Nga-1910, batali bami batfutsela eCanada basuka eTbilisi, leseGeorgia, bafika bahlala endlini yelipulazi lesenkhangala dvutane nePelly, leseSaskatchewan, enshonalanga neCanada. Ngatalwa nga-1928, futsi ngiwekugcina kubantfwana labasitfupha. Babe wafa kusesele tinyanga letisitfupha kutsi ngitalwe, kantsi make yena wafa ngiseluswane. Lucy, longudzadzewetfu lomdzala, walandzela make, wafa aneminyaka lengu-17 budzala. Ngemuva kwaloko, malume lomncane Nick watsatsa mine kanye nebantfwana bakitsi wayohlala natsi.

Ngalelinye lilanga ngisemncane, umndeni wakitsi wangibona ngidvonsa umsila welihhashi lasepulazini. Betfuswe kutsi lelihhashi lingahle lingikhahlele, bangimemeta bafuna kutsi ngiliyekele, kodvwa ngachubeka ngilibambile. Bengibafulatsele, ngako angibevanga nabamemeta. Lokujabulisako kutsi angizange ngilimale, futsi kungalelolanga lapho umndeni wakitsi wabona khona kutsi ngichwale ngetindlebe.

Umngani wasekhaya wasikisela kutsi ngifundziswe nebantfwana labachwale ngetindlebe, ngako malume Nick wangibhalisa esikolweni sebantfwana lebebachwale ngetindlebe lebesiseSaskatoon, eSaskatchewan. Ngatsatfwa ngayohlaliswa endzaweni lebeyikhashane nemndeni wakitsi ngema-awa lambalwa, futsi ngenca yekutsi benginemnyaka lesihlanu budzala, bengesaba. Bengikhona kuvakashela umndeni wakitsi ngemaholide kanye nasehlobo nakuvalwe tikolwa. Ekugcineni, ngafundza lulwimi lwetandla futsi bengikujabulela kudlala nalabanye bantfwana.

Nga-1939, dzadzewetfu Marion, lobesekunguye lomdzala, washada naBill Danylchuck, futsi batsatsa mine nadzadzewetfu longuFrances kute basinakekele. Emndenini wakitsi baba bekucala kutsi bacoce naboFakazi BaJehova. Ngemaholide asehlobo, nangibavakashele, bebenta konkhe lokusemandleni abo kute bangicocele loko labakufundze eBhayibhelini. Ecinisweni, bekulukhuni kukhuluma nabo ngesizatfu sekutsi bebangalwati lulwimi lwetandla.  Noma kunjalo, bebalubona lutsandvo lebenginalo ngetintfo letiphatselene naNkulunkulu. Ngabona kutsi indlela lebebenta ngayo tintfo beyihambisana naloko lokushiwo liBhayibheli, ngako bengihamba nabo nabayoshumayela. Ngekushesha nje, ngafuna kubhajatiswa, futsi ngaSeptember 5, 1941, Bill wangibhabhatisela emgconyeni wensimbi lobewugcwele emanti ladvonswe emseleni. Lamanti bekabandza mpo!

Nga-1946, ngesikhatsi semaholidi asehlobo, saya emhlanganweni wesifundza lobewuseCleveland, lese-Ohio, eMelika. Ngelilanga lekucala lemhlangano, bodzadzewetfu bebangibhalela emaphuzu kute ngihambisane neluhlelo lwemhlangano. Ngelilanga lesibili lemhlangano, ngajabula kakhulu nangitfola kutsi bekunelicembu lelulwimi lwetandla lebelinemhumushi. Ekugcineni, ngasengilujabulela luhlelo lwemhlangano futsi bekumnandzi kuva emaciniso laseBhayibhelini ngendlela lecacile!

Ngaleso sikhatsi, iMphi Yelive Yesibili beseyiphelile futsi kushisekela buve bekusezingeni lelisetulu. Nangibuya emhlanganweni, ngatimisela kutsi nangifika esikolweni ngitawumelela kukholwa kwami. Ngako ngayekela kushayela ifulegi indesheni kanye nekuhlabela ingoma yesive. Ngaphindze ngayekela kugubha emaholide kanye nekulandzela umtsetfo wesikolwa wekwenta tintfo telisontfo. Bothishela abazange bakujabulele loko futsi betama kungesabisa kanye nekungicambela emanga kute bangente ngishintje ingcondvo. Konkhe loku kwabangela kutsi labanye bafundzi badideke, kodvwa kwaphindze kwangivulela nematfuba ekufakaza. Bafundzi lebengifundza nabo boLarry Androsoff, Norman Dittrick, na-Emil Schneider ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi batinikela kuJehova futsi basamkhonta ngekwetsembeka ngisho nalamuhla.

Nangivakashele kulamanye emadolobha, ngiyaciniseka kutsi ngiyafakaza kubantfu labangeva etindlebeni. Nasi sibonelo, ecenjini lalabangeva etindlebeni leliseMontreal, ngafakaza kulelinye lijaha, lelingu-Eddie Tager, lebelisecenjini letigebengu. Eddie wachubeka akhonta ebandleni lelikhuluma lulwimi lwetandla eLaval, leseQuebec kwaze kwafika sikhatsi sakhe sekufa. Ngaphindze ngahlangana naJuan Ardanez lobekanjengebantfu baseBheriya, bekacwaningisisa kute abone kutsi loko lobekushiwo liBhayibheli kuliciniso yini. (Imis. 17:10, 11) Naye watinikela kuNkulunkulu futsi wakhonta ngekwetsembeka njengalomdzala ebandleni lase-Ottawa, lese-Ontario, waze wafa.

Nga-1950, ngatfutsela eVancouver. Nanobe ngikutsandza kufakaza kubantfu labangeva etindlebeni, kodvwa ngeke ngikukhohlwe loko lengakutfola nangifakaza kulomunye wesifazane lovako etindlebeni longuChris Spicer, lengahlangana naye esitaladini. Wavuma kutsi atfunyelelwe bomagazini njalo futsi wacela kutsi ngiyococa nendvodza yakhe, Gary. Ngako ngabavakashela ekhaya labo, futsi saba nencociswano  lendze nabo sisebentisa kubhalelana emapheshana nasikhuluma. Sagcina ngalelolanga kubonana, kwate kwaba ngemuva kweminyaka lembalwa lapho ngamangala khona nabangibona emhlanganweni wesifundza lobowuseToronto, e-Ontario. Gary bekatobhajatiswa ngalelolanga. Loko kwangikhumbuta kubaluleka kwekuchubeka sishumayela ngoba asati kutsi imbewu yeliciniso iyomila kuphi futsi nini.

Ngemuva kwesikhatsi, ngatfutsela eSaskatoon. Nangifika lapho, ngahlangana nalomunye make lowangicela kutsi ngifundze liBhayibheli nemadvodzakati akhe lebekangemaphahla futsi bangeva etindlebeni, boJean naJoan Rothenberger. Lamantfombatane bekafundza esikolweni salabangeva etindlebeni nami lengafundza kuso. Ngekushesha nje, lamantfombatane lamabili acocela labanye lebekafundza nabo esikolweni loko bekakufundza eBhayibhelini. Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi, labasihlanu eklasini labo baba boFakazi BaJehova. Lomunye wabo bekungu-Eunice Colin. Eunice ngacala kumbona kuleso sikolwa ngesikhatsi ngenta umnyaka wami wekugcina. Ngaleso sikhatsi, wanginika liswidi futsi wacela kutsi sibe bangani. Abetawuba ngumuntfu lobalulekile ekuphileni kwami, wagcina sekangumfati wami!

Ngalesikhatsi make wa-Eunice, eva kutsi sewucale kutadisha liBhayibheli, watjela thishelanhloko kutsi amente ayekele. Lothishela waze watsatsa tincwadzi takhe lebekatadisha ngato. Noma kunjalo, Eunice bekatimisele kutsi lutsandvo lwakhe ngaJehova lute kucala ekuphileni kwakhe. Ngesikhatsi afuna kubhajatiswa, batali bakhe batsi kuye: “Uke nje ube ngulomunye waboFakazi BaJehova, utawuhamba lakhaya!” Nakaneminyaka lengu-17, Eunice wahamba ekhaya, futsi lomunye umndeni waboFakazi lebewusedvutane wamtsatsa wayohlala naye. Wachubeka nekutadisha liBhayibheli futsi kamuva wabhajatiswa. Ngalesikhatsi sishada nga-1960, batali bakhe abazange bete emshadweni wetfu. Noma kunjalo, njengoba iminyaka beyichubeka, bagcina sebasihlonipha ngenca yetinkholelo tetfu kanye nendlela lebesikhulisa ngayo bantfwana betfu.

Nanobe sikhubateke ngekungeva etindlebeni, sakhulisa bantfwana labasikhombisa, lokubafana labangakakhubateki njengatsi. Loku bekumatima, kodvwa saciniseka kutsi sibafundzisa lulwimi lwetandla kute sikhone kukhuluma nabo futsi sibafundzise liciniso leliseBhayibhelini. Bazalwane nabodzadze ebandleni basisita kakhulu. Nasi sibonelo, lomunye umtali wasibhalela umlayeto, asitjela kutsi lomunye webafana betfu bekakhuluma tinhlamba ekhatsi eHholweni leMbuso. Sakhona kuyisingatsa ngekushesha lenkinga. Emadvodzana etfu lamane, boJames, Jerry, Nicholas, naSteven bakhonta Jehova ngekwetsembeka nebafati babo kanye nemindeni yabo. Bobane bangemadvodza lamadzala elibandla. Ngetulu kwaloko, Nicholas nemkakhe Deborah babasiti ehhovisi lekuhumusha lulwimi lwetandla egatjeni laseBritain, kantsi Steven nemkakhe Shannan, babahumushi belulwimi lwetandla egatjeni laseMelika.

Nasekusele inyanga nje kutsi sihlanganise iminyaka lengu-40 sishadile, Eunice wabulawa ngumdlavuza. Bekangumuntfu lociniselako kuleto tikhatsi letimatima. Litsemba leluvuko lebekanalo, ngilo lebelimcinisa. Ngiyalilangatelela lelolanga lengiyophindze ngimbone ngalo.

NgaFebruary 2012, ngawa, ngephuka ingculu futsi kwacaca kutsi besengidzinga lusito. Ngako-ke ngahamba ngayohlala nendvodzana yami kanye nemfati wayo. Nyalo sesisebandleni lelulwimi lwetandla laseCalgary futsi solo ngingulomdzala. Ecinisweni loku kwekucala kutsi ngibe sebandleni lelulwimi lwetandla. Cabanga-nje! Kuyamangalisa kutsi ngiphumelele njani ebandleni lelikhuluma siNgisi kuyo yonkhe leminyaka, kusukela nga-1946. Jehova wasigcina setsembiso sakhe sekunakekela tintsandzane. (Hla. 10:14) Ngibabonga kakhulu labo lebebangibhalela emaphuzu, bafundze lulwimi lwetandla baphindze bangihumushele.

Kuliciniso kutsi ngaletinye tikhatsi bengike ngikhungatseke futsi ngifune kuyekela kuba nguFakazi ngobe bengingakuva loko lebekufundziswa, futsi bekubonakala kungatsi tidzingo tebantfu labakhubateke ngekungeva etindlebeni betinganakwa. Nanobe kunjalo, etikhatsini letinjalo, bengicabanga ngemavi aPhetro lawasho kuJesu latsi: “Nkhosi, singahamba siyephi? Ngobe nguwe lonemavi ekuphila lokuphakadze.” (Joh. 6:66-68) Njengebazalwane nabodzadze labanyenti labakhubateke ngekungeva etindlebeni lengakhula nabo, nami ngafundza kubeketela. Ngafundza kulindzela Jehova kanye nenhlangano yakhe futsi kwenta kwami kanjalo kwangizuzisa kakhulu. Nyalo senginekudla lokwanele kwekucinisa buhlobo bami naNkulunkulu lengikutfola ngelulwimi lwami futsi ngiyakujabulela kuba semihlanganweni yelibandla kanye nasemihlanganweni lemikhulu lechutjwa ngelulwimi lwetandla lwaseMelika. Ecinisweni, ngibe netikhatsi letijabulisako kanye nemphilo leyenetisako yekukhonta Jehova, longuNkulunkulu wetfu lomkhulu.