EMINYAKENI engaba ishumi edlule, uGregorio noMarilou, umbhangqwana oneminyaka yobudala eyevile ku-30, babekhonza njengamaphayona eManila ngesikhathi esifanayo besebenza isikhathi esigcwele. Kwakuyinselele, kodwa baphumelela. UMarilou wakhushulwa waba imenenja ebhange ayesebenza kulo. Uthi: “Imisebenzi yethu emihle yayisivumela ukuba siphile ukuphila okuntofontofo kakhulu.” Empeleni, izinto zaziwuhambela kahle kakhulu ngokwezimali lo mbhangqwana kangangokuthi wanquma ukuzakhela indlu yamaphupho awo endaweni enhle kakhulu eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-19 empumalanga yeManila. Wenza isivumelwano nenkampane eyayizowakhela lowo muzi futhi wahlela ukuyikhokhela kancane kancane nyanga zonke iminyaka eyishumi.

UMarilou uyalandisa: “Umsebenzi wami omusha wawufuna isikhathi esiningi namandla kangangokuthi isithakazelo sami ngezinto ezingokomoya sancipha. Ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi ngangingamniki uJehova okumfanele.” Uyachaza: “Ngangingasakwazi ukunika uJehova isikhathi engangisibekele ukumkhonza.” Bengathokozile ngaleso simo, uGregorio noMarilou  bahlala phansi ngolunye usuku bakhuluma ngendlela ukuphila kwabo okwase kungayo. UGregorio uthi: “Safuna ukwenza ushintsho kodwa asazanga ukuthi yini ngempela okumelwe siyenze. Saxoxa ngokuthi singakusebenzisa kanjani ukuphila kwethu ngokugcwele enkonzweni kaJehova, ikakhulukazi njengoba singenabo abantwana. Sathandazela isiqondiso sikaJehova.”

Ngaleso sikhathi, kwaba nezinkulumo eziningana eziphathelene nokukhonza lapho kunesidingo esikhulu sabamemezeli boMbuso khona. UGregorio uthi: “Saba nomuzwa wokuthi lezi zinkulumo ziyimpendulo kaJehova yemithandazo yethu.” Lo mbhangqwana wathandazela ukuba ube nokholo olwengeziwe ukuze ube nesibindi sokwenza izinqumo ezifanele. Esinye isithiyo esikhulu owabhekana naso yindlu yawo eyayisakhiwa. Wawusuyikhokhele iminyaka emithathu. Wawusuzokwenzenjani? UMarilou uthi: “Uma sisihoxisa isivumelwano, sasiyolahlekelwa yiyo yonke imali esasesiyikhokhile. Kodwa saqaphela ukuthi kwakumelwe sikhethe phakathi kokubeka intando kaJehova kuqala noma izifiso zethu siqu.” Bekhumbula amazwi omphostoli uPawulu ngokuphathelene ‘nokuvuma ukulahlekelwa,’ basula isivumelwano sokwakha indlu, bayeka imisebenzi yabo, bathengisa izinto zabo eziningi futhi bathuthela endaweni ekude esiqhingini sasePalawan, esiqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-480 ukusuka eningizimu yeManila.—Fil. 3:8.

Ngaphambi kokuba bathuthe, uGregorio noMarilou babeke bazama ukuzilungiselela ukuphila ukuphila okulula, kodwa babengazi ukuthi ukuphila kwabo okusha kwakuyoba phansi kangakanani kwaze kwaba yilapho befika endingekweni. UMarilou uthi: “Sashaqeka, kwakungekho gesi zingekho nezinto ezenza ukuphila kube lula. Kwakudingeka sicande izinkuni futhi sipheke ngomlilo waphansi. Ngangihlale ngifisa ukuya ezitolo ezinkulu, ukuyodla ezitolo nezinye izinto ezitholakala emadolobheni amakhulu.” Noma kunjalo, lo mbhangqwana wawulokhu uzikhumbuza ukuthi kungani uthuthile, futhi washeshe wajwayela. UMarilou uthi: “Manje ngijabulela ukubuka ubuhle bendalo, kuhlanganise nesibhakabhaka esigcwele izinkanyezi ebusuku. Ngaphezu kwakho konke, sithola injabulo ngokubona abantu bejabula lapho sibashumayeza. Ukukhonza lapha kusenze ‘safunda imfihlo’ yokwaneliseka.”—Fil. 4:12.

UGregorio uyalandisa: “Ngesikhathi sifika lapha kwakukhona oFakazi abane kuphela. Bajabula kakhulu lapho ngiqala ukunikeza izinkulumo zeningi isonto ngalinye futhi ngishaya isiginci sami lapho kuculwa izingoma zoMbuso.” Ngonyaka owodwa, lo mbhangqwana wabona lelo qembu elincane likhula liba ibandla labamemezeli abangu-24. UGregorio uthi: “Uthando esaluboniswa yileli bandla lwasithinta ngokujulile.” Namuhla, uma bebheka emuva eminyakeni eyisithupha bekhonza kuleso sifunda esicezile, bathi: “Akukho  lutho olungaqhathaniswa nenjabulo etholakala ngokubona intuthuko engokomoya. Ukuphila kwethu sekunenjongo kunanini ngaphambili.”

EPhilippines, abazalwane nodade abacishe babe ngu-3 000 baye bathuthela lapho kunesidingo esikhulu khona sabamemezeli boMbuso. Abangu-500 bangodade abangashadile. Cabanga ngoKaren.

UKaren, manje owevile eminyakeni engu-20, wakhulela eBaggao, eCagayan. Lapho esanda kweva eminyakeni eyishumi nambili wayelokhu ecabanga ngokwandisa inkonzo yakhe. Uyalandisa: “Ukwazi ukuthi isikhathi esisele sinciphile nokuthi zonke izinhlobo zabantu kudingeka zizwe isigijimi soMbuso, kwangenza ngafuna ukuyokhonza lapho kunesidingo esikhulu khona sabamemezeli.” Nakuba amalungu ambalwa omkhaya wakubo amnxusa ukuba aphishekele imfundo ephakeme kunokuthuthela endaweni ekude eyoshumayela, uKaren wathandaza kuJehova ecela isiqondiso. Waphinde wakhuluma nalabo abakhonza endaweni ecezile. Lapho eneminyaka engu-18, wathuthela endaweni ekude eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-64 ukusuka edolobheni lakubo.

Ibandla elincane uKaren athuthela kulo linakekela insimu esezintabeni ngasoGwini LwePacific. UKaren uyakhumbula: “Ukuze nje sifike ebandleni elisha eBaggao, sahamba izinsuku ezintathu, sehla senyuka ezintabeni futhi siwela imifula izikhathi ezingaphezu kuka-30.” Uyanezela: “Ukuze ngifike kwezinye izifundo zeBhayibheli ngihamba amahora ayisithupha, ngilale komunye walabo engibafundelayo bese kuthi ngakusasa ngihambe wona lawo mahora sengibuyela ekhaya.” Ingabe ukuzikhandla kwakhe kunomvuzo? Uyamomotheka bese ethi: “Ngezinye izikhathi ngibuya izinyawo zifutha kodwa, sengike ngaqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli ezingaba ngu-18. ‘Nginambithile futhi ngibonile ukuthi uJehova muhle’!”—IHu. 34:8.

Yini eyashukumisela uSukhi, udade osanda kweva eminyakeni engu-40 ohlala e-United States, ukuba athuthele ePhilippines? Ngo-2011 wayesemhlanganweni wesifunda lapho kwaxoxwa khona nombhangqwana oshadile. Lo mbhangqwana walandisa ukuthi wathengisa izinto zawo eziningi ukuze uthuthele eMexico uyosiza ngomsebenzi wokushumayela. USukhi uthi: “Leyo ngxoxo, yangenza ngaqala ukucabanga ngemigomo engangingakaze ngicabange ngayo ngaphambili.” Lapho uSukhi, odabuka eNdiya, ethola ukuthi kwakunesidingo esikhulu sokufinyelela abantu abakhuluma isiPunjabi abahlala ePhilippines, wanquma ukuhamba ayosiza. Ingabe wabhekana nezithiyo?

USukhi uthi: “Ukunquma ukuthi yiziphi izinto engizozithengisa nengizozigcina kwakunzima kunalokho engangikucabanga.” Ngemva kokuhlala efulethini elintofontofo iminyaka engu-13, ngathutha ngayohlala nabasekhaya okwesikhashana. Kwakungelula,  kodwa kwakuyindlela enhle yokuba ngizilungiselele ukuphila ukuphila okulula.” Iziphi izinselele abhekana nazo ngemva kokuthuthela ePhilippines? “Izinto ezaba izinselele ezinkulu kimi ukwesaba izinambuzane nokukhumbula ekhaya. Ngafunda ukwethembela kuJehova kunanini ngaphambili!” Kwaba namuphi umphumela? USukhi uyamamatheka abese ethi: “UJehova uthi, ‘Ngivivinyeni ukuthi ngeke yini ngithululele phezu kwenu isibusiso.’ Ngabona ukuba yiqiniso kwala mazwi lapho umninikhaya engibuza, ‘Uzobuya nini? Ngiseneminye imibuzo eminingi.’ Ngijabula kakhulu lapho ngisiza abantu abalambile ngokomoya!” (Mal. 3:10) USukhi uyanezela: “Empeleni, ukwenza isinqumo sokuthutha yikho okwaba nzima kakhulu. Lapho sengisenzile, kwangimangaza ukubona indlela uJehova angihlelela ngayo zonke ezinye izinto.”

USime, umzalwane oshadile owevile eminyakeni engu-35, wahamba ePhilippines wayosebenza umsebenzi oholela kahle ezweni eliseMpumalanga Ephakathi. Ngesikhathi elapho, isikhuthazo asithola kumbonisi wesifunda nasenkulumweni yelungu leNdikimba Ebusayo samshukumisela ukuba abeke uJehova kuqala ekuphileni kwakhe. Uthi: “Kodwa kwakuphela nasozwaneni uma ngicabanga ngokushiya umsebenzi.” Nakuba kunjalo, wawushiya umsebenzi wakhe futhi wabuyela e-Philippines. Namuhla uSime nomkakhe uHaidee, bakhonza eDavao del Sur engxenyeni eseningizimu yezwe enesidingo sabamemezeli boMbuso abazohlanganisa insimu enkulu yakuleyo ndawo. USime, uthi: “Uma ngibheka emuva, ngiyajabula ngokuthi ngakunqoba ukwesaba kwami ukulahlekelwa umsebenzi ngabeka uJehova kuqala. Akukho lutho ekuphileni olwanelisa njengokunika uJehova okuhle kunakho konke onakho!”

Lapho uRamilo noJuliet, umbhangqwana ongamaphayona osanda kweva eminyakeni engu-30, bezwa ukuthi kunebandla eliqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-30 ukusuka emzini wabo elidinga usizo, bazinikela ukuze bayolisiza. Ngakho-ke, isonto ngalinye, lina noma libalele, uRamilo noJuliet bahamba izikhathi eziningana ngesithuthuthu sabo ukuze babe khona emihlanganweni futhi bahlanganyele emsebenzini wokushumayela. Nakuba ukuhamba emgwaqweni onezikhisi nasemabhulohweni alengayo kwakunezinselele zako, bayajabula ngokuthi bayandisa inkonzo yabo. URamilo uthi: “Mina nomkami siqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli ezingu-11 sobabili! Ukukhonza endingekweni kuhilela ukuzidela, kodwa kusinika ukwaneliseka okujulile!”—1 Kor. 15:58.

Ungathanda yini ukwazi okwengeziwe ngokukhonza lapho kunesidingo esikhulu khona sabamemezeli boMbuso ezweni lakini noma kwelinye izwe? Uma kunjalo, khuluma nombonisi wenu wesifunda futhi ufunde isihloko esithi “Ungawelela Yini EMakedoniya?” kuyi-Nkonzo Yethu YoMbuso ka-August 2011.