XA NDITHETHA inyani, into yokuba sasibahlanu kwintetho yam ngo-1957 zange indihluphe. Kaloku bendisoloko ndingumntu oneentloni. Ndisemncinci ndandide ndizimele xa kufika abantu ekhaya, nkqu nokuba ndiyabazi.

Usenokothuka kukwazi ukuba izabelo ezininzi endizifumene kwintlangano kaYehova bezifuna ndisebenze ngokusondeleyo nabantu—abahlobo nabantu endingabaziyo. Nakuba kunjalo, andizange ndiyeke ukuba neentloni nokungazithembi, ngoko andinakuthi ndiphumelele ngamandla am. Endaweni yoko, ndiye ndabona ukuzaliseka kwesithembiso sikaYehova esithi: “Ndiza kukuqinisa. Ndiza kukunceda ngokwenene. Ndiza kukubamba nkqi ngokwenene ngesandla sam sasekunene sobulungisa.” (Isa. 41:10) Enye yeendlela andincede ngazo kungenkxaso yabazalwana noodade. Makhe ndikubalisele ngezinye zazo, ukususela ndisengumntwana.

Ngenye intsasa yangeCawa eyayishushu ngo-1940, kwafika uElsie Huntingford kwifama yasekhaya emazantsi-ntshona eOntario. UMama waya kumvulela  ngoxa uTata—naye oneentloni njengam—wayengaphakathi kunye nam simamele. Ecinga ukuba uDade Huntingford wayengumntu othengisayo nokuba uMama wayeza kuthenga into engeyomfuneko, uTata waya kubo emnyango ukuze amxelele ukuba asinamdla. Lo dade wathi: “Aninamdla kwisifundo seBhayibhile?” UTata waphendula wathi: “Hayi ke, sinomdla kuleyo.”

UDade Huntingford wasifikela ngelona xesha lifanelekileyo. Abazali bam babengamalungu eUnited Church of Canada kodwa bayishiya. Ngoba? Kuba umfundisi wayexhome uludwe lwabantu abanikeleyo nemali abanikele ngayo ngokulandelelana kwayo kwiveranda yasecaweni. Abazali bam, babesoloko besezantsi, ibe abadala balapho babebenza bazive ngathi kufuneka banikele imali engakumbi. Engafuni kuphulukana nomsebenzi wakhe, omnye umfundisi wavuma ukuba wayengazikholelwa izinto awayezifundisa. Ngoko ke, sayishiya icawa, kodwa sasisakufuna ukukhonza uThixo nokufunda ngaye.

Ekubeni umsebenzi wamaNgqina kaYehova wawuvaliwe eKhanada, uDade Huntingford wayesiqhubela isifundo esebenzisa iBhayibhile namagqabaza awayewabhala kwincwadi encinane emnyama. Wathi akuqiniseka ukuba sasingayi kummpimpa kwabasemagunyeni, wasinika uncwadi lweBhayibhile. Sasisithi sakugqiba ukufunda sizifihle ezi ncwadi. *

UDade Huntingford washumayela ngenzondelelo phezu kwayo nje inkcaso nemiqobo. Inzondelelo yakhe yandichukumisa yaza yandishukumisela ukuba nam ndiyimele inyaniso. Kunyaka emva kokubhaptizwa kwabazali bam besiba ngamaNgqina kaYehova, nam ndafuzisela ukuzahlulela kwam kuThixo. Ndabhaptizwa ndineminyaka eyi-17 ngoFebruwari 27, 1949, kwitanki lamanzi ezilwanyana. Emva koko ndandizimisele ukungenela inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo.

Andizange ndibe nguvulindlela ngoko nangoko. Kangangexesha elithile, ndandisebenza ebhankini naseofisini kuba ndandisithi kufuneka ndibe nemali ukuze ndikwazi ukuzixhasa xa ndinguvulindlela. Noko ke, ekubeni ndandiselula  ndingenamava, imali yam yayiphela ngephanyazo. Ngoko, omnye umzalwana, uTed Sargent wandibongoza ukuba ndibe nenkalipho ndize ndibe nokholo kuYehova. (1 Kron. 28:10) Olo khuthazo lwandinceda, ngoNovemba 1951 ndaqalisa ubuvulindlela. Ndandineedola eziyi-40, ibhayisekile endala, nebrifkheyisi entsha. Kodwa uYehova ebesoloko eqinisekisa ukuba ndinazo izinto endizidingayo. Ndinombulelo ongazenzisiyo kuba uTed wandikhuthaza ukuba ndibe nguvulindlela! Eso senzo sandizisela iintsikelelo.

Ngenye ingokuhlwa ngoAgasti 1952, ndafumana umnxeba osuka eToronto. ISebe laseKhanada lamaNgqina kaYehova landimema ukuba ndiye kukhonza kwiBheteli yalapho ngoSeptemba. Nakuba ndandineentloni, ibe ndingazange khe ndilityelele eli sebe ngaphambili, ndandinemincili kuba ndandive izinto ezintle zodwa ngeBheteli kwabanye oovulindlela. Ndaziva ndisekhaya ndifika nje.

Emva kweminyaka emibini ndiseBheteli, ndangena ezihlangwini zikaBill Yacos ndasisicaka sebandla (namhlanje esibizwa ngokuba ngumnxibelelanisi wequmrhu labadala) kwiShaw Unit eToronto. * Ekubeni ndandineminyaka eyi-23 nje kuphela ndandingazithembanga ndizithatha njengenkwenkwana nje yasefama. Kodwa ngokuzithoba nothando uMzalwana uYacos wandibonisa oko ndandifanele ndikwenze, ibe uYehova wandinceda ngokwenene.

UMzalwana uYacos—umzalwana onesiqu nononcumo—wayenomdla ebantwini. Wayebathanda abazalwana bakhe, nabo bemthanda. Wayebatyelela emakhayeni abo kungekuphela nje xa beneengxaki. UBill Yacos wayendikhuthaza ukuba ndenze okufanayo ndize ndisebenzisane kakuhle nabazalwana noodade entsimini. Wathi: “Ken, babonise abazalwana ukuba ubakhathalele.” Wakwathi ukubaqonda abazalwana kusenza sikwazi ukuxolela.

UYehova wandinceda ngendlela ekhethekileyo ukususela ngoJanuwari 1957. Ngaloo nyanga ndatshata noEvelyn, owayephumelele kwiklasi ye-14 kwiSikolo saseGiliyadi. Ngaphambi kokuba sitshate wayekhonza kwiphondo laseQuebec elalithetha isiFrentshi. Ngelo xesha iQuebec ubukhulu becala yayilawulwa yicawa yamaRoma Katolika. Ngoko uEvelyn wayenesabelo esinzima, kodwa wanyamezela ngokuthembeka kuso nakuYehova.

UEvelyn uye wahlala ethembekile nakum. (Efe. 5:31) Ukuthembeka kwakhe kwavavanywa emva nje kokuba sitshatile! Sasizimisele ukuya eFlorida, eUnited States, kodwa kusuku olusemva komtshato, isebe landicela ukuba ndiye kwintlanganiso eyayiza kuba seBheteli eKhanada neyayiza kuthatha iveki yonke. Le ntlanganiso yayiphazamisana nezinto esasifuna ukuzenza, kodwa sasifuna ukwenza nantoni na uYehova afuna siyenze. Ngoko, sayiyeka iholide yethu. Loo veki uEvelyn wayichitha  entsimini kufuphi nesebe. Nakuba lo mhlaba wawahlukile kulowo waseQuebec, wanyamezela.

Ukuphela kwaloo veki kwenzeka into esasingayilindelanga—ndafumana isabelo sokuba ngumveleli wesiphaluka kumntla weOntario. Ndandisandul’ ukutshata, ndineminyaka nje eyi-25 yaye ndingenamava, kodwa saya kweso sabelo sithembele kuYehova. Sahamba ngololiwe wasebusuku kusebusika eKhanada, sikhwele nabanye abaveleli abanamava nababebuyela kwizabelo zabo. Basikhuthaza kakhulu! Omnye umzalwana wade wasincamela indawo yakhe yokulala kwikhareji awayekulo, ukuze singahlali esitulweni ubusuku bonke. Ngosuku olulandelayo, sineentsuku nje eziyi-15 sitshatile, satyelela iqela elincinane laseHornepayne, njengoko besenditshilo ekuqaleni.

Kwakusekho olunye utshintsho olwalusilindele. Ngasekupheleni kuka-1960, xa sasikhonza esithilini, ndabizwa kwiklasi ye-36 yeSikolo saseGiliyadi, eyayiza kuqalisa ngoFebruwari 1961 eBrooklyn, eNew York neyayiza kuthatha iinyanga ezilishumi. Ndavuya gqitha, kodwa ndandikhathazwa yinto yokuba uEvelyn engabizwanga. Kunoko, njengabanye abafazi ababengabizwanga, uEvelyn wacelwa ukuba abhale ileta echaza ukuba ukulungele ukundikhulula ubuncinane kangangeenyanga ezilishumi. UEvelyn walila, kodwa savumelana ukuba ndiye kwesi sikolo, ibe wayesithi ndiza kuncedakala kuqeqesho endiza kulufumana eGiliyadi.

Kwelo xesha, yena uEvelyn wasebenza kwisebe laseKhanada. Waba nelungelo lokuhlala egumbini nodade othanjisiweyo owayenobubele, uMargaret Lovell. Kakade ke, sasikhumbulana nomkam. Kodwa, uYehova wasinceda saqhelana nezabelo zethu zethutyana. Yandichukumisa indlela umfazi wam awayekulungele ngayo ukuncama ixesha lokuba sibe kunye ukuze sikwazi ukusetyenziswa nguYehova nayintlangano yakhe.

Emva kweenyanga ezimalunga nezintathu ndiseGiliyadi, uMzalwana uNathan Knorr, owayevelele umsebenzi wokushumayela ehlabathini lonke, wandibuza into endandingayilindelanga. Wandibuza ukuba ndingathanda na ukushiya iSikolo saseGiliyadi kanye ngelo xesha ndize ndibuyele eKhanada ukuze ndiye kufundisa kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani kwisebe lalapho. UMzalwana uKnorr wandixelela ukuba akandinyanzeli ukuba ndiye. Ndandinokukhetha ukugqiba kuloo klasi yaseGiliyadi ndize ndibe ngumthunywa wevangeli. Wandixelela nokuba, ukuba ndivumile ukubuyela eKhanada, kwakungekho siqinisekiso sokuba ndiya kuze ndiphinde ndiye eGiliyadi, ndandinokusuka nje ndithunyelwe entsimini eKhanada. Wathi mandithethe nomfazi wam ndize ndenze isigqibo.

Ekubeni ndandisele ndiyazi indlela uEvelyn azijonga ngayo izabelo ezivela kwintlangano kaYehova, zisuka nje ndathi kuMzalwana uKnorr, “Nantoni na intlangano kaYehova efuna siyenze, siza kuyenza.” Besisoloko sizixelela ukuba simele siye  apho intlangano kaYehova isithumela khona, kungakhathaliseki ukuba sivakalelwa njani.

NgoAprili 1961, ndemka eBrooklyn ndabuyela eKhanada ukuya kufundisa kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli SoBukumkani. Kamva, sakhonza kuloo Bheteli. Ndothuka xa ndabizwa kwiklasi ye-40 yaseGiliyadi, eyayiza kuqalisa ngo-1965. Nakwesi sihlandlo, kwafuneka uEvelyn abhale ileta endikhululayo. Kodwa emva kweeveki ezimbalwa, savuya gqitha xa naye wabizwa kule klasi.

Ukufika kwethu kwiSikolo saseGiliyadi, uMzalwana uKnorr wasixelela ukuba abo baza kufundiswa ngesiFrentshi njengathi, baza kuthunyelwa eAfrika. Noko ke, emva kokupasa kwethu, sathunyelwa eKhanada! Ndamiselwa njengomveleli wesebe (ngoku ekuthiwa ngumnxibelelanisi weKomiti Yesebe). Ekubeni ndandineminyaka nje eyi-34, ndathi kuMzalwana uKnorr, “Ndisemncinci.” Kodwa wandomeleza. Zisuka nje, ndazama ukucela amacebiso kubazalwana abanamava eBheteli ngaphambi kokuba ndenze izigqibo ezinobuzaza.

Ukusebenza eBheteli kuye kwandivulela amathuba amaninzi okufunda kwabanye abantu. Ndibahlonela kakhulu abanye abazalwana abakwiKomiti Yesebe. Ndiye ndancedwa nangabazalwana noodade—abancinane nabadala—esiye sadibana nabo apha eBheteli nakumabandla ahlukahlukeneyo esiye sakhonza kuwo.

Ukusebenza eBheteli kuye kwandivulela nethuba lokufundisa abanye nokomeleza ukholo lwabo. Umpostile uPawulos wathi kuTimoti: “Yima ezintweni owazifundayo.” Waphinda wathi: “Izinto owazivayo kum ngokuxhaswa ngamangqina amaninzi, zidlulisele kubantu abathembekileyo, abakufanelekeleyo ukufundisa abanye.” (2 Tim. 2:2; 3:14) Amanye amaKristu akhe andibuze ukuba ndifunde ntoni kule minyaka iyi-57 ndisebenza apha eBheteli. Ndiye ndiwaphendule ndithi, “Kubalulekile ukuhlala ukulungele ukwenza nantoni na intlangano kaYehova efuna uyenze, uze uthembele kuye.”

Ingathi bekuyizolo oku ndifika eBheteli ndingumfana ongenamava. Noko ke, kuyo yonke le minyaka, uYehova ‘ebebambe isandla sam sasekunene.’ Esebenzisa ububele noncedo lwabanye abazalwana, undiqinisekisa esithi: “Musa ukoyika. Mna ngokwam ndiza kukunceda.”—Isa. 41:13.