Ebudeni beminyaka yee-1980, iingxaki zoluntu, ezepolitiki nezoqoqosho zabangela iimfazwe kwiNtshona Afrika. Xa imfazwe yabangel’ umbhodamo eLiberia, abantu abaninzi babalekela eSierra Leone. Iofisi yesebe yalungiselela ukuba iimbacu ezingamaNgqina zihlaliswe kumakhaya nakwiiHolo zoBukumkani, ibe abazalwana bazinceda ngezinto ezazizidinga.

Nangona kwakukubi kwiimbacu, ayekho amaxesha khe kuhlekwe. UIsolde Lorenz, onexesha elide engumthunywa wevangeli, uthi: “Enye inkwenkwana yathunywa nguyise ukuba ifudumeze ukutya emva kweHolo yoBukumkani eyayikumhlaba weofisi yesebe, kwindawo ekwakubaswe kuyo. Ekubuyeni kwayo yathi kuyise akutyiwa namhlanje. Uyise wafuna ukwazi isizathu. Yathi le nkwenkwana, ‘Ngoba namhlanje uYehova undisindise engonyameni!’ Kwakwenzeke ntoni? Endleleni ebuyayo, le nkwenkwana yadibana nenja enkulu yeofisi yesebe kodwa engeyongozi, igama layo nguLobo. Le nkwenkwana yothuka yaphants’ ukufa. Yathatha isitya eyayisibambile yasisondeza enjeni, izama ukuzikhusela kuyo. Inja yona yabona ukutya, yazenzela!”

NgoMatshi 23, 1991 imfazwe yaseLiberia yanwenwela naseSierra Leone, ibe yathatha iminyaka eyi-11. Iqela labavukeli elalibizwa ngokuba yiRevolutionary United Front (RUF) layikhawulezela iKailahun neKoindu, laphembelela abantu balapho ukuba babhacele eGuinea. Kwezi mbacu kwakukho abazalwana noodade abamalunga  ne-120. Kwangaxeshanye amanye amaNgqina awayeziimbacu ezisuka eLiberia afika eSierra Leone ngaphambi kokufika kwabavukeli.

UBillie Cowan, owayengumnxibelelanisi weKomiti yeSebe ngelo xesha uthi: “Kangangeenyanga eziliqela, kwafika abantu ababediniwe, abalambileyo nababebhitye beyimicwe kwiBheteli yaseFreetown. Abaninzi kwaba bantu babebone izinto ezihlasimlis’ umzimba ibe ukuze boyise indlala babesitya amagqabi asendle. Sakhawuleza sabapha ukutya neempahla, saza sanyamekela izalamane zabo nabo banomdla babehamba nabo. Abazalwana noodade babonisa ububele ngokubamema ukuba bahlale emakhayeni abo. Ezi mbacu zingamaNgqina zakhawuleza zaxakeka kukushumayela, zincedisa namabandla asekuhlaleni. Ekuhambeni kwexesha uninzi lwazo lwahamba; kodwa ke aba bazalwana noodade basomeleza gqitha ngoxa babekunye nathi!”

Iofisi yesebe yathumela ukutya, amayeza, izinto zokwakha, ezokusebenza kunye nezinye izinto kumaNgqina akwiinkampu zeembacu kumzantsi weGuinea. Oku kwakuquka impahla eninzi ekwakunikelwe ngayo isuka eFransi. Omnye utata wabhala wathi: “Abantwana bam babedanisa, becula yaye bedumisa uYehova. Babeneempahla ezintsha zokuya ezintlanganisweni!” Abanye abazalwana noodade bade bathi abazange banxibe kakuhle kangaka!

Kodwa ikho nenye into ezaziyidinga ezi mbacu. UYesu wathi: “Akaphili ngasonka sodwa umntu, uphila ngamazwi onke aphuma emlonyeni kaYehova.” (Mat. 4:4) Ngoko iofisi yesebe yathumela uncwadi lweBhayibhile  kulo mmandla yaza yalungiselela iindibano. Kwathunyelwa oovulindlela nabaveleli abahambahambayo kwezi ndawo.

Xa umveleli wesiphaluka uAndré Baart watyelela eKoundou, eGuinea, wadibana nelinye igosa elammema ukuba aze kunikela intetho yeBhayibhile kwiimbacu. Abantu abamalunga ne-50 babephulaphule intetho ka-André enomxholo osekelwe kwiNdumiso 18 othi, “Sabela KuYehova.” Ekuqukumbeleni kwakhe, kwaphakama omnye umakhulu waza wathi: “Sivuya kakhulu ke ngoku. Ukutya akuzisombululi iingxaki zethu, kodwa iBhayibhile isibonisa indlela yokuthembela kuThixo. Sibulela kakhulu ngokusithuthuzela nangokusinika ithemba.”

Xa abathunywa bevangeli uWilliam noClaudia Slaughter bathunyelwa eGuékédou, eGuinea, ibandla lalapho elalineembacu ezingaphezu kwe-100 lalivutha emoyeni. (Roma 12:11) UWilliam uthi: “Abafana abaninzi babesebenza nzima ebandleni. Ukuba kukho umntu owayengazukukwazi ukunikela intetho kwiSikolo Sobulungiseleli Sobuthixo, kwakusibakho abafana abayi-10 ukuya kwi-15 abafuna ukuyivolontiya. Xa kusiyiwa entsimini kwakuphuma iqela elikhulu labafana abakhutheleyo. Kamva abanye babo bafana baba ngoovulindlela abakhethekileyo nabaveleli abahambahambayo.”

Emva kokuba imfazwe iqalile, abazalwana baseFreetown bathenga umhlaba oziihektare eziyi-6, oneadresi ethi, 133 Wilkinson Road, eyayingekude kwiofisi yesebe ekhoyo. UAlfred Gunn uthi: “Sasifuna ukwakha ikhaya laseBheteli kweso siza kodwa sasixhalele imfazwe. Ekubeni  ngelo xesha sasityelelwe nguLloyd Barry weQumrhu Elilawulayo, sawuncokola naye lo mcimbi. Wathi, ‘ukuba sivumela iimfazwe zisiphazamise, akukho kwanto esiya kuze siyenze!’ Amazwi akhe axhokonx’ iingcinga asenza sanesibindi sokutyhalela phambili.”

Kolu lwakhiwo kwancedisa abazalwana abaninzi, kuquka amavolontiya angaphezu kwe-50 asuka kumazwe ayi-12, kunye nabanye abasuka emabandleni alapho. Umsebenzi waqala ngoMeyi 1991. UTom Ball, owayevelela lo msebenzi uthi: “Abantu ababebukele babengawuvali umlomo ngenxa yezitena ezikumgangatho ophezulu ezazisenziwa kwesi siza. Indlela ekwakusakhiwa ngayo yayahluke gqitha kwindlela ekwakhiwa ngayo apho. Kodwa eyona nto yabothusayo kukubona abantu abamhlophe nabamnyama besebenza ngomanyano.”

NgoAprili 19, 1997 abantu beentlanga ezahlukeneyo bahlanganisana kule ofisi yesebe intsha njengoko yayinikezelwa. Kwinyanga kamva, emva kweminyaka emihlanu igqugqisa ezilalini, iRUF yahlasela idolophu yaseFreetown.

Amajoni eRUF aneenwele eziphotheneyo neeqhiy’ ezibomvu, ambonzeleka esixekweni, esohlutha izinto zabantu, edlwengula yaye ebulala. UAlfred Gunn uthi: “Kwakukubi. Uninzi lwabathunywa bevangeli basemzini bakhawuleza babalekiswa. Mna noCatherine, uBillie noSandra Cowan, uJimmie noJoyce Holland, saba ngabokugqibela ukuhamba.

“Sathandaza nabasebénzi baseBheteli balapho abazikhethela ukuhlala, saza sakhawuleza saya kwindawo esasiza kudibanela kuyo nabanye. Endleleni samiswa ziindlavini zamajoni angabavukeli-mbuso anxilileyo amalunga nayi-20. Xa sabanika iimagazini kunye nemali, basiyeka  sahamba. Sikunye nabanye abangaphezu kwe-1 000, sahlanganisana kwindawo egadwe ngamajoni aseMerika axhobe afohlela. Apho sakhweliswa ihelikopta yamajoni, sasiwa kwinqanawa yomkhosi wamanzi waseMerika. Elinye ijoni lathi, oko kuhlangulwa kwabantu yayikokona kukhulu okwenziwa ngumkhosi wamanzi waseMerika emva kwemfazwe yaseVietnam. Ngosuku olulandelayo, sahanjiswa ngehelikopta ukuya eConakry, eGuinea. Apho saseka iofisi yesebe yokwexeshana.”

Abathunywa bevangeli babefuna ukuva ukuba kwenzeka ntoni eFreetown. Ekugqibeleni, kwafika ileta ethi: “Phezu kwazo nje ezi zidubedube, siyaqhubeka sihambisa iKingdom News No. 35, ethi ‘Ngaba Bonke Abantu Baya Kuze Bathandane?’ Abantu banomdla kwaye nabanye babavukeli bayafundelwa. Ngenxa yoku, sizimisele ukushumayela nangakumbi.”

UJonathan Mbomah, owayengumveleli wesiphaluka uthi: “Sade sanendibano ekhethekileyo yosuku olunye eFreetown. Iintetho zale ndibano zazikhuthaza ngeyona ndlela, kangangokuba ndaziphinda eBo naseKenema. Abazalwana abahlala kwezi dolophu zigquba imfazwe, bambulela uYehova ngenxa yenkcazelo ekhuthazayo abayifumanayo.

“Ekupheleni konyaka ka-1997, saba nendibano yesithili eNational Stadium eFreetown. Ngosuku lokugqibela, abavukeli-mbuso bangena ebaleni baza bathi makuphume wonke umntu. Sabacenga ukuba basivumele sigqibe nje indibano. Emva kwengxoxo ende, basiyeka baza bemka. Kuloo ndibano kwakukho abantu abangaphezu kwe-1 000 ibe kwabhaptizwa abayi-27. Abazalwana abaliqela bathabatha uhambo oluyingozi besiya eBo ukuze bayifumane okwesibini le ndibano. Zazimnandi ke ezo ndibano!”