ISIERRA LEONE NEGUINEA
1948-1990 ‘Bakhokelela Abaninzi Ebulungiseni’—Dan.12:3. (Inxalenye 1)
Kufika Abathunywa Bevangeli Abaphumelele EGiliyadi
NgoJuni 1947 kwafika uCharles Fitzpatrick, uGeorge Richardson, noHubert Gresham, abathunywa bevangeli abaphumelele kwiSikolo SeBhayibhile SeWatchtower SaseGiliyadi kwidolophu yaseFreetown. Aba bazalwana ngabanye babathunywa bevangeli bokuqala ukufika.
Aba bathunywa bevangeli baqaphela ukuba abavakalisi balapha bakukhuthalele ukushumayela, kodwa babesafuna uqeqesho olungakumbi. (Mat. 28:20) Ngoko bafundisa abavakalisi indlela yokubuyela kubantu abanomdla nendlela yokuqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile. Baphinda babanceda ngemiyalelo esexesheni yendlela yokuqhuba iintlanganiso zebandla nezinye iinkalo zentlangano. Kwabakho nentetho yesidlangalala kawonke-wonke eWilberforce Memorial Hall. Bavuya kakhulu abathunywa bevangeli xa kwabakho abantu abayi-450 kule ntetho! Kamva abathunywa bevangeli baqalisa iphulo loSuku Lwamaphephancwadi. Olu qeqesho lwabanceda abavakalisi, lwabeka nesiseko esihle solwando.
Abathunywa bevangeli babezama ukuqhelana nemozulu. Ingxelo yesebe lalapho yango-1948 yathi: “Imozulu yaseSierra Leone imbi kakhulu. Imvula inetha iinyanga zibe ntandathu, igalela ngamandla, iyakhukhulisa kwaye ayiyeki. Ngamanye amaxesha inetha iiveki ezimbini ngaphandle kwesiqabu. Ehlotyeni ubushushu abunyamezeleki ibe bunolophu.” Abakhenkethi baseYurophu bade bathi ayinakwenzeka into yokuba abantu abamhlophe bahlale ixesha elide kweli lizwe. Kukho izigulo ezifana
nemalariya, iyellow fever nezifo ezisasazwa zizinambuzane. Abathunywa bevangeli bakhathazwa yimpilo, kwaza kwanyanzeleka bemke kweli lizwe.Olu tshintsho zange lubaphathe kakuhle abavakalisi. Kodwa abazange batyhafe. Ebudeni buka-1947 no-1952 kwafikelelwa kwincopho entsha yabavakalisi, esuka ku-38 yaya kutsho ku-73. Oovulindlela abakhutheleyo baseWaterloo, idolophu ekufutshane neFreetown, banceda ekuqaliseni ibandla elitsha. Kwavuka namaqela afunda iBhayibhile eKissy naseWellington, iindawo ezisemaphandleni zaseFreetown. Kwakubonakala ukuba kuza kubakho ulwando eSierra Leone. Kwakuza kwenzeka njani oko?
Utyelelo Olukhuthazayo
NgoNovemba 1952, kwafika indoda ende enciphileyo, isuka eMerika ibonakala ukuba ikwiminyaka emalunga neyi-30 ubudala, isehla esikhepheni esikunxweme lwaseFreetown, yaza yangena isixeko. Olu ndwendwe yayinguMilton G. Henschel, osuka kwikomkhulu lamaNgqina kaYehova, ibe wabalisa wathi: “Ndandimangalisiwe kukubona isixeko esicoceke kangaka, sogqitha ezinye endizaziyo. . . . Kukho iindlela zetha, iivenkile ezixakekileyo, iimoto ezintsha nenyambalala yabantu abaphithizelayo.”
UMzalwan’ uHenschel wahamba waya kwikhaya labathunywa bevangeli eliseFreetown, elingekude kuMthi woMqhaphu odumileyo. Apho wachazela abazalwana ababekho ukuba kuza uncedo olungakumbi eSierra Leone. KwiCawa elandelayo, abantu abayi-253 babehlanganisene eWilberforce Memorial Hall bephulaphule intetho, ibe wenza izaziso ezivuyisayo: ISierra Leone yayiza kuba neofisi yayo yesebe, umveleli wesiphaluka, iindibano zesiphaluka; kwakuza kusekwa ibandla elitsha eKissy; nomsebenzi wokushumayela owenziwa kumaphondo wawuza kwanda. Ababekho bazivuyela ezi ndaba!
UMzalwan’ uHenschel wabalisa wathi: “Babesithi kusheh, igama elithetha ukuthi ‘siyabulela!’ Babevuya kakhulu. Abantu bemka sele kurhatyele, . . . abanye becula nokucula.”
UWilliam Nushy, umthunywa wevangeli osandul’ ukufika, wamiselwa ukuba avelele iofisi yesebe. Ngaphambi kokuba liNgqina uWilliam wayesebenza kwiikhasino eziseMerika. Emva kokuba ngumKristu, wawushiya loo msebenzi waza waphila ngemigaqo kaThixo, loo nto yabangela wathandwa waza wahlonelwa ngabavakalisi baseSierra Leone.