AMAZIMBA ndiqale ukuwadla ngo-1926. Ndazalelwa eKarítsa kwilali encinane yaseGrisi ngabazali abakhutheleyo. Ndingumntwana wesixhenxe kwabasibhozo.

Kunyaka ongaphambi kwalowo abazali bam badibana noJohn Papparizos, indoda eyayizimisele neyayilincoko, enguMfundi WeBhayibhile, gama elo ayebizwa ngalo amaNgqina kaYehova ngoko. Bemangaliswe yindlela azicacisa ngayo iZibhalo, baqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso zaBafundi BeBhayibhile ezazikwidolophana yethu. Umama wayenokholo olomeleleyo kuYehova uThixo, nangona wayengakwazi ukubhala nokufunda, wayeshumayela kwabanye abantu xa kwakuvela ithuba. Okubi kukuba, utata wayesoloko ejonga iimpazamo zabanye waza ekugqibeleni wayeka ukuya kwiintlanganiso.

Mna nabantwana basekhaya sasiyihlonela iBhayibhile kodwa sathi sakubhadla sathanda ulonwabo. Ngo-1939, njengoko iMfazwe Yehlabathi II yayigquba kuyo yonke iYurophu, kwehla isiganeko kwidolophana yethu. Omnye umfo esasizalana naye, uNicolas Psarras owayekwangummelwane wethu, nowayesandul’ ukubhaptizwa wabizelwa emkhosini waseGrisi. UNicolas owayeneminyaka eyi-20, ngesibindi wathi kwabaphethe umkhosi: “Andizukulwa kuba ndilijoni likaKristu.” Ityala lakhe laxoxwa yinkundla yomkhosi waza wagwetywa iminyaka elishumi entolongweni. Sothuka!

Kwathi kusenjalo, ekuqaleni ko-1941, kwafika uMkhosi Wamazwe Amanyeneyo eGrisi waza uNicolas wakhululwa entolongweni. Wabuyela eKarítsa, apho umkhuluwa wam, uIlias, wampheka emophula ngemibuzo yezinto eziseBhayibhileni.  Nam ndamamela. Emva koko, mna noIlias nodadewethu onguntondo, uEfmorfia, saqalisa ukufunda iBhayibhile, yaye saya rhoqo kwiintlanganiso. Kunyaka olandelayo, sobathathu sazahlulela kuYehova saza sabhaptizwa. Kamva, nabanye abantwana basekhaya abane baba ngamaNgqina.

Ngo-1942, ibandla laseKarítsa lalinabazalwana noodade abaselula abasithoba beneminyaka eqala kweyi-15 ukuya kweyi-25. Sasisazi ukuba kusekho iimvavanyo ezisezayo. Ngoko ukuze sizomeleze, sasidibana nanina sikwazi ukuze sifunde iBhayibhile, sicule iingoma zoBukumkani kwaye sithandaze. Ngenxa yoko, ukholo lwethu lomelela.

Xa kanye yayiza kuphela iMfazwe Yehlabathi II, amakomanisi aseGrisi avukela urhulumente walapho, eqalisa imfazwe yamakhaya ekrakra. Ayezulazula kwiindawo ezisemaphandleni, enyanzela abahlali beedolophana ukuba babe kwicala lawo. Xa ahlasela idolophana yethu, athimba amaNgqina amathathu aselula—uAntonio Tsoukaris, uIlias nam. Nangona sawachazela ukuba singamaKristu asithathi cala, asinyanzela ukuba sihambe ngeenyawo iiyure ezimalunga ne-12 ukusuka kwidolophana yethu ukuya kwiMount Olympus.

Kamsinya emva koko, elinye igosa lamakomanisi lathi masibe kwiqela labanqolobi elaliza kugqogqa. Salicacisela ukuba amaKristu enene awalwi nabanye abantu, linomsindo lasisa kwinjengele. Xa sayichazela into efanayo, injengele yathi: “Thathani imeyile nize nithwale abonzakele edabini ngayo nibase esibhedlele.”

Saphendula sathi: “Siya kuthini ukuba siye sabonwa ngamajoni karhulumente? Awayi kuthi nathi silwa nawo?” Yathi: “Yisani izonka kubantu abasedabini.” Sathi: “Kodwa sakuthini ukuba igosa lomkhosi lisibona sinemeyile, lize lithi masise izixhobo edabini?” Le njengele yathath’ ixesha icinga. Ekugqibeleni yathi: “Nifanele ukuba niyakwazi ukwalusa iigusha! Hlalani apha entabeni nizaluse.”

Njengoko imfazwe yamakhaya yayiqhubeka kufuphi, sobathathu izazela zethu zasivumela ukuba saluse iigusha. Emva konyaka, uIlias kuba engoyena nyana mdala, wavunyelwa ukuba aye kuhlala nomama njengoko wayengumhlolokazi. UAntonio wagula waza naye wakhululwa. Kodwa mna ndaqhubeka ndibanjiwe.

Kusenjalo, umkhosi wamaGrike waya usondela kumakomanisi. Iqela elalindithimbile labalekela ezintabeni lisiya eAlbania eyayikufutshane. Xa sasisele sikumda, sazibona singqongwe ngamajoni. Abavukeli boyika baza babaleka. Ndazimela emva komthi owileyo, oku kwandeza ndaba kula ngxaki bendithethe ngayo ngaphambili.

Xa ndawaxelela amajoni amaGrike ukuba bendibanjwe ngamakomanisi, baya kundihlolela kwinkampu yomkhosi ekufutshane naseVéroia, isixeko esasibizwa ngokuba yiBhereya eBhayibhileni. Apho kwathiwa mandimbe imisele eyayiza kusetyenziswa ngamajoni. Ndathi ndakwala,  igosa eliphetheyo lathi mandisiwe elubhacweni kwisiqithana esoyikekayo iMakrónisos (Makronisi) ekwakusohlwaywa abantu kuso.

Isiqithi esililulwalwa, esingenamanzi, nesigqatswa lilanga ekuthiwa yiMakrónisos sikunxweme lweAttica malunga neekhilomitha eziyi-50 ukusuka eAthene. Ubude baso zikhilomitha eziyi-13, ububanzi bube zikhilomitha eziyi-2,5. Nakuba kunjalo, ukususela ngo-1947 ukuya ngo-1958, kwakuhlala amabanjwa angaphezu kwe-100 000 kuso, kuquka amakomanisi nababerhanelwa ukuba ngawo, nababekade bengabavukeli, kunye namaNgqina KaYehova aliqela.

Ekufikeni kwam ekuqaleni ko-1949, amabanjwa ayohlulwe angamaqela ezinkampini. Mna ndandikwenye inkampu engagadwanga kangako namanye amadoda angamakhulu aliqela. Sasiyi-40 kwintente eyayenzelwe abantu abayi-10, silala phantsi. Sasisela amanzi anukayo, ixesha elininzi sisitya imidumba (lentils) nee-eggplants. Kwakuhlala kuqhuma uthuli, kuvuthuza nomoya, ibe loo nto yabenza bakrakra ubomi. Yayibhetele leyo kuba sasingathuthi amatye into engapheliyo, nto leyo eyayiyindlela yokungcungcuthekisa neyayiqoba imizimba neengqondo zamabanjwa amaninzi.

Ngenye imini ndihamba elwandle, ndadibana namaNgqina amaninzi asuka kwezinye iinkampu. Indlela esavuya ngayo sakuba kunye! Sasidibana nanini na sikwazi, sikulumkele ukubhaqwa. Sasishumayela nakwamanye amabanjwa sizifihla, kamva amanye kuwo aba ngamaNgqina KaYehova. Ukwenjenjalo kunye nemithandazo esuka entliziyweni kwasinceda sazigcina somelele elukholweni.

Emva kweenyanga ezilishumi ndiqeqeshwa, kwagqitywa ekubeni ndinxibe iyunifomu yomkhosi. Ndathi ndakwala, ndasiwa kumphathi wenkampu. Ndamnika into ebhaliweyo ethi: “Ndifuna ukuba lijoni likaKristu kuphela.” Emva kokundigrogrisa, wandisa kwisekela lakhe, elalingubhishopu omkhulu wamaOthodoki nelalivathe izambatho ezipheleleyo zecawa. Xa ngesibindi ndamphendula imibuzo yakhe ngokusuka eZibhalweni, ngomsindo wathi: “Mkhupheni akaguquki!”

Ngentsasa elandelayo, amajoni aphinda athi mandinxibe iyunifomu yomkhosi. Xa ndingazange ndivume, andibetha ngamanqindi nangentonga. Emva koko andisa esibhedlele ukuze aqinisekise ukuba andophukanga mathambo aza andibuyisela ententeni yam. Loo nto yaqhubeka usuku nosuku kwade kwaziinyanga ezimbini.

Kuba ndingazange ndinikezele, enomsindo loo majoni azama elinye iqhinga. Abophelela izandla zam ngasemva, aza andibetha ngeentambo ngaphantsi kweenyawo. Ndikwintlungu engathethekiyo, ndakhumbula amazwi kaYesu athi: “Ninoyolo nina xa abantu beningcikiva, benitshutshisa, . . . Yibani nemihlali nixhume ngovuyo, ngokuba umvuzo wenu mkhulu emazulwini; kuba babatshutshisa ngaloo ndlela abaprofeti ababengaphambi kwenu.” (Mat. 5:11, 12) Ekugqibeleni, emva kwaloo nto yayibonakala ingapheli, ndayeka ukuba sezingqondweni.

Ndavuka ndikwisisele esasibanda ndingenasonka, namanzi kunye nengubo. Nakuba kunjalo, ndaziva ndizolile. Njengokuba iBhayibhile ithembisa, “uxolo lukaThixo” ‘lwayilinda intliziyo yam namandla am engqondo.’ (Fil. 4:7) Ngemini elandelayo, ijoni elinobubele landinika isonka namanzi kunye nedyasi. Elinye ijoni landinika ukutya kwalo. Le nto kunye nezinye ezininzi ezenzekayo, zandenza ndeva ukuba uYehova undikhathalele.

Abasemagunyeni bathi ndingumvukeli onentloko elikhuni, bandithatha bandisa eAthens enkundleni yomkhosi. Apho ndagwetywa iminyaka emithathu entolongweni eseYíaros (Gyaros), isiqithi esimalunga neekhilomitha eziyi-50 kwimpuma yeMakrónisos.

Intolongo yaseYíaros yayiyisisakhiwo esikhulu esinqatyisiweyo sezitena ezibomvu esasinamabanjwa epolitiki angaphezu kwe-5 000. Kwakuvalelwe  kuyo namaNgqina KaYehova asixhenxe, onke ebanjelwe ukungathathi cala. Nangona kwakungavumelekanga, sonke sasidibanela emfihlakalweni ukuze sifunde iBhayibhile. Sasifumana neeMboniselo ezithutyelezisiweyo, sizikhuphele ngesandla size sizisebenzise xa sifunda.

Ngenye imini sisafunda emfihlakalweni, unogada wentolongo wasibhaqa wasihlutha iincwadi zethu. Sasiwa kwiofisi yesekela-mphathi wentolongo, silindele ukunyuselwa izigwebo. Kunokuba azinyuse wathi: “Siyazi ukuba ningoobani yaye siyayihlonipha into yokuba ningathathi cala. Ibe siyanithemba. Buyelani emsebenzini.” Wade wanika abanye bethu imisebenzi elula. Sasinombulelo ongazenzisiyo. Nalapho entolongweni ukungagungqi kwethu kwenza wazukiswa uYehova.

Ukungagungqi kwethu kwaba neminye imiphumo emihle. Emva kokujonga indlela entle esiziphethe ngayo, ibanjwa elinguprofesa wezibalo laba nomdla laza lasibuza ngeenkolelo zethu. Xa amaNgqina akhululwayo ekuqaleni ko-1951, naye wakhululwa. Kamva, wabhaptizwa waba kwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo.

Emva kokukhululwa, ndabuyela ekhaya eKarítsa. Kamva, mna nabanye abasuka kwilizwe lam safudukela eMelbourne, eOstreliya. Apho ndatshata noJanette, sakhulisa unyana kunye neentombi zethu ezintathu, sibakhulisa ngemithetho yeBhayibhile.

Namhlanje ndineminyaka engaphezu kweyi-90, ibe ndisengumdala. Ngenxa yezivubeko, umzimba neenyawo ngamanye amaxesha ziba buhlungu, ingakumbi xa ndisuka entsimini. Sekunjalo, ndisazimisele nangoku ukuqhubeka ‘ndilijoni likaKristu.’—2 Tim. 2:3.