Kungabanga thuba lide, ndaqalisa ukujima ukuze ndibe nezoso. Ekuhambeni kwexesha ndavula indawo yokujimela eSan Leandro, eKhalifoniya, eU.S.A., ndaza ndasebenza nezigantsontso ezaziwayo, kuquka lowo waba yintshatsheli yaseMerika. Kodwa ukuba nomzimba onezoso akuzange kundenze ndaneliseke.

Umhlobo wam owayesazi indlela endikufuna ngayo ukufunda iBhayibhile wacebisa ukuba ndincokole nomnye umntu awayemazi. Ngemini elandelayo kwafika umfo oliNgqina likaYehova kwam. Wahlala iiyure ezine ephendula imibuzo yam ngeBhayibhile. Ndamcela ukuba aphinde abuye ngokuhlwa kwangaloo mini, sancokola ngeBhayibhile kwada kwasezinzulwini zobusuku. Ndazithanda kakhulu ezo mfundiso kangangokuba ndacela ukuhamba naye ngengomso ukuze ndibone indlela abafundisa ngayo abanye. Yandimangalisa indlela awayeyisebenzisa ngayo iBhayibhile xa ephendula imibuzo yabantu. Ndaqonda ukuba le yeyona nto ndifuna ukuyenza!

Ndaliyeka ishishini lam, ndaza ndashumayela neli Ngqina linguvulindlela—leyo yindlela ababizwa ngayo abashumayeli beendaba ezilungileyo bexesha elizeleyo abangamaNgqina kaYehova. NgoMeyi 1948 ndabhaptizwa kwindibano eyayikwibala lemidlalo iCow Palace Arena, eSan Francisco, eKhalifoniya. Ekupheleni kwaloo nyaka nam ndaba nguvulindlela.

Ndacela amaNgqina ukuba aye kuncokola nomama. Wakuvuyela ukufunda iBhayibhile yaye wakhawuleza waba liNgqina likaYehova naye. Nangona intsapho yakhe yayimphatha kakubi ngenxa yoku, wathembeka kuThixo de wabe uyafa kwiminyaka emininzi kamva. Abekho abanye ababa ngamaNgqina kwintsapho yakuthi.

Ngo-1950 ndafudukela eGrand Junction, eColorado, yaye kulapho ndadibana khona noBillie. Wazalwa ngo-1928 ngexesha lokuwohloka kwezoqoqosho emhlabeni. Umama wakhe uMinnie wayemfundela iBhayibhile rhoqo ebusuku ngolozi-lozi wesibane. Xa wayeneminyaka emine uBillie wayesele ekwazi ukufunda, yaye amabali amaninzi eBhayibhile wayewazi ngentloko. Ngasekupheleni kweminyaka yoo-1940, umama wakhe wafundiswa ngamaNgqina ngokusuka eBhayibhileni ukuba isihogo asiyondawo yokuthuthumbisa abantu, kodwa lingcwaba eliqhelekileyo. (INtshumayeli 9:5, 10) Bobabini uMinnie nomyeni wakhe baba ngamaNgqina.

Ngo-1949 uBillie wabuya kwikholeji eseBoston awayekuyo waza waqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhile  ngokuzimisela. Endaweni yokuba ngutitshala, wazinikela kuThixo. Wabhaptizwa ngo-1950 kwindibano yezizwe ngezizwe yamaNgqina kaYehova eyayikwiBala Lemidlalo iYankee, eNew York. Akubanga thuba lide emva koko, sadibana saza satshata, saqalisa ukushumayela ixesha elizeleyo.

Saqala e-Eugene eseOregon, saza sanabahlobo abaninzi apho. Ngo-1953 safudukela eGrants Pass, ndawo leyo ekwaseOregon, ukuze sincede ibandla elincinci elalilapho. Ngasekupheleni kwaloo nyaka samenyelwa kwiklasi ye-23 yaseGiliyadi, esisikolo samaNgqina sokuqeqesha abavangeli basemazweni. Loo klasi yayingakuMazantsi eLansing, eNew York, kwiikhilomitha ezimalunga ne-400 ukusuka kumntla-ntshona weNew York.

NgoDisemba 1954, kwiinyanga ezintlanu emva kokuphumelela kwisikolo saseGiliyadi, mna noBillie sakhwela inqwelo-moya encinane ukuya eBrazil. Kwagqitha nje iyure, enye injini yayeka ukusebenza, kwanyanzeleka simise eBermuda. Kwaphinda kwafuneka simise naseCuba, ibe emva kohambo olwathatha iiyure eziyi-36, sada safika kwisebe lamaNgqina kaYehova eRio de Janeiro, eBrazil.

Emva kwethutyana nje silapho, mna noBillie nabanye abavangeli basemazweni safudukela eBauru, eSão Paulo, ukuze sihlale kwikhaya elitsha labathunywa bevangeli. Esi sixeko sasinabantu abangaphezu kwe-50 000 ibe sasingamaNgqina okuqala ukuba lapho.

Saqalisa ukuya emakhayeni abantu, kodwa ngoko nangoko sachaswa ngumfundisi wamaKatolika wasekuhlaleni. Wayesilandela ehamba exelela abantu ukuba bangasimameli. Kwiiveki nje ezingephi, enye intsapho enkulu esasifunda nayo yamkela inyaniso yaza kamva yabhaptizwa. Kungekudala nabanye abantu baqalisa ukufunda nathi.

Le ntsapho ibhaptiziweyo yayinesalamane esingumongameli kumbutho owaziwayo wasekuhlaleni. Ndacela imvume yokusebenzisa iholo yalo mbutho ukuze silungiselele indibano. Xa umfundisi wasekuhlaleni wanyanzelisa ukuba singayinikwa loo holo, lo mongameli wathi: “Ukuba anibaniki, ndiyayeka ukuba lilungu lalo mbutho!” Kwavunywa ukuba ibekho loo ndibano.

Kunyaka olandelayo ngo-1956, samenywa kwindibano yesithili eyayiseSantos, eSão Paulo. Kwasuka amaNgqina amalunga ne-40 kwibandla lethu aya kuloo ndibano ngololiwe. Xa sabuyela eBauru, ndafumana ileta enesabelo esitsha sokuba ngumveleli ohambahambayo otyelela amabandla amaNgqina kaYehova. Ngaloo ndlela ndabe ndiqalisa umsebenzi weminyaka eyi-25 eBrazil, ndityhutyha iindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo zelo lizwe.

Ngaloo mihla ukutyelela kwakunzima. Sasiye sihambe ngebhasi, uloliwe, inqwelo yamahashe, ibhayisekile nangeenyawo. Esinye sezixeko zokuqala esatyelela kuzo yiJaú, eSão Paulo. Apho sasokoliswa ngomnye umfundisi.

Wathi, “Anizukushumayela ‘kwizimvu zam!’”

Saphendula sathi, “Ayizozakho, zezikaThixo.”

Salungiselela ukudlala ifilimu ebonisa umsebenzi wethu wokushumayela ehlabathini enomxholo othi, The New World Society in Action, kodwa lo mfundisi waseka iqela ukuze lisihlasele. Ngoko nangoko sabiza amapolisa. Xa lo mfundisi neqela lakhe bafikayo kwindawo esasikuyo, babelindwe liqela lamapolisa elalibakhombe ngemipu. Abaphulaphuli bethu bakuvuyela ngokwenene ukubukela le filimu.

Lo moya wenzondo nenkcaso wawukuyo yonke indawo esasishumayela kuyo. Ngokomzekelo,  eBrusque, kufutshane nesixeko saseBlumenau, eSanta Catarina, sadibana noovulindlela ababini ababeshumayela phantsi kwenkcaso. Noko ke, ukunyamezela nokuzingisa kwabo kwasikelelwa. Ngoku, emva kweminyaka eyi-50 kukho amabandla ayi-60 kula mmandla, yaye kwisixeko esikufutshane nalapho esiyiItajaí kukho iHolo Yendibano entle!

Enye yezinto esizikhumbulayo ngomsebenzi wethu lixesha esalichithayo sisebenza namanye amaNgqina njengoko sasilungiselela iindibano ezinkulu. Ngo-1970 ndaba nelungelo lokuba ngumveleli wendibano enkulu eyayikwiBala Lemidlalo laseMorumbi. Kwacelwa amabandla amalunga nekhulu akufutshane nelo bala ukuba ngalinye likhuphe abantu abalishumi baye kulicoca ngobusuku obungaphambi kwendibano.

Njengoko abadlali bebhola babephuma ebaleni ngobo busuku, abanye bahlekisa ngathi besithi, “Khanijonge la mantombazanana nale mitshayelwana yawo.” Sekunjalo, kwathi kusiba sezinzulwini zobusuku sabe sesilicoce lonke elo bala! Umphathi welo bala wathi, “Abasebenzi bam bebeya kuchitha iveki yonke ukwenza into nina maNgqina eniyenze ngeeyure nje ezingephi!”

Ngo-1980 utata wasweleka, emva koko sabuyela eUnited States ukuze sinyamekele umama eFremont, eKhalifoniya. Safumana umsebenzi wokucoca izakhiwo ebusuku, yaye saqhubeka nobuvulindlela sinceda abantu abathetha isiPhuthukezi ababelapho. Ekuhambeni kwexesha safudukela kufuphi naseSan Joaquin Valley, apho safumana abantu abathetha isiPhuthukezi kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo ukusuka eSacramento ukuya eBakersfield. Ngoku amalunga neshumi amabandla esiPhuthukezi eKhalifoniya.

Emva kokusweleka kukamama ngo-1995 sabuyela eFlorida sisiya kunyamekela utata kaBillie wade wasweleka. Umama wakhe yena wasweleka ngo-1975. Ngo-2000 safudukela kwilizwe elingumqwebedu, ngasemzantsi-ntshona weColorado. Siye saqhubeka nokushumayela ngokuzeleyo kuBantu Bomthonyama baseMerika abahlala kwiindawo ezisemaphandleni eNavajo naseUte. Okubuhlungu kukuba uBillie wasweleka ngoFebruwari 2014.

Ndivuya kakhulu ngokuba ndadibana neNgqina likaYehova kwiminyaka engaphezu kweyi-65 edluleyo elayiphendula yonke imibuzo yam ngeBhayibhile! Ndivuya nangakumbi ngokuba ndaye ndaqinisekisa ukuba yonke into elaliyithetha ikhona nhyani eBhayibhileni. Ngenxa yoku ndaba nobomi obanelisayo ndisebenzela uThixo.