NGUMNYAKA wa-1923. Lihholwa lekhonsathi lelise-Drama and Music Conservatory eSão Paulo ligcwele litse ma! Kuvakala livi laGeorge Young lelipholile. Umusho nemusho wenkhulumo yakhe uhunyushelwa esiPutukezini. Bonkhe bantfu labangu-585 labakhona balalele ngekucophelela. Emavesi eliBhayibheli labhalwe ngesiPutukezi avela endvwangwini yekubukelisa bhayisikobho. Njengobe kusikhatsi lesijabulisa kakhulu, bantfu baniketwa emakhophi abhukwana lotsi “Millions Now Living Will Never Die!”, lamanye abhalwe ngesiNgisi, ngesiJalimane, nangesiTaliyane. Lenkhulumo beyikhutsata! Bantfu labanyenti beva ngayo. Ngemuva kwemalanga lamabili, lelihholwa laphindze lagcwala bantfu lebebatewulalela lenye inkhulumo. Yini vele leyaholela kulemibutsano?

Nga-1867, Sarah Bellona Ferguson wahamba nemndeni wakhe besuka eMelika batfutsela eBrazil. Nga-1899, Sarah wabona kutsi utfole liciniso ngemuva nje kwekufundza tincwadzi letisekelwe eBhayibhelini, letafika nemnakabo lomncane eBrazil esuka eMelika. Njengobe bekakukhutsalele kufundza, Sarah wahlela kutsi atfole Sicongosekulindza sesiNgisi njalo. Ajatjuliswe ngulomlayeto weliBhayibheli, wabhalela uMzalwane C. T. Russell atichaza njengalomunye “losibonelo sekutsi kute lokhashane kakhulu kutsi angatfola letindzaba.”

Sarah Ferguson wenta konkhe lokusemandleni akhe kute acocele labanye ngemaciniso eliBhayibheli, kodvwa abevame kutibuta kutsi ngubani lotawusita yena nemndeni wakhe kanye nabo bonkhe bantfu labalungile baseBrazil. Nga-1912, iBethel yaseBrooklyn yatjela Sarah kutsi kukhona lotawutfunyelwa eSão Paulo netinkhulungwane temapheshana lanesihloko lesitsi “Where Are the Dead?” labhalwe ngesiPutukezi. Nga-1915 watsi bekuhlale kummangalisa kutsi Bafundzi BeliBhayibheli labanyenti bebatitjele kutsi madvutane nje batawuya ezulwini. Aveta umbono wakhe, wabhala: “Kutsiwani-ke ngeBrazil nabo bonkhe bantfu labaseNingizimu yeMelika? . . . Nawucabanga ngendlela iNingizimu yeMelika leyiyinkhulu ngayo, kusebaleni kutsi mkhulu umsebenti  wekuvuna lokusafanele wentiwe.” Kuyacaca-ke kutsi bewusemkhulu kakhulu umsebenti wekuvuna lobekusafanele wentiwe!

Cishe nga-1920 bantfu labasebasha baseBrazil labasiphohlongo lebebasebenta emkhunjini, baya emihlanganweni yelibandla eNew York City ngesikhatsi umkhumbi wabo wemphi usalungiswa. Batsi nababuyela eRio de Janeiro bacocela labanye ngalelitsemba lebebafundze ngalo eBhayibhelini. Ngemuva kwesikhashana nje ngaMarch 1923, George Young lobekangumbonisi lojikeletako wefika eRio de Janeiro, lapho atfola khona bantfu labatsite labatsandza liciniso. Wahlela kutsi tincwadzi letitsite tihunyushelwe esiPutukezini. Ngekushesha uMzalwane Young wabese uya eSão Paulo, edolobheni lelinebantfu labangaba ngu-600 000. Wafike wetfula inkhulumo yakhe futsi wanika bantfu bhukwana lonesihloko lesitsi “Millions Now Living Will Never Die!” njengobe kuvetiwe ekucaleni kwalesihloko. Wabika watsi: “Njengobe bengingedvwa kwadzingeka ngetsembele ngalokuphelele ekumemeni bantfu ngisebentisa emaphephandzaba.” Wachubeka watsi: “Letinkhulumo bekungito tekucala lengamemela bantfu kuto ngelusito lwenhlangano lokutsiwa yi-I.B.S.A. yaseBrazil.” *

Embikweni lomayelana neBrazil, Sicongosekulindza saDecember 15, 1923, satsi: “Nasicabanga ngekutsi lomsebenti wacala ngaJune 1 nekutsi bekute tincwadzi lebetisekelwe eBhayibhelini lebetikhona ngaleso sikhatsi, kujabulisa kakhulu kubona indlela iNkhosi lewubusise ngayo lomsebenti.” Lombiko waveta kutsi uMzalwane Young wetfula tinkhulumo telinyenti letimbili kuletingu-21 letetfulwa eSão Paulo kusukela ngaJune 1 kuya kuSeptember 30, futsi sebabonkhe lebebakhona bebangu-3 600. ERio de Janeiro umlayeto weMbuso bewuchubeka wandza. Ngetinyanga nje letimbalwa, besekuhanjiswe tincwadzi letingetulu kwa-7 000 lebetibhalwe ngesiPutukezi! Ngetulu kwaloko, kushicilelwa kwe-Sicongosekulindza lebesibhalwe ngelulwimi lwesiPutukezi kwacala ngesaNovember-December 1923.

George Young wavakashela Sarah Ferguson, futsi naku lokwashiwo Sicongosekulindza: “Lodzadze wangena endzaweni yekuphumula futsi wabindza sikhashana. Wachawula uMzalwane Young, wambuka emehlweni, ekugcineni watsi: ‘Ungumbonisi lojikeletako mbamba yini?’” Ngekushesha, yena nalabanye bantfwana bakhe babhajatiswa. Ecinisweni, abesalindze iminyaka lengu-25 kutsi abhajatiswe! Sicongosekulindza sa-August 1, 1924 satsi bantfu lababhajatiswa eBrazil bebangu-50, linyenti labo labhajatiswa eRio de Janeiro.

Nyalo njengobe sekuphele iminyaka lengu-90, sekute sidzingo sekubuta sitsi: “Kutsiwani-ke ngeBrazil nabo bonkhe bantfu labaseNingizimu yeMelika?” BoFakazi BaJehova labangetulu kwa-760 000 bashumayela tindzaba letimnandzi eveni laseBrazil. Kuyo yonkhe iNingizimu yeMelika, umlayeto weMbuso nyalo sewushunyayelwa ngesiPutukezi, ngeSpanish nangaletinye tilwimi temdzabu letinyenti. Lokwashiwo nguSarah Ferguson nga-1915 bekuliciniso, ‘Bewusesemkhulu kakhulu umsebenti lobekusafanele wentiwe.’—Lokuvela emtatjeni wetfu eBrazil.