Indaba Yokuphila

Ukuphila Okucebile Enkonzweni KaJehova

NJENGOBA ILANDISWA NGURUSSELL KURZEN

Ngazalwa ngo-September 22, 1907, eminyakeni eyisikhombisa ngaphambi kwenkathi ephawulekayo eyaqala ngokugqashuka kwempi yezwe yokuqala. Umkhaya wakithi wawucebe ngendlela ebaluleke kakhulu. Ngemva kokuzwa imininingwane embalwa yomlando wakithi, ngicabanga ukuthi uzovuma.

UGOGO Kurzen waqala eseyintombazanyana ukufuna iqiniso ngoNkulunkulu. Engakevi eshumini nambili, wavakashela amasonto amaningana edolobhaneni lakubo elihle laseSpiez, eSwitzerland. Ngo-1887, eseneminyaka ethile eshadile, umkhaya wakwaKurzen waba umshungu nabanye ababethuthela e-United States.

Umkhaya wahlala e-Ohio, lapho kwathi khona cishe ngo-1900 ugogo wawuthola umcebo ayekade ewufuna. Wawusencwadini kaCharles Taze Russell ethi The Time Is at Hand, eyayingesiJalimane. Washeshe wabona ukuthi lokho ayekufunda kuyo kwakunokukhanya kweqiniso leBhayibheli. Nakuba ugogo ayengakwazi kangako ukufunda isiNgisi, wenza isikhokhelo se-Nqabayokulinda ngesiNgisi. Kanjalo, wafunda amaqiniso engeziwe eBhayibheli ebe efunda nesiNgisi ngesikhathi esifanayo. Umkhulu akazange abe nesithakazelo ezintweni ezingokomoya njengogogo.

Ezinganeni zikagogo ezingu-11, amadodana akhe amabili, uJohn no-Adolph, bawazisa umcebo ongokomoya ayewutholile. Mina ngizalwa nguJohn, futhi wabhapathizwa ngo-1904 eSt. Louis, eMissouri, emhlanganweni wabaFundi BeBhayibheli, njengoba oFakazi BakaJehova babaziwa kanjalo ngaleso sikhathi. Njengoba iningi labaFundi BeBhayibheli lalingacebile ngokwezimali, umhlangano wahlelwa ukuba ube ngesikhathi esifanayo ne-World’s Fair yaseSt. Louis ngoba kwakuba nezipesheli ezitimeleni zamanani ehlisiwe. Kamuva, ngo-1907, ubaba omncane u-Adolph wabhapathizwa  emhlanganweni waseNiagra Falls, eNew York. Ubaba nobaba omncane bashumayela ngentshiseko ngalokho ababekufunde eBhayibhelini, futhi bobabili bagcina bebe yizikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele (manje ezibizwa ngamaphayona).

Ngakho, lapho ngizalwa ngo-1907, umkhaya wakithi wawusucebile kakade ngokomoya. (IzAga 10:22) Ngangisewumntwana ngo-1908 lapho abazali bami, uJohn no-Ida, behamba nami beya emhlanganweni ‘Wokuphokophela Ekunqobeni’ wasePut-in-Bay, e-Ohio. Lapho, uJoseph F. Rutherford, ngaleso sikhathi owayeyisikhonzi esijikelezayo, wayengusihlalo womhlangano. Emasontweni ambalwa ngaphambili, wayekade eseDalton, e-Ohio, lapho avakashela khona ekhaya wanikeza izinkulumo kubaFundi BeBhayibheli bendawo.

Yebo, mina angizikhumbuli lezo zenzakalo, kodwa ngiyawukhumbula umhlangano wango-1911 owawuseMountain Lake Park, eMaryland. Lapho, mina nodadewethu omncane u-Esther sahlangana khona noCharles Taze Russell, owayengamele imisebenzi yokushumayela yomhlaba wonke yabaFundi BeBhayibheli.

Ngo-June 28, 1914, usuku izwe elaqala ngalo impi lapho kubulawa u-Archduke Ferdinand nomkakhe eSarajevo, ngangisemhlanganweni onokuthula eColumbus, e-Ohio, nomkhaya wakithi. Kusukela kuleyo minyaka yokuqala, ngiye ngaba nelungelo lokuba semihlanganweni eminingi yabantu bakaJehova. Eminye kwakuyimibuthano yabantu abangaba yikhulu. Eminye kwakuyimibuthano emikhulu eyayikwezinye zezinkundla ezinkulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni.

Umuzi Wakithi Wawusendaweni Ekahle

Kusukela cishe ngo-1908 kuya ku-1918, umuzi wakithi eDalton—emaphakathi kwePittsburgh esePennsylvania, neCleveland ese-Ohio—kwaqhutshelwa kuwo imihlangano yebandla elincane labaFundi BeBhayibheli. Ekhaya kwaba sasikhungo izihambi eziningi eziyizikhulumi ezazifikela kuso. Zazibophela amahhashi namakalishi azo ngemva kwengobo yakithi zixoxele ababebuthene okuhlangenwe nakho okuthakazelisayo namanye amagugu angokomoya. Yeka ukuthi kwakuyizikhathi ezikhuthaza kangakanani lezo!

Ubaba wayenguthisha wesikole, kodwa inhliziyo yakhe yayigxile emsebenzini wokufundisa omkhulu kunayo yonke, inkonzo yobuKristu. Wayeqiniseka ukuthi ufundisa umkhaya wakhe ngoJehova, futhi njalo kusihlwa sasithandaza ndawonye njengomkhaya. Entwasahlobo ka-1919,  ubaba wathengisa ihhashi nenqola yasekhaya, wathenga iFord ka-1914 ngo-$175 ukuze akwazi ukufinyelela abantu abengeziwe emsebenzini wokushumayela. Ngo-1919 nango-1922, leyo moto yathwala umkhaya wakithi lapho siya emihlanganweni evelele yabaFundi BeBhayibheli eCedar Point, e-Ohio.

Wonke umkhaya wakithi—umama; ubaba; u-Esther; umfowethu omncane, uJohn; nami—wawuhlanganyela emsebenzini wokushumayela obala. Ngikhumbula kahle lapho ngiqala ukubuzwa umbuzo weBhayibheli umninikhaya. Ngangineminyaka engaba yisikhombisa ubudala. “Ake usho fana, yini i-Armagedoni?” kubuza indoda ethile. Ngisizwa ngubaba lapha nalaphaya, ngakwazi ukuyinika impendulo yeBhayibheli.

Ukungenela Inkonzo Yesikhathi Esigcwele

Ngo-1931 umkhaya wakithi waya emhlanganweni waseColumbus, e-Ohio, lapho sajabulela khona ukwamukela igama elisha, elithi oFakazi BakaJehova. UJohn wajabula kakhulu kangangokuthi wanquma ukuthi mina naye kufanele singenele umsebenzi wokuphayona. * Sawungenela, ngokufanayo nomama nobaba no-Esther. Yeka umcebo esaba nawo—umkhaya onobunye emsebenzini ojabulisayo wokushumayela izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu! Angiyeki ukumbonga uJehova ngalesi sibusiso. Nokho, nakuba sasijabule kakhulu, sasisalindelwe yizinjabulo ezengeziwe.

Ngo-February wango-1934, ngaqala ukukhonza endlunkulu yomhlaba yoFakazi BakaJehova (okuthiwa yiBethel) eBrooklyn, eNew York. Ngemva kwamasonto ambalwa noJohn wangilandela. Sahlala ekamelweni elilodwa waze washada nomkakhe othandekayo, uJessie, ngo-1953.

Ngemva kokuba mina noJohn siye eBethel, abazali bethu bamukela izabelo zokuphayona ezingxenyeni ezihlukahlukene zezwe futhi u-Esther nomyeni wakhe, uGeorge Read, bahamba nabo. Abazali bethu baqhubeka bephayona kwaze kwaba yilapho bephetha inkambo yabo yasemhlabeni ngo-1963. U-Esther nomyeni wakhe baba nomkhaya okahle, futhi ngibusiswé ngabashana abaningi, engibakhonzile.

Umsebenzi Nobungane EBethel

UJohn wasebenzisa amakhono akhe obuchwepheshe eBethel wabambisana nezinye izikhonzi zaseBethel emisebenzini enjengokwakha amagilamafoni aphathwayo. Izinkulungwane zoFakazi BakaJehova zawasebenzisa enkonzweni yazo yendlu ngendlu. UJohn wasiza futhi ekuklameni nasekwakheni imishini yokugoqa nokufaka amagama kumagazini owawuthunyelwa kubantu ababenze izikhokhelo.

Ngaqala inkonzo yami yaseBethel ngokusebenza endaweni yokuhlanganisa izincwadi. Ngaleso sikhathi kwakunezinye izinsizwa ezazisebenza efektri ezisakhonza ngokwethembeka eBethel. Kuzo kukhona uCarey Barber noRobert Hatzfeld. Abanye balaba, engibakhumbula ngenjabulo kodwa asebashona, uNathan Knorr, uKarl Klein, uLyman Swingle, uKlaus Jensen, uGrant Suiter, uGeorge Gangas, u-Orin Hibbard, uJohn Sioras, uRobert Payne, uCharles Fekel, uBenno Burczyk noJohn Perry. Banamathela emisebenzini yabo iminyaka eminingi, bengakhonondi nakanye futhi bengalindele “kukhushulwa esikhundleni.” Noma kunjalo, amaningi ala maKristu athembekile agcotshwe ngomoya athola imithwalo yemfanelo eyengeziwe njengoba inhlangano ikhula. Amanye akhonza ngisho naseNdikimbeni Ebusayo YoFakazi BakaJehova.

Ukusebenza nalaba bazalwane abazidelayo kwangifundisa isifundo esibalulekile. Emisebenzini yokuziphilisa izisebenzi zikhokhelwa imali ngomsebenzi wazo. Yilowo umvuzo wazo. Ukukhonza eBethel kuletha izibusiso ezicebile ezingokomoya, futhi leyo mivuzo yaziswa amadoda nabesifazane abangokomoya kuphela.—1 Korinte 2:6-16.

UNathan Knorr, owafika eBethel ngo-1923 eneminyaka engu-18 ubudala wayengumqondisi wefektri ngawo-1930. Wayehambahamba efektri nsuku zonke abingelele isisebenzi ngasinye. Thina esasisafika eBethel sasikwazisa lokho kuboniswa isithakazelo kumuntu ngamunye. Ngo-1936 sathola umshini omusha wokunyathelisa uvela eJalimane, futhi kwakunzima kwabanye  babazalwane abasebasha ukuwuhlanganisa. Ngakho uMfoweth’ uKnorr wagqoka i-ovaloli wasebenza nabo isikhathi esingaphezu kwenyanga kwaze kwaba yilapho uqala ukusebenza.

UMfoweth’ uKnorr wayekhuthele kangangokuthi iningi lethu lalihluleka ukusebenza njengaye. Kodwa futhi wayenaso isikhathi sokuzijabulisa. Ngisho nangemva kokuba esephathiswe ukwengamela imisebenzi yokushumayela yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova ngo-January 1942, ngezinye izikhathi wayedlala i-baseball namalungu omkhaya waseBethel nabafundi besikole sezithunywa zevangeli saseGileyadi emagcekeni aso ngaseSouth Lansing, eNew York.

Ngo-April 1950, umkhaya waseBethel wathuthela engxenyeni yesakhiwo sokuhlala enezitezi eziyishumi eyayisanda kwakhiwa ku-124 Columbia Heights, eBrooklyn, eNew York. Ihholo elisha lokudlela lenza sakwazi ukuhlala ndawonye sonke ngezikhathi zokudla. Phakathi neminyaka engaba mithathu yokwakhiwa kwalesi sakhiwo sokuhlala, sasingakwazi ukuba nesimiso sethu esivamile sokukhulekela kwasekuseni. Yeka ukuthi kwakujabulisa kanjani lapho leso simiso siphinda siqala! UMfoweth’ uKnorr wangabela ukuba ngihlale naye etafuleni likasihlalo ukuze ngimsize ngimkhumbuze amagama amalungu amasha omkhaya wethu. Ngangihlala kuleso sihlalo esisodwa iminyaka engu-50 njalo lapho sinokukhulekela nokudla kwasekuseni. Kwathi ngo-August 4, 2000, lelo hholo lokudlela lavalwa, ngabelwa kwelinye lamahholo okudlela alungisiwe asesakhiweni esasikade siyiTowers Hotel.

Okwesikhathi esithile ngawo-1950, ngasebenza efektri emshinini iLinotype, ngilungisa izingcwecwe zemigqa yamagama ezazihlanganiswa zakhe amakhasi lapho kwenziwa izingcwecwe zokunyathelisa. Akuwona umsebenzi engangiwukhonzile, kodwa uWilliam Peterson, owayengamele le mishini, wayengiphethe kahle okwenza ukuba ngikujabulele ukusebenza lapho. Kwathi ngo-1960 kwadingeka amavolontiya ukuze kupendwe isakhiwo sokuhlala esasisanda kwakhiwa ku-107 Columbia Heights. Ngakujabulela ukunikela ngamakhono ami ekusizeni lapho kulungiswa lesi sakhiwo esisha somkhaya waseBethel okhulayo.

Kungakapheli sikhathi esitheni kuqediwe ukupendwa kwesakhiwo esiku-107 Columbia Heights, ngamangala futhi ngajabula lapho ngabelwa umsebenzi wokwamukela izivakashi eBethel. Iminyaka engu-40 edlule engiye ngakhonza ngayo njengomamukeli wezivakashi ibe mnandi njenganoma yimiphi eminye engakhonza ngayo eBethel. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi bekusuke kufika izivakashi noma amalungu amasha omkhaya waseBethel, bekuvusa amadlingozi ukucabanga ngemiphumela yemizamo yethu iyonke yokusebenzela ukwanda koMbuso.

Abafundi BeBhayibheli Abakhuthele

Umkhaya wethu waseBethel uyachuma ngokomoya ngoba amalungu awo ayalithanda iBhayibheli. Lapho ngisanda kufika eBethel, ngabuza u-Emma Hamilton, owayeyi-proofreader, ukuthi wayeselifunde kangaki iBhayibheli. “Izikhathi ezingu-35,” ephendula, “ngase ngihluleka ukuqhubeka ngibala.” U-Anton Koerber, omunye umKristu oshisekayo owayekhonza eBethel cishe ngaso leso sikhathi, wayevame ukuthi: “IBhayibheli malihlale liseduze kwakho njalo.”

Ngemva kokushona kukaMfoweth’ uRussell ngo-1916, uJoseph F. Rutherford wamukela umthwalo wemfanelo wokwengamela owawukade usingethwe nguRussell. URutherford wayeyisikhulumi sasobala esinamandla nesithuthukile, emelela oFakazi BakaJehova njengommeli emacaleni phambi kweNkantolo Ephakeme yase-United States. Ngemva kokushona kukaRutherford ngo-1942, uMfoweth’ Knorr wathatha indawo yakhe wazikhandla ukuze athuthukise ikhono lakhe njengesikhulumi sasobala. Njengoba ngangihlala ekamelweni eliseduze kwelakhe, ngangivame ukumuzwa eprakthiza izinkulumo zakhe eziphindaphinda. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, ngenxa yemizamo enjalo yenkuthalo, waba yisikhulumi esihle sasobala.

Ngo-1942, uMfoweth’ uKnorr wasiza ekuqaleni isimiso sokusiza sonke thina bazalwane eBethel ukuba sithuthukise amakhono ethu okufundisa nokubeka izinkulumo. Lesi sikole sasigxile ekucwaningeni ngeBhayibheli nasekubekeni izinkulumo zasobala. Ekuqaleni, ngamunye wethu wabelwa ukuba anikeze izinkulumo ezimfushane  ngabantu baseBhayibhelini. Inkulumo yami yokuqala yayikhuluma ngoMose. Ngo-1943 kwaqalwa isikole esifana naso emabandleni oFakazi BakaJehova, futhi siye saqhubeka kwaze kwaba namuhla. EBethel namanje kusagcizelelwa ukuba nolwazi lweBhayibheli nokuba nezindlela zokufundisa eziphumelelayo.

Ngo-February 1943 kwaqala ikilasi lokuqala lesikole saseGileyadi sezithunywa zevangeli. Manje, kusanda kuphothula ikilasi le-111! Phakathi neminyaka engaphezu kuka-58 sisebenza, lesi sikole siye saqeqesha abantu abangaphezu kwabangu-7 000 ukuba bakhonze njengezithunywa zevangeli emhlabeni wonke. Ngokuphawulekayo, ngo-1943 lapho siqala lesi sikole, kwakunoFakazi BakaJehova abangaphezudlwana kuka-100 000 emhlabeni wonke. Manje sekunabangaphezu kuka-6 000 000 abahlanganyela ekushumayeleni izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu!

Ukwazisa Ifa Lami Elingokomoya

Ngaphambi nje kokumiswa kweGileyadi, sabelwa saba bathathu sisuka eBethel ukuba sihambele amabandla akulo lonke elase-United States. Sasihlala usuku, noma izinsukwana, noma ngisho isonto sizama ukuqinisa la mabandla ngokomoya. Sasibizwa ngokuthi siyizinceku zabazalwane, igama elashintshwa kamuva kwathiwa yizinceku zesifunda, noma umbonisi wesifunda. Nokho, ngokushesha ngemva kokuba kuvulwe iSikole SaseGileyadi, ngacelwa ukuba ngibuye ngizofundisa izifundo ezithile. Ngafundisa isikhathi esigcwele kusukela ekilasini lesibili kuya kwelesihlanu, futhi ngabambela omunye wababefundisa isikhathi esigcwele ngafundisa ikilasi le-14. Ithuba lokubukeza kanye nabafundi izenzakalo ezimangalisayo zangaphambili emlandweni wanamuhla wenhlangano kaJehova—eziningi engangizazi ngokuzibonela mathupha—langenza ngalazisa ngokugcwele nakakhulu ifa lami elicebile elingokomoya.

Elinye ilungelo engiye ngalijabulela phakathi nayo yonke le minyaka ngelokuba semihlanganweni yezizwe zonke yabantu bakaJehova.  Ngo-1963, ngahamba umhlaba kanye nezinye izihambeli ezingaphezu kuka-500 siya emihlanganweni ‘Yezindaba Ezinhle Zaphakade.’ Eminye imihlangano eyaba yizingqopha-mlando engaya kuyo kwakungowaseWarsaw, ePoland, ngo-1989; owaseBerlin, eJalimane, ngo-1990; nowaseMoscow, eRussia, ngo-1993. Emhlanganweni ngamunye, ngathola ithuba lokuhlangana nabanye babafowethu nodadewethu abathandekayo abakhuthazelela amashumi eminyaka okushushiswa ngaphansi kombuso wamaNazi noma wamaKhomanisi, noma ngaphansi kwayo yomibili. Yeka ukuthi lokho kwakungokuhlangenwe nakho okuqinisa ukholo kangakanani!

Ukuphila kwami enkonzweni kaJehova kuye kwaba okucebile ngempela! Izibusiso ezingokomoya zigeleza zigelezile. Futhi, ngokungafani nengcebo yezinto ezibonakalayo, lapho sabelana nabanye ngokwengeziwe ngalezi zinto eziyigugu, yilapho ingcebo yethu yanda khona nakakhulu. Ngezinye izikhathi ngiye ngizwe abanye bethi bafisa sengathi ngabe abakhulanga bengoFakazi BakaJehova. Bathi banomuzwa wokuthi babeyowazisa kakhudlwana amaqiniso eBhayibheli ukube babeké baqala bezwa ukuphila kwangaphandle kwenhlangano kaNkulunkulu.

Ngiphatheka kabuhlungu njalo lapho ngizwa intsha ikhuluma kanjalo ngoba empeleni isuke ithi kungcono ukuba umuntu akhule engazazi izindlela zikaJehova. Kodwa cabanga ngayo yonke imikhuba emibi nokucabanga okonakele okudingeka abantu bahlukane nakho lapho bethola iqiniso leBhayibheli sebekhulile. Bengilokhu ngibonga ngokujulile njalo ngokuthi abazali bami bakhulisa izingane zabo zontathu endleleni yokulunga. UJohn waqhubeka eyinceku kaJehova ethembekile kwaze kwaba sekushoneni kwakhe ngo-July 1980, kanti u-Esther yena usenguFakazi othembekile nanamuhla.

Nginezinkumbulo ezimnandi zobungane obuningi obuhle engiye ngabujabulela nabafowethu nodadewethu abathembekile abangamaKristu. Manje sengibe neminyaka emihle kakhulu engaphezu kwengu-67 ngiseBethel. Nakuba ngingazange ngishade, nginamadodana namadodakazi amaningi angokomoya, kuhlanganise nabazukulu abangokomoya. Futhi kuyangijabulisa ukucabanga ngawo wonke amalungu amasha athandekayo omkhaya wethu ongokomoya osemhlabeni wonke engisazohlangana nawo, ilungu ngalinye liyigugu. Yeka indlela ayiqiniso ngayo amazwi athi: “Isibusiso sikaJehova siyacebisa”!—IzAga 10:22.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

Ukusuka kwesokunxele kuya kwesokudla: ubaba egone umfowethu uJohn, u-Esther, yimi nomama

[Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Ngifundisa ikilasi laseGileyadi ngo-1945

Ngenhla kwesokudla: Ababefundisa eSikoleni SaseGileyadi, u-Eduardo Keller, uFred Franz, yimina no-Albert Schroeder

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Ngicabanga ngokuphila kwami okucebile enkonzweni kaJehova