KWAKUTHENI ukuze utata athethe ngolu hlobo? Makhe ndikubalisele. Ndazalwa ngoJulayi 29, 1929, ndakhulela kwilali ekwiphondo laseBulacan, kwiiPhilippines. Ngenxa yemeko embi yezoqoqosho, ubomi babungekho tofotofo. Xa ndandisengumntwana, umkhosi wamaJapan weza kuhlasela iiPhilippines. Kodwa ngenxa yokuba ilali yethu yayisecaleni kakhulu, imfazwe ayizange ide ifike kuthi. Iindaba zemfazwe sasiziva ebantwini, kuba sasingenarediyo, singenaTV, singafumani nkqu namaphephandaba.

Ekhaya sasingabantwana abayi-8, mna ndingowesibini. Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-8, ndaya kuhlala notatomkhulu nomakhulu. SasingamaKatolika, kodwa uTatomkhulu wayengenangxaki nezinye iicawa, wayenazo neencwadi zecawa awayezinikwa ngabahlobo bakhe. Ndikhumbula endibonisa iBhayibhile nencwadana yesiTagalog ethi, Protection, ethi Safety nethi Uncovered. * Ndandikuthanda ukufunda iBhayibhile, ingakumbi iincwadi ezine zeVangeli. Loo nto yandenza ndafuna ukulandela umzekelo kaYesu.—Yoh. 10:27.

Ngo-1945 yaphel’ imfazwe. Abazali bam bathi mandibuyele ekhaya, notatomkhulu wathi ndingagoduka. Ndagoduka ke nam.

Kungekudala ndifikile ekhaya, kwilali yethu kweza kushumayela iqela lamaNgqina kaYehova elalivela kwidolophu yaseAngat. Ekhaya kwangena iNgqina eselikhulile, lasibonisa ukuba ithini iBhayibhile “ngemihla yokugqibela.” (2 Tim. 3:1-5) Lasimemela kwiintlanganiso ezazikwilali ekufutshane. Abazali bam zange baye, ndahamba ndodwa. Kwezo ntlanganiso kwakukho abantu abamalunga nabayi-20, abanye babo bebuza ngeBhayibhile.

Ngenxa yokuba ndandingayiqondi yonke into eyayithethwa apho, ndacinga ukuba mandihambe.  Kanye xa ndandicinga ukuhamba, kwaqaliswa ingoma yoBukumkani. Ndayithanda kakhulu loo ngoma kangangokuba zange ndibe sahamba. Emva kwengoma nomthandazo, sonke samenyelwa kwiintlanganiso ezaziza kuba seAngat kwiCawa elandelayo.

Uninzi lwethu lwaluhamba iikhilomitha eziyi-8 xa lusiya kwiintlanganiso ezazingenela kwikhaya lakwaCruz. Ndothuswa kukuba nabantwana abancinci ababephakathi kwabantu abayi-50 ababelapho babephendula ngezinto ezinzima zeBhayibhile. Xa ndandisoloko ndisiya kwiintlanganiso, uMzalwan’ uDamian owayenguvulindlela osel’ ekhulile nowayekhe wangusodolophu, wandicela ukuba ndiye kulala kwakhe. Phantse bonke obo busuku sasithetha ngeBhayibhile.

Ngezo ntsuku, uninzi lwethu lwaluyenza ngoko nangoko into oluyifunde eBhayibhileni. Emva kwexesha ndisiya kwiintlanganiso, abazalwana babuza mna nabanye, “Niyafuna ukubhaptizwa?” Ndathi, “Ewe, ndiyafuna.” Ndandisazi ukuba ndifuna ukuba ‘likhoboka leNkosi, uKristu.’ (Kol. 3:24) NgoFebruwari 15, 1946, mna nomnye owayelapho saya kubhaptizwa kumlambo okufutshane.

Saqonda ukuba ekubeni sibhaptiziwe, ngoku kuza kufuneka sixelise uYesu, sishumayele yonke imihla. Akazange ayithande utata loo nto, wathi, “Awunakushumayela usemncinci kangaka. Ukufakwa emanzini akukwenzi ube ngumshumayeli.” Ndamxelela ukuba nguThixo othi masishumayele iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani bakhe. (Mat. 24:14) Ndathi, “ndifuna ukwenza into endimthembise yona uThixo.” Wawathetha ngelo xesha ke utata la mazwi ndiwatsho ekuqaleni. Wayezimisele nyhani ukundiyekisa ukushumayela. Ndaqala kanye ngelo xesha ukushiya zonke izinto ngenxa yeNkosi.

Ndaya kuhlala eAngat nentsapho yakwaCruz. Mna noNora, intombi yabo babesikhuthazela ukuba sibe ngoovulindlela. NgoNovemba 1, 1947 sobabini saba ngoovulindlela. UNora yena waba nguvulindlela kwenye idolophu, mna ndashiyeka ndishumayela eAngat.

Kunyaka wesithathu ndinguvulindlela, uMzalwan’ uEarl Stewart owayevela kwiofisi yesebe wanikela intetho kubantu abangaphezu kwe-500 eplaza, eAngat. Wayinikela ngesiNgesi, emva koko ndayithi gqaba-gqaba ngesiTagalog. Ndaya esikolweni iminyaka eyi-7 kuphela. Ndancedwa kukuba ootitshala babesoloko besifundisa ngesiNgesi. Enye into eyandincedayo kukuba iincwadi ezithetha ngeBhayibhile ndandizifunda ngesiNgesi kuba zazimbalwa ngesiTagalog. Loo nto yandenza ndakwazi ukutolika intetho yakhe yesiNgesi nezinye ezalandelayo.

Ngemini endanditolikela uMzalwan’ uStewart ngayo, waxelela ibandla lasekuhlaleni ukuba iofisi yesebe ifuna ukumema umzalwana onguvulindlela omnye okanye ababini ukuba baye eBheteli. Abo bazalwana babeza kuncedisa eBheteli xa abathunywa bevangeli beye kwiNdibano Yolwando Lolawulo Lobuthixo Ka-1950 eNew York, eMerika. Ndaba ngomnye wabo bazalwana bamenyelwa eBheteli. Ndaphinda ndashiya indawo endiyiqhelileyo nabazalwana noodade endibaziyo, ngoku ndiye kunceda eBheteli.

Ndaqala ukusebenza eBheteli ngoJuni 19, 1950. Ngelo xesha iBheteli yayiyindlu enkulu endala ejikelezwe yimithi emikhulu. Ngabazalwana abangatshatanga abamalunga ne-12 ababesebenza apho. Ekuseni ndandincedisa ekhitshini, malunga no-9 ndiye kuayina kwindawo yokuhlamba iimpahla. Ndandisenza loo nto nasemva kwemini. Nasemva kokuba bebuyile abathunywa bevangeli kwindibano yezizwe ngezizwe, ndaqhubeka ndisebenza eBheteli. Ndandilungisa iimagazini eziza kuposwa, ndisenza imirhumo, ndisamkela neendwendwe. Ndandisenza nantoni na ekuthiwa mandiyenze.

Ngo-1952 ndavuyiswa kukuba samenyelwa kwiklasi ye-20 yeSikolo SaseGiliyadi singabazalwana abayi-7 abasuka kwiiPhilippines. Sabona izinto ezininzi esingaziqhelanga ezazisenziwa eMerika. Zazahluke kakhulu kwezelali endandisuka kuyo.

 Ngokomzekelo, kwafuneka sifunde ukusebenzisa izinto zombane nezixhobo esingazaziyo. Hayi ke yona imozulu, yayahluke mpela. Ngeny’ intsasa ndaphuma kumhlophe qhwa ngaphandle. Ndandiqala ukubona ikhephu, ndingazi nokuba xa likhona, kubanda kangako.

Kodwa indlela esasifundiswa ngayo eGiliyadi yandenza ndalibala zonke ezo zinto. Ootitshala bethu babesifundisa ngendlela eluncedo kakhulu. Safundiswa indlela yokuphanda nokufundisisa. IGiliyadi yalomeleza kakhulu ukholo lwam.

Ndaphumelela eGiliyadi, ndafumana isabelo sokuba nguvulindlela okhethekileyo okwexeshana eBronx, eNew York. NgoJulayi 1953, ndaya kwiNdibano Yebutho Lehlabathi Elitsha eyayikomnye wemimandla yaseNew York. Emva kwendibano ndabuyela eBheteli kwiiPhilippines.

Kwiofisi yesebe abazalwana bathi, “Ngoku uza kuba ngumveleli wesiphaluka.” Eli yayiza kuba lelinye ithuba lokuba ndilandele umzekelo weNkosi ngokuthe ngqo, eyayisiya kwiidolophu ezikude ukuze incede izimvu zikaYehova. (1 Pet. 2:21) Ndasiwa kwisiphaluka esasingummandla omkhulu okumbindi weLuzon, esona siqithi sikhulu kwiiPhilippines. Kweso siphaluka kwakukho iphondo laseBulacan, elaseNueva Ecija, elaseTarlac nelaseZambales. Xa ndisiya kwezinye iidolophu, kwakufuneka ndihambe kwiindlela ezimbi ezinqumla kwiiNtaba zaseSierra Madre. Kwakungekho zithuthi zikawonke-wonke apho. Ngoko ndandiye ndicele ukukhweliswa kwiilori ezazithutha izibonda ndize ndihlale phezu kwezo zibonda zishukushukumayo. Kwakungekho mnandi tu ukukhwela kwezo lori.

Amabandla amaninzi ayemancinci futhi ematsha. Abazalwana babevuya kakhulu xa ndibanceda kwizinto zebandla nezentsimi.

Emva koko ndathunyelwa kwisiphaluka esingummandla waseBicol. Apho oovulindlela abakhethekileyo babeshumayela kwiindawo ekungazange kushunyayelwe kuzo, ngoko kwakungekho mabandla kodwa ingamaqela. Kwelinye ikhaya, indlu yangasese yayingumngxuma ekwakubekwe izibonda ezibini phezu kwawo. Ndathi xa ndikhwela kwezo zibonda zawela emngxunyeni, nam ndalandela. Ndathath’ ixesha ndizicoca ukuze ndilungele isidlo sakusasa!

Kungelo xesha ke endaqalisa ukucinga ngoNora, owaqalisa ukuba nguvulindlela eBulacan. Ndaya kumbona eDumaguete, apho wayenguvulindlela okhethekileyo khona. Emva koko sabhalelana okwethutyana saza satshata ngo-1956. Kwiveki yokuqala sitshatile, satyelela ibandla elalikwiSiqithi saseRapu Rapu. Apho sasihamba kakhulu ngeenyawo, sihamba nasezintabeni, kodwa sasivuyiswa kukunceda abazalwana abahlala kwiindawo ezisecaleni!

Emva kweminyaka ephantse ibe yi-4 sisesiphalukeni, samenyelwa ukuya kukhonza kwiofisi yesebe. Safika eBheteli ngoJanuwari 1960. Ngelo xesha, ndafunda izinto ezininzi kuba ndandisebenza nabazalwana ababesebenza nzima nekwakufuneka benze izigqibo ezibalulekileyo, uNora yena wayesebenza kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo.

Ngoxa ndiseBheteli, ndiye ndasikelelwa ngokubona ulwando lwabavakalisi kwiiPhilippines. Ngokuya ndandifika eBheteli ndingekatshati, kwakukho abavakalisi abamalunga ne-10 000 kweli lizwe. Ngoku bangaphezu kwe-200 000, ibe kukho nabasebenzi baseBheteli abaninzi abancedisa amabandla kumsebenzi wokushumayela.

Ngokuya ukhula umsebenzi, zaya zisiba ncinci izakhiwo zaseBheteli. IQumrhu Elilawulayo lasicela ukuba sikhangele isiza esikhulu. Mna nomveleli wesebe lokuprinta sahamba sibuzisa kwizindlu ezikufutshane ukuba akukho mntu ufuna ukuthengisa indawo yakhe na. Kwakungekho mntu ufunayo, kodwa omnye owayeliTshayina wathi: “Thina maTshayina asithengisi. Siyathenga.”

Ngeny’ imini singalindelanga kwafika umntu owabuza ukuba asifuni na ukuthenga isiza sakhe kuba yena ufudukela eMerika. Emva koko kwavela iindawo ezininzi ezazithengiswa. Sasingakholelwa. Omnye ummelwane wathengisa indawo yakhe, wakhuthaza nabanye ukuba bathengise ezabo. Sathenga nendawo yala ndoda yayithe: “Thina maTshayina asithengisi.” Kungabanga xesha lide, isakhiwo saseBheteli saba sikhulu ngendlela engathethekiyo. Ndiqinisekile ukuba nguYehova uThixo owabangela yonke le nto.

Ukuqala kwam ukufika eBheteli ngo-1950, ndandingoyena umncinci. Ngoku mna nomfazi wam singabona badala. Andizisoli ngokulandela iNkosi, ndiye naphi na apho ifuna ndiye khona. Utata wandigxotha ekhaya, kodwa uYehova undinike intsapho enkulu engamaNgqina akhe. Andiyithandabuzi nakancinci into yokuba uYehova usinika yonke into esiyidingayo, enoba senza wuphi umsebenzi wakhe. Mna noNora simbulela kakhulu uYehova ngobubele asenzela bona, ibe sikhuthaza nabanye ukuba khe bamvavanye.—Mal. 3:10.

Ngeny’ imini uYesu wamema umqokeleli werhafu ogama linguMateyu Levi, wathi: “Yiba ngumlandeli wam.” Wenza ntoni uMateyu? “Eshiya ngasemva yonk’ into waphakama waza wamlandela [uYesu].” (Luka 5:27, 28) Nam ndiye ndashiya zonke izinto ukuze ndilandele iNkosi. Nabanye ndiyabakhuthaza ukuba benjenjalo ibe baza kufumana iintsikelelo.