Ngatalwa nga-1954 e-St. Paul, Minnesota, e-U.S.A., emndenini lobewungemaKatolika, futsi besingakanjingi siphindze singakaphuyi ekhaya. Ekhaya singu-5 futsi mine ngiwesibili. Ngafundza esikolweni semaKatolika, futsi bengivame kusita umphristi wasesontfweni. Nobe kunjalo, kuncane lebengikwati ngeliBhayibheli. Ngisho nobe bengikholwa kutsi kunaNkulunkulu lowadala tonkhe tintfo, besengingasakukholwa lobekufundziswa ngulelisontfo.

Ngesikhatsi ngenta umnyaka wami wekucala e-William Mitchell College of Law, BoFakazi BaJehova befika ekhaya. Bengiwasha, futsi ngemusa laba labashadene bavuma kuphindze babuye. Ngesikhatsi babuya, benginemibuto lemibili lebengifuna kubabuta yona: “Kungani bantfu lababi baphumelela kunebantfu labakahle?” futsi “Bantfu bangajabula njani mbamba?” Bangipha incwadzi letsi Iqiniso Eliholela Ekuphileni Okuphakade (ZU) futsi beyiyinhle langephandle futsi bangipha ne-LiHumusho Lemhlaba Lomusha. Ngavuma nekutsi bangichubele sifundvo seliBhayibheli. Lesifundvo sangisita ngati tintfo letinyenti. Ngajabula  kwati kutsi uMbuso waNkulunkulu unguhulumende lotawubusa emhlabeni. Bengibona kutsi kubusa kwebantfu sekwehlulekile nekutsi bekuletsele bantfu buhlungu, kuhlupheka, kuphatfwa kabi netehlakalo.

Ngatinikela kuJehova nga-1982, futsi ngabhajatiswa ngawo lomnyaka eMhlanganweni lobewunesihloko lesitsi “Kingdom Truth” lobewuse St. Paul Civic Center. Evikini lelalandzela ngabuyela e-Civic Center ngayobhala luhlolo lwami kuze ngitewuba ngummeli. Ekucaleni kwa-October, ngeva kutsi bengiluphasile loluhlolo futsi loko bekusho kutsi besengitawusebenta njengemmeli.

KuloMhlangano lobewunesihloko lesitsi “Kingdom Truth” ngahlangana na-Mike Richardson, lobekalilunga lemndeni waseBethel yaseBrooklyn lowangichazela kutsi eNdlunkhulu besekunelihhovisi letemtsetfo. Ngakhumbula emavi lashiwo yindvuna lengum-Topiya lasencwadzini yeMisebenti 8:36 futsi ngatibuta kutsi, ‘Yini lengivimbela kutsi ngiyosebenta eHhovisini LeteMtsetfo?’ Ngako ngafaka sicelo sekuyosebenta eBethel.

Batali bami abazange bajabule kutsi senginguFakazi waJehova. Babe wami wangibuta kutsi kusebentela iNhlangano yaJehova bekutangisita ngani esikhatsini lesitako. Ngasho kutsi bengitawube ngenta umsebenti wekutitsandzela. Ngamtjela kutsi bebatanginika $75 (E1098.90) ngenyanga, lobekuyimali lebeyitfolwa ngemalunga emndeni waseBethel.

Ngenca yekutsi bengicale ngavuma kutsi ngitawusebenta enkantolo, angizange ngikhone kuvele ngiyocala kusebenta eBethel leseBrooklyn eNew York, ngako ngacala kusebenta khona nga-1984. Ngabelwa kutsi ngiyosebenta eHhovisini LeteMtsetfo. Kusebenta kwami enkantolo kwangisita ngobe kwangenta ngawulungela umsebenti lebengisatowenta.

Stanley Theater lesiseJersey City, eNew Jersey satsengwa ngaNovember 1983. Bazalwane bacela imvume yekuvusetela bogesi kanye nemaphayiphi emanti kulesakhiwo. Ngesikhatsi bahlangana nebaphatsi balelidolobha, labazalwane babachazela kutsi bebafuna kusebentisa Stanley Theater kuze sibe lihholwa lemhlangano waBoFakazi BaJehova. Loko kwabanga inkinga. Imitsetfo yelidolobha laseJersey beyisho kutsi takhiwo tekukhontela bekufanele tibe setindzaweni lapho kuhlala bantfu khona. Stanley Theater besisendzaweni yemabhizinisi, ngako baphatsi balelidolobha bala nalemvume. Labazalwane bafaka sikhalo ngalesincumo, kodvwa sajikwa ngelifasitelo.

 Ngeliviki lami lekucala ngiseBethel, inhlangano yamikisa lendzaba enkantolo. Ngenca yekutsi bengisebente iminyaka lemibili enkantolo, bengetayelene nemacala lafana nalawa. Lomunye webameli betfu waveta kutsi Stanley Theater besisolo sisetjentiswa nakunemicimbi letsite, kuze kubukelwe ema-movie nobe nakunebahlabeleli. Kungani ke besekungekho emtsetfweni kusebentisa lesakhiwo kuze kukhontwe Nkulunkulu? Lenkantolo yayihlolisisa lendzaba futsi yasho kutsi lidolobha laseJersey alikalihloniphi lilungelo letfu lekukhonta. Lenkantolo yakhipha sijubo sekutsi lelidolobha linikete labazalwane timvume lebebatidzinga, futsi ngayibona indlela Jehova lebekabusisa ngayo inhlangano yakhe asebentisa temtsetfo. Ngajabula kakhulu ngesandla lengasifaka kuloko.

Labazalwane bacala kwenta umsebenti lomkhulu wekuvusetela, futsi kuphotfula kwelikilasi lesi-79 laseGilead kwaba seJersey City Assembly Hall nga-September 8, 1985. Bekungakapheli nemnyaka kucale lokuvusetela. Ngajabula kakhulu kusita Lihhovisi LeteMtsetfo, futsi loko kwangenta ngajabula kwendlula indlela lebengijabula ngayo nangisengummeli ngaphambi kwekutsi ngite e-Bethel. Bengingati kutsi Jehova bekasatongisebentisa kulokunyenti.

Ngabo 1980, bodokotela bebangakavami kuhlonipha ticelo taboFakazi lasebakhulile tekwelashwa ngaphandle kwekusebentisa ingati nobe tincenye tayo. Emajaji bekacabanga kutsi bomake labatetfwele bebete lilungelo lekwala kufakelwa ingati. Emajaji bekatsi nangabe lomake ala kufakelwa ingati, bekatawushona bese ushiya lomntfwana ete make.

NgaDecember 29, 1988, Dzadze Denise Nicoleau walahlekelwa yingati lenyenti ngemuva kwekubeleka indvodzana yakhe. Ingati yakhe yehla yaba ngephansi kwa-5.0, futsi dokotela wakhe watsi ucela kumfakela ingati. Dzadze Nicoleau wala. Ngelilanga lelilandzelako ekuseni, lesibhedlela sacela imvume enkantolo kuze bamfakele ingati. Lenkantolo ayizange inikete Dzadze Nicoleau nobe umyeni wakhe litfuba lekuchaza ngembono wakhe futsi ayizange ibatise ngekutsi inikete sibhedlela imvume yekumfakela ingati.

NgaLesihlanu ngaDecember 30, sibhedlela safaka Dzadze Nicoleau ingati ngisho nobe umyeni wakhe kanye nalamanye emalunga emndeni bebangakavumelani ngaloko. Entsambama yangalelolanga, lamanye emalunga emndeni kanye nalabadzala belibandla lababili baboshwa ngenca yekutsi bebangafuni kutsi bodokotela basondzele kuDzadze Nicoleau kuze bamfakele ingati. NgeMgcibelo ekuseni nga-December 31, bemaphephandzaba nebetindzaba  te-TV nete radio base-New York City naseLong Island bebakhuluma ngalokuboshwa.

NgeMsombuluko ekuseni, ngakhuluma nelijaji leNkantolo Lephakeme Milton Mollen. Ngamchazela onkhe emaciniso ngalendzaba, ngamtjela nekutsi lijaji lakhipha sijubo sekutsi loDzadze afakelwe ingati lingakayinaki leminye imitsetfo. Mollen wangicela kutsi ngifike ehhovisi lakhe entsambama kuze sicoce ngalendzaba. Entsambama umzalwane lebesisebenta ngephansi kwekucondziswa kwakhe lokutsiwa nguPhilip Brumley, wangiphekeletela sayobona Justice Mollen. Lelijaji lacela kutsi babekhona nebaphatsi balesibhedlela. Bekushubile. Umzalwane Brumley wangibhalela siceshana lebesitsi “Angehlise umoya.” Loku kwaba seluleko lesihle ngobe bengitfukutsele futsi bengetama kutjela labameli kutsi bekukabi loko lebebakwentile.

Ngemuva kweli-awa, Justice Mollen watsi lendzaba beyitawuba yekucala ekuseni enkantolo. Nasisuka lapho, Justice Mollen watsi “labameli besibhedlela banemsebenti lomkhulu kusasa.” Loku bekusho kutsi bekungeke kube melula ngalabameli kuniketa bufakazi bekutsi sibhedlela besinelilungelo lekuphocelela Dzadze Nicoleau kutsi afake ingati. Ngeva shengatsi Jehova uyangicinisekisa kutsi sitawuphumelela kulendzaba. Bekujabulisa kubona indlela Jehova labekasisebentisa ngayo kuze afeze injongo yakhe.

Sasebenta sikhatsi lesidze ngalobo busuku kuze silungele lilanga lelilandzelako. Lenkantolo beyidvute kakhulu ne-Bethel yaseBrooklyn, labanyenti bebahamba ngetinyawo nabasuka emaHhovisini etfu eteMtsetfo. Ngemuva kwekutsi emajaji lamane ayive indzaba yetfu, asho kutsi lesincumo sekutsi Dzadzewetfu afakelwe ingati bekungakafaneli sikhishwe. Lenkantolo yavumelana nesincumo saDzadze Nicoleau futsi yasho nekutsi bekuphambene nemtsetfo wemalungelo ebantfu kutsi yente sincumo ngaphandle kwekutsi itsatsise nobe ilalele loko lokushiwo sigulane.

Ngemuva kwaloko, inkantolo lenkhulu yase-New York yasho kutsi Dzadze Nicoleau unelilungelo lekwelashwa ngaphandle kwekufakelwa ingati. Lena bekuyindzaba yekucala kuletine lebetifaka ekhatsi kusetjentiswa kwengati letatekwa etinkantolo letinkhulu letehlukehlukene e-United States lengafaka sandla kuto.  (Buka libhokisi lelitsi “ Kuphumelela Emacaleni EtiNkantolo.”) Ngike ngasebenta nalabanye bameli base Bethel emacaleni lafaka ekhatsi kukhulisa umntfwana, idivosi, kusetjentiswa kwendzawo netakhiwo.

Ngesikhatsi ngicala kuhlangana nemfati wami Dawn bekadivosile futsi bekakhulisa bantfwana labatsatfu. Bekasebenta futsi alihlahlandlela. Kuphila kwakhe bekuke kwaba matima, futsi kwangijabulisa kubona indlela labekamtsandza ngayo Jehova. Nga 1992, saya emhlanganweni weSigodzi lobewuse New York City futsi lobewunesihloko lesitsi “Light Bearers”, futsi ngamcela kutsi satane kancono. Sashada ngemuva kwemnyaka. Kuba nemfati lobekabeka Jehova kucala ekuphileni futsi longitsandzako bekusibusiso lesivela kuJehova. Dawn bekasolo angentela tintfo letinhle kuphila kwetfu konkhe.—Taga 31:12.

Ngesikhatsi sishada, bantfwana betfu bebaneminyaka lengu-11, 13, na-16. Bengifuna kuba ngubabe lokahle, ngako ngafundza tonkhe tincwadzi lebetikhukuma ngekuba ngumtali longabatali labo bantfwana futsi ngakusebentisa lebengikufundza. Betikhona tinkinga, kodvwa ngiyajabula ngobe labantfwana bagcina bangemukela njengababe wabo lobatsandzako nanjengemngani wabo labametsembako. Bangani bebantfwana betfu besibemukela ekhaya letfu, futsi besikutsandza kuba nebantfu labasha.

Nga-2013, mine naDawn saya e-Wisconsin kuze siyonakekela batali betfu lasebakhulile. Nanobe kunjalo, bengisolo ngisisebenti saseBethel. Ngacelwa kutsi ngichubeke ngisita inhlangano etindzabeni temtsetfo.

Nga-September 2018, bengivame kukhwehlela ngaphambi kwekutsi ngikhulume. Dokotela wetfu wangihlola, kodvwa akazange abone kutsi lenkinga beyibangelwa yini. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, lomunye dokotela watsi kufanele ngibone i-neurologist. Nga-January 2019, le-neurologist yangihlola futsi yatfola kutsi nginesifo lesihlasela imitsambo lokutsiwa yi-progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).

Ngemuva kwemalanga lamatsatfu, bengidlala echweni futsi ngawa ngephuka sandla sangesekudla. Kudlala echweni ngakucala ngisemncane, futsi bengikwetayele kakhulu. Ngako ngabona kutsi besengilahlekelwa likhono lami lekusebentisa imisipha nangidlala lomdlalo. Yangitfusa indlela lesifo lebesiba sibi ngayo, kancane kancane kwaba matima kutsi ngikhone kukhuluma, kuhambahamba nekumita.

Ngijabula kakhulu kutsi ngikhonile kusita inhlangano yaJehova ngemsebenti wami wekuba ngummeli. Ngijabula kakhulu nangekutsi ngibhale tihloko letinyenti kubomagazini labafundvwa bodokotela, bameli nemajaji. Ngikhonile kukhuluma etindzaweni letinyenti emhlabeni, ngilwela lilungelo lebantfu baJehova lekukhetsa kuhlindvwa kanye nekwelashwa ngaphandle kwekusebentisa ingati. Nanobe kunjalo, ngilingisa umbhali weliBhayibheli Lukha lowatsi ‘Ngisisebenti lesingakafaneli kubongwa. Ngobe ngente loko lobekufanele ngikwente.’