Emazweni amaningi ukukhuphuka kwamanani ezinto esizidingayo ukuze siphile ezinjengokudla, izingubo zokugqoko nezinye izinto kwenza ukuphila kube nzima kuwo wonke umuntu ngisho nakoFakazi BakaJehova. Kunokuba bakhathazeke kakhulu, oFakazi baduduzwa ukwazi ukuthi uJehova ‘akasoze azilahla’ izinceku zakhe. (Hebheru 13:5) Ngokuphindaphindiwe uJehova uye wasigcina leso sithembiso. Yilokho akwenza ePhilippines, indawo enabantu abaningi abahluphekayo. Phakathi neminyaka yawo-1970 nawo-1980, lelo zwe labhekana nesikhathi esinzima kakhulu.

 UVicky a uyakhumbula: “Ngezinye izikhathi ngangikhala ngenxa yokuswela ukudla. Kwakuba nezikhathi lapho sasingenalutho, ngaphandle kwerayisi, usawoti namanzi.” Umfowethu okuthiwa uFlorencio wayengawutholi umsebenzi. Uyachaza: “Nganginamahembe amathathu namabhulukwe amathathu nje kuphela, engangiwagqoka ngiwashintshanisa lapho ngiya emihlanganweni yebandla nasemihlanganweni emincane nemikhulu.” Abantu bakaJehova babhekana kanjani nalobo bunzima? Yini eyabasiza baqhubeka bekhonza uJehova ngokwethembeka? Isibonelo sabo singasisiza kanjani namuhla njengoba sibhekana nezimo ezishintsha ngokuphazima kweso?

 OFakazi basePhilippines babengangabazi ukuthi uJehova uzobasekela phakathi naleyo nkathi enzima. (Hebheru 13:6) Futhi yilokho kanye akwenza, izikhathi eziningi ngendlela ababengayilindele. Ngokwesibonelo, udadewethu okuthiwa uCecille uyakhumbula: “Ekuseni ngemva kokuba sesipheke inkomishi yethu yokugcina yerayisi, umndeni wethu onamalungu angu-4 wawungesenalutho ozoludla. Ngakho sathandazela izidingo zethu zalolo suku. Sathi sisadla nje kwafika umfowethu no-5kg werayisi. Savele sakhala sikhaliswa injabulo, sibonga uJehova ngalesi sibusiso. Kaningi uJehova waqhubeka esinakekela ngale ndlela.”

 Okunye okwasiza abantu bakaNkulunkulu, ukusebenzisa ukuhlakanipha okutholakala eBhayibhelini. (IzAga 2:6, 7) Ngokwesibonelo, udade owayesanda kubhapathizwa okuthiwa u-Arcelita, owayengakashadi ngaleso sikhathi futhi owayedonsa kanzima, wathululela isifuba sakhe kuJehova. Wabe esezindla ngezAga 10:4, ezithi: “Izandla ezivilaphayo ziyobanga inhlupheko, kodwa izandla ezikhuthele zenza umuntu acebe.” Enala mazwi engqondweni wanquma ukwenza ingadi. Uthi: “UJehova wayibusisa ngempela imizamo yami. Empeleni ngavuna ukudla okwanele engangingakudla futhi ngikudayise ukuze ngithole imali yokugibela.”

 Abafowethu babeswele nemali yokuthenga indawo ukuze bakhe amaHholo OMbuso. Nakuba kunjalo lokho akubavimbanga ukuba balalele umyalo wokuthi bahlangane ndawonye ukuze bakhuthazane. (Hebheru 10:24, 25) Bamane nje bazivumelanisa nezimo. Ngokwesibonelo, udade okuthiwa uDeborah uyakhumbula: “Sasivame ukuba nemihlangano yebandla endlini yotshani encane esayakha nodade engangiphayona naye, cishe sasiba ngu-6 kuyo. Sasebenzisa amahlamvu esundu lwe-nipa ukuze senze uphahla, sasebenzisa amagatsha esundu likakhukhunathi ukuze senze izindonga, sasebenzisa namagatsha esundu ukuze senze izihlalo.”

 Ezimweni eziningi, iningi labafowethu laliba nemihlangano yebandla emizini yabo. Udadewethu okuthiwa uVirginia uthi: “Umuzi wethu omncane wawenziwe ngotshani nomhlanga. Kwakudingeka sigudluze ifenisha njalo ngoMgqibelo ukuze sizokwazi ukuba nendawo yokuba nemihlangano yebandla ngosuku olulandelayo.” Kwelinye ikhaya, uphahla lwaluvuza. Umfowethu uNoel uyakhumbula: “Lapho lina, sasisebenzisa amabhakede ukuze sikhongozele amanzi. Noma kunjalo, kwakungasikhathazi lokhu, ngoba sasindawonye nabafowethu nodadewethu sikhonza uJehova.”

 Intshiseko yoFakazi ngenkonzo ayizange idanjiswe ubumpofu. ULindina, ohlala esiqhingini saseNegros, uyakhumbula: “Njengoba sasingumndeni omkhulu futhi kungubaba kuphela osebenzayo, sasingabinayo ngaso sonke isikhathi imali yokugibela. Ngakho sasivame ukuhamba ngezinyawo siye ensimini. Kodwa kwakuba mnandi ngoba sasibaningi. Sasazi nokuthi imizamo yethu ijabulisa uJehova.”

 Enye inselele enkulu kwakungukufinyelela ensimini eqhelile esezintabeni, ngoba kwakunezinto ezimbalwa zokuhamba. U-Esther, ohlala esiqhingini saseLuzon, uyalandisa: “Iqembu lethu loFakazi abangu-6 kuya ku-12 lalivame ukusheshe liphume ngoba kwakufanele lihambe amakhilomitha amaningi ngezinyawo. Sasishumayela usuku lonke. Sasiziphathela ukudla esasikuphekile esasikudlela ngaphansi komthunzi wezihlahla. Abanye abafowethu babengenakho ababezokudla kodwa babeza ensimini. Sasivame ukuthi, ‘ningakhathazeki sinokudla okwanele wonke umuntu.’”

 UJehova wawubusisa kakhulu lowo moya wokuzidela. Ngokwesibonelo ngo-1970, kwakunabamemezeli abangu-54 789 ePhilippines. Ngo-1989, leso sibalo sasicishe siphindeke kabili sesingu-102 487. Ngo-2023, isibalo sabamemezeli boMbuso ePhilippines sasesingu-253 876.

 Naphezu kwezinkinga ezinkulu zomnotho, oFakazi babejabule futhi bematasa enkonzweni kaJehova. Umfowethu u-Antonio uthi: “Ukuba mpofu akusivimbanga ukuba sithande uJehova.” Udadeweth’ uFe Abad uthi: “Lapho mina nomyeni wami siba nezinkinga zezomnotho, sancika kuJehova sajabulela izibusiso zokuphila ukuphila okulula. Lokho kwenza izingane zethu nazo zafunda ukuthembela kuye.”

 ULucila, ohlala esiQhingini saseSamar uthi: “Ukuba mpofu akuyona inkinga lapho sikhonza uJehova.” Uyanezela: “Lapho sibeka uNkulunkulu kuqala singaba nokwaneliseka futhi sibe nesimo esihle sengqondo. Ngajabulela nokubona izifundo zami zeBhayibheli ziya zimthanda uJehova futhi ziba amaphayona nazo njengami.”

 Njengoba sonke sazi ukuthi sisazobhekana nezikhathi ezinzima, kuhle ukuba sicabange ngamazwi omdala okuthiwa uRodolfo, owabhala: “Ukuphila ezikhathini ezinzima zawo-1970 nawo-1980, kwangenza ngasizwa isandla sikaJehova ekuphileni kwami. Yize nganginemali engatheni, ngangingazizwa sengathi kukhona engishoda ngakho. UJehova wayenginakekela. Ngiye ngaphila ukuphila okumnandi ngempela futhi ngibheke phambili ‘ekuphileni kwangempela’ ePharadesi.”—1 Thimothewu 6:19.