NGEMVA nje kokuzalwa kwendodana yami uGary ngo-1958, ngasola ukuthi kukhona okungahambi kahle. Kepha kwabathatha izinyanga eziyishumi odokotela ukuthola ukuthi iphethwe yini neminye emihlanu ukuba odokotela baseLondon abawochwepheshe bakuqinisekise lokho. Ngadabuka kakhulu lapho indodakazi yami uLouise, eyazalwa ngemva kweminyaka engu-9 uGary azalwa, iba nezimpawu ezimbi kakhulu kunezakhe.

Ngomoya ophansi odokotela bathi: “Bobabili abantabakho banesifo esibizwa ngokuthi i-LMBB (Laurence-Moon-Bardet-Biedl) syndrome, * futhi ngeshwa aselapheki.” Ngaleso sikhathi kwakukuncane kakhulu okwakwaziwa ngalesi sifo esingavamile esidluliselwa ngofuzo. Izimpawu zaso zihlanganisa ukuqundeka kwamehlo okuholela ebumpumputheni, ukukhuluphala ngokweqile, iminwe noma izinzwane ezengeziwe, ukukhula kancane komzimba, ukungaxhumani kwengqondo nezinye izitho zomzimba, isifo sikashukela, ukudleka kwamathambo nokungasebenzi kahle kwezinso. Ngakho ukunakekela izingane zami kwakuzoba inselele impela. Ucwaningo lwamuva lulinganisela ukuthi oyedwa kubantu abangu-125 000 eBrithani uphethwe yilesi sifo nakuba kwabanye abaningi singase singabi sibi kangako.

Ngisanda kushada ngaxoxa nomunye woFakazi BakaJehova futhi ngasheshe ngalibona iqiniso. Kodwa umyeni wami akabanga nasithakazelo. Ngenxa yomsebenzi wakhe, sasihlale sithutha, ngakho ngangingakwazi ukuhlanganyela nebandla. Noma kunjalo ngaqhubeka ngifunda iBhayibheli futhi ngithandaza kuJehova. Yeka ukuthi kwakududuza kanjani ukufunda ukuthi “uJehova uyoba yindawo ephakeme elondekile yanoma ubani ochotshoziwe, indawo ephakeme elondekile ngezikhathi zokucindezeleka” nokuthi ‘ngokuqinisekile ngeke abashiye labo abamfunayo’!—IHu. 9:9, 10.

UGary wayengaboni kahle, ngakho lapho eseneminyaka eyisithupha, wayiswa esikoleni ofunda uhlala kuso sabanezidingo ezikhethekile esisogwini oluseningizimu yeNgilandi. Wayengishayela ucingo njalo ngezinkinga ezimkhathazayo, futhi ngangikwazi ukumsiza ocingweni ukuba aqonde izimiso eziyisisekelo zeBhayibheli. Ngemva kweminyakana nje uLouise ezelwe, ngaphathwa isifo sokuqina kwezicubu nesokuqaqamba kwemisipha (fibromyalgia). UGary wabuya ekhaya lapho eseneminyaka engu-16. Nokho amehlo akhe ayeqhubeka eba buthaka nakakhulu futhi ngo-1975 wabhaliswa ngokusemthethweni njengomuntu oyimpumputhe. Ngo-1977 umyeni wami wasishiya.

Ngemva nje kokubuya kukaGary, sahlanganyela nebandla elinothando, futhi ngabhapathizwa ngo-1974. Ngathokoza kakhulu lapho omunye umdala esiza uGary ukuba abhekane noshintsho lokukhula phakathi neminyaka yakhe yobusha. Abanye oFakazi babengisiza ngemisebenzi yasendlini, futhi kamuva abezenhlalakahle baqasha abahlanu kubo njengabanakekeli bethu abasemthethweni. Yeka isibusiso lokhu okuye kwaba yiso!

UGary waqhubeka ethuthuka eqinisweni waze wabhapathizwa ngo-1982. Wayefuna kakhulu ukuba iphayona elisizayo. Ngenxa yalokho, nganquma ukumsiza kuleyo nkonzo futhi saqhubeka iminyaka eminingana. Wajabula kakhulu lapho, ngemva kwesikhathi  esithile, umbonisi wethu wesifunda embuza: “Kungani ungabi iphayona elivamile Gary?” Leso sikhuthazo sasanele futhi ngo-1990 wamiswa njengephayona elivamile.

UGary usehlinzwe inqulu kabili, okokuqala ngo-1999, okwesibili ngo-2008, kodwa izinkinga zikaLouise zempilo zona zazizimbi kakhulu. Wazalwa eyimpumputhe, futhi lapho ngibona uzwane lwesithupha kolunye lwezinyawo zakhe, ngabona ukuthi naye une-LMBB syndrome. Ukuhlolwa kwakhe kwasheshe kwembula ukuthi wayenezinkinga ezinkulu nasezithweni eziningi zangaphakathi. Njengoba iminyaka idlula, uye wenziwa ukuhlinzwa okukhulu okuningi, kuhlanganise nokuhlinzwa izinso kahlanu. NjengoGary, naye unesifo sikashukela.

Njengoba eqaphela izinkinga ezingase ziphakame uma kudingeka ahlinzwe, uLouise ukhuluma nodokotela abahlinzayo, odokotela ababulala izinzwa nabaphathi besibhedlela kusengaphambili ukuze abachazele izinqumo zakhe ngokuphathelene nokwelashwa ngaphandle kwegazi. Ngenxa yalokho, unobuhlobo obuhle nabo bonke abazinakekela kahle izinkinga zempilo yakhe.

Ekhaya sihlale simatasa ngemisebenzi yokukhulekela uJehova. Ngaphambi kokuba kutholakale izinsiza zobuchwepheshe besimanje, ngangivame ukuchitha isikhathi esiningi ngifundela uGary noLouise. Manje ama-CD, ama-DVD nezinto eziqoshiwe ezisengosini yethu ethi www.ps8318.com zenza sonke sijabulele isimiso sokufundwa kweBhayibheli kwamasonto onke ngezikhathi ezihlukene, futhi siyakwazi nokuhlanganyela ngezimpendulo esifundweni.

Ngezinye izikhathi uGary uzibamba ngekhanda izimpendulo, futhi uma enenkulumo eSikoleni Senkonzo Esingokwasezulwini, uyakwazi ukuyibeka ngamazwi akhe. Wamiswa njengenceku ekhonzayo ngo-1995 futhi uhlale ematasa eHholo LoMbuso, amukela amalungu ebandla futhi esiza emshinini okhulisa izwi.

Abanye oFakazi bahamba noGary ensimini, ngokuvamile bamqhube ngesihlalo sabakhubazekile asehamba ngaso ngenxa yesifo sakhe samathambo. Omunye uFakazi uye wamsiza ukuba aqhube isifundo seBhayibheli nomuntu othakazelayo. UGary ukhuthaze nomKristu owayesephole iminyaka engu-25. Bobabili laba sebeyaya emihlanganweni yobuKristu.

Eneminyaka engu-9, uLouise wafundiswa ugogo wakhe ukuluka ngensonto, mina nomunye wabanakekeli bakhe samfundisa ukuhlobisa izindwangu. Ngenxa yokuthi uyakujabulela ukuluka, wenzela abantwana nasebekhulile ebandleni izingubo zokulala ezimibalabala. Wenza namakhadi ngezithombe ezincane ezinanyathiselwayo. Aba yigugu kulabo asuke ebenzela wona. ULouise wafunda ukubhala ngomshini esanda kweva eminyakeni eyishumi nambili. Manje ngosizo lwe-computer ekhethekile ekhulumayo, uxhumana njalo nabangane nge-e-mail. ULouise wabhapathizwa eneminyaka engu-17. Ngemikhankaso ekhethekile yokushumayela, sijabulela inkonzo yamaphayona asizayo ndawonye. NjengoGary, uLouise ubamba imiBhalo ngekhanda ukuze azwakalise ukholo lwakhe ezithembisweni zikaNkulunkulu zomhlaba kuwo “amehlo ezimpumputhe ayovulwa,” futhi ‘okungekho ohlala kuwo oyothi: “Ngiyagula.”’—Isaya 33:24; 35:5.

Yeka ukuthi sibonga kangakanani ngamaqiniso ayigugu aseZwini likaJehova eliphefumulelwe! Izinhliziyo zethu zichichima ukubonga ngokusekela kothando kwebandla lakithi, ngoba ngaphandle kwalo, omningi womsebenzi wethu besingeke siwenze. Ngokukhethekile sibonga uJehova ngoba ukuphila kwethu kunenjongo yangempela ngenxa yosizo lwakhe.