NGO-SEPTEMBER 6, 1926, umzalwane owayekhonza njenge-pilgrim (umbonisi ojikelezayo) e-United States, waphindela eJapane ezweni lenkaba yakhe njengesithunywa sevangeli. Wahlangatshezwa umuntu okwakuwukuphela kwakhe owayenesikhokhelo se-Nqabayokulinda yesiNgisi, owayeqale iqembu lokutadisha iBhayibheli eKobe. Labo baFundi BeBhayibheli baba nomhlangano wabo wokuqala ngo-January 2, 1927, kulelo dolobha. Kwaba nabantu abangu-36, kwabhapathizwa abangu-8. Kwakuyisiqalo esihle, kodwa leli qembu elincane lalingabafinyelela kanjani abantu baseJapane abayizigidi ezingu-60 okwakudingeka bathole ukukhanya kweqiniso leBhayibheli?

Ngo-May 1927, abaFundi BeBhayibheli ababemagange baqala umkhankaso wokushumayela obala ukuze bakhangise uchungechunge lwezinkulumo zeBhayibheli. Ukuze bakhangise ngenkulumo yokuqala, eyayizoba se-Osaka, abazalwane babeka izikhangiso eceleni kwemigwaqo nasemabhodini amakhulu kulo lonke idolobha, bathumelela abantu abaqavile izimemo ezingu-3 000. Basakaza izimemo ezingu-150 000, bakhangisa le nkulumo emaphephandabeni amakhulu ase-Osaka nasemathikithini esitimela angu-400 000. Ngosuku le nkulumo eyayizonikezwa ngalo, kwadlula izindiza ezimbili ngaphezu kwedolobha zasakaza izimemo ezingu-100 000. Abantu abangaba ngu-2 300 ababezolalela inkulumo ethi “UMbuso KaNkulunkulu Useduze” bagcwala mfí eHholo Lase-Osaka Asahi. Abanye abangaba yinkulungwane kwadingeka bacelwe ukuba baphindele emuva. Ngemva kwenkulumo, kwasala abangaphezu kuka-600 lapho sekuyingxenye yemibuzo nezimpendulo. Phakathi nezinyanga ezalandela, kwanikezwa izinkulumo zeningi zeBhayibheli eKyoto nakwamanye amadolobha asentshonalanga yeJapane.

Ngo-October 1927, abaFundi BeBhayibheli bahlela ukuba kunikezwe izinkulumo eTokyo. Kwaphinde kwathunyelwa izimemo kubantu abaqavile—ababehlanganisa undunankulu, amalungu ephalamende nabaholi benkolo nabezempi. Kwasetshenziswa izingqwembe, izikhangiso zamaphephandaba nezimemo ezingu-710 000, kwaba khona abangu-4 800 ezinkulumweni ezintathu ezanikezwa enhloko-dolobha yaseJapane.

Ama-colporteur (amaphayona) afeza indima ebalulekile ekushumayeleni isigijimi soMbuso kubantu emakhaya. UMatsue Ishii, ongomunye wama-colporteur okuqala eJapane, nomyeni wakhe, uJizo, balihamba cishe lonke elaseJapane, besuka eSapporo esenyakatho yezwe beya eSendai, eTokyo, eYokohama, eNagoya, e-Osaka, eKyoto, e-Okayama naseTokushima. UDade Ishii nomunye udade owayesekhulile, uSakiko Tanaka, babevunula ezomdabu lapho behambela izikhulu zikahulumeni eziphezulu. Esinye sazo sacela amasethi angu-300 encwadi ethi The Harp of God nethi Deliverance ukuze abekwe emitatsheni yezincwadi yasemajele.

 UKatsuo noHagino Miura bathatha izincwadi kuDade Ishii futhi lasheshe labakhanyela iqiniso. Babhapathizwa ngo-1931, base beba ngama-colporteur. UHaruichi noTane Yamada nezihlobo zabo eziningi babamukele isigijimi soMbuso ngaphambi kuka-1930. AbakwaYamada bangenela umsebenzi wama-colporteur, kwathi indodakazi yabo, uYukiko, yayokhonza eBethel eTokyo.

Ngalezo zikhathi, izimoto zazimba eqolo nemigwaqo imibi. Ngakho, uKazumi Minoura namanye ama-colporteur asemasha basebenzisa omahamba-nendlwana. Babiza lab’ omahamba-nendlwana ngokuthi oJehu, igama lomqhubi wenqola owayeqhuba njengohlanya owaba enye yamakhosi akwa-Israyeli. (2 AmaKh. 10:15, 16) KwakunoJehu Abakhulu abathathu, ngamunye engamamitha angu-2,2 ubude, ububanzi nokuphakama kungamamitha angu-1,9 futhi enganela amaphayona ayisithupha. Ngaphezu kwalokho, egatsheni laseJapane kwakhiwa oJehu Abancane abangu-11 ababedonswa amabhayisikili, ngamunye enganela abantu ababili. UKiichi Iwasaki, owasiza ekwakheni lab’ oJehu, uyakhumbula: “UJehu ngamunye wayenetende nebhetri lemoto lokukhanyisa.” Ama-colporteur ayeletha ukukhanya kweqiniso kulo lonke elaseJapane, ehla enyuka ezintabeni, enqamula izihosha, edonsa futhi esunduza oJehu ukusuka phezulu eHokkaido esenyakatho ukuya phansi eKyushu eseningizimu.

U-Ikumatsu Ota owayeyi-colporteur wathi: “Sasithi singafika edolobhaneni, simise uJehu wethu ngasosebeni lomfula noma esigangeni. Sasiqale sihambele amadoda aqavile endawo, njengomphathi-dolobha, bese siya emizini yabantu sibabonise izincwadi zethu. Ngemva kokuhlanganisa insimu, sasiya kwelilandelayo.”

Mhla lelo qembu labaFundi BeBhayibheli abangu-36 eKobe liba nomhlangano walo wokuqala, ‘kwakuwusuku lwezinto ezincane.’ (Zak. 4:10) Ngemva nje kweminyaka emihlanu—ngo-1932—kwase kunama-colporteur nabamemezeli abangu-103 eJapane ababebika, futhi bahambisa izincwadi ezingaphezu kuka-14 000. Namuhla, emadolobheni amakhulu aseJapane kwenziwa umsebenzi wokushumayela obala ohlelwe kahle, futhi abamemezeli abacela ku-220 000 benza ukukhanya kwabo kukhanye kulo lonke leli zwe.—Ivela ezinqolobaneni zethu eJapane.