UMary lomkakhe uJohn a bahlala elizweni lapho okulabantu abanengi abavela ePhilippines ababuya bezodinga umsebenzi, yikho bayakukholisa ukutshumayeza abantu laba. Ngesikhathi somkhuhlane weCOVID-19, uMary waqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhili labantu abanengi abahlala elizweni lakhe kanye labakwamanye amazwe. Wakwenza njani lokhu?

UMary wayebuza abantu ayefunda labo iBhayibhili athi, “Bakhona yini abantu obaziyo abangafuna ukufunda iBhayibhili?” Nxa babesithi ye bakhona, wayebabuza ukuthi bangamhlanganisa labo yini. Ukubuza umbuzo lo olula kuyanceda kakhulu. Ngenxa yani? Ngenxa yokuthi izikhathi ezinengi abantu abalithandayo iLizwi likaNkulunkulu bayabe befuna ukuthi izihlobo labangane labo bakuzwe abakufundayo. Kwakusenzakalani nxa uMary angabuza abantu abafundisa iBhayibhili umbuzo lo?

Omunye owayefunda loMary iBhayibhili okwakuthiwa nguJasmin wamhlanganisa labanye abantu abane ababefuna ukufunda, labo baqalisa ukufunda. Omunye wabo nguKristine futhi wayekukholisa kakhulu ukufunda. Yikho wacela uMary ukuthi bafunde kabili ngeviki. UMary wathi embuza ukuthi bakhona yini abanye abantu abaziyo abangathanda ukufunda iBhayibhili, uKristine wathi, “Ye, bakhona. Ngizakuhlanganisa labangane bami.” Ngamaviki amalutshwana nje, uKristine wayesehlanganise uMary labangane bakhe ababefuna ukufunda iBhayibhili. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uKristine wamhlanganisa labanye futhi abangane bakhe, futhi labo bamdingela abanye abantu bokufunda labo.

UKristine wayefuna ukuthi abantwabakhe abasePhilippines labo bafunde iBhayibhili. Ngakho wakhuluma lendodakazi yakhe u-Andrea. Ekuqaliseni u-Andrea wayecabanga ukuthi oFakazi bayinkolo engazwisisekiyo, kabakholwa kuJesu lokuthi basebenzisa iThestamenti elidala kuphela. Wathi esefunde iBhayibhili okokuqala wabona ukuthi konke ayekucabanga kwakungaqondanga. Wayejayele ukuthi nxa efunda athi, “Nxa kuseBhayibhilini kutsho ukuthi kuliqiniso.”

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi u-Andrea wahlanganisa uMary labangane bakhe ababili kanye lomunye ayesebenza laye. Abantu laba baqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhili. Kanti njalo uMary wayengakwazi ukuthi u-Angela, ubabakazi ka-Andrea oyisiphofu laye wayelalela nxa efundisa u-Andrea. Ngelinye ilanga u-Angela watshela u-Andrea ukuthi atshele uMary ukuthi laye uyafuna ukufunda iBhayibhili. U-Angela wayekukholisa ayekufunda. Ngenyanga eyodwa nje, wayesebambe imibhalo eminengi ngekhanda futhi wayefuna ukufunda  kane ngeviki. Waqalisa ukungena imihlangano yebandla esebenzisa ezempucuko encediswa ngu-Andrea.

UMary wathi esizwa ukuthi umkaKristine okuthiwa nguJoshua laye uyabe ekhona nxa efunda, wambuza ukuthi uyafuna yini ukufunda. UJoshua wathi, “Mina ngifuna ukulalela kuphela ungangibuzi imibuzo, ungangibuza ngiyasuka.” Kungakapheli imizuzu emihlanu eqalise ukufunda, wayesebuze imibuzo eminengi ukwedlula leyo eyayibuzwe nguKristine futhi wayesefuna ukuthi baqhubeke befunda iBhayibhili.

Umbuzo olula owawubuzwa nguMary wenza ukuthi athole abantu abanengi ababefuna ukufunda iBhayibhili. Abanye babo wabadingela abanye oFakazi ukuthi babafundise. UMary waqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhili labantu abangu-28 emazweni amane atshiyeneyo.

UJasmin, umuntu wokuqala okukhulunywe ngaye esihlokweni lesi owafundiswa nguMary iBhayibhili, wabhabhathizwa ngo-April 2021. UKristine wabhabhathizwa ngoMay 2022 njalo wabuyela ePhilippines ukuze ayehlala lemuli yakhe. Abangane bakaKristine ababili abafunda loMary labo sebabhabhathizwa. Akuthathanga sikhathi u-Angela laye wabhabhathizwa njalo khathesi useliphayona lesikhathi sonke. UJoshua umkaKristine lendodakazi yakhe u-Andrea kanye labanye balokhu beqhubeka befunda iBhayibhili futhi bayathuthuka.

Ngesikhathi sikaJesu langezikhathi zabaphostoli, izindaba ezinhle zazisabalala masinya ngoba abantu babexoxela izihlobo zabo kanye labangane. (Joh. 1:​41, 42a; Imiseb. 10:​24, 27, 48; 16:​25-33) Lawe ungabuza abantu obafundisa iBhayibhili kumbe abanye oyake uxoxe labo uthi, “Ukhona yini omunye umuntu omaziyo ongafuna ukufunda iBhayibhili?” Kwazi bani, ungazithola usulabantu abanengi abafuna ukufunda iBhayibhili ngenxa yokuthi ubuze umbuzo lo olula.