NGOXA wayekhulela kwindawo ehluphekayo eCôte d’Ivoire, uPascal wayebulangazelela gqitha ubomi obubhetele. Ekubeni wayeyimbethi-manqindi engahlawulwayo, wayezibuza oku, ‘Ndingalifumana phi ithuba lokuba yintshatsheli ndize ndibe nemali?’ Xa wayeneminyaka emalunga ne-25 wagqiba ekubeni afudukele eYurophu. Noko ke, ekubeni wayengenazo iimpepha-mvume zokuya apho, kwakuza kufuneka angene ngondlela-mnyama kwelo.

Xa wayeneminyaka eyi-27, ngo-1998, uPascal waqalisa olo hambo lusinga eYurophu. Wawela umda waseGhana, wanqumla eTogo njengoko wayetyhubela eBenin, de waya kufika kwidolophu yaseBirni Nkonni eNiger. Ngoku kwakuza kufuneka aqalise olona hambo luyingozi. Ukuze aye kufika emantla, kwakuza kufuneka akhwele ilori ukuze anqumle iNtlango iSahara. Ukufika kwakhe kwiMeditera, kwakuza kufuneka akhwele inqanawa ukuya eYurophu. Yiloo nto kanye awayezimisele ukuyenza, kodwa kwathi kusenjalo kwenzeka izinto ezimbini ngoxa eselapho eNiger waza ke akabi saqhubeka nohambo lwakhe.

Into yokuqala, waphelelwa yimali. Eyesibini, wadibana noNoé, uvulindlela owamfundela iBhayibhile. Izinto awazifunda apho zamchukumisa kangangokuba waqalisa ukubujonga ngenye indlela ubomi. Ngoku eyona nto iphambili kuye yaba kukufumana ulwalamano oluhle noThixo, kunokuleqa ubutyebi. NgoDisemba 1999, uPascal wabhaptizwa. Ngenxa yombulelo anawo kuYehova, ngo-2001 waba nguvulindlela apho eNiger—kanye kuloo dolophu wayefunde kuyo inyaniso. Uvakalelwa njani ngale nkonzo yobuvulindlela? Evuya uthi, “Abukho ubomi obubhetele kunobu!”

NjengoPascal, baninzi abafumanise ukuba obona bomi banelisayo bufumaneka ngokukhonza uThixo. Ukuze bakhonze uThixo, abanye baye bashiya iYurophu bafudukela eAfrika ukuze bancedise kwezo ndawo zifuna abavakalisi boBukumkani abangakumbi. Enyanisweni, amalunga ne-65 amaNgqina aseYurophu—aphakathi kweminyaka eyi-17 neyi-70—aye afuduka esiya kunceda kumazwe aseNtshona Afrika njengeBenin, iBurkina Faso, iNiger neTogo. * Yintoni ebaqhubele ekubeni bafudukele kude kangako, ibe kuye kwaphumela entweni oko?

UAnne-Rakel ovela eDenmark uthi: “Abazali bam babengabathunywa bevangeli eSenegal. Babesoloko bethetha ngehlombe ngobo bomi kangangokuba nam ndandifuna ukuba ngumthunywa wevangeli.” Malunga neminyaka eyi-15 eyadlulayo, xa uAnne-Rakel wayesandul’ ukugqiba iminyaka eyi-20, wafudukela eTogo, apho akhonza kwibandla lentetho yezandla. Ukufuduka kwakhe kwaba naliphi ifuthe kwabanye? Uthi:  “Kamva udadewethu nomnakwethu abancinane bandilandela beza eTogo.”

UAurele, umzalwana otshatileyo waseFransi oneminyaka eyi-70 uthi: “Kwiminyaka emihlanu edlulileyo, xa ndafumana umhlalaphantsi, kwafuneka ndikhethe phakathi kokuziphumlela eFransi ndilindele ukufika kweParadisi okanye ndandise ubulungiseleli bam.” UAurele wakhetha ukwandisa ubulungiseleli bakhe. Malunga neminyaka emithathu edlulileyo yena nomfazi wakhe uAlbert-Fayette, bafudukela eBenin. UAurele uthi: “Ukuza kukhonza apho asifuna khona uYehova, yeyona nto ibalulekileyo kwesakha sazenza.” Etsho ngoncumo, wongezelela athi: “Ezinye iindawo kule ntsimi zindenza ndizive ngathi sele ndiseParadesi.”

UClodomir nomfazi wakhe uLysiane, bashiya iFransi baya eBenin kwiminyaka eyi-16 eyadlulayo. Ekuqaleni, babekhumbula ngamandla intsapho nabahlobo babo ababashiye eFransi, ibe esi sibini sasicinga ukuba asinakuze sikwazi ukubuqhela obo bomi butsha. Noko ke, kwathi kanti ayikho le nto babeyoyika. Bafumana uvuyo olungathethekiyo apho. UClodomir uthi: “Kule minyaka iyi-16 silapha, ngokomlinganiselo besinceda umntu omnye ngonyaka abe liNgqina.”

USébastien noJohanna, isibini esitshatileyo saseFransi, safudukela eBenin ngo-2010. USébastien uthi: “Mninzi gqitha umsebenzi esimele siwenze ebandleni. Kangangendlela omninzi ngayo, kufuneka sifunde izinto ezininzi mihla le ngokukhawuleza!” Basabela njani abantu entsimini? UJohanna uthi: “Abantu bakulangazelela ngamandla ukuva iindaba ezilungileyo. Nokuba sesingezanga kushumayela, abantu basoloko besimisa esitratweni ukuze basibuze ngeBhayibhile abanye befuna iincwadi.” Oku kube naliphi igalelo kumtshato wabo? USébastien uthi: “Kuye kwawomeleza gqitha. Akukho nto imnandi njengokuchitha imini yonke entsimini ndikunye nomkam.”

UEric nomfazi wakhe, uKaty, bangoovulindlela kummandla omkhulu onabemi abathe gqa gqa kumntla Benin. Kwiminyaka elishumi eyadlulayo, ngoxa babehlala eFransi, baqalisa ukufunda amanqaku athetha ngokukhonza kwezo ndawo zifuna abavakalisi abangakumbi yaye babencokola nabo bonke abo bakwinkonzo yexesha elizeleyo. Oku kwabenza banomnqweno wokufudukela kwamanye amazwe, ibe benza kanye oko ngo-2005. Baye babona ulwando olungathethekiyo. UEric uthi: “Kwiminyaka emibini edluleyo, iqela lethu elikwidolophu yaseTanguiéta belinabavakalisi abayi-9; ngoku siyi-30. NgeCawa, kubakho abantu abayi-50 ukusa kwabayi-80 kwiintlanganiso zethu. Ayikho into enokuvuyisa njengokubona ulwando olungako!”

Ziziphi iingxaki abaye bajamelana nazo abanye kwaba bazalwana baye bafuduka? UBenjamin, oneminyaka eyi-33, ngumntakwabo Anne-Rakel. Ngo-2000 eDenmark, wadibana nomthunywa wevangeli owayekhonza eTogo. UBenjamin uthi: “Emva kokuxelela loo mthunywa wevangeli ukuba ndifuna ukuba nguvulindlela, wathi: ‘Kutheni ungayi eTogo nje?’” UBenjamin wacingisisa ngoko. Uthi: “Ndandingekagqibi neminyaka eyi-20 ngelo xesha, kodwa oodadewethu ababini babesele bekhonza eTogo. Oko kwenza kwalula ukuba nam ndiye apho.” Wafudukela apho. Noko ke, kwakusekho ingxaki. UBenjamin uthi: “Ndandingazi nelinye igama lesiFrentshi. Kwaba nzima nyhani kwiinyanga zam ezintandathu zokuqala kuba ndandithetha into engavakaliyo.” Noko ke, wade wakwazi ukusithetha. Ngoku uBenjamin ukhonza kwiBheteli yaseBenin, uthutha iincwadi ngoxa encedisa kwisebe leekhompyutha.

UEric noKaty, ekuthethwe ngabo ngaphambili, babekhonza kwintsimi ethetha ulwimi lwasemzini eFransi ngaphambi kokuba bafudukele eBenin. Nguwuphi umahluko abawufumanayo eNtshona Afrika? UKaty uthi: “Kwakunzima ukufumana indawo efanelekileyo yokuhlala. Kwaqengqeleka iinyanga sihlala kwindlu engenambane nazitephu zamanzi.” UEric uthi: “Kwakuba sezinzulwini zobusuku singxolelwa ngumculo wabamelwane. Umntu umele anyamezele kwiimeko ezinjalo aze azame ukuqhelana nazo.” Bobabini bathi: “Ukukhonza kwindawo enabantu abangekaziva iindaba ezilungileyo kumnandi kangangokuba ulibala naziphi na iingxaki ojamelana nazo.”

UMichel noMarie-Agnès, isibini esitshatileyo esivela eFransi nesisele siza kugqiba iminyaka eyi-60, bafudukela eBenin kwiminyaka emihlanu eyadlulayo. Oku kwaqala kwabaxhalabisa. UMichel uthi: “Bambi babesithi oko kufuduka kwethu kufana nokungathi sikhwele kwikiriva eqhutywa ngumntu phezu kweliwa! Oko kwakusoyikisa xa ungayazi ukuba iqhutywa nguYehova. Ngoko safuduka ngenxa kaYehova sabe sithembele kuye.”

Abo bakhe bafudukela kwezi ndawo zifuna uncedo bathi kubaluleke gqitha ukuba uzilungiselele ngokwenza ezi zinto: Ceba kusengaphambili. Ziqhelanise neemeko. Sukuchitha imali kwizinto ongazicebanga. Thembela kuYehova.—Luka 14:28-30.

USébastien, okhankanywe ngaphambili uthi: “Ngaphambi kokuba sihambe, sinoJohanna sabeka imali kangangeminyaka emibini ngokucutha iindleko kwizinto ezifana nokuzonwabisa nezinto ezingeyomfuneko.” Ukuze baqhubeke bekhonza kwelinye ilizwe, bamana besiya kusebenza eYurophu iinyanga ezimbalwa ngonyaka, ibe oko kubanceda baqhubeke nokuba ngoovulindlela eBenin.

 UMarie-Thérèse ngomnye koodade abangatshatanga abamalunga ne-20 abashiye amazwe abo baya kukhonza kwezo ndawo zifuna abavakalisi abangakumbi eNtshona Afrika. Umsebenzi wakhe yayikukuqhuba ibhasi eFransi; kodwa ngo-2006 wathabatha ikhefu lonyaka wonke waya kuba nguvulindlela eNiger. Kwakusele kukudala elangazelela ukuphila ngolu hlobo. UMarie-Thérèse uthi: “Emva kokubuyela kwam eFransi, ndathetha nomqeshi wam ngomnqweno wokuhlengahlengisa ucwangciso lwam, ibe zange abe nangxaki. Ngoku, ndisebenza ezibhasini eFransi ukususela ngoMeyi ukusa ngoAgasti, ndize ndibe nguvulindlela eNiger ukususela ngoSeptemba ukusa kuAprili.”

Abo ‘bafuna kuqala uBukumkani’ bamele bathembele kuYehova ukuba uya kubanyamekela ngazo ‘zonke ezinye izinto eziyimfuneko.’ (Mat. 6:33) Ngokomzekelo: Cinga ngento eyenzeka kuSaphira, udade ongatshatanga ovela eFransi osele eza kugqiba iminyaka eyi-30 ubudala onguvulindlela eBenin. Ngo-2011 wabuyela eFransi efuna imali aza kuzixhasa ngayo omnye unyaka, owawungunyaka wesithandathu ekhonza eAfrika. USaphira uthi: “KwakungoLwesihlanu, ilusuku lwam lokugqibela emsebenzini, kodwa kwakusafuneka ndisebenze ezinye iintsuku ezilishumi ukuze ndibe nemali eza kundigcina unyaka wonke. Ndandisalelwe ziiveki ezimbini kuphela eFransi. Ndathandaza, ndichazela uYehova ngemeko yam. Zange kube kudala ndafowunelwa ngumntu owayefuna ndize kubambela omnye umntu kangangeeveki ezimbini.” NgoMvulo uSaphira waya kuloo msebenzi ukuze aboniswe indlela yokusebenza apho nguloo mntu wayeza kumbambela. Uthi: “Ndamangaliswa gqitha ndakufumanisa ukuba loo mntu ndiza kumbambela yayingudade oliNgqina owayefuna ikhefu leentsuku ezilishumi ukuze aye kwiSikolo Senkonzo Yobuvulindlela! Umqeshi wakhe wala esithi angamkhulula kuphela xa enokufumana umntu oza kumbambela. Lo dade wayethandazela ukuba uYehova amncede—kanye njengam.”

Abanye abazalwana noodade abaye bafuduka baya kukhonza eNtshona Afrika kangangeminyaka baye bahlala khona. Abanye baye bahlala iminyaka nje embalwa baza emva koko babuyela kumazwe abo. Kodwa aba bazalwana basazixhamla nangoku iintsikelelo zokuya kukhonza kuloo mazwe. Baye bafunda ukuba eyona ndlela yokufumana ulwaneliseko lokwenene kukukhonza uYehova.