Aba bazalwana babefanele ukungayiqondi into yokuba ndiza kukwazi ukuba nguvulindlela. Ndandingakuhoyanga ukukhonza uYehova. Ndandingayithandi intsimi, ibe ndandithandaza ukuba kunethe ngeCawa ukuze ndingayi entsimini. Xa ndiyile, ndandihambisa njee iimagazini, andikhumbuli ndisebenzisa iBhayibhile xa ndishumayela. Umama wayendithembisa ukuba uza kundipha into ethile ukuba ndifunda iBhayibhile ebandleni. Ndandingakuthandi ukufunda, ibe kwakungekho nto ndizimisele ukumenzela yona uYehova.

 Kwakusehlotyeni ibe kwakuyindibano yesithili (ngoku ebizwa ngokuba yindibano yengingqi) eCardiff, eseWales. Batshintsha apho ke ubomi bam. Omnye wabazalwana wabuza imibuzo eyandenza ndacinga. Waqala ngokuthi: “Ngaba uzinikele waza wabhaptizwa?” Ndathi ‘Ewe.’ “Ngaba wamthembisa uYehova ukuba uza kumkhonza ngentliziyo, ngomphefumlo, ngengqondo, nangamandla akho onke?” ‘Ewe.’ “Ngaba unesigulo okanye iingxaki zentsapho ezinokukwenza ungabi nguvulindlela?” ‘Hayi.’ “Ngaba kukho into ekwenza ungabi nguvulindlela?” ‘Hayi.’ “Ukuba uthe hayi kulo mbuzo wokugqibela, kutheni ungabi nguye uvulindlela?”

 Kwaba ngathi kukho umntu ondikhupha ebumnyameni. Ndaqonda ukuba bendidlala njee ngobomi. ‘Andiyenzi into endandiyithembise uYehova ngoku ndandizinikela kuye. Andimkhonzi ngomphefumlo wam wonke.’ Ndaqonda ukuba xa ndifuna ukuba uYehova azenze izinto andithembise zona, nam kufuneka ndizenze izinto endimthembise zona. Ngoko ngo-Oktobha 1956, ndaqalisa ubuvulindlela bobuncedani.

 Kunyaka olandelayo, ndaba nguvulindlela othe ngxi ndaza ndayokukhonza kwibandla elinabavakalisi abayi-19. Ndathi ndifika, ndabe ndinikwa iintetho qho ngeveki. Ngenxa yokuncedwa ngabazalwana abanomonde, ndatsho ndayiphucula indlela endizinikela ngayo iintetho nezinto endizifundisayo. Ngo-1959, emva kweminyaka emibini, ndaba nguvulindlela okhethekileyo eAberdeen, kumntla weScotland. Emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa, ndacelwa ukuba ndiyokhonza eBheteli yaseLondon. Kwakumnandi kakhulu ukusebenza kwicala lokuprinta apho iminyaka eyi-7.

 Ndandikuthanda ukusebenza eBheteli, kodwa ndandifuna ukuba kwinkonzo ekhethekileyo entsimini. Ndandisemtsha, ndingaguli, kwaye ndikulungele ukusetyenziswa nguYehova naphi na. Ngo-1965 ngoAprili, ndafaka isicelo sokuya eGiliyadi ukuze ndibe ngumvangeli.

 Ngaloo nyaka, mna nomntu endandihlala naye saya kwindibano eyayiseBerlin, eJamani, saza emva koko saya kubona udonga olwalwakhiwe ngo-1961.

 Ngolunye usuku lwendibano, saba nethuba lokuyoshumayela, mna ndashumayela nomnye udade uSusanne Bandrock. Satshata ngo-1966, saza emva kweminyaka emibini, samenywa ukuba siye kwiklasi ye-47 yaseGiliyadi. Sasikelelwa nyhani! Kwaba ngathi iinyanga eziyi-5 zeso sikolo ziphele ngokukhawuleza. Sathunyelwa eZaire, ngoku ebizwa ngokuba eDemocratic Republic of the Congo. Zange siyilindele ke le! Sasingazi zinto zininzi ngale ndawo. Sasinexhala kodwa ke savuma saza sathemba uYehova.

 Emva kokuba sihambe ixesha elide, sade safika kwidolophu encinci yaseKolwezi. Xa sifika, sothuswa kukuba singaboni nomnye umzalwana oze kusikhawulela. Ekuhambeni kwexesha seva ukuba abazalwana basifumene isaziso sokuba siyeza emva kweentsuku ezimbini sifikile. Elinye ipolisa leza kuthi, laza lasixelela into ngesiFrench, ulwimi esasingaluva kakuhle ngelo xesha. Elinye ibhinqa elaliphambi kwethu lasondela laza lathi, “Niyabanjwa.”

 Eli polisa lanyanzela enye indoda ukuba isikhwelise emotweni yayo eyayindala incinci nokuba ncinci. Saxinana kuloo moto sonke. Yayingathi yimuvi ehlekisayo njengoko sasihamba kuloo ndlela imbi ibe nebhuthi ingavalekanga kakuhle.

 Saya kwindlu ekwakuhlala kuyo abavangeli. Sasingakwazi ncam thina kodwa eli polisa lalikwazi. Safika kungekho mntu nezo geythi zitshixiwe. Abanye abavangeli babeye kwindibano yezizwe ngezizwe naseholideyini. Njengoko sasime apho sitshiswa lilanga, sasizama ukucinga ukuba siza kuthini. Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwafika omnye umzalwana walapho. Xa wasibonayo wasincumela, kwavele kwathi xibilili. Lo mzalwana wayelazi eli polisa lalicinga ukuba siza kulinika imali. Emva kokuba lo mzalwana ethethe nalo, eli polisa lahamba saza nathi saqalisa ukulungisa indawo esasiza kuhlala kuyo.

 Sakhawuleza sabona ukuba sihleli phakathi kwabantu abanothando, abavuyayo nababenyamezela izinto ezininzi. Okubuhlungu kukuba kule minyaka iyi-10 idlulileyo, ukungamameli kwabantu kwenze baphathana kakubi elizweni. Ngo-1971, umsebenzi wamaNgqina kaYehova wavalwa saza sayeka ukukhonza uYehova njengakuqala. Sasizibuza ukuba ngoku siza kwenza njani.

 Eli yayingeloxesha lokubuya umva okanye ukoyika. Nangona sasinyanzelwa ukuba sithathi cala ngokunxiba isipeleti okanye sibe nekhadi lombutho, babambalwa abazalwana abanikezelayo. Xa ungasinxibi esi sipeleti, wawungazifumani izinto ezenzelwa abantu basekuhlaleni ngurhulumente ibe wawuphathwa kakubi ngamajoni namapolisa. Abazalwana babelahlekelwa yimisebenzi yabo nabantwana babegxothwa esikolweni. Abazalwana abaninzi babanjwa. Kwakunzima nyhani. Nangona kwakunjalo, amaNgqina aqhubeka eshumayela iindaba ezilungileyo ngesibindi.

 Ukuhlala ezilalini sasingakuqhelanga ibe kwakuba nzima ngamanye amaxesha. Izindlu zalapho ezazinophahla lwengca zazincinci kakhulu kunzima nokufumana indawo yokulala. Ndandisoloko ndibetheka emgubasini xa ndiphuma. Sasihlamba ngamanzi akhiwa emilanjeni. Ebusuku sasilayita ikhandlela xa sifunda. Xa sipheka sisebenzisa amalahle. Kodwa sasisazi ukuba abavangeli baphila ngolu hlobo. Yayikukwenza umsebenzi kaYehova, ibe yiloo nto kanye esasiyizele.

 Ukuhlala neentsapho zamaKristu asekuhlaleni kwasifundisa ukuxabisa nezona zinto zibonakala zincinci: ukuba nokutya, into yokusela, iimpahla, nendawo yokuhlala. (1 Timoti 6:8) Yonke enye into ifana nje neyongezayo kwizinto esinazo. Le yinto esingasoze siyilibale.

 Nangona singazange sibe neengxaki ezifana nezikampostile uPawulos, ngamanye amaxesha isabelo sethu yayiba ngathi siyaluvavanya ukholo lwethu nezinto esifuna ukuzenza. Kwakufuneka sihambe kwiindlela ezimbi, ngamanye amaxesha zingabikho kwaubakho. Xa sihamba kwezi ndlela, imoto yethu yayingathi iza kuwa ngamagingxigingxi. Xa kunetha, sasiye sitshone eludakeni kube nzima nokuphuma. Xa sasiza kuhamba usuku lonke, sasihamba iikhilomitha eziyi-70 ibe ngaloo maxesha kwakuye kufuneke simane sitsala imoto eludakeni izihlandlo eziyi-12.

 Kodwa xa sasikhonza ezilalini kunzima, saziva sisondele nakakhulu kuYehova. Safunda ukuba ngoncedo lukaYehova, sasinokukwazi ukunyamezela sivuya, nokuba asikwazi ukuyitshintsha ingxaki esikuyo. Umfazi wam uSusanne uthanda ukuzihlalela endlini nokuzipholela, kodwa kuzo zonke ezi ngxaki sasinazo zange akhalaze nakancinci. Sasivuya kakhulu ngaloo maxesha, sisikelelwa nguYehova ibe safunda izinto ezininzi kakhulu.

 Ndabanjwa amaxesha amaninzi kwiminyaka esasikhonza ngayo eZaire. Ndakhe ndatyholwa ngokuthengisa iidayimani ngokungekho semthethweni. Le nto yayisenza sibe nexhala, kodwa sazixelela ukuba ukuba uYehova uyafuna siwenze lo msebenzi wokushumayela, uza kusinceda. Ibe ke nyhani wasinceda!

 Ngo-1981, sacelwa ukuba siyosebenza kwiofisi yesebe yaseKinshasa. Kunyaka ongaphambi kwalowo, kwakuvunyiwe ukuba umsebenzi wethu siwenze ngokusemthethweni. Abazalwana babefuna ukwakha isebe elikhulu, ngoko bafumana umhlaba. Kodwa ngo-1986 ngoMatshi kwenzeka into esasingayilindelanga. Umongameli welizwe wawuvala umsebenzi wamaNgqina kaYehova. Kwayekwa ukwakhiwa ibe kungekudala, abavangeli bahamba.

 Thina sahlala. Sazama ukushumayela nangona amagosa ayesigadile. Nangona sasizama ngandlela zonke ukungabhaqwa, ndabanjwa ndiqhuba isifundo seBhayibhile. Ndavalelwa kwindlu eyayigcwele amabanjwa. Kwakushushu, kunuka, kumnyama ibe yayinye kuphela indawo eyayingena umoya incinci nokuba ncinci. Abanye amabanjwa andibamba, aza andisa kumntu owayezenze umphathi wawo. Wathi “Cula umhobe wethu wesizwe!” Ndathi “Andiwazi.” Wathi “Cula owelizwe lakho ke!” Ndathi “Andiwazi nalowo.” Wandinyanzela ukuba ndime edongeni imizuzu ephantse ibe yiyure. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, abazalwana basekuhlaleni bandicengela ukuba ndikhululwe.

 Sasibona ukuba izinto zazingazukutshintsha kweli lizwe. Kungagqithanga xesha lide sathunyelwa eZambia. Xa sasihamba sasibuhlungu kwangaxeshanye siziva sikhululekile. Sasicinga ngeminyaka eyi-18 esayichitha nabavangeli kunye nabazalwana noodade basekuhlaleni. Nangona ubomi babungekho lula ngamanye amaxesha, sayibona indlela uYehova awasisikelela ngayo. Sasisazi ukuba akazange asishiye. Sasifunde isiSwahili isiFrench, ibe uSusanne efunde nesiLingala. Saphumelela nyhani entsimini, kuba sanceda abantu abangaphezu kwabayi-130 babhaptizwa. Into eyasivuyisa kakhulu kukuba umsebenzi esawenzayo wakwazi ukunceda abantu abaninzi bakwazi ukufunda inyaniso. Ekuhambeni kwexesha abantu abaninzi bangena enyanisweni! Njengokuba umsebenzi wethu wawuvaliwe ngo-1986, iNkundla Ephakamileyo yawuvula ngo-1993. Ngoku kukho abavakalisi abangaphezu kwabayi-240 000 eCongo.

 Xa sasiseZambia kwakhiwa isebe elitsha, kwaza kongezwa nakwezinye izakhiwo. Ngoku inani labavakalisi liphandaphindwe kathathu kunaxa sasifika ngo-1987.

 Kwenzeke ntoni kulaa mzalwana usemtsha ekwakubonakala ngathi akazugqiba nenyanga ekwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo? Ngoku ndineminyaka eyi-65 ndikwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo, ibe ndizibonele ukuba uYehova ulungile!—INdumiso 34:8.

 Siyazi ukuba le nto ayisenzi sahluke kwabanye abantu. Siye sasebenza nzima ukuze sihlale sithembekile kwisithembiso esasenza kuYehova xa sasizinikela. Siyamthemba ukuba uYehova uza kusinceda ‘singabuyi mva’ kodwa sikhule elukholweni “ukuze sihlale siphila.”—Hebhere 10:39.

 Bukela ividiyo ethi UDayrell NoSusanne Sharp: Sathembisa Ukuba Siza Kumkhonza Ngomphefumlo Wethu Wonke UYehova.