Kusukela ngasekupheleni kwawo-1990 kuqhubeke, oFakazi eGeorgia bajabulela ukwanda okukhulu kwabamemezeli nabantu abathakazelayo. Ngo-1998 abantu abangu-32 409 noma ngaphezulu baba khona eSikhumbuzweni sokufa kukaKristu.

Nokho, abamemezeli abaningi kuhlanganise nabadala babesebasha emaqinisweni futhi bengakajwayelani nezinto ezithile. Abaningi babedinga ukuqeqeshwa emisebenzini eminingi yenkonzo. Kodwa babezoqeqeshwa kanjani?

U-Arno noSonja Tüngler abaphothula oPhikweni LweSikole SaseGileyadi oluseJalimane, babelwa eGeorgia ngo-March 1998. Ngawo lowo nyaka, iNdikimba Ebusayo yagunyaza ukuba kuvulwe ihhovisi lezwe eGeorgia, elalizonakekelwa yigatsha laseRussia.

Ngokushesha iKomiti Yezwe yaqala ukunakekela umsebenzi wokushumayela. Lapho umsebenzi wethu usubhaliswe ngokomthetho, kwathunyelwa izincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini zisuka egatsheni laseJalimane langaleso sikhathi. Ukuqashelwa okungokomthetho kwasisiza nasekuthengeni izindawo zokwakha amaHholo OMbuso nezakhiwo zegatsha.

Phakathi neminyaka umsebenzi owawuvinjelwe ngayo ngaphansi kokubusa kweSoviet, abamemezeli abaningi babengakwazi ukushumayela ngokukhululekile endlini ngendlu. U-Arno Tüngler uyakhumbula: “Abamemezeli  abaningi babefakaza emgwaqweni kodwa akubona bonke ababejwayele ukuya endlini ngendlu nokulandelela isithakazelo.”

UDavit Devidze owaqala ukukhonza ehhovisi lezwe elalisanda kumiswa ngo-May 1999, uthi: “Kwakukuningi okwakufanele kwenziwe ensimini naseBethel. Kwakunezinto esasifunde ngazo kodwa singazi ukuthi zenziwa kanjani. Ngakho safunda kubazalwane abase bemnkantsh’ubomvu ababethunyelwe yiNdikimba Ebusayo.”

Kwabe sekuqala inkathi yokuqeqeshwa okukhulu kwabazalwane baseGeorgia. Kodwa njengoba kuvame ukwenzeka kubantu abathuthela lapho kunesidingo esikhulu khona, akuzuzi abaqeqeshwayo kuphela. (IzAga 27:17) Labo ababezosiza bafunda lukhulu kubazalwane nodade bendawo.

U-Arno noSonja bakhumbula indlela enhle abamukelwa ngayo ngemfudumalo eGeorgia. Abazalwane nodade bendawo benza konke okusemandleni abo ukuze babasize bajwayelane nesabelo sabo esisha.

 USonja ukhumbula umusa wabo. Uthi: “Umbhangqwana owawuhlala eduze wawuvame ukusilethela ukudla okwehla esiphundu. Udade othile waya nathi ensimini, wasibonisa ibandla lethu elisha futhi wasitshela okuningi ngesiko laseGeorgia. Omunye udade wasifundisa isiGeorgia ngesineke.”

UWarren noLeslie Shewfelt, ababelwa eGeorgia besuka eCanada ngo-1999, bathi: “Lwasikhanga uthando olwaboniswa abazalwane nodade baseGeorgia futhi lwasithobisa. Bonke babebonisana uthando ngokukhululekile, ngisho nabancane.”

Labo ababelwa ukuyokhonza eGeorgia abagxilanga ezinseleleni, kunalokho bagxila ezimfanelweni ezinhle zabantu bendawo. Uthando nokuzithoba kwalezi zithunywa zevangeli, kwenza abazalwane baseGeorgia bazithanda kakhulu.

Phakathi nawo-1990, abantu abaningi abaqotho baqhubeka belamukela iqiniso. Ngo-1998, kwabhapathizwa abantu abangu-1 724. Yini eyenza abantu abangaka baseGeorgia bamukela iqiniso?

UTamazi Biblaia, owakhonza iminyaka eminingi engumbonisi ojikelezayo uyachaza: “Enye yezinto abantu bakule ndawo abafundiswa zona, ukuthanda uNkulunkulu. Ngakho lapho sixoxa nabo ngomyalezo weBhayibheli, abawuxwayi, bawamukela kahle nje.”

UDavit Samkharadze, ofundisa eSikoleni Sabashumayeli Bevangeli LoMbuso, uthi: “Lapho nje umuntu eqala ukufunda iBhayibheli, izihlobo kanye nomakhelwane bavame ukumphazamisa. Njengoba bezama ukuyekisa umfundi ukuba aqhubeke nesifundo sakhe seBhayibheli, iningi labo nalo ligcina selifundelwa iBhayibheli!”

Izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso zasakazeka kuyo yonke indawo yaseGeorgia futhi zashintsha ukuphila kwabantu abaningi. Ngo-April 1999, isibalo sabantu ababekhona eSikhumbuzweni sanyuka safinyelela ku-36 669.

Ebhekisela emsebenzini wakhe wokushumayela e-Efesu lasendulo, umphostoli uPawulu wabhala: “Ngoba ngivulelwe umnyango omkhulu oholela emsebenzini, kodwa kukhona abaphikisi abaningi.” (1 Kor. 16:9) Amazwi akhe asichaza kahle isimo oFakazi baseGeorgia ababhekana naso ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ngemva kweSikhumbuzo esiyingqophamlando sango-1999.

Ngo-August wangalowo nyaka, amalungu eqisayo eqembu lobu-Orthodox elaliholwa owayekade engumpristi  uVasili Mkalavishvili, aba nombhikisho eTbilisi ashisa nezincwadi zethu abantu bebuka. Lo mbhikisho wokhela ushushiso olwadonsa iminyaka emine.

Ngo-October 17, 1999, abashisekeli benkolo abambalwa baqoqa iviyo labantu abangaba ngu-200 baphazamisa umhlangano owawuseBandleni laseGldani eTbilisi. Bashaya oFakazi ngezinduku nangeziphambano zensimbi okwabangela ukuba abaningana bayiswe esibhedlela.

Ngokudabukisayo, labo bahlaseli abazange baboshwe futhi ukushushiswa koFakazi kwaqhubeka. Izikhulu zikahulumeni, kuhlanganise noMongameli uShevardnadze, zakulahla ngokuphelele lokho kuhlasela kodwa akwenziwanga lutho ngakho. Amaphoyisa ayevame ukufika sekwephuzile njalo lapho kuhlaselwa oFakazi.

Cishe ngaso leso sikhathi, ilungu lephalamende laseGeorgia, uGuram Sharadze, lahlela umkhankaso omkhulu kakhulu wokunyundela oFakazi. Lathi oFakazi bayingozi emphakathini. Kwakubonakala sengathi ‘inkathi evumayo’ yokushumayela izindaba ezinhle ayikaze ibe khona.

Inhlangano kaJehova yathatha isinyathelo ngokushesha ukuze isize oFakazi eGeorgia. Abazalwane bathola iziqondiso eziwusizo zalokho okwakufanele bakwenze lapho behlaselwa. Bakhunjuzwa nangezizathu zokuba amaKristu eqiniso akhuthazelele ushushiso ngezinye izikhathi.—2 Thim. 3:12.

Inhlangano kaJehova yabe isithatha isinyathelo sokuvikela abazalwane enkantolo. Umzalwane owayekhonza eMnyango Wezomthetho egatsheni laseGeorgia uyakhumbula: “Phakathi naleyo minyaka emine, safaka  izikhalazo ezingu-800 ngenxa yezenzo zeqembu likaVasili Mkalavishvili. Sacela izinhlangano zomthetho kanye nezamalungelo abantu ukuba zisisize. Indlunkulu yomhlaba wonke yoFakazi BakaJehova yahlela ukuba kube nomkhankaso omkhulu wokwazisa umphakathi ngokwakwenzeka, kodwa akuzange kume ukuhlaselwa.” *