Ngo-1949 utata wafudukela eOstreliya esuka eJamani. Wayokhangela umsebenzi emgodini nakwindawo ekwenziwa kuyo umbane, waza wahlala kwilali ebizwa ngokuba yiVictoria. Apho watshata nomama, ndaza ndazalwa ngo-1953.

Kwiminyaka embalwa kamva, umama waqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhile namaNgqina kaYehova, ngoko iimfundiso zeBhayibhile ndazazi ndisemncinci. Kodwa yena utata wayengafuni nokuyibona into edibene necawa. Waba ngumntu ondlongondlongo, kwaye umama wayemoyika gqitha. Waqhubeka eyifunda iBhayibhile utata engazi, waza wazithanda iimfundiso zayo. Xa utata engekho wayedla ngokuxelela mna nodadewethu ngezinto azifundileyo. Wasixelela ngomhlaba oyiparadesi owawuza kubakho nendlela esasinokonwaba ngayo ukuba silandela imilanganiselo yokuziphatha yeBhayibhile.—INdumiso 37:10, 29; Isaya 48:17.

Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-18 ndemka ekhaya ngenxa yobundlongondlongo bukatata. Nangona ndandikukholelwa oko ndandikufundiswa ngumama ngeBhayibhile, kodwa kum kwakungabalulekanga. Ngoko zange ndiphile ngendlela awandifundisa ngayo. Ndaqalisa ukuphangela emgodini ndisebenza ngombane. Xa ndandineminyaka eyi-20, ndatshata. Kwiminyaka emithathu emva koko kwazalwa intombi yethu yokuqala, kwaye ndacingisisa ngezinto ezibalulekileyo ebomini bam. Ndandisazi ukuba yiBhayibhile enokunceda intsapho yam, ngoko ndaqalisa ukuyifunda nelinye iNgqina likaYehova. Kodwa umkam wayengawafuni amaNgqina. Xa ndaya kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina wathi mandikhethe—ndiyeke ukufunda iBhayibhile okanye ndiyishiye intsapho yam. Loo mazwi andityhafisa, ndaza ngenene ndayeka ukufunda namaNgqina. Kamva, ndazisola ngokuyeka into endandiyazi ukuba yeyona ifanelekileyo.

Ngenye imini, abantu endiphangela nabo bandibukelisa iphonografi. Yayisenza umdla kodwa kwangaxeshanye indonyanyisa. Ndashiyeka ndinesazela. Ndakhumbula oko ndandikufunde eBhayibhileni, ndaqonda ukuba uThixo uza kundigweba. Kodwa, njengoko ndandisiya ndiqhela ukuziminca ngemifanekiso engamanyala, yatshintsha indlela endiyijonga ngayo iphonografi ndaza ndalikhoboka layo.

 Kwiminyaka eyi-20 elandelayo, ndaye ndibhekela kwindlela umama awayezame ukundifundisa yona. Indlela endandiziphethe ngayo yayichaza oko ndikufaka engqondweni. Ndandikrwada, ndithanda nokuqhula ngamanyala. Ndandinembono egqwethekileyo ngesini. Nangona ndandinenkosikazi, ndandinabo nookhwapheni. Ngenye imini ndazijonga esipilini ndacinga, “Andikuthandi.” Ndandingasazihloniphi, ndandizicaphukela.

Umtshato wam waphela kwaye ndandiphalele. Ndaphalaza imbilini yam kuYehova ngomthandazo. Nakubeni kwakugqithe iminyaka eyi-20 ndingasayifundi iBhayibhile, ndaphinda ndathathisa apho ndandiyeke khona. Ngelo xesha wayesele eswelekile utata, yena umama eliNgqina likaYehova elibhaptiziweyo.

Kwakukho umahluko omkhulu phakathi kwendlela endandiziphethe ngayo nemigaqo yeBhayibhile ephakamileyo. Kodwa ngoku ndandizimisele ukufumana uxolo lwengqondo oluthenjiswa yiBhayibhile. Ndazama ukuyeka ukuba krwada nokuba nomsindo ongalawulekiyo. Ndagqiba ekubeni ndiyitshintshe indlela yam yokuziphatha, ndiyeke ukungcakaza, ukuzinkcinkca ngotywala nokubela umqeshi wam.

Abantu endandiphangela nabo babengasiqondi isizathu sokuba ndifune ukutshintsha kangaka. Kangangeminyaka emithathu babezama ukundibuyisela umva. Ukuba ndandigqajukelwa ngumsindo okanye ndibe krwada babedla ngokuqhwab’ izandla bathi: “Nanko ke uJoe esimaziyo.” Ayendihlaba loo mazwi! Ndandidla ngokuziva ndingento yanto.

Apho ndandisebenza khona kwakugcwele nje iphonografi, kwiikhompyutha nakwizinto eziprintiweyo. Abantu endiphangela nabo babesasaza imifanekiso engamanyala ngeekhompyutha njengokuba nam ndandisenza ngaphambili. Ndandizama ukohlukana nomkhwa wam, kodwa babesenza konke okusemandleni abo ukuba ndingaphumeleli. Ndacela uncedo nenkxaso kumntu owayendifundela iBhayibhile. Wandiphulaphula njengoko ndandiphalaza imbilini yam. Esebenzisa iZibhalo, wandibonisa indlela endinokuwoyisa ngayo lo mkhwa, waza wandikhuthaza ukuba ndiqhubeke ndicela uncedo kuYehova ngomthandazo.—INdumiso 119:37.

Ngenye imini ndababizela ndawonye bonke abantu endandiphangela nabo. Ukufika kwabo, ndabaxelela ukuba banike amadoda amabini awayenengxaki yotywala ibhiya. Bakhuza bonke bathi: “Yho awukwazi kaloku! La madoda anengxaki yotywala!” Ndaphendula ndathi: “Ewe, nam ndinengxaki endizama ukulwisana nayo.” Ukususela ngaloo mini, loo madoda aqonda ukuba nam ndilwisana nengxaki yephonografi, yaye ayeka ukundicinezela ukuba ndibuyele kwiindlela zam zakudala.

Ekuhambeni kwexesha ngoncedo lukaYehova, ndawuyeka umkhwa wokubukela iphonografi. Ngo-1999, ndabhaptizwa njengomnye wamaNgqina kaYehova, ndandivuya kakhulu kuba ndandinikwe elinye ithuba lokuphila ubomi obonwabileyo.

Ngoku ndiyasiqonda isizathu sokuba uYehova azithiye ezi zinto bendikade ndizithanda. NjengoBawo onothando, wayefuna ukundikhusela kwimiphumo ebuhlungu ebangelwa yiphonografi. Angqineke eyinyaniso amazwi akwincwadi yeMizekeliso 3:5, 6 athi: “Kholosa ngoYehova ngayo yonke intliziyo yakho, ungayami ngokwakho ukuqonda. Uze umgqale yena ezindleleni zakho zonke, kwaye uya kuwenza uthi tye umendo wakho.” Imigaqo yeBhayibhile ayisikhuseli nje kuphela kodwa isenza siqiniseke ukuba siza kuphumelela.—INdumiso 1:1-3.

Ngaphambili ndandizonyanya, kodwa ngoku ndiyazihlonipha yaye ndinoxolo lwengqondo. Ndiphila ubomi obucocekileyo kwaye ndiyazi ukuba uYehova undixolele kwaye uyandixhasa. Ngo-2000, ndatshata noKarolin, udade omhle ongumKristu othanda uYehova njengam. Ikhaya lethu yindawo enoxolo. Siziva sinelunda ngokuba yinxalenye yabazalwana abasehlabathini abacocekileyo nabanothando.