NGALELINYE lilanga ekuseni eBrookings, leseSouth Dakota, eMelika, bekushaya umoya lobandzako. Lomoya loshubisa umnkantja bewungikhumbuta kutsi busika besebudvutane. Kungakumangalisa kwati kutsi ngalelolanga besilicembu lelincane sichucha sisehhokweni lekubeka kudla kwetilwane. Besime embikwemkhombe lonemanti labandzako labekunatsa khona tilwane. Asengikucocele umlandvo wami kute utocondza kutsi kungani besime lapho.

Ngatalwa ngaMarch 7, 1936 futsi ngingutfunjana kubantfwana labane. Besihlala epulazini lelisemphumalanga neSouth Dakota. Kuba ngumlimi bekuyintfo lebeyibalulekile emndenini wakitsi, kepha bekungasiyo intfo lebaluleke kakhulu. Batali bami babhatjatiswa nga-1934. Bebatinikele kuBabe wetfu wasezulwini Jehova, ngako kwenta intsandvo yaNkulunkulu bekuyintfo leta kucala ekuphileni kwabo. Babe wami Clarence bekangumchumanisi wesigungu salabadzala ebandleni lebesikulo lelincane eConde leseSouth Dakota futsi kamuva kwase kuba ngubabe lomkhulu Alfred.

Kuya emihlanganweni yebuKhristu kanye nekuyoshumayela emtini ngemuti sitjele bantfu ngematsemba lamahle laseBhayibhelini bekuyincenye yekuphila emndenini wakitsi. Sibonelo sebatali betfu kanye nendlela labasicecesha ngayo ngiko lokwasenta samtsandza Jehova. Mine nadzadzewetfu Dorothy sacala kuba bamemeteli nasineminyaka lesitfupha budzala. Nga-1943 ngabhalisa eSikolweni Semsebenti WemaKhristu lebesisandza kucala emihlanganweni yetfu.

Kuya emihlanganweni lemikhulu nalemincane bekuyintfo lebalulekile ekuphileni kwetfu. Umzalwane Grant Suiter lobekasivakashi, wetfula inkhulumo emhlanganweni lomkhulu wanga-1949 lobewuseSioux Falls, eSouth Dakota. Solo  ngisayikhumbula inkhulumo yakhe lebeyinesihloko lesitsi: “Sekwephute kakhulu kunendlela locabanga ngayo!” Wagcizelela kutsi onkhe emaKhristu lebekatinikele bekufanele asebentise kuphila kwawo ekushumayeleni tindzaba letimnandzi teMbuso waNkulunkulu lomisiwe. Lenkhulumo yangikhutsata kutsi ngitinikele kuJehova. Emhlanganweni wesigodzi lowalandzela lobewuseBrookings, ngangikulelohhoko lelibandzako lengikhulume ngalo ekucaleni ngimele kuyobhatjatiswa. BekunguNovember 12, 1949 ngesikhatsi mine kanye nalabanye labatsatfu simele kubhatjatiswa kulomkhombe lobewakhiwe ngensimbi.

Kusukela ngaleso sikhatsi ngatibekela umgomo wekuba lihlahlandlela. Ngacala kuba lihlahlandlela ngaJanuary 1, 1952 nangineminyaka lengu-15. LiBhayibheli litsi: “Lohambisana nebantfu labahlakaniphile naye ugcine asahlakaniphile,” futsi bebanyenti bantfu labahlakaniphile emndenini wakitsi labangisekela kulesincumo sami sekuba lihlahlandlela. (Taga 13:20) Babe lomkhulu Julius lobekaneminyaka lengu-60 waba lihlahlandlela kanye nami. Nanobe bekamdzala kunami, besijabula nasenta lomsebenti wekushumayela. Ngafundza lokunyenti kuye njengobe bekanalokunyenti lakwatiko ekuphileni. NaDorothy naye waba lihlahlandlela.

Nangisakhula batali bami bebamema babonisi besigodzi kanye nabomkabo kutsi basivakashele. Labangisita kakhulu bekuboJesse naLynn Cantwell. Sikhutsato labanginiketa sona ngiso lesangenta ngancuma kuba lihlahlandlela. Indlela lebebangitsandza ngayo yangenta kutsi ngitibekele imigomo lemihle ekukhonteni Nkulunkulu. Nabakhonta libandla lelidvutane nasekhaya, bebahle bangimema kutsi ngishumayele kanye nabo. Loku kwangijabulisa kakhulu futsi kwangikhutsata!

Bud Miller kanye nemkakhe Joan, baba babonisi betfu besigodzi labalandzela. Ngaleso sikhatsi bengineminyaka lengu 18 budzala futsi bekufike sigaba sekutsi ngingabitwa emasotjeni. Ikomidi lehlunga bantfu labatawungena emasotjeni yanginiketa umsebenti lebewungahambisani naloko Jesu lakusho lokumayelana nekungabi yincenye yalelive. Ngetulu kwaloko, bengifuna kumemetela tindzaba letimnandzi teMbuso. (Joh. 15:19) Ngako ngafaka sikhalo kulekomidi ngacela kutsi bangivumele ngichubeke ngingumshumayeli.

Kwangijabulisa kakhulu kutsi umzalwane Miller wancuma kuhamba nami nangiya kulekomidi. Bekabatsandza bantfu futsi bekangasheshi esabe. Kuhamba naye kwangenta ngaba nesibindzi kakhulu.  Umphumela wekuhlangana kwami nalelikomidi kwaba kutsi nga-1954 lekomidi yangivumela kutsi ngibe ngumshumayeli. Loko kwangivulela litfuba lekutsi ngifinyelele lomunye umgomo lebengitibekele wona.

Ngaleso sikhatsi, ngatfola simemo sekuyokhonta eBethel, lebeyatiwa ngekutsi yiWatchtower Farm, lebeyiseStaten Island, eNew York. Ngaba nelilungelo lekuba lapho iminyaka lecishe ibe mitsatfu. Ngenca yekutsi ngahlangana nebantfu labanyenti labahlakaniphile futsi ngasebenta nabo, kwangenta ngabona tintfo letinyenti letijabulisako.

Lelipulazi leliseStaten Island belinesiteshi semsakato lokutsiwa yiWBBR. Lesiteshi besisetjentiswa boFakazi BaJehova kusukela nga-1924 kuya ku-1957. Bekunemalunga aseBethel langu-15 kuya ku-20 lebekahlala kulelipulazi. Labanyenti betfu bebasebasha futsi besisenesikhatsi lesincane sikhonta Jehova. Kodvwa besikanye na-Eldon Woodworth, lobekangumzalwane losakhulile futsi logcotjiwe. Bekangumzalwane lohlakaniphile. Kuba ngubabe kwakhe kitsi kwabucinisa buhlobo betfu naNkulunkulu. Nangabe kwenteka kuba netinkinga emkhatsini wetfu umzalwane Woodworth bekavame kutsi “Kuyajabulisa loko Jehova lakwentile nanome bantfu labasebentisako banesono.”

Saba nelilungelo lekusebenta nemzalwane Frederick W. Franz. Indlela lebekahlakaniphe ngayo kanye nelwati lwakhe lolujulile ngemiBhalo kwasisita kakhulu futsi bekakhatsalela umuntfu ngamunye. Besiphekelwa nguHarry Peterson, bekumelula ngatsi kumbita ngesibongo sakhe kunekumbita ngeligama lakhe lelitsi Papargyropoulos. Naye bekagcotjiwe futsi bekakhutsele emsebentini wekushumayela. Umzalwane Peterson bekawenta kahle umsebenti waseBethel kodvwa loko bekungamenti ehlise emandla emsebentini wekushumayela. Bekahambisa emakhulukhulu abomagazini betfu njalo ngenyanga. Bekayati kahle nemiBhalo, aphendvula imibuto leminyenti lebesinayo.

Letintfo lebetikhicitwa kulelipulazi betigcinwa etikoteleni. Bekugcinwa imigomula lengaba ngu-45 000 yetitselo kanye netibhidvo njalo ngemnyaka kute kusetjentiswe ngumndeni waseBethel. Nasisenta lomsebenti, ngaba nelilungelo lekusebenta na-Etta Huth, lobekangudzadze lohlakaniphile. Umsebenti wakhe bekukucikelela kutsi lokudla kugcineke  kahle. Nasekusikhatsi sekugcina lokudla, bodzadze labakulenedzawo bebeta batosisita futsi Etta bekabacecesha kutsi bawente kahle lomsebenti. Nanobe Etta bekanendzima lebalulekile ekugcineni kahle lokudla, kodvwa wasibekela sibonelo lesihle sekuhlonipha bazalwane labebaniketa ticondziso kulelipulazi. Waba sibonelo lesihle kimi sekuhlonipha bazalwane labaniketwe ligunya ebandleni.

Angela Romano bekangulomunye dzadze losemusha loweta kutosita kulomsebenti wekugcina kudla. Abefundzelwe ngu-Etta emaciniso eliBhayibheli. Ngesikhatsi ngisebenta eBethel ngahlangana nalomunye dzadze lohlakaniphile lesekuphele iminyaka lengu-58 sindzawonye. Mine na-Angie sashada nga-April 1958 futsi sesijabulele emalungelo lamanyenti enkonzo. Kuyo yonkhe leminyaka sishadile kwetsembeka kwa-Angie kuJehova lokungashintji kuye kwawucinisa umshado wetfu. Ngenca yaloko ngingetsembela kuye kungakhatsaliseki kutsi ngutiphi tinkinga lesingahlangabetana nato.

Ngesikhatsi siteshi semsakato iWBBR lebesise Staten Island sitsengiswa nga-1957, ngaya kuyokhonta sikhashana eBethel leseBrooklyn. Ngemuva kwaloko mine na-Angie sashada, ngenca yaloko ngaphuma eBethel futsi saba ngemahlahlandlela iminyaka lecishe ibe mitsatfu eStaten Island. Ngasebenta sikhashana nebacondzisi labasha besiteshi semsakato lebesibitwa ngekutsi yiWPOW.

Mine na-Angie besitimisele kwenta kuphila kwetfu kube melula kute sikulungele kukhonta nobe ngukuphi lakunesidzingo khona. Ngenca yaloko nga-1961 sabelwa kutsi sibe ngemahlahlandlela lakhetsekile eFalls City leseNebraska. Ngemuva kwaloko samenyelwa eSikolweni Semsebenti Wembuso eSouth Lansing lese New York, ngaleso sikhatsi lesikolwa besitsatsa inyanga. Sasijabulela lesikolwa futsi besikubuke ngalabovu kuyosebentisa loko lesikufundzile eNebraska. Kodvwa samangala nasabelwa kutsi siyoba titfunywa telivangeli eCambodia. Lendzawo lena leseSoutheast Asia inetindzawo letinhle, inetimbali letineliphunga lelimnandzi lobekutintfo lobewungeke utitfole nome ngukuphi. Besikulangatelela kuyoshumayela tindzaba letimnandzi kulendzawo.

Kodvwa lokubuhlungu kutsi simo sepolitiki kulendzawo sashintja, ngako kwadzingeka sitfutsele eSouth Vietnam. Ngemuva kweminyaka lemibili ngagula kakhulu, kwadzingeka kutsi sibuyele ekhaya. Bengidzinga sikhashana sekululama, kodvwa kwatsi lapho sengincono saphindze sawungenela lomsebenti wasikhatsi sonkhe.

Nga-March 1965 saba nelilungelo lekuhambela emabandla. Kwaphela iminyaka lengu-33 sikujabulela kuhambela tifundza netigodzi, kanye nekulungiselela imihlangano lemikhulu futsi sibe khona kuyo. Bengikujabulela kakhulu kuba semihlanganweni lemikhulu, ngako bengikutsandza kuba nencenye ekuhleleni lemihlangano. Kwaphela iminyaka sisedolobheni laseNew York futsi imihlangano leminyenti lemikhulu beyiba seYankee Stadium.

Mine na-Angie besisatawuba netikhatsi letimnandzi kanye netikhatsi letimatima, njengobe kuvamise kuba njalo nawusemsebentini lokhetsekile wasikhatsi sonkhe. Nga-1995, ngacelwa kutsi ngiyoba nguthishela eSikolweni sekuceceshelwa imisebenti yebukhristu. Ngemuva kweminyaka lemitsatfu samenyelwa  eBethel. Ngajabula kakhulu ngekutsi ngibuyele lapho ngacala khona umsebenti wasikhatsi sonkhe eminyakeni lengu-40 leyendlulile. Ngasebenta eService Department sikhashana ngase ngiba nguthishela etikolweni letinyenti tebuKhristu. Nga-2007 Sigungu Lesibusako sacalisa kutsi letikolwa sale tichutjelwa eBethel ngaphasi kweliHhovisi Letikolwa TebuKhristu futsi ngatfola lilungelo lekuba ngumbonisi kulelihhovisi iminyaka letsite.

Sisandza kubona lushintjo lolunyenti mayelana nemfundvo levela kuNkulunkulu. Nga-2008 kwacala Sikolwa Semadvodza Lamadzala eLibandla. Eminyakeni lemibili leyalandzela emadvodza lamadzala elibandla langetulu kwa-12 000 aceceshwa kuletikolwa lebetisePatterson kanye naseBethel leseBrooklyn. Lesikolwa sisachubeka nakuletinye tindzawo njengoba kuceceshwe bothishela kutsi bafundzise khona. Nga-2010 Sikolwa Sekuceceshelwa Imisebenti YebuKhristu sase sibitwa ngekutsi Sikolwa Lesisekelwe EBhayibhelini Sebazalwane Labangakashadi futsi kwacalwa sikolwa lesisha lesibitwa ngekutsi Sikolwa Lesisekelwe EBhayibhelini SemaKhristu Lashadene.

Ekucaleni kwemnyaka wenkonzo wa-2015 leto tikolwa tahlanganiswa kwakhiwa sikolwa lesibitwa ngekutsi Sikolwa Sebavangeli BeMbuso. Labo labaceceshwa kulesikolwa kungaba ngulabashadene nobe bazalwane nabodzadze labangakashadi. Emakhristu lamanyenti emhlabeni wonkhe akujabulela kutsi lesikolwa sitawuba khona emagatjeni lamanyenti. Kuyajabulisa kutsi labanyenti sebangayitfola lemfundvo levela kuNkulunkulu futsi ngiyajabula nangekutsi ngiye ngahlangana nebantfu labanyenti labete kutoceceshwa kulesikolwa.

Nangibuka emuva ngisengakabhatjatiswa kute kube ngunyalo, ngiyambonga Jehova ngebantfu bakhe labangisitile kutsi ngichubeke ngimkhonta. Labanye bebabadzala kunami ngemnyaka futsi sinemasiko lehlukene. Kodvwa ngekhatsi etinhlitiyweni tabo bebamtsandza Nkulunkulu. Lutsandvo lwabo ngaJehova lolusuka enhlitiyweni bebalubonisa ngetento kanye nangendlela lebebaphila ngayo. Kulenhlangano yakhe, kunebazalwane labanyenti labahlakaniphile lesingahambisana nabo. Nguloko nami lengikwentile futsi ngiye ngazuza kakhulu.