Ukuthola Okuhlukile EBahamas

NJENGAMATSHE okuwelela ngaphesheya kwezilwandle eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka aphakathi kweFlorida neCuba, ngo-1992 imithombo yezindaba yadonsela ukunakekela kwayo eBahamas ngendlela engakaze ibonwe ngaphambili. Ngani? Ngoba izikhulu eziningi zibheka iBahamas njengendawo yokuqala eyatholwa uChristopher Columbus ohambweni lwakhe lwasolwandle olungokomlando ngo-1492, lapho athola khona elaseMelika. Ukugujwa kweminyaka engamakhulu amahlanu yokufika kukaColumbus ngo-October 12, kwaba undab’ uzekwayo emhlabeni wonke.

Nakuba kunjalo, lomkhosi wawunabanyundeli bawo. Ekhuluma ne-National Conference of Black Lawyers engeyama-23, kubikwa ukuthi uJohn Carew (uprofesa wezifundo zomhlaba wonke) wathi uColumbus “wayenengxenye ekufeni kwabantu abaningi baseziQhingini zaseCaribbean.”—The Nassau Guardian.

Namuhla, akukho noyedwa walabobantu bokudabuka eBahamas abangu-250 000 ongase akwazi ukufuna umkhondo wezihlobo zakhe zegazi kubantu bendabuko abanokuthula uColumbus ahlangana nabo futhi wabachaza ngokuthi “bangabantu abakhiwe kahle, abanemizimba emihle nobuso obuhle kakhulu.” Kwenzekani kulabobantu baseziqhingini? I-History of the Bahamas iyaphendula: “Phakathi kuka-1500 no-1520 bonke abantu baseBahamas, cishe amaLucaya angu-20 000, bathuthwa ngenkani” njengezigqila ukuze bayosebenza ezimayini zegolide zaseSpain eHispaniola.

Ngaleyondlela isinabantu abancane, iBahamas “yaphinde yatholwa” okokuqala abantu baseBrithani futhi kamuva yatholwa amaqembu amakhulu “abantu abathembekile.” Labantu abathembekile ngokuyinhloko babengabanikazi bamasimu ababevela kumakoloni aseMelika. Bethembekile eMbusweni waseBrithani, babalekela impi yokuzibusa eyayifufusa ngalesosikhathi kulelozwekazi. Abantu baseBahamas banamuhla ngokuyinhloko bayinzalo yalabantu kanye nezigqila zabo. Lapho zikhululwa, izigqila eziningi zaqhubeka zisebenzisa izibongo zobasi bazo.

Okuhlukile Okwatholakala

Akungabazeki ukuthi uColumbus wayezibheka njengomvangeli othile. Kubikwa ukuthi wathi: “UNkulunkulu wangenza isithunywa sezulu elisha nomhlaba omusha. . . . Wangikhombisa ukuthi ngizowutholaphi umhlaba omusha.” Nokho, umonakalo owaba umphumela wabonisa okwehlukile. ‘Amazulu amasha nomhlaba omusha’ kokulunga okuthenjiswe uNkulunkulu kwadingeka ukuba kulinde ukutholwa kokunye okuhlukile.—2 Petru 3:13.

Ngo-1926, u-Edward McKenzie nomkakhe bafika eBahamas. Ngokungafani nabantu abathole izinto ezithile ngaphambi kwabo, lombhangqwana ozothile waseJamaica wezela ukuzofuna abantu abanhliziyo-ziqotho ababengabanika ingcebo. Babengabokuqala ukuletha izindaba ezinhle zoMbuso kaNkulunkulu eBahamas. (Mathewu 13:44; 24:14) Ngasekupheleni kwalowonyaka kwafika abanye abantu ababili baseJamaica, uClarence Walters noRachel Gregory. Ngo-1928 kwakunabamemezeli boMbuso abayisikhombisa eBahamas. Basebenza kanzima iminyaka emine beshumayela izindaba ezinhle kubantu baseziqhingini.

Kwabe sekufika u-E. P. Roberts, isikhulumi esivuth’ uphondo saseTrinidad. Izinkulumo zakhe zeningi emahholo emihlangano adumile zenza okuningi ekuchitheni izinkolelo zamanga futhi zathinta izinhliziyo zabaningi ngeqiniso leBhayibheli. UDonald Oscar Murray kamuva owaziwa ngokuthi uD. O. naye wayehleli enkemile ezilalelini kweminye yaleyomihlangano. Ekugcineni kwaba nguye oholayo kulomsebenzi.

Isithunywa sevangeli uNancy Porter uyikhumbula  kahle indlela uD. O. Murray akhuluma ngayo ngemithandazo yakhe eqotho ecela usizo emsebenzini wokushumayela. Ngo-1947, uNancy nomyeni wakhe, uGeorge, kanye nabanye ababili, baba izithunywa zevangeli zokuqala ezathunyelwa eBahamas yi-Watch Tower Society. Uyakhumbula: “Umhlangano wokuqala esaya kuwo ungokuthile engingacabangi ukuthi ngiyoke ngikukhohlwe. Kwakukhona abantu abayisishiyagalombili noma abayishumi. Umfoweth’ uMurray wayengusihlalo futhi wavula ngomthandazo, ebonga uJehova ngokufika kwezithunywa zevangeli. Wathi, kwakudingeka usizo futhi ‘siye sathandazela usizo isikhathi eside.’ INhlangano yayithembise ukuthumela usizo, futhi manje sase silapho. Lomthandazo wasithinta kangangokuthi wasenza sazizwa sifuna ukuhlala futhi sasingafuni neze ukuhamba.” Manje, ngemva kweminyaka engu-45 futhi naphezu kokufa komyeni wakhe, uDade Porter usaqhubeka edlulisela isigijimi soMbuso esiduduzayo kubantu baseziqhingini.

Ikakhulukazi kusukela ngo-1947 umsebenzi wokushumayela ngoMbuso eBahamas wasekelwa kakhulu yizikhonzi zesikhathi esigcwele nabanye abaye bavakashela leziqhingi ngesikebhe. Ngokuvamile kuye kwadingeka bahambe esihlabathini esiyingozi nasemanzini ashonayo bese begwedlela ngaphesheya ukuze bayise izindaba ezinhle ezindaweni ezingazodwa. Leyomizamo yakudala ithela izithelo ngisho nakulolusuku.

Ingqopha-mlando yafinyelelwa ngo-1950. Ngo-December walowonyaka, uNathan H. Knorr, owayengumongameli we-Watch Tower Society ngalesosikhathi, nonobhala wakhe, uMilton G. Henschel,  bavakashela eBahamas ngokokuqala ngqá. UKnorr wakhuluma nabantu abangu-312 ababeminyene eMothers’ Club Hall, isakhiwo esincane esakhiwe ngokhuni emgwaqweni iJail Alley. Kwakukhona idlanzana labantu abaziwayo, kuhlanganise nelungu lephalamende nomhleli wephephandaba eliphuma nsuku zonke. Ngalobobusuku, uMfoweth’ uKnorr wamemezela ukumiswa kwehhovisi legatsha leNhlangano eBahamas.

Ukusabela Kobungane Kwabantu Baseziqhingini

Abantu abanobungane baseBahamas ngokuvamile baye basilalela isigijimi soMbuso. Nakuba kunjalo, kuyinselele ukubafinyelela bonke. Kungani kunjalo? Kungoba, nakuba abantu abaningi behlala enhloko-dolobha, iNassau, naseGrand Bahama eseduze, abanye basakazeke kuzo zonke iziqhingi ezinkudlwana ezingu-15 kanti abanye basakazeke eziqhingini ezincane neziyiziyingi ezingu-700 ezakha zonke leziqhingi.

Bebona indingeko, inani elandayo loFakazi bendawo nabanye abaningi abavela kwezinye izindawo baye bathuthela emiphakathini emincane yeziqhingi ukuze basize emsebenzini wokushumayela. Ngokutusekayo, baye bakwenza lokhu ngokuzidela okukhulu nangezindleko zabo. Kodwa imizamo yabo iye yavuzwa kakhulu.

Omunye umbhangqwana oshadile osemusha wathuthela esiqhingini esikhulu sase-Andros. Ngolunye usuku lapho ushumayela endlini ngendlu, wahlangana nomunye umuntu owayesuka eHaiti. Kunezinkulungwane zalabantu eBahamas. Lendoda yavuma ngokushesha ukuba iqhutshelwe isifundo seBhayibheli. Saqalisa ngabo  bona lobobusuku, kusetshenziswa incwadi yesiNgisi neyesiFulentshi ethi Ungaphila Phakade EPharadesi Emhlabeni. Ngobusuku obulandelayo, yaya emhlanganweni wayo wokuqala wobuKristu. Ngokushesha, lendoda yayeka ukubhema, yenza intuthuko esheshayo, futhi yaqalisa ukuhlanganyela emsebenzini wokushumayela.

Ekuseni ngosuku lendoda eyayizobhapathizwa ngalo, yathola ikhasethi eliqoshiwe livela emkhayeni wakubo eHaiti, nakuba kwase kuyiminyaka emihlanu ingaxhumani nawo. Yini ababeyisho? Babelandisa ngendlela ababeye baba oFakazi BakaJehova ngayo. Bayichazela ukuthi udadewabo kakade wayeseyiphayona elivamile, noma umshumayeli wesikhathi esigcwele, futhi bamnxusa ukuba afune oFakazi bese efunda iBhayibheli kanye nabo. Akungabazeki ukuthi lendoda yabhapathizwa ngalolosuku inokuqiniseka okugcwele kokuthi yayenza into efanele.

Ukusabela kwentshiseko okunjengalokhu kuye kwabajabulisa ngokujulile oFakazi bendawo. Inani labo elanda ngokuqhubekayo liye langenela umsebenzi wokushumayela ivangeli isikhathi esigcwele, futhi lokhu kuye kwaba nengxenye ekwandeni. Ngenxa yalokho ngo-1988 inani labamemezeli boMbuso eBahamas lafinyelela ku-1 000. Namuhla, emabandleni angu-19, kunabamemezeli boMbuso abacishe babe ngu-1 300, cishe abakuzo zonke iziqhingi eziyinhloko.

Balungiselelwa Isikhathi Esizayo

Ngenxa yokwanda kwabo ngenani, oFakazi baye baba nobunzima bokuthola izindawo abangase bakwazi ukuzikhokhela ezinkulu ngokwanele zemihlangano yabo yaminyaka yonke. Kuye kwadingeka ukuba kube nemihlangano emibili eziqhingini ezihlukene ukuze kunakekelwe abantu abaningi. Ngenxa yalokho, kwahlelwa ukuba kwakhiwe iHholo LoMhlangano kanye nehhovisi legatsha elisha. Umsebenzi waqalisa ngo-December 1989. Amakhulu ezisebenzi zokuzithandela zakwamanye amazwe nezendawo zasebenza kulomsebenzi “ngomphefumulo wonke kungathi kwenzelwa uJehova.”—Kolose 3:23, NW.

Ngaphandle kokungabaza, umbuthano omkhulukazi nojabulisa ukuyedlula yonke kuze kube manje woFakazi eBahamas wenzeka ngesikhathi sokunikezela ihhovisi legatsha elisha kanye neHholo LoMhlangano ngo-February 8 no-9 1992. Ukulangazelela kwentshiseko kwakukhula njengoba abazalwane kuzo zonke izingxenye zeziqhingi babenza amalungiselelo alesenzakalo. Isimo sezulu sasiphole ngendlela engajwayelekile, futhi lana ngobusuku bangaphambi kosuku lokunikezela. Kodwa akukho lutho olwalunganciphisa intokozo yesixuku esasijabula sabantu abangu-2 714 njengoba uJohn E. Barr, ilungu leNdikimba Ebusayo yoFakazi BakaJehova, ayenikeza inkulumo yokunikezela, eyayinesihloko esithi “Ingoma Yokwanda KoMbuso WaseZulwini.”

Izinhliziyo zazigcwele ukubonga kuBaba wasezulwini, uJehova uNkulunkulu, ngenxa yesenzakalo esijabulisa kangaka. Labo ababekhona babezimisela ngokwengeziwe ukusebenzisa wonke amandla abo emsebenzini wokufundisa ongokomoya oye wenza kwaba nesidingo sokwandiswa kwesakhiwo.

Ukuthi okwatholwa uColumbus kwakuyinguquko enkulu yokwenza ngcono leziqhingi mhlawumbe kuyoqhubeka kuyinkulumo mpikiswano. Nokho, oFakazi BakaJehova eBahamas bamunye ekubongeni kwabo uNkulunkulu ngokubanikeza abamemezeli boMbuso abamoya wabo wokuzidela wabashukumisela ekubeni bakhuthazelele indawo abangayazi baletha izindaba ezinhle ezikhazimulayo kulokho okwakukade kungamanzi angaziwa ngokomoya. Umsebenzi wabo nalokho “abakuthola” kuye kwaphumela engcebweni engokomoya engenakuqhathaniswa ngabo bonke abafuna iqiniso eBahamas.

[Ibalazwe/Izithombe ekhasini 24, 25]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Grand Bahama

Abaco

Andros

New Providence

Nassau

Eleuthera

Sehlakahlaka sa Cat

Great Exuma

Rum Cay

San Salvador

Long Island

Crooked Island

Acklins Island

Mayaguana

Little Inagua

Great Inagua

CARIBBEAN SEA

FLORIDA

CUBA

[Izithombe]

Ukushumayela eStraw Market

Ukugwedlela ngaphesheya ukuze kushunyayelwe izindaba ezinhle

Ihhovisi legatsha lisentabeni ebhekene neHholo LoMhlangano