Ngo-1948, mna nomfazi wam uPaula kunye nentombi yethu saqalisa ukuya kwiintlanganiso zamaNgqina kaYehova eBlanco Arriba. Ukuya nokubuya kwakuziikhilomitha eziyi-40, kodwa ke asizange siphoswe nayenye intlanganiso. NgoJanuwari 3, 1949, mna noPaula sabhaptizwa.

Kwiinyanga ezintandathu kamva, abanye ebandleni babanjwa baza bagwetywa iinyanga ezintathu. Mna nabo basebandleni sasilala phantsi yaye sityiswa kanye ngosuku—iibhanana neti. Xa sakhululwayo, abasemagunyeni basoyikisa becinga ukuba siza kuyeka ukushumayela. Kodwa asizange siyeke, kunoko saqhubeka sisiya ezintlanganisweni yaye sishumayela ngokufihlakeleyo. Ekubeni abasemagunyeni babesoloko besibek’ esweni, sasihlanganisana emakhayeni abazalwana, kumasimi ekofu okanye kwiifama. Endaweni yokuba sisoloko sihlanganisana kwindawo enye, emva kwentlanganiso nganye, sasichaza indawo esiza kuhlanganisana kuyo kwixesha  elilandelayo. Xa sishumayela umntu wayehamba yedwa, sinxiba iimpahla zokusebenza yaye sasingaphathi zincwadi okanye iBhayibhile. Nakuba kunjalo, phakathi kuka-1949 no-1959, ndandiphuma ndingena kwiintolongo ezisixhenxe ezahlukeneyo, ndigwetywe iinyanga ezintathu ukuya kwezintandathu ngexesha.

Kwakufuneka ndilumke ngeyona ndlela, kuba abanye ababenditshutshisa yayizizalamane zam. Ngamanye amaxesha ndandiye ndibhaqwe nangona ndandilala ezintabeni okanye ezifama kuba ndingafuni kubhaqwa. Ngesinye isihlandlo endabanjwa ngaso ndasiwa entolongweni iLa Victoria eseCiudad Trujillo, apho kwakufakwa amabanjwa ayi-50 ukuya ku-60 esiseleni esinye. Apho sasisitya kabini ngemini—kusasa babesivusa ngomgubo, size emini sityiswe intwana yerayisi neembotyi. Onke amaNgqina awayevalelwe ayeshumayela kumabanjwa, yaye sasisiba neentlanganiso rhoqo apho sasicengceleza iZibhalo esizinkqayileyo size sibalise namava esiwafumene entsimini.

Isihlandlo sokugqibela ndibanjwa, ijoni landibetha entloko nasezimbanjeni ngomva wompu. Nangona ndisenezivubeko zokubethwa nokuphathwa kakubi, oko kwalomeleza ukholo lwam, ukunyamezela nokuzimisela kwam ukukhonza uYehova.

Ngoku ndineminyaka eyi-96 yaye ndisisicaka solungiselelo ebandleni. Nangona ndingasakwazi ukuhamba imigama emide, ndihlala phambi kwendlu yam ndishumayele kubo bonke abagqithayo. UBukumkani abulophupha njee kum. Buyinto yokwenyani yaye bendishumayela ngabo ngaphezu kweminyaka eyi-60. Ihlabathi elitsha lisathe thaa engqondweni yam ngendlela elalingayo mhla ndeva ngesigidimi soBukumkani. *