EMINYAKENI embalwa edlule, uRoald no-Elsebeth, umbhangqwana ngaleso sikhathi owase ucela eminyakeni engu-50, babehlala ngokunethezeka eBergen, idolobha elingelesibili ngobukhulu eNorway. Lo mbhangqwana nendodakazi yawo, u-Isabel nendodana uFabian, wawuhlanganyela ngokwethembeka emisebenzini yebandla. URoald wayengumdala, u-Elsebeth eyiphayona, u-Isabel noFabian bengabamemezeli abenza kahle.

Nokho, ngo-September 2009, lo mndeni wanquma ukwenza okuthile okuhlukile—ukuyoshumayela isonto elilodwa endaweni engayodwa. URoald no-Elsebeth noFabian owayeseneminyaka engu-18 ubudala, baya eNordkyn, inhlonhlo esesifundazweni saseFinnmark, ngaphezu kwe-Arctic Circle. Bafika eKjøllefjord, bashumayela nabanye odade nabazalwane ababeze kule ndawo ngenjongo efanayo. URoald uyakhumbula: “Ekuqaleni kwalelo sonto ngangizizwa nganelisekile ngokuthi ngikwazile ukuhlela izimo zami ukuze ngihlanganyele kulo msebenzi okhethekile isonto lonke.” Kodwa, ngasekupheleni kwalo, uRoald waqala ukungakhululeki. Kwenzekani?

URoald uyalandisa: “Kungazelelwe, uMario, iphayona elikhonza eFinnmark lasibuza ukuthi singathanda yini ukuthuthela edolobheni okuthiwa iLakselv siyosiza ibandla elinabamemezeli abangu-23.” Wammangaza kakhulu uRoald lo mbuzo ngoba wayengawulindele. Uyachaza: “Mina no-Elsebeth sasike sakucabangela ukuyokhonza lapho kunendingeko enkulu khona—kodwa sasihlela ukukwenza lapho izingane zethu sezizimele.” Noma kunjalo, phakathi nazo lezo zinsuku ezimbalwa ayeshumayela ngazo kuleyo ndawo engayodwa, uRoald wayebona ukuthi abantu bayathanda ukufunda ngoJehova. Babedinga usizo ngaso leso sikhathi—hhayi ngesinye isikhathi. Uyakhumbula: “Wangikhathaza lo mbuzo kangangokuthi ngangiqwasha ebusuku.” UMario wabe esethatha uRoald nomkhaya wakhe wabayisa eLakselv, eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-240 eningizimu yeKjøllefjord. Wayefuna lezi zivakashi zizibonele leli bandla elincane.

ELakselv, u-Andreas, omunye wabadala ababili bakhona, wabonisa lezi zivakashi indawo neHholo LoMbuso. Ibandla labamukela ngemfudumalo futhi latshela uRoald no-Elsebeth ukuthi lingathokoza uma umkhaya wabo ungathuthela kule ndawo uzolisiza ngomsebenzi woMbuso. Emamatheka, u-Andreas watshela uRoald noFabian ukuthi usebahlelele ukuba bayokhuluma nabantu abangase babaqashe! Zazizokwenzenjani lezi zivakashi?

Umuzwa aba nawo ngaleso sikhathi uFabian waba ukuthi: “Anginaso isifiso sokuthuthela lapha.” Umcabango wokuthi wayezoshiya abangane bakhe abakhulu akhula nabo ebandleni ayohlala edolobheni elincane awuzange umkhange. Kanti wayengakaqedi nezifundo zakhe zokufundela ugesi. Kodwa lapho u-Isabel owayeneminyaka engu-21 ubudala ebuzwa ukuthi ucabangani ngokuthutha, wababaza: “Yilokho kanye ebengifuna ukukwenza!” Kodwa kamuva wathi: “Lapho ngizinika isikhathi sokucabanga ngakho, ngazibuza, ‘Ingabe kuwukuhlakanipha ngempela kodwa ukuthutha? Ngeke yini ngibakhumbule abangane bami? Ingabe kufanele ngivele ngizihlalele ebandleni lakithi endaweni engiyaziyo?’” U-Elsebeth wazizwa kanjani ngalesi simemo? Uthi: “Ngaba nomuzwa wokuthi uJehova unika umkhaya wethu isabelo, kodwa ngabuye ngacabanga nangendlu yethu esasisanda kuyilungisa nezinto ezazikuyo esasizithole phakathi neminyaka engu-25 ngaphambili.”

Lapho isonto elikhethekile seliphelile, uRoald nomkhaya wakhe babuyela eBergen, kodwa babelokhu becabanga ngabafowabo nodadewabo abangamaKristu baseLakselv, abaqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-2 100. U-Elsebeth uthi: “Ngathandaza kaningi kuJehova futhi ngaqhubeka ngixhumana nabangane engabathola lapho ngokuthumelelana izithombe nangokuhlanganyela nabo okuhlangenwe nakho.” URoald yena uthi: “Ngangidinga isikhathi ukuze ngikwamukele. Kwakufanele ngicabange nangokuthi siyokwazi yini ukuziphilisa. Sasiyophila ngani? Ngathandaza ngokungaphezi kuJehova ngaxoxa nomndeni wami nabafowethu abanokuhlangenwe nakho.” UFabian uyakhumbula: “Lapho ngizinika isikhathi sokucabanga ngakho, ngaqaphela ukuthi anginaso isizathu esiqinile sokwenqaba. Ngangithandaza njalo kuJehova futhi isifiso sokuthutha sakhula kancane kancane.” Kuthiwani ngo-Isabel? Waqala ukuphayona edolobheni lakubo ezilungiselela uma kwenzeka bethutha. Ngemva kwezinyanga eziyisithupha ephayona futhi echitha isikhathi esiningi esifundweni seBhayibheli somuntu siqu, wazizwa ekulungele ukuthutha.

Njengoba isifiso sokukhonza lapho kunendingeko enkulu khona yabamemezeli sikhula, lo mndeni wathatha izinyathelo zokufinyelela umgomo wawo. URoald wayenomsebenzi oholela kahle futhi ewuthanda, kodwa wacela ilivu yonyaka wonke. Nokho, umqashi wakhe wamcela ukuba asebenze izinsuku ezithile—amasonto amabili, aphumule ayisithupha. URoald uthi: “Umholo wami wancipha kakhulu, kodwa izinto zahamba kahle.”

U-Elsebeth uyalandisa: “Umyeni wami wangicela ukuba ngizame ukuthola indlu eLakselv bese siqashisa le eseBergen. Kwaba umzukuzuku kodwa sagcina siyitholile. Ngemva kwesikhathi, izingane zathola amatoho, futhi ziyasisiza ekukhokheni izindleko zokudla nokuhamba.”

U-Isabel uthi: “Njengoba idolobha esathuthela kulo lilincane, inselele enkulu kakhulu kwaba ukuthola umsebenzi wokuzisekela njengephayona. Ngezinye  izikhathi ngangiphelelwa ithemba.” Noma kunjalo, ngokwenza noma imaphi amatoho amancane ayengawathola—wathola angu-9 ngonyaka wokuqala—u-Isabel wakwazi ukunakekela izindleko zakhe. Zamhambela kanjani izinto uFabian? “Ukuze ngiphothule izifundo zami zikagesi, kwakusadingeka ngisebenze ukuze ngiqeqeshwe. Ngasebenza eLakselv. Ekugcineni ngaphumelela ekuhlolweni kwami, ngase ngithola itoho engangizosebenza kulo ngogesi.”

UMarelius nomkakhe uKesia, nabo babefuna ukukhonza lapho kunendingeko enkulu khona yabamemezeli. UMarelius oseneminyaka engu-29 ubudala uthi: “Izinkulumo nezingxoxo emhlanganweni wesigodi eziphathelene nokuphayona zangenza ngacabanga ngokwandisa inkonzo yami.” Nokho, umqondo wokuthutha ashiye umndeni wakhe wawumphazamisa uKesia, manje oneminyaka engu-26 ubudala. Uthi: “Ngangesaba ukuba kude nabantu engibathandayo.” Ngaphezu kwalokho, uMarelius wayesebenza ukuze akhokhele indlu yabo. Uthi: “Ngosizo lukaJehova nangemithandazo sicela usizo ukuze senze izinguquko, sakwazi ukuthutha.” Baqale bachitha isikhathi esiningi betadisha iBhayibheli. Ngemva kwalokho, badayisa umuzi wabo, bayeka imisebenzi yabo, babe sebethuthela edolobheni lase-Alta, enyakatho yeNorway, ngo-August 2011. Ukuze bazisekele njengamaphayona, uMarelius usebenza njengomgcini wamabhuku ezimali, uKesia usebenza esitolo.

UKnut noLisbeth, umbhangqwana manje owevile eminyakeni engu-30, bathinteka lapho befunda ukulandisa okuse-Ncwadini Yonyaka kwalabo ababekhonza lapho kunendingeko enkulu khona yabamemezeli boMbuso. ULisbeth uthi: “Lokhu okuhlangenwe nakho kwasenza sacabanga ukuyokhonza kwelinye izwe, kodwa ngangingabaza ukuthi umuntu ovamile njengami nje angakwenza lokho.” Noma kunjalo, bathatha izinyathelo zokufinyelela umgomo wabo. UKnut uthi: “Sadayisa ifulethi lethu, futhi ukuze songe imali, sayohlala nomama. Ngemva kwesikhathi, ukuze sinambithe ukuthi kunjani ukukhonza kwenye indawo, sathuthela ebandleni lesiNgisi unyaka owodwa eBergen, lapho sahlala khona nomkhwekazi.” Kungakabiphi, uKnut noLisbeth bazizwa sebekulungele ukuthutha, baye kude nakakhulu—e-Uganda. Babuyela njalo eNorway izinyanga ezimbili onyakeni bayosebenza. Lokho kubenza babe nemali eyanele yokuziphilisa futhi bashumayele isikhathi esigcwele e-Uganda unyaka wonke.

Zazihambela kanjani izinto lezi zisebenzi zokuzithandela? URoald uthi: “Sichitha isikhathi esiningi sindawonye njengomkhaya kule ndawo engayodwa kunaleso esasisichitha eBergen. Umndeni wethu ususondelene nakakhulu. Kube isibusiso nokubona intuthuko engokomoya yezingane zethu.” Uyanezela: “Kanti futhi asisakhathazeki ngezinto ezibonakalayo. Azisabalulekile njengakuqala.”

 U-Elsebeth wabona isidingo sokufunda olunye ulimi. Kungani? Insimu yeBandla LaseLakselv ihlanganisa nendawo yaseKarasjok, isizinda samaSami—abomdabu basezifundeni ezisenyakatho yeNorway, iSweden, iFinland neRussia. Ukuze kube lula ukufinyelela laba bantu, u-Elsebeth wafunda ulimi lwesiSami. Manje useyakwazi ukuba nengxoxo elula ngalolo limi. Ingabe uyayijabulela insimu yakhe entsha? Usho emamatheka: “Ngiqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli eziyisithupha. Angive ngithokoza ngokukhonza lapha!”

UFabian, osekhonza njengephayona nenceku ekhonzayo, ulandisa ukuthi yena no-Isabel baye basiza abasha abathathu ebandleni labo elisha, ababedinga isikhuthazo ukuze bahlanganyele ngokugcwele emisebenzini yebandla. Bobathathu sebekhuthele manje enkonzweni. Empeleni, ababili kubo sebebhapathiziwe futhi ngo-March 2012 bakhonza njengamaphayona asizayo. Omunye wabo owayesebuthaka ngokomoya, wabonga uFabian no-Isabel ngokumsiza ukuba “aqine futhi ngokomoya.” UFabian uthi: “Angithinta kakhulu lawo mazwi. Yeka injabulo oba nayo lapho usiza umuntu!” U-Isabel uthi: “Kulesi sabelo, ngempela ngiye ‘nganambitha ngabona ukuthi uJehova muhle.’” (IHu. 34:8) Uyanezela: “Ngaphezu kwalokho, akuve kumnandi ukukhonza lapha!”

UMarelius noKesia manje baphila ukuphila okulula kodwa okucebile. Ibandla lase-Alta, abathuthela kulo, selinabamemezeli abangu-41. UMarelius uthi: “Uma ngibheka emuva, kuyakhuthaza ukubona ukuthi ukuphila kwethu sekushintshe kangakanani. Sibonga uJehova ngokuthi sikwazi ukumkhonza njengamaphayona kule ndawo. Ayikho into esanelisa ngaphezu kwalokhu.” UKesia uyanezela: “Ngifunde ukuthembela ngokuphelele kuJehova futhi uye wasinakekela kahle kakhulu. Ngiphawule nokuthi ukuhlala kude nezihlobo zami kungenza ngizazise nakakhulu izikhathi esizichitha ndawonye. Angikaze ngizisole ngesinqumo sethu.”

Baqhuba kanjani oKnut noLisbeth e-Uganda? UKnut uyalandisa: “Kwathatha isikhathi ukuba sijwayele indawo entsha namasiko. Izinkinga zamanzi, ugesi nokuphathwa isisu—ziyafika zidlule, kodwa siqhuba izifundo zeBhayibheli eziningi ngendlela esiyithandayo!” ULisbeth uthi: “Uma usuka la sihlala khona, kuthatha isigamu sehora ukufika emasimini angakaze afinyelelwe ngezindaba ezinhle. Kepha uma sifika lapho, sithola abantu befunda iBhayibheli, basicele ukuba sibafundise. Ukufundisa abantu abathobeke njengalaba umyalezo weBhayibheli kuyinjabulo engenakuqhathaniswa!”

Yeka ukuthi uMholi wethu, uKristu Jesu, kumelwe ukuba ujabula kanjani ezulwini lapho ebona indlela umsebenzi wokushumayela awuqala owenziwa ngayo ezingxenyeni eziningi zomhlaba! Yebo, bonke abantu bakaNkulunkulu, bajabula kakhulu ngokuzinikela ngokuzithandela ekufezeni umyalo kaJesu othi ‘yenzani abantu bazo zonke izizwe babe abafundi.’—Math. 28:19, 20.