UTATA noMama badibana ngo-1919 kwindibano yaBafundi BeBhayibhile beZizwe ngeZizwe eCedar Point, eOhio, U.S.A. Batshata ngasekupheleni kwaloo nyaka. Ndazalwa ngo-1922, waza umntakwethu uPaul wazalwa kwiminyaka emibini kamva. Umfazi wam uGrace wazalwa ngo-1930. Abazali bakhe uRoy noRuth Howell bakhulela enyanisweni, ibe uyisemkhulu noninakhulu babengaBafundi BeBhayibhile, kwanabahlobo bakaMzalwana uCharles Taze Russell.

Ndadibana noGrace ngo-1947, saza satshata ngoJulayi 16, 1949. Ngaphambi kokuba sitshate sathetha phandle ngekamva lethu. Senza isigqibo sokuba nesabelo ngokupheleleyo kumsebenzi wokushumayela nokuba singabi nabantwana. Ngo-Oktobha 1, 1950 saba ngoovulindlela. Ibe ngo-1952 ndaba ngumveleli wesiphaluka.

Sasivakalelwa kukuba simele sincedwe ukuze sikwazi ukwenza lo msebenzi. Njengoko ndandifunda kubazalwana abanamava, noGrace ndamfunela uncedo. Ndaya kuMarvin Holien owayengumhlobo omdala wentsapho yethu nowayengumveleli ohambahambayo onamava, ndathi kuye: “UGrace usemtsha yaye akanamava. Akukho mntu umaziyo unokumnceda?” Wathi: “Ukhona, nguEdna Winkle, umakad’ enetha kavulindlela ibe angamnceda.” Ethetha ngoEdna, kamva uGrace wathi: “Wayendenza ndikhululeke xa ndikwindlu ngendlu, ekwazi ukumelana nokuchaswa, ibe wandifundisa nokuphulaphula umninimzi ukuze ndiyazi into endiza kuyithetha. Yiloo nto kanye endandiyifuna!”

Mna noGrace sakhonza iziphaluka ezibini kwiphondo laseIowa, kuquka iinxalenye zamaphondo iMinnesota noMzantsi Dakota. Kamva satshintshelwa eNew York kwisiphaluka 1, esasiquka idolophu iBrooklyn neQueens. Asinakuze siyilibale indlela esasivakalelwa singenamava ngayo kweso sabelo. Esi siphaluka sasiquka iBandla laseBrooklyn Heights elalingenela kwiHolo  yoBukumkani yaseBheteli, nelalinamalungu aseBheteli anamava. Emva kokunikela intetho kwelo bandla, uMzalwana uNathan Knorr weza kum wathi: “Malcolm, sisivile isiluleko sakho. Khumbula, ukuba akusiluleki ngobubele, akuloncedo nganto kwintlangano. Uz’ uyibambe njalo.” Emva kwentlanganiso ndabalisela uGrace. Kamva, saya kwigumbi esasifikele kulo eBheteli. Ukufika kwethu apho yaba zinyembezi nje zodwa.

Emva kweenyanga nje ezimbalwa, safumana ileta eyayisimemela kwiklasi ye-24 yeSikolo saseGiliyadi, eyayiza kuphela ngoFebruwari 1955. Ngaphambi kokuba siye esikolweni saxelelwa ukuba uqeqesho esasiya kulufumana apho lwalungelulo olokusilungiselela ukuba sibe ngabavangeli. Kunoko, lwaluza kusinceda siwenze kakuhle umsebenzi wokujikeleza. Kwakuvuyisa kwangaxeshanye kusenza sizive sithobekile ukuba kweso sikolo.

Ukuphela kwaloo klasi, ndabelwa ukuba ndibe ngumveleli wesithili. Isithili esasikhonza kuso sasiquka iphondo laseIndiana, iMichigan, neOhio. Singalindelanga, ngoDisemba 1955 safumana ileta evela kuMzalwana uKnorr eyayisithi: “Ndicela nindixelele inyaniso. Ukuba nikhetha ukuza kuhlala eBheteli . . . okanye ukuhlala okomzuzwana nize emva koko nithunyelwe kwelinye ilizwe, yitshoni. Nokuba nifuna ukukhonza kwisithili nesiphaluka, ndaziseni.” Saphendula ngelithi sikulungele ukwenza nantoni esabelwe yona. Kamsinya emva koko, sabizwa eBheteli!

Kwiminyaka yokukhonza kwam eBheteli ndandikhupha izabelo zokunikela iintetho nokufundisa kulo lonke elaseUnited States. Ndandinceda nabafana abaselula abaye basingatha iimbopheleleko ezinkulu kamva kwintlangano kaYehova. Ekugqibeleni ndaba ngunobhala kwiofisi kaMzalwana uKnorr eyayinyamekela umsebenzi wokushumayela zwenibanzi.

Eyona minyaka ndayonwabelayo yileyo ndayichitha kwiSebe Lenkonzo. Apho ndandisebenza noT. J. (uBud) Sullivan. Wayesele eneminyaka engumveleli welo sebe. Kodwa babekho nabanye apho endafunda lukhulu kubo. Omnye wabo nguFred Rusk, owayebelwe ukundifundisa umsebenzi. Ndisayihleka nangoku xa ndikhumbula ukuba ndambuza oku: “Fred, kutheni usoloko uhlaba yonk’ into kwiileta zam?” Wathi qhuzu waza wathi: “Malcolm, xa uthetha into  ngomlomo uyakwazi ukuphinda uyicacise, kodwa xa uyibhala phantsi, ingakumbi esuka apha, kufuneka icace gca.” Emva koko wandithuthuzela wathi: “Sukuba naxhala—uqhuba kakuhle, uza kude uwazi lo msebenzi.”

Kwiminyaka esayichitha eBheteli, uGrace wayesenza imisebenzi eyahlukahlukeneyo, equka ukunyamekela amagumbi. Wayewunandipha umsebenzi wakhe. Unanamhla, xa sidibana nabazalwana ababeselula ngelo xesha eBheteli, baye bathi kuGrace: “UMama wayixabisa gqitha into owandenzela yona, yokundifundisa ukondlula.” UGrace wasebenza nakwisebe leeMagazini, iMbalelwano nelokuRekhoda. Ukusebenza kumasebe awahlukahlukeneyo kwamnceda waqonda ukuba nawuphi na umsebenzi esiwenzayo kwintlangano kaYehova lilungelo nentsikelelo. Usavakalelwa ngaloo ndlela nanamhlanje.

Kwiminyaka ye-1970, saqaphela ukuba abazali bethu abasele bekhulile babefuna ukunyanyekelwa. Ekuhambeni kwexesha kwafuneka senze esona sigqibo sakha sanzima. Sasingafuni kuyishiya iBheteli nabakhonzi bakaYehova esasisebenza nabo nesasibathanda gqitha. Kodwa ke, ndandivakalelwa ukuba yimbopheleleko yam ukunyamekela abazali bethu. Ngoko sayishiya iBheteli ngethemba lokuba siza kubuyela xa iimeko zivuma.

Ukuze sizixhase, ndafumana umsebenzi wokuthengisa i-inshorensi. Ndisawakhumbula nangoku amazwi endawaxelelwa ngomnye umphathi ngoxa ndandisaqeqeshwa, wathi: “Ukuze uphumelele kweli shishini kufuneka uye ebantwini ngorhatya. Lixesha abafumaneka ngalo abantu elo. Ayikho into ebaluleke ngaphezu kokuya kubo qho ngorhatya.” Ndamphendula ndathi: “Ndiyazi ukuba unamava, ibe ndiyayihlonipha loo nto. Kodwa ke ndinezinye iimbopheleleko zobuthixo endingazange ndazityeshela, ibe andizimiselanga kuqala ngoku. Ndingaya ngezinye iintsuku kodwa ngoLwesibini nangoLwesine, kukho iintlanganiso ezibalulekileyo ekufuneka ndiye kuzo.” UYehova uye wayisikelela imigudu yam yokungaze ndiphoswe ziintlanganiso ngenxa yomsebenzi wempangelo.

Sasikunye noMama xa waswelekayo ngoJulayi 1987 kwikhaya lokugcina abantu abalupheleyo. Umongikazi owayelapho wathi kuGrace: “Nkosikazi Allen, goduka uye kuphumla. Wonk’ umntu uyazi ukuba ubusoloko ulapha kumazala wakho. Ungaxola ngoku.”

NgoDisemba 1987, saphinda safak’ iifomu zokuya kukhonza eBheteli, indawo esasiyithanda kunene. Kodwa kwiintsuku nje emva koko uGrace wafumanisa ukuba unomhlaza  wamathumbu. Emva kokutyandwa nokuchacha, kwathiwa akasenawo umhlaza. Kuthe kusenjalo safumana ileta esuka eBheteli eyayisithi masiqhubeke nomsebenzi wokushumayela nebandla lasekuhlaleni. Sasizimisele ukuqhubeka nomsebenzi woBukumkani.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha ndafumana umsebenzi eTexas. Saqonda ukuba imozulu yalapho efudumeleyo iza kusifanela, ibe kuye kwanjalo. Kangangeminyaka eyi-25 silapha eTexas, besisoloko singqongwe ngabazalwana noodade abanothando nesiye sasondela kakhulu kubo.

UGrace uye wahlaselwa ngumhlaza wamathumbu, owedlala, ukanti kutshanje owamabele. Kodwa zange wayikhalazela imeko yakhe okanye wavukela ubuntloko. Abantu badla ngokumbuza: “Yintoni imfihlelo yolonwabo lwenu njengesibini?” Uye abanike izizathu ezine: “Singabahlobo. Sincokolisana rhoqo, yonk’ imihla. Siyakuthanda ukubonana yonke imihla. Ibe asilali sixabene.” Ewe kona, ngamanye amaxesha sikhe sicaphukisane, kodwa siyaxolelana, ibe loo nto iyasinceda.

Kuzo zonke izinto esityhubele kuzo, kukho izifundo esizifundileyo:

1.  Kholosa ngoYehova ngalo lonke ixesha uze wamkele nayiphi na imeko ayivumelayo. Ungaze wayame ngokwakho ukuqonda.—IMize. 3:5, 6; Yer. 17:7.

2.  Vumela iLizwi likaYehova likukhokele, enoba ujamelene nantoni na. Kubalulekile ukuthobela uYehova nemithetho yakhe. Akunakukhwel’ ecingweni—kufuneka ugqibe enoba uza kumthobela okanye hayi.—Roma 6:16; Heb. 4:12

3.  Inye kuphela eyona nto ibalulekileyo ebomini—kukuzenzela igama elihle noYehova. Ubeke izilangazelelo zakhe kuqala, ungazifuneli izinto eziphathekayo.—IMize. 28:20; INtshu. 7:1; Mat. 6:33, 34.

4.  Thandazela ukuba ukwazi ukumkhonza uYehova ngamandla akho onke. Nikela ingqalelo kwizinto okwaziyo ukuzenza, kungekhona ongakwaziyo ukuzenza.—Mat. 22:37; 2 Tim. 4:2.

5.  Yazi ukuba ayikho enye intlangano uYehova ayisikelelayo nakholiswayo yiyo.—Yoh. 6:68.

Ngamnye kuthi ukhonze uYehova ngaphezu kweminyaka eyi-75, ibe simkhonze phantse iminyaka eyi-65 njengesibini esitshatileyo. Bekuluvuyo ukukhonza uYehova kunye yonke le minyaka. Sinqwenela ukuba bonke abazalwana noodade wethu nabo beve indlela ekwanelisa ngayo ukwayama ngoYehova.