PHAKATHI neminyaka yoo-1930, utata, uJames Sinclair, nomama, uJessie, bafudukela eBronx, eNew York City. Omnye wabantu ababeqhelene naye yayinguWillie Sneddon, naye owayesuka eScotland njengabo. Bathi beqala ngqa ukubonana, bobathathu babe sebencokola ngeentsapho zabo. Loo nto yenzeka kwiminyaka embalwa ngaphambi kokuba ndizalwe.

Umama wabalisela uWillie ukuba ngaphambi nje kweMfazwe Enkulu, uyise nomkhuluwa wakhe bafa emva kokuba iphenyane labo liqhushunjisiwe eNorth Sea. UWillie wathi, “Utat’ akho usesihogweni!” UWillie wayeliNgqina LikaYehova, ibe loo mazwi othusayo aba yindlela umama awayiva ngayo inyaniso.

Le nto yathethwa nguWillie yamcaphukisa umama kuba wayesazi ukuba utat’ akhe wayengumntu ozilungeleyo. Kodwa uWillie wongeza wathi, “Ungathini xa ndinokukuxelela ukuba noYesu waya esihogweni?” Umama wakhumbula imfundiso yecawa eyayisithi uYesu wehla waya esihogweni waza wavuswa ngosuku lwesithathu. Ngoko wazibuza, ‘Ukuba isihogo yindawo evutha umlilo apho kuthuthunjiswa khona aboni, uYesu wayefuna ntoni ke apho?’ Umama waqala ngaloo mini ukuba nomdla enyanisweni. Waqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso kwiBandla LaseBronx waza wabhaptizwa ngo-1940.

Ngelo xesha, abazali abangamaKristu babengakhuthazwa ukuba bafunde iBhayibhile nabantwana babo. Xa ndandisemncinci, ndandiye ndishiyeke notata ngoxa umama eye kwiintlanganiso nasentsimini ngeempela-veki. Emva kweminyaka embalwa, nathi saye saqalisa ukuhamba nomama saya kwiintlanganiso. Wayekuthanda ukushumayela ibe wayenezifundo zeBhayibhile ezininzi. Kwakukho ixesha apho wayede azifundele zonke njengeqela kuba iindawo ezazihlala kuzo zazisondelelene. Xa iziiholide zesikolo, ndandihamba naye ukuya entsimini. Ndatsho ndafunda izinto ezininzi ngeBhayibhile nendlela yokufundisa abanye abantu oko kuthethwa yiyo.

 Xa ndandisemncinci, ndandingayazi kakuhle inyaniso. Ndandiyithatha njengento engabalulekanga. Kodwa ke, xa ndandineminyaka eyi-12, ndaba ngumvakalisi ongabhaptizwanga ndaza ndaqalisa ukuya rhoqo entsimini. Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-16, ndazahlulela kuYehova, ndaza ndabhaptizwa ngoJulayi 24, 1954, kwindibano eyayiseToronto, eKhanada.

Kwakukho abazalwana ababekhonza eBheteli ebandleni lethu. Baba nefuthe elihle kum. Ndandiyithanda indlela ababenikela iintetho ngayo nababecacisa ngayo iimfundiso zeBhayibhile. Nangona ootitshala bam babefuna ndiye eyunivesithi, mna ndandifuna ukuya eBheteli. Ngoko ndafaka isicelo sokuya kukhonza eBheteli kule ndibano eyayiseToronto. Ndaphinda ndasifaka kwindibano ka-1955 eyayiseYankee Stadium, eNew York City. Kamsinya emva koko, xa ndandineminyaka eyi-17, ndabizwa kwiBheteli yaseBrooklyn ngoSeptemba 19, 1955. Emva kosuku ndifikile, ndaqalisa ukusebenza kumatshini odibanisa iincwadi e-117 Adams Street. Kungekudala ndasebenza kumatshini owawudibanisa amacandelo eencwadi ukuze zilungele ukuthungwa.

Emva kwexesha elingangenyanga, ndathunyelwa kwiSebe Leemagazini kuba ndandikwazi ukutayipa. Ngelo xesha, abazalwana noodade babetayipa iiadresi zemirhumo yeMboniselo noVukani! ngeestencil. Emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa, ndasebenza kwiSebe Lokuthumela iincwadi. Umveleli weli sebe, uKlaus Jensen, wandibuza ukuba ndingamkhapha na umqhubi welori eyayisisa iibhokisi zoncwadi ezibukweni ukuze zithunyelwe ngenqanawa kwamanye amazwe. Kwakukho neengxowa ezazineemagazini ezazimele zisiwe eposini  ukuze zithunyelwe kuwo onke amabandla aseMerika. UMzalwan’ uJensen wathi ucinga ukuba ukusebenza ngezandla kwakuza kundinceda kakhulu. Ubunzima bam babuziikhilogram eziyi-57, ndibhitye ndingumcinga. Lo msebenzi wandinceda ndatsho ndanezoso. Kuyacaca ukuba uMzalwan’ uJensen wayeyazi eyona nto indilungeleyo!

ISebe Leemagazini lalisenza neeoda zeemagazini zamabandla. Ngenxa yoko ndatsho ndaziqonda iilwimi iimagazini zethu eziprintwa ngazo eBrooklyn zize zithunyelwe kwamanye amazwe. Ezinye zezi lwimi ndandiqala ukuva ngazo, kodwa ndandivuyiswa kukwazi ukuba sasithumela amawaka eemagazini kwezona ndawo zikude. Ndandingazi ngelo xesha ukuba kwiminyaka kamva ndandiza kufumana inyhweba yokuya kwezi ndawo.

Ngo-1961, ndathunyelwa kwiSebe Lemali, ibe ndandisebenza phantsi koGrant Suiter. Emva kweminyaka embalwa, ndabizelwa kwiofisi kaNathan Knorr, ngelo xesha owayekhokela kumsebenzi owenziwa ehlabathini lonke. Wandichazela ukuba omnye wabazalwana abasebenza kwiofisi yakhe wayeza kuya kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani kangangenyanga, aze xa ebuya aye kusebenza kwiSebe Lenkonzo. Kwathiwa mandingene endaweni yakhe ndize ndisebenze noDon Adams. Kwathi kanti uDon ngumzalwana endandimnike isicelo sam sokukhonza eBheteli kwindibano ka-1955. Kule ofisi kwakukho nabanye abazalwana ababini, uRobert Wallen noCharles Molohan. Sasebenza sobane iminyaka engaphezu kweyi-50. Bekumnandi nyhani ukusebenza nala madoda athanda uYehova!—INdu. 133:1.

 Ukususela ngo-1970, kwathiwa mandityelele amasebe eWatch Tower Society, ndibe yinto ngelo xesha eyayibizwa ngokuba ngumveleli wecandelo. Kwakufuneka ndityelele iintsapho zaseBheteli nabathunywa bevangeli, ndibakhuthaze ndize ndihlole iingxelo zeofisi yesebe. Kwandivuyisa nyhani ukudibana nabazalwana noodade ababeye kwiiklasi zokuqala zeSikolo SaseGiliyadi, ababesakhonza ngokuthembeka kumazwe asemzini! Bekuyinyhweba yokwenene ukutyelela amazwe angaphezu kwe-90 ndisenza lo msebenzi.

Sonke thina bakwiBheteli yaseBrooklyn sasikhonza kumabandla aseNew York City. Mna ndandikwelaseBronx. Ibandla lokuqala kule ndawo lalikhulile laza lahlulwa. Laye labizwa ngokuba liBandla LaseUpper Bronx, ibe nam ndandikulo.

Phakathi neminyaka yoo-1960, intsapho ethile eyayisuka eLatvia, neyayifumene inyaniso kumzantsi weBronx, yafudukela kwintsimi yelo bandla. Intombi yalapho endala, uLivija, yaba nguvulindlela othe ngxi emva kokuba igqibile esikolweni. Emva kweenyanga ezimbalwa, yafudukela eMassachusetts, iye kukhonza apho kwakudingeka abavakalisi abangakumbi. Ndaqalisa ukuyibhalela iileta ndiyibalisela ngebandla lethu, nayo yayindibhalela indibalisela ngendlela eyayiqhuba kakuhle ngayo entsimini eBoston.

Emva kweminyaka embalwa, uLivija waba nguvulindlela okhethekileyo. Wayefuna ukwenza kangangoko anako enkonzweni kaYehova, ibe wafaka isicelo sokukhonza eBheteli, waza wabizwa ngo-1971. Yayingathi kukho into uYehova andixelela yona! Ngo-Oktobha 27, 1973, satshata ibe saba nenyhweba yokuba intetho yethu yomtshato inikelwe nguMzalwan’ u Knorr. IMizekeliso 18:22 ithi: “Kukho bani na ufumene umfazi olungileyo? Ufumene into elungileyo, yaye uzuze inkoliseko kaYehova.” Ngenxa yoko, mna noLivija siye sasikelelwa ngeminyaka engaphezu kweyi-40 sikhonza eBheteli. Ibe sisaqhubeka sixhasa ibandla elikwingingqi yeBronx.

Kwakumnandi nyhani ukusebenza noMzalwan’ uKnorr. Wayekhuthele emsebenzini kwaye ewuxabisa kakhulu umsebenzi owenziwa ngabathunywa bevangeli ehlabathini. Abaninzi kubo babefika kungekho nelinye iNgqina kumazwe abathunyelwa kuwo. Kwakubuhlungu kakhulu ukubona uMzalwan’ uKnorr egula ngumhlaza ngo-1976. Ngeny’ imini, xa wayelele endlwini, wandicela ukuba ndimfundele ezinye zezinto ezaziza kuprintwa. Wandicela ukuba ndibize uFrederick Franz naye eze kumamela. Kamva ndaye ndafumanisa ukuba uMzalwan’ uKnorr wayedla ngokufundela uMzalwan’ uFranz ezo zinto ziza kuprintwa, kuba wayengasaboni kakuhle.

UMzalwan’ uKnorr wasweleka ngo-1977, abantu ababemazi nababemthanda bathuthuzeleka  kuba wathembeka de waligqiba ikhondo lakhe lasemhlabeni. (ISityhi. 2:10) Emva koko, yaba nguMzalwan’ uFranz okhokela umsebenzi.

Ngelo xesha, ndandingunobhala kaMilton Henschel, owayesebenze noMzalwan’ uKnorr kangangamashumi eminyaka. UMzalwan’ uHenschel wandichazela ukuba ngoku umsebenzi wam eBheteli wawuza kuba kukunceda uMzalwan’ uFranz ngayo nantoni na ayidingayo. Ndandidla ngokumfundela izinto ngaphambi kokuba ziprintwe. UMzalwan’ uFranz wayenesiphiwo sokukhumbula izinto nesokumamela into efundwayo. Kwandivuyisa kakhulu ukumnceda de waligqiba ikhondo lakhe ngoDisemba 1992!

Ikhawuleze yadlula iminyaka eyi-61 endiyichithe eBheteli. Bobabini abazali bam basweleke bethembekile kuYehova, ibe ingathi alisafiki ixesha endiya kubamkela ngalo kwihlabathi elitsha. (Yoh. 5:28, 29) Ayikho into kweli hlabathi siphila kulo ebhetele kunenyhweba yokusebenza nabazalwana noodade abathembekileyo, sinceda abantu bakaThixo ehlabathini lonke. SinoLivija asixoki xa sisithi kule minyaka sikwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo, “uvuyo lukaYehova [luye lwaba] ligwiba” lethu.—Neh. 8:10.

Intlangano kaYehova ayixhomekekanga mntwini, ibe nomsebenzi wokushumayela uyaqhubeka. Bekumnandi kakhulu kum ukusebenza namagqala angagungqiyo ekukhonzeni uYehova yonke le minyaka. Uninzi lwabathanjiswa endisebenze nabo alusekho apha emhlabeni. Kodwa ndiyavuya kuba ndiye ndakhonza uYehova nabantu abathembeke ngolu hlobo.