NGOSEPTEMBA 6, 1926, umveleli ohambahambayo waseUnited States, owayeyinzalelwane yaseJapan, wabuyela kwilizwe lakowabo ukuze abe ngumthunywa wevangeli. Wayelindwe ngumntu eyayikukuphela kwakhe owayenomrhumo weMboniselo, nowayeqalise iqela lokufunda iBhayibhile eKobe. Aba Bafundi BeBhayibhile baba nendibano yabo yokuqala kweso sixeko ngoJanuwari 2, 1927. Kweza abantu abayi-36, ibe abayi-8 babhaptizwa. Yayisisiqalo esihle esi, kodwa eli qaqobana laliza kubafikelela njani abantu baseJapan ababezizigidi eziyi-60 ababedinga ukukhanyiselwa ngenyaniso yeBhayibhile?

NgoMeyi 1927, Abafundi BeBhayibhile abazimiseleyo baphum’ iphulo lokubhengeza uthotho lweentetho ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni. Kwintetho yokuqala, eyayiza kunikelwa eOsaka, abazalwana babeka izibhengezo ecaleni kwendlela, baxhoma iibhodi kuso sonke isixeko baza bathumela izimemo eziyi-3 000 kubantu abangoosaziwayo. Basasaza izimemo eziyi-150 000 baza babhengeza le ntetho kumaphephandaba aphambili aseOsaka nakumatikiti kaloliwe ayi-400 000. Ngosuku lwentetho, iinqwelo-moya ezimbini zabhabha phezu kwesi sixeko zaza zasasaza izimemo eziyi-100 000. IHolo iAsahi yaseOsaka yazala yathi qhu ngabantu abamalunga nabayi-2 300, beze kuphulaphula intetho ethi “UBukumkani BukaThixo Bukufuphi.” Kwafuneka kujikiswe abanye ababemalunga newaka ngenxa yokuphela kwendawo. Emva kwentetho, abayi-600 bashiyeka ngasemva ukuze babuze imibuzo. Kwiinyanga ezilandelayo, kwanikelwa iintetho ezisekelwe eBhayibhileni eKyoto nakwezinye izixeko ezikwintshona yeJapan.

Ngo-Oktobha 1927, Abafundi BeBhayibhile balungiselela ukuba kunikelwe iintetho eTokyo. Kwaphinda kwamenywa abantu ababekekileyo—kuquka inkulumbuso, amalungu asepalamente neenkokeli zomkhosi nezonqulo. Kwaxhonywa iibhodi, kwabhengezwa kumaphephandaba, kwakhutshwa nezimemo eziyi-710 000, ibe kweza abantu abayi-4 800 beze kuphulaphula iintetho ezintathu kwelo komkhulu laseJapan.

Oovulindlela basebenza gqitha ekushumayeleni ngoBukumkani kumakhaya abantu. UMatsue Ishii, omnye woovulindlela bokuqala eJapan, nomyeni wakhe uJizo, baphantse baligubungela elo lizwe, besusela eSapporo esemantla baya kutsho eSendai, eTokyo, eYokohama, eNagoya, eOsaka, eKyoto, eOkayama naseTokushima. UDade Ishii nomnye udade osele ekhulile, uSakiko Tanaka, banxiba iikimono, isinxibo saseJapan, baza baya kwabasemagunyeni kwarhulumente. Omnye umsebénzi wakwarhulumente wacela iincwadi eziyi-300 ezithi Uhadi LukaThixo nezinye eziyi-300 ezithi Deliverance.

UKatsuo noHagino Miura bathatha iincwadi ababezinikwa nguDade Ishii, bakhawuleza babona  ukuba yinyaniso le. Babhaptizwa ngo-1931 baza baba ngoovulindlela. UHaruichi noTane Yamada, kunye nezalamane zabo ezininzi, basamkela isigidimi soBukumkani ngaphambi nje ko-1930. AbakwaYamada baba ngoovulindlela, yaza intombi yabo, uYukiko yaya kukhonza eBheteli eTokyo.

Ngaloo mihla, iimoto zazibiza kakhulu, zabe neendlela zimbi. Ngoko uKazumi Minoura nabanye oovulindlela abaselula babesebenzisa iikharavani ezincinane ezazingenanjini. Bazithiya ukuba ngooYehu, bekhumbula umqhubi wenqwelo owaba ngomnye wookumkani bakwaSirayeli. (2 Kum. 10:15, 16) UYehu Omkhulu ngamnye wawuziimitha eziyi-2,2 ubude, eziyi-1,9 ububanzi nokuphakama, ibe oovulindlela abathandathu babenokulala kuye. Ukongezelela, ooYehu Abancinane abayi-11, ababesanela abantu ababini nababetsalwa ngeebhayisekile, benziwa kwisebe laseJapan. UKiichi Iwasaki, owancedisa ekwenziweni kwaba Yehu, uthi: “UYehu ngamnye wayenentente kunye nebhetri yemoto ukuze kukhanyiswe ngayo.” Oovulindlela babekhanyisa ngenyaniso kulo lonke elaseJapan, berhuqa ooYehu babo ezintabeni nasezintlanjeni, ukusuka kwiHokkaido esemantla ukuya kutsho eKyushu esemazantsi.

UIkumatsu Ota owayenguvulindlela wathi: “Xa sifika kwidolophu ethile, sasibeka uYehu wethu ngasemlanjeni okanye ebaleni. Sasiqala ngokutyelela amadoda abekekileyo edolophu, njengosodolophu, size emva koko sityelele abantu emakhayeni abo sibabonise iincwadi zethu. Emva kokuyigubungela loo dolophu, sasidlulela kwelandelayo.”

Yayisisiqalo nje xa ela qedlana laBafundi BeBhayibhile abayi-36 baseKobe baba nendibano yabo yokuqala. (Zek. 4:10) Kwiminyaka nje emihlanu emva koko—ngo-1932—oovulindlela nabavakalisi abayi-103 eJapan babhala ingxelo yokuba bahambise iincwadi ezingaphezu kwe-14 000. Namhlanje, kushunyayelwa ngendlela elungelelaniswe kakuhle kwiidolophu zaseJapan, ibe abavakalisi abaphantse babe yi-220 000 bakhanyisa ngenyaniso kulo lonke elaseJapan.—Siphakula koovimba bethu eJapan.