SAZALELWA efama kwintsapho enabantwana abalishumi kuMntla weOstrobothnia, eFinland. Ekukhuleni kwethu kwakugquba iMfazwe Yehlabathi II. Nakuba indawo esasihlala kuyo yayikude kangangamakhulu eekhilomitha kwindawo ekuliwa kuyo, sawuva kanobom umvambo wemfazwe. Xa kwakuqhushumbiswa izixeko ezikufuphi, iOulu neKalajoki, sasiwabona amadangatye esibhakabhakeni. Abazali bethu basicela ukuba sizimele nanini na sibona iipleyini zemfazwe zibhabhela kufutshane. Ngoko xa ubhuti wethu, uTauno, wasixelela ngomhlaba oyiparadesi ozaliswe kokusesikweni, sachukumiseka gqitha.

UTauno wafunda inyaniso yeBhayibhile eneminyaka eli-14 kwiincwadi zaBafundi beBhayibhile. Ngenxa yoko akufunde eBhayibhileni, ukuqala kweMfazwe Yehlabathi II isazela sakhe samalela ukuba aye emkhosini waza ke wabanjwa. Apho waphathwa kakubi gqitha. Oko kwamomeleza ngakumbi ekukhonzeni uYehova, ibe ukukhululwa kwakhe waqinisa ngamandla ekushumayeleni. Loo mzekelo mhle wasikhuthaza ukuba siye kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina ezazikwilali eselumelwaneni. Saya nakwiindibano zawo, nakuba sasisenza amatiletile ukuze sibe nemali yokuya. Sasithungela abamelwane impahla, silima itswele, size sithengise amaqunube. Ekubeni wawumninzi umsebenzi efama, sasingakwazi ukuhamba sonke, sasitshintshana.

Inyaniso esasiyifunda ngoYehova neenjongo zakhe yasenza samthanda ngakumbi, saza sagqiba ekubeni sizahlulele kuye. Ngowe-1947, sobabini safuzisela oko ngokubhaptizwa emanzini—uAnnikki eneminyaka eli-15 yena uAili ili-17. Nodadewethu uSaimi wabhaptizwa ngaloo nyaka. Safundela nodadewethu uLinnea iBhayibhile, owayesele etshatile. Yena nentsapho yakhe baba ngamaNgqina kaYehova. Emva kokubhaptizwa, sazabalazela ukumana sisiba ngoovulindlela abangabancedani.

Ngowe-1955, safudukela eKemi, isixeko esimgama emantla. Nakuba sobabini sasisebenza isigxina, sasikufuna nokuba ngoovulindlela kodwa sinexhala lokuzinyamekela. Sacinga ngokuqala sizongele imali. Lelo xesha kanye esancokola nodade onguvulindlela esithethe ngaye ngasentla. Loo ncoko yasinceda sabona ukuba ukukhonza uYehova ixesha elizeleyo akuxhomekekanga kwizinto esinazo okanye kwinkxaso yentsapho yethu. Undoqo kukuthembela ngoBawo wethu wasezulwini.

Ngelo xesha, sasisele sinemali eza kusigcina iinyanga ezimbini. Singaqinisekanga, ngoMeyi 1957 sacela ukuba ngoovulindlela iinyanga ezimbini ePello, idolophu eseLapland, phezu kweArtic Circle. Zathi ziphela iinyanga ezimbini sabe  singekachathi nesenti kuloo mali yethu, ngoko saphinda sacela ezinye iinyanga ezimbini. Nasemva kwezo iinyanga, imali yethu yayisenjalo. Ngoko saqiniseka ukuba uYehova uza kusinyamekela. Nakuba sekudlule iminyaka engama-50 singoovulindlela, isekho laa mali sasiyibekile! Xa sijonga emva, kuba ngathi uYehova ebesibambe ngesandla esithi: ‘Musani ukoyika. Mna ngokwam ndiza kuninceda.’—Isa. 41:13.

Ngowe-1958, umveleli wesiphaluka wancomela ukuba sibe ngoovulindlela abakhethekileyo eSodankylä, eLapland. Ngelo xesha kwakukho iNgqina elinye, udade apho. Ibangel’ umdla indlela awayifumana ngayo inyaniso. Unyana wakhe wayephume nesikolo besiya eHelsinki, kwidolophu elikomkhulu laseFinland. Njengokuba babehamba esixekweni, udade osel’ ekhulile wanika lo nkwenkwana yayisekugqibeleni iMboniselo, waza wayicela ukuba inike unina. Yafika yamnika kwaba kwanele ukuba unina ayifumane inyaniso.

Saqesha igumbi eliphezu kwendawo echwela amaplanga. Neentlanganiso zazingenela apho. Ekuqaleni, kwakusiza abantu abane kuphela, thina, loo dade nentombi yakhe. Sasifunda kunye incwadi efundwayo. Kamva, kwafika indoda eyayifundelwa iBhayibhile ngamaNgqina ize kusebenza kulo maplanga. Yona nentsapho yayo baqalisa ukunxulumana nelo qela lethu. Ethubeni, yona nenkosikazi yayo babhaptizwa. Lo mzalwana wasinceda ekhokela kwiintlanganiso. Namanye amadoda awayesebenza kuloo maplanga aqalisa ukuza kwiintlanganiso aza ayamkela inyaniso yeBhayibhile. Kwiminyaka embalwa, elo qela lakhula de kwasekwa ibandla.

Imigama emide yayisenza kube nzima ukushumayela. Ehlotyeni, sasibetha ngeenyawo, ngeebhayisekile nkqu nangephenyane ukuze sifumane abantu entsimini. Zaziluncedo gqitha iibhayisekile. Sasihamba ngazo ukuya endibanweni naxa sisiya kubona abazali bethu, ababehlala kumgama wamakhulu eekhilomitha. Ebusika, sasikhwela ibhasi yakusasa siye kwilali ethile sishumayele kwindlu ngendlu. Sakuyigubungela sasidlulela kwelandelayo. Ikhephu lalisiwa ngamandla indlela ingabonakali. Sasincedwa kukuhamba kwimizila eshiywe ziinqwelo zamahashe. Maxa wambi ikhephu laliphinda liyigqume loo mizila, ibe ekuqaleni kwentwasahlobo kwakuba nzima ukuhamba kulo kuba lalingaqini.

 Ezo ngqele nekhephu zasifundisa ukunxiba fudumeleyo. Sasinxiba amagusha soleke iikawusi ngambini ngantathu kunye neebhutsi ezinde. Sekunjalo, ezo bhutsi zazigqunyelelwa likhephu. Xa siza kungena emzini sasizikhulula sivuthulule ikhephu. Nezo dyasana zethu zaziba manzi tixi lelo khephu. Xa ingqele iqatsela loo manzi asemazantsi kwimiqukumbelo yedyasi ayesiba ngumkhenkce de abe ngathi lizinki apha emilenzeni. Enye inkosikazi yathi, “Umntu umele abe nokholo ngokwenene, ukuba athi esenza umsebenzi ngokuzithandela kodwa azincame kwenje imozulu.” Sasihambe iikhilomitha ezili-11 ukuze sifike kuloo ndlu.

Ngenxa yemigama emide, sasidla ngokulalisa kweminye imizi. Kwakuthi kwakurhatyela, sikhangele indawo yokulala. Izindlu zalapho yayizezomgangatho nje oqhelekileyo, kodwa abanikazi benobubele, benganeli nje ukusinika indawo yokulala kodwa besinika nokutya. Sasidla ngokwandlalelwa iimfele. Maxa wambi sasilala tofotofo. Ngokomzekelo, elinye ibhinqa elinendlu enkulu laya kusilalisa kwigumbi eliphezulu leendwendwe elinebhedi entle eyandlalwe ngamashiti amhlophe. Izihlandlo ezininzi sasixubusha iBhayibhile nomninimzi de kurhatyele. Kwenye indawo, salala kwigumbi elinye nesibini salapho, yasiso kwelinye icala ngoxa isithi kwelinye. Saxubusha naso iZibhalo ubusuku bonke de kwasekuzeni kusa. Le ndoda nomfazi wayo babetshintshana ngemibuzo engapheliyo—omnye emva komnye.

ILapland lilizwe nje elingenanto kodwa elihle, ibe ubuhle balo bahluka ngokwamaxesha onyaka. Kodwa, kuthi eyona nto yayintle ngakumbi ngabo bantu baye bamkhonza uYehova. Phakathi kwabantu abanyanisekileyo esashumayela kubo ngabagawuli bemithi ababehlala ezinkampini eLapland. Sasikhe sithi singena sobabini nje ententeni sifike kuthe rhwelele amadoda. Ezi zigantsontso zamadoda zazisamkela isigidimi seBhayibhile zeencwadi zethu.

Zininzi izinto ezivuyisayo esinokuzibalisa. Ngenye imini, sashiywa yibhasi kuba iwotshi yesikhululo sazo yayiphambili ngemizuzu emihlanu. Sagqiba ekubeni sikhwele enye ibhasi eyayisiya kwenye ilali. Sasiza kuqala ngqa ukushumayela apho. Kwindlu yokuqala, sadibana nebhinqa eliselula elathi, “Ngxatsho ke, mantombazana, nifike kanye xa bendinilindele.” Sasifunda iBhayibhile nodade walo, kanti lalicele kudade walo ukuba sifike kwalo kanye ngaloo mini. Noko ke, sasingawufumenanga loo myalezo. Saliqhubela isifundo seBhayibhile kunye nezalamane zalo ezazingabamelwane. Zange kube kudala, sabadibanisa bonke ukuze sibafundele ngaxeshanye. Ukususela ngoko, abaninzi kule ntsapho baba ngamaNgqina kaYehova.

 Ngowe-1965, sathunyelwa kweli bandla sikulo ngoku iKuusamo, ngezantsi kancinane nje kwiArctic Circle. Ngelo xesha, lalinabavakalisi abambalwa. Ekuqaleni, kwakunzima ukushumayela apha. Abantu babeyithanda gqitha icawa bengasithandi. Noko ke, abaninzi babeyihlonela iBhayibhile, nto leyo yayisinceda sikwazi ukuncokola. Ngokuthe ngcembe saye siqhelana nabantu balapha, ibe kwiminyaka emibini, kwakusele kulula ukuqalisa isifundo seBhayibhile.

Namhlanje asisenawo loo mandla okushumayela imini yonke, kodwa sisaya phantse yonk’ imihla. Ukusasaza iindaba ezilungileyo kwintsimi enabantu abaninzi kwaba lula ngakumbi xa uAili, wathi ngokukhuthazwa ngunyana kabhuti, wafumana ilayisensi yokuqhuba ngowe-1987 eneminyaka engama-56. Enye into eyasincedayo kuxa kwakhiwa iHolo yoBukumkani entsha, saza sanikwa indawo yokuhlala kwigumbi elingasemva kuyo.

Asikwazi kuzibamba yimincili xa sibona ulwando olukhulu kangaka. Ukuqala kwethu ukuba ngoovulindlela kumntla weFinland, kwakukho iqaqobana labavakalisi ababethe saa kuloo mmandla mkhulu. Ngoku sekukho iqela lamabandla abumba isiphaluka. Ixhaphakile into yokuthi sisendibanweni sidibane nomntu osibuzayo enoba sisamkhumbula kusini na. Abanye babo sasiqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile kumakhaya abo besengabantwana. Ngoko imbewu eyatyalwayo kwiminyaka okanye amashumi eminyaka ngaphambili ivelisa isiqhamo!—1 Kor. 3:6.

Ngowama-2008, sagqiba iminyaka engama-50 singoovulindlela abakhethekileyo. Siyambulela uYehova kuba siye sakhuthazana ekubeni sinyamezele kulo msebenzi wakhe umangalisayo. Siye saphila ubomi obulula, kodwa zange saswela tu. (INdu. 23:1) Kwakungeyomfuneko ngokwenene ukuthingaza esasinako ekuqaleni! Okuvuyisayo kukuba, kuyo yonke le minyaka uYehova uye wasomeleza ngokuvisisana nesithembiso sakhe esikuIsaya 41:10: “Ndiza kukuqinisa. Ndiza kukunceda ngokwenene. Ndiza kukubamba nkqi ngokwenene ngesandla sam sasekunene sobulungisa.”