UTATA wazalelwa eGraz, eOstriya, ngo-1899, ngoko wayasengumfanyana ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Wabizelwa kumkhosi waseJamani kancinane nje emva kokuqalisa kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II ngo-1939. Wafela edabini elaliseRashiya ngo-1943. Ndabe ke ndilahlekelwa nguTata ngolo hlobo, ndineminyaka emalunga nemibini kuphela. Andizange ndilifumane ithuba lokumazi, ngoko ndandikulangazelela ukuba noTata, ngakumbi xa ndabona ukuba abantwana abaninzi esikolweni babenabo. Kamva, xa ndandikwishumi elivisayo, kwandithuthuzela ukufunda ngoBawo wethu osezulwini nongenakufa.—Hab. 1:12.

Xa ndandineminyaka esixhenxe, ndaba lilungu lombutho wolutsha ekuthiwa yiBoy Scouts. IBoy Scouts ngumbutho osehlabathini lonke owasekwa ngo-1908 eGreat Britain yinjengele yomkhosi wamaBritani, uRobert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell. Ngo-1916 waseka iWolf Cubs (okanye iCub Scouts) eyayenzelwe amakhwenkwe angangam.

Ndandikuthanda ukuphuma neeBoy Scouts ngeempelaveki sisiya kwiindawo ezisemaphandleni—silala ezintenteni, sinxiba iiyunifomu yaye simatsha, kusitsho amagubu. Into endandiyithanda ngokukhethekileyo yayikukuhlala nabanye abantwana, sicula ngoxa sothe umlilo ngokuhlwa yaye sidlala ehlathini. Safunda kakhulu nangendalo, nto leyo yandenza ndawuxabisa umsebenzi woMdali wethu.

IiBoy Scouts zikhuthazwa ukuba kubekho into entle eziyenzayo yonke imihla. Le yeyona nto ehlala inkenteza ezingqondweni zazo. Sasibulisana ngamazwi athi “Sihlala Sixhobile.” Ndandiyithanda le ndlela yokuphila. Kumbutho wethu wamakhwenkwe angaphezu kwekhulu, isiqingatha yayingamaKatolika, esinye ingamaProtestanti, ize inkwenkwe enye ibe ngumBhuda.

Ukususela ngo-1920, imisitho yeeBoy Scouts ehlabathini lonke ibibanjwa rhoqo emva kweminyaka embalwa. Ndaya kumsitho wesixhenxe owawuseBad Ischl, eOstriya, ngoAgasti 1951, nakowethoba eSutton Park, kufutshane naseBirmingham, eNgilani, ngoAgasti 1957. Kweli tyeli lesibini, kwakukho iiBoy Scouts ezimalunga ne-33 000 ezazisuka kumazwe ayi-85. Kweza nabantu abamalunga ne-750 000, kuquka noKumkanikazi uElizabeth waseNgilani. Kum, ukuba yiBoy Scout kwandenza ndacinga ukuba ndiyinxalenye yabantu abamanyeneyo. Ndandingazi ukuba ndandiseza kuba yinxalenye yabantu abamanyene nangakumbi—abazalwana abangamaKristu.

Ngentwasahlobo yango-1958, ndandisele ndiza kugqiba ukuqeqeshelwa ukuba yiweyitala kwiGrand Hotel WiesleryaseGraz, eOstriya. Apho ndashunyayezwa nguRudolf Tschiggerl owayengumbhaki kule hotele. Ndandiqala ngqa ukuva inyaniso. Waqala wandixelela ukuba inkolelo yokuba uThixo uneziqu ezithathu ayisuki Bhayibhileni. Ndamphikisa, ibe ndandifuna ukumbonisa ukuba uthetha into angayaziyo. Ndandimthanda la mfo, ibe ndandifuna ukumcenga abuyele kumaKatolika.

URudolf, esasisithi Rudi xa simbiza, wandifunela iBhayibhile. Ndamxelela ukuba ndifuna eyamaKatolika. Ndaqalisa ukuyifunda ndaza ndabona ukuba uRudi ufake iphecana elaliprintwe yiWatchtower Society. Ndala ukulifunda, kuba ndandisithi eli phecana linokubhalwa ngendlela evakala iyinyani, ibe ingeyiyo. Noko ke, ndandingenangxaki ngokuthetha naye ngeBhayibhile. URudi wabonisa ubulumko, waza akaphinda andiphathele ncwadi. Kangangeenyanga ezintathu, sasidla ngokuncokola ngeBhayibhile de kuhlwe.

Emva kokuba ndigqibile ukuqeqeshwa kula hotele yaseGraz, uMama wandisa kwisikolo sokufundela ukuphatha iihotele. Ngoko ndafudukela eBad Hofgastein, idolophu esasikuyo esi sikolo. Esi sikolo sasinolwalamano oluhle neGrand Hotel yaseBad Hofgastein, ngoko ndandikhe ndisebenze khona ukuze ndisebenzise izinto endizifunde eklasini.

URudi wayethumele iadresi yam entsha kwiofisi yesebe yaseVienna, laza isebe layithumela koodade ababini ababengabathunywa bevangeli, uIlse Unterdörfer noElfriede Löhr. Ngenye imini umamkeli-ziindwendwe wasehotele wandibiza esithi kukho oomama ababini ababecela ukuthetha nam ngaphandle emotweni. Ndothuka kuba ndandingalindelanga mntu, kodwa ndaphuma ndaya kubona ukuba ngoobani. Kamva, ndeva ukuba, ngaphambi kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II, aba dade babethubelezisa iincwadi zamaNgqina eJamani xa umsebenzi wawuvaliwe ngamaNazi. Kwangaphambi kokuba imfazwe iqalise, babanjwa ngabacuphi baseJamani baza bathunyelwa kwinkampu yoxinaniso yaseLichtenburg. Kwathi ebudeni bemfazwe, bathunyelwa kwinkampu yaseRavensbrück, kufuphi naseBerlin.

Aba dade babeziintanga zikaMama, ngoko ndandibahlonela. Ndandingafuni ukubachithela ixesha ngokuncokola nabo ndize emva kweeveki okanye iinyanga ndibaxelele ukuba andisafuni kuqhubeka. Ngoko ndabacela ukuba bandiphathele izibhalo eziphikisa imfundiso yamaKatolika yokuba oopopu bangena ezihlangwini zabapostile. Ndabaxelela ukuba ndiza kuzisa kumfundisi. Ndandicinga ukuba oku kuza kundinceda nditsho ndiyazi eyona nyaniso.

AmaRoma Katolika athi oopopu basuka emva kumpostile uPetros. (Le cawa itolika kakubi amazwi kaYesu akuMateyu 16:18, 19.) AmaKatolika akwathi iimfundiso zikapopu ziyinyaniso epheleleyo xa ethetha ngegunya lakhe. Nam ndandiyikholelwa le nto, ndisithi ukuba upopu, obizwa ngamaKatolika ngokuba nguBawo Ongcwele, akayifundisi into engeyonyani, ibe uthi uThixo uneziqu ezithathu, loo nto imele ukuba yinyaniso. Kwelinye icala, ukuba ukhe axoke, naloo mfundiso bubuxoki. Kaloku zonke ezinye iimfundiso zamaKatolika zixhomekeke kule, ibe yiloo nto le mfundiso iyeyona ibalulekileyo kwamaninzi.

Umfundisi akazange akwazi ukuphendula imibuzo yam, kunoko wasuka wathi rhuthu enye incwadi eyayicacisa iimfundiso zamaKatolika neyayithetha ngamalandela abapostile. Ndaya nayo ekhaya, ndayifunda, ndaza ndabuya ndinothotho lwemibuzo. Xa waqondayo ukuba akanakukwazi ukuphendula le mibuzo yam, wathi: “Kuyacaca ukuba asivani. . .  Hamba ngoyibonayo!” Akazange aphinde afune ukuthetha nam.

Ngelo xesha ndandisele ndifuna ukufunda iBhayibhile noIlse noElfriede. Ininzi gqitha into abandifundisa yona ngoyena Bawo uNgcwele, uYehova uThixo. (Yoh. 17:11) Ngelo xesha kwakungekho bandla apho, ngoko ke aba dade babeqhuba iintlanganiso kwikhaya lentsapho eyayinomdla, ibe kwakusiza nje igcuntswana labantu. Ekubeni kwakungekho mzalwana ubhaptiziweyo, aba dade babeqhuba yonke into nje bobabini. Kodwa ke kwakukhe kufike umzalwana aze anikele intetho yesidlangalala kwindawo eyayiqeshiwe.

Ndaqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhile noIlse noElfriede ngo-Oktobha 1958, ndaza ndabhaptizwa kwiinyanga ezintathu emva koko ngoJanuwari 1959. Ngaphambi kokuba ndibhaptizwe, ndacela ukuba ndibakhaphe xa besiya entsimini ukuze ndibone ukuba kushunyayelwa njani. (IZe. 20:20) Ndabakhapha kwakanye, emva koko ndacela eyam intsimi. Bandinika ilali, ibe ndandidla ngokushumayela ndedwa kwindlu ngendlu ndize ndibuyele kwabo banomdla. Umzalwana wokuqala endahamba naye entsimini yayingumveleli wesiphaluka owayesityelele.

Ukugqiba kwam isikolo ngo-1960 ndabuyela ekhaya ukuze ndizame ukunceda izalamane zam zifunde inyaniso yeBhayibhile. Unanamhla oku, akukho nasinye esisenyanisweni nangona lukho ulozi-lozi lomdla.

Ngo-1961, emabandleni kwafundwa iileta ezivela kwiofisi yesebe nezazikhuthaza ubuvulindlela. Ndandilisoka, ndingumqabaqaba, ngoko ndandingenasizathu sokungabi nguvulindlela. Ndabuza uKurt Kuhn, owayengumveleli wesiphaluka, ukuba kunganjani xa ndinokuphangela iinyanga ezimbalwa ukuze ndikwazi ukuthenga imoto eza kundinceda xa ndinguvulindlela. Wathi: “UYesu nabapostile bakhe babedinga imoto ukuze bashumayele?” Ndathi utsh’ endodeni! Zisuka nje ndaceba ukuba nguvulindlela. Kodwa kwafuneka ndiqale ndihlengahlengise, kuba ndandiphangela iiyure eziyi-72 ngeveki kwindawo ethengisa ukutya.

 Ndacela umphathi ukuba andivumele ndiphangele iiyure eziyi-60. Wavuma, waza akawuhlisa nomrholo wam. Kungekudala emva koko, ndacela ukuphangela iiyure eziyi-48 ngeveki. Wasivuma neso isicelo, kodwa akawuhlisa umrholo. Ndaphinda ndacela ukuphangela iiyure eziyi-36, okanye eziyi-6 ngosuku, waza wasivuma neso isicelo. Into emangalisayo kukuba, ndandisarhola kwala mal’ inye! Ndicinga ukuba umphathi wam wayengafuni ndihambe. Ndathi ndisakuphangela ezo yure, ndaba nguvulindlela othe ngxi. Ngelo xesha, oovulindlela abathe ngxi babeshumayela iiyure eziyi-100 ngenyanga.

Kwiinyanga ezine emva koko, ndaba nguvulindlela okhethekileyo, ndaza ndamiselwa njengesicaka sebandla elincinane elikwidolophu yaseSpittal an der Drau, kwiphondo laseCarinthia. Ngelo xesha, oovulindlela abakhethekileyo babeshumayela iiyure eziyi-150 ngenyanga. Wayengekho omnye uvulindlela, kodwa ndandikuxabisa ukuncediswa entsimini nguGertrude Lobner, udade owayelisekela lesicaka sebandla. *

Ngo-1963, ndacelwa ukuba ndenze umsebenzi wesiphaluka. Maxa wambi ndandihamba ngololiwe xa ndisiya kwelinye ibandla, ndithwele iibhegi ezinkulu. Ekubeni abazalwana abaninzi babengenazo iimoto, akukho mntu wayendihlangabeza esitishini. Ukuze kungabi ngathi “ndisisikhulu,” kunokuba ndiqeshe imoto, ndandihamba ngeenyawo xa ndisiya kwikhaya endiza kufikela kulo.

Ngo-1965, ngoxa ndandiselisoka, ndamenyelwa kwiklasi ye-41 yeSikolo saseGiliyadi. Abaninzi eklasini nabo babengatshatanga. Ndothuka gqitha emva kwesikolo xa ndabuyiselwa kwasekhaya eOstriya ukuze ndiqhubeke nesiphaluka. Noko ke, ngaphambi kokuba ndihambe eMerika, ndacelwa ukuba ndipheleke umveleli wesiphaluka iiveki ezine. Ndakuxabisa nyhani ukusebenza noAnthony Conte, umzalwana owayenobubele nowayekuthanda yaye elichule ekushumayeleni. Sasebenza kunye eNew York kwingingqi yaseCornwall.

Ukufika kwam eOstriya, ndanikwa isiphaluka, apho ndadibana noTove Merete, udade omanz’ andonga. Wayekhulele enyanisweni ukususela eneminyaka emihlanu. Xa abazalwana bebuza ukuba sadibana njani, sidla ngokuqhula sithi, “Sadityaniswa yiofisi yesebe.” Satshata kunyaka olandelayo ngoAprili 1967, ibe savunyelwa ukuba siqhubeke nesiphaluka.

Kunyaka olandelayo, ndabona ukuba, ngenxa yobubele bakhe obungandifanelanga, uYehova uye wandenza omnye woonyana bakhe. Lwaqalisa ngaloo ndlela ke ulwalamano olukhethekileyo noBawo wam osezulwini, kunye nabanye abathi, ngokutsho kweyabaseRoma 8:15, ‘badanduluke besithi: “Abha, Bawo!”’

Mna noMerete sakhonza esiphalukeni nasesithilini de kwango-1976. Ngamaxesha athile ebusika, sasilala kwizindlu eziqhaqhazelis’ amazinyo. Ngobunye ubusuku, savuka umphetho wengubo  uqinile yaye umhlophe ngenxa yengqele! Sade sagqiba kwelokuba siziphathele iheater yombane encinane. Kwezinye iindawo, xa siye kuzithuma kwakufuneka sihambe ekhephini sisiya kwindlwana eyayidla ngokuvuthuza umoya. Sasingenamzi, ngoko ngeMivulo sasidla ngokuhlala kwakuloo mzi besihlala kuwo evekini, size ke ngoLwesibini siye kwibandla elilandelayo.

Into endivuyisayo kukuba, kuyo yonke le minyaka, umkam ebesoloko endixhasa. Uyayithanda intsimi, kangangokuba zange khe kufuneke ndimqhube ukuba aye entsimini. Uyabathanda nabazalwana noodade ibe unenkathalo. Indincede gqitha loo nto.

Ngo-1976 sacelwa ukuba siye kukhonza eVienna, kwiofisi yesebe yaseOstriya yaye ndamiselwa ndaba lilungu leKomiti Yesebe. Ngelo xesha, isebe laseOstriya lalivelela umsebenzi wamazwe aseMpuma Yurophu aliqela, ibe lalijongene nokuthutyeleziswa kweencwadi zethu kuloo mazwe. Umzalwana owayekhokela kulo msebenzi yayinguJürgen Rundel, ibe wayekhuthele. Ndaba nelungelo lokusebenza naye, ibe kamva ndacelwa ukuba ndivelele umsebenzi wokuguqulela kwiilwimi ezilishumi zaseMpuma Yurophu. UJürgen nomkakhe, uGertrude, ngoku bangoovulindlela abakhethekileyo eJamani. Ukususela ngo-1978, isebe laseOstriya lavelisa iimagazini laza laziprinta ngeelwimi ezintandathu kumatshini omncinane wokuprinta. Sasithumela nemirhumo kumazwe ahlukahlukeneyo awayefaka isicelo. Umntu esasimsebenzisa ukwenza lo msebenzi yayinguOtto Kuglitsch, ngoku okhonza kwisebe laseJamani kunye nomfazi wakhe uIngrid.

Abazalwana baseMpuma Yurophu babekwazi ukuzivelisela iincwadi, besebenzisa oomatshini bokukhuphela nezinye iindlela. Sekunjalo, babeludinga uncedo lwamanye amazwe. UYehova wawukhusela umsebenzi wabo, ibe nathi esebeni sasibathanda aba bazalwana ababekhonza phantsi kweemeko ezinzima kuba umsebenzi wawuvaliwe kangangeminyaka emininzi.

Ngo-1989, ndaba nelungelo lokupheleka uMzalwana uTheodore Jaracz, owayelilungu leQumrhu Elilawulayo, xa wayesiya eRomania. Injongo yayikukunceda iqela labazalwana ukuba  libuyele entlanganweni. Ukususela ngo-1949, ngezizathu ezithile aba bazalwana babeshiye intlangano baza baqalisa awabo amabandla. Sekunjalo, baqhubeka beshumayela yaye bebhaptiza. Babevalelwa nasezintolongweni ngenxa yokungathathi cala kwezopolitiko, kanye njengokuba kwakusenziwa kubazalwana ababeyinxalenye yentlangano. Umsebenzi wawusavaliwe eRomania, ngoko sadibana ngokufihlakeleyo emzini kaMzalwana uPamfil Albu, kunye nabadala abaziwayo abane nabameli beKomiti Yelizwe yaseRomania. Seza nomzalwana owayeza kusitolikela owayesuka eOstriya, uRolf Kellner.

Ngosuku lwesibini lwale ntlanganiso, uMzalwana uAlbu wabongoza aba badala bane ukuba babuyele entlanganweni, esithi, “Ukuba asiyenzi ngoku le nto, lisenokungaveli elinye ithuba lokuba siyenze.” Emva koko, abazalwana abamalunga ne-5 000 babuyela entlanganweni. Le yaba yimpumelelo yokwenene kuYehova, waza uSathana washiyeka edanile!

Ngasekupheleni ko-1989, ngaphambi nje kokuwa kobuKomanisi eMpuma Yurophu, iQumrhu Elilawulayo lacela mna nomkam ukuba siye kukhonza kwikomkhulu eNew York. Yasothusa gqitha loo nto. Saqalisa kwiBheteli yaseBrooklyn ngoJulayi 1990. Ngo-1992, ndamiselwa ndaba ngumncedi weKomiti Yenkonzo yeQumrhu Elilawulayo, ibe ukususela ngoJulayi 1994, ndiye ndaba nelungelo lokuba kwiQumrhu Elilawulayo.

Adlula kudala amaxesha am okuba yiweyitala ehotele. Ngoku ndinelungelo lokuncedisa ekulungiseleleni nasekukhupheni ukutya kokomoya kubazalwana bam abasehlabathini lonke. (Mat. 24:45-47) Xa ndikhangela emva kwiminyaka engaphezu kwe-50 ndikwinkonzo ekhethekileyo yexesha elizeleyo, ndiye ndivuye ndize ndimbulele uYehova ngendlela aye wabasikelela ngayo abazalwana bethu ehlabathini lonke. Ndiyakuthanda ukuya kwiindibano zezizwe ngezizwe, apho sifundiswa ngoBawo wethu osezulwini, uYehova, nangenyaniso eseBhayibhileni.

Ndithandazela ukuba izigidi zabantu ziza kufunda iBhayibhile, ziyamkele inyaniso zize zikhonze uYehova ngokumanyeneyo kunye nabazalwana abangamaKristu ehlabathini lonke. (1 Pet. 2:17) Ndikhangele phambili nasekubukeleni ndisezulwini xa kuvuswa abantu emhlabeni, ndize ekugqibeleni ndibone uTata. Ndinethemba lokuba yena, uMama kunye nezinye izalamane zam baza kufuna ukunqula uYehova eParadesi.