Lapho ngineminyaka emithathu, ubaba, umalume nomkhulu bathunyelwa emakamu okuhlushwa ngenxa yokungathathi hlangothi kwabo kobuKristu. Ubaba kuphela owabuya ephila. Ngo-1947, ngemva kweMpi Yezwe II, wabuya ekhaya ephuke umgogodla. Nakuba ayexhozekile emzimbeni kodwa wama eqinile okholweni.

Lapho ngineminyaka engu-9, umndeni wakithi nabanye oFakazi baseMoldova abangamakhulu, sadingiselwa eSiberia. Ngo-July 6, 1949, sathuthwa ngezinqola ezithutha izinkomo. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezingu-12 sesihambe amakhilomitha angaphezu kuka-6 400 singaphumuli, sama esiteshini sesitimela saseLebyazhe. Iziphathimandla zendawo zazisilindele. Sahlukaniswa saba amaqembu amancane futhi ngemva kwalokho sahlakazelwa kuyo yonke indawo. Iqembu lethu lahlaliswa esikoleni esincane esingenamuntu. Sasikhathele siyingcuba futhi siphatheke kabi. Ugogo owayephakathi kwethu samuzwa esehubela phansi ingoma ethile eyayiqanjwe oFakazi phakathi neMpi Yezwe II. Ngokushesha, sonke sahlanganyela naye sawacula ngokusuka enhliziyweni amazwi athi:

“Abazalwane abaningi badingiselwe kude.

Babayisa enyakatho nasempumalanga.

Ngenxa yokwenza umsebenzi kaNkulunkulu, bagwetshelwa ukubhekana nobunzima, futhi belapho bakhuthazelela uvivinyo olunjengokufa.”

Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi, sakwazi ukuya ezifundweni zeBhayibheli njalo ngamaSonto endaweni eqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-13 ukusuka endaweni esasihlala kuyo. Sasivame ukusuka kusempondozankomo ngezinsuku ezibandayo zasebusika futhi sidavuze eqhweni elifika okhalweni lapho izinga lokubanda lalingama-degrees Celsius angu-40 ngaphansi kwezinga-qhwa. Sasiba ngu-50 noma ngaphezulu, siminyane egunjaneni elingamamitha-skwele angu-19. Sasiqala ngokuhlabelela ingoma eyodwa noma ezimbili noma ezintathu. Kwakwenziwa umthandazo osuka enhliziyweni bese kuxoxwa ngemibuzo yeBhayibheli. Lokhu kwakuqhubeka isikhathi esithi asibe ihora. Sasicula izingoma ezengeziwe bese sixoxa ngemibuzo yeBhayibheli. Yeka ukuthi leso kwakuba isikhathi esiqinisa kanjani ngokomoya!

Ngo-1960, oFakazi ababedingisiwe banikwa inkululeko ethe xaxa. Nakuba sasimpofu, ngakwazi ukuvakashela eMoldova, lapho engahlangana khona noNina,  ozalwa emndenini ongoFakazi. Kungekudala, sashada futhi sabuyela eSiberia, lapho kwazalelwa khona indodakazi yethu, uDina, ngo-1964 nendodana yethu, uVik­tor, ngo-1966. Eminyakeni emibili kamuva, sathuthela e-Ukraine futhi sahlala endlini encanyana ese­Dzhan­koy, idolobha eliqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-160 ukusuka eYalta, enhlonhlweni yaseCrimea.

ECrimea imisebenzi yoFakazi BakaJehova yayivinjelwe, njengoba kwakunjalo kulo lonke elaseSoviet ­Union. Kodwa umsebenzi wethu wawungasabekelwe kakhulu imingcele, nokushushiswa kwase kuthe ukudamba. Ngakho kwaba nomoya wokudebeselela izinto phakathi kwabanye oFakazi. Baba nomuzwa wokuthi njengoba babehlukumezeke kakhulu eSiberia, manje kwase kufaneleka ukuba bazikhandle ukuze bathole izinto ezithile ezibonakalayo zokunethezeka.

Ngo-March 27, 1991, umsebenzi wethu kuyo yonke indawo eyayaziwa ngokuthi iSoviet Union wabhaliswa ngokomthetho. Ngaso leso sikhathi, kwahlelwa imihlangano ekhethekile eyisikhombisa yezinsuku ezimbili ezweni lonke. Thina sasizoya kowase-Odes­sa, ­e-Ukraine, owawuhlelelwe ukuqala ngo-August 24. Ngafika kusasele inyanga ukuze ngisize ngomsebenzi wokulungiselela inkundla enkulu yebhola okwakuzoqhutshelwa kuyo umhlangano.

Njengoba sasisebenza usuku lonke lize liyoshona, sasivame ukulala emabhentshini asenkundleni ebusuku. Amaqembu odade abangoFakazi ayecoca ipaki elizungeze inkundla. Kwalahlwa imfucumfucu engaba amathani angu-70. Izisebenzi zomnyango wezindawo zokulala zagcwala idolobha lonke zifuna izindawo zokuhlalisa izihambeli ezingu-15 000 ezazilindelekile. Gwiqiqi, kwezwakala izindaba ezishaqisayo!

Ngo-August 19—sekusele izinsuku ezinhlanu kuqale umhlangano wethu—uMikhail Gorbachev owayengumongameli wase-USSR waboshwa lapho eseholidini ngaseYalta, budebuduze nalapho esasikhona. Imvume esasiyinikiwe yomhlangano wethu yahoxiswa. Izihambeli zaqala ukushaya izingcingo ehhovisi lomhlangano, zibuza, “Senze njani ngamathikithi ethu amabhasi nawezitimela?” Ngemva kwemithandazo ejulile, abahleli bomhlangano bazitshela, “Wozani noma kunjalo!”

Amalungiselelo—nemithandazo—kwaqhubeka. Umnyango wezokuthutha waqala ukuhlangabeza izihambeli ezazifika zivela ezingxenyeni eziningi zeSoviet Union futhi uziyisa ezindaweni zazo zokuhlala. Njalo ekuseni, amalungu eKomiti yoMhlangano ayehamba eyobonana nezikhulu zedolobha. Ubusuku ngabunye, ayebuya elambatha.

NgoLwesihlanu, ngo-August 23—sekusele usuku olulodwa kuqale umhlangano—amalungu eKomiti yoMhlangano abuya nezindaba ezinhle: Yayisiphinde yatholakala imvume yomhlangano! Ngosuku olulandelayo, sachichima injabulo njengoba sasicula ingoma yokuvula futhi sihlanganyela emthandazweni wokuvula. Ngemva kwesimiso sokuphetha ngoMgqibelo, sahlala kwaze kwahlwa, sixoxa futhi sivuselela ubungane bethu. Phela lapha kwakuhlangene amaKristu anokholo oluqine kangangoba amelana novivinyo olunzima kakhulu.

Phakathi neminyaka engaphezu kuka-22 ngemva kwalowo mhlangano, kuye kwaba nokwanda okukhulu okungokomoya. Kuye kwakhiwa amaHholo oMbuso kulo lonke elase-Ukraine, futhi inani labamemezeli liye landa lisuka kwabangu-25 000 ngo-1991 laya kwabangaphezu kuka-150 000 manje!

Umndeni wakithi usahlala kuyo leyo ndlu eseDzhankoy, idolobha manje elinezakhamuzi ezingaba ngu-40 000. Nakuba kwakunemindeni embalwa yoFakazi ngenkathi sifika lapha sivela eSiberia ngo-1968, manje kunamabandla ayisithupha eDzhankoy.

Umndeni wami nawo sewandile. Manje kunezizukulwane ezine ezisadl’ anhlamvana futhi ezikhonza uJehova—izingane zethu, izingane zazo nezingane zezingane zazo.