Ekhaya sayokuhlala kwenye idolophu ekuthiwa yiRoodepoort, eMzantsi Afrika, ibe emva kweminyaka embalwa, utata wasweleka. Ngo-1947, xa ndandina-16, ndandisele ndiphangela ukuze ndincedise ekhaya. Ndandisebenza kwindawo yefowuni kwarhulumente. Ngenye imini ndandisekhaya, kwafika omnye utata owayekhulileyo waza wacela ukusinika iMboniselo. Savuma, kuba nje sasingafuni kumphoxa.

 Kodwa kwathi kungagqithanga xesha lide, sanomdla wokwazi inyani eseBhayibhileni. Umama wakhula ehamba iiCawe yamaDutch esemncinci, wayewubona umahluko phakathi kwezinto ezifundiswa yiBhayibhile nezazifundiswa ecaweni. Savuma ukufundelwa iBhayibhile saza emva koko saqalisa ukuhamba iintlanganiso zebandla. Ngo-1949, ndaba ngowokuqala ukubhaptizwa ekhaya. Ndaqhubeka ndiphangela iminyaka embalwa, kodwa ndandifuna ukwenza izinto ezininzi entlanganweni kaYehova.

 Ngo-1954, ndaqalisa ukuba nguvulindlela othe ngxi, ibe ndabuza kwiofisi yesebe laseMzantsi Afrika ukuba ndingancedisa phi apho kukho indingeko. Iofisi yesebe yathi ndingaya kwidolophu yasePretoria yaza yalungiselela nomnye udade onguvulindlela ukuba sishumayele sobabini phaya. Sasiyithanda indawo esasihlala kuyo, ibe ndikhumbula ukuba kufuphi nayo kwakuthengiswa iidoughnuts ezimnandi ekuthiwa ziikoeksisters.

 Emva kokuba lo dade endandinguvulindlela naye etshatile, umzalwana uGeorge Phillips, owayesebenza kwisebe wandibuza ukuba ndinganguye na uvulindlela okhethekileyo. Ndaye ndavuma ndivuya.

 Isabelo sam sokuqala ndinguvulindlela okhethekileyo sasingo-1955, kwidolophu ekuthiwa yiHarrismith. Mna novulindlela endandishumayela naye kwakunzima ukuba sifumane indawo esasiza kuhlala kuyo ixesha elide. Ngokomzekelo, enye inkonzo yasekuhlaleni yeva ngathi yaza yaxelela umastandi wethu ukuba asigxothe.

 Emva kwexesha, ndathunyelwa eParkhurst, eseJohannesburg. Apho, kwafika oodade ababini abangabavangeli endandiza kusebenza nabo. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, omnye watshata waza omnye wathunyelwa kwenye indawo. Omnye udade ekuthiwa nguEileen Porter nentsapho yakhe bandipha indawo yokuhlala, nangona indlu yabo yayingekho nkulu kangako. Ndandilala kwindawo encinci eyayohlulwe ngekhethini. UEileen wayenobubele ibe endikhuthaza, kwakumnandi kakhulu ukuhlala naye. Ndandichukunyiswa yindlela awayezimisele ngayo enyanisweni, nangona wayenezinto ezininzi ekwakufuneka azenze ukuze ahoye intsapho yakhe.

 Ndathunyelwa eAliwal North, idolophu eseMpuma Koloni. Apho ndandiza kusebenza noodade ekuthiwa nguMerlene (Merle) Laurens. Ngelo xesha sasikwiminyaka yoo-20, ibe sasikhuthazwa ngumzekelo womnye udade okhulileyo ekuthiwa nguDorothy, esasimbiza ngokuba nguAnti Dot. Xa wayesemtsha, walunywa zizinja entsimini, kodwa loo nto zange imtyhafise.

 Ngo-1956, uMerle waya kwiklasi ye-28 yaseGiliyadi. Nam ndandibawela ukuya. Kodwa ndasala kakuhle noAnti Dot, ibe saba ngabahlobo abasondeleleneyo nangona wayemdala kum.

 Ndavuya kakhulu xa nam ndamenywa kwiSikolo saseGiliyadi njengoMerle! Ngaphambi kokuba ndihambe, ndasebenza iinyanga eziyi-8 kwidolophu ekuthiwa yiNigel, nodade Kathy Cooke, naye owayekhe waya eGiliyadi. UKathy wandenza ndakufuna nakakhulu ukuya kwesi Sikolo, ibe ngoJanuwari 1958, ndaya eNew York.

 EGiliyadi ndandihlala nodade Tia Aluni othetha isiSamoan, kunye nodade Ivy Kawhe othetha isiMaori. Xa ndandiseMzantsi Afrika, urhulumente weapartheid wayebahlalisa bodwa abantu abamhlophe kwezinye iintlanga, ngoko yayiyinto entsha kum ukuhlala naba dade. Ndakhawuleza ndabathanda, ibe ndandikuvuyela kakhulu ukuba kwiklasi nabantu abasuka kumazwe amaninzi.

 Omnye wabazalwana ababesifundisa eGiliyadi yayinguMzalwana uMaxwell Friend. Ngamanye amaxesha kwakubanzima kwiiklasi zakhe. Eklasini yakhe wayenezibane ezintathu, esinye sibhalwe “Ilizwi,” esinye “Isantya,” ize esinye “Amandla.” Xa umfundi wayesenza intetho okanye umboniso, uMzalwana uFriend wayedla ngokulayita esinye sezi zibane ukuba loo mfundi wayenento adinga ukuyiphucula. Kuba mna ndingumntu onentloni, amaxesha amaninzi wayesoloko ezilayita ezi zibane xa ndisenza umboniso, ibe loo nto yayindenza ndikhale ngamanye amaxesha! Nangona kunjalo, ndandimthanda uMzalwana uFriend. Ngamanye amaxesha wayedla ngokundiphathela ikofu xa ndisenza isabelo sam sokuklina kungekho klasi.

 Njengokuba iinyanga zazigqitha, ndandizibuza ukuba ndizonikwa isabelo sokuya phi. La dade ndandikade ndinguvulindlela naye, uMerle, wayesele ephumelele eGiliyadi, waza wathunyelwa ePeru. Wathi mandithethe nomzalwana uNathan Knorr, owayekhokela umsebenzi wentlangano ngelo xesha, ndimbuze ukuba ndandingathunyelwa na ePeru ndiyokusebenza naye, kuba ngelo xesha umvangeli awayesebenza naye uMerle wayeza kutshata. Umzalwana uKnorr wayesoloko efika eGiliyadi, ngoko kwakulula ukufumana ixesha lokuthetha naye. Emva kokuba ndigredile, ndanikwa isabelo ePeru!

 Ndandikuvuyela kakhulu ukuphinda ndisebenze noMerle eLima, esePeru! Ndathi ndisasandokufika, ndanezifundo zeBhayibhile ezihambela phambili, nangona ndandisazama ukufunda isiSpanish. Emva kwexesha, sinoMerle sathunyelwa eAyacucho, esezintabeni phezulu. Xa ndithetha inyani, kwakungelulanga kwesa sabelo. Ndandisifundile isiSpanish, kodwa abantu abaninzi phaya babethetha iseQuechua kuphela, ibe zange sikhawuleze sikuqhele ukuhlala kwindawo ephezulu, apho unqabileyo umoya.

 Ndandiziva ngathi akhonto ingako ndiyenzileyo eAyacucho, ibe ndandizibuza ukuba ingenzeka na into yokuba inyaniso yamkelwe ngabantu abaninzi kula ndawo. Kodwa ngoku, eAyacucho kukho abavakalisi abangaphezu kwe-700, neofisi yokuguqulela ulwimi lwesiQuechua (saseAyacucho).

 Emva kwexesha, uMerle watshata nomveleli wesiphaluka ekwakuthiwa nguRamón Castillo, ibe ngo-1964, uRamón waya kwiklasi yaseGiliyadi yeenyanga eziyi-10. Eklasini wayekunye nomnye umzalwana endandiseGiliyadi kunye naye, uFu-lone Liang. Wayekhonza eHong Kong, kodwa wamenywa ukuba abuyele eGiliyadi ukuze aqeqeshelwe imisebenzi yesebe. a UFu-lone wabuza uRamón ukuba ndiqhuba njani ePeru, saza emva koko saqalisa ukubhalelana.

 Sisaqala nje, uFu-lone wayenza yacaca into yokuba sibhalelana kuba sithandana. Omnye umvangeli waseHong Kong, uHarold King, wayesoloko esiya qho eposini ibe wavumelana noFu-lone ukuba uza kumhambisela iileta zakhe. UHarold wayedla ngokuzoba imifanekiso kwimvulophu yeeleta zikaFu-lone aze abhale namazwi afana nathi, “Ndizomxelela abhale nezininzi.”

 Emva kokubhalelana kangangeenyanga eziyi-18, mna noFu-lone sagqiba ukuba masitshate. Ndemka ePeru emva kweminyaka eyi-7 ndikhonza apho.

 NgoNovemba 17, 1965, mna noFu-lone satshata. Ndandonwabile eHong Kong, ndihlala nomyeni wam, nabazalwana ababini kunye nabafazi babo. Xa umyeni wam wayesenza umsebenzi wokuguqulela eBheteli, mna ndandisiya entsimini. Ukufunda ulwimi lwesiCantonese kwakungekho lula kodwa umyeni wam nabanye oodade abangabavangeli bandifundisa benomonde. Ukuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile nabantwana abasebatsha kwakundinceda nako ukuba ndikhululeke njengoko ndandifunda olo lwimi.

 Emva kweminyaka ethile, mna nomyeni wam sayokuhlala kwikhaya labavangeli kwindawo ekuthiwa yiKwun Tong, nayo eseHong Kong, kuba umyeni wam wayeza kufundisa abavangeli abasandokufika isiCantonese. b Kwakumnandi kakhulu ukushumayela kula ndawo, kangangokuba iintsuku ezininzi ndandingafuni nokugoduka!

 Ngo-1968, ndavuya kakhulu ukufumana incwadi entsha yokufundisa ethi Inyaniso Ekhokelela Kubomi Obungunaphakade. Yayilula kunencwadi esasikade sifundisa ngayo ngaphambi kwayo ethi “Let God Be True,” ingakumbi kubantu abangayaziyo iBhayibhile nezinto zobuKristu.

 Nangona kunjalo, ndenza impazamo yokucinga ukuba abantu endandibafundela bayayiqonda iBhayibhile kuba nje babekwazi ukuphendula imibuzo esencwadini. Kangangokuba ngelinye ixesha, esinye isifundo sam sayigqiba yonke la ncwadi ithi Inyaniso, kodwa sabe singakholelwa tu kuThixo! Ndandingayilindelanga loo nto. Ndafunda ukuncokola nakakhulu nabantu endibaqhubela isifundo, ukuze ndazi ukuba baziva njani ngezinto abazifundayo.

 Sahlala iminyaka embalwa eKwun Tong saza sabuyela eBheteli. UFu-lone waqalisa ukusebenza kwiKomita yeSebe yaseHong Kong. Mna iminyaka emininzi bendisenza umsebenzi wokuklina ibe ndisebenza nakwindawo abafikela kuyo abantu ebheteli. Ngamanye amaxesha uFu-lone kwakuye kufuneke ahambe ayokwenza isabelo sakhe kwezinye indawo, ndandingakwazi ukuhamba naye kuba ezinye izinto zazingamele zaziwe ngabantu kodwa ndandikuthanda ukumxhasa kuzo.

 Okubuhlungu, ngo-2008 ubomi bam bavele batshintsha nje ngobusuku obunye. UFu-lone wayeye kwesinye sezabelo zakhe, ibe wasweleka singalindelanga. Kwakungaphambi nje kweSikhumbuzo sokufa kukaYesu. Ndandibuhlungu kakhulu. Abazalwana noodade bakhawuleza baqokelelana ukuze bazondithuthuzela. Ibe xa kwakuqhubeka intetho yeSikhumbuzo, ndazixakekisa ngokubonisa umntu owayenomdla izibhalo ezazifundwa. Ndancedwa nasisibhalo esasithandwa ngumyeni wam, esithi: “Kuba mna, Yehova uThixo wakho, ndibamba isandla sakho sasekunene . . . ‘ndiza kukunceda.’”​—Isaya 41:13.

 Emva kweminyaka eyi-7 eswelekile umyeni wam, abazalwana baseHong Kong bathi mandiyokuhlala kwibheteli enkulu, apho yayiza kuhoywa kakuhle impilo yam. Ngoko ngo-2015, ndaya kwisebe laseMzantsi Afrika, elingekudanga kunendawo endafumana kuyo inyaniso ngo-1947.

 Ndikhonze uYehova iminyaka emininzi ndonwabile, ibe ebesoloko endisikelela ngokuzimisela kwam. Abantu endandibaqhubela izifundo zeBhayibhile abakhonza uYehova ngoku basemane bendibhalela, ibe ndibonile ukuba uYehova uyawusikelela umsebenzi wokushumayela esiwenzayo nokuba ubonakala umncinci kangakanani. Ngokomzekelo, abavakalisi basePeru ngo-1958 babemalunga ne-760, kodwa ngo-2021 bakhula de bafika ku-133 000, ibe eHong Kong babeyi-230 ngo-1965 ibe ngo-2021 babeyi-5 565.

 Andisakwazi ukwenza ezinye izinto ngenxa yeminyaka yam. Kodwa ndisazimisele nangoku ukusetyenziswa, nakwihlabathi elitsha kanti ndiseza kuba njalo, apho kuza kudingeka abantu abaninzi abaza kunceda. Ndiza kuthi: “Ndikulungele ukuhamba.”