KWIMINYAKA emalunga neshumi eyadlulayo, esinye isibini esitshatileyo esikwiminyaka engaphezu kwe-30, uGregorio noMarilou, babengoovulindlela eManila, kwangaxeshanye bephangela. Kwakungelulanga, kodwa baphumelela. Kodwa uMarilou wenziwa umphathi kwibhanki awayesebenza kuyo. Uthi, “Imisebenzi yethu yayisenza siphile ubomi obutofotofo.” Izinto zazibahambela kakuhle kangangokuba esi sibini sagqiba ekubeni sizakhele indlu entle kwindawo esemgangathweni kwiikhilomitha ezimalunga ne-19 ukusuka eManila. Saqesha inkampani yokwakha saza senza isivumelwano sokuyibhatala ngenyanga kangangeminyaka elishumi.

UMarilou uthi: “Umsebenzi wam omtsha wawufuna ixesha namandla am amaninzi, kangangokuba umdla wam kwizinto zikaThixo waya usehla. Ndandivakalelwa kukuba ndiyamqhatha uYehova.” Uthi: “Ndandingasakwazi ukunika uYehova ixesha endandilibekele ukukhonza yena.” Le meko  yabo yayingabonwabisi, ngoko uGregorio noMarilou bahlala phantsi ngenye imini baza bancokola ngendlela ababuphila ngayo ubomi babo. UGregorio uthi: “Sasifuna ukwenza utshintsho, kodwa sasingayazi eyona nto simele siyenze. Sancokola ngendlela esinokumsebenzela ngayo ngakumbi uYehova, kuba asinabo nabantwana. Sathandaza kuYehova sicela asikhokele.”

Kanye ngelo xesha, beva iintetho eziliqela ezazikhuthaza ukukhonza kwiindawo ezifuna abavakalisi boBukumkani abangakumbi. UGregorio uthi: “Kwakungathi uYehova usebenzisa ezi ntetho ukuphendula imithandazo yethu.” UGregorio noMarilou bathandazela ukuba nokholo olungakumbi ukuze babe nesibindi sokwenza isigqibo esisiso. Owona mqobo mkhulu ngoku wawuyile ndlu babeyakha. Babesele behlawule imali yeminyaka emithathu. Babeza kuthini? UMarilou uthi: “Ukuba sasinokuyeka ukwakha, sasiza kuphulukana nayo yonke imali esasisele siyibhatele. Kodwa sasimele sikhethe phakathi kokwenza ukuthanda kukaYehova neminqweno yethu.” Bacinga ngamazwi ompostile uPawulos athetha ‘ngokulahlekelwa’ zizinto, bayeka ukwakha, bayeka emsebenzini, bathengisa izinto zabo ezininzi baza bafudukela kwilali ekwanti kwisiqithi iPalawan, ekwiikhilomitha eziyi-480 ukusuka eManila.—Fil. 3:8.

Ngaphambi kokuba bafuduke, uGregorio noMarilou bazama ukulungiselela ukuphila ubomi obulula, kodwa babengazi ncam ukuba buza kuba njani ubomi babo de bafika kule lali. UMarilou uthi: “Ndothuka. Kwakungekho mbane, kunzima. Endaweni yokupheka esitovini, kwakufuneka sicande iinkuni sipheke emlilweni. Ndandikukhumbula ukuya kwisakhiwo seevenkile, ukuzikhupha siye kufumana into etyiwayo nezinye izinto ezenziwa ezidolophini.” Sekunjalo, esi sibini sasihlala sizikhumbuza ngesizathu sokufuduka kwaso, ibe kungekudala saqhela. UMarilou uthi: “Ngoku ndithanda ukubukela ubuhle bendalo, njengeenkwenkwezi ebusuku. Eyona nto ndiyithanda nangakumbi kukubona indlela abavuya ngayo abantu xa sishumayela kubo. Ukuba lapha kusincede ‘safunda imfihlelo’ yokwaneliseka.”—Fil. 4:12.

UGregorio uthi: “Ukufika kwethu kule lali, kwakukho amaNgqina amane kuphela. Avuya nyhani xa ndaqalisa ukunikela intetho yesidlangalala veki nganye ndabe ndidlala isiginkci xa sicula iingoma zoBukumkani.” Emva konyaka nje omnye, esi sibini sabona eli qela lisiba libandla elinabavakalisi abayi-24. UGregorio uthi: “Iyachukumisa indlela abasithanda ngayo abazalwana noodade kweli bandla.” Namhlanje, emva kweminyaka emithandathu  bekhonza kule ngingqi ikwanti, bathi: “Ayikho into eyonwabisa njengokubona abantu besenza inkqubela. Ngoku ubomi bethu bunenjongo.”

KwiiPhilippines, abazalwana noodade abamalunga ne-3 000 baye bafudukela apho kufuneka abavakalisi boBukumkani abangakumbi. Abamalunga ne-500 kubo ngoodade. Khawucinge ngomzekelo kaKaren.

UKaren, ngoku oneminyaka engaphezu kwe-20, wakhulela eBaggao, eCagayan. Eselula, wayedla ngokucinga ngendlela yokwandisa ubulungiseleli bakhe. Uthi: “Ukwazi ukuba ixesha eliseleyo lifinyele ibe kufuneka abantu beve isigidimi soBukumkani kwandenza ndafuna ukukhonza kwiindawo ezifuna abashumayeli abangakumbi.” Nangona abathile kwizalamane zakhe babefuna afumane imfundo enomsila, kunokuhamba eshumayela kwiindawo ezingaziwayo, uKaren wathandaza kuYehova ecela uncedo. Wancokola nabo bakhonza kwiindawo ezikwanti. Wathi xa eneminyaka eyi-18, wafudukela kwindawo ekwiikhilomitha eziyi-64 ukusuka kwidolophu yakowabo.

Ibandla elincinane awaya kulo uKaren lishumayela kwingingqi esezintabeni ngakuNxweme lwePasifiki. UKaren uthi: “Xa sisiya kwibandla lethu elitsha sisuka eBaggao, sasihamba ngeenyawo iintsuku ezintathu, sisihla sinyuka ezintabeni, siwela nemilambo.” Walek’ umsundulo esithi: “Ukuze ndifike kwezinye izifundo zeBhayibhile, ndihamba iiyure ezintandathu, ndilale kwesinye sezo zifundo, ndize ngosuku olulandelayo ndiphinde ndihambe kwaezo yure zintandathu ukubuya.” Ngaba oku kuba nemiphumo emihle? Encumile, uKaren uthi: “Ewe kona, imilenze ikhe ibe buhlungu, kodwa ndiqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile ezimalunga ne-18. Ndiye ‘ndangcamla ndabona ukuba uYehova ulungile’!”—INdu. 34:8.

Yintoni eyabangela ukuba uSukhi, udade ongatshatanga oneminyaka engaphezu nje kwe-40 nohlala eUnited States, afudukele kwiiPhilippines? Ngo-2011 waya kwindibano yesiphaluka apho kwakudliwan’ indlebe nesibini esitshatileyo. Sabalisa indlela esithengise ngayo impahla yaso saza safudukela eMexico ukuze sincedise kumsebenzi wokushumayela apho. USukhi uthi, “Loo mava andenza ndacinga ngosukelo endingazange khe ndicinge ngalo.” USukhi liNdiya, ibe wathi akuva ukuba kufuneka abavakalisi kwintsimi yesiPunjabi kwiiPhilippines, wagqiba kwelokuba aye. Ngaba yayikho imiqobo?

Uthi: “Kwaba nzima ukukhetha izinto emandizithengise. Emva kokuzihlalela eflethini iminyaka  eli-13, ndaya kuhlala nezalamane. Kwakungelulanga, kodwa kwandinceda ndaqhela ukuphila ubomi obulula.” Ziziphi iingxaki awaba nazo emva kokufudukela kwiiPhilippines? “Ezona ngxaki ndandinazo kukoyika iirhorho nokukhumbul’ ekhaya. Ndafunda ukuthembela kuYehova ngakumbi kunangaphambili!” Ngaba oko kuye kwamnceda? Encumile, uSukhi uthi: “UYehova uthi, ‘Khanincede, nindivavanye, enoba andiyi kuqongqothela phezu kwenu intsikelelo.’ Ubunyani bala mazwi ndiye ndibuqonde kakuhle xa umninimzi esithi, ‘Uza kubuya nini? Ndisenemibuzo emininzi.’ Kundivuyisa kakhulu ukunceda abantu abafun’ ukwazi uThixo!” (Mal. 3:10) USukhi uqhubeka esithi: “Eyona nto yayinzima kukwenza isigqibo sokufuduka. Emva kokusenza, ndamangaliswa kukubona indlela uYehova angenelela ngayo.”

USime, ongumzalwana otshatileyo osele eza kudibanisa iminyaka eyi-40, wemka kwiiPhilippines kuba efumene umsebenzi ohlawula kakuhle kwilizwe elikuMbindi Mpuma. Ngoxa elapho, uSime wakhuthazwa ngumveleli wesiphaluka nayintetho eyanikelwa lilungu leQumrhu Elilawulayo ukuba abeke uYehova kuqala kubomi bakhe. Uthi: “Ndandisoyika gqitha xa ndicinga ngokuyeka emsebenzini.” Sekunjalo, wada wawuyeka umsebenzi wakhe wabuyela kwiiPhilippines. Namhlanje, uSime nomkakhe, uHaidee, bakhonza eDavao del Sur, kwiphondo leli lizwe apho kwakufuneka abavakalisi abangakumbi. USime uthi: “Ndiyavuya kuba ndada ndayeka ukuba nexhala lokuphulukana nomsebenzi ndaza ndabeka uYehova kuqala. Ayikho into eyanelisa njengokunika uYehova konke onako!”

Xa isibini esingoovulindlela esisele siyigabhule iminyaka eyi-30, uRamilo noJuliet, seva ukuba kukho ibandla elikumgama weekhilomitha eziyi-30 elalifuna uncedo, savuma ukuya kunceda. Kunetha kunganethi, uRamilo noJuliet bakhwela isithuthuthu sabo besiya kwiintlanganiso nasentsimini. Nangona behamba kwiindlela ezimbi benqumla kwiibhulorho eziyingozi, isigqibo abasenzayo sokwandisa ubulungiseleli babo siyabavuyisa. URamilo uthi: “Mna nomkam siqhuba izifundo zeBhayibhile eziyi-11! Ukukhonza kwindawo efuna abashumayeli abangakumbi kufuna ukuzincama, kodwa kusinika ulwaneliseko!”—1 Kor. 15:58.

Ngaba ufuna ukwazi okungakumbi ngokukhonza kwiindawo ezifuna abavakalisi abangakumbi kwilizwe lakho okanye kwamanye? Ukuba kunjalo, thetha nomveleli wesiphaluka, ufunde nenqaku elithi: “Ngaba ‘Ungawelela EMakedoni’?” kuBulungiseleli Bethu BoBukumkani buka-Agasti 2011.