NGENXA yaloo mibala yazo zazibizwa ngokuba ngumnyama. Xa ndazifundayo, ndabona imifanekiso emihle eyandenza ndanomdla. Loo nto yabangela ukuba ndifune ukuyazi iBhayibhile ezazithetha ngayo ezo ncwadi.

Njengoko kwakubonakala ngathi Imfazwe Yehlabathi II ingena kuyo yonke i-Indiya, kwaya kusiba nzima kum. Abazali bam bahlukana baza baqhawula umtshato. Ndandingazi ukuba bohlukana njani abantu ababini endibathandayo. Ndandibhidekile ndingazi nokuba mandithini, yayingathi ndilahliwe. Ekubeni ndandindodwa ekhaya, kwakungekho mntu wokundithuthuzela.

Mna nomama sasihlala kwidolophu elikomkhulu lephondo, iKarachi. Ngenye imini kwafika uGqirha osel’ emdala oliNgqina LikaYehova, uFred Hardaker. Wayekhonza nala mthunywa wevangeli wayeshiye iincwadi ezinemifanekiso ekhaya. Wacela ukufundela umama iBhayibhile. Umama zange avume kodwa wathi mhlawumbi mna ndinganomdla.  Kwiveki nje elandelayo, saqala ukufunda noMzalwan’ uHardaker.

Kwadlula iiveki ezimbalwa, ndaya kwiintlanganiso ezaziqhutywa kwikliniki kaMzalwan’ uHardaker. Kwezo ntlanganiso kwakusiya abantu abadala abamalunga ne-12. Bandithuthuzela, bandiphatha njengonyana wabo. Ndiyikhumbula kakuhle indlela ababehlala nam ngayo, xa bethetha nam babede bagobe, bazilinganise nam size sincokole njengeetshomi. Yiloo nto kanye endandiyifuna ngelo xesha.

Kungabanga xesha lide uMzalwan’ uHardaker wandicela ukuba ndiye naye entsimini. Wandifundisa indlela yokusebenzisa igramafoni ukuze sikwazi ukudlalela abantu iintetho ezimfutshane zeBhayibhile. Ezinye zazo zazingathandwa kuba zazithetha phandle. Kodwa ndandikuthanda ukushumayela. Ndandizithanda kakhulu izinto endizifunda eBhayibhileni nokuxelela abantu ngazo.

Njengoko umkhosi waseJapan wawulungiselela ukuhlasela i-Indiya, iBritani yaba ngathi iyaqinisa ekucinezeleni amaNgqina KaYehova. NgoJulayi 1943, nam ndacinezelwa. Inqununu yesikolo endandifunda kuso, eyayingumfundisi eTshetshi yandigxotha esikolweni. Yaxelela umama ukuba le nto yam yokuhamba namaNgqina KaYehova indenza ndimoshe abanye abantwana. Umama wacaphuka waza wathi ndingaze ndiphinde ndihambe namaNgqina. Ekuhambeni kwexesha wandithumela kutata ePeshawar, idolophu eziikhilomitha eziyi-1 370 ukuya emntla. Kuba ndandingasazifumani izinto eziqinis’ ukholo, ndaphola.

Ngo-1947 ndabuyela eKarachi ndiye kufuna umsebenzi. Ndaya kubona uGqr. Hardaker kwikliniki yakhe. Wandamkela ngobubele.

Wathi: “Ugula yintoni?” Wayecinga ukuba ndize kunyangwa.

Ndathi: “Andiguli gqirha, ndifuna ukufundelwa iBhayibhile.”

Wathi: “Ufuna ukuqala nini?”

Ndathi: “Singaqala nangoku.”

Ngobusuku bangaloo mini sachitha iiyure ezininzi sifunda iBhayibhile. Ndonwaba kakhulu kuba ndaphinda ndakunye nabantu bakaYehova. Akukho nto angazange ayenze umama ezama ukuba ndahlukane nabo, kodwa ndandizimisele ukuba ndiza kukhonza uYehova. NgoAgasti 31, 1947, ndabhaptizwa. Xa ndandina-17, ndaba nguvulindlela othe ngxi.

Ndaqala ukuba nguvulindlela eQuetta, inkampu eyayihlala umkhosi waseBritani. Ngo-1947, i-Indiya yohlulwa yangamazwe amabini, i-Indiya nePakistan. * Loo nto yavusa uqhushululu kwiinkonzo, kangangokuba kwafuduka abona bantu baninzi kwimbali, abamalunga ne-14 miliyoni. AmaSilamsi aseIndiya aya ePakistan, aza amaHindu namaSikhs asePakistan aya eIndiya. Kanye ngelo xesha lesiphithiphithi, ndagwencela etreyinini phantse yonke indlela esuka eKarachi eya eQuetta.

EQuetta ndadibana novulindlela okhethekileyo, uGeorge Singh, owayeneminyaka engaphezu kweyi-20. Wandipha ibhayisekile endala endandiza kuhamba ngayo kuloo ntsimi ineenduli. Amaxesha amaninzi ndandishumayela ndodwa. Kwiinyanga nje ezintandathu, ndaba nezifundo eziyi-17, abanye kuzo baba ngamaNgqina. Omnye wazo, uSadiq Masih, wancedisa mna noGeorge ekuguquleleni iincwadi ezithetha ngeBhayibhile ngesiUrdu, olona lwimi lusetyenziswayo ePakistan. Ekuhambeni kwexesha uSadiq waba ngumvakalisi weendaba ezilungileyo okhutheleyo.

Ethubeni ndabuyela eKarachi ndaza ndakhonza noHenry Finch kunye noHarry Forrest, abathunywa bevangeli ababesuka kwiSikolo SaseGiliyadi. Bandiqeqesha kakuhle abo bazalwana! Ndakha ndahamba noMzalwan’ uFinch saya kushumayela kumantla ePakistan. Kwiilali ezikumazantsi eentaba eziphakamileyo zalapho, safumana abantu abaninzi ababenxanelwe ukwazi iBhayibhile. Emva kweminyaka emibini, nam ndaya kwiSikolo  SaseGiliyadi; ndabuyela ePakistan, apho ndandikhe ndibambele umveleli wesiphaluka. Ndandihlala nabanye abazalwana abangabathunywa bevangeli abathathu kwikhaya labathunywa bevangeli, eLahore.

Ngo-1954, abathunywa bevangeli endandihlala nabo eLahore baxabana. Kuba ndaye ndathatha icala ndalulekwa kakhulu. Ndaziva kungekho yam. Ndabuyela eKarachi, ekuhambeni kwexesha ndaya eLondon, eNgilani ndizimisele ukuba ndiqale phantsi ubuhlobo bam noYehova.

Ibandla endandikhonza kulo eLondon, lalinabazalwana abaninzi abakhonza eBheteli. UPryce Hughes owayesisicaka sesebe wandiqeqesha. Ngenye imini wandibalisela ngokuba walulekwa nguJoseph F. Rutherford, owayevelela umsebenzi wokushumayela ehlabathini lonke. Xa uMzalwan’ uHughes wazama ukuzithethelela, uMzalwan’ uRutherford wamngxolisa kakhulu. Yandothusa into yokuba uMzalwan’ uHughes andibalisele le nto encumile. Wathi yamcaphukisa le nto ekuqaleni. Kodwa ekuhambeni kwexesha wabona ukuba sasimfanele eso siluleko, ibe le yayiyindlela uYehova ambonisa ngayo ukuba uyamthanda. (Heb. 12:6) Le nto yandinceda ndakwazi ukukhonza uYehova ndivuya.

Kwangelo xesha umama wafudukela eLondon ibe wavuma ukufunda noJohn E. Barr, owaba lilungu leQumrhu Elilawulayo. Wabhaptizwa ngo-1957. Ndeva nokuba utata wayefundelwa ngaphambi kokuba asweleke.

Ngo-1958 ndatshata noLene, udade waseDenmark owayehlala eLondon. Kunyaka olandelayo, safumana umntwana wokuqala oyintombi, uJane, owalandelwa ngabantwana abane. Ndaba ngumdala kwibandla laseFulham. Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwafuneka sifuduke ngenxa yempilo kaLene eyayifuna indawo enemozulu efudumeleyo. Ngoko ngo-1967, saya kuhlala eAdelaide, eOstreliya.

Ibandla lethu laseAdelaide lalinabathanjiswa abayi-12 abadala. Babeyikhuthalele kakhulu intsimi. Sakhawuleza saziqhelanisa nezinto ezasenza sahlala sisondele kuYehova.

Ngo-1979 mna noLene saba nomntwana wesihlanu, uDaniel. Wayenesifo ekuthiwa yiDown syndrome * ibe kwakungalindelwanga ukuba uza  kuphila ixesha elide. Nanamhlanje andikakwazi ukuyichaza intlungu esasinayo. Sasimenzela yonke into awayeyidinga, kodwa singabalibalanga nabanye abantwana. Ngamanye amaxesha uDaniel wayede atshintshe umbala kuba engakwazi ukuphefumla ngenxa yokuba intliziyo yakhe yayinemingxuma emibini. Kwakuye kufuneke simleqise esibhedlele. Nakubeni wayegula, wayengumntu okrelekrele nothanda abantu. Wayemthanda kakhulu noYehova. Xa sithandazel’ ukutya, wayedla ngokudibanisa ezo zandlana zincinci, anqwale aze athi “Amen!” Emva koko atye.

Xa wayeneminyaka emine, uDaniel waphathwa yileukemia. SinoLene saphelelwa ngamandla, asazi nokuba masithini. Kwakungathi ndiza kushiywa ziingqondo. Ngeny’ imini, xa kanye sasiziva siphantsi nyhani, kwafika umveleli wesiphaluka sethu, uNeville Bromwich. Ngobo busuku, wasanga waza walila kunye nathi. Izinto awazithethayo zasithuthuzela nyhani. Wemka malunga nentsimbi yokuqala ekuseni. Kamsinya emva koko, uDaniel wasweleka. Ayikho into eyakha yasixhel’ iintliziyo njengaleyo. Kodwa sakwazi ukuyinyamezela loo ntlungu, siqinisekile ukuba nokufa akusoze kumahlule uDaniel eluthandweni lukaYehova. (Roma 8:38, 39) Ingathi ayisafiki loo mini yokuvuswa kwakhe kwihlabathi elitsha ukuze siphinde sibe naye!​—Yoh. 5:28, 29.

Nakuba sendibethwe kabini sistrowukhu, ndisengumdala ebandleni. Izinto endidibene nazo ebomini zindenze ndabacingela abanye abantu, ingakumbi abaneengxaki ezinkulu. Ndizama ukungajongi izinto ezimbi kubo. Kunoko ndiye ndizibuze: ‘Indlela umntu acinga nenza ngayo izinto, azenziwa yindlela akhuliswe ngayo? Ndingambonisa njani ukuba ndiyamkhathalela? Ndingamkhuthaza njani ukuba enze ukuthanda kukaYehova?’ Ndikuthanda kakhulu ukwenza umsebenzi wokwalusa! Xa ndithuthuzela abanye okanye ndibomeleza ukholo, ndiye ndibone ukuba kuye kuthuthuzeleke mna lo, ndomelezeke.

Ndiziva njengomdumisi owathi: ‘Xa iingcamango zam eziphazamisayo zaba ninzi ngaphakathi kwam, intuthuzelo [kaYehova] yaqalisa ukuthuthuzela umphefumlo wam.’ (INdu. 94:19) Waqhubeka endixhasa xa ndandineengxaki zentsapho, ndichaswa ziicawa, kwiimpazamo zam, nakwizigulo ezibangelwa kukungonwabi. UYehova uye waba nguTata nyhani kum!