MAPHAKATHI nawo-1930, ubaba nomama​—uJames noJessie Sinclair​—bathuthela eBronx, indawo eseNew York City. Umngane wabo omusha kwakunguWillie Sneddon, owayesuka eScotland njengabo. Lapho beqala nje ukubonana baxoxa ngemindeni yabo. Lokho kwenzeka ngaphambi kokuba ngizalwe.

Umama watshela uWillie ukuthi ngaphambi kokuba kuqale iMpi Enkulu, ubaba wakhe nomfowabo omdala bashona lapho isikebhe sabo sokudoba sishaywa yibhomu oLwandle Olusenyakatho. UWillie wathi, “Ubaba wakho usesihogweni!” * UWillie wayengomunye woFakazi BakaJehova futhi lena yindlela ethusayo umama athola ngayo iqiniso leBhayibheli.

Lokho okwashiwo uWillie kwamphatha kabi umama ngoba wayazi ukuthi ubaba wakhe wayeyindoda elungile. UWillie wabe esethi, “Ubuwazi ukuthi uJesu naye waya esihogweni?” Umama wakhumbula imfundiso yasesontweni, eyayithi uJesu waya esihogweni futhi wavuswa ngosuku lwesithathu. Ngakho wazibuza, ‘Uma isihogo somlilo kuyindawo okuhlushwa kuyo abantu ababi, pho kungani uJesu aya khona?’ Lokhu kwenza umama wafuna ukufunda iqiniso. Waqala ukuya emihlanganweni ebandleni laseBronx wabe esebhapathizwa ngo-1940..

Ngaleso sikhathi, sasingekho isikhuthazo esiqondile sokuba abazali abangamaKristu bafunde iBhayibheli nezingane zabo. Ngesikhathi ngisacathula, ubaba wayesala nami lapho umama eya emihlanganweni nalapho eshumayela ngezimpelasonto. Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa, nathi saqala ukuya emihlanganweni kanye nomama. Wayekukhuthalele ukushumayela izindaba ezinhle futhi wayeqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli eziningi. Empeleni, kwake kwaba nesikhathi lapho ayeziqhuba ngamaqembu ngoba zazihlala ngandawonye. Uma kuvalwe izikole ngangihamba naye ensimini. Ngaleyo ndlela, ngafunda okuningi ngeBhayibheli nendlela yokufundisa lokho elikushoyo.

Ngiyadabuka ukusho ukuthi ngesikhathi ngisemncane, ngangingalithandi ngokugcwele iqiniso. Ngangingenandaba. Nokho, lapho ngiba neminyaka engu-12, ngaba ummemezeli ongabhapathiziwe futhi kusukela lapho ngabe sengikukhuthalela ukuya enkonzweni yasensimini. NgoJulayi 24, 1954, ngineminyaka engu-16, nganikezela ukuphila kwami kuJehova ngabhapathizwa emhlanganweni owawuseToronto, eCanada.

Ebandleni kwakunabazalwane abakhonza noma ababeke bakhonza eBethel. Bangikhuthaza kakhulu. Ngangiyithanda indlela ababekhuluma ngayo nendlela ababecacisa ngayo amaqiniso eBhayibheli. Nakuba othisha esikoleni babefuna ngiye eNyuvesi, mina ngangizibekele umgomo wokuya eBethel. Ngakho, ngafaka isicelo sokuyokhonza eBethel emhlanganweni eToronto. Ngaphinde ngasifaka ngo-1955 emhlanganweni owawuseYankee Stadium, eNew York City. Ngemva kwalokho, lapho ngineminyaka engu-17, ngacelwa ukuba ngiyokhonza eBethel yaseBrooklyn ngoSepthemba 19, 1955. Ngosuku lwesibili ngiseBethel, ngaqala ukusebenza eMnyangweni Wokuhlanganisa Izincwadi e-117 Adams Street. Ngabe sengisebenza ngomshini ohlanganisa izingxenye zamakhasi angu-32 ukuze umshini othunga izincwadi uzithole zihleleke kahle.

Ngemva kwenyanga ngisebenza kulowo Mnyango, ngabelwa ukuyosebenza eMnyangweni Womagazini ngoba ngangikwazi ukuthayipha. Ngaleso sikhathi, abafowethu nodadewethu babethayipha amakheli ezikhokhelo zomagazini INqabayokulinda ne-Phaphama! Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa, ngabe sengiyosebenza eMnyangweni Wokuthumela Izincwadi. UKlaus Jensen, owayengamele lowo mnyango, wangicela ukuba ngihambe nomshayeli weloli elihambisa amabhokisi anezincwadi esikhumulweni semikhumbi ukuze zithunyelwe emhlabeni wonke. Kwakunamasaka omagazini okwakufanele ahanjiswe eposini ukuze athunyelwe emabandleni akulo lonke elase-United States. UMfoweth’ uJensen wathi umsebenzi odinga amandla ungangisiza kakhulu. Phela ngangingangothi lukamentshisi ngishaya u-57 kg esikalini. Ukuhambisa izincwadi esikhumulweni semikhumbi naseposini kwangisiza ngaba nomzimba. Kuyacaca ukuthi uMfoweth’ uJensen wayazi ukuthi kuzongisiza ngempela!

UMnyango Womagazini nawo wawuhambisa omagazini emabandleni. Ngaleyo ndlela ngagcine ngazi ngezilimi omagazini bethu abanyatheliswa ngazo eBrooklyn bese bethunyelwa kwezinye izindawo emhlabeni. Izilimi eziningi ngangingakaze ngizwe ngazo kodwa kwangijabulisa ukuthi omagazini abaningi babethunyelwa ezindaweni ezikude kakhulu. Ngaleso sikhathi ngangingazi ukuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ngangizoba nelungelo lokuvakashela lezo zindawo eziningi ezikude.

Ngo-1961 ngabelwa ukuba ngisebenze eMnyangweni Wezezimali owawenganyelwe uGrant Suiter. Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa, ngabizelwa ehhovisini likaNathan Knorr owayehola umsebenzi wethu emhlabeni wonke. Wachaza ukuthi omunye wabazalwane owayesebenza ehhovisi lakhe wayezoya eSikoleni Senkonzo SoMbuso inyanga eyodwa nokuthi lapho ebuya wayezosebenza eMnyangweni Wenkonzo. Ngabelwa ukuba ngithathe indawo yakhe futhi ngisebenze noDon Adams. Kwaqondana nokuthi uDon nguye engamnika isicelo sami saseBethel emhlanganweni wango-1955. Abanye abazalwane ababili ababesebenza naye kwakunguRobert Wallen noCharles Molohan. Sobane sasebenza ndawonye iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-50. Ngiye ngakujabulela ngempela ukusebenza nala madoda athembekile nathanda uNkulunkulu.​—IHu. 133:1.

Kusukela ngo-1970, ngathola isabelo sokuhambela amahhovisi egatsha eWatch Tower Society amasonto ambalwa njalo ngonyaka noma ngemva kweminyaka emibili. Ngaphambili lokho kwakubizwa ngokuthi ukuhanjelwa kwamagatsha. Lokhu kwakuhlanganisa ukuvakashela imikhaya yaseBethel nezithunywa zevangeli emhlabeni wonke, ukuze ngibakhuthaze futhi ngihlole izinto ukuthi zenziwa ngendlela efanele emagatsheni. Kwakujabulisa ngempela ukuhlangana nabathile ababesemakilasini okuqala eSikole saseGileyadi ababesakhonza ngokwethembeka emazweni aphesheya. Kube yilungelo elikhulu ukuya emazweni angaphezu kwangu-90 ngenza lo msebenzi.

Onke amalungu omkhaya waseBethel eBrooklyn ayabelwa emabandleni aseNew York City. Mina ngabelwa ebandleni laseBronx. Ibandla lokuqala kuleyo ndawo lakhula labe selihlukaniswa phakathi. Mina ngangihlanganyela kuleli okwaphuma kulo elesibili, i-Upper Bronx.

Phakathi nawo-1960, umndeni woFakazi owawudabuka eLatvia owawuthole iqiniso eningizimu yeBronx wathuthela ensimini yebandla. Indodakazi endala yakulowo mndeni, uLivija, yaba yiphayona elivamile ngokushesha nje ngemva kokuqeda isikole. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa kamuva, uLivija wathuthela eMassachusetts wayokhonza endaweni eyayinesidingo esikhulu sabamemezeli boMbuso. Ngaqala ukumbhalela izincwadi ngimxoxela ngokwakwenzeka ebandleni, naye wayengibhalela angichazele ngemiphumela emihle ayeyithola enkozweni kuleyo ndawo yaseBoston.

Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa, uLivija waba yiphayona elikhethekile. Wayefuna ukukhonza uJehova ngamandla akhe onke, ngakho wafaka isicelo sokukhonza eBethel wabe esebizwa ngo-1971. Kwakubonakala sengathi uJehova ungizamela umuntu! Ngo-Okthoba 27, 1973, sashada futhi inkulumo yethu yomshado yabekwa uMfoweth’ uKnorr, lokho sakubheka njengelungelo. IzAga 18:22 zithi: “Ingabe umuntu uthole umfazi omuhle? Uthole into enhle, futhi uthakazelelwa nguJehova.” Mina noLavija siye saba nelungelo lokukhonza iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-40 eBethel. Siyaqhubeka sisekela ibandla laseBronx.

Kwakujabulisa ngempela ukukhonza noMfoweth’ uKnorr. Wayeyisikhonzi esikhuthele esithanda iqiniso futhi wayekwazisa kakhulu okwenziwa izithunywa zevangeli emhlabeni wonke. Izithunywa zevangeli eziningi zazingoFakazi bokuqala emazweni ezabelwa kuwo. Kwakubuhlungu ukubona uMfoweth’ uKnorr ehlushwa umdlavuza ngo-1976. Ngesinye isikhathi egula kakhulu engakwazi ukuvuka, wangicela ukuba ngimfundele ezinye zezinto ezazizonyatheliswa. Wathi mangibize uFrederick Franz ukuze naye alalele njengoba ngifunda. Kamuva ngathola ukuthi ngenxa yokuthi uMfoweth’ uFranz wayengasaboni kahle, uMfoweth’ uKnorr wayechitha isikhathi esiningi emfundela lezi zinto.

Umfoweth’ uKnorr washona ngo-1977, kodwa labo ababemazi futhi bemthanda baduduzwa ukuthi wayeqede inkambo yakhe yasemhlabeni ethembekile. (IsAm. 2:10) Ngemva kwalokho kwaba uMfoweth’ uFranz owengamela umsebenzi.

Ngaleso sikhathi ngangingunobhala kaMilton Henschel okwase kuphele iminyaka eminingi esebenza noMfoweth’ uKnorr. Umfoweth’ uHenschel wangitshela ukuthi umsebenzi wami oyinhloko eBethel wawuzoba ukusiza uMfoweth’ uFranz kunoma yini ayidingayo. Ngangihlale ngimfundela izinto ngaphambi kokuba zinyatheliswe. UMfoweth’ uFranz wayenenkumbulo enhle kakhulu ekwazi nokulalela angaphazamiseki njengoba kufundwa. Ngakujabulela ngempela ukumsiza ngaleyo ndlela kwaze kwaba yilapho eqeda inkambo yakhe yasemhlabeni ngoDisemba 1992.

Iminyaka engu-61 engiyichithe eBethel idlule ngokushesha. Abazali bami bashone bethembekile kuJehova, ngilangazelela ukubamukela lapho bevuswa ezweni elingcono kakhulu. (Joh. 5:28, 29) Ayikho into ekulesi simiso esidala engaqhathaniswa nelungelo elimangalisayo lokusebenza namadoda nabesifazane abathembekile sikhonza abantu bakaNkulunkulu emhlabeni wonke. Mina noLivija singasho ngokuqiniseka ukuthi kule minyaka sisenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele ‘injabulo kaJehova ibe yisiphephelo sethu.’​—Neh. 8:10.

Inhlangano kaJehova ingasebenzisa noma ubani futhi akekho umuntu okhethekile, umsebenzi wokusakaza amaqiniso oMbuso uyaqhubeka. Kube yilungelo ukukhonza nabazalwane nodade abaqotho kuyo yonke le minyaka. Iningi labagcotshiwe engiye ngasebenza nalo alisekho emhlabeni. Kodwa ngiyabonga ngethuba engalithola lokuba abangane balaba bantu abathanda uJehova enkonzweni yakhe.