Ngabelethwa ngo-1927 edorobheni elincani eduze ne-Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. UBaba noMma beba nabantwana abahlanu u-Jetha, u-Don, mina, u-Karl no-Joy. Soke besizimisele ukulotjha uJehova. U-Jetha waya etlasini lesibili leGiliyadi ngo-1943. U-Don, u-Karl no-Joy baya e-Bethel e-Brooklyn, New York, ngo-1944, 1947 nango-1951. Iimbonelo zabo ezihle nezababelethi bami, zangenza ngafuna ukusebenzela uJehova ngokungeziweko.

UBaba noMma bebathanda ukufunda iBhayibheli begodu bamthanda uZimu. Yeke, njengabantwababo basifundisa ukuthanda uZimu. Nanyana kunjalo, ubaba akhenge asawahlonipha amasondo ngemva kokuthi abe yisotja eYurobhu hlangana ngePi yePhasi I. Kwamthabisa khulu uMma ukuthi ubaba ubuye ekhaya aphila. Yeke wathi kubaba: “Karl asiye esondweni njengalokha nabesiya.” UBaba waphendula wathi: “Ngizokuphekelela kodwana angekhe ngingene.” UMma wabuza ukuthi: “Kubayini?” Ubaba wathi: “Hlangana nepi abadosiphambili bezekolo, abavela ekolweni yinye bebabusisa amasotja ebekalwa namanye epini.” Kghani uZimu bekasekela amahlangothi womabili wamasotja la?

Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi, uMma nakasesondweni, aboFakazi bakaJehova ababili beza ekhaya. Banikela ubaba incwadi yeBhayibheli eneengcenye ezimbili ethi-Light, beyikhuluma ngencwadi yesAmbulo. Ubaba kwamkara lokhu bekazamukela iincwadezi. UMma nakabona iincwadezi wathoma ukuzifunda. Ngelinye ilanga, wabona ephephandabeni ukuthi kunesimemo salabo abanekareko yokufunda iBhayibheli, basebenzisa iincwadi ze-Light. UMma waqunta ukuya lapho. Nakafika, kwavula umma osele aluphele. UMma watjengisa ugogo lo enye yeencwadi ze-Light. UMma wathi: “Kghani ngikho lapha ekufundelwa khona?” Ugogo lo wathi: “Iye, kulapha, ngena mntwanami.” Ngeveke elandelako uMma wasithatha nabantwana bekhaya sayokufunda lapho qobe veke.

Komunye umhlangano, umuntu obekaraga wangibawa ukuthi ngifunde amaRhubo 144:​15, athi bayathaba labo abalotjha uJehova. Umtlolo lo  wangikara kuhlanganise namanye amavesi amabili, yoku-1 kaThimothi 1:11 ethi uJehova ‘nguZimu othabako’ nekwebe-Efesu 5:1 esikhuthaza ukuthi ‘sibe balingisi bakaZimu.’ Ngalemuka ukuthi kufuze ngithabe nangizakulotjha uMdalami bengimthokoze, izinto ezimbilezi ngalinga ukuzenza ukuphila kwami koke.

Ibandla eliseduze belimakhilomitha ama-32 ukusuka e-Chicago. Nanyana kunjalo, besihlala siya begodu ilwazi lami ngeBhayibheli lakhula. Ngikhumbula ngelinye ilanga umuntu oragako wabawa u-Jetha ukuthi aphendule. Nangisolo ngilalele ipendulwakhe ngacabanga ukuthi: ‘Bengiyazi ipendulo, ngathana ngivele ngaphakamisa isandla ngaphendula.’ Yeke ngathoma ukulungiselela, ngilungiselele neempendulo zami. Okuqakatheke khulu, itjhebiswano lami noJehova lakhula, kuhlanganise nabantwana bekhaya. Ngabhajadiswa ngo-1941.

Ngiwukhumbula kuhle umhlangano wango-1942 e-Cleveland, Ohio. Iindawo ezingaphezu kwezima-50 e-United States bezithungelele ngomtato. Umndenekhaya bewuhlala ematendeni neminye imindeni eduze nalapho ebekunomhlangano khona. Nakuthoma iPi yePhasi II nokuphikiswa kwaboFakazi bakaJehova kwathoma ukwanda. Ebusuku, ngabona iinqhema zabafowethu ziphage iinkoloyi zabo, amalerhe aqale ngale kwekampa. Boke bavumelana ukuthi kube nomuntu munye ekoloyini ngayinye ukuthi agade phakathi nobusuku. Nange bekubonakala ngasuthi kuzokuba nomraro, abafowethu bebakhanyisa khulu amalerhe ukuthi abantu abazosisahlela bangasiboni begodu bebabetha nebhele. Abanye bebakghona ukugijima bayokusiza abanye. Ngacabanga ngathi, ‘Abantu bakaJehova bahlala balungiselela yoke into kuhle.’ Lokho kwangenza ngazizwa ngivikelekile, bengilala kamnandi begodu akhenge sibe nomraro.

Ngemva kweminyaka, nangicabanga ngomhlangano loyo, ngalemuka ukuthi umma akhenge atjengise nakancani ukuthi utshwenyekile namkha uthukiwe. Bekathembele ngokuzeleko kuJehova nehlanganwenakhe. Angekhe ngasilibala isibonelo sakhe esihle.

Kungasikade ngemva komhlangano loyo. UMma waba liphayona lesikhathi esizeleko. Bekalalelisisa kuhle nakuba neenkulumo ezikhuluma ngokusebenzela uJehova isikhathi esizeleko. Nasibuyela emva ekhaya wathi, “Ngingathanda ukuragela phambili ngiphayona kodwana angekhe ngikghone ukukwenza lokho ngapha ngitlhogomela izinto zoke zangendlini.” Wabuza ukuthi kghani singamsiza na, savuma. Bekasinikela umsebenzi njengokuthi sihlwengise ikamura linye namkha amabili ngaphambi kobana sidle ukudla kwekuseni. Ngemva kokuthi sele sikhambile siye esikolweni, umma bekahlolisisa ukuthi yoke into ihlezi kuhle ngendlini bese aye esimini. Bekamajadu khulu kodwana bekanaso isikhathi sabantwabakhe. Nasibuyela ekhaya ngesikhathi sokudla nangemva kwesikolo, bekahlala akhona. Ngamanye amalanga nasiphuma esikolweni besiya naye esimini, lokho kwasisiza sazwisisa ukuthi kutjho ukuthini ukuba liphayona.

Ngathoma ukuphayona ngineminyaka eli-16. Nanyana uBaba bekangakabi nguFakazi bekahlala afuna ukwazi ukuthi kukhamba njani emsebenzinami wokutjhumayela. Ngobunye ubusuku ngathi kuye nanyana ngilinga koke okusemandlenami, akunamuntu namunye engimfumeneko ukuthi ngifunde naye iBhayibheli. Ngemva kokuthula kancani, ngambuza ngathi, “Ungathabela ukufunda nami iBhayibheli?” Wacabangisisa ngalokho kancani wathi, “Ngingakuthabela.” Ubaba bekasifundo sami seBhayibheli sokuthoma. Bekulilungelo elikhulu nelikhethekileko kimi lelo.

Besifunda incwadi ethi, “The Truth Shall Make You Free.” Njengombana siraga nesifundo sethu ngalemuka ukuthi uBaba bekangisiza ngibe mfundi nomfundisi ongcono khulu. Ngokwesibonelo, ngelinye ilanga nasifunda isigaba esithileko, wathi: “ Ngiyakuzwa okutjhiwo yincwadi le, kodwana wazi njani ukuthi incwadi le ikhuluma iqiniso?” Bengingakakulindeli lokho yeke ngathi, “Angekhe ngakghona ukukuphendula okwanje kodwana esifundweni sethu esilandelako ngizabe sele nginependulo.” Ngalungiselela kuhle isifundo sethu bengafunda nokwenza irhubhululo. Lokho kwaba nendima ekulu ekukhuleni kwetjhebiswano laka baba noJehova. Bekakusebenzisa lokho ebekakufunda begodu wabhajadiswa ngo-1952.

Ngakhamba ekhaya ngineminyaka eli-17. U-Jetha a waba sithunywa sevangeli bese u-Don waya e-Bethel. Bobabili bebazithanda khulu izabelo zabo, lokho kwangikhuthaza khulu. Yeke ngafaka isibawo sokuya e-Bethel nesiKolweni seGiliyadi, ngatjhiyela koke ezandleni zakaJehova. Ngabizwa e-Bethel ngo-1946.

Ngafumana izabelo ezihlukahlukeneko e-Bethel, yeke ngafunda izinto ezinengi ezitjha. Eminyakeni ema-75 yoke ngise-Bethel, ngafunda ukwenza iincwadi nokuthengela i-Bethel izinto ezitlhogako nokukhambisa izinto eziqakathekileko kwezinye iindawo. Kikho koke, bengiyithabela ifundiso esisiza sibe nobuhlobo obutjhideleneko noJehova ebeyiba khona e-Bethel, njengokulotjha kwekuseni neenkulumo ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini.

Ngafunda nakumfowethu omncani u-Karl, oweza e-Bethel ngo-1947. Bekamfundi nomfundisi omuhle weBhayibheli. Ngelinye ilanga, ngambawa ukuthi angisize ngekulumo ebenginayo. Ngahlathululela u-Karl ukuthi benginamathulusi amanengi engiwafumeneko kodwana bengikufumana kubudisi ukuwasebenzisa. Wangibuza wathi: “Joel, sithini isihloko sekulumakho?” Msinyana ngalifumana iphuzu ebekalitjho ukuthi kufuze  ngisebenzise amathulusi afaneleko, akhambelana nesihloko sami bese ngibekele amanye ngeqadi. Angeze ngasilibala isifundweso.

Ukuthi sithabe e-Bethel kufuze senze koke okusemandlenethu ukuthi sibe khona esimini ngombana lokho kungaba neemphumela emihle nekhuthazako. Okhunye engisakukhumbula kuhle kwathoma entambama e-Bronx e-New York City. Mina nomunye umfowethu sayokuvakatjhela omunye umma okhe wafumana IsiThala nePhaphama! Sazethula sathi, “Entambama nje sisiza abantu bafunde izinto ezikhuthazako ezivela eBhayibhelini.” Umma lo wathi, “Nangabe nikhuluma ngeBhayibheli ngenani.” Safunda besacoca ngemitlolo embalwa ekhuluma ngomBuso kaZimu nephasi elitjha elizako. Lokho kwamkara wabe wabiza nabanye abangani bakhe bona bahlanganyele nathi esifundweni sethu seveke ezako. Yena nobabakwakhe ekukhambeni kwesikhathi, balotjha uJehova ngokuthembeka.

Bengisolo ngifuna umlingani womtjhado iminyaka eli-10 yoke ngaphambi kokuhlangana nomkami. Khuyini eyangisiza ngafumana umlingani ofaneleko? Ngathandaza ngicabangisisa ngombuzo othi: ‘Khuyini engifuna ukuyenza ngemva kokuthi sitjhadile?’

Ngomhlangano ka-1953 e-Yankee Stadium, ngahlangana no-Mary Aniol. Yena no-Jetha bebasetlasini lesibili leGiliyadi begodu u-Mary bekasithunywa sevangeli no-Jetha. U-Mary wathabela ukungicocela ngesabelo sakhe sokuba sithunywa sevangeli e-Caribbean nangeemfundo zeBhayibheli aziragileko. Njengombana besithoma ukwazana kuhle, salemuka ukuthi sobabili besinomnqopho ofanako wokuthi siragele phambi silotjha uJehova isikhathi esizeleko. Ithando lethu lakhula begodu satjhada ngo-Apreli 1955. U-Mary waba sisipho esivela kuJehova begodu bekasibonelo esihle. Bekathabile kunanyana ngisiphi isabelo ebakanikelwa sona. Wasebenza budisi begodu anendaba nabanye abantu. Bekahlala abeka umBuso qangi ekuphileni kwakhe. (Mat. 6:33) Sinomkami safumana isabelo sokuvakatjhela amabandla, sakwenza iminyaka emithathu kwathi ngo-1958, sabizwa e-Bethel.

Kunengi khulu engakufunda ku-Mary. Ngokwesibonelo, nasithoma ukufunda iBhayibheli saqunta ukulifunda sobabili, sifunda amavesi ali-15. Ngemva kokuthi omunye wethu afunde isiqetjhana esithileko, besicoca ngalokho esikufumene emtlolweni loyo nokuthi singakusebenzisa njani ekuphileni kwethu. U-Mary wangitjela izinto azifunde eGiliyadi namkha esabelweni sakhe sokuba sithunywa sevangeli. Engakufunda kuye kwangisiza ukuthi ngithuthukise indlela engibeka ngayo iinkulumo nendlela engikhuthaza ngayo abodadwethu.—IzA. 25:11.

U-Mary wahlongakala ngo-2013. Ngiqale phambili ukumbona ephasini elitjha. Okwanje, ngizimisele ukuragela phambili ngifunda bengithembe uJehova ngehliziywami yoke. (IzA. 3:​5, 6) Kuyangiduduza bekungiphe ithabo nangicabanga ngalokho abantu bakaJehova abazokwenza ephasini elitjha. Lokho kuhlanganisa ukufunda izinto ezitjha ngoMfundisethu Omkhulu. Ngimthokoza khulu ngakho koke angifundise khona bekube nje, nendlela angitjengise ngayo umusakhe omkhulu.