NGAZALWA ngo-1923 eHemsworth idolobha laseYorkshire, eNgilandi. Nganginomfowethu oyedwa omdala uBob. Kwathi lapho ngineminyaka engu-9, ubaba owayebazonda abefundisi abakhohlisa abantu, wathola izincwadi ezadalula inkolo yamanga. Wakuthanda lokho akufunda kuzo. Ngemva kweminyaka embalwa, uBob Atkinson wafika ekhaya wasidlalela enye yezinkulumo eziqoshiwe zikaMfoweth’ uRutherford. Sabona ukuthi abantu abenza leziya zincwadi yibo laba. Abazali bami bacela uMfoweth’ u-Atkinson ukuba adle nathi njalo ntambama ukuze aphendule imibuzo yethu eminingi yeBhayibheli. Wasicela ukuba siye emihlanganweni yebandla eyayiqhutshelwa ekhaya lomunye umzalwane owayehlala budebuduze nasekhaya. Saqala ukuya kuyo futhi ibandla elincane lamiswa eHemsworth. Kungakabiphi sabe sesihanjelwa izinceku zesifunda (manje ezaziwa ngokuthi ababonisi abajikelezayo) futhi simema namaphayona ukuba azodla nathi. Ukuzihlanganisa nabo kwaba nomthelela omuhle kithi.

Sasesiqale ibhizinisi kodwa uBaba wathi kubhuti wami, “Uma ufuna ukuyophayona singavele siliyeke.” UBob wavuma futhi wahamba ekhaya wayophayona eneminyaka engu-21. Ngemva kweminyaka emibili, ngineminyaka engu-16 nami ngaba iphayona. Phakathi nesonto ngangishumayela ngedwa, isikhathi esiningi ngisebenzisa ikhadi lokufakaza negilamafoni. Kodwa uJehova wangibusisa ngomuntu othanda ukufunda iBhayibheli owathuthuka ngokushesha. Abaningi emndenini wakubo bagcina bengoFakazi. Ngonyaka owalandela ngaba iphayona elikhethekile kanye noMary Henshall. Sabelwa ensimini engenabo oFakazi endaweni yaseCheshire.

Phakathi neMpi Yezwe Yesibili kwakuthiwa abesifazane abasize empini. Abefundisi bezenkolo bavunyelwa ukuba bangayi empini ngakho nathi sasicabanga ukuthi lokho akusithinti njengoba sasisenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele. Kodwa ijaji lenqaba ukuthi singayi empini, ngakho ngagwetshwa izinsuku ezingu-31 ejele. Ngonyaka owalandela, ngineminyaka engu-19 ngaya enkantolo izikhathi ezimbili ngenxa yokuthi unembeza wami wawungangivumeli ngiye empini.  Sonke leso sikhathi ngangibona ukuthi ngisizwa umoya ongcwele nokuthi uJehova wayengisekela futhi engiqinisa.​—Isaya 41:10, 13.

Ngaqala ukwazi u-Arthur Matthews ngo-1946. Ngemva kokuboshwa izinyanga ezintathu ngenxa yokwenqaba ukuya empini, u-Arthur wasebenza nomfowabo uDennis owayeyiphayona elikhethekile eHemsworth. Ubaba wabo wabafundisa iqiniso kusukela besebancane futhi lapho nje sebevile eminyakeni engu-12 babhapathizwa. Ngokushesha uDennis wabelwa ukuyokhonza e-Ireland, okusho ukuthi u-Arthur wayezosala yedwa. Abazali bami babeyithanda indlela u-Arthur ayeziphatha ngayo ngakho bamcela ukuba ahlale nabo. Lapho ngivakashile, mina no-Arthur sasithanda ukugeza izitsha ngemva kokudla. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi saqala ukubhalelana izincwadi. Phakathi no-1948, u-Arthur waphinde waboshwa izinyanga ezintathu. Sashada ngoJanuwari 1949 sinomgomo wokuhlala sisenkonzweni yesikhathi esigcwele ukuphila kwethu konke uma kungenzeka. Ngosizo lukaJehova nangokuhlela kahle, sasidayisa izithelo ngesikhathi sethu sokuvakasha ukuze sithole imadlana ezosisiza siqhubeke nokuphayona.

Ngemva konyaka, sabelwa ukuyokhonza eNyakatho ye-Ireland, saqale saya e-Armagh sabe sesiya eNewry amadolobha ayegcwele amaKatolika. Abantu babengasifuni kulezo zindawo, ngakho kwakufanele siqaphe lapho sishumayela. Imihlangano yayiqhutshelwa emzini womKristu owawuqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-16 endaweni esasihlala kuyo. Kwakuba khona abantu abangu-8. Lapho besicela ukuba silale, sasilala phansi bese ekuseni sidla ukudla okumnandi. Kuyangijabulisa ukwazi ukuthi sekunoFakazi abaningi kuleyo ndawo.

Umfowethu nomkakhe uLottie kakade base bekhonza njengamaphayona akhethekile eNyakatho ye-Ireland, ngakho ngo-1952 sobane saya emhlanganweni wesifunda owawuseBelfast. Safikela emzini womzalwane kanye noPryce Hughes, owayeyinceku yegatsha eBrithani. Ngobunye ubusuku saxoxa ngokukhululwa kwencwajana ethi God’s Way Is Love, eyanyatheliswa ukuze isetshenziswe ngokukhethekile e-Ireland. UMfoweth’ uHughes wakhuluma ngobunzima bokuthola amaKatolika e-Ireland. Abazalwane babexoshwa emizini yabo futhi behlaselwa izixuku ezithukuthele ezazigqugquzelwa abefundisi. UPryce wathi: “Sidinga abantu abashadile abanezimoto abazohlanganyela emkhankasweni wokuhambisa lezi zincwajana kulo lonke izwe.” * Savele saphendula sathi, “Sizokwenza lokho!” Lana amazwi engiwasho ekuqaleni kwale ndaba.

 EDublin kwakunodade othembekile, uMa Rutland owayehlale amukela amaphayona adinga indawo yokuhlala. Safike salala lapho sathengisa ezinye zezinto zethu ngemva kwalokho sobane sagibela isithuthuthu sikaBob sahamba sayofuna imoto. Sathola imoto ekahle eyisekeni sacela lo oyidayisayo ukuba asilethele yona ngoba akekho kithi owayekwazi ukushayela. U-Arthur wachitha lobo busuku ehleli embhedeni eprakthiza ukushayela nokushintsha amagiye emoto. Ekuseni njengoba ezama ukukhipha imoto egaraji, kwafika isithunywa sevangeli uMildred Willett (kamuva owashada noJohn Barr). Wayekwazi ukushayela! Sasesikulungele ukuhamba!

Manje sasesishoda ngendawo yokuhlala. Saxwayiswa ukuba sigweme ukuhlala kumahamba-nendlwana ngoba abaphikisi bangayishisa, ngakho safuna indlu kodwa lutho ukuyithola. Ngalobo busuku sobane salala emotweni. Ngosuku olulandelayo, ukuphela kwento esayithola umahamba-nendlwana omncane onemibhede emibili owaba yindlu yethu. Okumangazayo ukuthi asibanga nankinga yokupaka umahamba-nendlwana emizini yabalimi esasishumayela kubo. Sasishumayela ezindaweni ezaziqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-16 kuya kwangu-24. Lapho sidlulela kwenye insimu, ngemva kwesikhathi esithile sasiphindela emizini esasipaka kuyo umahamba-nendlwana siyokwenza impindelo.

Sashumayela kuyo yonke imizi eseningizimu-mpumalanga yezwe futhi asibanga nezinkinga. Sasihambisa izincwajana ezingaphezu kuka-20 000, bese sihambisa uhlu lwamagama abantu abathanda ukufundelwa iBhayibheli ehhovisi legatsha laseBrithani. Ave kujabulisa ukuthi manje sekunamakhulu oFakazi kuleyo ndawo!

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi sabelwa ukuba siyokhonza eningizimu yeLondon. Ngemva kwamasonto ambalwa, u-Arthur wathola ucingo oluvela ehhovisi legatsha, oluthi ngosuku olulandelayo kufanele aqale ukujikeleza! Ngemva kokuqeqeshwa isonto elilodwa, sahamba saya esabelweni sethu eScotland. U-Arthur wayengenaso isikhathi esanele sokulungiselela izinkulumo zakhe kodwa indlela ayekulungele ngayo ukubhekana nezinselele enkonzweni kaJehova yangikhuthaza kakhulu. Sasijabulela ngempela isabelo sethu sokujikeleza. Njengoba sachitha iminyaka eminingi endingekweni, manje kwakuyisibusiso ukukhonza nabafowethu nodadewethu abaningi.

Ngo-1962 kwadingeka senze isinqumo esibalulekile lapho u-Arthur ethola isimemo sokuya eSikoleni SaseGileyadi esasizothatha izinyanga eziyishumi. Saphetha ngokuthi ngisho noma ngangizosala mina, kwakulungile ukuba u-Arthur amukele leli lungelo. Njengoba ngangizosala ngedwa, ngathunyelwa emuva eHemsworth ukuba ngiyokhonza njengephayona elikhethekile. Lapho u-Arthur ebuya ngemva konyaka, sabelwa ukuba siyojikeleza eScotland, enyakatho yeNgilandi, naseNyakatho ye-Ireland.

Ngo-1964, u-Arthur wathola isabelo esisha njengenceku yegatsha e-Ireland. Sasikujabulela kakhulu ukujikeleza, ngakho ushintsho alungijabulisanga ekuqaleni. Kodwa uma ngibheka emuva, ngibonga kakhulu ngokunikwa ithuba lokukhonza eBethel. Ngikholelwa ukuthi uma wamukela isabelo ngisho noma ungasithandisisi kahle, uyothola izibusiso kuJehova. Ngangenza umsebenzi wasehhovisi, ngipakisha izincwadi, ngipheka futhi ngihlanza isakhiwo. Okwesikhathi esithile, sasijikeleza futhi sakwazi ukuhlangana nabazalwane kulo lonke izwe. Lokhu kanye nokubona abantu esibafundela iBhayibheli bethuthuka, kwasenza sawuthanda kakhulu umndeni wethu ongokomoya e-Ireland. Leso kwakuyisibusiso ngempela!

Umhlangano wokuqala wezizwe zonke e-Ireland wawuseDublin ngo-1965. * Naphezu kokuphikiswa okukhulu, umhlangano waba impumelelo. Kwaba khona abantu abangu-3 948, kwabhapathizwa abangu-65. Bonke abantu abangenisa emizini yabo izihambeli zakwamanye amazwe ezingu-3 500 bathola izincwadi zokubonga. Abanini bemizi bona bancoma izihambeli ngokuziphatha kwazo okuhle. Ngempela leso kwakuyisenzakalo esibalulekile e-Ireland.

Ngo-1966 inyakatho neningizimu ye-Ireland zahlanganiswa ngaphansi kwehhovisi legatsha laseDublin—lokhu kwakuphawuleka ngoba ngaleso sikhathi leso siqhingi sasihlukene phakathi ngokwezombusazwe nangokwezenkolo. Kwasijabulisa kakhulu ukubona amaKatolika amaningi engena eqinisweni futhi ekhonza nabafowethu ababengamaProtestani ngaphambili.

Ngo-2011 ukuphila kwashintsha ngokuphelele lapho ihhovisi legatsha laseBrithani nelase-Ireland ehlanganiswa, thina sabelwa ukuba siyokhonza eBethel yaseLondon. Lezo zindaba sazizwa lapho ngiqala ukukhathazeka ngempilo ka-Arthur. Kwatholakala ukuthi unesifo sika-Parkinson. NgoMeyi 20, 2015 umyeni wami engase ngiphile naye iminyaka engu-66 washona.

Kule minyaka edlule, ngiye ngazizwa ngidikibele, ngicindezelekile futhi ngilusizi. Esikhathini esidlule u-Arthur wayehlale engisekela. Ngiyamkhumbula. Kodwa lapho ubhekana nezimo ezifana nalezi, usondela nakakhulu kuJehova. Kuye kwangiduduza nokwazi indlela u-Arthur abethandwa ngayo. Ngiye ngathola izincwadi ezivela kubangane e-Ireland, eBrithani ngisho nase-United States. Lezi zincwadi, kanye nesikhuthazo engisithola kubhuti ka-Arthur uDennis nakumkakhe uMavis, nesivela ezinganeni zabo uRuth noJudy siye sangikhuthaza kakhulu.

UmBhalo oye wangikhuthaza kakhulu u-Isaya 30:18. Uthi: “UJehova uyohlala elindele ukunibonisa umusa, ngakho-ke uyovuka ukuze anibonise isihe. Ngoba uJehova unguNkulunkulu wokwahlulela. Bayajabula bonke abahlala bemlindele.” Kuye kwangiduduza kakhulu ukwazi ukuthi uJehova ulinde ngesineke ukulungisa izinto nokusinika imisebenzi ejabulisayo ezweni elisha.

Lapho ngicabanga ngokuphila kwethu, ngiyayibona indlela uJehova awuqondise futhi wawubusisa ngayo umsebenzi e-Ireland! Ngiyajabula ngokuthi ngibe nesandla kuleyo ntuthuko engokomoya. Akungatshazwa ukuthi ukwenza lokho uJehova akufunayo kuhlale kuletha izibusiso.