NGABO-1930, batali bami boJames naJessie Sinclair batfutsela eBronx lidolobha lelikhulu laseMelika. Bahlangana naWillie Sneddon naye lebekasuka eScotland. Ngemva kwesikhashana nje bacoca ngemindeni yakubo. Ngaleso sikhatsi mine bengisengakatalwa.

Make wacocela Willie kutsi ngaphambi kweMphi Lenkhulu, babe wakhe kanye nabhuti wakhe bacwila ngesikhatsi umkhumbi lebebahamba ngawo ushayisa ibhomu elwandle lelibitwa ngekutsi yiNorth Sea. Willie watsi: “Babe wakho usesihogweni!” Willie bekangulomunye waBoFakazi BaJehova, futsi loko kwenta make wafuna kwati kabanti ngaloko lokushiwo liBhayibheli.

Lokwashiwo nguWillie kwamvisa buhlungu make ngobe bekati kutsi babe wakhe abengumuntfu lokahle. Willie waphindze watsi, “Bowungatsini nangingatsi Jesu waya esihogweni?” Make wakhumbula imfundziso yasesontfweni lebeyitsi Jesu waya esihogweni futsi wavuswa ngelilanga lesitsatfu. Watibuta kutsi, ‘kube sihogo semlilo bekuyindzawo yekuhlupha bantfu lababi, kungani Jesu aya khona?’ Loko kwenta make wacala kufuna kwati liciniso. Wacala kuya emihlanganweni yelibandla eBronx futsi wabhajatiswa nga-1940.

Ngaleso sikhatsi batali labangemaKhristu bebangakhutsatwa kutsi badadishe liBhayibheli nebantfwana babo. Nangisemncane, make bekangishiya nababe nakaya emihlanganweni yelibandla kanye nasensimini ngetimphelasontfo. Ngemuva kweminyaka lembalwa mine nababe sacala kuhamba namake nakaya emihlanganweni. Make bekakutsandza kushumayela tindzaba letimnandzi, futsi abechuba tifundvo teliBhayibheli letinyenti. Ngenca yekutsi bantfu bekafundza nabo bebabomakhelwane, ngaletinye tikhatsi bekafundza nabo njengelicembu. Nakuvalwe tikolwa bengihamba namake ensimini. Loko kwangenta ngafundza lokunyenti ngeliBhayibheli kanye nendlela yekufundzisa labanye ngaloko lelikushoko.

Ngiva buhlungu kutsi nangisemncane bengingalitsandzi kangako liciniso. Benginganendzaba nalo. Nasengitohlanganisa iminyaka lengu-12, ngaba ngummemeteli  longakabhajatiswa futsi kusukela ngaleso sikhatsi bengiba khona njalo ensimini. Nasengineminyaka lengu-16, nganikela kuphila kwami kuJehova ngabhajatiswa nga-July 24, 1954 emhlanganweni wesifundza lobewuseToronto, eCanada.

Labanye bazalwane ebandleni lebengikulo bebakhonta eBethel kantsi labanye bebake bakhonta khona. Likhono labo lekukhuluma kanye nendlela lebebachaza ngayo emaciniso laseBhayibhelini beyingijabulisa, futsi sibonelo sabo sangikhutsata. Nakuba bothishela bami bebafuna ngiye e-university, umgomo wami bewukuyokhonta eBethel. Ngako emhlanganweni wesifundza lobewuseToronto ngagcwalisa lifomu laseBethel. Nga-1955, ngaphindze ngaligcwalisa nasemhlanganweni wesifundza lobewuseYankee Stadium, eNew York City. Nasengineminyaka lengu-17 ngatfola simemo sekuyokhonta eBethel leseBrooklyn ngaSeptember 19, 1955. Ngelilanga lesibili ngiseBethel, ngacala kusebenta emshinini wekuhlanganisa emaphepha. Ngekushesha ngasebenta ngemshini lohlanganisa tincwajana letinemakhasi langu-32.

Ngemuva kwenyanga ngisebenta ngalomshini ngabese ngiyosebenta eHhovisini laMagazini ngoba bengikwati kubhala ngemshini. Ngaleso sikhatsi, bazalwane nabodzadze bebasebentisa ema-stencils kute babhale emakheli ebantfu lababatfumelela Sicongosekulindza ne-Phaphama! Ngemuva kwetinyanga letimbalwa besengisebenta e-Shipping Department. Klaus Jensen, umbonisi walelihhovisi wangicela kutsi ngihambe nemzalwane ngeloli simikise tincwadzi emkhunjini kute titfunyelwe emhlabeni wonkhe. Bekunabomagazini labanyenti lobekufanele bamikiswe eposini kuze batfunyelwe kuwo onkhe emabandla aseMelika. Umzalwane Jensen watsi ucabanga kutsi lomsebenti  uyangilungela njengobe bengincama kakhulu futsi ngishaya 57 kg esikalini. Luhambo lwekuya emikhunjini naseposini lwangenta ngacina emtimbeni. Lomzalwane bekakwati kahle lobekungilungela!

LeliHhovisi beliphindze linakekele ticelo tabomagazini letivela emabandleni. Ngafundza lokunyenti ngetilwimi bomagazini lebebabhalwa ngato baphindze batfunyelwe emhlabeni wonkhe. Linyenti laletilwimi bengingatati, kodvwa ngajabula kwati kutsi bekutfunyelwa tinkhulungwane tabomagazini ngisho nasetindzaweni letikhashane. Ngaleso sikhasi bengingati kutsi esikhatsini lesitako ngitawuba nelilungelo lekuvakashela letinye taletindzawo.

Nga-1961 ngatfola sabelo sekuyosebenta eHhovisini Letimali, futsi belicondziswa ngumzalwane Grant Suiter. Eminyakeni lemibalwa leyalandzela, ngacelwa kutsi ngiyosebenta ehhovisini lemzalwane Nathan Knorr lobekacondzisa umsebenti wemhlaba wonkhe. Wangichazela kutsi bekunemzalwane lebekasebenta naye lebekatawuya Esikolweni Semsebenti Wembuso lebesitawutsatsa inyanga, emvakwaloko bekatawusebenta eHhovisini leMsebenti. Ngabelwa kutsi ngente umsebenti wakhe futsi ngasebenta naDon Adams. Nguye lowamukela sicelo sami sekuyokhonta eBethel lengasenta emhlanganweni wanga-1955. Labanye bazalwane besisebenta nabo bekunguRobert Wallen naCharles Molohan, futsi sasebenta ndzawonye iminyaka lengetulu kwalengu-50. Kungijabulise kakhulu kusebenta nalamandvodza lanebuhlobo lobuhle naNkulunkulu.​—Hla. 133:1.

Kusukela nga-1970 ngabelwa kutsi njalo ngemnyaka ngivakashele emahhovisi eligatja eWatch Tower Society futsi bengihlala emaviki lambalwa. Loku kufaka ekhatsi kuvakashela imindeni yase-Bethel, titfunywa  telivangeli letisemhlabeni wonkhe, kuniketa sikhutsato ngetintfo letiphatselene naNkulunkulu kanye nekubuka tincwadzi telihhovisi yeligatja. Ngajabula kakhulu kwatana nebazalwane labebaseklasini lekucala lase-Gilead, futsi bebasolo batenta ngekwetsembeka tabelo tabo. Bekulilungelo futsi bengijabula ngekuvakashela lamave langetulu kwa-90 ngibakhutsata ngetintfo letimayelana naNkulunkulu.

Onkhe emalunga emndeni wase-Bethel leseBrooklyn abelwa kutsi aye emabandleni laseNew York City. Mine ngabelwa kutsi ngiye ebandleni laseBronx. Libandla lekucala kulelidolobha lahlukaniswa laba ngemabandla lamabili. Linye lawo labitwa ngekutsi yi-Upper Bronx, futsi mine bengiya kulo.

Ngabo-1960, lomunye umndeni waBoFakazi lobewusuka eLatvia lowatfola emaciniso enyakatfo yeBronx, weta utohlanganyela ebandleni letfu. Livija lebekayindvodzakati yabo lendzala waba lihlahlandlela nakacedza nje sikolwa. Ngemuva kwetinyanga letimbalwa waya kuyokhonta lapho bekunesidzingo lesikhulu khona, eMassachusetts. Ngacala kuchumana naye, ngimcocela ngaloko bekwenteka ebandleni letfu futsi naye bekangicocela ngendlela bekaphumelela ngayo emsebentini wekushumayela eBoston.

Ngemuva kweminyaka lembalwa Livija waba lihlahlandlela lelikhetsekile. Bekafuna kwentela Jehova lokwengetiwe, ngako wafaka sicelo sekuya eBethel futsi basemukela nga-1971. Futsi loko bekusibusiso lesivela kuJehova ngobe nga-October 27, 1973 sashada futsi sabusiseka ngekutsi uMzalwane Knorr kube nguye losibekela inkhulumo yemshado. Taga 18:22 titsi: “Lowo lotfola umfati utfole intfo lenhle, uzuze umusa kuSimakadze.” Mine kanye naLivija sibusiseke kakhulu ngekusebenta iminyaka lengetulu kwalengu-40 solo sikhonta eBethel. Futsi sichubeka sisekela lelinye libandla lelikhona lapha eBronx.

Ngakujabulela kakhulu kusebanta neMzalwane Knorr. Bekasisebenti lesitimisele futsi bekajabula kakhulu ngetitfunywa telivangeli letisemhlabeni wonkhe. Futsi labanyenti babo bebaBoFakazi bekucala kulamave bebabelwe kuwo. Bekubuhlungu kakhulu kubona uMzalwane Knorr anesifo samdlavuza nga-1976. Ngesikhatsi sekalele phasi, wangicela kutsi ngimfundzele lenye incwadzi lebeyisatoshicilelwa. Wangicela kutsi ngibite nemzalwane Frederick Franz naye atolalela nangisafundza. Ngatfola kutsi ngenca yekutsi uMzalwane Franz abengasaboni kahle emehlweni, uMzalwane Knorr bekatinika sikhatsi sekumfundzela tincwadzi.

UMzalwane Knorr washona nga-1977, kodvwa bantfu lebebamati futsi bamtsandza badvudvutwa kutsi bebati kutsi bekayente ngekwetsembeka indzima yakhe yasemhlabeni.  (Semb. 2:10) Ngemuva kwaloko uMzalwane Franz nguye lobekacondzisa umsebenti wetfu wekushumayela.

Ngaleso sikhatsi bengingumabhalane wemzalwane Milton Henschel lobekasebente iminyaka leminyenti neMzalwane Knorr. UMzalwane Henschel wangitjela kutsi sabelo sami lesikhulu kutsi ngisite uMzalwane Franz kunobe yini labedzinga lusito kuyo. Njalo bengimfundzela yonkhe intfo ledzinga kufundvwa ngaphambi kwekutsi ishicilewe. UMzalwane Franz abengakukhohlwa lengimfundzele kona futsi beyimangalisa indlela lebekalalelisisa ngayo nangimfundzela. Bekuyinjabulo lenkhulu kusebenta naye, waze wacedza indzima yakhe yasemhlabeni nga-December 1992.

Iminyaka lengu-61 lengiyicitse ngiseBethel yengce ngekushesha. Bobabili Batali bami bafa batsembekile kuJehova, futsi ngibuke phambili ekubemukeleni eveni lelisha. (Joh. 5:28, 29) Kute intfo lekulesimiso lengacatsaniswa nelilungelo lelihle lekusebenta nemadvodza kanye nebafati labetsembekile. Mine naLivija siyaciniseka kutsi kuleminyaka lesiyicitse senta umsebenti wasikhatsi sonkhe, “injabulo [yetfu] levela kuSimakadze ingemandla [etfu].”​—Neh. 8:10.

Kute umuntfu longakabaluleki enhlanganweni yaJehova, futsi umsebenti wekushumayela ngemaciniso eMbuso uyachubeka. Kube sibusiso nenjabulo lenkhulu kusebenta nebazalwane nabodzadze labanyenti labetsembekile. Bazalwane labagcotjiwe labanyenti lengike ngasebenta nabo abasekho lapha emhlabeni. Kepha ngijabula kakhulu ngekutsi ngike ngasebenta nalamadvodza letsembekile, senta umsebenti waJehova.