Ngokushesha ngangenela imidlalo yokuzivocavoca nokuba usozinyama. Ekugcineni, ngavula indawo yokuzivivinya eSan Leandro, eCalifornia, e-U.S.A., futhi ngasebenza nabanye osozinyama, kuhlanganise nosozinyama owadla umhlanganiso emncintiswaneni ka-Mr. America. Nokho, ukulwela ukuba nalokho okwakubhekwa njengomzimba owakheke kahle akuzange kusivale isikhala enganginaso ngaphakathi.

Omunye umngane wami endaweni yokuzivocavoca, owayazi isifiso sami sokuqonda iBhayibheli, wangikhuthaza ukuba ngihlangane nothile ayemazi. Ngosuku olulandelayo, omunye woFakazi bakaJehova weza emzini wami. Wahlala amahora amane ephendula imibuzo yami ngeBhayibheli. Ngamcela ukuba abuye ngayo leyo ntambama futhi saxoxa ngeBhayibheli kwaze kwaba phakathi kwamabili. Kwangijabulisa kakhulu engangikufunda futhi ngacela ukuhamba naye ngosuku olulandelayo ngiyobona ukuthi ushumayela kanjani. Yangimangaza indlela ayevula ngayo iBhayibheli futhi ebonisa abantu izimpendulo zemibuzo yabo. Lokho kwangenza nganquma ukuthi yini engifuna ukuyenza!

Ngakho ngaliyeka ibhizinisi lami futhi ngasebenzisa izinsuku zami enkonzweni naleli phayona, njengoba zibizwa kanjalo izikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele ezingoFakazi BakaJehova. Ngo-May 1948, ngabhapathizwa emhlanganweni omkhulu eCow Palace Arena eSan Francisco, eCalifornia. Kamuva ngalowo nyaka nami ngaba yiphayona.

Ngacela oFakazi ukuba bavakashele umama. Wabalalela futhi ngokushesha waba omunye woFakazi BakaJehova. Naphezu kokuphikiswa umndeni, wathembeka kuNkulunkulu kwaze kwaba sekufeni kwakhe ngemva kweminyaka eminingi. Akekho omunye emndenini wasekhaya owaba uFakazi.

Ngo-1950, ngathuthela eGrand Junction, eColorado, lapho ngahlangana khona noBillie. Wazalwa ngo-1928 futhi wakhula ngeNkathi Yokuwohloka Okukhulu Komnotho. Unina, uMinnie, wayemfundela iBhayibheli njalo ebusuku ekhanyise isibani sikaphalafini. Lapho eseneminyaka emine, uBillie wayesekwazi ukufunda futhi esazi izindaba zeBhayibheli eziningi ngekhanda. Ngasekupheleni kwawo-1940, unina wafunda ngokutadisha iBhayibheli noFakazi, ukuthi isihogo asiyona indawo yokuhlushwa kodwa siyithuna elivamile lesintu. (UmShumayeli 9:5, 10) Bobabili uMinnie nomyeni wakhe baba oFakazi.

Ngo-1949, uBillie wabuya ekolishi eliseBoston futhi waqala ukuzimisela ekutadisheni iBhayibheli. Kunokuba abe uthisha, wanquma ukuba anikezele ukuphila kwakhe kuNkulunkulu. Wabhapathizwa ngo-1950  emhlanganweni wezizwe woFakazi BakaJehova eYankee Stadium eNew York. Ngemva nje kwalokho, sahlangana, sashada futhi sangenela inkonzo yesikhathi esigcwele ndawonye.

Saqala e-Eugene, e-Oregon futhi sathola abangane abaningi. Ngo-1953 sathuthela eGrants Pass, e-Oregon, ukuze siyosiza ibandla elincane elalilapho. Kamuva ngalowo nyaka samenyelwa ekilasini lama-23 eGilead, isikole soFakazi sokuqeqesha izithunywa zevangeli, esiseduze neNingizimu yeLansing, eNew York, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-400 enyakatho-ntshonalanga yeNew York City.

Ngo-December 1954, ngemva kwezinyanga ezinhlanu sithweswe iziqu ekilasini laseGilead, mina noBillie sahamba ngendiza enophephela emhlane saya eBrazil. Sathi sisahambe ihora ngale ndiza, kwafa injini eyodwa, kodwa sehlela eBermuda ngokuphepha. Le ndiza yaphinde yaba nenkinga, sehlela eCuba, sachitha amahora angu-36 sehla senyuka, kodwa ekugcineni safika ngokuphepha ehhovisi legatsha loFakazi BakaJehova eRio de Janeiro eBrazil.

Ngemva kokuhlala isikhashana, mina noBillie nezinye izithunywa zevangeli saya eBauru, eSão Paulo, siyovula ikhaya elisha lezithunywa zevangeli. Lelo dolobha lalinabantu abangaphezu kuka-50 000, futhi sasingoFakazi bokuqala lapho.

Saqala ukuhambela abantu emizini yabo, kodwa umpristi wasendaweni ongumKatolika waqala ukuphikisa umsebenzi wethu. Wayesilandela futhi waxwayisa abaninikhaya ukuba bangasilaleli. Nokho, emasontweni ambalwa umndeni omkhulu esasifunda nawo iBhayibheli walamukela iqiniso leBhayibheli futhi kamuva wabhapathizwa. Ngokushesha nabanye baqala ukufunda.

Lo mndeni wawunesihlobo esasingumholi weqembu elithile. Ngenza amalungiselelo okuba sibe nomhlangano omkhulu asakhiweni saleli qembu. Lapho lo mpristi ephoqelela ukuba isivumelwano sokusebenzisa leyo ndawo sihoxiswe, umholi waleli qembu wahlangana namalungu alo wathi: “Uma nisihoxisa isivumelwano, ngiyesula ekubeni ilungu leqembu!” Bavuma ukuba umhlangano uqhutshelwe lapho.

Ngonyaka olandelayo, ngo-1956, samenyelwa emhlanganweni wesigodi eSantos, eSão Paulo. OFakazi abangaba ngu-40 basebandleni esasikulo baya kulowo mhlangano ngesitimela. Lapho siphindela eBauru, ngathola incwadi eposini eyayithi ngabelwe ukuyokhonza njengombonisi ohambela amabandla oFakazi BakaJehova. Waqala kanjalo umsebenzi engawenza iminyaka engu-25 eBrazil, ngihambela izindawo eziningi kulelo zwe elikhulu.

Ngalezo zinsuku ukuhamba kwakunzima. Sagcina sesilihambe lonke izwe ngebhasi, isitimela, inqola, ibhayisikili nangezinyawo. Elinye lamadolobha okuqala esalihambela kwakuyiJaú, eSão Paulo. Kulelo dolobha saphikiswa umpristi.

Wathi, “Anikwazi ukushumayeza ‘izimvu zami!’”

Saphendula, “Akuzona ezakho. EzikaNkulunkulu.”

Sahlela ukuba kubukwe i-video ekhuluma ngomsebenzi wethu wokushumayela emhlabeni wonke, enesihloko esithi The New World Society in Action, kodwa umpristi waqoqa isixuku ukuze asihlasele. Ngokushesha sabika emaphoyiseni. Lapho umpristi nesixuku esasinaye befika endaweni esasibukela kuyo i-video, bahlangana namaphoyisa ayephethe izibhamu ebalindile. Abantu abaningi ababebukele i-video bayijabulela kakhulu.

Nomaphi lapho esasikhonza khona sasihlangana nesimo esifanayo sokuzondwa nokuphikiswa  abaholi benkolo. Ngokwesibonelo, eBrusque eduze naseBlumenau eSanta Catarina, sahlangana namaphayona amabili ayephikiswa kakhulu. Kodwa ukuphikelela nokukhuthazela kwawo kwavuzwa ngokucebile. Manje, ngemva kweminyaka engaphezu kuka-50, kunamabandla angaphezu kuka-60 achumayo kuleso sifunda kanye neHholo Lomhlangano elihle edolobheni lase-Itajaí eliseduze!

Into evelele ngomsebenzi wethu wokujikeleza kwakuyisikhathi esimnandi esasichitha noFakazi esasikhonza nabo silungiselela imihlangano emikhulu. Ngawo-1970, ngaba nelungelo lokukhonza njengombonisi womhlangano enkundleni enkulu yezemidlalo iMorumbi. Kwathunyelwa isicelo emabandleni aseduze ukuba ibandla ngalinye lithumele abantu abayishumi ukuba bayohlanza inkundla ngobusuku obandulela usuku lomhlangano.

Njengoba abadlali bebhola babeshiya inkundla ngalobo busuku abanye bezwakala behlekisa bethi, “Bayaganga laba, bangahlanza yonke le nkundla bebancane kangaka.” Nokho, phakathi kwamabili inkundla yonke yayisihlanzekile! Umphathi wenkundla wababaza, “Izisebenzi zami zidinga isonto lonke ukuze zenze lo msebenzi oFakazi abawenze ngamahora ambalwa!”

Ngo-1980 ubaba washona futhi ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho sabuyela e-United States siyonakekela umama eFremont, eCalifornia. Sathola umsebenzi wokuhlanza izakhiwo ebusuku futhi saqhubeka nokuphayona sisiza nabantu abakhuluma isiPutukezi kuleyo ndawo. Kamuva sathuthela eSan Joaquin Valley engaqhelile kakhulu, safike safuna abantu abakhuluma isiPutukezi endaweni enkulu, ukusuka eSacramento kuze kube seBakersfield. Manje kunamabandla esiPutukezi angaba yishumi eCalifornia.

Ngemva kokushona kukamama ngo-1995, sathuthela eFlorida futhi sanakekela ubaba kaBillie kwaze kwaba yilapho eshona. Umama wakhe washona ngo-1975. Ngo-2000, sathuthela endaweni ephakeme eyihlane eningizimu-ntshonalanga yeColorado futhi sakhonza kule ndawo sishumayela isikhathi esigcwele kwaboMdabu baseMelika emaphandleni amaNavajo nawama-Ute. Ngokudabukisayo, uBillie washona ngo-February 2014.

Yeka indlela engijabula ngayo ngokuthi eminyakeni engaphezu kwengu-65 edlule ngahlangana nomunye woFakazi BakaJehova owaphendula imibuzo yami eminingi esebenzisa iBhayibheli! Kungithokozisa kakhulu ukuthi ngahlola ukuze ngiqiniseke ukuthi lokho ayekusho kwakusekelwe eBhayibhelini ngempela. Lokhu kwangenza ngaphila ukuphila okwanelisayo kokukhonza uNkulunkulu.