UBABA nomma babonana kokuthoma ngo-1919 emHlanganweni wabaFundi beBhayibheli ebewuse-Cedar Point, e-Ohio, e-U.S.A. Batjhada ngawo umnyaka loyo. Mina-ke ngabelethwa ngo-1922, umntanthu uPaul, wabelethwa ngemva kweminyaka emibili. Umkami uGrace, wabelethwa ngo-1930. Ababelethi bakhe uRoy noRuth bakwaHowell, bakhuliswa babaFundi beBhayibheli, ugogo nomkhulwakhe nabo bebabaFundi beBhayibheli, begodu bayirhara nomncamo noMzalwana uCharles Taze Russell.

SinoGrace sathoma ukubonana ngo-1947, kwathi ngoJulayi 16, 1949 satjhada. Ngaphambi kokutjhada, sahlala phasi sakhulumisana ngokuthi silakha njani ingomuso lethu. Saqunta ukuzidima imbeleko, sangenela ikonzo yesikhathi esizeleko. Kwathi ngo-Octoba 1, 1950, saba maphayona. Ngemva kwalokho, ngo-1952 sabelwa ukukhambela iimfunda.

Sobabili besizizwa sitlhoga isizo malungana nesabelo sethu esitjhesi. Nanyana bengibandulwa banakwethu esekade babona, umkami naye bekakutlhoga ukubandulwa. Ngakhuluma noMarvin Holien, umnganethu omkhulu nokhe waba mbonisi wesifunda, ngambuza: “Uyazi uGrace usathambile, begodu usatlhoga ukubandulwa. Ngubani wena omcabangako angasebenza naye, athi ukumpheka isikhatjhana?” Waphendula, “Kukhona enginaye enqondweni. U-Edna Winkle uliphayona elizazi kuhle iindaba zalo, ngithemba bona angamsiza.” Ngemva kwesikhathi, uGrace wathi: “Bekangehlisa amaphaphu nesingena emzini, angifundise nokobana ngibaphendule njani abaphikisako, ngokuthi ngilalelisise kuhle umninimuzi nakakhulumako, khona ngizomphendula ngendlela efaneleko. Bekangikho koke ebengikufuna!”

SinoGrace sakhonza iimfunda ezimbili ze-Iowa, ezihlanganisa iingcenye zeemfunda iMinnesota neSewula yeDakota. Ngemva kwalokho sathunyelwa esifundeni sokuthoma seNew York, ebesihlanganisa neendawo zeBrooklyn neQueens. Angekhe sayikhohlwa indlela ebesizizwa sibancani ngayo  nesenza isabelweso. Phela isifundesi besihlanganisa nebandla leBrooklyn Heights, lapho ebekuhlanganyela khona inengi lamalunga weBethel aziinkurunarha. Ngemva kokubeka kwami ikulumo yekonzo yokuthoma, uMzalwana uNathan Knorr weza kimi, wathi: “Malcolm, awazi bona isiluleko osinikele sona siqakatheke kangangani, vele ngilokho okufuze sisebenzele kikho. Hlala ukhumbula bona, newungasiluleki ehlanganwena, uzokubonakala ngathi awuzazi iindaba zakho. Wenze kuhle khulu, ibambe njalo.” Ngemva kwemihlangano, ngatjela uGrace ngalokhu. Bese satjhinga ekamurwemi lethu leBethel. Sabe salila ngendlela ebesithukwe ngayo.

Ngemva kweenyanga, sathola incwadi esibawa bona sibe seklasini lama-24 lesiKolo seGiliyadi ebesizokuphela ngoFebherbari wango-1955. Ngaphambi kokuya esikolweni satjelwa bona ifundo ebesizoyifumana beyingekhe isibandulele ukuba ziinthunywa zevangeli. Kunalokho beyizosibandulela umsebenzi wokukhambela iimfunda. Ukuba sesikolwenesi bekukarisa kodwana kwasifundisa ukuthobeka.

Ngemva kokuqeda esikolweni, sabelwa ukukhonza esigodini. Isigodi sethu besihlanganisa iimfunda ze-Indiana, iMichigan, ne-Ohio. Kwathi kusesenjalo, sarareka nesifumana incwadi evela kuMzalwana uKnorr ethi: “Ngibawa ukhulume okusehliziywenakho, uthembeke kilokho ozokutjho. Nengabe ufuna ukuzokuhlala eBethel . . . namkha ufuna bona newuphuma eBethel wabelwe ngaphandle, ngibawa ungazise. Nengabe usafuna ukuraga umsebenzi wesifunda newesigodi, nalapho ngibawa ungazise.” Saphendula ngokuthi singenza nanyana yini esabelwa bona siyenze. Khenge siriyade, safese sathumela ipendulwethu eBethel!

Eminyakeni engayihlala eBethel, ngathabela ukwenza izabelo ezimalungana nokubeka iinkulumo nokufundisa kiyo yoke inarha ye-United States. Ngabandula inengi lamasokana, kamuva elaphathiswa umthwalo omkhudlwana ehlanganweni kaJehova. Kwathi ngesinye isikhathi, ngasebenza njengonobhala e-ofisini lakaMzalwana uKnorr, ebekungilo elihlela umsebenzi wokutjhumayela ephasini loke.

Ngayithabela khulu iminyaka engayisebenza emNyangweni weKonzo. Kulapho ebengisebenzelana khona noMzalwana u-T. J. Sullivan (ebebamjayele ngoBud). Ukhonze njengombonisi womnyango lo iminyaka eminengi. Kunabanye godu engafunda  izinto ezinengi kibo. UFred Rusk, ebekabelwe bona angibandule, bekangomunye wabo. Ngikhumbula ngimbuza ngomoya ophasi, ngithi kuye, “Wena Fred, qobe kusikinyeka komlomo ulungisa engikutlolileko eencwadini, kubayini wenza njalo?” Wahleka, wangitjela amagama aqaqulula umkhumbulwami, wathi kimi, “Malcolm, koke okukhuluma ngomlomo kungahlathululwa kanengi, kodwana waze wayitlola phasi into, khulukhulu neyivela la eBethel, kufuze izwakale kuhle beyibethe nemhloleni ngendlela okungakghoneka ngayo.” Ngomoya ophasi, waraga wathi, “Unganghali—wenza kuhle khulu, uzokuthuthuka ngokukhamba kwesikhathi.”

Kiyo yoke iminyaka ayihlezi eBethel, uGrace wabelwa imisebenzi eminengi ehlukahlukeneko, njengokuba mhlwengisi weenkumba zokuhlala eBethel. Bekawuthabela khulu umsebenzi loyo, kangangobana bekube namahlanjesi, kusese nabanye babazalwana ebebakhonza eBethel, esithi nasihlangana nabo bamtjele ngokubobotheka uGrace bathi, “Wangifundisa ukundlula umbhede, kangangobana angekhe wakholwa nangingakutjela ukuthi umma bekakuthabela kangangani lokho.” UGrace bekakuthabela nokusebenza emNyangweni kaMagazini, weeNcwadi, newokuDabha amaKhasethi. Ukwenza izabelo ezihlukahlukenekwezo kwamsiza wabona ukuthi nanyana yini esiyenzela ihlangano kaJehova ililungelo eliligugu nesibusiso. Ngitjho nanje usazizwa njalo.

Ngabo-1970, sayelela bona ababelethi bethu abalupheleko bekufuze batlhogonyelwe. Besingafuni ukukhamba eBethel, sitjhiye ezinye iinceku zakaJehova esizithandako. Nanyana kunjalo, sakateleleka ukuyokutlhogomela ababelethi bethu. Yeke, saphuma eBethel, kodwana sinethemba lokuthi nekutjhuguluka ubujamo esikibo sizokubuyela.

Endabeni yokuzondla, ngathoma ukufuna abantu abazokujoyina itjhorensi. Angekhe ngikhohlwe mhla umphathi ebekangibandula akangitjela ukuthi: “Ibubulweli liphumelela khulu newusebenza ntambama. Inengi labantu lifumaneka ngesikhatheso. Ayikho into eqakatheke njengokuvakatjhela abantu qobe ntambama.” Ngathi nangimphendulako, “Ngiyazi bona ukhuluma ngokwelumuko onalo ebubulweneli, begodu ngiyakuhlonipha lokho. Kodwana nginomthwalo wokondla ngokomoya okufuze ngiwunake nakanjani, begodu angifuni ukuthoma nje ukungawunaki. Ngizokusebenza ntambama, kodwana kunemihlangano eqakathekileko okufuze ngiyikhambe.” UJehova wangibusisa khulu ngokungatshwili emihlanganweni le ngebanga lomsebenzi.

Ngesikhathi umma ahlongakala ngo-1987, besihlanu kombhede ebekalele kiwo endaweni okutlhogonyelwa kiyo abalupheleko nabarholopheleko. Umhlengikazi omkhulu wendawo leyo weza kuGrace wathi: “Kosazana. Allen, ngibawa ukhambe  uyokuphumula ekhaya hle. Woke umuntu uyazi bona bewuhlala unonosokanakho ngasosoke isikhathi. Ngibawa ungazihloboki.”

Kwathi ngo-1987, sazalisa iforomo lokuyokhonza eBethel godu, indawo ebesivele siyithanda. Kodwana ngemva kwamalangana, uGrace waphathwa yikankere yamathumbu. Ngemva kokuhlinzwa nokululama, kwathiwa ikankere leyo akasanayo. Ngesikhatheso, sathola incwadi evela eBethel ebeyisibawa bona siragele phambili sikhonza nebandla ebesihlanganyela kilo. Sazitjela bona nakuyikonzo yomBuso kaZimu yona sizokuragela phambili nayo.

Kwathi ngesinye isikhathi, ngafumana umsebenzi eTexas. Saqunta bona siyokuhlala khona njengombana nobujamo bezulu bebubuhle, sibuthabela. Sihlezi eTexas iminyaka ema-25 yoke, sihlala nabanakwethu nabodade esibathanda kwamambala.

UGrace unokutshwenywa yikankere yamathumbu, begodu mvanje sewaba nekankere yebele. Kodwana akhenge ngimuzwe anghonghoyila ngepilwakhe namkha agagamela ubuhloko. Abantu vane bambuze ukuthi, “Nihlala nithabile ninendodakwakho begodu niphila kamnandi, nenza ngani?” Nekabaphendulako, uthi: “Simamathe nelimu. Sikhulumisana mihle namalanga. Alikho ilanga esingavakatjhelani ngalo. Asilali sidubhulelene imilomo.” Kuliqiniso, kwesinye isikhathi siyanghwarana, kodwana siyalibalelana besikhohlwe ngakho—lokho kusisebenzele kwamambala.

Kizo zoke iinlingo ekhe saqalana nazo, kuneemfundo esizifundileko:

1.  Thembela kuJehova, wamukele lokho akuvumela bona kwenzeke. Ungathembeli ekuhlakanipheni kwakho.—IzA. 3:5, 6; Jor. 17:7.

2.  Thembela esinqophisweni esiseliZwini lakaZimu, kungakhathaliseki bona uqalene nani. Ukulalela uJehova nemithetho yakhe kuqakatheke khulu. Akwenzeki bona ube phakathi naphakathi—kukabili, uyalalela namkha awulaleli.—Rom. 6:16; Heb. 4:12.

3.  Kunento eqakatheke khulu epilweni—ukuzakhela ibizo elihle noJehova. Beka umBuso kaZimu qangi epilweni, ungasolo udlhemezela ngemva kwezinto eziqalekako.—IzA. 28:20; UmTj. 7:1; Mat. 6:33, 34.

4.  Thandazela ukukhuthala nokuba neenthelo ekonzweni kaJehova ngendlela ongakghona ngayo. Qala lokho ongakghona ukukwenza, ungakuqali khulu okukubhalelako.—Mat. 22:37; 2 Thim. 4:2.

5.  Hlala wazi bona ayikho ihlangano emukelwa beyibusiswe nguJehova ngaphandle kwale esikiyo.—Jwa. 6:68.

Sinomkami sikhonze uJehova iminyaka ema-75, ema-65 yayo besele sitjhadile nesimkhonzako. Sibe nesikhathi esithabisako sokukhonza uJehova sisoke, kiwo woke amatjhumi la weminyaka. Siyathandaza, besithembe nokuthi abanakwethu nabodadwethu bazozifumana iimbusiso nebathembela kuJehova.