NGAZALWA abazali ababekhuthele, ngingowesikhombisa ezinganeni eziyisishiyagalombili eKarítsa, idolobhana elincane laseGrisi. Lowo nyaka kwakungu-1926.

Ngo-1925, abazali bami babehlangane noJohn Papparizos, omunye wabaFundi beBhayibheli, njengoba manje baziwa ngokuthi oFakazi BakaJehova. Wayeshiseka futhi ezithandela ukukhuluma nabantu. Ibahlabe umxhwele indlela uJohn ayeyichaza kahle ngayo imiBhalo, baqala ukuya emihlanganweni yabaFundi beBhayibheli edolobhaneni lakithi. Umama wayenokholo oluqinile kuJehova uNkulunkulu nakuba ayengakwazi ukufunda nokubhala, noma nini lapho ekwazi wayeshumayela kwabanye. Ngokudabukisayo, ubaba wanaka ukungapheleli kwabantu futhi kancane kancane wayeka ukuya emihlanganweni yobuKristu.

Mina nezingane zakithi sasilihlonipha iBhayibheli kodwa saphazanyiswa izinjabulo zobusha sisakhula. Ngo-1939, njengoba kwakuqala iMpi Yezwe II e-Europe, kwenzeka into eyawushaqa kakhulu umphakathi wakithi. Umzala wethu, uNicolas Psarras, ongumakhelwane wethu, owayesanda kubhapathizwa wabuthelwa ebuthweni laseGrisi. UNicolas owayeneminyaka engu-20, ngesibindi watshela abaphathi bebutho, “Ngeke ngikwazi ukulwa ngoba ngiyisosha likaKristu.” Washushiswa enkantolo yamasosha wabe esegwetshwa iminyaka eyishumi ejele. Sasishaqekile!

Ngenhlanhla, ngasekuqaleni kuka-1941, kwafika ibutho loMfelandawonye eGrisi noNicolas wabe esededelwa ejele. Wabuyela eKarítsa, lapho umfowethu omdala u-Ilias amphonsa khona imibuzo mayelana neBhayibheli. Ngalalelisisa. Ngemva kwalokho, mina  no-Ilias nodadewethu omncane, u-Efmorfia, saqala ukutadisha iBhayibheli futhi siya njalo emihlanganweni yoFakazi. Ngonyaka olandelayo, sobathathu sanikezela ukuphila kwethu kuJehova futhi sabhapathizwa. Kamuva, ezinye izingane zakithi ezine nazo zaba oFakazi abathembekile.

Ngo-1942, ibandla laseKarítsa lalinabantu abasha kuphela, izinsizwa nezintombi ezingu-9, abaphakathi neminyaka engu-15 kuya ku-25. Sonke sasazi ukuthi kuza ushushiso olunzima. Ngakho, ukuze siqinise ukholo sasihlangana njalo lapho singakwazi ukuze sitadishe iBhayibheli, sicule izingoma zoMbuso futhi sithandaze. Ukholo lwethu lwaqina ngempela.

Njengoba kwakuphela iMpi Yezwe  II, kwaqubuka embi impi yombango ngenxa yokuthi amakhomanisi aseGrisi ayevukela uhulumeni wakhona. Abashokobezi bamakhomanisi babephansi phezulu, bephoqa abantu bendawo ukuba balandele bona. Lapho behlasela umphakathi wakithi, bathumba noFakazi abasebasha abathathu—u-Antonio Tsoukaris, u-Ilias nami. Sazishwelezela, sabatshela ukuthi singamaKristu angathathi hlangothi kwezombusazwe, noma kunjalo basiphoqa ukuba simashe amahora angu-12 sisuka endaweni yakithi siya eMount Olympus.

Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, umphathi wamakhomanisi wathi asingene eqenjini labashokobezi elalihlasela imizi yabantu. Lapho simchazela ukuthi amaKristu eqiniso awabahlaseli abanye abantu, ethukuthele engqangqa, wavele wasihudulela kujenene. Lapho siphinda siyibeka indaba yethu kujenene, wathi, “Kulungile, nizothatha umnyuzi bese nithatha abalimale empini nibayise ezibhedlela.”

Saphendula, “Kuthiwani uma sibanjwa amasosha kahulumeni? Ngeke yini asibheke njengamasosha empi?” Wathi, “Kulungile, nizohambisa isinkwa-ke kulabo abalwayo empini.” Kodwa sachaza, “Kuthiwani uma isikhulu sisibona bese sisithuma ukuba sihambise izikhali ngomnyuzi kulabo abalwayo empini.” Ujenene wabe esecabangisisa isikhathi esijana. Ekugcineni wabe esememeza: “Uma kunjalo, ngokuqinisekile ningazilusa izimvu! Hlalani entabeni, niluse imihlambi.”

Ngakho njengoba impi yombango yayiqhubeka ngapha nangapha, sobathathu onembeza bethu babesikhulula ngokuthi sizobe sizilusela izimvu. Ngemva konyaka, umfowethu omdala, u-Ilias, wavunyelwa ukuba abuyele ekhaya ukuze anakekele umama njengoba ubaba ayeseshonile. U-Antonio wagula babe sebemdedela. Nokho, mina ngaqhubeka ngiyisiboshwa.

Phakathi naleso sikhathi, ibutho laseGrisi lalilokhu lisondela kumakhomanisi. Iqembu elalingibophile labalekela ezintabeni ezingase-Albania. Eduze nomngcele, sazithola sesizungezwe amasosha aseGrisi. Abavukeli besaba babaleka. Mina ngacasha ngemva kwesihlahla esasiwile, okwangifaka obishini ebengike ngakhuluma ngalo ngaphambili, lokubanjwa amasosha.

Lapho ngitshela amasosha ukuthi kade ngiyisiboshwa samakhomanisi, ukuze angiseshe, angithatha aya nami enkambini yamasosha eseduze naseVéroia, idolobha langesikhathi seBhayibheli eBeroea. Lapho, kwathiwa angimbe imisele yamasosha. Lapho ngenqaba, umkhuzi webutho wathi angidingiswe  ngiyiswe esiqhingini sokuhlushwa eMakrónisos (Makronisi).

Isiqhingi esomile, esishiswa yilanga nesingenawo amanzi esibizwa ngeMakrónisos sitholakala ogwini lwe-Attica cishe amakhilomitha angu-50 uma usuka e-Athens. Lesi siqhingi singamakhilomitha angu-13 ubude kanti lapho sibanzi khona kakhulu singamamitha angu-500. Noma kunjalo, kusukela ngo-1947 kuya ku-1958, sasineziboshwa ezingaphezu kuka-100 000, ezazihlanganisa amakhomanisi kanye nababesolwa ngokuba yiwo, amasosha ayesevukela kanye nenqwaba yoFakazi BakaJehova abathembekile.

Lapho ngifika ngo-1949, iziboshwa zazihlukanisiwe zaba semakamu amaningana. Ngafakwa ekamu elingenazo ezokuphepha eziqine kakhulu, elalinamadoda ayela emakhulwini ambalwa. Cishe abangu-40 kithi babelala phansi kuseyili wetende okwakumelwe ngabe ulala abantu abangu-10. Sasiphuza amanzi angcolile futhi sivame ukudla udali no-brinjal. Izintuli nomoya ongapheli kwakwenza ukuphila kube nzima. Kodwa kungcono ngoba kwakungadingeki silokhu sithutha amatshe, okuyinhlupho ewunya eyayilimaza kokubili umzimba nengqondo yeziboshwa eziningi ezaziseshweni.

Ngelinye ilanga lapho ngisebenza ngasolwandle, ngahlangana noFakazi abaningana ababesuka kwelinye ikamu. Ave sajabula ngokuba ndawonye! Sasihlangana njalo lapho sithola ithuba kodwa siqiniseke ukuthi asibonwa. Ngokucophelela, sasishumayela nakwezinye iziboshwa, okwathi kamuva ezinye zaba oFakazi BakaJehova. Lezo zenzo nemithandazo esuka enhliziyweni kwasisiza sahlala siphilile ngokomoya.

Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-10 “zokuhlunyeleliswa kwesimilo,” abathumbi bami banquma ukuba ngiqale ukugqoka izingubo zamasosha. Lapho ngenqaba, bangihudulela kumphathi wekamu. Ngamunika iphepha elibhalwe ukuthi, “Ngifuna ukuba yisosha likaKristu kuphela.” Ngemva kokungesabisa, umphathi wangiyisa kuyisekela lakhe, umbhishobhi wase-Grisi wesonto lobu-Orthodox, owayevunule waphelela ngezembatho zenkolo yakhe. Lapho ngiphendula imibuzo yakhe ngesibindi ngisebenzisa iBhayibheli, ngokuthukuthela wathi: “Msuseni la. Ushisekela inkolo ngokweqile!”

Ngakusasa ekuseni, amasosha aphinde athi angifake izingubo zamasosha. Lapho ngenqaba, bangishaya ngezibhakela nangesiqwayi. Ngemva kwalokho bangiyisa emtholampilo wakhona ekamu ukuze baqinisekise ukuthi amathambo ami awaphukanga yini base bengihudulela etendeni lami. Lokhu kwakulokhu kwenzeka njalo kwaze kwaphela izinyanga ezimbili.

Ngenxa yokuthi ngangingafuni ukulahla ukholo lwami, ekugcineni amasosha azama isu elisha ngoba ayesexakekile. Abopha izandla zami ngemuva, abe esengibhaxabula ngeziswebhu. Phakathi nalezo zinhlungu, ngakhumbula amazwi kaJesu: “Niyajabula lapho abantu benihlambalaza, benishushisa . . . Jabulani nigxumagxume ngenjabulo, ngoba umvuzo wenu mkhulu emazulwini; ngoba babashushisa ngaleyo ndlela abaprofethi ngaphambi kwenu.” (Math. 5:11, 12) Ekugcineni ngemva kwesikhathi eside, ngavele ngaquleka.

Ngaphaphamiswa ukubanda esitokisini nginganikwanga isinkwa, amanzi noma ingubo yokulala. Noma kunjalo, ngazizwa nginokuthula futhi ngizolile. Njengoba iBhayibheli lithembisa, ‘ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu . . . kwalinda inhliziyo yami nemicabango yami.’ (Fil. 4:7) Ngakusasa isosha elinomusa langinika isinkwa, amanzi nejazi. Ngemva kwalokho elinye isosha langipha ukudla kwalo. Ngalezi zindlela nangezinye eziningi, ngakuzwa ukunakekela kothando kukaJehova.

Iziphathimandla zasezingiphatha njengevukela mbuso elinekhanda eliqinile, zabe sezingiyisa e-Athens enkantolo yamasosha. Lapho ngagwetshwa iminyaka emithathu ejele laseYíaros (Gyaros), isiqhingi esiqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-50 empumalanga yeMakrónisos.

Ijele laseYíaros laliyibhilidi elikhulu elakhiwe ngezitini ezibomvu, kuvalelwe kulo iziboshwa zezombusazwe ezingaphezu kuka-5 000. Kwakuvalelwe noFakazi BakaJehova abayisikhombisa, ngenxa yokungathathi kwabo uhlangothi kobuKristu. Ngisho noma kwakungavunyelwe nhlobo, sasihlangana ndawonye  ukuze sitadishe iBhayibheli ngasese. Sasithola njalo amakhophi e-Nqabayokulinda ayefakwa ejele ngomshoshaphansi bese siwakopisha ngesandla ukuze siwasebenzise lapho sitadisha.

Ngolunye usuku sisatadisha ngasese, ujele wazithela phezu kwethu wabe esesiphuca izincwadi. Sabe sesibizelwa ehhovisi lesekela lomphathi wejele; sasiqiniseka ukuthi izokwenezelwa iminyaka esizoyihlala ejele. Kunalokho, isekela lomphathi lathi: “Siyazi ukuthi ningoFakazi futhi siyakuhlonipha ukuma kwenu. Siyazi nokuthi singanethemba. Buyelani emsebenzini.” Waze ngisho wanika abanye bethu imisebenzi elula. Izinhliziyo zethu zagcwala ukwazisa. Ngisho nasejele ukuba qotho njengamaKristu kungaletha udumo kuJehova.

Ukuba qotho kwethu kwaletha neminye imiphumela emihle. Ngemva kokubukisisa ukuziphatha kwethu okuhle, esinye isiboshwa esinguprofesa wezibalo sashukumiseleka ukuba sibuze ngezinkolelo zethu. Lapho thina njengoFakazi sikhululwa ekuqaleni kuka-1951, naso sakhululwa. Kamuva, saba uFakazi obhapathiziwe nesikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele.

Lapho ngikhululwa ngaphindela emndenini wakithi eKarítsa. Kamuva ngafudukela eMelbourne, e-Australia kanye nabanye abaningi basezweni lakithi. Lapho, ngahlangana noJanette udade omuhle ongumKristu futhi ngashada naye, siye sakhulisa indodana namadodakazi amathathu ngendlela yobuKristu.

Namuhla, njengoba sengevile eminyakeni engu-90, ngisakhonza njengomdala ongumKristu. Ngenxa yamanxeba engawathola esikhathini esidlule, ngezinye izikhathi umzimba nezinyawo zami kuvele kube buhlungu, ikakhulukazi ngemva kokushumayela enkonzweni. Noma kunjalo, ngisazimisele njengakuqala ukuba ‘isosha likaKristu.’—2 Thim. 2:3.