EMKHANKASWENI wezinsuku ezingu-9 owawushesha okonyazi phakathi kuka-August no-September 1929, abamemezeli abangaphezu kuka-10 000 bathi chithi saka nalo lonke elase-United States. Bahambisa izincwadi nezincwajana ezingaba ngu-250 000. Kulabo bamemezeli boMbuso kwakunamaphayona angaba inkulungwane. Yeka ukuthi inani lawo lase likhule kanjani! I-Bulletin * yathi ‘kwakucishe kungakholeki’ ukuthi amaphayona ayande ngokuphindwe kathathu ukusuka ngo-1927 kuya ku-1929.

Ngasekupheleni kuka-1929, isimo somnotho sawa. Ngosuku olwaziwa ngokuthi uLwesibili Omnyama—October 29, 1929—ukwehla kwamanani ezinto eMakethe Yamasheya YaseNew York kwanyakazisa isimo somnotho somhlaba wonke sangena enkathini yoKuwohloka Okukhulu Komnotho. Izinkulungwane zamabhange zawa. Amapulazi aphenduka amafusi. Izikhondlakhondla zezimboni zavalwa. Izigidi zaphelelwa umsebenzi. Ngo-1933, kwakudliwa izindlu ezibalelwa enkulungwaneni ngosuku e-United States.

Abamemezeli besikhathi esigcwele babezomisa kanjani kuleso simo esibucayi? Elinye ikhambi kwakuwukuba nendlu enamasondo. Njengoba wawungakhokhelwa mali nantela, umahambanendlwana noma inqola edonswayo wenza ukuba amaphayona amaningi akwazi ukuqhubeka nenkonzo yawo ngezindleko eziphansi. * Ngesikhathi semihlangano yesigodi, lowo mahambanendlwana wawuba ihhotela lamahhala. Ngo-1934, i-Bulletin yanikeza amapulani aningiliziwe endlu encane kodwa ethokomele enezinto eziwusizo njengamapayipi amanzi, isitofu sokupheka, umbhede ogoqwayo nesimiso sokushisisa indlu uma kubanda.

Abamemezeli ababecabanga ngokonga emhlabeni wonke baqala ukuzakhela omahambanendlwana babo. UVictor Blackwell wathi: “UNowa wayengakaze akhe umkhumbi, nami ngangingakaze ngakhe umahambanendlwana.” Kodwa wawakha.

U-Avery noLovenia Bristow baba nomahambanendlwana. U-Avery wathi: “Nganginjengofudu negobolondo lalo—ngangihamba nendlu yami njalo.” AbakwaBristow baphayona noHarvey no-Anne Conrow, ababenomahambanendlwana owawunezindonga zamaphepha ezinamekwe ngetiyela. Njalo lapho bethuthela kwenye indawo lawo maphepha ayexebuka. U-Avery wathi: “Akekho owayeke wabona umahambanendlwana onjengawo, futhi akekho oseke wabona omunye onjengawo!” Kodwa u-Avery wathi abakwaConrow namadodana abo amabili “babewumkhaya ojabule ngendlela emangalisayo.” UHarvey Conrow wabhala, “Asikaze siswele lutho, futhi sasizizwa silondeke ngokuphelele enkonzweni kaJehova ngaphansi kokunakekela kwakhe kothando.” Kamuva bobane abakwaConrow baya eSikoleni SaseGileyadi futhi babelwa ePeru njengezithunywa zevangeli.

AbakwaBattaino nabo baphayona njengomkhaya. Ngemva kokuba uGiusto noVincenza bezwe ukuthi babezothola ingane, bashintsha iveni yabo yohlobo lweModel A Ford ka-1929 yaba indlu ‘eyaba yinhle njengehhotela’ uma beyiqhathanisa namatende ababeke bahlala kuwo. Baqhubeka nesabelo sabo  ababesithanda nangemva kokuzalwa kwentombazanyana yabo, beshumayeza amaNtaliyane ayehlala e-United States.

Iningi labantu lazilalela izindaba ezinhle, kodwa kwakuqabukela ukuba abantu abampofu nabangasebenzi banikele ngemali lapho bethatha izincwadi zeBhayibheli. Kunalokho, babenikela ngazo zonke izinhlobo zezinto ngendlela eyayibashiya banelisekile. Amanye amaphayona amabili abhala izinto ezingu-64 ezihlukahlukene azinikwa abantu abathakazelayo. Uma ulufunda lolo hlu, luzwakala ‘njengohlu lwezinto zasesitolo sasemaphandleni.’

UFred Anderson wahlangana nomlimi othile owayefuna izincwadi zethu futhi owanikela ngezibuko ezazingezikanina. Epulazini elilandelayo, umlisa othile wayefisa ukuthola izincwadi zethu kodwa wathi, “Anginazo izibuko zokufunda.” Nokho, lapho efaka izibuko umakhelwane ayenikele ngazo, wakwazi ukufunda kahle futhi wakujabulela ukuba anikelele kokubili izincwadi nalezo zibuko.

UHerbert Abbott wayehamba nehhokwana lezinkukhu emotweni yakhe. Uma sekunikelwe ngezinkukhu ezintathu noma ezine, wayeziyisa emakethe, azidayise bese esebenzisa leyo mali ukuthenga uphethiloli. “Ingabe kwakwenzeka singabi namali nhlobo? Kwakwenzeka, kodwa sasingakuvumeli ukuba kusiyekise. Uma nje sisenophethiloli emotweni, sasiqhubekela phambili, sibeka ukholo nethemba lethu kuJehova.”

Ukuthembela kuJehova nokuzimisela okuqinile kwasiza abantu bakhe ukuba bakhuthazele phakathi naleyo minyaka enzima. Ngesinye isikhathi kunesiphepho, uMaxwell no-Emmy Lewis baphuma babaleka kumahambanendlwana wabo, futhi bathi nje beqeda ukuphuma bawubona ushaywa isihlahla esawa sawuhlukanisa phakathi. UMaxwell wabhala, “Lezi zinto asizibhekanga njengezithiyo, kodwa njengezingozi ezingehlela noma ubani, futhi asikaze sikucabange ukuyeka. Kwakunomsebenzi omningi okwakumelwe wenziwe, futhi sasizimisele ukuwenza.” Akubethusanga lokho futhi ngosizo lwabafowabo abanothando, uMaxwell no-Emmy baphinde bawuvusa umahambanendlwana wabo.

Kulezi zikhathi ezinezinselele eziningi esiphila kuzo, izigidi zoFakazi BakaJehova abashisekayo zibonisa umoya ofanayo wokuzidela. Phela, njengalawo maphayona okuqala, nathi sizimisele ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi wokushumayela kuze kube yilapho uJehova ethi umsebenzi usufeziwe.