Ngatalwa ngaMay 19, 1940, edolobheni lokutsiwa yi-Amioûn, eLebanon. Ngemuva kweminyaka lembalwa, mine nemndeni wakitsi satfutsela edolobheni iTripoli, futsi ngakhulela emndenini lonelutsandvo futsi lojabulile, lobewati Jehova Nkulunkulu futsi umtsandza. Bengiwekugcina kubantfwana labasihlanu, emantfombatana lamatsatfu nebafana lababili. Kubatali bami, bekungakabaluleki kangako kuba nemali lenyenti. Lebekubaluleke kakhulu kitsi bekukudadisha liBhayibheli, imihlangano yebuKhristu nekusita labanye kutsi bati Nkulunkulu.

BekunemaKhristu lagcotjiwe ebandleni letfu. Lomunye wawo bekunguMichel Aboud, lobekachuba sifundvo sencwadzi. Wafundza liciniso eNew York futsi wacala umsebenti wekushumayela eLebanon nga-1921. Ngiyakhumbula kutsi bekabasita futsi abahlonipha kanganani labanye bodzadze lababili lebebaphotfule eSikolweni saseGileyadi, bo-Anne naGwen Beavor. Baba bangani betfu. Ngemuva kweminyaka leminyenti, ngajabula kakhulu nangibona Anne eMelika. Ngemuva kwesikhatsi, ngabona naGwen lebesekashade naWilfred Gooch futsi bebasebenta eBethel leseLondon, eNgilandi.

Bebabancane boFakazi eLebanon ngesikhatsi ngisemusha. Kodvwa besibafundzisa ngemdlandla  labanye loko lebesikwati ngeliBhayibheli. Sachubeka sishumayela nanobe besiphikiswa ngulabanye baholi benkholo. Ngisatikhumbula kahle letinye tintfo letenteka kitsi.

Ngalelinye lilanga, mine nasisi wami Sana, besishumayela kulesinye sakhiwo lebesihlala bantfu. Satsi sisashumayela, kwefika lomunye umphristi. Kungenteka kukhona lowambita. Lomphristi wacala kutfuka sisi wami. Waba nebudlova, wamfuca etitebhisini futsi walimala. Lotsite washayela emaphoyisa, futsi efika, aciniseka kutsi kunalotsite lonakekela Sana. Ahamba nalomphristi aya naye esiteshini semaphoyisa, lapho afike atfola khona kutsi bekaphetse sibhamu. Umphatsi wemaphoyisa wambutsa watsi: “Ufundzisa bantfu ngaNkulunkulu nobe ubafundzisa kutsi babe nebudlova?”

Lokunye lengikukhumbula kahle ngulesikhatsi libandla letfu licashe ibhasi siyoshumayela edolobheni lelikhashane. Bekumnandzi, kwaze kwaba ngulapho umphristi wendzawo eva ngaloko lesikwentako futsi wabutsisa bantfu labanyenti kuze basihlasele. Basiphatsa kabi, basijikijela ngematje futsi babe walimala. Ngiyakhumbula ngimbona agcwele ingati ebusweni. Wabuyela ebhasini namake, futsi sonkhe tsine labanye sabalandzela sikhatsatekile. Nobe kunjalo, angeke ngiwakhohlwe emavi make lawasho nakamsula, watsi: “Jehova, ngicela ubacolele. Abakwati labakwentako.”

Ngalelinye lilanga, saya kuyovakashela tihlobo tetfu edolobheni lesatalelwa kulo. Nasifika kagogo, sakhandza kunembhishobhi lowatiwako. Bekati kutsi batali bami baBoFakazi BaJehova. Wasukela mine nanobe bengineminyaka lesitfupha, watsi: “Awukabhajatiswa ngani?” Ngamtjela kutsi ngisemncane nekutsi kuze ngibhajatiswe kudzingeka ngati lokunyenti ngeliBhayibheli futsi ngibe nekukholwa lokucinile. Akazange ajabule ngemphendvulo yami, ngako watjela mkhulu kutsi angikamhloniphi.

Nobe kunjalo, betingasitinyenti tintfo letimbi njengaleti. Ngalokuvamile, bantfu baseLebanoni banebungani futsi bayatitsandza tivakashi. Ngako banyenti bantfu lebesicoca nabo ngeliBhayibheli futsi besichuba tifundvo teliBhayibheli letinyenti.

Nangisafundza sikolwa, lomunye umzalwane losemusha lovela eVenezuela wavakasha eLebanon. Bekaya ebandleni letfu futsi wacala kutsandzana nasisi wami Wafa. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi bashada futsi base batfutsela eVenezuela. Etincwadzini lebekatibhala, Wafa bekancenga babe kutsi sitfutsele eVenezuela. Loko wakwenta ngobe besekasikhumbule kakhulu. Ekugcineni samlalela futsi sancuma kutfutsa!

Safika eVenezuela nga-1953 futsi sahlala eCaracas, dvutane nalapho bekuhlala khona mengameli. Ngesikhatsi ngisemncane, bengijabula nangibona mengameli endlula ngemoto yakhe lenhle. Kodvwa bekumatima ngebatali bami kwetayela lelive lelisha, lulwimi lolusha, lisiko, kudla kanye nesimo selitulu. Ecinisweni, batsi nje  nabacala kwetayela, kwenteka intfo lebuhlungu kakhulu.

Babe wacala kugula. Loko kwasimangalisa ngobe bekasolo acinile futsi aphilile. Asikhumbuli nangalinye lilanga agula. Kwatfolakala kutsi unamdlavuza futsi wahlindvwa. Lokubuhlungu kutsi washona ngemuva kweliviki.

Kumatima kuchaza indlela leseva buhlungu ngayo. Bengineminyaka lengu-13 nje kuphela. Setfuka kakhulu futsi seva shengatsi angeke siphindze sijabule. Kwaphela sikhatsi lesidze make angakhoni kwemukela kutsi umyeni wakhe ushonile. Nobe kunjalo, sabona kutsi kuphila kufanele kuchubeke futsi Jehova wasipha emandla. Ngesikhatsi ngineminyaka lengu-16, ngacedza sikolwa eCaracas, futsi benginesifiso lesikhulu sekusekela umndeni wakitsi.

Ngaleso sikhatsi, sisi wami Sana washada naRubén Araujo, lobekaphotfule eSikolweni saseGileyadi wase ubuyela eVenezuela. Bancuma kutfutsela eNew York. Ngesikhatsi umndeni wakitsi uncuma kutsi kufanele ngiye enyuvesi, bengitawufundza eNew York futsi ngihlale nabo. Sisi wami nasibali bangisita kutsi ngisondzelane naJehova ngesikhatsi ngihlala nabo. Ngetulu kwaloko, bebabanyenti bazalwane lebebanebuhlobo lobuhle naNkulunkulu ebandleni letfu lebelikhuluma Spanish, eBrooklyn. Lababili babo lebengibati futsi ngibatsandza, bekunguMilton Henschel naFrederick Franz, futsi bobabili bebaseBethel leseBrooklyn.

Watsi nasewuyophela umnyaka wami wekucala ngisenyuvesi, ngacala kutibuta kutsi ngentani ngekuphila kwami. Ngafundza futsi ngacabangisisa ngetihloko lebetiku-Sicongosekulindza lebetikhuluma ngemaKhristu lebekatibekele imigomo ekukhonteni Jehova. Ngabona indlela lebekajabule ngayo emahlahlandlela kanye netisebenti taseBethel lebetisebandleni letfu, futsi nami bengifisa kuba njengato. Kodvwa bengisengakabhajatiswa. Ngabese ngiyabona kutsi kufanele ngitinikele kuJehova. Ngenta njalo, futsi ngabese ngiyabhajatiswa ngaMarch 30, 1957.

Ngemuva kwekubhajatiswa, ngabese ngicabanga ngekuba lihlahlandlela. Bengikufuna mbamba kuba lihlahlandlela, kodvwa ngabona kutsi bekutawuba matima. Bengingaciniseki kutsi ngitawukhona yini kuchubeka ngisenyuvesi futsi ngesikhatsi lesifanako ngibe lihlahlandlela. Sabhalelana tincwadzi letinyenti mayelana nesincumo sami sekuyekela enyuvesi, ngibuyele eVenezuela futsi ngibe lihlahlandlela.

Ngabuyela eCaracas ngaJune 1957. Kodvwa ngabona kutsi simo besingasisihle emndenini wakitsi. Bekudzingeka kube nalomunye losebentako. Bengitawusita njani? Ngatfola umsebenti ebhange, kodvwa bengikufuna mbamba kuba lihlahlandlela. Ngetulu kwako konkhe, kungako bengibuyile. Bengitimisele kukwenta kokubili. Kwaphela iminyaka leminyenti ngisebenta ebhange futsi ngesikhatsi lesifanako ngilihlahlandlela. Bengimatasatasa kakhulu futsi ngijabule kakhulu!

 Ngaphindze ngajabula kakhulu nangihlangana naSylvia, dzadze waseGerman lomuhle kakhulu, lobekamtsandza kakhulu Jehova, futsi sashada. Bekatfutsele eVenezuela nebatali bakhe. Sabese siba nebantfwana lababili, indvodzana yetfu bekunguMichel (Mike), indvodzakati yetfu kunguSamira. Ngetulu kwaloko, ngabese nginakekela namake. Besekahlala natsi. Nanobe kwadzingeka ngiyekele kuba lihlahlandlela kuze nginakekele umndeni wami, ngachubeka nginemdlandla emsebentini wekushumayela. Mine naSylvia besiba ngemahlahlandlela lasitako ngesikhatsi semaholide.

Bantfwabami bebasafundza ngesikhatsi kwenteka loku lengikusho ekucaleni kwalesihloko. Bengiphila kahle, futsi labanye bantfu lebengisebenta nabo ebhange bebangihlonipha. Nobe kunjalo, bengifuna bantfu bangitsatse njengesikhonti saJehova. Bengihlale ngicabanga ngalengingakwenta kuze bantfu bangitsatse njengesikhonti saJehova. Ngako mine nemkami sahlala phasi sacoca ngesimo setfu setimali. Nangiyekela emsebentini, bengitawutfola sigadla semali. Ngenca yekutsi besite tikweleti, sabona kutsi nasingenta kuphila kwetfu kube melula, lemali beyingasichuba sikhatsi lesidze.

Bekungasilula kutsatsa lesincumo, kodvwa umkami namake bangisekela kakhulu. Bengitawuphindze ngibe lihlahlandlela. Ngajabula kakhulu! Bekubonakala kukhanya embili. Kodvwa kungakapheli sikhatsi lesingakanani, satfola tindzaba lebesingakatilindzeli.

Ngalelinye lilanga, dokotela wetfu wasitjela kutsi Sylvia ukhulelwe. Sobabili samangala kakhulu! Sajabula kakhulu; kodvwa ngaphindze ngacabanga ngesincumo sami sekuba lihlahlandlela. Bengitawuchubeka yini ngibe lihlahlandlela? Sasheshe sakwemukela loko futsi sakulangatelela kuba nalelinye lilunga lemndeni. Kodvwa bengichubeka ngitibuta kutsi ngitawukhona yini kuba lihlahlandlela.

Ngemuva kwekucoca ngemigomo yetfu, sancuma kutsi ngichubeke ngibe lihlahlandlela. Indvodzana yetfu Gabriel yatalwa nga-April, 1985. Nobe kunjalo, ngayekela ebhange futsi ngaphindze ngacala kuba lihlahlandlela lelivamile ngaJune 1985. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, ngaba lilunga leKomidi Yeligatja. Kodvwa leligatja belingekho eCaracas, lokusho kutsi bengisebenta emalanga lamabili nobe lamatsatfu ngeliviki, futsi  kudzingeke ngihambe libanga lelingaba ngemakhilomitha langu-80.

Lihhovisi leligatja belisedolobheni lokutsiwa yiLa Victoria, ngako sancuma kutfutsa siye khona kuze sibe dvute neBethel. Loko bekulushintjo lolukhulu kitsi sonkhe. Ngiwutsandza kakhulu umndeni wami futsi ngiwubonga kakhulu. Simo sabo sengcondvo sangisita kakhulu. Sisi wami Baha wabese unakekela make. Mike besekashadile, kodvwa Samira naGabriel besisahlala nabo. Ngako, kutfutsela eLa Victoria bekutawusho kutsi kufanele bashiye bangani babo eCaracas. Ngetulu kwaloko, Sylvia bekudzingeka etayele kuhlala edolobheni lelincane kunasedolobheni lelikhulu futsi leliphitsitelako. Sonkhe kwadzingeka kutsi setayele kuhlala endlini lencane. Bekudzingeka sente lushintjo lolukhulu nasitfutsa sisuka Caracas siya eLa Victoria.

Nobe kunjalo, timo taphindze tashintja. Gabriel washada futsi Samira bekangasahlali natsi. Ngemuva kwaloko, mine naSylvia sacelwa kutsi siye eBethel nga-2007, futsi solo silapho. Mike, indvodzana yetfu lendzala, ungulomdzala welibandla, futsi yena nemkakhe Monica bangemahlahlandlela. NaGabriel ungulomdzala welibandla, futsi yena nemkakhe Ambra base-Italy. Samira ulihlahlandlela, futsi uphindze ente umsebenti waseBethel asekhaya.

Kudzingeke kutsi ngente tincumo letibaluleke kakhulu ekuphileni kwami. Nobe kunjalo, angitisoli. Bengingaphindze ngente tincumo letifanako. Ngibonga kakhulu ngato tonkhe tintfo lengikhone kumentela tona Jehova. Kuyo yonkhe leminyaka, ngibonile kutsi kubaluleke kakhulu kuhlale nginebungani lobucinile naJehova. Ngisho nobe tincumo lokufanele sitente titincane nobe titinkhulu, usinika kuthula “lokwendlula konkhe kucondza.” (Fil. 4:6, 7) Mine naSylvia siyakujabulela kusebenta eBethel futsi siyabona kutsi Jehova utibusisile tincumo tetfu, ngobe besihlale sibeka yena kucala ekuphileni kwetfu.