EMINYAKENI engaba litjhumi egadungileko, uGregorio noMarilou, abatjhadileko abaseminyakeni ema-30, bebaphayona eManila, khibe ngapha bangene ngehloko emsebenzinabo wokuziphilisa. Bebasuhleka, kodwana bebaphumelela nokho. Kwathi ngesinye isikhathi uMarilou wakhutjhulwa waba yimeneja yebhanga ebekasebenza kiyo. “Umsebenzethu bewusivumela bona sithabele ipilo yokutetemuka,” kutjho yena kazi. Eqinisweni ngendlela izinto ebezibakhambela kuhle ngayo, babona kungcono ukwakha isithabathaba sendlwabo yamabhudango endaweni ebeyikude neManila ngamakhilomitha ali-19. Baqatjha igontraga ebeyizobakhela indlu leyo, bavumelana ngokuthi bazayibhadela qobe nyanga, iminyaka elitjhumi yoke.

UMarilou uthi: “Umsebenzami omutjha bewungikhandla, ufuna isikhathi esinengi, ungitjhiya ngingasazikhanukeli nezinto ezingokomoya. Ngazizwa kwanga sengithoma ukukhwabanisela uJehova.” Nakaragako uthi: “Ngathoma ukudima uJehova isikhathi ebengithe ngizosisebenzisela ikonzwakhe.” Lokho khenge kubathabise nakancani, bahlala phasi bahlanganisa umkhulumo, ukuthi kuhlekuhle bafuna ukwenzani  ngepilwabo. UGregorio uthi: “Besifuna ukwenza amatjhuguluko, kodwana besingazi bona siwenze njani. Sacoca ngokuthi singenza njani bona sikhonze uJehova khudlwana, ingani nabantwana asinabo nje. Sathandaza kuJehova sabawa isinqophiso.”

Kwesinye isikhathi, iinkulumo ebezigandelela indaba yokukhonza lapho kunetlhogeko ekulu yabarhuweleli, bezirhidla phezu kwabo. “Satjho savuma bona iinkulumwezo beziyipendulo kaJehova.” kutjho uGregorio. Isibilesi sathandazela bona uZimu aqinise ikholo laso, nokuthi asisize senze isiqunto esifaneleko. Isiqabo esikhulu ebesijame phambi kwabo bekumsebenzi wokwakha indlwabo. Besekuminyaka emithathu bayibhadela. Kazi bebazokubona benzeni? UMarilou uyanaba: “Nange sisilisa phakathi isitolimende segontraga, sizokulahlekelwa ngiyo yoke imali ebesisolo siyibhadela—imali enengi komhlolo. Sabona kungcono sikhethe hlangana nokubeka uJehova qangi nokwanelisa okukhanukwa ziinhliziyo zethu.” Banamezwi kampostoli uPowula engqondweni ‘wokuthatha koke njengokulahlekelwa,’ basivala isitolimende sendlu, balisa nemisebenzi, bathengisa inengi lezinto ebebanazo, bathuthela ethrestini elisesihlengeleni sePalawan, ebesikude ngamakhilomitha ama-480 esewula neManila.—Flp. 3:8.

Ngaphambi kobana bakhambe, uGregorio noMarilou bebazibandulele ukuphila ipilo elula, kodwana akhenge bazi bona ipilo elula injani bekwaba kulapho bafika endaweni leyo. “Sakhuza umhlolo,” kwatjho uMarilou. “Igezi do, ingasaphathwa yeentwanyana ezenza ipilo ibe lula. Kunokuthi sisebenzise isitofu segezi, bekufuze sikape iinkuni, sipheke ngomlilo waphasi. Ngakhumbula wena ntolo, wena kudla kwakhona, ngitjho nepilo yedorobheni.” Nanyana kunjalo, isibilesi besisolo sizikhumbuza bona kuhlekuhle sizokwenzani endaweni le, akhenge kusithathe isikhathi ukujayela ipilo yalapho. UMarilou uthi: “Nje-ke, sithabela nobuhle bemvelo, noburhanyarhanya beenkwekwezi ebusuku. Ngaphezu kwakho koke, kuba lithabo kimi ukubona ubuso obuthabileko babantu esibatjhumayezako. Ngokukhonza endaweni le, sifunde ‘ifihlakalo’ yokwaneliseka.”—Flp. 4:12.

UGregorio uyalandisa: “Nesifika la, bekunaboFakazi abane nje kwaphela. Bathaba khulu nengithoma ukubeka ikulumo yenengi qobe veke nokuthi nekubhinwa iingoma zomBuso nje, mina khibe ngapha ngibetha isinara ngegatara.” Kwathi umnyaka ungakapheli nokuphela, isibilesi sabona isiqhema esincani siba libandla elinabarhuweleli abama-24. UGregorio uthi: “Indlela ibandleli ebelisithanda ngayo beyisithinta bekufike nehliziyweni.” Namhlanjesi, nebaqala emva eminyakeni esithandathu edlulileko yokukhonza kwabo endaweni leyo, bathi: “Ayikho into ethabisa kudlula ukubona abantu bathuthuka ngokomoya. Khani silemuka ukuthi ipilwethu inomnqopho kwanjesi.”

EPhilippines kunabazalwana nabodade abapheze babe zii-3 000 abathuthele eendaweni ezinetlhogeko yabarhuweleli bomBuso. Abama-500 babo, bodade abangakatjhadi. UKaren ngomunye wabo.

UKaren oseminyakeni yabo-25, wakhulela eBaggao, eCagayan. Nekaseselitlawana, bekavame ukubhudanga ngokwandisa ikonzwakhe. Ulandisa uthi: “Ukwazi bona isikhathi sikhambile, nokuthi woke umhlobo womuntu kufuze uzwe umlayezo womBuso, kwangihlohlozela bona ngiyokukhonza lapho kunetlhogeko ekulu yabarhuweleli.” Ngitjho nanyana amanye wamalunga womndeni wekhabo bekamkhuthaza bona angenele ifundo ephakemeko esikhundleni sokuyokutjhumayela endaweni ekude leyo, uKaren wathandazela isinqophiso sakaJehova. Wakhuluma nalabo abakhonza endaweni ekude. Uthe nakana-18, wathuthela endaweni elibanga elimakhilomitha ama-64 newusuka edorobheni lekhabo.

Ibandla elincani ebekalisekela belitjhumayela eentabeni zePacific Coast. UKaren uthi: “Ukuya ebandleni elitjha nesisuka eBaggao, bekufuze sikhambe ibanga lamalanga amathathu, sisolo sehla sinyuka, sibhoda iintaba, seqe imilambo amahlandla ama-30.” Uyanaba: “Nengiya kilabo engibafundelako, bengikhamba ama-awara asithandathu, ngikhambe ngamalalo, bese kuthi ngelanga elilandelako ngibambe indlela ebuyela la ngihlala khona, ngikhambe amanye ama-awara asithandathu godu.” Inga-kghani bekakhambela ilize? “Kwesinye isikhathi, iinyawezi bezifutha kangangani, kodwana bengiraga iimfundo ezili-18 zeBhayibheli. ‘Ngizwile, ngabona bonyana uJehova muhle’!”—Rhu. 34:8, NW.

Khuyini okwakhuthaza uSukhi, udade ongakatjhadi oneminyaka engaba ma-43 ohlala e-United States, bona athuthele ePhilippines? Uthe nakasemhlanganweni wesifunda ka-2011, walalela ikulumo ebeyinomkhulumiswano nesibili esitjhadileko. Isibileso salandisa indlela esathengisa ngayo koke ebesinakho, ukwenzela bona sithuthele eMexico siyokusiza ngomsebenzi wokutjhumayela. USukhi uthi: “Ikulumiswano leyo yangenza ngacabanga ngento engingakhenge ngicabange ngayo ngaphambilini.” Kwathi bona uSukhi, oliNdiya lendabuko, afumane bona kunetlhogeko ekulu esimini yesiPunjabi esePhilippines, waqunta ukuyokusiza khona. Bezinjani iintjhijilo ahlangabezana nazo?

“Ukukhetha okufuze kuthengiswe nokufuze kusale bekusitjhijilo esikhulu ebengingakasilindeli” kunaba yena kazi. “Ngemva kweminyaka eli-13 ngihlala kwami, ngayokuhlala nomunye umndeni emtlhatlhaneni. Bekubudisi, kodwana kwangifundisa ukuphila ipilo elula.” Ngiziphi iintjhijilo aqalana nazo ngemva kokuthuthela ePhilippines? “Ezinye iintjhijilo kukuthi  ayikho into engiyisaba njengeengogwana, angisayiphathi-ke yokuhlulukela bekhaya. Ngafunda ukuthembela kuJehova!” Kghani koke lokhu kuneenthelo? Atjho abobotheka uSukhi: “UJehova uthi ‘Ngilingani ngalokhu.’ kutjho uSomnini uSomandla. ‘Nibone nangingazokunivulela izulu liwuluke, nginithululele iimbusiso ezizakuba mhlumba.’ Amezwi la aba liqiniso kwamambala kimi lokha umninimuzi nakangibuza ukuthi, ‘Uzokubuya nini? Phela nginemibuzo eminengi engifuna ukukubuza yona?’ Awazi bona kuthabisa kangangani ukusiza abantu abalambileko ngokomoya, ngizizwa nganelisekile!” (Mal. 3:10) USukhi uyanaba: “Eqinisweni, ukuthutha bekusiqunto esibudisi khulu. Ngemva kokwenza lokho, ngathaba khulu nangibona uJehova ahlalisa zoke izinto zami kuhle.”

USime, umzalwana otjhadileko oseminyakeni yabo-38, wasuka ePhilippines nakathola umsebenizi orholela imali engangemali kwenye inarha esePumalanga ePhakathi. Nekalapho, wakhuthazwa mbonisi wesifunda, bewezwa nekulumo ebeyibekwa lilunga lesiHlopha esiBusako eyamkhuthaza bona abeke uJehova qangi ekuphileni kwakhe. “Kodwana bengirhidlwa livalo nengicabanga ngokulisa umsebenzi,” kutjho uSime. Ngitjho nanyana kunjalo wawutjhiya phasi umsebenzi, wabuyela emuva ePhilippines. Sikhuluma nje, uSime nonakwakhe uHaidee, bakhonza eDavalo del Sur, okuyindawo esesewula nenarha, etlhoga abarhuweleli bomBuso abangahlanganisa isimu ekulu. “Nangiqala emva,” kutjho uSime, “Ngithokoza khulu ngokuhlula ivalo ebenginalo nangicabanga ngokulisa umsebenzi, nokuthi ngibeke uJehova qangi epilwenami. Ayikho into eyanelisa ukudlula ukwazi bona unikela uJehova okungcono khulu!”

Kwathi bona uRamilo noJuliet, amaphayona aneminyaka engaba ma-33, nebafumana bona kunebandla ebelikude ngamakilomitha ama-30 newusuka la bahlala khona, baqunta ukuyolisekela. Yeke, qobe veke, kungakhathaliseki bona liyana namkha liyatjhisa, uRamilo noJuliet bebakhamba ngesithuthuthu bayokuhlanganyela ebandlenelo, bebaye nesiminakhona. Ngitjho nanyana ukukhamba indlela eneenkhisi nokuqaqada emabhrorhweni alenga emoyeni bekusitjhijilo, bebakuthabela ukwandisa ikonzwabo. URamilo uthi: “Mina nesithandwa sami besiraga iimfundo zeBhayibheli ezili-11! Newufuna ukukhonza la kunetlhogeko khona kufuze uzidele kwamambala, kodwana nokho, kuyanelisa.—1 Kor. 15:58.

Ungathanda ukwazi bona ngiziphi iindawo okutlhogeka kizo abarhuweleli bomBuso endaweni yangekhenu namkha ngaphetjheya? Nengabe uyathanda ukwazi, akhe uthi mbondombondo ngendaba le nombonisi wenu wesifunda, ufunde ne-Konzwethu yomBuso ka-Arhostosi 2011 esihlokweni esithi, “Ungaya na EMasedoniya.”