IZINTABA ezisesiqhingini zaseKrethe, iLevká, zazilokhu zisithela kancane njengoba isikebhe sethu silibangise enkangala evela ekujuleni kolwandle iMedithera. Esikebheni kwakuneqembu lethu labangu-13, elalikubheke ngabomvu ukuyoshumayela esiqhingini iGavdos, eyichashaza elincane ebalazweni, eseningizimu ekude lé yeYurophu.

Kwakubonakala sengathi sizoba nohambo oluhle ngalolu suku olushisayo lwasehlobo. Kodwa ngokushesha kwaqala ukuvunguza umoya onamandla owayaluzisa ulwandle, wabangela isikebhe ukuba siye le nale. Njengoba isisu sami sasiqala ukuphenduka, ngakhumbula ukulandisa kweBhayibheli komphostoli uPawulu, owabhekana nesiphepho esinamandla kulolu lwandle emakhulwini eminyaka adlule—lapho iGavdos isaziwa ngokuthi iKhawuda. (IzEnzo 27:13-17) Ngase ngethemba nje ukuthi siyofika siphephile eGavdos.

Ekugcineni sayibona indawo esasilibangise kuyo, engamadwala angamawa alengela olwandle. Le ndawo eyithafa, iphakeme ngamamitha angu-300, inezintaba namagquma okungaphakeme kakhulu. Izihlahla eziminyene zikaphayini nezihlahla ezibhashile zimila engxenyeni enkulu yalesi siqhingi esingamakhilomitha-skwele angu-26. Kwezinye izingxenye, izihlahla zomjunipha zimila ngasolwandle zehle zize ziyofika ogwini.

Kunesikhathi lapho lesi siqhingi sake sahlala abantu abangaba ngu-8 000. Namuhla, sinezakhamuzi ezingaphansi kwezingu-40. Kubonakala sengathi iGavdos isesemuva ngempucuko yesimanje. Nakuba kuvame ukudlula imikhumbi ngasogwini lwalesi siqhingi, kunesikebhe esisodwa esisuka eKrethe esephuzayo ukufika noma sibuye singafiki ngenxa yesimo sezulu esibi.

Sasize lapha eGavdos sizonika abantu okuthile okujabulisayo nokukhuthazayo—ithemba eliqinisekisiwe lekusasa elingcono nokuphila okungenasiphelo kwempilo ephelele. Njengoba isikebhe sethu sifika ogwini, sasimagange ukwehla ukuze siyokhuluma nabantu ngezindaba ezinhle.

Ngemva kokujikijeleka le nale olwandle amahora amane nesigamu, ubuso bethu obuphaphathekile babubonisa ukuthi uhambo lwethu lwalungeluhle neze. Kodwa ukuthatha isihlwathi nekomishi yekhofi kwasiqabula. Ngemva kokubukeza kafushane ukulandisa okuseBhayibhelini kohambo lomphostoli uPawulu kanye nomthandazo oqotho, sabe sesikulungele ukuqala umsebenzi.

 Abantu bendawo babenobungane futhi benomoya wokungenisa izihambi. Babesingenisa ezindlini zabo futhi besinikeza okuphuzwayo. Ngaphezu kokuxoxa nabo ngezindaba ezinhle zeBhayibheli, sasibonga umoya wabo omuhle ngokubanikeza usizo lapho kudingeka. Lapho ekhuluma nowesifazane othile, omunye esasihamba naye owayenolwazi lwezinto zikagesi, waqaphela ukuthi ebhizinisini lalona wesifazane kwakunento ephukile wabe eseyilungisa. Lona wesifazane wathinteka. Wazamukela izincwadi ezisekelwe eBhayibhelini esamnikeza zona futhi wasincoma ngenkonzo yethu. Omunye wesifazane wazwakalisa ukwazisa ngala mazwi, “Umsebenzi wenu uvela kuNkulunkulu hhayi kubantu, lokhu kubonakala ngokuzoshumayela kwenu kulesi siqhingi esicezile.”

Kubonakala sengathi abantu babezazisa kakhulu izincwadi zeBhayibheli esasiziphethe. Enye indoda yamukela omagazini INqabayokulinda ne-Phaphama! futhi yafuna abengeziwe ukuze ibafunde ngesikhathi sasebusika. Enye ayigcinanga ngokufuna izincwadi zethu ukuze izifunde kodwa yacela ezengeziwe ezozibeka esitolo sayo ukuze abathengi bazifunde. Yasinikeza imininingwane yayo ukuze sikwazi ukuyithumelela omagazini njalo ngenyanga. Omunye umndeni wahlabeka umxhwele lapho utshengiswa ukuthi isiqhingi ohlala kuso kuyakhulunywa ngaso eBhayibhelini. Nawo wabamukela ngenjabulo omagazini.

Nakuba kwakukhuthaza ukubona ukusabela okunjalo, ukuvakashela eGavdos kwabuyisa izinkumbulo ezibuhlungu kwabanye bethu. Eduze neTheku iSarakíniko, kunesakhiwo esake sagcina iziboshwa zezombusazwe ezidingisiwe. U-Emmanuel Lionoudakis, ongomunye woFakazi BakaJehova, wadingiselwa lapha ngasekupheleni kwawo 1930 ngenxa yokushumayela. * IGavdos yangaleso sikhathi yayichazwa ngokuthi “isiqhingi esingenalutho esikhiqiza ofezela ababulalayo kuphela, indawo abaningi . . . abafela kuyo ngenxa yendlala, ukuswela nezifo, [indawo] ebizwa ngokufanele ngokuthi isiqhingi sokufa.” ULionoudakis wayezondla ngokudoba izinhlanzi yize ayematasa eshumayeza ezinye iziboshwa njengoba kwakunguye kuphela uFakazi. Indodakazi yakhe, umkhwenyana nomzukulu wakhe bathinteka kakhulu lapho bebona indawo ayehlala kuyo eminyakeni engaba ngu-70 edlule. Isibonelo sakhe sasikhuthaza ukuba siqhubeke sithembekile futhi sikhuthele enkonzweni.

Kulabo ababedingiselwe lapha, iGavdos yayingeyona neze indawo yokungcebeleka. Kodwa kithi, kwaba indawo enhle njengoba sashumayela kuso sonke isiqhingi ngaleyo mpelasonto, sahambisa omagazini abangu-46 nezincwajana ezingu-9 kulabo bantu abanomusa. Yeka ukuthi sibheke phambili kanjani ekubaboneni futhi abangane bethu abasha!

Kungazalelwe, sase sifikile isikhathi sokuba sibuyele emuva. Nakulokhu isimo sezulu asibanga sihle futhi uhambo lwethu kwadingeka siluhlehlise, asibange sisasuka ngo-5 ntambama. Saqala ukupakisha izimpahla esikebheni phakathi kwamabili, sizilungiselela olunye uhambo olunzima. Ekugcineni, sasuka ngo-3 entathakusa futhi ngemva kokuyiswa le nale amahora amahlanu ulwandle olugubhayo, safika eKrethe. Sasikhathele siyingcuba futhi izinyawo zethu ziqhaqhazela njengoba sehla esikebheni, kodwa sasijabula ngokuthi sikwazile ukwenza igama likaJehova laziwa esiqhingini saseGavdos. (Isaya 42:12) Bonke esasihamba nabo bavuma ukuthi lolu hambo lwaluwufanele umzamo. Ubunzima esabhekana nabo buzosheshe bulibaleke, kodwa siyaqiniseka ukuthi ezinhliziyweni zethu siyohlale silukhumbula lolu hambo.