NDANDISELE ndinomdla wokuyazi iBhayibhile. Umama wayefumene iincwadi zokufunda iBhayibhile ibe ndandizithanda kakhulu, ingakumbi imifanekiso. Utata wayengafuni umama andibalisele ngezinto awayezifunda. Kodwa ke, ndandifuna ukwazi yaye ndinemibuzo, ngenxa yoko wayendifundisa xa utata engekho. Nam ndaphela ndifuna ukunikela ubomi bam kuYehova. Ndabhaptizwa ngo-1943 ndineminyaka elishumi, eBlackpool, eNgilani.

Ukususela ngoko, mna nomama saqalisa ukushumayela rhoqo. Sasisebenzisa iigramafoni ukuze sishumayele ebantwini. Ezi gramafoni zazinkulu yaye zimalunga neekhilogram eziyi-4,5 ubunzima. Khawube nombono wam, ndimncinci ndinjalo, ndisindwa yiloo gramafoni!

Ndathi ndisiba neminyaka eyi-14 ndabe ndifuna ukuba nguvulindlela. Umama wathi mandiqale ndithethe nesicaka esikhonza abazalwana (ngoku esibizwa ngokuba  ngumveleli wesiphaluka). Sathi mandizame ukufunda umsebenzi endiza kuzixhasa ngawo. Ndayenza loo nto. Emva kokuphangela iminyaka emibini, ndathetha nomnye umveleli wesiphaluka ngokuba nguvulindlela. Wathi: “Tshona khona!”

Ngoko ngoAprili 1949, mna nomama sathengisa impahla yendlu esasinayo kwindlu esasiqeshe kuyo saza enye saphisa ngayo. Emva koko safudukela eMiddleton, ngaseManchester, apho saqalisa khona ukuba ngoovulindlela. Emva kweenyanga ezine, ndafuna umzalwana endiza kuba nguvulindlela naye. Iofisi yesebe yacebisa ukuba sifudukele kwibandla elalisandul’ ukumiselwa eIrlam. Umama waba nguvulindlela kwelinye ibandla nomnye udade.

Nangona ndandineminyaka eyi-17 kuphela, mna nomzalwana endandishumayela kunye naye sacelwa ukuba siqhube iintlanganiso kuba babebambalwa abazalwana abafanelekayo kwelo bandla litsha. Kamva, ndathunyelwa kwiBandla LaseBuxton, elalinabavakalisi abambalwa yaye lidinga uncedo. Loo mava ndawafumana ndisemncinci andilungiselela izabelo ezizayo.

Ngo-1951, ndafaka isicelo sokuya kwiSikolo SeBhayibhile SeWatchtower SaseGiliyadi. Noko ke, ngoDisemba ka-1952, ndabizelwa emkhosini. Ndacela ukungayi ngesizathu sokuba ndingumshumayeli wexesha  elizeleyo, kodwa inkundla ayizange ivume ukuba ndingumshumayeli ndaza ndagwetywa iinyanga ezintandathu entologweni. Ndisavalelwe ndinjalo, ndafumana isimemo sokuya kwiklasi ye-22 yaseGiliyadi. NgoJulayi 1953, ndenjenjeya ukuya eNew York ngenqanawa ekuthiwa yiGeorgic.

Ukufika kwam, ndakwazi ukuya kwiNdibano Yebutho Lehlabathi Elitsha ka-1953. Ukusuka apho ndahamba ngololiwe ukuya eSouth Lansing, eNew York, apho sasikhona isikolo. Kuba ndivela entolongweni ndandingena mali. Ukuhla kwam kuloliwe ndandiza kuya ngebhasi eSouth Lansing, kwafuneka ndiyiboleke kumntu endandikhwele naye i-25 senti yokubhatala.

ISikolo SaseGiliyadi sasiqeqesha kakuhle ukuze sikwazi ukuba ngabathunywa bevangeli ‘abazizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke iintlobo.’ (1 Kor. 9:22) Mna noPaul Bruun noRaymond Leach sathunyelwa kwiiPhilippines. Kwafuneka silinde iinyanga eziliqela ukuze sifumane amaphepha okundwendwela; sakuwafumana, sahamba ngenqanawa iintsuku eziyi-47, sidlula eRotterdam, kuLwandle LweMeditera, kwiSuez Canal, kuLwandlekazi LwaseIndiya, eMalaysia naseHong Kong. Sade safika eManila ngoNovemba 19, 1954.

Lalifikile ixesha lokuqhelana nabantu, ilizwe nolwimi olutsha. Kodwa ke, sobathathu sasabelwe kwibandla eliseQuezon City, apho abantu abaninzi babethetha isiNgesi. Ngenxa yoko, emva kweenyanga ezintandathu sasisazi amagama ambalwa esiTagalog. Isabelo sethu esilandelayo sasiza kuyilungisa loo ngxaki.

Ngenye imini, sivela entsimini, ngoMeyi 1955, mna noMzalwan’ uLeach safika kukho iileta kwigumbi lethu. Sasabelwe ukuba ngabaveleli besiphaluka. Ndandineminyaka eyi-22 kuphela kodwa esi sabelo sandinika ithuba lokuba ‘zizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke iintlobo’ ngezinye iindlela.

Ngokomzekelo, intetho yam yesidlangalala yokuqala ndingumveleli wesiphaluka ndayinikela phandle ngaphambi kwevenkile yelali. Ndakhawuleza ndafunda ukuba ngaloo mihla, kwiiPhilippines intetho yesidlangalala yayinikelwa esidlangalaleni nyhani! Njengoko ndandityelela amabandla ahlukahlukeneyo, ndandinikela iintetho ezimarikeni, ngaphambi kweeholo zikamasipala, kumabala okudlala, ezipakini yaye amaxesha amaninzi nasezikoneni zezitrato. Ngesinye isihlandlo eSan Pablo City, izantyalantyala zemvula zenza andakwazi ukunikela intetho yesidlangalala emarikeni, ngoko ndacebisa abazalwana abakhokelayo ukuba ndiyinikele eHolweni YoBukumkani. Emva kwayo, abazalwana babuza ukuba le ntlanganiso kunokuthiwa ibiyeyesidlangalala na, ekubeni inganikelwanga esidlangalaleni!

Sasisoloko sifikela emakhayeni abazalwana. Nangona loo makhaya ayengenazinto zininzi, ayehlala ecocekile. Kumaxesha amaninzi ndandilala phantsi. Yayingekho indawo yokuhlamba efihlakeleyo ngoko ndafunda indlela yokuhlamba kuloo meko. Ndandikhwela ijeepney nebhasi, ngamanye amaxesha ndikhwele isikhephe xa ndisiya kwezinye iziqithi. Kuyo yonke iminyaka ndisenkonzweni andizange ndibe nayo imoto.

Ukushumayela nokutyelela amabandla kwandinceda ndafunda isiTagalog. Andizange ndisifunde esikolweni, kodwa ndasifunda ngokumamela abazalwana xa beshumayela nakwiintlanganiso. Abazalwana babefuna ukundifundisa ibe nam ndandiwuxabisa umonde noncedo lwabo.

 Ekuhambeni kwexesha, kwafuneka ndenze utshintsho olungakumbi ngenxa yezabelo ezitsha. Xa uMzalwan’ uNathan Knorr wayetyelele ngo-1956, ndabelwa ukuba ndivelele isebe elijongene nabeendaba kwindibano yelizwe. Ndandingenamava, ngoko abanye abazalwana babekuvuyela ukundifundisa. Kungekapheli nonyaka, kwabakho enye indibano yelizwe ibe kwakutyelele uMzalwan’ uFrederick Franz, owayesuka kwikomkhulu lehlabathi. Njengoko ndandingumveleli wendibano, ndafunda kwindlela uMzalwan’ uFranz afika afane ngayo nabantu bendawo ayityeleleyo. Abazalwana basekuhlaleni bavuya kakhulu bakumbona enxibe isinxibo somthonyama sakwiiPhilippines, ibarong Tagalog, xa wayenikela intetho yesidlangalala.

Kwafuneka ndenze utshintsho olungakumbi xa ndafumana isabelo sokuba ngumveleli wesithili. Ngelo xesha, abantu sasibabukelisa ifilimu ethi The Happiness of the New World Society, ibe kumaxesha amaninzi sasibabukelisa kwiindawo ezisesidlangalaleni. Sasikhe sihlutshwe nazizinambuzane. Zazitsalwa sisibane seprojektha zize zingakwazi ukuphuma kuyo. Yayingumsebenzi ukuyicoca emva koko! Kwakungekho lula ukubonisa abantu ezi filimu, kodwa kwakuvuyisa ukubona umdla wabo njengoko babebona ukuba intlangano kaYehova isehlabathini lonke.

 Abefundisi bamaKatolika babenyanzelisa abasemagunyeni ukuba bangasiniki imvume yokuba nendibano. Babeye bazame ukuphazamisa ucwangciso lwethu ngokubetha iintsimbi zecawa xa sineentetho kufuphi neecawa zabo. Sekunjalo, umsebenzi wahambela phambili kwaye ngoku baninzi abakhonzi bakaYehova kwezo ndawo.

Ngo-1959, ndafumana ileta ethi mandiye kukhonza kwiofisi yesebe. Nalapho ndafunda izinto ezingakumbi. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ndacelwa ukuba ndityelele amasebe amanye amazwe. Xa ndandityelele kwelinye lawo, ndadibana noJanet Dumond, owayengumthunywa wevangeli eThailand. Sabhalelana ixeshana saza kamva satshata. Sikhonze kamnandi kunye iminyaka eyi-51.

Ndibe nenyhweba yokutyelela abantu bakaYehova kumazwe ayi-33. Ndiyavuya kuba izabelo endazifumana ekuqaleni kwenkonzo yam zandinceda ndalungela ukusebenza nabantu bazo zonke iintlanga. Ukuya kula mazwe kundivule ingqondo nangakumbi kwaza kwandinceda ndabona indlela uYehova athanda ngayo bonke abantu.​—IZe. 10:34, 35.

Kusivuyise kakhulu ukukhonza nabazalwana bethu kwiiPhilippines! Inani labavakalisi balapha liphindeke phantse kalishumi ukususela oko ndaqala ukukhonza apha. Mna noJanet sisakhonza kunye kwiofisi yesebe yeePhilippines eQuezon City. Nangona sele kudlule iminyaka eyi-60 ndikhonza kwilizwe lasemzini, kusafuneka ndilungele ukwenza nantoni na uYehova ayifunayo. Utshintsho oluye lwenziwa kwintlangano kutshanje luye lwafuna ukuba sibe bhetyebhetye kwindlela esikhonza ngayo uThixo nabazalwana bethu.

Siye sazimisela ukwamkela nantoni na esibona ukuba kukuthanda kukaYehova yaye ukuphila ngaloo ndlela kusanelisile. Siye sazama nokwenza utshintsho olufunekayo ukuze sibakhonze kakuhle abazalwana bethu. Sizimisele ukuba ‘zizinto zonke kubantu bazo zonke iintlobo,’ logama uYehova esasivumela ukuba sikwenze oko.