NGAZALWA ngo-1926 esigabeni seKarítsa eGreece futhi ngingowesikhombisa ebantwaneni abangu-8. Abazali bami babekhuthele kakhulu.

Ngo-1925 abazali bami bahlangana loJohn Papparizos. Wayengomunye waBafundi beBhayibhili owayekhuthele kakhulu futhi ethanda ukuxoxa. Indlela uJohn ayechasisa ngayo iMibhalo yabathokozisa abazali bami. Yikho baqalisa ukungena imihlangano yebandla eyayisenzelwa endaweni yakithi. Lanxa umama wayengafundanga okuyangaphi, wayemthanda kakhulu uJehova uNkulunkulu futhi ekukholisa ukuxoxela abanye izindaba ezinhle. Kodwa ubaba yena wacina engasangeni imihlangano yebandla ngenxa yokuthanda ukukhangela amaphutha ayesenziwa ngabanye.

Mina labafowethu labodadewethu engizalwa labo sasikuthanda ukufunda iBhayibhili. Kodwa kunengi okwasiphambanisayo sisakhula. Ngo-1939 iMpi Yomhlaba Yesibili yayisibambile e-Europe. Ngalesosikhathi kwenzakala into eyasitshiya singelankani. Umntakababa omdala owayeleminyaka engu-20 futhi esanda kubhabhathizwa okwakuthiwa nguNicolas Psarras wathathwa wahanjiswa esisotsheni. UNicolas watshela izikhulu zebutho leGreece wathi, “Angisoze ngiyekulwa impi ngoba ngilisotsha likaKhristu.” Ngakho wahanjiswa emthethwandaba obona ngezempi futhi wagwetshelwa ukuyapika ejele okweminyaka elitshumi. Saswela lokuthi sibambe ngaphi!

Kusanda kuqalisa u-1941 kwafika amabutho ayeletha ukuthula eGreece futhi uNicolas wakhululwa ejele. Uthe esekhululiwe wabuyela eKarítsa futhi umfowethu omdala u-Ilias wayehlala embuza imibuzo eminengi mayelana leBhayibhili. Lami ngangijayele ukulalela nxa bexoxa futhi ngemva kwalokho mina lo-Ilias kanye lodadewethu ongilandelayo u-Efmorfia saqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhili lokungena imihlangano yebandla yaboFakazi bakaJehova.  Ngomnyaka owalandelayo sobathathu sazinikela kuJehova sasesibhabhathizwa. Ngokuya kwesikhathi abanye odadewethu labafowethu abane engizalwa labo baba ngoFakazi.

Ngo-1942 ebandleni lethu kwakulabazalwane labodade abasakhulayo abangu-9 ababeleminyaka ephakathi kuka-15 kusiya ku-25. Sonke sasikwazi ukuthi bukhulu ubunzima esasizahlangana labo. Yikho sasihlangana izikhathi ezinengi ukuze sibale iBhayibhili, sihlabele izingoma zombuso futhi sithandaze. Lokhu kwaluqinisa ukholo lwethu.

Sekuzaphela iMpi Yomhlaba Yesibili kwaba leqembu lamaKhomanisi elahlamukela uhulumende eGreece okwabangela ukuthi kube lempi yombango elizweni. Abahlamuki laba bagcwala ezindaweni ezinengi bebamba abantu ngamandla ukuthi basekele iqembu labo. Bathi befika esigabeni sakithi bathumba mina, u-Antonio Tsoukaris lomnewethu u-Ilias. Sabatshela ukuthi thina kasisekeli ezombangazwe ngoba singamaKhristu kodwa bona bala njalo basithatha bahamba lathi kwenye intaba okuthiwa yi-Olympus. Uhambo lolu lwasithatha amahola angu-12.

Sathi sifika kuleyondawo esinye isikhulu sabahlamuki laba sathi sihambe labanye siyehlasela kwezinye izindawo. Sayichazela indoda leyo ukuthi amaKhristu eqiniso kawathwali izikhali ayekulwa labanye kodwa yazonda yafa yasisihambisa komunye usibalukhulu. Sathi sifika kuye samtshela amazwi afananayo. Wasiphendula wathi, “Thathani imbongolo liyethwala abantu abalimeleyo empini libase esibhedlela.”

Sambuza sathi: “Nxa amasotsha kahulumende angasibamba ke? Awasoze acabange ukuthi lathi silwa lawo yini?” Yena waphendula wathi, “Hambani liyenika abantu abasempini isinkwa.” Thina sathi, “Manje sizathini nxa izikhulu zamasotsha zingafika zithi sithwale izikhali sizihambise lapho okutshisa khona impi?” Indoda le yathula okwesikhatshana icabanga. Ngemva kwalokho yathi: ‘Kulungile! Nxa lingafuni lokho hambani liyekwelusa izimvu ezintabeni.’

Savuma ukwenza umsebenzi lo ngoba wawungelani lokulwa impi. Ngemva komnyaka umnewethu u-Ilias wakhululwa wabuyela ekhaya ukuze ayenakekela umama owayesengumfelokazi ngalesosikhathi. U-Antonio wasuka wagula wasekhululwa kodwa mina ngasala ngilokhu ngithunjiwe.

Ngalesosikhathi ibutho likahulumende lalibathwalise nzima abahlamuki beqembu lamakhomanisi. Bebona lokhu abahlamuki laba babaleka baqonda ezintabeni ezaziseduze le-Albania. Sathi sesizafika emngceleni we-Albania sazibona sesigonjolozelwe ngamasotsha kahulumende. Abahlamuki engangilabo bethuka baphaphatheka bagcwala indawo yonke. Mina ngathi sece esihlahleni esasiwile. Kulapho okwenzakala khona engikhulume ngakho ekuqaliseni.

Ngathi ngiwatshela amasotsha kahulumende ukuthi ngangithunjwe ngabahlamuki, angithatha angisa enkambeni eyayiseduzane leVéroia idolobho elibizwa ngokuthi yiBheriya eBhayibhilini. Ngafika nganikwa umsebenzi wokugebha imigelo eyayisetshenziswa ngamasotsha nxa esilwa. Kodwa ngala ukwenza umsebenzi lo futhi isikhulu samasotsha  kuleyondawo sanginika isigwebo sokuyapika ejele eyayisesihlengeni seMakrónisos (Makronisi).

Ukusuka e-Athens usiya eMakrónisos ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-50. Isihlenge lesi singamakhilomitha angu-13 ubude ikanti ububanzi singamamitha angu-500. Indawo yakhona ayilamanzi njalo lelanga liyatshisa okwamagama. Lanxa kunjalo kusukela ngo-1947 kusiya ku-1958 kwakulezibotshwa ezedlula 100 000 endaweni le. Izibotshwa lezi zazibalisela abahlamuki beqembu lamakhomanisi labanye ababephikisana lohulumende kanye laboFakazi bakaJehova.

Ngathi ngifika ngo-1949 izibotshwa ezazikuleyondawo zehlukaniswa zahanjiswa enkambeni ezitshiyeneyo. Mina lamanye amadoda athile sahanjiswa kwenye inkamba eyayingavikelwanga kangako. Sasilala singu-40 etendeni elincane elalisenela abantu abangu-10 kuphela. Sasinatha amanzi angcolileyo njalo sisidla indumba lama-eggplant. Kwakunzima ukuphila endaweni le ngoba kwakugcwele uthuli yonke indawo. Kodwa okuhle yikuthi thina sasingatshoni sigiqa amadwala siwasa le lale. Le kwakuyindlela ebuhlungu okwakujeziswa ngayo izibotshwa.

Ngelinye ilanga ngathi ngizihambela ekhunjini lolwandle ngahlangana laboFakazi ababevela kwezinye inkamba. Sakholisa kakhulu mhlalokho. Ngemva kwalokho sasihlangana ngezinye insuku njalo sasitshumayeza lezinye izibotshwa kodwa lokhu sasikwenza ngonanzelelo. Ezinye izibotshwa esasizitshumayeza zacina zingoFakazi. Ukwenza lokhu kanye lokuthandaza zikhathi zonke kwasinceda ukuthi sihlale siseduze loJehova.

Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-10 ngisejele yeMakrónisos amasotsha angitshela ukuthi kwasekumele ngigqoke ezebutho. Mina ngala futhi amasotsha lawo angihambisa kwesinye isikhulu esasikhangele inkamba yonke. Ngafika nganika leyondoda iphepha elalibhalwe ukuthi, “Engikufunayo yikuba lisotsha likaKhristu kuphela.” Ngemva kokungethusela kanenginengi indoda le yangithatha yangisa kumsekeli wayo owayegqoke ezobufundisi. Indoda leyo yayingubhishopu omkhulu wesonto ye-Orthodox eGreece futhi yangithwalisa nzima ngemibuzo engapheliyo. Yathi ibona ukuthi yonke imibuzo yayo ngiyiphendula ngeBhayibhili, yazonda yathi: “Msuseni lapha! Uthathekile lo ongakwaziyo akwenzayo.”

Ngelanga elalandelayo amasotsha aphinda angitshela ukuthi ngigqoke iyunifomu yebutho. Ngaphinda ngala futhi lokhu kwabazondisa kakhulu basebeqalisa ukungitshaya ngezibhakela langemiqwayi. Ngemva kwalokho bangisa esibhedlela esasikuleyonkamba ukuze ngiyehlolwa ukuthi angiqamukanga yini. Sengihloliwe bangibuyisela etendeni lami. Zadonsa izinyanga zaba mbili ngilokhu ngitshaywa kabuhlungu.

Amasotsha la athi ebona ukuthi kangitshedi lakancane kulokho engikukholwayo asebumba elinye icebo. Ayengibopha izandla abesengitshaya ngaphansi kwenyawo ngomchilo. Lanxa ngangisizwa ubuhlungu obukhulu, ngakhumbula amazwi kaJesu athi: “Libusisiwe lina nxa abantu belithuka, belihlukumeza . . . Thokozani lijabule ngokuba mkhulu umvuzo wenu ezulwini, ngoba bahlukunyezwa ngaleyondlela abaphrofethi ababephambi kwenu.” (Mat. 5:11, 12) Ngemva kwesikhathi esithile ngaqaleka.

Ngaphaphama sengisesitokisini ngingelakudla, amanzi lengubo futhi kwakuqanda kakhulu. Kodwa lokhu akuzange kungethuse. IBhayibhili lithi: “Ukuthula kukaNkulunkulu okudlula ukuqedisisa konke, kuzalinda izinhliziyo zenu lezingqondo zenu.” Ngakubona sibili ukuthi amazwi la aliqiniso. (Flp. 4:7) Ngelanga elalandelayo elinye isotsha langinika isinkwa lamanzi lejazi lomqando, elinye njalo langinika ukudla kwalo. Ngasibona sibili isandla sikaJehova.

Ngemva kwalokho amasotsha angihambisa emthethwandaba edolobheni le-Athens ukuze ngiyethonisiswa ngoba ayecabanga ukuthi ngingumhlamuki oyingozi. Ngafika ngagwetshelwa ukuyapika ejele yeYíaros (Gyaros) empumalanga yeMakrónisos. Isihlenge lesi singumango ongamakhilomitha angaba ngu-50 ukusuka eMakrónisos.

Ijele yeYíaros yayilabantu abedlula 5 000 ababebotshelwe izindaba zombusazwe. KwakulaboFakazi  bakaJehova abangu-7 futhi bonke babebotshelwe ukungasekeli ezombusazwe. Sasihlangana ngudlu ukuze sifunde iBhayibhili lanxa kwakungavunyelwa ukwenza njalo. Sasithola le-Nqabayokulinda, besesizibhalela emaphepheni ethu okwakukuyo ukuze sikusebenzise nxa sihlangana.

Ngelinye ilanga sathi sifunda sicatshile ipholisa elalilinda ijele lasibona, laselisithathela amabhuku esasiwasebenzisa. Ngemva kwalokho sabizwa ewofisini yesikhulu esasikhangele ijele leyo. Sasicabanga ukuthi isigwebo sethu sizangezelelwa kodwa isikhulu leso safika sathi: “Siyakwazi ukuthi lingobani, kasilisoli ngalokho elikukholwayo futhi siyalithemba. Buyelani emsebenzini.” Kanti njalo isikhulu lesi sanika abanye bethu imisebenzi elula. Sambonga uJehova ngalokhu. Lanxa sasiyizibotshwa, ukuba qotho kwethu kwakulidumisa ibizo lakhe.

Ukuthembeka kwethu kuJehova kwaba leminye impumela emihle. Esinye isibotshwa esasiyisikhwicamfundo sabona indlela esasiziphatha ngayo sasesifuna ukwazi okunengi ngalokho esikukholwayo. Sathi sikhululwa ngo-1951 indoda le layo yakhululwa, ngokuya kwesikhathi yabhabhathizwa futhi yaqalisa ukuphayona.

Ngathi sengikhululilwe ejele ngabuyela ngakithi eKarítsa. Ngokuhamba kwesikhathi mina lamanye amadoda ayehlala esigabeni sakithi sathuthela eMelbourne e-Australia. Kulapho engafika ngahlangana khona lodade okuthiwa nguJanette. Ngokuya kwesikhathi satshada futhi saba labantwana abane, umfana oyedwa lamantombazana amathathu. Bonke sabafundisa ngoJehova.

Khathesi sengileminyaka edlula 90 kodwa ngilokhu ngikhuthele njalo ngingumdala ebandleni. Kwezinye izikhathi umzimba kanye lenyawo kuba buhlungu ngenxa yezinyalo ezabangelwa yikutshaywa kudala. Lanxa kunjalo ngilokhu ngizimisele ukuba ‘libutho likaKhristu.’—2 Tim. 2:3.