Ngenxa yentshiseko ngeqiniso, iBandla LaseFreetown ‘laba matasa kakhulu ngezwi.’ (IzE. 18:5) U-Alfred Joseph uyalandisa: “Ngangiye ngibophele ibhokisi lezincwadi zeBhayibheli esithuthuthwini sami. UMfoweth’ uThomas noma uSylvester Grant wayehlala ngemuva esithuthuthwini bese silibangisa emaphandleni nasemadolobheni amancane azungeze iFreetown siyofuna abantu, njengoba sasisho kanjalo.”

Kwaze kwaba ngu-1927 abamemezeli beshumayela ikakhulu eFreetown noma endaweni engakhona ebizwa ngokuthi iColony. Kepha kusukela ngo-1928, njalo ngonyaka ngaphambi kokuba kuqale izimvula, ibandla laliqasha ibhasi liye ezindaweni ezisemaphandleni. Ababengakwazi ukuhamba babenikela ngezimali. Lolu hambo lwaluholwa uMelbourne Garber. Amaqembu amabhasi ayeshumayela emadolobheni amancane nasezigodini ezisempumalanga eKailahun naseningizimu eduze komngcele waseLiberia.  NgeSonto lokuqala lenyanga babebuyela bayohlakulela isithakazelo.

Ngaleso sikhathi uMfoweth’ uBrown wavakashela eWest Indies esehamba ngemoto, eyaba phakathi kwezokuqala ezangena eSierra Leone. Le moto yayinombhobho onamandla owawuklanyelwe ukuba kushunyayelwe ngawo emphakathini. Wayeye apake imoto eshashalazini abese edlala umculo omnandi ukuze ahehe abantu. Ngemva kwalokho wayenikeza inkulumo emfushane noma adlale inkulumo eqoshiwe abese ecela abantu ukuba bathathe izincwadi zeBhayibheli. Le moto ekhulumayo—njengoba yagcina isibizwa kanjalo—yaba newozawoza, nabantu betheleka ngobuningi bezoyilalela.

UMfoweth’ uBrown wabe esegxila emasimini ayengakathintwa—yonke indawo yaseNtshonalanga Afrika  okwakukhulunywa kuyo isiNgisi. Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1920, wathatha uhambo lokushumayela waya eGambia, eGhana, eLiberia naseNigeria. Wayethola abantu abanesithakazelo ezweni ngalinye, kodwa iNigeria yona yayivunde ngendlela emangalisayo. Ngo-1930 yena nomndeni wakhe basuka eFreetown bathuthela eLagos. Elapho, waqhubeka nokuqondisa umsebenzi woMbuso eNtshonalanga Afrika.

Ngo-1950, lapho impilo ebuthaka iphoqa uMfoweth’ uBrown ukuba aphindele eJamaica, washiya umlando ongelibaleke. Ngemva kweminyaka engu-27, yena nomkakhe babebone inani loFakazi eNtshonalanga Afrika landa lisuka kwababili liya kwabangaphezu kuka-11 000. Babekubone ngokoqobo ukugcwaliseka kwesiprofetho sika-Isaya: “Omncane uyoba yinkulungwane, umuntukazana abe yisizwe esinamandla.” (Isaya 60:22) Namuhla, ngemva kweminyaka engaphezudlwana kwengu-60, “isizwe esinamandla” soFakazi abangaphezu kuka-500 000 sikhonza uJehova eNtshonalanga Afrika.

Lapho iMpi Yezwe II isibekela i-Afrika, abantu bakaJehova eSierra Leone abazange bathathe hlangothi. (Mika 4:3; Joh. 18:36) Iziphathimandla ezingamaNgisi zabaqambela amanga zathi bangamavukela-mbuso, ngakho zabagada ngeso lokhozi zavala nezincwadi zabo. Izikhulu zaseFreetown zashaqa izincwadi zazishisa. Abanye abafowethu baboshelwa ukuthi banezincwadi ezivinjelwe nokho basheshe badedelwa. *

Naphezu kokuvinjelwa, oFakazi baqhubeka beshumayela. UPauline Cole uyachaza: “Umzalwane owayesebenza  emkhunjini owawufika njalo kuleli zwe wayesiphathela omagazini INqabayokulinda. Sasisebenzisa bona sibhale ngomshini amakhophi engeziwe esasizowasebenzisa esifundweni. Sasinyathelisa namapheshana akhuluma ngezihloko zeBhayibheli siwahambisele umphakathi. Futhi abazalwane baqhubeka benikeza izinkulumo zeningi, bedlala nezinkulumo eziqoshiwe zikaMfoweth’ uRutherford, ikakhulu emaphandleni.”

Le mizamo, nakuba yayimincane, yayinesibusiso sikaJehova. UJames Jarret, owayesenesikhathi eside engumdala nephayona elikhethekile, uyakhumbula: “Ngesikhathi impi ibambene, ngangenza umsebenzi wokusika amatshe lapho udade osekhulile engihambisela incwajana ethi Refugee. Njengoba ababaleki (refugees) abaningi babefikela eFreetown, isihloko sayo sangithakazelisa. Ngayifunda leyo ncwajana ngalobo busuku futhi ngalibona iqiniso. Ngakusasa ekuseni, ngamfuna lo dade ngase ngicelela abafowethu abathathu ezinye izincwajana. Sobane salamukela iqiniso.”

Ngesikhathi impi iphela ngo-1945, iBandla LaseFreetown lalinabamemezeli abangu-42. Abamemezeli babebulondolozile ubuqotho babo futhi bahlala bekhuthele. Babezimisele futhi bemagange ukuqhubekela phambili.

Ngo-August 29, 1945, eMhlanganweni Wenkonzo wamasonto onke, iBandla LaseFreetown laxoxa ngomkhankaso omusha owawumenyezelwe kuyi-Informant (manje ebizwa ngokuthi INkonzo Yethu YoMbuso) ka-December 1944. Ibandla ngalinye kwakumelwe limemezele futhi liqhube imihlangano emine yasobala “kuwo wonke amadolobha amakhulu namancane nasezigodini” ezisendaweni yalo. Umhlangano ngamunye wawuzoba nenkulumo ethatha ihora, inikezwe umzalwane (oneminyaka engu-18  noma ngaphezulu) owayenze kahle eSikoleni Senkonzo Esingokwasezulwini. Ngemva kwaleyo mihlangano emine, abazalwane babezohlela ukuba amaqembu ezifundo zeBhayibheli asize abathakazelayo endaweni ngayinye.

Abamemezeli basabela kanjani kulesi siqondiso esisha? Amaphuzu oMhlangano Wenkonzo weBandla LaseFreetown athi:

Usihlalo: “Nicabanga ukuthi singawenza kanjani lo mkhankaso?”

Umzalwane Wokuqala: “Akufanele silindele ukuthi uzophumelela njengaseMelika. Abantu balapha abafani nabaseMelika.”

Umzalwane Wesibili: “Nami ngivumelana naye.”

Umzalwane Wesithathu: “Kungani singakuzami?”

Umzalwane Wesine: “Kuzoba nezingqinamba.”

Umzalwane Wesihlanu: “Noma kunjalo, kumelwe silandele isiqondiso senhlangano kaJehova.”

Umzalwane Wesithupha: “Hhayi, kodwa ngeke isebenze le ndlela la ezweni lakithi.”

Udade Wokuqala: “Noma kunjalo, sicacile isiqondiso se-Informant. Asikuzame!”

Nangempela bakuzama. Kusukela ogwini lwaseFreetown kuya eBo eseningizimu-mpumalanga kuya eKabala esenyakatho, abazalwane baqhuba imihlangano emakilasini, ezimakethe nasemizini yabanye. Lo mkhankaso walifaka umfutho ibandla futhi “izwi likaJehova laqhubeka likhula futhi lisakazeka.”—IzE. 12:24.

Noma kunjalo, abamemezeli babekudinga ukuqeqeshwa mayelana nezinto ezingokwasezulwini. Futhi yilokho kanye uJehova abanika kona.