PHAYA kwiminyaka yoo-1910 abazali bam bafuduka eTbilisi, eGeorgia besiya eKhanada, baza bahlala kwindlu encinane eyayikwifama ekwithafa elikufutshane nePelly, eSaskatchewan, kwintshona yeKhanada. Ndazalwa ngo-1928, ndiligqibelo kubantwana abathandathu. UTata wasweleka kwiinyanga ezintandathu ngaphambi kokuba ndizalwe, uMama yena wasweleka ndiselusana. Umafungwashe wasekhaya, uLucy, wasweleka kamva, eneminyaka eyi-17. Emva koko, sathathwa ngumalume wethu uNick waza wasikhulisa.

Ngeny’ imini ndisemncinci, intsapho yam yandibona nditsala inkunzi yehashe ngomsila. Bandikhwaza besithi mandiliyeke, besoyika ukuba liza kundikhaba—kodwa andizange ndiliyeke. Ndandibafulathele, ndingabeva njengokuba babekhwaza. Okuvuyisayo kukuba andizange ndonzakale, kodwa kumhla intsapho yam yafumanisa ukuba ndandingeva ngeendlebe.

Omnye utata owayethanda ukuza ekhaya wacebisa ukuba ndifundiswe nabanye abantwana abangevayo ngeendlebe, ngenxa yoko uMalume uNick wandibhalisa kwisikolo sabangevayo ngeendlebe eSaskatoon, eSaskatchewan. Ndasiwa kwindawo endandihamba iiyure eziliqela xa ndisuka kwintsapho yam, ibe ngenxa yokuba ndandineminyaka emihlanu kuphela, ndandisoyika. Intsapho yam ndandiyibona ngeeholide nangekhefu lasehlotyeni kuphela. Ekugqibeleni, ndafunda intetho yezandla kwaza kwamnandi ukudlala nabanye abantwana.

Ngo-1939, udadewethu owayengoyena mdala kwababephila ngoko, uMarion, watshata noBill Danylchuck, baza bathatha mna nodadewethu uFrances ukuze sihlale nabo. Babengabokuqala kwintsapho yam ukudibana namaNgqina KaYehova. Ngekhefu lasehlotyeni, babendichazela kangangoko  banako izinto ababezifunda eBhayibhileni. Xa nditheth’ inyaniso kwakunzima ukuthetha nabo, kuba babengayazi intetho yezandla. Kodwa kuyacaca ukuba babebona ukuba ndiyazithanda izinto ezinokwenza noThixo. Ndandiqonda ukuba le nto babeyenza yayinento yokwenza noko kuthethwa yiBhayibhile, ngoko ndandihamba nabo xa beyokushumayela. Kungekudala, ndafuna ukubhaptizwa, ibe ngoSeptemba 5, 1941, uBill wandibhaptiza kumgqomo wentsimbi owawuzaliswe ngamanzi ampontshwe equleni. Ayebanda ceke la manzi!

Ngo-1946 xa ndagoduka ngekhefu lasehlotyeni, saya kwindibano eyayiseCleveland, eOhio, eMerika. Ngosuku lokuqala lwale ndibano, oodadewethu babetshintshana bebhala amanqaku ukuze bandincede ndive ucwangciso. Kodwa ngosuku lwesibini, ndavuya okosana xa ndeva ukuba kukho iqela labangevayo ngeendlebe elinomntu otolikela kwintetho yezandla. Ekugqibeleni, ndandiluva ucwangciso, ibe kwakumnandi nyhani ukuziqonda kakuhle iimfundiso zeBhayibhile!

Ngelo xesha, iMfazwe Yehlabathi II yayisandul’ ukuphela kwaye wonke umntu engenwe ngumoya wokuthand’ izwe. Ndabuya kuloo ndibano ndizimisele ukuba ndiza kulumela ukholo lwam esikolweni. Ngoko ndayeka ukuthatha inxaxheba ekukhahleleni iflegi nasekuculeni umhobe wesizwe. Ndayeka nokubhiyozela iiholide nokuya kwinkonzo yecawa ekwakunyanzelekile ukuba ndiye kuyo. Abasebenzi besikolo abazange bayithande loo nto baza bazama ukundigrogrisa basebenzisa nobuxoki ukuze bandenze nditshintshe. Yonke le nto yanditsalel’ amehlo abanye endandifunda nabo, kodwa yandinika amathuba okushumayela. Abanye endandifunda nabo, endingabala kubo uLarry Androsoff, uNorman Dittrick noEmil Schneider, ekugqibeleni bayamkela inyaniso, ibe nangoku basaqhubeka bekhonza uYehova.

Xa ndiye kwezinye izixeko, bendisoloko ndiqiniseka ukuba ndiyashumayela kubantu abangevayo ngeendlebe. Ngokomzekelo, kwiklabhu yabangevayo ngeendlebe eMontreal, ndashumayela kuEddie Tager, umfana owayekwiqela lemigulukudu. Ebekwibandla lentetho yezandla eliseLaval, eQuebec, de wasweleka kunyaka ophelileyo. Omnye umntu endadibana naye nguJuan Ardanez owayefana namaBhereya, ephanda ngentumekelelo ukuze aqiniseke ukuba uyinyaniso ngokwenene na umyalezo weBhayibhile. (IZe. 17:10, 11) Naye waba liNgqina waza wakhonza ngokuthembeka njengomdala eOttawa, eOntario, de wasweleka.

Ngo-1950, ndafudukela eVancouver. Nangona ndikuthanda ukushumayela kubantu abangevayo ngeendlebe, andisoze ndiyilibale into eyenzekayo xa ndandishumayela esitratweni kwibhinqa elivayo eligama linguChris Spicer. Lawamkela umrhumo wemagazini laza lafuna ndidibane nomyeni walo,  uGary. Nyhani ke ndaya kwikhaya labo, saza sancokola ixesha elide siman’ ukubhalelana kwiziqwenga zamaphepha. Sagqibelana ngoko, kodwa kwiminyaka embalwa emva koko, ndothuka ndabanda xa bandibona phakathi kwezihlwele zabantu ababeze endibanweni eToronto, eOntario. UGary wayeza kubhaptizwa ngaloo mini. Loo nto yandibonisa ukubaluleka kokushumayela kuba asazi ukuba imbewu yenyaniso iya kukhula phi okanye nini.

Kamva, ndabuyela eSaskatoon. Ndadibana nomnye umama owandicela ukuba ndifundise iBhayibhile iintombi zakhe ezingamawele ezazingeva ngeendlebe, uJean noJoan Rothenberger, ababefunda kwisikolo endandifunde kuso. Kungekudala, la mantombazana mabini achazela abanye abantwana abakunye nawo eklasini ngezinto azifundayo. Ekugqibeleni, abahlanu kwiklasi yabo baba ngamaNgqina KaYehova. Omnye wabo yayinguEunice Colin. Ndandingaqali ukudibana noEunice lo, sasibonene kwesi sikolo sabangevayo ngeendlebe xa ndandikunyaka wokugqibela. Ngelo xesha, wandipha ilekese waza wathi ucela sibe ngabahlobo. Kamva waba ngumntu obaluleke kakhulu ebomini bam—waba yinkosikazi yam!

Xa unina kaEunice wafumanisa ukuba ufunda iBhayibhile, wacela ukuba inqununu yesikolo imnqande. Yade yahlutha iincwadi zakhe. Kodwa uEunice wazimisela ukuba angawasusi amehlo akhe kuYehova. Xa wayefuna ukubhaptizwa, abazali bakhe bathi kuye, “Ukuba ukhe waliNgqina LikaYehova, uza kuphum’ uphele kulo wethu umzi!” UEunice wemka kowabo, eneminyaka eyi-17, ibe enye intsapho yamaNgqina yamthatha yaza yahlala kunye naye. Waqhubeka efunda waza kamva wabhaptizwa. Satshata ngo-1960, kodwa abazali bakhe abazange beze emtshatweni wethu. Kodwa ke ngokuhamba kweminyaka, baya besihlonipha ngenxa yeenkolelo zethu nangendlela esakhulisa ngayo abantwana bethu.

Nangona sasingeva ngeendlebe, sakhulisa amakhwenkwe asixhenxe avayo. Kwakunzima, kodwa saqiniseka ukuba ayeyazi intetho yezandla ukuze sikwazi ukuthetha nawo nokuze siwafundise inyaniso. Abazalwana noodade ebandleni basinceda kakhulu. Ngokomzekelo, omnye umzali wasibhalela isibhilivana esichazela ukuba omnye woonyana bethu wayethetha amagama angafanelekanga kwiHolo YoBukumkani. Sakwazi ukuyilungisa ngoko nangoko loo nto. Abane koonyana bam, uJames, uJerry, uNicholas noSteven, ngoku bakhonza uYehova ngokuthembeka nabafazi babo neentsapho zabo. Bobane bangabadala. Ngaphezu koko, uNicholas nomkakhe, uDeborah, bancedisa ekuguquleleni kwintetho yezandla kwisebe laseBritani ibe uSteven nenkosikazi yakhe, uShannan, bayinxalenye yeqela eliguqulela kwintetho yezandla kwisebe laseMerika.

Kwinyanga ngaphambi kokuba sigqibe unyaka we-40 sitshatile, uEunice wasweleka emva kokugula ngumhlaza. Wayebe nesibindi ngalo lonke eli xesha linzima. Ukukholelwa kwakhe kuvuko kwamgcina omelele. Ingathi ayisafiki loo mini endiya kuphinda ndimbone ngayo.

NgoFebruwari ka-2012, ndawa ndaza ndophuka inyonga, kwaza kwabonakala ukuba ndidinga uncedo. Ndayokuhlala nomnye woonyana bam nenkosikazi yakhe. Ngoku sikwiBandla Lentetho Yezandla LaseCalgary, ibe ndisaqhubeka ndingumdala. Phofu ke ndiyaqala ngqa ukuba kwibandla lentetho yezandla. Khawufan’ ucinge nje! Oko ndaba kwibandla lesiNgesi—ukususela ngo-1946—yintoni ebindigcina ndomelele elukholweni? UYehova uye wasifeza isithembiso sokuba uza kunyamekela abantwana abangenayise. (INdu. 10:14) Ndibabulela bonke abo bebekulungele ukundibhalela amanqaku, ukufunda intetho yezandla, nokuncedisa ekunditolikeleni kangangoko banako.

Xa nditheth’ inyaniso, kukho amaxesha apho bendiye ndicaphuke ndide ndifune ukunikezela ngenxa yokuba ndingayiva into ethethwayo okanye ngenxa yokuba ndibona ngathi aziqondwa iimfuno zabantu abangevayo ngeendlebe. Kodwa ke, ngaloo maxesha, bendiye ndicinge amazwi awathethwa nguPetros kuYesu esithi: “Nkosi, siya kumka siye kubani na? Nguwe onamazwi obomi obungunaphakade.” (Yoh. 6:66-68) Njengabanye abazalwana noodade abangevayo ngeendlebe bexesha lam, ndiye ndafunda ukuba nomonde. Ndiye ndafunda ukulinda uYehova nentlangano yakhe, ibe kundincede nyhani ukwenza loo nto! Ngoku izinto eziqinisa ukholo zidlal’ abantwana, kwaye kumnandi ukuba kwiintlanganiso nakwiindibano zeNtetho Yezandla YaseMerika. Ngokwenene ndiphile ubomi obonwabisayo nobunomvuzo enkonzweni kaYehova, uThixo wethu ozukileyo.