Kude le nesiphithiphithi nesiminyaminya sasemadolobheni, abantu bezinhlanga ezihlukahlukene, izilimi nezizwe bahlala ehlathini lemvula lase-Amazon eNingizimu Melika. Ngakho ngoJulayi 2017, iqembu loFakazi BakaJehova abangu-13 lathatha uhambo olunyusa uMfula iMaroni nemifudlana ewumngenela esempumalanga yawo eFrench Guiana. Laliyaphi leli qembu? Lalihambisa umyalezo weBhayibheli onika ithemba kubantu abahlala ezindaweni ezigudle lo mfula.

 Kusasele inyanga eyodwa ngaphambi kwalolu hambo lwezinsuku ezingu-12, bonke ababezobamba iqhaza baba nomhlangano wokuhlela. UWinsley uyakhumbula, “Safunda ngendawo nangomlando wayo, saxoxa nangokuthi singazilungiselela kanjani lolu hambo.” Umuntu ngamunye wayenento yokuphatha engangeni manzi ayezofaka kuyo inethi lokulala kanye nenethi lokuvikela omiyane. Lolu hambo lwaluhlanganisa ukugibela indiza kabili bese kuba amahora amaningi kuhanjwa ngesikebhe esigwedlwayo.

 Labo ababekhethiwe bazizwa kanjani ngalesi simemo? UClaude noLisette, asebethathe umhlalaphansi balibamba ngazo zombili leli thuba. UClaude uthi, “Ngangijabule kakhulu, kodwa futhi ngangethukile. Kuningi engangike ngakuzwa ngezingozi eziba khona emfuleni lapho amanzi egijima ngamandla.” ULisette naye wayekhathazwa okwakhe, uthi: “Ngangizibuza ukuthi kazi ngizokwazi kanjani ukukhuluma izilimi zama-Amerindian.”

 Omunye owayekuleli qembu okuthiwa uMickaël wayezizwa ngendlela efanayo. Uthi, “Akukho lutho olutheni esasilwazi ngamaWayana, ngakho ngenza ucwaningo ku-inthanethi ukuze ngifunde amagama ambalwa engangingawasebenzisa lapho ngibingelela ngolimi olukhulunywa abantu bakhona.”

 UShirley, owayehamba nomyeni wakhe, uJohann, wabhala uhlu lwezilimi ezikhulunywa kule ndawo egudle lo mfula. Uthi, “Sadawuniloda amavidiyo ku-jw.org ngeziningi zezilimi zakhona sabe sesithola nencwajana efundisa ulimi yesiWayana.”

 NgoLwesibili, ngoJulayi 4, leli qembu labashumayeli lathatha indiza esuka eSaint-Laurent du Maroni lilibangise eMaripasoula, idolobha elincane elimaphakathi neFrench Guiana.

 Ezinsukwini ezine ezalandela, leli qembu laya kubantu abahlala ezindaweni ezisenhla nomfula iMaroni, lihamba ngezikebhe ezibizwa ngokuthi ama-pirogues. URoland, omunye wababekulelo qembu, uthi: “Sathola ukuthi ama-Amerindian akuthanda ngempela ukuxoxa ngezihloko ezisemiBhalweni. Anemibuzo eminingi, futhi abanye babo babefuna sibaqhubele izifundo zeBhayibheli.”

 Kwenye yalezi zindawo, uJohann noShirley bathola abashadikazi abasebancane ababesanda kushonelwa yisihlobo sabo esasizibulele. UJohann uthi, “Sababonisa ividiyo ethi A Native American Finds His Creator,” etholakala ku-JW Broadcasting. “Le vidiyo yabathinta ngokujulile laba bashadikazi. Basinikeza ikheli labo le-email ngoba babefuna siqhubeke sixhumana nabo.”

 Indawo eqhele kunazo zonke abayivakashela enhla nomfula kwakuyi-Antécume Pata. Kule ndawo, inkosi yendawo yavumela oFakazi abase bekhathele ukuba balengise amanethi abo ababezolala kuwo endaweni yomphakathi. Baya nasemfuleni beyogeza, njengoba kwenza abantu bendawo.

 Iqembu lasuka lapho lalibangisa endaweni yaseTwenké, lapho lifika lathola abantu bakhona belilela isihlobo sabo esasishonile. U-Éric, omunye wabahleli balolu hambo, uthi: “Lowo abambiza ngokuthi ‛Indoda Endala,’ okuyinduna yendawo, wasivumela ukuba sizihambele ngenkululeko endaweni ayiphethe ukuze siduduze labo ababesosizini. Le nduna nomndeni wayo bakujabulela ukuzwa imiBhalo esabafundelayo yona eBhayibhelini lesiWayana. Sabadlalela namavidiyo abonisa isithembiso sovuko esiseBhayibhelini.”

 Isigaba esilandelayo salolu hambo saba uhambo lwendiza oluthatha isigamu sehora olusuka eMaripasoula edolobhaneni okuthiwa yiGrand-Santi. NgoLwesibili nangoLwesithathu, abafowethu nodadewethu ababeyingxenye yalolu hambo baxoxa nabantu bendawo ngomyalezo weBhayibheli. NgoLwesine, oFakazi baphinde bathatha olunye futhi uhambo—uhambo lwamahora amahlanu nesigamu behlisa uMfula iMaroni belibangise endaweni yase-Apatou.

 Ngosuku olwandulela olokugcina lwalo mkhankaso, leli qembu lavakashela imizi esehlathini endaweni yaseMaroons, lapho kuhlala khona izizukulwane zezigqila ezathathwa e-Afrika zalethwa eNingizimu Melika ngesikhathi iSuriname isabuswa abokufika. OFakazi bamema wonke umuntu ukuba abe khona emhlanganweni owawuzoba khona ehlathini etendeni elikhulu elalilungiselelwe lowo mhlangano. UClaude uthi, “Izinhliziyo zethu zachichima injabulo lapho kufika inqwaba yabantu. Sasibameme ekuseni ngalo lolo suku!” UKarsten, owayeqala ukuthatha lolo hambo, wanikeza inkulumo yomphakathi e-Aukan enesihloko esithi “Ingabe Lokhu Kuphila Kuwukuphela Kwakho?” Kwaba nabantu abangu-91 abathamela le nkulumo abavela ezigodini ezihlukahlukene.

 Ekugcineni, leli qembu labuyela eSaint-Laurent du Maroni. Bonke babejabule kakhulu ngendlela abantu bakule ndawo abasabela ngayo, bathatha izincwadi eziningi babukela nenqwaba yamavidiyo akhiqizwa oFakazi BakaJehova.

 ULisette uthi, “Ngiswele amazwi okuchaza indlela engijabule ngayo ngokuthi ngibe yingxenye yalo mkhankaso.” UCindy naye uyavuma, uthi: “Uma kungathiwa angiphinde, ngingaya ngigijima. Kufanele uzizwele mathupha lobu bumnandi ukuze ubuqonde kahle!”

 Lolu hambo lwenza abanye kulabo ababebambe iqhaza baba nesifiso sokuwuphinda futhi lo mkhankaso. UMickaël uthi, “Sikulungele ukuphindela futhi!” UWinsley yena uthuthele eSaint-Laurent du Maroni. UClaude noLisette, bobabili asebeneminyaka engaphezu kuka-60, banquma ukuthuthela e-Apatou.