ISIERRA LEONE NEGUINEA
1915-1947 Ngeentsuku Zakuqala (Inxalenye 2)
Abachasi Abaphumeleli
Kwaqal’ inkathazo mhla abefundisi beecawa zaseFreetown babona amarhamente abo besonwabela iintetho zikaMzalwan’ uBrown. IMboniselo kaDisemba 15, 1923 yathi: “Aba befundisi basebenzisa amajelo eendaba ukuze bahlasele inyaniso. UMzalwan’ uBrown waqhubeka ebaphendula, ibe amaphephandaba apapasha oko kwakuthethwa ngaba befundisi nangulo kaBrown.” Ekugqibeleni abazange babe nanto yakuthetha kwaye iimfundiso zabo zobuxoki zabhenceka. Iinyaniso zeBhayibhile zazisele zifikelele iindawo ezininzi, loo nto yabangela abafundi abaninzi bamaphephandaba bazicelele izifundo zeBhayibhile. Aba befundisi babezimisele ukubaval’ umlomo abantu bakaThixo, kodwa uYehova waqiniseka ukuba isikhuni sibuya nomkhwezeli.—INdu. 94:21-23.
Elinye iqela labachasi elalilala ngengub’ enye naba befundisi laceba ukubamba iingxoxo ngelokuzama ukubatshayela baphele “abalandeli bakaRussell.” UMzalwan’ uBrown wayefuna ukudlan’ indlebe kunye nalo, kodwa lona lala, lade lathuka nomhleli wephephandaba elapapasha oko. Eli qela labachasi alizange limvumele uMzalwan’ uBrown ukuba abekho kwiingxoxo zalo, ngoko kwaya uAlfred Joseph endaweni yakhe.
Ezi ngxoxo zazibanjelwa eBuxton Memorial Chapel, icawa yamaWisile eseFreetown. UAlfred ubalisa athi: “Ebudeni bezo ngxoxo, ndababuza ngeemfundiso zamaTshetshi, ngoThixo Oneziqu Ezithathu nezinye iimfundiso zabo ezingekhoyo eBhayibhileni. Ekugqibeleni usihlalo wale ngxoxo akazange avume ukuba kubuzwe eminye imibuzo.”
Omnye wabachasi ababekho ngobo busuku, uMelbourne Garber, wakha waziva iintetho zika-“Bible” Brown. Wayengumlandeli oselula weqela le-ecclesiastical owathi: “UMnu. Brown uyayaz’ iBhayibhile!” Emva kokucingisisa kakuhle ngezinto awazivayo, lo kaGarber wayeqinisekile
ukuba uyifumene inyaniso. Wandula ke wacela ukufundiswa iBhayibhile nguMzalwan’ uBrown, waza wamenywa kwanguye ukuba aye kwiSifundo SeMboniselo esasiqhutyelwa ekhayeni lakhe. Nangona intsapho yakhe yayimlahlile, lo kaGarber wakhawuleza wenza inkqubela ebandleni, wabhaptizwa kunye nabanye abaliqela.USathana wakha phantsi isitya sizele kwiinzame zakhe zokuphelisa umsebenzi wokushumayela. Usodolophu waseFreetown wabachazela oku abachasi bamaNgqina: “Ukuba lo msebenzi ngowabantu, uya kubhukuqwa. Kodwa ukuba ngokaThixo, aniyi kukwazi ukuwubhukuqa.”—IZe. 5:38, 39.
Inkonzo YooBrown
Ekuqaleni kukaMeyi 1923, uMzalwan’ uBrown wathumel’ umyalezo kwiofisi yesebe eseLondon ecela uncwadi olungakumbi. Kungekudala emva koko kwafika iincwadi eziyi-5 000 ezalandelwa zezinye. Waqhubeka ebamba iintlanganiso kwiindawo zikawonke-wonke, kwaye le ndlela yokushumayela yatsala amawaka-waka abantu abanomdla.
Ngasekupheleni kwaloo nyaka, iMboniselo yathi: “Umsebenzi wokushumayela owenziwa [eSierra Leone] mkhulu gqitha, kangangokuba uMzalwan’ uBrown ucele ukuncediswa; ibe kwathunyelwa uClaude Brown waseWinnipeg oyinzalelwane yaseWest Indies ukuze aye kumncedisa.”
UClaude Brown wayengumakad’ enetha kumsebenzi wokushumayela iindaba ezilungileyo. Ebudeni beMfazwe Yehlabathi I, waphathwa kakubi kwiintolongo zaseKhanada kunye nezaseNgilani kuba engafuni kuthatha cala kwiipolitiki. Wachitha iminyaka emine eSierra Leone esomeleza abazalwana noodade balapho.
UPauline Cole uthi, “Ngaphambi kokuba ndibhaptizwe ngo-1925, uMzalwan’ uClaude wandihlola kakuhle.
“Wathi, ‘Dade Cole, uyaziqonda zonk’ izinto ozifunde kwiStudies in the Scriptures? Asifuni uyishiye inyaniso kuba ungakhange uziqonde iimfundiso zeBhayibhile.’
“Ndaphendula ndathi, ‘Mzalwana wam, ndiyifunde ndayiphinda-phinda le ncwadi, ndiyayazi. Andijiki!’”
UPauline wakhonza uYehova ngokuthembeka kangangeminyaka eyi-60 ibe inxalenye enkulu kule minyaka ebenguvulindlela okhethekileyo. Ubomi bakhe basemhlabeni ubugqibe ngo-1988.
UWilliam “Bible” Brown wayehlala ekhangela amathuba okunceda abanye baphucule ubuhlobo babo noThixo. UAlfred Joseph uthi: “Incoko yam noMzalwan’ uBrown yayidla ngokuthi xa sidibana kusasa: ‘Molo Mzalwan’ uJoe. Unjani ngale ntsasa? Ithini itekisi yanamhlanje?’ Ukuba andikwazanga kumphendula, wayendibonisa indlela ekubaluleke ngayo ukuba ndifunde iDaily Manna. [Ngoku ebizwa ngokuthi, Ukuhlolisisa IZibhalo Imihla Ngemihla.]
Ngentsasa elandelayo, ndandiqiniseka ukuba ndiyayifunda itekisi yosuku, ukuze ndikwazi ukumphendula xa endibuza ngayo. Ekuqaleni, zange ndiqonde ukuba ndiyaqeqeshwa, kodwa kamva ndabona ukuba lubalulekile.”Olu qeqesho lwaba nemiphumo emihle. Ngo-1923 kwasekwa ibandla eFreetown kwaza kwabhaptizwa abantu abayi-14. Omnye wabazalwana abatsha kweli bandla yayinguGeorge Brown, zatsho zantathu iintsapho ezinefani enguBrown. Ngenxa yokukhuthala kwazo, abahlali baseFreetown bade bathi Abafundi beBhayibhile yinkonzo yoo-“Brown.”