IINCWADI zam zithi ndazalwa ngo-1924. Ndazalelwa kwilali yaseShmakovka kwiMpuma Ekude eRashiya, kufutshane nomda waseTshayina.

Ngenye imini utata noobhuti bam baqweqwediswa yimigulukudu yaye uMama akazange aphinde ababone. Washiyeka nenkumbula yabantwana, ekwaba nzima ukubondla. Ummelwane wacela kumama ukusisa kwikhaya leenkedama lecawa yobuOthodoki baseRashiya apho wayeza kufika athi umama usilahlile.

Umama wavuma, eqonda ukuba iintsana zakhe, eziquka mna zazinokubulawa yindlala ukuba wayengazukuhambisana neli cebiso. Ekubeni ngoku sele ndiyigabhule iminyaka engama-80 ubudala, ndiyambulela umama ngokusisa kwikhaya leenkedama. Lasindisa ubomi bethu. Nakuba kunjalo isigqibo sakhe sisanditya.

Ngo-1941, ndafudukela eKorea apho ndatshata nendoda enobubele engumRashiya uIvan. Intombi yethu uOlya yazalelwa eSeoul, apho eKorea, ngo-1942. Ngokunjalo nonyana wethu uKolya wazalelwa apho ngo-1945, waza yena umninawa wakhe uZhora wazalwa ngo-1948. Umyeni wam wayejongene nevenkile ngoxa mna ndandithunga. Ngenxa yokuba iSeoul yayinamaJapan amaninzi, abantwana bethu bakhula bethetha isiJapan, ngoxa sasithetha isiRashiya ekhaya. Kwade kwango-1950 kubonakala ngathi kukho uxolo phakathi kwamaSoviet, amaMerika nabantu baseKorea ababehlala eSeoul. Bonke babethenga kwivenkile yethu.

Ngo-1950 yonke into yatshintsha ngesiquphe. Imikhosi yaseMntla Korea yathimba iSeoul. Singenandlela yakusaba, sabanjwa nabantu bamanye amazwe. Iminyaka emithathu enesiqingatha sasihamba sihlala kwiindawo ezahlukahlukeneyo zaseMntla Korea namabanjwa emfazwe aseBritani, awaseRashiya, awaseMerika nawaseFransi. Sasihlaliswa naphi na apho kuye kwafunyanwa isakhiwo yaye kwakufuneka siphephe iibhombu.

Maxa wambi, sasihlaliswa kwizindlu ezifudumeleyo yaye sisitya ngokwaneleyo. Kodwa ke, ubukhulu becala sasisitya amazimba silala kwizakhiwo ezibandayo nezazingasasetyenziswa. Uninzi kwiqela lethu labulawa kukungondleki nokungahoywa. Ndandiba ligeza xa ndibona abantwana bam bebandezeleka. Kwakhawuleza kwaba sebusika eMntla Korea. Ndikhumbula ndihleli ecaleni komlilo ubusuku bonke, ndifudumeza amatye ukuze ndiwafake emandlalweni wabantwana.

Xa kufudumele, abantu basezilalini zaseKorea babesibonisa izityalo zasendle ezityiwayo nje ngamaqunube, iidiliya neenkowane. Kucacile ukuba abo bantu babengasithiyanga kunoko babenovelwano. Ndafunda nendlela yokubambisa  amasele ukuze songeze kuloo cuntsu wokutya esasinako. Ndandisiba buhlungu xa ndisiva abantwana bam becela amasele.

Ngomnye uOktobha kwathiwa masiye kwidolophu yaseManp’o. Saxelelwa ukuba abantu abagulayo nabantwana abancinane baza kukhweliswa kwiinqwelo zeenkabi. UOlya noyise babetha ngezikaTshiwo nelinye iqela. Mna noonyana bam sajonga enkalweni kangangeentsuku silinde ukufika kweenqwelo. Ngelingeni zade zagaleleka.

Amabanjwa agulayo apakishwa ezinqweleni oku kwengca. Yayingumbono olusizi. UZhora ndimbelekile, ndazama ukukhwelisa uKolya, kodwa wasuka watsho ngesikhalo esithi: “Mama, Mama ndifuna ukuhamba nawe! Musa ukundishiya!”

Wabambelela elokhweni yam waza wankcunkca apha emva kwam. Amabanjwa amaninzi adutyulwa ebudeni baloo mfuduko yathatha iintsuku. Amahlungulu athi chu apha emva kwethu, esitya izidumbu esasizishiya ngasemva. Ekugqibeleni saphinda sadibana nomyeni wam no-Olya. Salilelana saza sangana. Andizange ndilale ngobo busuku, ndibasa umlilo ndifudumeza amatye okusenza shushu. Ndaye ndaxola ndakuwabeka kuzo zonke iimandlalo zabantwana bam.

Ngo-1953, kude kufuphi nomda owahlula uMntla noMzantsi Korea, saqalisa ukuphila ubomi obubhetele. Safumana impahla ecocekileyo, izihlangu, isonka nkqu neelekese. Kungekudala, amaNgesi akhululwa kwaza kwalandela amaFrentshi. Sasingenazo iincwadi ezichaza ilizwe esiphuma kulo. Emva kokukhululwa kwamabanjwa okugqibela, sasala sedwa. Salila sibuhlungu yaye kungangeni nokutya. Kungesi sihlandlo, igosa laseKorea lathetha la mazwi asekuqaleni kweli bali.

Akuzange kube kudala emva koko singalindelanga, safuduselwa eMzantsi Korea. Emva kokuncinwa ngamagosa  omkhosi waseMerika, savunyelwa ukuba sifudukele eUnited States. Sahamba ngenqanawa saya kufika eSan Francisco, eKhalifoniya, apho sancedwa ngumbutho wamalizo. Emva koko, saya eVirginia, apho sancedwa ngabantu de sakwazi ukuzimela. Ekugqibeleni saya kuhlala eMaryland ukuze siqalise ubomi obutsha.

Sasikhwanqiswa kukubona izinto eziqhelekileyo ezinjengomatshini wokutshayela. Njengabaphambukeli kweli lizwe lasemzini, sasizijul’ ijacu emsebenzini. Kodwa yayindiphazamisa into yokubona abantu bexhaphaza abo bafikayo. Ukufika kwethu sadibana nomfundisi wecawa yobuOthodoki baseRashiya owathi: “Ngoku nikwilizwe elisikelelweyo. Ukuba nifuna ukuhambela phambili musani ukuhlala nabakhaya benu.” Andizange ndikholelwe xa ndeva loo mazwi. Ngaba asifanele sincedane?

Ngo-1970 uBernie Battleman, omnye wamaNgqina kaYehova, wasityelela ukuze athethe nathi ngeBhayibhile. Wayethetha phandle njengathi. Kwaqengqeleka iiyure sithetha. Ekubeni ndandikhulele kwikhaya leenkedama lamaOthodoki ndandizazi ngentloko imfundiso zalapho. Kodwa andizange ndacinga ngokuba neBhayibhile eyeyam. UBernie wasiphathela waza wathi: “Le Bhayibhile yeyenu kuba ndiyanithanda.” Wasidibanisa noBen inzalelwane yaseBelarus iNgqina elithetha isiRashiya.

Ngobubele uBen nenkosikazi yakhe bayiphendula ngeBhayibhile yonke imibuzo yam. Kwangaxeshanye, ndandiqinisekile, ukuba amaNgqina aye azijija iZibhalo. Zazindicaphukisa iimpapasho zawo kuba zazisithi uMariya wayenabo abanye abantwana ngaphandle kukaYesu, ngoxa ecaweni ndandifundiswe ukuba wayengenabo.

Ndafowunela umhlobo wam othetha isiPolish ndaza ndamcela ukuba andifundele uMateyu 13:55, 56 kwiBhayibhile yakhe yesiPolish. Emva kokuyifunda ndothuka ndakufumanisa ukuba uYesu wayenabo abaninawa! Kwakhona, umhlobo wam wafowunela umhlobo wakhe owayesebenza kwiThala leencwadi lasePalamente eWashington, D.C., ukuba afunde le vesi kuzo zonke iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile ezilapho. Wathi zonke zithetha into enye zithi: UYesu wayenabo abaninawa futhi enabo noodade wabo.

Ndandinothotho lwemibuzo. Kutheni abantwana besifa? Kutheni iintlanga zisilwa? Kutheni abantu bengavisisani nokuba sele bethetha ulwimi olunye? Iimpendulo endazifumana eBhayibhileni zandivuyisa gqitha. Ndafumanisa ukuba asikokuthanda kukaThixo ukubandezeleka  kwabantu. Ndavuya gqitha ndisakwazi ukuba ndiza kuphinda ndibabone abantu abathandekayo abaye bafa ngenxa yeemfazwe. Ngokuthe ngcembe uYehova waba ngumntu wokwenene kum.

Ngenye imini, ndathandaza ndimi phambi kwemifanekiso eqingqiweyo, ndibongoza uThixo ukuba ancede unyana wam owayelijoni nowayesandul’ ukubuya evela emkhosini eVietnam. Ngesiquphe kwathi qatha engqondweni yam into yokuba andifanele ndithandaze kwimifanekiso kodwa ndimele ndithandaze ngqo kuYehova, uThixo ophilayo. Ndayiqhekeza le mifanekiso ndaza ndayibona ukuba yayingabalulekanga nganto kuba yayenziwe ngefoyile. Ndandiyithenge ecaweni, kodwa ngobo busuku ndayitshabalalisa.

Kwakungelula ukwahlukana necawa endakhulela kuyo. Kodwa ndakuxabisa ngaphezu kwayo nayiphi na enye into oko ndandikufunda eBhayibhileni. Emva konyaka, mna nomyeni wam nentombi yethu saya kumfundisi wobuOthodoki. Ndandiyibhale phantsi yonke imibuzo yaye phantsi kombuzo ngamnye kukho isibhalo. Njengoko ndandifunda iivesi zeBhayibhile ngokuvakalayo, umfundisi wahlunguzelisa intloko waza wathi: “Ulahlekile.” Wathi singaphindi sibeke imicondo yethu kwakhe.

Eso siganeko sayichukumisa gqitha intombi yam uOlya ethanda ukubuza. Naye waqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhile waza waya nakwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina kaYehova kunye nam. Ndabhaptizwa ngo-1972, waza yena uOlya wabhaptizwa kunyaka olandelayo.

Intsapho yethu inentetho ethi, Jonga oko kwenzekayo ngoku, ungazidubi ngexesha elidlulileyo. Ngenxa yoko, asibe sithandabuza ukwenza into entsha ukuba seyisekile ukuba loo nto ilungile. Sathi sakuba nolwalamano noThixo mna nentombi yam, saba nomnqweno ovuthayo wokuya emakhayeni abantu ukuze sibaxelele ngezinto esizifundileyo. Ekuqaleni ndandibehla entloko abantu xa ndithetha nabo ngenxa yoko kwakuye kufuneke ukuba abanye bangenelele ukuze bazibeke ngobuchule izinto. Ekuhambeni kwexesha, ndafunda ukuthetha nabantu beentlanga ngeentlanga, ababesithi njengam, bafune ubomi obubhetele.

Kwiminyaka eyalandelayo, mna nentombi yam sasidla ngokuthi ukuba lungaze ludilike uDonga lwaseBerlin, singaya eRashiya ukuze sincede abantu abanje ngathi bafunde ngoThixo. Lathi lakuwa olo donga ekuqaleni kweminyaka yoo-1990, uOlya walizalisekisa elo phupha. Wafudukela eRashiya yaye kangangeminyaka eli-14 eshumayela apho ixesha elizeleyo. Wafunda iBhayibhile nabantu abaninzi yaye wancedisa nakumsebenzi wokuguqulela owenziwa kwisebe lamaNgqina kaYehova laseRashiya. Waguqulela kulwimi lwesiRashiya iincwadi zesiNgesi ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni.

Ngoku andisakwazi ukuhamba, yaye abantwana bam benza konke okusemandleni abo ukuze bandinyamekele. Ndibulela uThixo kuba ndiphila ubomi bokwenene, ekubeni ndakhula kabuhlungu. Ndiye ndabubona ubunyaniso bendumiso yomalusi uDavide eseBhayibhileni ethi: “[UThixo] undikhaphelela kwiindawo zokuphumla ezinamanzi amaninzi. Uyawuhlaziya umphefumlo wam. Undikhokelela kumkhondo wobulungisa ngenxa yegama lakhe.”—INdumiso 23:2, 3. *