NGIHLALE ngibonga ngokuthi ngakhuliswa abazali abangamaKristu, uFred no-Edna Molohan, abangifundisa ukwesaba uNkulunkulu. Kwase kuphele iminyaka engu-20 bengabaFundi BeBhayibheli (oFakazi BakaJehova) lapho ngizalwa ngo-1934. Umndeni wakithi wawuhlala eParsons, idolobha elincane eningizimu-mpumalanga yeKansas. Sasihlanganyela ebandleni lakuleyo ndawo elalinamaKristu amaningi agcotshiwe. Ekhaya sasiya njalo emihlanganweni yebandla futhi sishumayeza abanye iqiniso eliseZwini likaNkulunkulu. Ntambama ngeMigqibelo sasivame ukuhambisa omagazini. Ngezinye izikhathi kwakuwutuba umzimba, kodwa ubaba wayehlale esenza sijabule ngokuthi asithengele i-ice cream lapho siqeda.

Ibandla lethu elincane lalinensimu enkulu eyayihlanganisa amadolobha amancane amaningana kanye namasimu okulinywa kuwo ezifundeni eziseduze. Lapho sishumayeza abalimi, ngokuvamile sasibanika izincwadi bese bona besinika imifino, amaqanda noma izinkukhu eziphilayo. Njengoba ubaba ayesewukhiphile umnikelo wezincwadi kakade, lokhu kudla kwakusisiza ekhaya.

Abazali bami bathenga i-phonograph, ababeyisebenzisa lapho beshumayela. Mina ngangingayisebenzisi ngoba ngangisemncane, kodwa ngangikujabulela ukusiza umama nobaba njengoba bedlalela abantu abaphindela kubo nababafundelayo izinkulumo zikaMfoweth’ uRutherford.

Ubaba washintsha imoto yasekhaya, iFord yango-1936, wayenza yaba imoto ekhipha umsindo enezipikha ezinkulu ezixhunywe phezu kwayo. Le moto yayisebenza kahle ekusakazeni umyalezo woMbuso. Ngokuvamile kwakudlalwa umculo kuqala ukuze kudonswe abantu, ngemva kwalokho kudlalwe inkulumo yeBhayibheli eqoshiwe. Lapho  inkulumo iphela, sasinika abantu abathandayo izincwadi.

Edolobheni elincane laseCherryvale, eKansas, amaphoyisa atshela ubaba ukuthi ngeke bayivumele imoto yomsindo epaki lakulelo dolobha, okwakuyindawo abantu ababengcebeleka kuyo ngamaSonto, kodwa wayengayibeka ngaphandle kwepaki. Ngaphandle kokukhononda, ubaba wathatha imoto wayibeka emgwaqweni obhekene nepaki ukuze abantu bawuzwe kalula umyalezo. Kwakuhlale kujabulisa ukuba nobaba nomfowethu omdala uJerry lapho kwenzeka izinto ezinjengalezi.

Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1930, sahlanganyela emikhankasweni ekhethekile ebizwa ngokuthi yi-“blitz” ukuze sihlanganise ngokushesha ingxenye yensimu yethu esasiphikiswa kakhulu kuyo. Sasivuka entathakusa (njengoba senza eJoplin, eMissouri) bese sifaka amapheshana noma izincwajana ngaphansi kweminyango yezindlu zabantu. Ngemva kwalokho sasihlangana ngaphandle kwedolobha ukuze sibone ukuthi akekho oboshwe amaphoyisa.

Ngaleyo minyaka, okunye esasikujabulela ukukwenza lapho sishumayela kwakubizwa ngokuthi yimashi yolwazi. Ukuze simemezele ngoMbuso, sasifaka izingqwembe bese siyamasha silandelane edolobheni. Ngikhumbula ngesinye isikhathi kunemashi enjalo edolobheni lakithi, ababemasha babefake izingqwembe ezithi “Inkolo Iyisilingo Nomsindo Ocikayo.” Bahambahamba kulelo dolobha ibanga elingu-1,6 km base beya ekhaya. Ngokujabulisayo abazange baphikiswe, kunalokho bahlangana nabantu abaningi ababenelukuluku lokwazi.

Umndeni wakithi wawuvame ukuya emihlanganweni eTexas usuka eKansas. Ubaba wayesebenza eMissouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad (eyaziwa nangokuthi yi-M-K-T, noma i-Katy, Railroad), ngakho sasigibela isitimela sisebenzisa ikhadi lakhe lasemsebenzini, okwakusivumela ukuba sivakashele izihlobo futhi siye emihlanganweni ndawonye. Umalume uFred Wismar kanye nomkakhe u-Eulalie babehlala eTemple, eTexas. Umalume uFred wafunda iqiniso esemusha ngasekuqaleni kwawo-1900, wabhapathizwa, wabe esefundisa odadewabo, kuhlanganise nomama. Abazalwane baseTexas emaphakathi babemazi kakhulu, okuyindawo ake akhonza kuyo njengombonisi wesifunda. Wayenomusa, ehlale ejabule futhi kujabulisa ukuba naye. Wayelishisekela iqiniso futhi waba yithonya elihle kimi ngesikhathi ngisemusha.

Ngo-1941 umndeni wakithi wahamba ngesitimela walibangisa eSt. Louis, eMissouri emhlanganweni omkhulu. Yonke intsha yacelwa ukuba ihlale ndawonye endaweni eyayigcinelwe yona ukuze ilalele inkulumo kaMfoweth’ uRutherford eyayinesihloko esithi “Izingane ZeNkosi.” Lapho ephetha inkulumo yakhe, wonke umuntu kulelo qembu wanikwa isipho esiyincwadi entsha ethi Children, eyakhishwa uMfoweth’ uRutherford nabasizi bakhe. Kwakukhona intsha engaphezu kuka-15 000 eyajabulela lesi sibusiso.

Ngo-Ephreli 1943 sajabulela umhlangano omncane owawunesihloko esithi “Ukubizelwa Emsebenzini” owawuseCoffeyville, eKansas. Kwamiswa  iSikole Senkonzo Esingokwasezulwini, esasizoqhutshwa kuwo wonke amabandla futhi kwakhululwa incwajana enezifundo ezingu-52 eyayizosetshenziswa kuleso sikole. Ngasekupheleni kwalowo nyaka, ngabeka inkulumo yomfundi yokuqala. Lowo mhlangano wawubalulekile kimi ngoba ngabhapathizwa kanye nabanye abambalwa edamini lakulelo pulazi elalinamanzi abandayo.

Ngaphothula esikoleni ngo-1951 kwabe sekudingeka ukuba ngenze izinqumo ngokuphila kwami. Isifiso sami kwakuwukukhonza eBethel, lapho uJerry ayeke wakhonza khona, ngakho ngathumela isicelo ehhovisi laseBrooklyn. Lesi sinqumo sangizuzisa kakhulu ngokomoya. Kungakabiphi, isicelo sami samukelwa futhi ngabizwa ukuba ngiqale ukukhonza eBethel ngoMashi 10, 1952.

Nganginethemba lokusebenza lapho kunyatheliswa khona izincwadi ukuze ngihlanganyele ekwenziweni komagazini nezincwadi. Nokho, ngabelwa ukuba ngisebenze njengoweta futhi kamuva ngasebenza ekhishini, okuyimisebenzi engafunda lukhulu kuyo. Angizange ngilithole ithuba lokusebenza lapho kunyatheliswa khona izincwadi. Nokho, indlela isikhathi sokusebenza ekhishini esasihlelwe ngayo sangisiza kakhulu ngoba ngangithola isikhathi esithule phakathi nosuku sokufunda nokusebenzisa umtapo wezincwadi omkhulu waseBethel. Lokhu kwangisiza ngakhula ngokomoya futhi kwaqinisa ukholo lwami. Kwangenza ngazimisela nakakhulu ukukhonza uJehova eBethel isikhathi eside. UJerry waphuma eBethel ngo-1949 washada noPatricia, kodwa baqhubeka behlala eduze kwaseBrooklyn. Babehlale bengisiza futhi bengikhuthaza ngesikhathi ngisanda kuqala eBethel.

Ngemva nje kokuba ngifike eBethel, kwahlolwa abazalwane ukuze bafakwe ohlwini lwezikhulumi zasobala. Abazalwane ababekulolu hlu bababelwa phakathi nonyaka ukuba bavakashele amabandla aseduze neBrooklyn naqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-322 ukuba banikeze izinkulumo zasobala nokuba basebenze nebandla enkonzweni yasensimini. Ngaba nelungelo lokufakwa kulolu hlu. Nginovalo, ngabeka inkulumo yami yokuqala eyayithatha ihora. Ngokuvamile ngangiya emabandleni ngesitimela. Ngolunye usuku ngeSonto ntambama ngo-1954, ngikhumbula kahle ukuthi kwakubanda ngesikhathi ngigibela isitimela esasiya eNew York okwakuzokwenza ukuba ngifike eBethel kusihlwa ngalolo suku. Nokho, kwaba nesiphepho eseza nomoya obandayo neqhwa. Injini yesitimela sikagesi yaqhuma, isitimela sabe sesiphelelwa amandla. Ekugcineni, isitimela safika esiteshini saseNew York City cishe ngehora lesihlanu ngoMsombuluko ekuseni. Ngabe sengiqonda ngqo emsebenzini ekhishini, ngafika sekwephuzile ngikhathele ngemva kokuhlala ubusuku bonke esitimeleni esimile. Kodwa izinto ezinjalo ngangisheshe ngizikhohlwe ngenxa yenjabulo engangiyithola ngokukhonza abazalwane nangokuhlangana nabangane abaningi abasha kulawo mabandla engangiwahambela ngezimpelasonto.

Phakathi neminyaka yokuqala ngiseBethel, ngamenywa ukuba ngisize ekusakazeni esiteshini i-WBBR. Istudiyo ngaleso sikhathi sasisesitezi sesibili kwezingu-124 eColumbia Heights. Isabelo sami kwakuwukuba umlingiswa ohlelweni lokutadisha iBhayibheli olwalusakazwa masonto onke. UMfoweth’ u-A. H. Macmillan, owayesekhonze isikhathi eside eBethel, wayebamba iqhaza njalo kulezi zinhlelo zomsakazo. Njengoba ayebizwa ngokuthi uMfoweth’ uMac, wayeyisibonelo esihle sokukhuthazela ekukhonzeni uJehova kithi njengamalungu asemasha omkhaya waseBethel.

Ngo-1958 ngacelwa ukuba ngisebenzelane ngokuseduze neSikole saseGileyadi. Umsebenzi wami kwakuwukusiza abathweswe iziqu ukuba bathole amavisa nokubahlelela uhambo oluya emazweni ababelwe kuwo. Ukuhamba ngendiza kwakumba eqolo ngaleyo minyaka, ngakho bambalwa ababehamba ngayo. Abaningi ababethole izabelo e-Afrika nasemazweni aseMpumalanga babehamba ngemikhumbi. Lapho izindiza ziba ziningi, amanani aqala ukwehla okwabangela ukuba izithunywa zevangeli eziningi zisebenzise zona lapho ziya ezabelweni zazo.

Umsebenzi wami wanda ngo-1960 ngesikhathi ngiqasha izindiza ezisuka e-United States ziya eYurophu emihlanganweni yezizwe ka-1961. Nami ngahamba ngenye yezindiza eziqashiwe ngisuka eNew York ngaya eHamburg, eJalimane, kulowo mhlangano. Ngemva komhlangano, mina nabazalwane abathathu baseBethel saqasha imoto sadabula iJalimane silibangise e-Italy siyobona ihhovisi legatsha eRome. Ngemva kwalokho, salibangisa eFrance sadlula eziNtabeni zasePyrenees saya eSpain okuyizwe umsebenzi wethu owawuvinjelwe kulo. Sakwazi ukushiya omagazini esasibasonge njengezipho kubafowethu eBarcelona. Kwasijabulisa kakhulu ukuhlangana nabo! Sabe sesiya e-Amsterdam lapho esafike sagibela khona indiza eya eNew York.

Ngemva konyaka, umsebenzi wami eBethel wawusuhlanganisa ukuhlelela abathile abakhethiwe uhambo lokuya emihlanganweni yezizwe zonke ehlukahlukene emhlabeni. Lona kwakuwumhlangano ka-1963 owawunesihloko esithi “Izindaba Ezinhle Zaphakade.” Kwenziwa izinhlelo zokuba izihambeli ezingu-583 zijikeleze umhlaba ziye emihlanganweni eYurophu, e-Asia naseSouth Pacific, zaphothula uhambo lwazo eHonolulu, eHawaii nasePasadena, eCalifornia. Lolu hambo lwaluhlanganisa nokuma eLebanon naseJordan njengengxenye yokufunda ngamazwe aseBhayibhelini. Ngaphandle kokuhlela izindiza namagumbi okuhlala emahhotela, umnyango wethu eBethel wawuthola wonke amavisa adingekayo ukuze izihambeli ziye kula mazwe amaningana.

Unyaka ka-1963 wawuyingqopha-mlando kimi nangenxa yesinye isizathu esihle. NgoJuni 29, ngashada noLila Rogers waseMissouri, owayebe ilungu lomkhaya waseBethel eminyakeni emithathu ngaphambili. Ngemva kwesonto sishadile, mina noLila saba yingxenye yalabo abajikeleza umhlaba, saya eGreece, e-Egypt naseLebanon. Sahamba ngendiza sisuka eBeirut saya esikhumulweni sezindiza esincane, eJordan. Ngenxa yokuthi umsebenzi wethu wawubekelwe imingcele eJordan, satshelwa ukuthi oFakazi BakaJehova ngeke banikwe amavisa okungena kulelo zwe, sabe sesizibuza ukuthi kuzokwenzekani lapho sifika kulelo zwe. Yeka indlela esajabula ngayo kuleyo ndawo lapho sibona isixuku simi esikhumulweni sezindiza noqwembe oluthi “Siyanamukela BoFakazi BakaJehova”! Kwasijabulisa ngempela ukuzibonela amazwe okukhulunywa ngawo eBhayibhelini! Savakashela izindawo okwakuhlala kuzo izinzalamizi zasendulo, lapho uJesu nabaphostoli bakhe abashumayela khona, nalapho ubuKristu obaqala khona ukusakazekela kuwo wonke amazwe omhlaba.—IzE. 13:47.

Kwaphela iminyaka engu-55 uLila engisekela njengoba sifeza izabelo zethu. Sakwazi ukuvakashela eSpain nasePortugal izikhathi eziningana ngesikhathi umsebenzi wethu uvinjelwe kula mazwe. Sasikhuthaza abafowethu sibaphathele izincwadi nezinye izinto ababezidinga. Sakwazi ngisho nokuvakashela abazalwane abathile ababevalelwe ejele lezempi lakudala eCádiz, eSpain. Ngajabula kakhulu lapho sikwazi ukubakhuthaza ngenkulumo esekelwe eBhayibhelini.

 Kusukela ngo-1963 kuye kwaba yilungelo ukusiza ekuhleleni ukuhambela imihlangano ekhethekile e-Afrika, e-Australia, eMelika Emaphakathi neseNingizimu, eYurophu, emazweni aseMpumalanga, eHawaii, eNew Zealand nasePuerto Rico. Mina noLila siye sajabulela imihlangano eminingi esingenakuyikhohlwa kuhlanganise nowawuseWarsaw, ePoland ngo-1989. Abazalwane abaningi baseRussia bakwazi ukuya kulowo mhlangano omkhulu—okokuqala ngqa! Abazalwane nodade abaningana esahlangana nabo babechithe iminyaka emajele aseSoviet Union ngenxa yokholo lwabo.

Ukuhambela amahhovisi egatsha emhlabeni wonke ukuze ngiqinise futhi ngikhuthaze imikhaya yaseBethel kanye nezithunywa zevangeli kuye kwaba yilungelo elijabulisayo. Ekuhambeleni kwegatsha kokugcina esakwenza eSouth Korea, sakwazi ukubonana nabazalwane abangu-50 ababesejele eSuwon. Bonke laba bazalwane babonisa umoya omuhle futhi babelinde ngabomvu ukuphinde bahlanganyele enkonzweni. Ukubabona kwasiqinisa kakhulu!—Roma 1:11, 12.

Ngiye ngabona indlela uJehova aye wababusisa ngayo abantu bakhe ngokwanda kule minyaka edlule, besuka kubamemezeli abangaba ngu-100 000 ngo-1943 ngesikhathi ngibhapathizwa, kuya kwabangaphezu kuka-8 000 000 manje abakhonza uJehova emazweni angu-240. Lokhu kubangelwa ngokuyinhloko umsebenzi wokushumayela oholwa phambili yilabo abathweswe iziqu eGileyadi. Kube yinjabulo ukusebenzelana eduze nalezi zithunywa zevangeli phakathi nale minyaka nokuzisiza zifike ezabelweni zazo!

Ngihlale ngibonga ngokuthi ngenza isinqumo sokwandisa inkonzo yami ngisemusha, ngokufaka isicelo sokukhonza eBethel. UJehova uye wangibusisa ngokucebile kukho konke. Ngaphezu kwenjabulo engiyithola ngokukhonza eBethel, mina noLila siye saba nelungelo lokuhlanganyela namabandla aseBrooklyn okuyilapho esathola khona abangane abaningi.

Ngiyaqhubeka ngikhonza eBethel ngisizwa uLila nsuku zonke. Ngisho noma manje sengineminyaka engaphezu kwengu-84, ngisakwazi ukusebenza ngisize ngeposi lasegatsheni.

Kujabulisa ngempela ukuba yingxenye yenhlangano kaJehova emangalisayo nokubona umehluko omkhulu okhona phakathi kwalabo abakhonza uJehova nalabo abangamkhonzi. Lokhu kusisiza siwaqonde kahle amazwi akuMalaki 3:18, athi: “Ngokuqinisekile niyobuye nibone umehluko phakathi kolungileyo nomubi, phakathi kokhonza uNkulunkulu nongazange amkhonze.” Nsuku zonke sibuka izwe likaSathane liwohloka, ligcwala abantu abangenalo ithemba nabangenayo injabulo ekuphileni. Kodwa labo abathanda uJehova futhi bamkhonze bayajabula ngisho nakulezi zikhathi ezinzima futhi banethemba eliqinisekile lekusasa. Ave kuyilungelo ukusakaza izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso! (Math. 24:14) Silangazelela usuku, oluzofika maduze, lapho uMbuso kaNkulunkulu uyoqeda leli zwe futhi ulethe izwe elisha elinazo zonke izibusiso ezithenjisiwe kuhlanganise nempilo enhle. Ngaleso sikhathi, izinceku zikaJehova lapha emhlabeni ziyojabulela ukuphila phakade.