NGABELETHELWA eHemsworth ngo-1923 edorobheni le-Yorkshire, e-England. Ngibelethwa nomfowethu u-Bob. Nangineminyaka elithoba ubaba weza neencwadi eziwaveza emntarini amanga wekolo, kazi ubaba bekabuhloyile tle ubuzenzisi bekolo. Kwamthabisa kwamambala akufunda eencwadinezi. Eminyakeni eembalwa eyalandelako uBob Atkinson weza ekhaya wasidlalela irekhodi le-phonograph ebeyingezinye zeenkulumo zakamZalwana uRutherford. Sayelela ukuthi ikulumo le ivela emthonjeni munye neencwadeza! Ababelethi bami babawa umZalwana u-Atkinson bona qobe ntambama eze ekhaya azokudla nathi bese aphendule imibuzo eminengi ebesinayo esekelwe eBhayibhelini. Samenyelwa esifundweni ebesisemzini womzalwana ebewulibangana ukusuka ekhaya. Sasabela esimenyweneso, ingasi kade kwahlelwa ibandla eHemsworth. Ingasi kade besele simema ama-zone servants (nje aziwa ngokuthi bajikelezi) besimema namaphayona ahlala eduze bona azokudla nathi. Ukuba khona kwabo bekungikhuthaza tle!

Besele sithomesi ibhizinisi, uBaba wathi kumfowethu, “Nawufuna ukuphayona kuzokufuze silise ibhiziniseli.” UBob wavuma yeke wakhamba wayokuphayona, bekana-21 ngesikhatheso. Ngemva kweminyaka emibili nangineminyaka eli-16 ngaba liphayona. Nangingabali iimpelaveke, kanengi bengisebenza ngedwa esimini ngitjhumayela nge-testimony card ne-phonograph. UJehova wangibusisa ngomuntu ebengifunda naye iBhayibheli, bekathuthuka kamnandi. Abanengi emndenini womuntu ebengifunda naye lo nabo bamukela iqiniso. Ngomnyaka owalandelako sinoMary Henshall senziwa amaphayona akhethekileko. Sathunyelwa esimini engatjhunyayelwa qobe, enarheni yeCheshire.

Ngesikhatheso besele kuhlangana nePi yePhasi Yesibili, yeke abomma bekufuze bayokusiza eendabeni zezipi. Njengombana abadosi phambili beenkolo bebangayi epini, nathi khulukhulu amaphayona besilindele bona bazasilisa. Kodwana ikhotho akhenge ikuvume lokho, mina bangigweba amalanga ama-31 ejele. Umnyaka owalandelako nasele ngina-19, ngaya ekhotho godu ngebanga lokungavumi kwakanembezami bona ngiye epini. Kwafuze  ngiye emakhotho amabili kodwana indabami yaphelela emmoyeni. Koke lokhu kwenzeka nje mina bengazi ukuthi ummoya ocwengileko bewungisiza, bengazi nokuthi uJehova bekabambe isandla sami, bekangiqinisa.—Isa. 41:10, 13.

Sino-Arthur Matthews sahlangana ngo-1946, naye akhenge asekele zepi ngebanga lakanembezakhe. Kwathi sele kuphele iinyanga ezinthathu asejele, wahlangana nomfowabo obekaliphayona elikhethileko uDennis eHemsworth. Ubababo wabafundisa ngoJehova basesebancani, babhajadiswa nabakhulela ebudaleni. Ingasikade uDennis wathunyelwa bona ayokutjhumayela e-Ireland, u-Arthur wasala anganamuntu atjhumayela naye. Ngemva kobana ababelethi bami babone imikghwa emihle ka-Arthur, bammema bona azokuhlala ekhaya. Mina nangivakatjhe ekhaya sino-Arthur besithi singaqeda ukudla bese sihlanza izitja. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi sathoma ukutlolelana. Phakathi kwaka-1948 wagwetjwa ezinye iinyanga ezintathu. Ngo-1949 satjhada, sazibekela umgomo wokusebenzela uZimu isikhathi sethu esinengi bekube kulapho sibhalelwa khona. Ngesizo lakaJehova sakghona ukuthi ngesikhathi sethu sokuphumula nokuvakatjha, sisebenze ukuvuna iinthelo bona sibe nemadlana esizokuphila ngayo njengombana siphayona nje.

Ngemva komnyaka basibawa bona siyokutjhumayela eTlhagwini ye-Ireland, sathoma saya e-Armagh bese saya eNewry iindawezi zombili zizele abantu abamaKhatholika. Bekungasibulula ukutjhumayela eendawenezi, yeke bekufuze sitjheje nasitjhumayelako. Isifundo besibanjelwa emzini womzalwana nodade ebewumakhilomitha ali-16 ukusuka lapha sihlala khona. Babantu abangaba bunane ebebeza esifundweni. Ngezinye iinkhathi besimenywa bona silale lapho, besilala phasi bese kuthi ekuseni basenzele ukudla okumnandi. Kuyasithabisa ukwazi ukuthi sikhuluma nje sekunaboFakazi abanengi endaweni leyo.

Umfowethu nomkakhe uLottie nabo besele kukade batjhumayela eTlhagwini ye-Ireland, ngo-1952 sobane njalo saya emhlanganweni omkhulu eBelfast. Umzalwana omunye waba nomusa wasamukela kwakhe sobane njalo, kuhlanganise noPryce Hughes obekasegatjeni leBritain ngesikhatheso. Ngobunye ubusuku besicoca ngokutjhatjhululwa kwencwajana ethi, God’s Way Is Love eyenziwa kucatjangelwa khulukhulu iindingo zabantu be-Ireland. UmZalwana uHughes wakhuluma ngokuthi kubudisi kangangani ukukhuluma nabantu abamaKhatholika e-Irish Republic. Abazalwana bebaqothwa emizinabo babetjhwe mphakathi, irawurawu leyo kanengi beyibangwa baphristi. UPryce wathi, “Sitlhoga abatjhadikazi abaneenkoloyi bangenele ijima lokukhambisa iincwajanezi enarheni yoke.” * Abazalwana basabela ngokuthi, “Sizokwenza njalo!” Ngikho sithi ipendulo le ngiyo eyenza indaba le.

 Bekunendawo amaphayona ebekangahlala kiyo emzini kaMma uRutland, esele kusikhathi athembekile. Ngemva kobana sithengise izinto zethu, sobane njalo sapakelana esithuthuthwini naku-sidecar sakaBob sayokufuna ikoloyi. Safumana ikoloyi ekheyasetjenziswa sabawa umnikazi ukuthi asilethele yona lapho sihlala khona ngombana akekho kithi obekakwazi ukutjhayela. Ubusuku boke u-Athur bekahleli embhedeni aphrakthiza ukukhambisa igeri lekoloyi. Ngelanga elilandelako ekuseni u-Arthur asalinga ukukhupha ikoloyi egaraji kwafika uMildred Willett (ngokukhamba kwesikhathi owatjhada noJohn Barr.) Bekakwazi ukutjhayela. Wasiphrakthizisa, ingasikade besele sikulungele ukukhamba.

Nje-ke besele sitlhoga indawo yokuhlala. Ngesikhatheso besikhalinyelwe bona singahlali ngekharavaneni ngoba abantu abaphikisa iqiniso bekungenzeka bayitjhise, besiphasi phezulu sifunana nendlu, kodwana akhenge siyifumane. Sobane njalo salala ngekoloyini. Ngelanga elilandelako, safumana ikharavana encani enemibhede emibili okghona kulala ngaphasi nangaphezulu kiyo. Lelo kwaba likhaya lethu. Okurarako kukuthi akhenge sibe nomraro ukujamisa ikharavanethu hlanu kwemizi yabosomasimu abanomusa. Sakghona ukutjhumayela isimu engaba makhilomitha ali-16 kuya kwama-24. Besibuyela emva qobe siyokutjhumayela godu ebantwini esitjhumayele kibo ngaphambilini, ebesibeke ikharavanethu emasiminabo.

Savakatjhela yoke imizi engesewula yeRepublic ngaphandle kwemiraro, sanikela abantu iincwajana ezizi-20 000, abantu ebebakuthanda ebesikhuluma ngakho besithatha amabizwabo siwadlulisele egatjeni leBritain. Kusibusiso ukwazi ukuthi sikhuluma nje sekunamakhulu waboFakazi lapho.

Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi sathunyelwa esewula yeLondon. Kungakapheli iimveke ezingakhi u-Arthur wafumana umtato ovela e-ofisini legatja leBritain, bebambawa bona athome ukubamjikelezi ilanga elilandelako. Ngemva kobana sibandulwe iveke sathoma ukujikeleza isifunda sethu eScotland. U-Arthur bekanganaso isikhathi esingeziweko sokulungiselela iinkulumo zakhe, kodwana bekungikhuthaza ukumbona ahlala akulungele ukwamukela umsebenzi obudisi. Bekusithabisa ukujikeleza. Kwaphela iminyaka sitjhumayela esimini engenabatjhumayeli abanengi, yeke bekusibusiso ukuthi nje sibe hlangana nabazalwana nabodade.

Ngo-1962 kwafuze u-Arthur aye esiKolweni seGiliyadi, yeke kwafuze sithatha isiquntu esibudisi tle. Saqunta ukuthi ngitjho nanyana kufuze ngisale ngedwa, bekukuhle ukuthi u-Arthur amukela isabelo sakhe. Njengombana bengizosebenza ngedwa, ngathunyelwa eHemsworth bona ngiyokuba liphayona elikhethekileko khona. U-Arthur wabuya ngemva komnyaka, ngemva kwalokho sabelwa bona siyokuba bajikelezi besigodi, bekufuze sihlanganise iScotland, etlhagwini ye-England, neTlhagwini ye-Ireland.

Ngo-1964 u-Arthur wafumana isabelo esitjha, bona ayokukhonza egatjeni le-Irish Republic.  Besiwuthabela tle umsebenzi wokujikeleza kangangokuthi ekuthomeni bengidanile nakufuze siwulise. Nangiqala emva, ngiyathokoza ukuthi sabelwa bona sibe seBethel. Ngikholelwa ukuthi nawamukela isabelo ngitjho nanyana ungasithandisisi, uJehova uzokuhlala akubusisa. Iminyaka eminengi bengisolo ngisebenza e-ofisini, ngipaka iincwadi, ngipheka bengikulumaga. Kwaphela iminyaka sijikeleza, yeke sazana nabazalwana abanengi enarheni le. Ukubona abantu esifunda nabo iBhayibheli bathuthuka kwenza satjhidelana nomndenethu esikholwa nawo enarheni ye-Ireland. Leso kwaba sibusiso samambala.

Umhlangano wokuthoma weentjhaba e-Ireland waba ngo-1965 eDublin. * Kwabhala sele ukuphikiswa kukunengi kodwana umhlangano waragela phambili ngepumelelo. Emhlanganweni lo bekunabantu abazii-3 948, kwabhajadiswa abama-65. Woke umuntu owamukela abazalwana nabodade abazii-3 500 abavela kezinye iinarha wafumana incwadi emthokozako. Nabo abazalwana abameme iimvakatjhezi, bathokoza ukuziphatha kuhle kwabazalwana abavela kude. Kwamambala bekuyiqophamlando le.

Ngo-1966 zombili itlhagwini nesewula ye-Ireland zahlanganiswa ngaphasi kwe-ofisi legatja leDublin, lokho bekuhlukile kilokho okwenziwa ngezepolotiki, nendlela ezinye iinkolelo ezenza ngayo. Kwasithabisa ukubona inengi lamaKhatholika liza eqinisweni begodu lilotjha uZimu kunye nabazalwana ebebamaProtestani ngaphambilini.

Ngo-2011 igatja leBritain nele-Ireland nakahlanganiswako ukuphila kwethu kwatjhuguluka ngokupheleleko, sathunyelwa eBethel yeLondon. Iindabezo sazifumana nangithoma ukutshwenyeka ngepilo ka-Arthur. Udorhodera wathi u-Arthur uphethwe yi-Parkinson ukugula okubangela bona umuntu ahlengezele. Umlinganami weminyaka ema-66 wahlongakala ngoMeyi 20, 2015.

Eminyakeni embalwa edlulileko bengigandelelekile begodu ngizwa ubuhlungu khulu. U-Arthur bekahlala akhona angisekela. Ngiyamkhumbula tle! Kodwana nawuqalana nobujamo obunje, utjhidelana noJehova. Kuyathabisa ukwazi bona abantu bebamthanda kangangani u-Arthur. Ngifumene iincwadi ezivela ebanganini be-Ireland, beBritain nebe-United States. Iincwadezi kuhlanganise nokukhuthazwa ngumfowabo laka-Arthur uDennis, umkakhe, uMavis, umtjhanami uRuth noJudy kwangisiza ngendlela engingakghoni ukuyihlathulula.

Omunye umtlolo ongisize khulu ngowaka-Isaya 30:18. Wona uthi: “[“UJehova, NW”] ulindele ukuba nomusa kini, yeke, uzakuphakama ube nesisa kini, ngombana [“uJehova, NW”] unguZimu wokulunga. Babusisiwe boke abaqalelela kuye.” Ngikufumene kududuza ukwazi ukuthi uJehova ulinde isikhathi sokulungisa izinto nokusinikela imisebenzi ethabisako ephasini lakhe elitjha.

Nangiqala ipilwethu, ngibona indlela uJehova asinqophisa ngayo nabusise ngayo umsebenzi ebesiwenza e-Ireland. Kungithabisa kwamambala ukwazi ukuthi ibenesandla ekuthuthukeni kokwanda kwabantu bakaJehova. Kuliqiniso ukuthi ukwenza uJehova asibawa khona kuhlala kuletha iimbusiso.