Ndazalwa ngo-1954, eSt. Paul, eMinnesota, eMerika. Ekhaya sasingamaKatolika. Abazali bam babengezozityebi, kodwa babengasokoli. Ekhaya singabantwana abahlanu, mna ndingowesibini. Ndandifunda kwisikolo samaKatolika, kwaye ndandincedisa umfundisi xa kukho amatheko ecaweni. Kodwa ndandingayazi kangako iBhayibhile. Ndandikholelwa ukuba umele ukuba ukhona uThixo owadala zonke izinto, kodwa ndandingaqinisekanga ukuba icawa ingakwazi ukundinceda ndimkhonze.

Kunyaka wam wokuqala kwikholeji yezomthetho iWilliam Mitchell, kwankqonkqoza amaNgqina KaYehova. Afika ndixakekile ndihlamba iimpahla, kodwa zange abe nangxaki yokuphinda abuye. Ukubuya kwawo ndawabuza le mibuzo: “Kutheni abantu abenza izinto ezimbi bephumelela kunabantu abalungileyo?” Nothi, “umntu umele enze ntoni ukuze onwabe?” Andinika incwadi ethi Inyaniso Ekhokelela Kubomi Obungunaphakade kunye neNguqulelo Yehlabathi Elitsha YeZibhalo Ezingcwele enoqweqwe oluhle oluluhlaza.  Ndavuma ukuba andifundele iBhayibhile. Eso sifundo, sandenza ndazi izinto ezininzi. Ndayithanda kakhulu into yokuba kuza kulawula uBukumkani BukaThixo emhlabeni. Ndandibona ukuba oorhulumente bohlulekile kukulawula abantu, ibe loo nto iye yabangela iintlungu ezininzi nokungabikho kobulungisa.

Ekuqaleni kuka-1982 ndazahlulela kuYehova ndaza ndabhaptizwa ekupheleni kwaloo nyaka kwiNdibano ethi “Inyaniso YoBukumkani” eyayiseSt. Paul Civic Center. Ndaphinda ndabuyela apho kwiveki elandelayo, ngoku ndiye kubhala iimviwo ezaziza kundenza ndifanelekele ukuba ligqwetha. Ekuqaleni kukaOktobha ndafumanisa ukuba ndizipasile ezo mviwo.

KwiNdibano endandikuyo ethi “Inyaniso YoBukumkani,” ndadibana noMike Richardson, owayekhonza kwikomkhulu eBrooklyn. Wandixelela ukuba kwikomkhulu kuvulwe iofisi yezomthetho. Ndakhumbula amazwi endoda engumTiyopiya ekuthethwe ngayo kwiZenzo 8:36, ndaza ndazibuza, ‘Yintoni endenza ndingaceli ukusebenza kule ofisi?’ Ngoko ndafaka isicelo sokuya kusebenza eBheteli.

Yayingabavuyisi tu abazali bam into yokuba ndiliNgqina LikaYehova. Utata wandibuza ukuba kuza kundinceda ngantoni ukusebenza eBheteli ekubeni ndiligqwetha. Ndamxelela ukuba ndiza kwenza umsebenzi wokuzithandela ibe ndiza kufumana imadlana efunyanwa ngabantu bonke abaseBheteli ngenyanga.

Zange ndikwazi ukuya kusebenza eBheteli ngoko nangoko kuba ndandisele ndivumile ukuya kusebenza kwiinkundla zehlabathi. Ndaqala ukusebenza eBrooklyn, eNew York, ngo-1984. Kwathiwa mandiye kusebenza kwiOfisi Yezomthetho. Ukuqala ndiye kusebenza kwiinkundla zehlabathi kwandinceda kakhulu.

NgoNovemba 1983, intlangano yathenga iholo iStanley Theater eJersey City, eNew Jersey. Abazalwana bafaka isicelo sokulungisa umbane nemibhobho yamanzi kuloo holo. Baxelela amagosa aphetheyo apho ukuba le holo bafuna ukuyisebenzisela iindibano zamaNgqina KaYehova. Kwabakho ingxaki. Imithetho yaseJersey City yayisithi izakhiwo zokukhonza zimele zibe kwiindawo ezihlala abantu qha. Ngoko amagosa aphetheyo zange avume, kuba iStanley Theater yayikwindawo enamashishini. Abazalwana bafaka isibheno, kodwa eso sibheno sakhatywa.

 Kwiveki yokuqala ndiseBheteli, intlangano yaya kumangala enkundleni. Kuba ndasebenza iminyaka emibini kwinkundla eyayiseSt. Paul, eMinnesota, ndandiqhelene namatyala afana neli. Elinye lamagqwetha ethu labuza ukuba kutheni kungavunywa ukuba iStanley Theater isetyenziselwe inkonzo, ekubeni yayiyindawo ekwakudlalelwa kuyo iimuvi nomculo. Inkundla yagqiba ekubeni iJersey City iye ayawahlonipha amalungelo ethu enkululeko yokukhonza. Yayalela ukuba isinike imvume esiyifunayo. Loo nto yandenza ndayibona indlela uYehova azisebenzisa ngayo ezomthetho ukuze umsebenzi wethu uqhubeke. Ndakuvuyela kakhulu ukufak’ isandla kwelo tyala.

Abazalwana baqalisa umsebenzi omkhulu wokulungisa iStanley Theater, kwaza kungekapheli nonyaka emva koko, ngoSeptemba 8, 1985, kuloo Holo yeNdibano iseJersey City, kwakho itheko elikhulu labaphumelele iklasi ye-79 eGiliyadi. Ndakuvuyela kakhulu ukuba ngomnye wabantu abenza umsebenzi woBukumkani uqhubeke. Umsebenzi wobugqwetha endandiwenza ngaphambi kokuba ndize eBheteli, wawungathathi ntweni xa uthelekiswa nalo ndiwenza ngoku. Ndandingazi ukuba uYehova useza kundisebenzisa nakwamanye amatyala.

Kwiminyaka yoo-1980 kwakuxhaphakile ukuba izibhedlele noogqirha bangasamkeli isicelo seNgqina eselikhulile sokuba linyangwe ngaphandle kwegazi. Kwakunzima nakakhulu kumabhinqa akhulelweyo kuba iijaji zazisoloko zicinga ukuba akanalungelo lokungavumi ukutofelwa igazi. Zazisithi ukuba akalitofelwanga, asenokufa baze abo bantwana bashiyeke bengenabo oomama.

NgoDisemba 29, 1988, udade Denise Nicoleau wopha kakhulu emva kokuba ezele umntwana oyinkwenkwe. Ihemoglobin yakhe yehla yangaphantsi ko-5,0, kangangokuba ugqirha wakhe wathi makavume ukutofelwa igazi kuba impilo yakhe yayibonakala ngathi isengozini. Udade Nicoleau zange avume. Ngentsasa elandelayo isibhedlele saya kucela imvume yokutofela lo dade igazi kwijaji. Ingakhange ive nokuba udade Nicoleau okanye umyeni wakhe bathini, yavele yathi makatofelwe igazi.

NgoLwesihlanu, ngoDisemba 30, udade Nicoleau watofelwa igazi, ngoxa umyeni wakhe nabanye kwintsapho yakhe babengavumi. Ngolo rhatya abaninzi kwintsapho yakhe kunye nabanye abadala babanjwa kusithiwa bavale indlela eya kwibhedi yakhe ukuze angatofelwa igazi. Ngentsasa yangoMgqibelo, ngoDisemba 31, eNew York, amaphephandaba, iiTV, iirediyo, zazithetha ngale nto.

 Kusasa ngoMvulo ndathetha nejaji yenkundla ephakamileyo, uMilton Mollen. Ndayixelela yonke into eyenzekileyo, ndayixelela nokuba ijaji iye yavuma ukusayina imvume yokuba udade Nicoleau atofelwe igazi ingakhange ive ukuba yena uthini. Ijaji uMollen yandicela ukuba ndibuyele eofisini yayo emva kwemini ukuze sithethe ngeli tyala nemithetho ebimele ukuba isetyenzisiwe. Xa ndandibuyela kwiofisi yayo, ndahamba nomnye umzalwana endisebenza naye, uPhilip Brumley. Yabiza negqwetha lasesibhedlele. Ingxoxo yethu yayishushu. Kwade kwakho ixesha apho uMzalwan’ uBrumley wabhala kwincwadi awayeyiphethe endixelela ukuba mandehlise umoya. Loo mazwi andinceda kuba ndandisendicaphuka, ndiphikisana neli gqwetha lithetha into engekhoyo.

Emva kwexesha elimalunga neyure, ijaji yathi eli tyala liza kuba lelokuqala kwintsasa elandelayo. Xa siphuma kwiofisi yayo, ijaji yandixelela ukuba eli gqwetha linomsebenzi onzima eliza kuwenza ngomso. Le nto yayithetha ukuba lisenokungakwazi ukuza kumela isibhedlele. Ndacinga ukuba le yindlela uYehova asiqinisekisa ngayo ukuba siza kuliphumelela eli tyala. Yayindimangalisa nyhani indlela uYehova asisebenzisa ngayo ukuze kwenzeke into ayithandayo.

Phantse ubusuku bonke sasilungiselela eli tyala liza kuba ngomso. IBheteli yaseBrooklyn ikufutshane nalapho inkundla yayikhona, ngoko abazalwana noodade abaninzi endandisebenza nabo kwiOfisi Yezomthetho nabo baya kumamela. Emva kokuba iijaji ezine zimamele eli tyala, zathi udade Nicoleau ebengafanelanga ukuba utofelwe igazi. Inkundla ephakamileyo yaba ngakwicala lakhe, isithi kukungawahloniphi amalungelo abantu ukwenza nantoni na kwisigulane kungakhange kuviwe ukuba sithini sona.

Emva koko inkundla ephakamileyo yaseNew York, yavuma ukuba lilungelo likadade Nicoleau ukufuna ukunyangwa ngaphandle kwegazi. Esi yayisisigqibo sokuqala kumatyala amane okungavumi ukutofelwa igazi endawaxoxa kwiinkundla eziphakamileyo ezahlukeneyo zaseMerika. (Jonga ibhokisi ethi “ Soyisa Kwiinkundla Eziphakamileyo.”) Ndaphinda ndakunye namanye amagqwetha  aseBheteli kumatyala okukhulisa abantwana, edivosi nawokusetyenziswa kweziza nezakhiwo.

Ukudibana kwam noDawn, wayedivosile nomyeni wakhe, enabantwana abathathu. Wayesebenza ekwanguye novulindlela. Wayekhe waphila ubomi obunzima, kodwa ndayithanda indlela awayezimisele ngayo ukukhonza uYehova. Ngo-1992, saya kwiNdibano eyayinomxholo othi “Abathwali Bokukhanya” eNew York City. Kulapho saqala khona ukuthandana, saza satshata emva konyaka. Lo mfazi, kwakungekho nto yayibaluleke ngaphezu koYehova kuye nowayethanda ukuhleka, ndamphiwa nguYehova. UDawn undenzele izinto ezintle kuyo yonke le minyaka siyiphile kunye.—IMize. 31:12.

Ukutshata kwethu, umntwana wakhe omdala wayeneminyaka eyi-16, oza emva kwakhe iyi-13, owokugqibela iyi-11. Ndandifuna ukuba ngutata abamthandayo. Ngoko ndafundisisa ndaza ndazama ukwenza zonke izinto ezicetyiswa ziincwadi zentlangano ukuba zenziwe ngumzali womtshato wesibini. Zazikhona zona iingxaki, kodwa ndivuyiswa kukuba abantwana bade babona ukuba ndingumhlobo abanokumthemba notata abamthandayo. Sasibavumela abantwana bethu ukuba beze neetshomi zabo, kwaye kwakuba mnandi xa sihleli nazo.

Ngo-2013 mna noDawn safudukela eWisconsin, siye kuhoya abazali bethu abaluphalayo. Ndothuka xa ndeva ukuba iBheteli isandidinga. Ndacelwa ukuba ndincede intlangano yethu ngamaxesha athile kwezomthetho.

NgoSeptemba 2018 ndaqaphela ukuba ndisoloko ndithinta isikhohlela. Ugqirha wethu wandixilonga, kodwa zange abone nto. Ndaya komnye ugqirha, naye wandithumela komnye. NgoJanuwari 2019, loo gqirha wathi ubona ngathi ndinesifo esingaqhelekanga esiza kutyhutyha wonke umzimba.

Kwiintsuku ezintathu emva koko, ndawa, ndophuka isihlahla sesandla sasekunene ndidlala umdlalo endiwuthandayo i-ice skating. Ubomi bam bonke ndandidlala lo mdlalo, kwaye ndandiwudlala kakuhle kakhulu. Ndaqonda apho ukuba umzimba wam, uya ungakwazi ukuxhathisa. Ndothuswa yindlela esasisiya sindihlasela ngayo esi sifo, kangangokuba ndandingasakwazi ukuthetha kakuhle, ukuxhathisa nokuginya.

Indivuyisa kakhulu into yokuba ngomsebenzi wam wobugqwetha, ndiye ndakwazi ukunceda intlangano kaYehova. Andivuyisa kakhulu namanqaku endiwabhale kwiimagazini, afundwa ngoogqirha, amagqwetha neejaji. Ndiye ndenza neentetho ehlabathini lonke, ezithethelela amalungelo abantu bakaYehova ukuba bakwazi ukukhetha ukunyangwa ngaphandle kokutofelwa igazi. Ndisathetha amazwi awathethwa nguLuka, kuLuka 17:10 athi: ‘Ndilikhoboka nje, ndenze umsebenzi ebendimele ukuba ndiwenzile kakade.’