LELIJAHA lolibona lana esitfombeni nemphostoli Pawula, nguThimothi. Thimothi abehlala nemndeni wakubo eListra. Make wakhe kwakunguYunisi, kantsi gogo wakhe yena kwakunguLowisi.

Kwase kukwesitsatfu Pawula avakashela eListra. Esikhatsini lesingaba ngumnyaka lesendlulile, weta naBhanabasi kulendzawo batewushumayela. Manje watsi nakabuya abesahamba naSilasi.

Uyati kutsi abetsini Pawula kuThimothi lana kulesitfombe? Abetsi: ‘Ungatsandza yini kuhamba nami naSilasi? Ngoba singakujabulela kuhamba nawe kuze uselekelele kulomsebenti wekushumayela etindzaweni letikhashane.’

Thimothi wamphendvula watsi: ‘Yebo, nami vele ngiyakufuna kuhamba nani.’ Ngekushesha ngemuva kwaloko, Thimothi wavalelisa ekhaya, wase sewuhamba naPawula naSilasi. Kodvwa ngembi kwekuba sifundze ngeluhambo lwabo, ase sibone kutsi yini leyachubeka yenteka kuPawula. Kwase kwendlule iminyaka lengu-17 Jesu abonakala kuye ngalesikhatsi asendleleni leya eDamaseko.

Khumbula kutsi Pawula waya eDamaseko ngoba abefuna kuhlukumeta bafundzi baJesu. Kodvwa kutsite nakuchubeka sikhatsi naye wagcina asangumfundzi waJesu. Titsa takhe takha licebo lekumbulala, ngoba tatingakutsandzi lokufundzisa kwakhe ngaJesu. Kodvwa bafundzi bamsita kutsi abaleke. Bamfaka kubhasikidi, base bamehlisela ngephandle kwelubondza lwelidolobha.

Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi Pawula waya e-Antiyokhi ayoshumayela. Lena kwakungulendzawo lapho balandzeli baJesu labacala kuyo kubitwa ngekutsi ngemaKhristu. BoPawula naBhanabasi batfunyelwa emaveni lakhashane kutsi bayoshumayela kuwo. Lelinye lalamadolobha labavakashela kuwo kwakuyiListra, lapho Thimothi akhulela khona.

Manje, ngemuva kwemnyaka, Pawula waphindze wabuyela eListra ekuhambeleni kwesibili. Ngalesikhatsi Thimothi asahamba naboPawula naSilasi, uyati kutsi ngutiphi tindzawo labatihamba? Buka lelibalave ngoba sitawufundza ngaletinye taleto tindzawo.

Kwekucala, baya e-Ikhoniyumi, ngemuva kwaloko baya edolobheni lelilandzelako lase-Antiyokhi. Nasebawacedzile lawa lamabili batsatsa luhambo baya eThrowasi, bendlulela eFiliphi, base baya eThesalonika naseBheriya. Uyayibona yini i-Athene ebalaveni? Nalapho futsi Pawula washumayela. Ngemuva kwaloko bachitsa umnyaka nesigamu bashumayela eKhorinte. Ekugcineni bahamba libangana base bayema e-Efesu. Besuka lapho babuyela emuva eKhesariya ngemkhumbi, bakhuphukela nase-Antiyokhi lapho Pawula abehlala khona.

Ngako Thimothi wahamba emakhulu lamanyenti emakhilomitha, alekelela Pawula ekushumayeleni ‘tindzaba letinhle.’ Wamelekelela nasekusunguleni emabandla lamanyenti ebuKhristu. Wena nasewukhulile, utawuba ngiyo yini inceku yaNkulunkulu leyetsembekile njengaThimothi?