EBUDENI bephulo elikhulu leentsuku ezisithoba sinikela ubungqina ngoAgasti noSeptemba 1929, baba ngaphezu kwe-10 000 abashumayeli ababetyhutyha lonke elaseUnited States. Bahambisa iincwadi neencwadana ezimalunga ne-250 000. Phakathi kwabo bashumayeli, kwakukho oovulindlela abamalunga newaka. Imangalisa gqitha indlela elanda ngayo inani labo! IBulletin * yathi, “ayikholeleki ngokwenene” into yokuba libe seliphindaphindeke kathathu inani loovulindlela ukususela ngo-1927 ukusa ngo-1929.

Kamva ngo-1929, uqoqosho lwadodobala. NgoLwesibini—ngo-Oktobha 29, 1929—ukuwa kwamaxabiso kwiNew York Stock Exchange kwakhokelela ekuweni koqoqosho lwehlabathi jikelele kwaza oko kwaphumela kwiGreat Depression. Ngamawaka eebhanki ezawayo. Iifama zayeka ukulima. Imizi-mveliso yavalwa. Izigidi zaphulukana nemisebenzi. Ngo-1933, eUnited States kwakuthinjwa izindlu zabantu ezifikelela kwiwaka ngosuku.

Babeza kuthini ke oovulindlela xa imeko inkenenkene ngolo hlobo? Phakathi kwezinto ezabancedayo kukujika iimoto zabo zibe ngamakhaya abo. Ekubeni kwakungekho rente narhafu babeza kuyihlawula ngokuhlala kwiimoto ezinekharaveni oovulindlela abaninzi batsho bakwazi ukutyhalela phambili nomsebenzi wabo wokushumayela ngeendleko nje ezingephi. * Xa beye kwiindibano, ezo kharaveni zabo zaziphinda zibe ziindawo zokulala zasimahla. Ngo-1934, kwiBulletin kwakhutshwa iinkcukacha ngendlela yokulungisa ezo kharaveni zibe yindawo etofotofo nefudumeleyo, zifakelwe amanzi, izitovu neebhedi ezisongwayo.

Ehlabathini lonke, abashumayeli babezenzela iikharaveni baze bahlale kuzo. UVictor Blackwell wathi, “UNowa wayengazi kwanto ngokwakha, ibe kwakunjalo nangam xa kusiziwa kwikharaveni.” Kodwa, wazakhela eyakhe.

UAvery noLovenia Bristow babenemoto enekharaveni. UAvery wathi: “Ndandifana nofudo, lona luhamba nendlu yalo.” AbakwaBristow babengoovulindlela kunye nabakwaConrow, uHarvey noAnne, ababenekharaveni efakwe itapeti eludongeni. Le tapeti yayidla ngokumuncuka iwe rhoqo besendleleni. UAvery wathi: “Baba ngabokuqala nabokugqibela ukuba nekharaveni enjalo!” Kodwa uAvery wathi “ayikho intsapho eyakha yonwaba” njengabakwaCon­row noonyana babo ababini. UHar­vey Conrow wabhala wathi: “Zange khe saswela nto, ibe sasanelisekile ekukhonzeni uYehova nakukunyanyekelwa nguye ngothando.” Kamva, bobane kule ntsapho yakwaConrow baya kwiSikolo saseGiliyadi baza bathunyelwa ePeru besiya kuba ngabathunywa bevangeli.

Enye intsapho eyaba ngoovulindlela yeyakwaBattaino. Emva kokuva ukuba baza kuba nomntwana, uGiusto noVincenza, baguqula iveni yabo ka-1929 yakwaFord yaba yikharaveni yokuhlala “engathi lizulwana lehotele” xa ithelekiswa neentente ababehlala kuzo ngaphambili. Bekunye nentombazana  yabo, baqhubeka nomsebenzi wabo owawusegazini, beshumayela kumaTaliyane ahlala eUnited States.

Babebaninzi abantu abaziphulaphulayo iindaba ezilungileyo, kodwa ngenxa yobuhlwempu nokungaphangeli abantu babengenayo imali yokunikela xa befuna uncwadi lweBhayibhile. Babenikela ngezinto ezahlukahlukeneyo. Abanye oovulindlela ababini babala izinto eziyi-64 abazifumanayo kubantu abanomdla. Uludwe lwezinto abazifumanayo lufana “nolo lwezinto ezithengiswa kwivenkile yasemaphandleni.”

UFred Anderson wadibana nomfama owayefuna iincwadi zethu waza wazihlawulela ngezipeksi zamehlo ezazikade zisetyenziswa ngunina. Kwifama elandelayo, wadibana nendoda eyayinomdla kwiincwadi zakhe kodwa isithi ayinazo izipeksi zokufunda. Noko ke, ezo zipeksi zommelwane wayo zayinceda yakwazi ukufunda kakuhle, yaza ke yanikela ngemali yeencwadi neyezo zipeksi.

UHerbert Abbott wayesoloko elayisha isefu yokufaka iinkuku emotweni yakhe. Emva kokuhlawulwa ngeenkuku ezintathu nezine, wayehamba aye kuzithengisa emarikeni, atsho afumane imali yepetroli. Wathi: “Ewe kona, maxa wambi kwakukhe kube nzima, kodwa loo nto ayizange isiyekise. Xa sinepetroli, sasilibala yonke eny’ into, sityhalele phambili ngoxa sithembele kuYehova.”

Ukuthembela kuYehova nokuzimisela kwabanceda gqitha abantu bakhe kuloo minyaka inzima. Xa kwakukho isiphango ngenye imini, uMaxwell noEmmy Lewis baphuma kanye xa umthi owayo uza kuntlitha ikharaveni yabo uyicanda phakathi. UMaxwell wathi: “Ezo zinto azizange zisityhafise, ibe zange khe ithi qatha into yokuyeka. Kwakukho umsebenzi omninzi omele wenziwe, ibe sasizimisele ukuwenza.” Benganikezeli, yaye bencedwa ngabahlobo abanothando, uMaxwell noEmmy bayivusa ikharaveni yabo.

Nakula amaxesha anzima, kusekho izigidi ezizincamayo zamaNgqina kaYehova. Ngapha koko, njengabo vulindlela bangaphambili, sizimisele ukutyhalela phambili nomsebenzi wokushumayela de uYehova athi kugqityiwe.