SIBUNANE abantwana bekhaya mina ngingowekhomba, ababelethi bethu bekubabantu abakhutheleko tle! Sabelethelwa edorojaneni elincani eGreece elibizwa ngokuthi yiKarítsa. Ngesikhatheso bekungo-1926.

Emnyakeni owadlulako ababelethi bami bahlangana noJohn Papparizo, umFundi weBhayibheli (ngesikhatheso aboFakazi kaJehova bebabizwa njalo) akhuthele begodu asiqedamlozi. Yabakara indlela uJohn ahlathulula ngayo imiTlolo, yeke bathoma ukuya esifundweni sabaFundi beBhayibheli. Umma bekakholelwa kuJehova uZimu ngehliziywakhe yoke, ngitjho nanyana bekangakafundi kodwana bekakhuluma nabantu ngoZimu qobe nakafumana ithuba. Okudanisako kukuthi ubaba yena bekaqala imitjhapho yabantu khulu, lokho kwamenza walisa ukuya esifundweni.

Mina nabantwana bekhaya besilihlonipha iBhayibheli, kodwana sathi nasikhulako satharejwa bumnandi bobutjha. Ngo-1939 iPi yePhasi yaqalisa i-Europe phasi phezulu, ipi le yasifaka amanzi ngemadolweni edorojaneni lethu. Umakhelwanethu ongumzawethu uNicolas Psarras obekaqeda ukubhajadiswa wakatelelwa bona abe lisotja lomGirigi. UNicolas bekana-20 ngesikhatheso kodwana waba nesibindi wakhuluma neenkhulu zamasotja wathi, “Angekhe ngafaka isandla epini ngebanga lokuthi ngilisotja lakaKrestu.” Ikhotho yamasotja yamtjhutjhisa yamgweba iminyaka elitjhumi ejele. Kwasimangaza okwenziwa ngumzawethu lo!

Ngetjhudu kwathi nakuthoma u-1941 kwangena esinye isiqhema samajoni eGreece esibizwa ngokuthi yi-Allied army safika sakhupha uNicolas ejele. Wabuyela eKarítsa, nakafikako umfowabo u-Ilias wamtjhuka ngemibuzo eminengi ngeBhayibheli. Nami bengilapho ngilalele. Kusukela kwamhlokho mina, u-Ilias nodadwethu omncani u-Efmorfia sathoma ukufunda iBhayibheli, sathoma ukuya qobe esifundweni.  Ngomnyaka owalandela, sobathathu njalo sazinikela kuJehova sabhajadiswa. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi abanye abantwana bekhaya abane nabo baba boFakazi abathembekileko.

Ngo-1942 iBandla leKarítsa laba nabantu bembaji nebengubo abatjha abahlangana neminyaka eli-15 kuya kwema-25. Soke njalo besazi ukuthi sizokuqalana neentjhijilo. Lokho kwasenza safuna ukuzakha ngezinto zakaZimu, yeke besihlangana ndawonye sifunde iBhayibheli, sivume iingoma bese sithandaze. Lokho kwaqinisa ukukholwa kwethu.

Kwathi nakuphela iPi yePhasi Yesibili, amaGirigi ebekamavukelambuso athoma ukulwa nombuso wamaGirigi, lokho kwavusa ipi ekulu enarheni. Amalunga weenqhema zamavukelambuso enarheni akatelela abantu bona bahlanganyele epini le. Athi nakahlasela idorojana esihlala kilo athatha ngekani aboFakazi abasesebatjha, bekungu-Antonio Tsoukaris, u-Ilias, kunye nami. Nasifika lapho sababawa sathi simaKrestu yeke asizibandakanyi kwezepi, kodwana asikatelela bona simatjhe siye eMount Olympus, lelo bekulikhambo elingaba ma-awara ali-12 ukusuka edorojaneni lethu.

Kungakayiphi umlawuli wamavukelambuso wasikhombela bona nathi sihlangane nesiqhema ebesivusa inturhu lesa. Sathi bona sihlathulule ukuthi amaKrestu weqiniso akalwi nabantu, umphathiswa lo wasirhudulela kujenerali. Safika lapho sabuyelela ebesele sikutjhwile ukuthi asifuni ukulwa, ujenerali wathi, “Thathani udumbana nilayitjhe abalimeleko nibase esibhedlela.”

Sabuza ujenerali ukuthi, “Alo kuzokwenzekani nakungenzeka sibonwe masotja karhulumende, angekhe na acabange ukuthi nathi siyahlanganyela ipini le?” Yeke ujenerali wathi, “Nakunjalo-ke nikelani amajoni asepini uburotho.” Sabuza godu sathi: “Kuzakuthiwani nangabe umphathiswa asibona sikhamba ngodumbana ngemva kwalokho athi sithathe iinkhali sizinikele amasotja?” Ujenerali wathatha isikhathi sakhe wacabanga. Ngemva kwesikhatjhana waphakamisa iphimbo wathi: “Ngiyacabanga ukuthi angekhe nibe nomraro wokutlhogomela izimvu! Hlalani entabeni niluse izimvu.”

Kuthe bona ipi ibhidlange, sobathathu njalo sezwa unembezethu asitjhaphulula bona singazilusa izimvu. Ngemva komnyaka, u-Ilias njengombana ayindodana ekulu wavunyelwa bona abuyele ekhaya ayokutlhogomela umma obesele amfelokazi. U-Antonio wagula naye bamtjhaphululwa. Mina bengisolo ngivalelwe.

Ngesikhatheso amasotja amaGirigi kancanikancani aphendukela amavukelambuso. Isiqhema ebesingivalele sabalekela eentabeni eziseduze e-Albania. Sabalekela hlanu kwebhoda, kungakabiphi sazifumana sele sibhodwe masotja wamaGirigi. Amavukela umbuso lawo angenwa mamanzi ngemadolweni babaleka. Mina ngazifihla ngesihlahla ebesiwile, ngafunyanwa lisotja esikhulume ngalo ngaphambilini.

Ngithe nangihlathululela amasotja la ukuthi ngila ngebanga lokuthi ngikatelelwe bona ngibe la, amasotja la angithatha angisa ekampenawo ehlanu kweVéroia, okulidorobho lakade leBhayibheli iBeroea.  Kwathiwa angembele amasotja amaforo. Nangalako, isikhulu samasotja sathi ngikhambe enarheni le ngihlukaniswe nabantu, ngiye esihlengeleni iMakrónisos (Makronisi).

Ilitje eliqinileko elitjhiswe lilanga elibizwa ngokuthi yiMakrónisos lingaseligwini le-Attica okungaba makhilomitha ama-50 ukusuka e-Athens. Isihlengelesi simakhilomitha ali-13 ubude bese kuba makhilomitha ayi-2,5 ububanzi. Kodwana nanyana kunjalo kusukela ngo-1947 kufikela ngo-1958 bekuneembotjhwa ezizii-100 000, kuhlanganise nabaphikisana nombuso namkha abasolwa ukuthi baphikisana nombuso, naboFakazi bakaJehova abathembekileko nabo bebakhona esibalweneso.

Ngathi nangifikako ngo-1949, iimbotjhwa bezihlukaniswe ngokweengaba. Ngafakwa ekampeni engakagadwa khulu namanye amadoda amakhulu ambalwa. Besilala sibabantu abama-40 etendeni elenzelwe ukulala abantu abali-10. Besisela amanzi afeyile sidla iimbhonjisi ne-eggplants (okusithelo esipheze sifane nomgade.) Leyo bekuyindawo ezele ngethuli nommoya. Kodwana ngathi ekhu nangilemuka bona abasithuthisi amatje phasi phezulu, ngithatjiswa kukuthi phela ukwenza umsebenzi loyo bekuphula imizimba neengqondo zeembotjhwa ezinengi.

Ngelinye ilanga ngizikhambela elwandle, ngahlangana nabanye aboFakazi babuya kwenye ikampa. Kwasithabisa khulu ukuhlangana. Besilinga ukuhlangana qobe kodwana sitjheje khulu ngebanga lokuthi besingafuni ukujeziswa. Bekhe sitjhumayele nakezinye iimbotjhwa kodwana nalapho besitjheja khulu, kuyathabisa ukuthi ezinye zeembotjhwezo zaba boFakazi bakaJehova. Ukwenza njalo nokuthandaza ngokusuka ehliziyweni kwasisiza sahlala simthanda uJehova.

Ngemva kobana kudlule iinyanga ezilitjhumi sengibuye “esibhedlela sokuhlanjululwa,” umnqophisi wekampa ebengikiyo wathi sekusikhathi sokuthi ngifumane ijinifomu. Ngathi nangingafuni wangisa kumphathi wekampa. Ngamnikela incwadi ebengitlole amezwi athi, “Ngifuna ukuba lisotja lakaKrestu kwaphela.” Ngemva kobana angithusele wangithumela komunye umphathakhe, yena-ke bekangubhitjhobhi weGreek Orthodox bekambhethe izambatho zesondo. Ngaphendula ngesibindi ngokususela emiTlolweni, wasilingeka waqeda itjhukela wathi kimi: “Msuseni umuntu lo la. Ulimele ehloko.”

Ngakusasa ekuseni, amasotja athi kufuze ngimbathe ijinifomu. Ngajama emagamenami wekuthomeni, ngala ukuyimbatha, wangibetha ngamaguduva wangibetha nangeengodo. Ngemva kwalokho bangisa ekliniki yekampenapho ukuyokuqinisekisa ukuthi bekunganathambo eliphukileko emzimbenami, bese wangirhudulela etendeni. Bebasolo benza njalo bekwaba ziinyanga ezimbili.

Ngebanga lokuthi ukukholwa kwami bekuqinile, amasotja asilingekilelo la alinga amanye amano. Abophela izandla zami ngemuva, angibetha ngaphasi kweenyawo kabuhlungu. Ngizwa ubuhlungu njalo ngakhumbula amezwi kaJesu athi: “Nibusisiwe lokha nabanithukako, banizuma bebakhulume koke okumbi ngani . . . Thabani nithokoze ngombana umvuzo wenu mkhulu ezulwini. Nabaphorofidi ababakhona ngaphambi kwenu babazuma ngayo indlela le.” (Mat. 5:11, 12) Emaswapheleni la sengibona ngasuthi akusenabalekelo, ngayatha.

Ngaphaphama ngekumbeni emakhaza mpo! Ngekumbenapho bekungana kudla, kunganamanzi kungana neengubo. Nanyana kunjalo, benganelisekile emmoyeni. Njengombana iBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi, “ukuthula kwakaZimu kuzakubulunga iinhliziyo zenu nemikhumbulwenu.” (Flp. 4:7) Ngelanga elilandelako elinye isotja elinomusa langinikela uburotho namanzi langinikela nebhaji. Elinye isotja langinikela umrholwalo. Koke lokho nokhunye kwangenza ngezwa ithando lakaJehova.

Bezomthetho nabangiqalako bebazibonela isephulamthetho esinekani, yeke bangithatha bangisa e-Athens ekhotho yamasotja. Lapho bangigweba iminyaka emithathu ejele yeYíaros (Gyaros) esesihlengeleni okumakhilomitha ama-50 ukuya epumalanga yeMakrónisos.

Ijele yeYíaros beyinemithangala emide eyakhiwe ngeentina ezibovu beyivalele abantu abangaba zii-5000 ababotjhelwe iindaba zepolotiki. Hlangana nabantwabo bekunaboFakazi bakaJehova abalikhomba ababotjhelwe ukungafaki isandla kezepolotiki.  Ngitjho nanyana bekungakavumeleki, thina abalikhombabo besiphele sihlangane ndawonye sifunde iBhayibheli. Bekuba nesikhathi sikhukhuthiselwe isiThala, thina-ke sisikopulule begodu sisifunde.

Ngelinye ilanga sisafunda, kwafika unogada wathatha iincwadi zethu. Wasithatha wasisa kumphathiswa, ngesikhatheso besilindele bona isigwebo sethu sizokwandiswa. Kunokobana umphathiswa asandisele isigwebo wase wathi: “Siyanazi ukuthi nibobani begodu siyakuhlonipha lokho, nokunithemba siyanithemba. Buyelani emsebenzini.” Wabe wathi abanye bethu benze umsebenzi olula. Kwasithabisa khulu lokho. Ngitjho nanyana sisejele kodwana ukuthembeka kwethu kwamthabisa uJehova.

Ukubambelela kwethu eqinisweni kwaletha nezinye iimbusiso. Omunye uphrofesa wezeembalo bekasiqalile njengombana silwela ukuthembeka nje, lokho kwamenza wasibuza ngokukholwa kwethu. Thina aboFakazi nasitjhatjhululwako ngo-1951, naye watjhatjhululwa. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi waba mtjhumayeli ongakabhajadiswa, ngokukhamba kwesikhathi waba mtjhumayeli wesikhathi esizeleko.

Nangitjhatjhululwako ngabuyela emndeninami eKarítsa. Ngokukhamba kwesikhathi mina nabanye abantu abahlala enarheni leyo safudukela eMelbourne, e-Australia. Lapho ngahlangana noJanette ngatjhada naye. Ngudade ovuthiweko, sinaye saba nabantwana abane umsana namadodakazi amathathu, sabakhulisela eqinisweni.

Sikhuluma nje sengidlulile eminyakeni ema-90, kodwana ngisesemdala webandla omajadu. Ngebanga lokuthi ngalimala khulu eminyakeni eyadlulako ngezinye iinkhathi umzimba neenyawo zami khekube buhlungu, khulukhulu nakhe ngaya esimini. Nanyana kunjalo, ngisazimisele ukuragela phambili “ngilisotjha lakaKrestu.”—2 Thim. 2:3, NW.