Umndeni Wegatsha
Ngomhlaka 23 Disemba, 1917, uGeorge Smith, owayeneminyaka engama-21 owayelikhonzile ibandla, waya epulazini likaJohannes no-Elizabeth Brummer ukuyobona umbhabhadiso. Izihlobo nomakhelwane bomndeni wakwa Brummer babehlangane namalunga egatsha ukuzobona lombhabhadiso. UJohannes, owayengene eBandleni eminyakeni emibili edlule, namhlanje wayemukela u-Andries nomndeni wakhe eBandleni, ehlanganisa izihlobo okholweni olusha.
Nakuba uGeorge ayefisa ukungena eBandleni, isimo sakhe sasehlukile. Uyise, owayengahambisani nothando lwakhe lweBandla, wayebahleke ngokubhinqa abefundisi namalungu eBandla ebuka efasiteleni ngesikhathi uGeorge eyobuka umbhabhadiso. Masinyane emva kwalokho, wacela ngisho nabangani bakhe ababesembuthweni wamaphoyisa ukuthi babheke indawo lapho igatsha elalihlanganela khona ukuze noGeorge angayi khona.
Ukugwema izinkinga ekhaya, uGeorge wakhetha ukungayihambi imihlangano yeBandla, kepha wanqaba ukulilahla iBandla. Ngenyanga elandelayo, amalunga egatsha angamaBhunu namaNgisi kanye nabaxube ngokwebala bavumela uGeorge nabefundisi ukuba bahlangane naye emizini yabo nasezindaweni zabo zokusebenza ukuze afundiswe. Wayefunda ngevangeli ngesikhathi sokudla endlini yokudlela okwakungeyelunga leBandla uPaul Harris nangesikhathi esesitolo samathuluzi okukhanda imishini naso okwakungeselunga leBandla uJudge Ward. Masinyane emva kwalokho watshela abefundisi ukuthi wayengasafuni ukuhlehlisa ukubhabhadiswa kwakhe ngenxa yomndeni wakhe, kwase kuthi ngomhlaka 31 Januwari 1918, uGeorge wabhabhadiswa ngaphansi komthunzi wesihlahla somnyezane esitsheni sombhabhadiso esasakhiwe ngezitini emzini wakwa Brummer.
Emuva kokubhabhadiswa kukaGeorge, ukuphikiswa ngabazali bakhe kwakhula ngamandla. Babebasongela abefundisi. Esekhathele, uGeorge wazisa uPaul Harris nabefundisi ukuthi wayesehlele “ukwemuka ekhaya ukuze akwazi ukukhonza ngendlela ayeyibona ilungile.” Kunalokho, abefundisi bavumelana ngokuhlangana nabazali baGeorge nabefundisi bomndeni. Ngesikhathi kuxoxwa, iNkosi yazithambisa izinhliziyo zabakwaSmith. Kwathi emva kwalokho, uGeorge wabe esekhululeka ukuya enkonzweni ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka futhi wayesekwazi nokumema abefundisi ukuba beze kubo. Nakuba abazali baGeorge bengangenanga eBandleni, yena wahlala esebenza kuleligatsha elalimamukele ngemfudumalo. Waganwa yilunga leBandla ayekhonza nalo, uKate Baker, bakhulisa abantwana babo ababili eBandleni.