NJENGOBE akhulela endzaweni lephuyile eCôte d’Ivoire, Pascal bekalangatelela kutfola imphilo lencono. Bekatilibatisa ngekudlala sibhakela futsi bekatibuta kutsi: ‘Ngingalitfola kuphi litfuba lekuba sihlabani kutemidlalo futsi nginjinge?’ Nakaseminyakeni yabo-20 budzala, wafinyelela siphetfo sekutsi emaphupho akhe atawufezeka ngekutsi aye eYurophu. Kodvwa njengobe abete incwadzi yemvume yekuya kulelinye live, abetawuya khona ngalokungekho emtsetfweni.

Nga-1998 nasekaneminyaka lengu-27 budzala, Pascal wacala loluhambo lwakhe. Wafohla waya eGhana, wahamba wadzabula eTogo wendlula eBenin wagcina afike edolobheni laseNiger lokutsiwa yiBirni Nkonni. Loluhambo lwakhe lwase lutawucala kuba yingoti. Kute efike enyakatfo, bekufanele agibele iloli adzabule Lugwadvule iSahara. Nasekafike eMedithera, abetawugibela umkhumbi aye eYurophu. Kwakulisu lakhe kwenta njalo kodvwa kwenteka tintfo letimbili eNiger letamyekelisa kuchubeka naloluhambo.

Kwekucala, waphelelwa yimali. Kwesibili, wahlangana naNoé lolihlahlandlela, lowacala kumchubela sifundvo seliBhayibheli. Kwamtsintsa kakhulu loko lakufundza futsi wawushintja umbono labenawo ngekuphila. Emaphupho akhe ekunjinga atsatselwa sikhundla sifiso sekukhonta Nkulunkulu. Nga-December 1999, Pascal wabhajatiswa. Kute akhombise kutsi uyabonga kuJehova, nga-2001 wacala kuba lihlahlandlela e-Niger, kulo kanye lelidolobha lafundza kulo liciniso. Utiva njani ngemsebenti lawentela Nkulunkulu? Utsi: “Sengitfole imphilo lencono kakhulu.”

Njengobe kwenteka kuPascal, labanyenti batfole kutsi kwenetiseka sibili ekuphileni kutfolakala ngekuba matasatasa ngemigomo yekukhonta Nkulunkulu. Kute bafinyelele leyomigomo, labanye basuke eYurophu batfutsela e-Afrika etindzaweni letinesidzingo lesikhulu sebamemeteli beMbuso. Empeleni BoFakazi labangu-65 baseYurophu, labaseminyakeni lesemkhatsini wa-17 nalengu-70, batfutsela lapho kwakunesidzingo lesikhulu khona emaveni laseNshonalanga ye-Afrika lafaka ekhatsi iBenin, iBurkina Faso, iNiger, kanye neTogo. * Bakhutsatwa yini kutsi batfutsele emaveni lakhashane kangaka, futsi kwenta njalo kube namuphi umphumela?

Anne-Rakel waseDenmark utsi: “Batali bami baba titfunywa telivangeli eSenegal. Bebahlale bakhuluma kahle ngemphilo yekuba sitfunywa selivangeli kangangekutsi nami ngase ngifuna kuyiphila.” Eminyakeni lengu-15 leyengcile ngalesikhatsi Anne-Rakel aseminyakeni yabo-20, watfutsela e-Togo wahlanganyela ebandleni lelulwimi lwetandla. Labanye kwabakhutsata njani kutfutsa  kwakhe? Utsi: “Ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi dzadzewetfu lomncane kanye nemnaketfu nabo beta eTogo.”

Aurele waseFulansi longumzalwane loshadile loneminyaka lengu-70 budzala, utsi: “Eminyakeni lesihlanu leyengcile nangitsatsa umhlalaphansi ngaba nelitfuba lekukhetsa emkhatsini wekutihlalela eFulansi ngilindze kufika kweliPharadisi, nobe kutsatsa tinyatselo tekwenta lokunyenti emsebentini wekushumayela.” Aurele wakhetsa kwenta lokunyenti emsebentini wekushumayela. Cishe eminyakeni lemitsatfu leyengcile, yena kanye nemkakhe Albert-Fayette batfutsela e-Benin. Aurele utsi: “Kutenta sitfolakale kute sikhonte Jehova kulendzawo yintfo lencono kakhulu lesake sayenta.” Ngekumomotseka utsi: “Ngijabula kakhulu ngekuba lapha ngobe incenye letsite yensimi yetfu yinhle impela, ungatsi liPharadisi.”

Clodomir nemkakhe, Lysiane besuka eFulansi baya e-Benin eminyakeni lengu-16 leyengcile. Nabasefika, bebakhumbula kakhulu ekhaya, bakhumbula nebangani babo futsi bebesaba kutsi bebangeke bakhone kwetayela imphilo lensha. Nome kunjalo, bekute sizatfu sekutsi besabe futsi batfola injabulo lenyenti. Clodomir utsi: “Kuleminyaka lengu-16, ngekwesilinganiso sijabulele kusita umuntfu munye ngemnyaka kutsi emukele liciniso.”

Sébastien na-Johanna, balingani bemshado labesuka eFulansi, batfutsela e-Benin nga-2010. Sébastien utsi: “Kunyenti kakhulu lokudzingeka sikwente ebandleni. Kuba lapha kusenta sifundze ngesivinini lesikhulu.” Ngumiphi imiphumela labayitfolako ensimini? Johanna utsi: “Bantfu balomele liciniso. Ngisho nome singakayi kuyewushumayela, bantfu bayasimisa esitaladini babute imibuto lesekelwe eBhayibhelini futsi bacele netincwadzi tetfu.” Lokutfutsa kube namuphi umphumela emshadweni wabo? Sébastien utsi: “Kuwucinisile umshado wetfu. Kumnandzi kuhamba lilanga lonkhe ensimini nemkami.”

Eric nemkakhe Katy, bangemahlahlandlela endzaweni lenemiti lechelelene enyakatfo ye-Benin. Eminyakeni lelishumi leyengcile, ngalesikhatsi bahlala eFulansi bacala kufundza tihloko letimayelana nekuya lakunesidzingo lesikhulu khona baphindze bakhuluma nalabenta umsebenti wasikhatsi sonkhe. Loku kwakha sifiso sekutsi baye kulelinye live njengobe benta njalo nga-2005. Kwandza lakubonile kulelive kujabulisa kakhulu. Eric utsi: “Eminyakeni lemibili leyengcile, licembu letfu lelisedolobheni laseTanguiéta belinebamemeteli labayimfica kodvwa nyalo sebangu-30. NgeLisontfo esifundvweni kuba nebantfu labangu-50 kuya kulabangu-80. Kuyinjabulo lenkhulu lengeke icatsaniswe nalutfo kubona lokwandza.”

Ngutiphi tinsayeya labahlangabetana nato labo labatfutsela etindzaweni letinesidzingo lesikhulu? Benjamin loneminyaka lengu-33 budzala, ungumnakabo-Anne-Rakel. Ngemnyaka wanga-2000 eDenmark, wabonana nesitfunywa selivangeli lesatfutsela eTogo. Nakakhumbula Benjamin utsi: “Ngatsi nangitjela lesitfunywa selivangeli kutsi ngifuna kuba lihlahlandlela sona satsi kimi: ‘Uyati kutsini, ungaba lihlahlandlela eTogo.’” Benjamin wacabanga ngaloko. Utsi: “Bengisengakafiki naseminyakeni lengu-20 budzala ngaleso sikhatsi, kodvwa bodzadzewetfu lababili bese bavele batfutsele e-Togo. Loko kwenta kwaba melula kutsi nami ngiye khona.” Ngako-ke, naye waya khona. Kodvwa bekunensayeya letsite. Nakachaza Benjamin utsi: “Bengingasati sanhlobo siFulentji. Tinyanga tekucala letisitfupha betimatima kimi ngobe bengingakhoni kukhuluma namuntfu.” Nome kunjalo, ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi watfutfuka. Nyalo Benjamin useBethel yase-Benin, uhambisa tincwadzi futsi usita ehhovisini labongcondvomshini.

Eric naKaty lokuke kwakhulunywa ngabo, bebasebenta insimi lokukhulunywa kuyo lolunye lulwimi eFulansi ngaphambi kwekutfutsela eBenin. Emave laseNshonalanga ye-Afrika abehluke ngani? Katy utsi: “Bekumatima kutfola indzawo lekahle yekuhlala. Kwaphela tinyanga sihlala endlini lete gesi nemanti.” Eric uchubeka atsi: “Bomakhelwane bebawuvulela kakhulu umculo kuze kube ngusebusuku kakhulu. Kufanele utibeketelele tintfo letifana naleti futsi utimisele kuvumelana netimo.” Bobabili batsi: “Injabulo lesiyitfole ngekusebenta insimi lengakaze isetjentwe, ibendlula khashane bumatima lesike sahlangabetana nabo.”

Michel na-Marie-Agnès, balingani bemshado baseFulansi labaseminyakeni yabo-50, batfutsela e-Benin cishe eminyakeni lesihlanu leyengcile. Ekucaleni bebakhatsatekile. Michel utsi labanye bantfu bebacabanga kutsi kutfutsa kwabo kutawuba yingoti. Uchubeka atsi: “Bekungaba yintfo leyetfusako nangabe ungati kutsi Jehova uyasisekela. Ngako-ke, satfutsela Jehova futsi satfutsa naye.”

Labo lasebanesikhatsi batfutsele etindzaweni letinesidzingo lesikhulu, bagcizelela kubaluleka kwekutilungiselela ngekutsi utsatse nati tinyatselo letilandzelako: Hlela. Fundza kuvumelana netimo. Ungasebentisi imali lenyenti kunaleyo bewuhlele kuyisebentisa. Yetsembela kuJehova.—Luk. 14:28-30.

Sébastien lokuke kwakhulunywa ngaye utsi: “Nasisengakatfutsi, mine naJohanna sabeka imali iminyaka lemibili. Sasingasebentisi imali lenyenti ekutijabuliseni futsi singatsengi tintfo lesingatidzingi.” Kute bachubeke nesabelo sabo lapho kunesidzingo khona, basebenta eYurophu tinyanga letimbalwa umnyaka ngamunye  lokwenta kutsi babe ngemahlahlandlela eBenin kwadzimate kwaphela umnyaka.

Marie-Thérèse ungulomunye wabodzadze labangu-20 labangakashadi labasuka kulelinye live batfutsela lapho kunesidzingo lesikhulu khona eNshonalanga ye-Afrika. Bekasebenta kushayela ibhasi eFulansi kodvwa nga-2006 watsatsa ilivi yemnyaka wonkhe kute abe lihlahlandlela e-Niger. Kungakapheli sikhatsi lesingakanani, wabona kutsi lena yimphilo lafuna kuyiphila. Marie-Thérèse utsi: “Ngemuva kwekubuyela eFulansi ngakhuluma nemcashi wami ngesifiso sami sekushintja sikhatsi sekusebenta futsi wavuma kutsi ngente njalo. Nyalo ngisebenta kushayela ibhasi eFulansi kusukela nga-May kuya ku-August bese ngiba lihlahlandlela eNiger kusukela nga-September kuya ku-April.”

Labo ‘labachubeka bafuna kucala uMbuso waNkulunkulu’ bangaba nelitsemba lekutsi Jehova utawubaniketa “tonkhe letinye tintfo.” (Mat. 6:33) Nasi sibonelo: Ase ucabange ngaloko lokwenteka ku-Saphira, dzadze longakashadi waseFulansi loseminyakeni yabo-20 lolihlahlandlela e-Benin. Nga-2011, wabuyela eFulansi wayosebenta kute atfole imali leyenele yekutisekela lomunye futsi umnyaka (umnyaka wakhe wesitfupha) e-Afrika. Saphira utsi: “KwakunguLesihlanu, lilanga lami lekugcina emsebentini, kodvwa bengisadzinga kusebenta lamanye emalanga lalishumi kute ngitfole imali leyenele yemnyaka lolandzelako. Besengisalelwe ngemaviki lamabili kuphela eFulansi. Ngathantaza kuJehova ngamchazela simo sami. Ngekushesha ngemuva kwaloko, lomunye umuntfu lofunelana umsebenti wangishayela lucingo wangicela kutsi ngibambele lesinye sisebenti emaviki lamabili.” NgeMsombuluko, Saphira waya kulomsebenti kute ayewuceceshwa ngulesisebenti labetasibambela. Utsi: “Ngamangala kutfola kutsi bekungudzadze longumKhristu lobekadzinga emalanga lalishumi kute aye eSikolweni Semsebenti Semahlahlandlela. Umphatsi wakhe wala kumnika emalanga akhe ekuphumula watsi angamnika kuphela nangabe angatfola lotambambela. Wacela Jehova kutsi amsite kulendzaba, njengobe nami ngamcela.”

Labanye bazalwane nabodzadze batfutsele eNshonalanga ye-Afrika bahlala khona iminyaka leminyenti futsi sebativa basekhaya. Labanye bakhone kuhlala iminyaka lembalwa base babuyela emaveni akubo, kodvwa nalamuhla labo labatfutsela emaveni lanesidzingo lesikhulu basajabula ngaleyo minyaka labayihlala kulawo mave. Bafundze kutsi kwenetiseka sibili ekuphileni kutfolakala ekukhonteni Jehova.