NDAKHULELA eGraz, eAustria. Xa ndandineminyaka esixhenxe, ndasiwa esikolweni secawa. Kodwa zandothusa izinto endazibona apho, abefundisi belala noonongendi. Umama wandikhupha kweso sikolo kungaphelanga nonyaka.

Kamva ndaya kuhlaliswa kwesinye isikolo. Ngobunye ubusuku, kwafika utata eze kundilanda kuba kwakusiliwa kwidolophu yaseGraz. Sabalekela eSchladming. Sathi sisandul’ ukuwela ibhulorho yalapho, yabethwa yibhombu. Kanti sathi mna nomakhulu sihleli phandle ekhaya, saphantse sadutyulwa ziimbumbulu zeenqwelo-moya zomkhosi. Yathi iphela imfazwe kwacaca ukuba icawa norhulumente akukho nto zinokusenzela yona.

Ngo-1950 elinye iNgqina LikaYehova lafundela umama. Ndandidla ngokubamamela xa bencokola, ndide ndimkhaphe umama xa esiya ezintlanganisweni. Umama wabona ukuba le yinyaniso, waza wabhaptizwa ngo-1952.

Ngelo xesha, ibandla esasikulo lalinamaxhegokazi odwa. Kodwa ngenye imini, saya kwelinye ibandla elinolutsha oluninzi, ndatsho ndabona ukuba bakhona abantu abasebatsha! Ndakubuyel’ eGraz, ndaqalisa ukuya kuzo zonke iintlanganiso, zange kudlule xesha lide nam ndazibonela ukuba le yinyaniso. Ndafunda nokuba uYehova uThixo akabaphoxi abantu bakhe. Nditsho naxa bona becinga ukuba babodwa.—INdu. 3:5, 6.

Ndandifuna ukushumayela nakwabanye abantu. Ndaqala kubantwana basekhaya. Oosisi bam abane bemka ekhaya bayokuba ziititshalakazi. Ndandiye ndiye kubo kwiidolophana ababehlala kuzo, ndibakhuthaza ukuba mabafunde iBhayibhile.  Ekugqibeleni bonke abantwana basekhaya baba ngamaNgqina KaYehova.

Kwiveki yesibini ndiqalile ukushumayela, ndadibana nebhinqa elineminyaka engaphezu kweyi-30, ndaqalisa ukulifundisa iBhayibhile. Laqhuba kakuhle, labhaptizwa, nomyeni noonyana balo ababini balandela. Esi sifundo salomeleza ukholo lwam, kuba ndandingazange ndifundiswe iBhayibhile. Isahluko ngasinye kwakufuneka ndisilungiselele kakuhle. Kaloku kwakufuneka ndizifundise kuqala ngaphambi kokufundisa lo sisi! Loo nto yandenza ndayiqonda ngakumbi inyaniso. Ndabhaptizwa ngoAprili 1954.

Ngo-1955, ndaya kwiindibano zezizwe ngezizwe eJamani, eFransi naseNgilani. Xa ndandiseLondon ndadibana noAlbert Schroeder. Wayefundisa kwiSikolo SeBhayibhile SaseGiliyadi yaye kamva waba kwiQumrhu Elilawulayo. Xa sasikwiMyuziyam YaseBritani, uMzalwan’ uSchroeder wasibonisa imisongo yakudala yeBhayibhile. Yayinegama likaThixo ngoonobumba besiHebhere, ibe wasixelela ukuba kutheni ibalulekile. Oku kwandenza ndamthanda nangakumbi uYehova nenyaniso, ndatsho ndazimisela ukushumayela.

NgoJanuwari 1, 1956, ndaba nguvulindlela othe ngxi. Kwiinyanga ezine kamva, ndacelwa ukuba ndibe nguvulindlela okhethekileyo eAustria. Ngelo xesha, ayengekho amaNgqina eMistelbach, apho ndandiza kuba nguvulindlela khona. Kodwa yayikhona ingxaki. Mna nodade endandivulindlela naye sasingafani. Ndandisondele kwiminyaka eyi-19 ndisuka edolophini, yena ena-25 esuka emaphandleni. Mna ndandingathandi ukuvuka wabe yena ekuthanda. Ebusuku wayefuna ukukhawuleza alale, ndibe mna ndisafuna ukuhlala. Sasiye sisebenzise amacebiso eBhayibhile, ibe loo nto yasinceda sakwazi ukushumayela kunye.

Zikhona nezinye iingxaki ezinkulu esaba nazo. Satshutshiswa nokutshutshiswa kodwa asizange ‘sishiywe enyanyeni.’ (2 Kor. 4:7-9) Ngenye imini xa sasishumayela kwidolophana esemaphandleni, abantu bazikhulula izinja zabo. Sazibona sele sijikelezwe zizinja ezinkulu zisikhonkotha ezinye zisigragramela. Savela sabambana ibe ndade ndathandaza ndathi, “Ndiyakucela Yehova, xa zisiluma, sife ngokukhawuleza!” Xa zafikayo kuthi zavela zema zajiwuzisa imisila zaza zahamba. Sabona ukuba uYehova usikhusele. Emva kwaloo nto, sashumayela kuyo yonke loo dolophana, ibe abantu balapho bayithanda into esasibafundisa yona. Mhlawumbi bothuswa yinto yokuba zingasilumanga ezo zinja okanye yinto yokuba siqhubeke sishumayela emva kwento eyenzekileyo. Ethubeni abanye baba ngamaNgqina.

Kwaphinda kwenzeka enye into eyasoyikisayo. Ngenye imini, utata esasiqeshe kwakhe wabuya enxilile, wathi uza kusibulala kuba siphazamisa abamelwane. Inkosikazi yakhe yazama ukumnqanda kodwa ayizange  ikwazi. Sasibeva bephikisana sikwigumbi lethu phezulu. Savala ucango ngezitulo saza sapakisha iimpahla zethu. Xa savula ucango sambona ephethe ibhozo elikhulu. Ngoko sabaleka saphuma ngomnye umnyango siphethe yonke impahla yethu, zange siphinde sibuyele apho.

Saya kuhlala ehotele. Kwathi kanti siza kuhlala apho into ephantse ibe ngunyaka, kwaye loo nto yabanceda abantu esasishumayela kubo. Njani? Loo hotele yayiphakathi edolophini ibe abantu esasifunda nabo babefuna ukufundela apho. Kungekudala saba nesifundo sencwadi neSifundo SeMboniselo qho ngeveki kuloo hotele sasihlala kuyo, kusiza abantu abamalunga nabayi-15.

Sahlala eMistelbach into engaphezu konyaka. Emva koko ndathunyelwa eFeldbach kumzantsi-mpuma weGraz. Ndandishumayela nomnye umntu apho, kodwa nalapho kwakungekho bandla. Sasihlala kwigumbi elincinci elisezantsi kwindlu eyenziwe ngamaplanga. Umoya wawungena phakathi kweendawo ekudibana kuzo amaplanga, sazama ukuvala ngamaphepha. Namanzi sasiwakha equleni. Kodwa yayingeyonkcitha-xesha loo nto. Kungaphelanga neenyanga ezininzi kwabakho iqela apho. Ekugqibeleni abantu abamalunga ne-30 benye intsapho esasifunda nayo bangena enyanisweni!

Izinto ezazisenzeka apho zandenza ndambulela uYehova kuba akabaphoxi abakhonzi bakhe ababeka uBukumkani kuqala. Nokuba sesikwindawo esingenamntu onokusinceda, uYehova usoloko ekhona yena.—INdu. 121:1-3.

Ngo-1958 kwakuza kubakho indibano yezizwe ngezizwe eYankee Stadium nasePolo Grounds, eNew York City. Ndacela ukuya kuyo kwisebe laseAustria, basuke bandibuza ukuba andifuni na ukuya kwiklasi ye-32 yeSikolo SaseGiliyadi. Ngubani onokwala loo nyhweba? Ndavuma ngoko nangoko!

Eklasini yaseGiliyadi ndandihlala ecaleni kukaMartin Poetzinger. Zininzi izinto ezibuhlungu awazinyamezelayo kwiinkampu zoxinaniso zamaNazi. Kamva, naye waba lilungu leQumrhu Elilawulayo. Eklasini  uMartin wayedla ngokundisebezela athi, “Erika, khayibeke ngesiJamani laa nto ithethwayo.”

Phakathi neklasi, uNathan Knorr wasichazela iindawo esasiza kuthunyelwa kuzo. Mna ndandiza kuya eParaguay. Kuba ndandisemncinci kakhulu, kwakufuneka utata andivumele ukuba ndishiye ilizwe. Emva kokuba endivumele, ndaya eParaguay ngoMatshi 1959. Ndasiwa komnye udade ongumthunywa wevangeli eAsunción.

Kungekudala, ndadibana noWalter Bright, owayepase kwiklasi ye-30. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, satshata ndatsho ndanomntu endandiza kukhala naye. Xa sisengxakini sasiye sifunde isithembiso sikaYehova esikuIsaya 41:10 esithi: “Musa ukoyika, kuba ndinawe. Musa ukubhekabheka, kuba ndinguThixo wakho. Ndiza kukuqinisa.” Loo nto yasenza saqiniseka ukuba, ukuba sihlala sithembekile ibe sibeka uBukumkani kuqala, soze asiphoxe.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha, sasiwa kwindawo ekufutshane nomda waseBrazil. Abefundisi balapha bathumela abantwana ukuba baye kugibisela indlu yethu ngamatye, eyayihleli ingekho kwimeko elungileyo. UWalter waqalisa ukufunda nomphathi omkhulu wamapolisa. Waqinisekisa ukuba amapolisa aba kufutshane nekhaya lethu iveki yonke, ibe abantu ababesitshutshisa abazange baphinde basisokolise. Kungekudala sasiwa kwindawo eyayibukeka kwicala eliseBrazil. Yasinceda le nto ngoba satsho sakwazi ukuba neentlanganiso eParaguay naseBrazil. Ngaphambi kokuba simke kwakusele kukho amabandla amancinci amabini.

Oogqirha bathi kum andizukuba nabantwana, ngo-1962 ndothuka ndakuva ukuba kanti ndikhulelwe! Saya kuhlala eHollywood, eFlorida ngakuloWalter. Mna noWalter zange sikwazi ukuba ngoovulindlela kangangeminyaka emininzi. Kwakufuneka sikhulise umntwana. Kodwa, uBukumkani baqhubeka buyeyona nto ibalulekileyo kuthi.—Mat. 6:33.

Xa safika eFlorida ngoNovemba 1962, sothuswa kukuba abahlali babengayifuni nokuyibona into yokuba abazalwana abamhlophe nabantsundu bakhonze kunye, ibe babeshumayela kwiindawo ezingafaniyo. Kodwa uYehova akacaluli, ngoko abazalwana badityaniswa baza abamhlophe nabantsundu bakhonza kunye. Kuyacaca ukuba uYehova wayixhasa loo nto, kuba ngoku kukho amabandla aliqela kula ndawo.

Okubuhlungu kukuba, uWalter wasweleka ngumhlaza ngo-2015. Sasihleli kamnandi nomyeni wam iminyaka eyi-55 yonke, emthanda uYehova, ibe wanceda nabazalwana abaninzi. Ingathi ayisafiki imini endiza kumbona ngayo esempilweni xa evusiwe.—IZe. 24:15.

Ndivuya kakhulu kuba ndiye ndakwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo iminyaka engaphezu kweyi-40 yonke, ibe ndiye ndafumana iintsikelelo ezininzi. Ngokomzekelo, mna noWalter sabona abantu esasibafundela abayi-136 bebhaptizwa. Kwakuba nzima ngamanye amaxesha. Kodwa ayikho into eyayinokusiyekisa ukukhonza uYehova. Kunoko sasondela kuye, samthemba ukuba uza kuzilungisa iingxaki zethu ngexesha nangendlela yakhe. Ibe uyayenza loo nto!—2 Tim. 4:16, 17.

Ndimkhumbula kakhulu uWalter, kodwa intsimi iyandinceda ndinyamezele. Kundinceda kakhulu ukufundisa abanye abantu, ndibaxelela ngethemba lokuba abantu abaswelekileyo baza kuvuswa. Zininzi izinto endingazibala uYehova angazange andiphoxe kuzo. Usigcine nyhani isithembiso sakhe, ebesoloko enam, endiqinisa, kwaye endibambe “ngesandla [sakhe] sasekunene sobulungisa.”—Isa. 41:10.