NJENGOBA ayekhula endaweni empofu eCôte d’Ivoire, uPascal wafisa ukuphila okungcono. Wayengumshayi-sibhakela ongakhokhelwa, futhi ezibuza, ‘Ngingalitholaphi ithuba lokuba usaziwayo kwezemidlalo futhi ngicebe?’ Lapho esevile eminyakeni engu-20, waphetha ngokuthi iYurophu eyayingamnika ithuba elinjalo. Kodwa ngenxa yokuthi wayengenazo izincwadi zokungena eYurophu, kwakuzodingeka angene ngokungemthetho.

UPascal waqala uhambo lwakhe ngo-1998, eneminyaka engu-27. Wanqamula umngcele wangena eGhana, wadlulela eTogo naseBenin, ekugcineni wafika edolobheni laseBirni Nkonni eNiger. Manje kwase kuzoqala ingxenye yohambo eyingozi kakhulu. Ukuze aye enyakatho, kwakuyodingeka agibele iloli lihamba anqamule uGwadule iSahara. Lapho efika eMedithera, wayezogibela isikebhe aye eYurophu. Wayehlele ukwenza kanjalo kodwa kunezinto ezimbili ezenzeka eNiger ezamphazamisa.

Okokuqala, waphelelwa yimali. Okwesibili, wahlangana noNoé, iphayona elaqala ukumqhubela isifundo seBhayibheli. Lokho ayekufunda kwamthinta ngokujulile futhi kwashintsha umbono wakhe ngokuphila. Imigomo yakhe yezinto ezibonakalayo yathathelwa indawo yimigomo engokomoya. Ngo-December 1999, uPascal wabhapathizwa. Ukuze abonise ukwazisa kwakhe kuJehova, ngo-2001 waqala ukuphayona eNiger—idolobha ayethole kulo iqiniso. Uzizwa kanjani ngenkonzo yakhe? Uthi, “Ngithola okungcono kakhulu ekuphileni!”

NjengoPascal, abaningi baye bathola ukuthi ukuthola ukwaneliseka okukhulu ekuphileni kuncike ekuphishekeleni imigomo engokomoya. Ukuze bafinyelele imigomo enjalo, abanye baye bashiya iYurophu bathuthela e-Afrika beyokhonza ezindaweni ezinesidingo esikhulu sabamemezeli boMbuso. Eqinisweni, oFakazi abangaba ngu-65 baseYurophu—abaneminyaka ephakathi kwengu-17 nengu-70—bathuthela lapho kunendingeko khona, emazweni aseNtshonalanga Afrika njengaseBenin, eBurkina Faso, eNiger naseTogo. * Yini eyabashukumisela ukuba bathathe isinyathelo esikhulu kangaka, futhi uye waba yini umphumela?

U-Anne-Rakel waseDenmark uyalandisa: “Abazali bami bakhonza njengezithunywa zevangeli eSenegal. Babehlale bekhuluma ngentshiseko ngokuphila kwezithunywa zevangeli kangangokuthi nami ngafuna ukuphila njengabo.” Eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngu-15 edlule, lapho esevile eminyakeni engu-20, u-Anne-Rakel wathuthela eTogo lapho ekhonza khona ebandleni lolimi lwezandla. Ukuthutha kwakhe kwabakhuthaza kanjani  abanye? Uthi: “Kamuva udadewethu nomfowethu omncane bangilandela beza eTogo.”

U-Aurele, umzalwane oshadile oneminyaka engu-70 ubudala waseFrance, uthi: “Eminyakeni emihlanu eyedlule, lapho ngithatha umhlalaphansi, kwadingeka ngikhethe ukuthi ngiyophila ukuphila okungematasa eFrance ngilinde iPharadesi noma ngiyokwandisa inkonzo yami.” U-Aurele wakhetha ukwandisa inkonzo yakhe. Eminyakeni emithathu edlule, yena nomkakhe, u-Albert-Fayette, bathuthela eBenin. U-Aurele uthi, “Ukuzenza sitholakale ukuze sikhonze uJehova lapha, kuyinto engcono kakhulu kwesake sazenza.” Emomotheka uthi, “Okuhle nakakhulu ukuthi insimu yethu engasogwini yinhle njengePharadesi.”

UClodomir nomkakhe uLysiane, bathuthela eBenin besuka eFrance eminyakeni engu-16 edlule. Ekuqaleni, babebakhumbula kakhulu abangane nemindeni yabo eseFrance, futhi benovalo lokuthi ngeke bakwazi ukujwayela ukuphila kwabo okusha. Nokho lwalungadingeki. Bathola injabulo enkulu. UClodomir uthi, “Kule minyaka engu-16, siye saba nelungelo lokusiza ngokwesilinganiso umuntu oyedwa unyaka ngamunye ukuba amukele iqiniso.”

USébastien noJohanna, umbhangqwana waseFrance, bathuthela eBenin ngo-2010. “Kuningi okudinga ukwenziwa ebandleni,” kusho uSébastien. “Ukukhonza kule ndawo kudinga ukuba sifunde izinto eziningi ngokushesha!” Basabela kanjani abantu ababathola ensimini? UJohanna uthi: “Abantu bomele iqiniso. Ngisho noma singekho ensimini, abantu bayasimisa emigwaqweni basibuze imibuzo yeBhayibheli, bacele nezincwadi zethu.” Ukuthutha kwabo kuwuthinte kanjani umshado wabo? USébastien uyaphawula: “Kuye kwawuqinisa umshado wethu. Kuyinjabulo ukuchitha zonke izinsuku nomkami enkonzweni.”

U-Eric nomkakhe, uKaty, bakhonza njengamaphayona enyakatho yeBenin enemizi egqagqene. Eminyakeni engaba ishumi edlule, besahlala eFrance, baqala ukufunda izihloko ezazikhuluma ngokukhonza lapho indingeko inkulu khona nokukhuluma nezikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele. Lokhu kwabenza baba nesifiso sokuthuthela kwelinye izwe, futhi benza kanjalo ngo-2005. Baye babona ukwanda okukhulu. U-Eric uthi: “Eminyakeni emibili edlule, iqembu lethu elisedolobheni laseTanguiéta lalinabamemezeli abangu-9; manje bangu-30. NgeSonto baphakathi kuka-50 no-80 abantu abeza emihlanganweni. Yeka ukuthi kuyinjabulo engenakuqhathaniswa kangakanani ukubona ukwanda okungaka!”

Yiziphi izinselele abanye abakhonza endingekweni abaye babhekana nazo? UBenjamin, oneminyaka engu-33, ungumfowabo ka-Anne-Rakel. Ngo-2000 eDenmark, wahlangana nesithunywa sevangeli esasike sakhonza eTogo. Uyakhumbula: “Lapho ngitshela isithunywa sevangeli ukuthi ngifuna ukuphayona, sathi: ‘Mhlawumbe ungaphayona eTogo.’” UBenjamin wabe esecabanga ngakho. Uthi: “Ngangingakabi ngisho naneminyaka engu-20 ngaleso sikhathi, kodwa odadewethu abadala ababili, base bekhonza eTogo. Lokho kwenza kwaba lula ngami ukuya khona.” Ngakho wathutha. Kodwa kwakusenenselele. Uyachaza: “Ngangingazi ngisho negama elilodwa lesiFulentshi. Izinyanga zokuqala eziyisithupha zazinzima ngoba ngangingakwazi ukukhuluma nabantu.” Nokho, wathuthuka ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Manje uBenjamin ukhonza eBethel eBenin, udiliva izincwadi abuye asize emnyangweni wama-computer.

U-Eric noKaty, okukhulunywe ngabo ngenhla, babeke bakhonza ensimini yabantu abakhuluma izilimi zakwamanye amazwe eFrance ngaphambi kokuthuthela eBenin. Yayihluke ngani iNtshonalanga Afrika? UKaty uthi: “Kwakungelula ukuthola indawo ekahle yokuhlala. Kwaphela izinyanga sihlala endlini engenawo ugesi namanzi.” U-Eric uyanezela: “Kwamakhelwane umculo wawukhalela phezulu kuze kube sebusuku kakhulu. Ukubhekana nezinto ezinjengalezo kudinga isineke nokuzimisela ukuzivumelanisa nezimo.” Bobabili bayavuma: “Injabulo yokukhonza ensimini engakaze isetshenzwe izidlula kude noma yiziphi izinselele.”

UMichel noMarie-Agnès, umbhangqwana waseFrance osucela eminyakeni engu-60 ubudala, bathuthela eBenin eminyakeni ecishe ibe mihlanu edlule. Baqale bakhathazeka. UMichel uthi abanye abantu babecabanga ukuthi ukuthutha kwethu kuyingozi. Wanezela: “Sasingethuka ngempela ukube sasingazi ukuthi uJehova uyasisekela. Ngakho sathutha ngoba sazi ukuthi senzela uJehova nokuthi unathi.”

Labo abanokuhlangenwe nakho kokukhonza endingekweni bagcizelela ukubaluleka kokuzilungiselela ngokuthatha lezi zinyathelo: Hlela kusengaphambili. Funda ukuzivumelanisa nezimo. Namathela endleleni ohlele ukuyisebenzisa ngayo imali. Thembela kuJehova.—Luka 14:28-30.

USébastien, okukhulunywe ngaye ekuqaleni, uthi: “Ngaphambi kokuba sithuthe, mina noJohanna songa imali iminyaka emibili ngokunciphisa izindleko zokuzijabulisa nangokuyeka ukuthenga izinto esingazidingi.” Ukuze baqhubeke bekhonza kwelinye izwe, unyaka ngamunye basebenza izinyanga ezimbalwa eYurophu, okwenza bakwazi ukuphayona eBenin ngalezi ezinye izinyanga.

 UMarie-Thérèse ungomunye wodade abangashadile abangaba ngu-20 abavela kwamanye amazwe abakhonza endingekweni eNtshonalanga Afrika. Wayengumshayeli webhasi eFrance; nokho, wathatha iholide lonyaka wonke ngo-2006 ukuze aphayone eNiger. Washeshe wabona ukuthi lokhu yikona kuphila ayekufuna ngempela. UMarie-Thérèse uthi: “Ngemva kokubuyela eFrance, ngakhuluma nomqashi wami ngesifiso sami sokushintsha isimiso sami somsebenzi, futhi akabanga nankinga nalokho. Manje ngisebenza ukushayela kusukela ngo-May kuya ku-August eFrance bese kuthi ngo-September kuya ku-April, ngikhonze njengephayona eNiger.”

Labo ‘abafuna umbuso kuqala’ bangaba nethemba lokuthi uJehova uyobanika ‘zonke ezinye izinto ezidingekile.’ (Math. 6:33) Ngokwesibonelo: Cabanga ngalokho okwenzeka kuSaphira, udade ongashadile waseFrance osecela eminyakeni engu-30 ubudala futhi okhonza njengephayona eBenin. Ngo-2011 wabuyela eFrance eyosebenza ukuze abe nemali eyanele yokuzisekela ngonyaka olandelayo (unyaka wakhe wesithupha) e-Afrika. Uthi: “KwakungoLwesihlanu, usuku lwami lokugcina emsebenzini, kodwa ngangisadinga ukusebenza ezinye izinsuku eziyishumi ukuze ngithole imali eyanele yokuzisekela ngonyaka olandelayo. Ngangisalelwe amasonto amabili kuphela eFrance. Ngathandaza kuJehova ngimchazela ngesimo sami. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, ngathola ucingo oluvela enkampanini efunelana umsebenzi bengicela ukuba ngibambele othile emsebenzini amasonto amabili.” NgoMsombuluko uSaphira waya kulowo msebenzi ukuze ayoqeqeshwa yisisebenzi ayezosibambela. Uthi: “Ngamangala uma ngithola ukuthi kwakungudade odinga izinsuku eziyishumi ukuze aye eSikoleni Senkonzo Samaphayona! Umqashi wakhe wayemenqabele ukuba athathe iholidi uma engekho umuntu owayezombambela. Lo dade wayecele uJehova ukuba angenele—njengoba nje nami ngangenzile.”

Kunabazalwane nodade abaye bakhonza eNtshonalanga Afrika iminyaka eminingi futhi sebezizwa besekhaya. Abanye baye bakwazi ukuhlala khona iminyaka embalwa base bebuyela emazweni akubo. Kodwa ngisho nanamuhla, labo abake bakhonza endingekweni basazuza eminyakeni abayichitha bekhonza khona. Bafunda ukuthi ukwaneliseka kwangempela ekuphileni kutholakala ngokukhonza uJehova.