UHarvey wayengowokuqala kubafowabo abane. Umndeni wakubo wathola amaqiniso edolobheni okuthiwa iMidland Junction eNtshonalanga ye-Australia, ngesikhathi isimo somnotho sinzima kakhulu ngawo-1930. UHarvey wamthanda uJehova futhi wabhapathizwa eneminyaka engu-14. Washeshe wafunda ukungazenqabi izabelo ayezithola. Esewumfanyana, wake wenqaba ukufunda INqabayokulinda emhlanganweni, ecabanga ukuthi ngeke akwazi ukuyifunda kahle. Kodwa umzalwane owayekhuluma naye wamsiza wathi, “Uma othile enhlanganweni kaJehova ekucela ukuba wenze okuthile, usuke ecabanga ukuthi ungakwazi ukukwenza!”—2 Kor. 3:5.

Mina iqiniso ngalifunda eNgilandi, ngesikhathi esifanayo nomama nodadewethu omdala. Ubaba walamukela kamuva iqiniso, kodwa ekuqaleni wayephikisa. Ubaba wayengafuni ngibhapathizwe, kodwa ngabhapathizwa lapho sengina-9. Ngazibekela umgomo wokuba iphayona nowokuba isithunywa sevangeli. Kodwa,  ubaba wenqaba ukuthi ngiphayone, wathi ngizophayona uma sengina-21. Ngangingazimisele ukulinda isikhathi eside kangako. Ngakho lapho sengina-16, wangivumela ukuba ngiyohlala e-Australia nodadewethu omdala, owayethuthele khona. Ekugcineni lapho sengina-18, ngaqala ukuphayona.

E-Australia ngahlangana noHarvey. Sobabili sasifisa ukukhonza uJehova siyizithunywa zevangeli. Sashada ngo-1951. Ngemva kokuphayona iminyaka emibili ndawonye, sacelwa ukuba siqale ukujikeleza. Isigodi esasisihambela eNtshonalanga ye-Australia sasisikhulu kakhulu, ngakho ngokuvamile sasihamba amabanga amade ngemoto ezindaweni ezomile futhi eziqhelile.

Ngo-1954, samenyelwa ekilasini lesi-25 laseGileyadi. Iphupho lethu lokuba izithunywa zevangeli lase lizofezeka! Safika eNew York ngomkhumbi futhi saqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli ngokujulile. ESikoleni SaseGileyadi kwadingeka sifunde ulimi lweSpanish, lokhu kwaba nzima kakhulu kuHarvey ngenxa yokuthi u-r ubizwa ngenye indlela ngeSpanish ngakho wayehluleka ukuwubiza ngendlela efanele.

Esikoleni, othisha benza isimemezelo sokuthi uma bekhona abafuna ukuyokhonza eJapane, bangabhalisa amagama abo ukuze bayojoyina ikilasi elizoqhutshwa ngesiJapane. Sanquma ukuthi kungcono sivumele inhlangano kaJehova kube yiyo esikhethela isabelo. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, u-Albert Schroeder, omunye wothisha baseGileyadi, waphawula ukuthi asiwabhalanga amagama ethu. Wathi kithi: “Cabangisisani ngakho.” Lapho esibona sibamba siyeka, uMfoweth’ uSchroeder wathi: “Mina nabanye othisha sinibhalisile. Bonani ukuthi nizokwazi yini ukukhuluma isiJapane.” IsiJapane savele sashelela kuHarvey.

Safika eJapane ngo-1955, kunabamemezeli abangu-500 kuphela kulo lonke izwe. UHarvey wayena-26, mina ngina-24. Sabelwa ukuyokhonza edolobheni eliyitheku laseKobe, lapho sakhonza khona iminyaka emine. Sabe sesijabulela ukubuyela emsebenzini wokujikeleza, sakhonza eduze kwedolobha laseNagoya. Sasithanda yonke into ngesabelo sethu—abazalwane, ukudla nobuhle bendawo. Nokho, kungekudala, saba nelinye ithuba lokugwema ukuthi cha kuJehova.

Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu sijikeleza, igatsha laseJapane lasibuza ukuthi  singathanda yini ukuya eTaiwan ukuze siyoshumayela kubantu bomdabu abangama-Amis. Abanye abafowethu kuleyo ndawo base beyizihlubuki, futhi igatsha laseTaiwan lalidinga umzalwane osikhuluma kahle isiJapane ukuze kulungiseke le nkinga. * Sasiwuthanda umsebenzi wethu eJapane, ngakho lesi kwakuyisinqumo esinzima kithi. Kodwa uHarvey wayesefunde ukungazenqabi izabelo, ngakho savuma ukuhamba.

Safika khona ngoNovemba 1962. ETaiwan kwakunabamemezeli abangu-2 271, abaningi babengama-Amis. Kodwa kwadingeka siqale sifunde isiShayina. Sasinencwadi kuphela yokufunda isiShayina kanye nothisha owayengasikhulumi isiNgisi, kodwa sasifunda.

Ngokushesha nje ngemva kokufika eTaiwan, uHarvey wabelwa ukuba yinceku yegatsha. Igatsha lalilincane, ngakho uHarvey wayekwazi ukwenza umsebenzi wakhe bese esebenza nabazalwane abangama-Amis amasonto amathathu ngenyanga. Wayephinde abe umbonisi wesigodi ngezikhathi ezithile, okwakuhlanganisa nokubeka izinkulumo emihlanganweni emincane. UHarvey wayengabeka izinkulumo ngesiJapane, abafowethu abangama-Amis bamuzwe. Kodwa uhulumeni wayevumela ukuba imihlangano yenkolo ibe ngesiShayina kuphela. Ngakho uHarvey, nakuba ayesasibhidilisha isiShayina, wanikeza izinkulumo ngaso etolikelwa umzalwane ngesi-Amis.

ITaiwan ngaleso sikhathi yayingaphansi komthetho wezempi, ngakho kwakudingeka abazalwane bathole imvume ukuze babe nemihlangano emincane. Kwakungelula ukuthola imvume, namaphoyisa ayevame ukuthatha isikhathi sawo. Uma amaphoyisa engayikhiphi imvume kuze kube yisonto lomhlangano, uHarvey wayevele ahlale esiteshini samaphoyisa aze ayikhiphe. Njengoba amaphoyisa ayengakuthandi ukuba nomuntu oyisifiki esiteshini sawo, lelo qhinga lalisebenza.

Phakathi namaviki esawachitha nabafowethu, sasivame ukuhamba isikhathi esingangehora noma ngaphezulu, siqombola izintaba siwela nemifula. Ngikhumbula mhla ngiyiqombola okokuqala intaba. Ngemva kokudla imbijana ekuseni, sagibela ibhasi lango-5:30 saya endaweni esemakhaya eqhelile, sawela umfula omkhulu, sakhuphukela entabeni. Wawumkhulu kakhulu umqansa kangangokuba izinyawo zomzalwane ophambi kwami zazisebusweni bami.

Ekuseni ngalolo suku, uHarvey washumayela nabanye abazalwane bendawo, mina ngangishumayela ngedwa endaweni okwakuhlala kuyo abantu abakhuluma isiJapane. Ngabo-1 emini, ngaphelelwa amandla ngenxa yokuthi kwase kuphele isikhathi eside ngingadlile. Lapho ngihlangana noHarvey, babengasekho abanye abazalwane. UHarvey washintshiselana nothile wamnika omagazini, lowo muntu wamnika amaqanda amathathu aluhlaza. Wangibonisa indlela yokulidla ngokubhoboza izimbobo ezincane ngapha nangapha bese ngiyalimunca. Nakuba kwakungahalisi, ngakuzama. Kodwa ubani owayezodla elesithathu? Ladliwa yimi, ngoba uHarvey wayengeke akwazi ukungiphatha  ehle nami entabeni uma ngiqulekiswa yindlala.

Komunye umhlangano wesigodi, ngabhekana nenkinga engavamile. Sasihlala emzini womzalwane owawuseduze kweHholo LoMbuso. Njengoba ama-Amis ebheka ukugeza njengento ebaluleke kakhulu, inkosikazi yombonisi wesigodi yasilungisela amanzi okugeza. UHarvey wayematasa, ngakho wacela ukuba ngigeze kuqala. Kwakukhona izinto ezintathu: ibhakede elinamanzi abandayo, elinye elinamanzi ashisayo, nendishi. Okwangimangaza ukuthi, umkamjikelezi wayekubeke ngaphandle maqondana neHholo LoMbuso okwakunabazalwane ababelungiselela umhlangano kulo. Ngacela ukuthi anginike okungenani ikhethini. Wangilethela upulasitiki omkhulu ongafihli lutho! Ngacabanga ukuya emva kwendlu, kodwa lapho, amahansi ayefaka amakhanda awo kufenisi, angqofe noma ubani owayesondela. Ngacabanga: ‘Abazalwane bamatasa kakhulu, ngeke bangibone ngigeza. Uma ngingagezi bazophatheka kabi. Angivele ngigeze!’ Ngakho ngageza.

UHarvey waqaphela ukuthi abafowethu abangama-Amis babengakwazi ukuthuthuka kahle okholweni ngenxa yokuthi abaningi babengakwazi ukufunda futhi bengenazo izincwadi. Njengoba ulimi lwesi-Amis lwalusanda kuqala ukubhalwa ngezinhlamvu zesiRoma, kwabonakala kungenzeka ukufundisa abazalwane ukufunda ngolimi lwabo. Lona kwakuwumsebenzi omkhulu, kodwa ekugcineni abazalwane base bekwazi ukuzifundela bebodwa. Izincwadi zesi-Amis zaqala ukutholakala ngawo-1960, kwathi ngo-1968, kwanyatheliswa INqabayokulinda ngesi-Amis.

Kodwa uhulumeni wayezivalile izincwadi ezingabhaliwe ngesiShayina. Ngakho ukuze sigweme izinkinga, INqabayokulinda yesi-Amis yasakazwa ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene. Ngokwesibonelo, kwaphela isikhathi esithile sisebenzisa INqabayokulinda ebhalwe ngezilimi ezimbili, okuyisiMandarin nesi-Amis. Uma kukhona osola okuthile, kwakubonakala sengathi sifundisa abantu bendawo isiShayina. Kusukela lapho, inhlangano kaJehova iye yanyathelisa izincwadi eziningi zesi-Amis ukuze isize laba bantu esibathandayo bafunde amaqiniso eBhayibheli.—IzE. 10:34, 35.

Phakathi kwawo-1960 no-1970, abafowethu abaningi bama-Amis babengaphili ngemithetho kaNkulunkulu. Njengoba babengaziqondi kahle izimiso zeBhayibheli, abanye babeziphatha kabi, bedakwa, bebhema ugwayi nebetel nut. UHarvey wavakashela amabandla amaningi, ezama ukusiza abafowethu ukuba baqonde indlela uJehova azibheka ngayo lezi zinto. Ngolunye usuku siya kubo, sabhekana nenkinga engikhulume ngayo ekuqaleni kwalesi sihloko.

Abafowethu abathobekile babezimisele ukwenza ushintsho, kodwa ngokudabukisayo abanye babengazimisele, inani labamemezeli eTaiwan lehla lisuka ngaphezu kuka-2 450 laya kubamemezeli abangaba ngu-900 phakathi neminyaka engu-20. Lokhu kwakuqeda amandla. Kodwa sasazi ukuthi uJehova akasoze abusisa inhlangano engcolile. (2 Kor. 7:1) Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, le mikhuba engcolile yaqedwa, futhi ngosizo lukaJehova, iTaiwan manje isinabamemezeli abangaphezu kuka-11 000.

Kusukela ngawo-1980 kuqhubeke, sabona ukholo lwabafowethu abangama-Amis luqhubeka lukhula, futhi uHarvey wakwazi ukuchitha isikhathi esiningi namaShayina. Kwamjabulisa ukusiza abayeni bodadewethu abaningi babe oFakazi. Ngisakhumbula esho indlela ayejabule ngayo lapho omunye wabo ethandaza okokuqala kuJehova. Nami kuyangijabulisa ukuthi ngiye ngakwazi ukufundisa abaningi ukuba basondele kuJehova. Ngajabulela nokukhonza egatsheni laseTaiwan nendodana kanye nendodakazi yomunye engangimfundela iBhayibheli.

Manje angisenaye umata wami. Ngemva kweminyaka ecishe ibe ngu-59 sishadile, uHarvey wami engimthandayo washona ngomhla ka-1 Januwari, 2010, ebulawa ikhensa. Cishe wayeseneminyaka engu-60 enkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele! Ngisamkhumbula kakhulu. Kodwa kwangijabulisa kakhulu ukukhonza naye emazweni amabili! Safunda ukukhuluma—uHarvey wafunda nokubhala—izilimi ezimbili ezinzima zase-Asia.

Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa kamuva, iNdikimba Ebusayo yanquma ukuthi ngibuyele e-Australia ngenxa yokuthi iminyaka yayisihambile. Ngaqale ngathi ngaphakathi, ‘Angifuni ukuhamba eTaiwan.’ Kodwa uHarvey wangifundisa ukuthi ngingalokothi ngithi cha enhlanganweni kaJehova, ngakho ngangingeke ngilenze lelo phutha. Kamuva, ngakubona ukuhlakanipha kwaleso sinqumo.

Namuhla, ngisebenza egatsheni lase-Australasia phakathi nesonto bese ngishumayela nebandla ngezimpelasonto. EBethel kuyangijabulisa ukusebenzisa isiJapane nesiShayina lapho ngibukisa abantu isakhiwo. Ngimagange esithembisweni sovuko, ngiyazi ukuthi uHarvey, owafunda ukungalokothi athi cha kuJehova, usenkumbulweni yaKhe.—Joh. 5:28, 29.