NGATALWA nga-1923 eHemsworth lidolobha laseYorkshire, eNgilandi. Benginamunye bhuti lomdzala futsi ligama lakhe bekunguBob. Cishe nangineminyaka lengu-9, babe wami lobekanyanya kutentisa lokwentiwa yinkholo watfola tincwadzi lebetembula inkholo yemanga. Lakufundza kwamjabulisa kakhulu. Ngemuva kweminyaka lembalwa Bob Atkinson weta ekhaya wasidlalela lenye yetinkhulumo temzalwane Rutherford ku-phonograph. Satfola kutsi lenkhulumo beyifana naloku lesakufundza kuletincwadzi. Batali bami bacela umzalwane Atkinson kutsi njalo ntsambama ete atokudla natsi kute aphendvule imibuto leminyenti yelibhayibheli lebesinayo. Basimema kutsi siye emihlanganweni lebeyisekhaya lemzalwane dotane nasekhaya. Savele saya futsi kwakhiwa licembu lelincane eHemsworth. Ngekushesha sacala kwemukela babonisi besigodzi saphindze samema emahlahlandlela lahlala dvutane nasekhaya kutsi atodla natsi. Kuba nabo kwangikhutsata kakhulu.

Nasisandza kucala libhizinisi Babe watsi kubhuti wami: “Nangabe ufuna kuba lihlahlandlela singaliyekela lelibhizinisi.” Bob wavuma kuba lihlahlandlela futsi wahamba ekhaya nakaneminyaka lengu-21. Ngemuva kweminyaka lemibili, ngaba lihlahlandlela nangineminyaka lengu-16. Emkhatsini weliviki bengishumayela ngedvwa, ngisebentisa likhadi lekufakaza kanye ne-phonograph. Noma kunjalo Jehova wangibusisa ngesifundvo seliBhayibheli lebesitfutfuka kahle. Labanyenti kulomndeni walomfundzi bawemukela emaciniso. Emnyakeni lowalandzela mine naMary Henshall samiswa saba ngemahlahlandlela lakhetsekile. Sabelwa kuyosebenta insimu lengasetjentwa njalo eCheshire.

Ngesikhatsi semphi yemhlaba yesibili, bonkhe besifazane batjelwa kutsi basite ekulweni imphi. Njengalabanye bashumayeli benkholo, natsi besicabanga kutsi batasivumela sichubeke nekushumayela. Kepha inkantolo ayizange isivumele, ngako ngaboshwa emalanga langu-31. Ngemnyaka lolandzelako, nangineminyaka lengu-19 ngabhalisela kutsi ngeke ngiye emphini ngobe nembeza wami ungangivumeli. Ngayiswa atinkantolo letimbili  kepha licala lami alizange litekwe. Kuko konkhe lengahlangabetana nako, bengati kutsi umoya longcwele uyangisita futsi Jehova bekangibambe ngesandla, anginika emandla futsi angicinisa.​—Isa. 41:10, 13.

Ngahlangana na-Arthur Matthews nga-1946. Ngemva kwekuboshwa tinyanga letintsatfu ngenca yekungahlanganyeli emphini, Arthur Matthews waba lihlahlandlela lelikhetsekile eHemsworth kanye nabhuti wakhe Dennis. Babe wabo wabafundzisa ngaJehova kusukela basebancane futsi babhajatiswa eminyakeni yabo yekutfomba. Ngekushesha ngemuva kwaloko, Dennis wabelwa e-Ireland, Arthur wasala yedvwa. Nababona indlela Arthur lebekatimisela ngayo nalebekatiphatsa ngayo, batali bami bamcela kutsi atohlala nabo. Nangibavakashele, mine na-Arthur besivamise kuwasha titja nasicedza kudla. Sabese sicala kubhalelana tincwadzi. Nga-1948 Arthur waphindze waboshwa tinyanga letintsatfu. Sashada nga-January 1949 futsi besinemgomo wekuchubeka sisemsebentini wesikhatsi sonkhe. Ngesibusiso saJehova kanye nangekuhlela kahle, besisebentisa sikhatsi setfu sekuvakasha kute sente umsebenti wekutiphilisa, ngako sakhona kutisekela sachubeka nemsebenti wekushumayela.

Ngemuva kwemnyaka satfola sabelo sekuya eNorthern Ireland, sacala e-Armagh sase siya eNewry, kuwo omabili lamadolobha bekugcwele emaKatolika. Bekumatima kushumayela kulamadolobha, futsi bekufanele sicaphele nasikhuluma nebantfu. Imihlangano besiyibambela ekhaya lemzalwane lebelikhashane ngemakhilomitha langu-16 kusuka lapho besihlala khona, futsi besivame kuba siphohlongo. Nabasimemile, besilala phansi, kodvwa ngakusasa ekuseni besijabulela kudla lokunyenti lokumnandzi. Sijabula kakhulu ngekwati kutsi sebanyenti BoFakazi eNorthern Ireland.

Bhuti wami kanye nemkakhe Lottie, besebavele bangemahlahlandlela lakhetsekile eNorthern Ireland, futsi nga-1952 ndzawonye emhlanganweni wesifundza lobewuseBelfast. Lomunye umzalwane wasemukela ekhaya lakhe kanye naPryce ­Hughes lobekayinceku yeligatja laseBritain. Ngalelinye lilanga sacoca ngekukhululwa kwencwajana letsi God’s Way Is Love, leyashicilelwa ikakhulukati bantfu base-Ireland. Umzalwane Hughes wakhuluma ngetinkinga tekushumayela bantfu labangemaKatolika e-Irish Republic. Bazalwane bebacoshwa labebahlala khona futsi bebahlukunyetwa bantfu lebebatfunywa baphristi. Pryce watsi: “Sidzinga bantfu labashadene labanetimoto kuze sikhone kwenta umkhankaso lokhetsekile wekusakata lencwajana eveni lonkhe.” * Ngekushesha saphe ndvula satsi: “Sitokwenta njalo!” Lokungemavi lasekucaleni kwalesihloko.

EDublin, emaphayona bekahlala ekhaya ladzadze Ma Rutland lobesekanesikhatsi lesidze etsembekile kuJehova. Ngemuva kwekuvakasha lapho futsi sesitsengise tintfo lebesinato, sonkhe sagibela sidududu saBob sahamba sifuna imoto letsengiswako. Satfola lekahle futsi sacela umnikati wayo kutsi asiletsele yona ngobe besingakwati kushayela. Ngalobo busuku Arthur wacitsa sikhatsi sakhe afundza kutsi emagiya ashintjwa njani. Ngakusasa ekuseni nakasetama kushayela, kwachamuka Mil­dred Willett lobekasitfunywa selivangeli (lokwatsi ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi washada naJohn Barr.) Bekakwati kushayela futsi ngemuva kwekuphrakthiza kancane, besikulungele kuhamba.

Sabese sidzinga indzawo yekuhlala. Bebasecwayisile kutsi sigweme kuhlala ku-caravan ngoba baphikisi bebangayishisa, ngako safuna indlu kodvwa asiyitfolanga. Ngalobo busuku sonkhe salala emotweni. Ngelilanga lelilandzelako satfola umkhukhu lonemibhedze lemincane lengu-4, futsi sahlala lapho. Ngalokusimangaliso basivumela kutsi sipake i-caravan yetfu kulelinye likhaya. Sashumayela endzaweni lekhashane ngemakhilomitha langu-16 kuya kulangu-24. Ngemuva kwaloko besibuyela kulesicoce nabo lapho besipaka khona imoto.

Besishumayela onkhe emakhaya lasengizimu ngaphandle kwenkinga. Sasakata tincwadzi letingetulu kwa-20,000 futsi besitfumela emagama ebantfu labebanesifiso sekufundza egatjeni leliseBritain. Kusibusiso lesikhulu kuba naBoFakazi labanyenti lamuhla!

Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi sabelwa eningizimu yeLondon, futsi ngemuva kwamaviki lambalwa, Arthur watfola lucingo lolubuya egatjeni leseBrit­ain bamcela kutsi acale umsebenti wekujikeleta ngelilanga lelilandzelako. Nase kuphele emaviki lambalwa aceceshwa, saya esifundzeni setfu saseScotland. Arthur bekete sikhatsi lesenele sekulungiselela tinkhulumo takhe kodvwa kulungela kuhlangabetana nebumatima emsebentini waJehova bekungikhutsata kakhulu. Sawujabulela kakhulu umsebenti wekujikeleta kulesifundza. Sabusiseka ngekutsi sisebente nebazalwane nabodzadze labanyenti ngobe besesinesikhatsi lesidze sisebenta endzaweni lete BoFakazi.

Nga-1962, ngesikhatsi Arthur atfola simemo sekuya eSikolweni saseGilead lebesitotsatsa tinyanga letingu-10, bekufanele sente sincumo lesibalulekile. Sancuma kusemukela lesimemo nakuba bengitosala ngedvwa. Njengoba besengite lengitawushumayela naye, baphindze bangitfumela eHemsworth njeliphayona lelikhetsekile. Ngemva kwemnyaka Arthur wabuya futsi sabelwa emsebentini wekujikeleta eScotland, enyakatfo ye-England, kanye naseNorthern Ireland.

Nga-1964, Arthur watfola sabelo lesisha sekuba yinceku yeligatja e-Irish Republic. Besiwujabulela kakhulu umsebenti wekujikeleta, ngako bekumatima kwemukela lolushintjo. Nangibuka emuva, ngijabula kakhulu ngekutfola lilungelo lekukhonta eBethel. Ngiyaciniseka kutsi Jehova uyakubusisa nangabe wemukela sabelo noma ngabe ungasijabuleli. Bengenta umsebenti wasehhovisi, kupakisha tincwadzi, kupheka kanye newekuhlanta. Ngaletinye tikhatsi besenta umsebenti wekujikeleta futsi besihlangana nebazalwane labanyenti kulelive. Kubona tifundvo tetfu teliBhayibheli titfutfuka kwacinisa budlelwane betfu nebazalwane base-Ireland. Loku kwaba sibusiso lesikhulu!

TNga-1965 kwaba nemhlangano wetive wekucala e-Ireland lobewuseDublin. * Nanobe bebabanyenti labebamelene nekuba khona kwalomhlangano, waphumelela futsi bekunebantfu labangu-3 948, kwabhajatiswa langu-65. Bonkhe labemukela letivakashi letingu-3500 batfola tincwadzi tekubabonga futsi banikati bemakhaya badvumisa indlela tivakashi lebetitiphetse ngayo. Loku kwaletsa lushintjo eveni lase-Ireland.

Nga-1966, i-north ne-south Ireland kwahlanganiswa kwaba ngephasi kweligatja laseDublin. Letindzawo letimbili betekuhlukene kakhulu kutepolitiki nakutenkholo. Sajabula kakhulu kubona emaKatolika lamanyenti emukela emaciniso futsi asebenta ndzawonye nebazalwane labebangemaPhrothestani.

Nga-2011, kuphila kwetfu kwashintja ngalokuphele ngesikhatsi kuhlanganiswa ligatja laseBritain nelase-Ireland futsi sacelwa kutsi siye eBethel yaseLondon. Loko kwenteka ngesikhatsi ngicala kukhatsateka ngemphilo ya-Arthur. Bekanesifo se-Parkinson futsi washona ngaMay 20, 2015 sesishade iminyaka lengu-66.

Kuleminyaka lembalwa leyengcile, bengicindzetelekile futsi ngiselusizini. Arthur bekahlale angisekela futsi ngimkhumbula kakhulu. Nawuhlangabetana naletimo, usondzela kakhulu kuJehova. Kuyangijabulisa kwati kutsi bantfu labanyenti bebamtsandza kakhulu Arthur. Ngitfole tincwadzi letinyenti letibuya kubangani betfu labase-Ireland, Britain, ngisho naseMelika. Letincwadzi kanye netikhutsato letibuya kubhuti wa-Arthur, Dennis, umkakhe Mavis kanye nebantfwana babo boRuth naJudy tingisite ngendlela lengingeke ngikhone kuyichaza.

UmBhalo longikhutsata kakhulu ngu-Isaya 30:18 lotsi: “Simakadze ulangatelela kangaka kutsi abe nemusa kini. Uyaphakama kutsi anihawukele, ngobe Simakadze nguNkulunkulu lowehlulela ngemtsetfocotfo. Babusisiwe bonkhe labalindzela yena.” Kungikhutsata kakhulu kwati kutsi Jehova uyakulangatelela kucedza tinkinga futsi asinikete tabelo letenetisako eveni lelisha.

Nangibuka emuva, ngiyabona kutsi Jehova uwucondzisile waphindze wawubusisa umsebenti wekushumayela e-Ireland. Ngijabula kakhulu ngalelilungelo lekuba nencenye kulokwandza lokube khona e-Ireland. Asingabati kutsi nangabe senta loko Jehova lacela kutsi sikwente utasibusisa.