engu-300 000 icekelwe phansi, abantu abayizigidi ezingu-1,2 bexoshiwe emizini yabo.

Yathinteka kanjani inhlangano kaJehova? Ngokusobala uJehova wayeyivikele futhi wayibusisa. Phakathi nempi, kwabhapathizwa abantu abangaba ngu-700. OFakazi abaningi babebalekile endaweni okwakulwiwa kuyo, noma  kunjalo inani labamemezeli eSierra Leone landa ngamaphesenti angu-50. EGuinea khona landa ngamaphesenti angaphezu kuka-300! Okubaluleke nakakhulu, abantu bakaNkulunkulu babebulondolozile ubuqotho babo. Naphezu “kwesithando sokuncibilikisa sokuhlupheka,” babetshengise ubunye nothando lobuKristu olungantengantengi futhi “baqhubeka ngaphandle kokuyekethisa, befundisa futhi bememezela izindaba ezinhle.”—Isaya 48:10; IzE. 5:42..