NgoSeptemba 7, 1950, ndaya kukhonza kwiBheteli eseBrooklyn. Ngelo xesha iBheteli yayinabazalwana noodade abayi-355 beentlanga ezahlukahlukeneyo nabaneminyaka eyi-19 ukusa kweyi-80 ubudala. Abaninzi kubo babengabathanjiswa.

Ndakufunda kuMama ukukhonza ‘uThixo onoyolo.’ (1 Tim. 1:11) Waqalisa ukukhonza uYehova ndiseyinkwenkwana. Ndabhaptizwa ngoJulayi 1, 1939, ndineminyaka elishumi ubudala, kwindibano yesiphaluka eyayiseColumbus, eNebraska, eUnited States. Sasihlanganisene kwiholo eqeshiweyo, simalunga nekhulu ababekho apho, siphulaphule intetho erekhodiweyo eyayinikelwa nguJoseph Rutherford eyayisithi “Fascism or Freedom.” Yathi xa iphakathi le ntetho, kwafika ihlokondiba labantu kwelo holo sasihlanganisene kulo. Lanyanzelisa ukungena, laphazamisa indibano yethu laza lasinyanzela ukuba siphume edolophini. Sahlanganisana kwifama yomnye umzalwana ekufutshane nedolophu, sagqibezela loo ntetho. Andikawulibali nangoku umhla endabhaptizwa ngawo!

UMama wazama kangangoko anako ukundikhulisela enyanisweni. Nakuba uTata wayezilungele, wayengenamdla kunqulo nakubomi bam njengomKristu. Ndandikhuthazwa nguMama namanye amaKristu ebandla laseOmaha.

Xa ndandiza kugqiba esikolweni samabanga aphakamileyo, kwafuneka ndenze isigqibo ngoko ndandiza kukwenza ngobomi bam. Ndandisiba nguvulindlela weeholide zekhefu (ngoku ebizwa ngokuba bubuvulindela bobuncedani), rhoqo ngeeholide zehlobo, nabanye ababeziintanga zam.

UJohn Chimiklis noTed Jaracz, abazalwana ababini abaselula nabangatshatanga ababephumelele kwiklasi yesixhenxe kwisikolo saseGiliyadi, bathunyelwa kwingingqi yethu njengabajikelezi. Ndothuka ndakuva ukuba babeneminyaka engaphezulu kancinci kweyi-20. Ngelo xesha mna ndandineminyaka eyi-18 ndiza kugqiba isikolo. Ndisakhumbula mhla uMzalwana  uChimiklis wandibuza ukuba ndiza kwenza ntoni ngobomi bam. Xa ndamxelelayo, wathi: “Ewe, ngenela inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Akwazi apho iya kukhokelela khona.” Elo cebiso, kunye nomzekelo wabo wandichukumisa. Ngoko ngo-1948 ukugqiba kwam isikolo, ndaba nguvulindlela.

NgoJulayi 1950, ndaya nabazali bam kwindibano yezizwe ngezizwe eyayikwibala laseYankee kwiSixeko saseNew York. Kuloo ndibano, ndaya kwintlanganiso yabo banomdla wokukhonza eBheteli. Ndabhala ileta, ndicela ukukhonza khona.

Nakuba uTata wayengenangxaki nokuba nguvulindlela kwam nokuhlala ekhaya, wayevakalelwa kukuba ndimele ndikhuphe imali ethile ekubeni ndihlala yaye ndisitya kwakhe. Ngoko ngenye imini, kwinyanga ka-Agasti, ngoxa ndandiyokufuna umsebenzi, ndaqala ndajonga ibhokisi yethu yeposi. Ndafumana ileta esuka eBrooklyn. Yayisithi: “Ndisifumene isicelo sakho sokukhonza eBheteli. Ndivile ukuba uyavuma ukuhlala eBheteli de iNkosi ikukhuphe. Ngoko ndicela ufike apha eBheteli e-124 Columbia Heights, eBrooklyn, eNew York, ngoSeptemba 7, 1950.” Le leta yayisayinwe nguNathan H. Knorr.

Ukubuya kukaTata emsebenzini ngaloo mini ndamxelela ukuba ndifumene umsebenzi. Wathi: “Wenze kakuhle, uwufumene phi?” Ndaphendula: “KwiBheteli eseBrooklyn. Ndiza kurhola i-$10.00 ngenyanga.” Yamothusa le nto, kodwa wathi ukuba yinto endikhetha ukuyenza le, mandiyenze ngamandla am onke. Akuzange kudlule xesha lide emva koko, wabhaptizwa kwindibano eyayikwiBala laseYankee ngo-1953!

Okuvuyisayo kukuba, uAlfred Nussrallah endandinguvulindlela kunye naye wabizwa eBheteli, ngoko sahamba sobabini. Ekuhambeni kwexesha watshata, baza yena nomfazi wakhe uJoan baya eGiliyadi, emva koko baba ngabathunywa bevangeli eLebhanon, baza kamva baba ngabaveleli abahambahambayo eUnited States.

Ukufika kwam eBheteli ndasebenza kwiSebe lokuShicilela, elidibanisa iincwadi. Incwadi yokuqala endasebenza kuyo yayisithi What Has Religion Done for Mankind? Ndasebenza iinyanga ezisibhozo kwiSebe lokuShicilela, ndaza emva koko ndabelwa ukuba ndisebenze kwiSebe leNkonzo ngaphantsi koMzalwana uThomas J. Sullivan. Kwakulilungelo ukusebenza naye, ndangenelwa kakhulu kubulumko namava awawazuza ukutyhubela iminyaka esentlanganweni.

Emva kokuba ndichithe iminyaka emithathu kwiSebe lokuShicilela, kwafika uMax Larson owayengumveleli wesebe lokushicilela esithi uMzalwana uKnorr ufuna ukundibona. Ndazibuza ukuba kazi ndenze ntoni. Kwathi xibilili xa uMzalwana uKnorr wabuza ukuba ndizimisele ukuyishiya na iBheteli. Wayefuna umntu owayeza kusebenza eofisini yakhe ngoko efuna ukwazi ukuba mna ndiza kukwazi na. Ndathi andizimiselanga kuhamba. Ndasebenza apho iminyaka eyi-20.

Ayinakuthelekiswa nanto imfundo endayifumana kuMzalwana uSullivan noKnorr nabanye ababesebenza eBheteli abafana noMilton Henschel, uKlaus Jensen, uMax Larson, uHugo Riemer, kunye noGrant Suiter. *

Abazalwana endisebenze phantsi kwabo babelungelelene, beyimela kakuhle intlangano. UMzalwana  uKnorr wayezibhokoxa ehambisela phambili izilangazelelo zoBukumkani kangangoko anako. Abantu abasebenze phantsi kwakhe bathi wayengeneka. Sasithetha ngokukhululekileyo nangokuzithemba naxa siza kuveza izimvo ezahlukileyo kwezakhe.

Ngesinye isihlandlo, uMzalwana uKnorr wayethetha nam ngokwenza izinto ezibonakala zingenamsebenzi. Wandibalisela ukuba xa wayesengumveleli wesebe lokushicilela wayedla ngokufowunelwa nguMzalwana uRutherford athi: “Mzalwana uKnorr, xa usiza kwisidlo sasemini, uz’ undiphathele iirabha zokucima ipensile (erasers). Uzibeke apha edesikeni yam.” Zisuka nje uMzalwana uKnorr wayesiya kuzithatha ezi rabha kwindawo ezihlala kuyo, aze azifake epokothweni. Emva kwemini wayezisa eofisini kaMzalwana uRutherford. Yayiyinto encinci le, kodwa yayiluncedo kuMzalwana uRutherford. Emva koko uMzalwana uKnorr wathi kum: “Ndithanda ukuba iipensile zam zihlale ziloliwe. Ndicela uzilole qho kusasa.” Kangangeminyaka, ndandiqinisekisa ukuba iipensile zakhe zihlala ziloliwe.

UMzalwana uKnorr wayedla ngokusixelela ngendlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukumamela kakuhle xa sicelwe ukuba senze umsebenzi othile. Ngeny’ imini wandinika umyalelo ocacileyo ngendlela yokusombulula ingxaki ethile, kodwa zange ndimphulaphule kakuhle. Loo nto yamenza wahlazeka. Ndibuhlungu, ndambhalela ileta ndisithi ndiyazisola ngento endiyenzileyo ibe ndibona kukuhle ukuba andithumele kwelinye isebe. Kwangaloo ntsasa, uMzalwana uKnorr weza edesikeni yam, wathi: “Robert, ndiyifumene ileta yakho. Wenze impazamo, ndathetha nawe ngayo. Ndiqinisekile soze uphinde uyenze. Masibuyele emsebenzini ke ngoku.” Ndaluxabisa gqitha uvelwano lwakhe.

Nakuba ndandisele ndikhonze eBheteli iminyaka esibhozo, ndandingekazimiseli kuyishiya le nkonzo. Kodwa ke, yonke loo nto yatshintsha. Ngexesha lendibano yezizwe ngezizwe eyayikwiBala laseYankee nasePolo Grounds ngo-1958, ndadibana noLorraine Brookes, udade endandimbone ngo-1955 ngoxa wayenguvulindlela eMontreal, eKhanada. Ndayithanda indlela ayithanda ngayo inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo nokukulungela kwakhe ukuya naphi na apho intlangano kaYehova ithi makaye khona. Usukelo lwakhe yayikukuya kwiSikolo saseGiliyadi. Xa wayeneminyaka eyi-22, wamkelwa kwiklasi ye-27 eyayingo-1956. Emva kokuphumelela kwakhe waya kuba ngumthunywa wevangeli eBrazil. Mna noLorraine saqalisa ukuthandana ngo-1958, waza wavuma ukunditshata. Sasizimisele ukutshata kunyaka olandelayo size sibe ngabathunywa bevangeli sobabini.

Xa ndaxelela uMzalwana uKnorr ngeenjongo zam, wacebisa ukuba silinde iminyaka emithathu, size emva koko sitshate sikhonze eBheteli yaseBrooklyn. Ngelo xesha ukuze isibini sihlale  eBheteli emva kokuba sitshatile, omnye waso wayemel’ ukuba ukhonze eBheteli iminyaka elishumi nangaphezulu abe omnye ekhonze iminyaka emithathu. Ngoko uLorraine wavuma ukukhonza kwiBheteli yaseBrazil iminyaka emibini waza omnye unyaka wawukhonza kule iseBrooklyn.

Kwiminyaka emibini yokuqala singejile sasincokola ngeeleta kuphela. Kwakudura ukufowuna, ibe kwakungekho ziemail ngelo xesha! Satshata ngoSeptemba 16, 1961, ibe intetho yomtshato wethu yanikelwa nguMzalwana uKnorr ngokwakhe. Ewe kona, loo minyaka sayilindayo yayibonakala imide. Kodwa ngoku, xa sikhangel’ emva ngolwaneliseko novuyo kule minyaka iyi-50 sitshatile, siyavuma ukuba asizange silindele ilize!

Ngo-1964 ndafumana ilungelo lokutyelela amanye amazwe njengomveleli otyelela amasebe. Ngelo xesha, abafazi babengahambi nabayeni babo kula matyelelo. Yatshintshwa kodwa loo nto ngo-1977, abafazi batsho bahamba nabayeni babo. Ngaloo nyaka mna noLorraine sapheleka uGrant Suiter nomfazi wakhe uEdith sityelela iiofisi zamasebe eJamani, eOstriya, eGrisi, eCyprus, eTurkey, nakwaSirayeli. Ewonke ayi-70 amazwe endiwatyeleleyo.

Ngo-1980 xa sasisiya eBrazil, uhambo lwethu lwasisa kwesinye isixeko ekuthiwa yiBelém, apho uLorraine wakha wangumthunywa wevangeli khona. Satyelela nabazalwana baseManaus. Xa sasiye kuphulaphula enye intetho ebaleni, sabona iqela labantu ababehleli bodwa, bengenzi ngendlela eqhelekileyo yaseBrazil yokuphuzana koodade esidleleni, nokuxhawulana kwabazalwana. Kwakutheni?

Babengabazalwana bethu abasuka kwindawo yabantu abaneqhenqa ekumahlathi ashinyeneyo aseAmazon. Babehlala bodwa ukuze bangosuleli abanye. Nakuba kunjalo, bazichukumisa iintliziyo zethu, asinakuze silulibale uvuyo olwalubonakala ebusweni babo! Ayinyaniso ngokwenene amazwi kaIsaya athi: “Abakhonzi bam baya kumemelela ngovuyo ngenxa yemeko elungileyo yentliziyo.”—Isa. 65:14.

SinoLorraine sikhe sicinge ngale minyaka ingaphezu kwe-60 sisenkonzweni kaYehova. Sivuyiswa yindlela esiye sasikelelwa ngayo ngenxa yokuvumela uYehova asikhokele kwintlangano yakhe. Nakuba ngoku ndingasakwazi ukutyelela amanye amazwe njengangaphambili, ndisebenza kwisebe elincedisa iQumrhu Elilawulayo, kwiKomiti yabaNxibelelanisi nakwiKomiti yeNkonzo. Ndilixabisa kakhulu ilungelo endilifumeneyo lokuxhasa abazalwana abasehlabathini lonke ngale ndlela. Kuhlala kusimangalisa ukubona abafana neentokazi bethontelana ukungena kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo njengoIsaya owathi: “Ndikho! Thuma mna.” (Isa. 6:8) Aba bakhonzi bakaThixo bangqina ubunyaniso bamazwi balaa mveleli wesiphaluka wakha wathi kum: “Ngenela inkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Akwazi apho iya kukhokelela khona.”