NGAKHULELA eGraz, lese-Austria. Ngatsi nangineminyaka lesikhombisa ngaya esikolweni sekuceceshelwa inkholo. Kodvwa bengibona tintfo letitfusako, kutiphatsa kabi ngekwelicasi lobekwentiwa baphristi nemasistela. Kungakapheli umnyaka, make wangivumela kutsi ngiphume kulesikolwa.

Ngemva kwesikhatsi ngaya e-boarding school. Ngalobunye busuku, babe wafika ngobe iGraz beyihlaselwa ngemabhomu kamatima. Satfola indzawo yekuphephela edolobheni lokutsiwa yi-Schladming. Satsi nje nasisandza kuwela nje kulelibhuloho lavele labhonjwa. Ngalelinye lilanga tindiza lebetihambela phasi tetama kudubula mine nagogo sisekhaya. Ngasekupheleni kwemphi kwabonakala kutsi hulumende nemasontfo asidvumatile.

Nga-1950 lomunye waBoFakazi BaJehova wacala kudadisha namake liBhayibheli. Bengivamise kulalela loko lebebacoca ngako futsi ngiya namake kuleminye imihlangano yelibandla. Wabhajatiswa nga-1952 ngesikhatsi abona kutsi BoFakazi bafundzisa liciniso.

Ngaleso sikhatsi lelibandla lebesiya kulo bekubonakala ngatsi libandla labogogo. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi savakashela libandla lebelinebantfu labasebasha, hhayi labogogo kuphela. Nasengibuyele eGraz ngacala kuya kuyo yonkhe imihlangano futsi ngekushesha nje ngabona kutsi lebengikufundza kuliciniso. Ngaphindze ngabona nekutsi Jehova unguNkulunkulu lotisekelako tinceku takhe. Ngisho noma sicabanga kutsi sisodvwa nasibhekene netinkinga.​—Hla. 3:5, 6.

Loko lebengikufundza ngafuna kukucocela nalabanye. Ngacala ngekufundzisa umndeni wakitsi. Bosisi bami labane bebabothishela futsi bebangasahlali ekhaya. Bengibavakashela lapho bahlala khona futsi bengibakhutsata kutsi bafundze liBhayibheli. Ekugcineni,  bonkhe bantfwabakitsi bafundza liBhayibheli futsi baba BoFakazi BaJehova.

Ngeliviki lesibili ngicale kushumayela umuti ngemuti, ngahlangana nalomunye sisi lebekaseminyakeni yabo-30 futsi ngacala kufundza naye liBhayibheli. Watfutfuka kahle kakhulu waze wabhajatiswa, nemyeni wakhe kanye nemadvodzana akhe lamabili. Lesifundvo sakucinisa kukholwa kwami. Kungani ngisho njalo? Bekute umuntfu lowake wangifundzela liBhayibheli. Bekufanele sifundvo ngasinye ngisilungiselele kahle. Loko ngakwenta ngekutsi ngicale ngifundze kuze ngikhone kufundzisa sifundvo sami. Loko kwangenta ngalitsandza kakhulu liciniso. Nga-April 1954 ngakhombisa kutinikela kuJehova ngekutsi ngibhajatiswe emantini.

Nga-1955 ngaya emhlanganweni wetive lebewuseGermany, eFrance, kanye naseNgilandi. Ngesikhatsi ngiseLondon ngahlangana na-Albert Schroeder. Bekanguthishela eSikolweni SeliBhayibheli SaseGileyadi, futsi ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi waba lilunga leSigungu Lesibusako. Nasivakashele eMsamo waseBritain, umzalwane Schroeder wasikhombisa imiBhalo yeliBhayibheli leyabhalwa ngesandla. Beyineligama laNkulunkulu lebelibhalwe ngetinhlavu tesiHebheru futsi wasichazela bumcoka bato. Loku kwangitsintsa kakhulu futsi kwangenta ngatimisela kucocela labanye ngemaciniso laseBhayibhelini.

Nga-January 1, 1956 ngaba lihlahlandlela lelivamile. Ngemuva kwetinyanga letine, ngacelwa kutsi ngibe lihlahlandlela lelikhetsekile e-Austria. Ngaleso sikhatsi bekute BoFakazi eMistelbach, lebekulidolobha lebekufanele ngihlale kulo. Ngetulu kwaloko kwadzingeka ngibhekane nesimo lesimatima. Mine nadzadze lebenginaye emsebentini wasikhatsi sonkhe besinebuntfu lobungafani. Besengitohlanganisa iminyaka lengu-19 futsi ngisuka edolobheni, yena bekana-25 futsi angumuntfu wasemakhaya. Bengitsandza kuphuta kuvuka kantsi yena bekatsandza kuvuka ekuseni kakhulu. Entsambama mine bengiphuta kulala, yena asheshe alale. Kodvwa ngekusebentisa seluleko seliBhayibheli sakhona kuphilisana kahle futsi sakujabulela kusebenta ndzawonye.

Ecinisweni tikhona letinye tinkinga lesabhekana nato. Besihlukunyetwa kepha besingativa ‘silahliwe.’ (2 Khor. 4:7-9) Ngalelinye lilanga sishumayela endzaweni yasemakhaya, bantfu basisasatela ngetinja. Satikhandza sesitungeletwe tinja letinyenti, tisikhonkhotsa futsi tifuna kusiluma. Sabambana ngetandla, ngase ngiyathantaza ngatsi, “Jehova, ngicela kutsi nangabe letinja tisibamba simane sife ngekushesha!” Tatsi nasetisedvute kakhulu, tema, tajikitisa imisila tase tiyajika. Sabona kutsi Jehova abesivikele. Ngemuva kwaloko, sashumayela kuyo yonkhe lendzawo futsi lokwasijabulisa kakhulu kutsi bantfu bebasemukela. Kungenteka bamangaliswe kutsi letinja betingakasilumi, futsi sabeketela nangetulu kwesimo lesibi kangaka. Labanye babo ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi baba BoFakazi.

Kunalokunye futsi lokwasetfusa. Ngalelinye lilanga masitandi wetfu wefika adzakiwe, afuna kusibulala atsi siphatamisa umphakatsi. Umkakhe abetama kumehlisa umoya kepha  wehluleka. Konkhe loku besikuva sisekamelweni lelisetulu. Ngekushesha savala umnyango, sabeka titulo sacalisa kupakisha timphahla tetfu. Satsi nasivula mnyango masitandi wetfu abesemnyango aphetse umukhwa lomkhulu. Saphuma ngemnyango wangemuva sabaleka netintfo tetfu sangaphindzi sabuyela.

Saya ehhotela, sacela likamelo lekulala. Sahlala lapho cishe umnyaka wonkhe futsi loko kwawutfutfukisa kakhulu umsebenti wetfu. Loko kwenteka njani? Lelihhotela belisekhatsi nelidolobha futsi letinye tifundvo tetfu besitichubela lapho. Ngekushesha, sifundvo sencwadzi kanye nesifundvo se-Sicongosekulindza besisichubela kulelo kamelo futsi sesisonkhe besiba ngu-15.

Sahlala eMistelbach sikhatsi lesingetulu kwemnyaka. Ngabese ngitfunyelwa eFeldbach leseningizimu yeGraz. Ngatfola lelinye lihlahlandlela lebengitawusebenta nalo, kodvwa nakuleyo ndzawo bekute libandla. Besihlala ekamelweni lelincane lelisetulu endlini lebeyakhiwe ngetingodvo. Umoya bewungena kuletimbotjana lebetisemkhatsini wetingodvo futsi besisebentisa liphephadzaba kute sivale letimbobo. Bekudzingeka siyokha emanti emtfonjeni. Kepha sakukhandza kukahle kwenta loko. Ngemuva kwetinyanga letimbalwa, sacalisa licembu. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi emalunga emndeni langu-30 lebesifundza nawo agcine emukele liciniso.

Tintfo letinjalo letenteka tangenta ngambonga Jehova ngekusisekela kwakhe njengobe besiphishanekela tintfo letiphatselene neMbuso. Ngisho noma singalutfoli lusito loluvela kubantfu, Jehova uhlale anatsi.​—Hla. 121:1-3.

Nga-1958 bekutawuba nemhlangano wetive eNew York City, eYankee Stadium nasePolo Grounds. Ngafaka sicelo sekuya kuloyo mhlangano, lihhovisi lase-Austria langibuta kutsi ngingatsandza yini kuya eSikolweni saseGileyadi, ngibe seklasini lesi-32. Bengingeke ngilale lilungelo lelinjalo, ngako ngavumela etulu ngatsi “Ngiyafuna!”

Eklasini letfu ngahlala eceleni kwaMartin Poetzinger. Abebeketelele kuhlukunyetwa kakhulu enkambini yemaNazi. Ngemuva kwesikhatsi naye wakhonta njengelilunga leSigungu Lesibusako. Nakusachubeka tifundvo, Martin abevamise kungihlebela kutsi, “Erika, kusho kutsini loku ngesiJalimane?”

 Ngasekupheleni kweliklasi, Nathan Knorr wasiniketa tabelo tetfu. Ngabelwa kutsi ngiye eParaguay. Ngesizatfu sekutsi bengisemncane, bengidzinga imvume yababe yekungena kulelo live. Ngemuva kwekuyitfola, ngafika eParaguay nga-March 1959. Mine nalomunye dzadze lebengitawusebenta naye sabelwa kutsi siyohlala ekhaya letitfunywa telivangeli e-Asunción.

Ngemuva kwesikhashana nje ngahlangana naWalter Bright lobekasitfunywa selivangeli labephotfule eGileyadi eklasini lesi-30. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi sashada futsi sabhekana netinsayeya tekuphila ndzawonye. Besitsi nasihlangabetana netinkinga, sifundze setsembiso saJehova lesiku-Isaya 41:10 lesitsi: “Ngako-ke ungesabi, ngobe mine nginawe; ungajabhi, ngobe mine nginguNkulunkulu wakho. Ngitakucinisa.” Loko kwasicinisekisa ngekutsi yingci nje nasetsembekile kuNkulunkulu futsi sibeka uMbuso kucala, angeke asidvumate.

Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi satfunyelwa endzaweni lebeyisedvutane nemncele waseBrazil. Lomunye umfundisi wakhutsata bafanyana labancane kutsi bajikijele indlu yetitfunywa telivangeli ngematje kantsi nayo beseyivele itiphelele. Walter wacala kufundza liBhayibheli nemphatsi wemaphoyisa. Lomphatsi abeciniseka kutsi kuleloviki emaphoyisa agadza indlu lebesihlala kuyo futsi laba lebebasihlupha abazange baphindze basihluphe. Ngekushesha nje ngemuva kwaleso sikhatsi sacelwa kutsi sitfutsele kulenye indzawo lekahle lengaseBrazil. Loku kwaba nemiphumela lemihle kakhulu ngobe imihlangano besiyibambela eParaguay naseBrazil. Ngaphambi kwekutsi sishiye leso sabelo, besekunemabandla lamabili lamancane.

Bodokotela bebangitjela kutsi angeke ngibe nebantfwana, kodvwa samangala ngesikhatsi sitfola kutsi ngitetfwele nga-1962! Sabese siyohlala eHollywood, leseFlorida, edvutane nasekhaboWalter. Kwendlula iminyaka leminyenti mine naWalter singakhoni kuphayona. Bekudzingeka sinakekele umndeni wetfu. Nanobe kunjalo sachubeka sitibeka kucala tintfo letiphatselene neMbuso.​—Mat. 6:33.

Nasifika eFlorida ngaNovember 1962, samangala nasitfola kutsi imitsetfo yendzawo yekuhlala beyitsi bazalwane labamnyama bebatibambela yabo bodvwa imihlangano nalabamhlophe benta lokufanako futsi bebashumayela etindzaweni letehlukene. Kodvwa Jehova akabuki libala lemuntfu, ngemuva kwesikhashane lamabandla ahlangana. Sabonakala sandla saJehova kulelilungiselelo njengobe nyalo sekunemabandla lamanyenti kulendzawo.

Lokubuhlungu kutsi nga-2015 Walter wabulawa ngumdlavuza webucopho. Waba ngumyeni wami lokahle kakhulu iminyaka lengu-55, futsi abetsandza Jehova kanye nekusita bazalwane. Sengikubuke ngalabovu kuphindze ngimbone avuswa aphile saka eveni lelisha.​—Imis. 24:15.

Ngijabula kakhulu ngekutsi sengineminyaka lengetulu kwalengu-40 ngenta umsebenti wasikhatsi sonkhe futsi ngitfola tibusiso letinyenti. Nasi sibonelo, mine naWalter besikhona nakubhajatiswa tifundvo tetfu teliBhayibheli letingu-136. Siyavuma kutsi bekubakhona tikhatsi letimatima. Kepha besingativumeli kutsi tibe tizatfu tekuyekela kukhonta Nkulunkulu. Esikhundleni saloko besisondzela kakhulu kuNkulunkulu setsemba kutsi utatilungisa tintfo ngesikhatsi sakhe nangendlela yakhe. Futsi abekwenta loko!​—2 Thim. 4:16, 17.

Ngiyamkhumbula kakhulu Walter kepha kuba lihlahlandlela kuyangisita ngikhone kukubeketelela loko. Ngikukhandza kulusito kakhulu kufundzisa labanye nekubatjela ngelitsemba lesinalo ngalabafile. Nembala, Jehova akazange angidvumate, loku ukukhombise ngetindlela letinyenti lengingeke ngikhone kutibala. Njengobe etsembisile, ungisekele, wangicinisa, wangibamba ‘ngesandla sakhe sekudla lesilungile.’​—Isa. 41:10.