NJENGOKO amaza oLwandle LweAtlantiki ayebetha inqanawa eyayisiya eYurophu, uGeorge Young owayeyikhwele, encume yedwa, wayecinga ngomsebenzi omhle awushiya ngasemva eBrazil. * Njengokuba inqanawa yayihamba, uMzalwan’ uYoung waphinda wacinga nangentsimi entsha aya kuyo, intsimi enkulu engazange yashunyayelwa yaseSpeyin nasePortugal. Ukufika kwakhe, wayezixelele ukuba uza kucela uMzalwan’ uJ. F. Rutherford aze kunikela iintetho zeBhayibhile ibe wayezimisele nokusasaza amaphecana ayi-300 000!

Ngo-1925 uMzalwan’ uYoung wafika kukubi eLisbon. Ngo-1910 abantu ababezabalazela ukuba ilizwe libe yiriphabliki bayekisa ukumkani owayelawula ibe neCawa yamaKatolika yayeka ukuba nefuthe. Abantu bakhululeka kwelo, kodwa izidubedube zazisekhona.

Emva nje kokuba uMzalwan’ uYoung ecele uMzalwan’ uRutherford ukuba aye kunikela intetho, urhulumente wathumela amajoni ngenxa yabantu ababezama ukubhukuqa urhulumente. Unobhala woMbutho weBhayibhile waseBritani Namanye Amazwe walumkisa uMzalwan’ uYoung ngenkcaso eyayiza kubakhona. Sekunjalo, uMzalwan’ uYoung wacela imvume yokusebenzisa indawo yokujima yesikolo samabanga aphakamileyo iCamões, ibe wavunyelwa ukuba ayisebenzise.

Wafika uMeyi 13, usuku lwentetho kaMzalwan’ uRutherford. Abantu babejonge phambili. Intetho yakhe ethi, “Indlela Yokuphila Ngonaphakade KwiParadesi Esemhlabeni” yayikwiibhodi ezixhonywe kwizakhiwo namaphephandaba. Abantu abachasayo bakhawuleza babhala inqaku kwiphephandaba labo belumkisa abantu ngabaprofeti bobuxoki abasandul’ ukufika. Aba bachasi babemi emnyango benika abantu iincwadana ezithetha kakubi ngeemfundiso zikaMzalwan’ uRutherford.

Sekunjalo, kweza abantu abamalunga nabayi-4 000 kangangokuba abamalunga nabayi-2 000 bajikiswa ngenxa yokuba kwakugcwele. Abanye abantu abanomdla babejinga kwiileli zentambo ezisemadongeni, abanye bechophe koomatshini.

Azizange zihambe kakuhle zonke izinto. Abachasi bakhwaza baza bophula izitulo. Kodwa uMzalwan’ uRutherford waqhubeka ezolile waza wakhwela phezu kwetafile ukuze aviwe ngabantu bonke. Emva kokuba egqibile, malunga nasezinzulwini zobusuku, abantu abanomdla abangaphezu kwabayi-1 200 bashiya amagama neeadresi zabo ukuze bafumane iincwadi zeBhayibhile. Kusuku olulandelayo, iphephandaba iO Século lalinenqaku elithetha ngentetho kaMzalwan’ uRutherford.

 NgoSeptemba 1925, kwaqalisa ukupapashwa iMboniselo yesiPhuthukezi ePortugal. (Yayisele ikho eBrazil.) Malunga nelo xesha, uVirgílio Ferguson, uMfundi weBhayibhile, wayecinga ngokufudukela ePortugal ukuze ancedise kumsebenzi wokushumayela. Wayekhe wasebenza noMzalwan’ uYoung kwiofisi yesebe encinci yaBafundi BeBhayibhile eBrazil. UVirgílio nenkosikazi yakhe uLizzie bafudukela ePortugal bezokusebenza noMzalwan’ uYoung kwakhona. UMzalwan’ uFerguson wafika ngexesha elifanelekileyo kuba uMzalwan’ uYoung wayeza kuya kushumayela eSoviet Union nakwezinye iindawo.

Xa kwakukho umlo wokubhukuqwa kukarhulumente onguzwilakhe wasePortugal, inkcaso yaqatsela. UMzalwan’ uFerguson enesibindi wahlala, wakhusela iqela elincinci laBafundi beBhayibhile waza walikhuthaza ukuba liqhubeke lishumayela. Wacela imvume yokuba kuqhutyelwe iintlanganiso endlini yakhe ibe wayinikwa ngo-Oktobha 1927.

Kunyaka wokuqala wokulawula korhulumente onguzwilakhe, abantu abamalunga nabayi-450 babefumana umrhumo weMboniselo. Inyaniso yayifunyanwa nakumaphecana neencwadana ezisasazwe kumazwe alawulwa ngamaPhuthukezi njengaseAngola, eAzores, eCape Verde, e-East Timor, eGoa, eMadeira naseMozambique.

Ngo-1929, uManuel da Silva Jordão owayeziphilisa ngokulimela abantu nowayethobekile, wafudukela eLisbon. Esahlala eBrazil, wakhe wayiva enye yeentetho zikaMzalwan’ uYoung. Ngenxa yokuba wayesele eyiqonda inyaniso waba nomdla wokuya kuncedisa uMzalwan’ uFerguson. UManuel waba yicolporteur, igama ababebizwa ngalo oovulindlela ngelo xesha. Njengokuba kwakuprintwa kuze kusasazwe iincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni, laya likhula ibandla laseLisbon.

Ngo-1934, kwafuneka uMzalwana noDade Ferguson babuyele eBrazil. Ngelo xesha yayisele ityaliwe imbewu yenyaniso. Nakuba iYurophu yayingazinzanga ngenxa yeMfazwe yamaKhaya yaseSpeyin neMfazwe Yehlabathi II, amaKristu asePortugal anamathela kuYehova. Akhuthala ngakumbi xa kwafika umthunywa wevangeli wokuqala owayeqeqeshwe eGiliyadi, uJohn Cooke ngo-1947. Ukususela ngoko, laya likhula inani labavakalisi boBukumkani. Ngo-1962 urhulumente wawuvala umsebenzi wamaNgqina KaYehova, sekunjalo inani labavakalisi laqhubeka likhula. Xa amaNgqina KaYehova avunyelwayo ukuba ashumayele ngoDisemba 1974, kwelo lizwe kwakukho abavakalisi abangaphezu kwabayi-13 000.

Namhlanje, abavakalisi abashumayela iindaba ezilungileyo zoBukumkani ePortugal nakwezinye iziqithi ezithetha isiPhuthukezi, njengaseAzores naseMadeira, bangaphaya kwe-50 000. Abanye kwaba bavakalisi sisizukulwana sabantu ababemamele intetho kaMzalwan’ uRutherford ngo-1925.

Siyambulela uYehova ngabazalwana noodade abazimiselayo nababekhokela kumsebenzi wokuba ‘zizicaka zikawonke-wonke zikaKristu Yesu kwiintlanga.’—Roma 15:15, 16.—Siphakula koovimba bethu ePortugal.