May Tai orphans

blessed handmaid

Interviewee/Rebecca Ningshan

Interviews/New Ideas

▲Rebekah and her husband Gideon will go to northern India to serve the Lord in a place where the gospel has not yet been reached.

Origin……

I met Rebekah Ningshan when I was studying in graduate school. She was from India and lived at Joanne May's house where I had stayed. Although we major in different departments, professors often mistake us for the same person. After graduation, she also served in the pastoral counseling department at Calvary Church, Lancaster, PA, where I attended. Naturally, some people mistakenly thought that I was her and she was me.

How could this be? The reason is very special and interesting: she is an Indian who looks Chinese! Yes, Indians can be roughly divided into South and North India. She comes from Manipuri Province in the northeast, which is adjacent to Myanmar. It is said that its royal family comes from the Tang Dynasty, and the people there look like Chinese. As for why they are similar? Maybe it’s because we all have big pie faces!

India, to outsiders, is a mysterious country. Just like her women's clothing, under the bright saree, there is a deep and incomprehensible charm of the ancient Maurya Dynasty. Only 2.3% Indians are Christians1, so how could Rebekah become a Christian and serve in the American church?

God’s intention is to give you hope in the end

When I had the opportunity to visit Rebekah, I discovered that her parents had divorced within a few months of their marriage. She was born in her maternal grandmother's house. Her mother later remarried and would visit her sometimes, but her father ignored her. Her uncle and aunt later adopted her, but since the family already had three children and could not send her to school, they sent her to an orphanage founded by a missionary friend. Rebekah recalled: "When I was one week old, my uncle dedicated me to God and gave me this biblical name. His upbringing laid the foundation of my spiritual life."

In those days, wasn’t it strange for Indians to believe in the Lord? She confessed: "My uncle was the first believer in the family, so he was driven out of the village and his life was even in danger. Fortunately, some tribesmen came to rescue him and escorted him to hide in a Christian village. Later, he was recommended to the Bible The school was equipped and became the first pastor of the Meitei people (the flatlanders of Manipuli), who currently pastors six or seven churches.”

I was confused and asked a question: "What is the difference between a village and a tribe?" Rebekah explained: "India has an obvious class system, and relationships are established based on the village. Same thing. The villagers of the upper class are all closely connected regardless of weddings and funerals. They look down on the tribesmen living in the mountains, thinking that these natives are closed, backward and unclean. But in fact, Thomas, one of the disciples of the Lord Jesus, was there. The gospel was preached and churches were established among the tribes in India. Thanks to the help of missionaries, some tribes became a group with higher educational level and a higher proportion of believers." Rebekah continued, "When the villagers learned that their uncle believed in the Lord, they started to believe in Christianity. Chase him everywhere and cut off all relations with him. The Hindus persecute Christians fiercely, even after death. They are very superstitious. If a Christian is buried near a village, they will dig up the body for fear of being cursed. So that the dead cannot be buried.”

Was Rebekah also persecuted? She smiled nonchalantly and said, "I have been ridiculed, but I am lucky to grow up in a Christian environment. Even if the conditions in the orphanage are not good, at least it is a protected place. My uncle later ventured back to the village , saw my grandpa for the last time. Before his death, my grandpa admitted that his uncle believed in the true God and blessed him. Today, many years later, there are two house churches in our village. "

During my conversation with Rebekah, I learned that in India, class can be identified by surname. Her family belongs to the government official level, but her surname belongs to the tribal level. It turned out that after her uncle adopted her, her aunt gave Rebekah her own Ningshan, a tribal surname, for the sake of her educational prospects. What's the difference? She claimed: "I was able to enter one of the top ten universities in India and get a university quota reserved by the government for disadvantaged tribes. I lived up to my aunt's expectations and graduated with the title of honorary student. If I were to apply for university using my birth name, I'm afraid The chances are not high because I grew up in a tribe and I am not proficient in the May Tai language of my family. To get into university, good grades are one thing, but proficiency in the May Tai language is also very important. So, I thank the Lord for going through such a difficult time. Experience and receive His grace.”

▲The tribesmen in the Manipuri Mountains have their own unique language and customs. (Image source: www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=805876)

The Lord is my shepherd, I will never be in want

Talking about her experience of believing in the Lord, she continued: "I made the decision to believe in the Lord at a gospel meeting in an orphanage when I was eleven years old, and was subsequently baptized into the name of the Lord. I believe that God loves me and am willing to accept Him as my The Savior, but it was not like I thought that everything would be solved after I believed in the Lord. No, this was the beginning of a bumpy journey in my spiritual growth.” She was once lost and confused, “At first, I relied on myself and my biological father. I don’t understand God through my own experience, and I don’t understand why the loving God would let my parents abandon me. I always think that my existence is just an accident and a burden to others.” So, in order to gain the love and approval of people and God. , this orphan girl strives to be the best in all aspects, but her life is still empty and dry. It wasn't until she went to Southside Middle School, where a Canadian missionary couple became her guardians, that she saw unconditional love and tasted the true joy of the Lord's grace for the first time.

After graduating from college, God opened a door for Rebekah, and in the fall of 2001, she toured the United States for eleven months with the Children of the World International Choir. She recalled: "Working with a group of orphans from different corners of the world and with similar backgrounds to mine prompted me to seriously think about God's purpose in my life. He put the inspiration of studying Bible counseling in my heart, but I didn't I don’t know how to start? God did a wonderful work and brought me to Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School, PA, to live in my mother’s house. Everything is provided!"

Referring to our mutual acquaintance, Mother Mei, Rebekah said with a grateful tone: "I remember when I was a child, I was afraid of doing something wrong or breaking something. Even if it was a small thing, I would always be pinched or beaten. Mother Mei gave me freedom, The safety and unconditional love made me feel at home for the first time in my life. It was a great grace to live with such a godly woman. God began to heal and restore me here. He also used the professors and teachers at the school. The teachings of Calvary Church continued to help me grow. I began to ask God to help me know Him more deeply. I asked God to change me so that I could be healed and accepted. I also asked God to give me a heart of compassion for lost souls and brokenhearted people. .

Rebekah returned to India to visit relatives at the end of 2004. In addition to opening up to her mother about her feelings over the years, Rebekah also met her father for the first time. She said with emotion: "This is an unforgettable moment in my life, and all kinds of emotions came to me. In the past, I could not forgive my father for his abandonment over the years. I once prayed to God to replace the love in my heart with His love. My father’s hatred enabled me to see my father through His eyes. At the moment we met, God answered my long-standing prayer, and my father and I finally reconciled. The next year, my father passed away.”

Since you are called, you should conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the calling you have received.

Rebekah looked back on this journey. God used many verses and hymns she learned in the orphanage to guide, comfort and encourage her. She said: "God is amazing. Just as Romans 8:28 exhorts, God always changes things that seem bad to us to good in His time. He allows me to enjoy abundant blessings, and I I also hope that I can be a blessing to others.”

Although we are in North America, there are always opportunities around us to share the gospel with Indians. Rebekah introduced two books for our reference2 and reminded: "You can first make friends with them and ask them what they believe. When they begin to trust you, you can share what you believe; or let them read the Bible and see See the difference. I was praying on the phone recently with a friend in India who had just been baptized. It was the result of God’s long-term love and care.”

Looking back on her trip back to India in 2004, Rebekah relied on God to untie the knots in her heart over the years. It was at that time that she met her husband, Jiten Singh. Although the couple is in North America, they still support some local ministries in India. When asked if you plan to return to India? Rebekah affirmed: "We are currently receiving cross-cultural training. After Gideon graduates from Christ's College, we will serve in untapped areas in northern India. We hope to be able to serve through poverty alleviation ministry and marriage teaching. , discipleship training...and other aspects to help local people know the Lord and walk with the Lord.”

 Note
1. According to the Voice of the Martyrs 2010 report: the proportion of Indian religions is Hinduism 79.83%, Islam 12.50%, and Christianity 2.40%.
2. Two books introduced by Rebekah:
‧Madasamy Thirumalai, Sharing your faith with a Hindu, Bethany House 2002 (tentative translation "Preaching the Gospel to Indians") ‧Ravi Zacharias, New Birth or Rebirth? Jesus Talks with Krishna, Multnomah 2008 (tentative translation "The Resurrection of Jesus and India" Dialogue with the Supreme Happy God》)

Journalist profile

Xinyi, living in Pennsylvania. She loves literature and art, enjoys life, learns and grows, and has a naughty boy with her husband.