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Jane's Story.
177 Plays1 year ago
Thanks for listening and learning from Jane's Story. For more information consult the links below.
Learn about Guajarati in North America
Virtual Prayerwalk Gujarati Community in Edison and surrounding NY Metro.
Evangelistic Resource for Gujarati in English, Hindi, and Gujarati
A brief article about Gladys Aylward
If you would like to be connected with Jane you can email Global Gates at [email protected]
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Transcript
Jane's Journey to Edison and the Indian Community
00:00:00
Speaker
There are many UPGs are brought into our laborhood, like the town Edison I have lived. There are so many Indians in my laborhood, even on my street, but I never click to me. I also need to share gospel to them instead of always the eyes are focused on the Indians oversea in the 1040 window in South Asia and the waiting upon that opportunity.
00:00:31
Speaker
So that's the time that began to realize a lot. Even though the door to South Asia seems not open, but God already prepare me to live in Edison, interact with so many Indians in my neighborhood.
00:00:50
Speaker
Welcome to the Let's Talk Diaspora podcast. We are on episode 10 and we are interviewing Jane Behan. Jane is with us from New Jersey and we're going to get to hear Jane's story of being from the diaspora to then making disciples among the diaspora. Did I say that right, Rebecca? From the diaspora to among the diaspora.
00:01:16
Speaker
Um, yeah, from the diaspora to among the diaspora. Yes. I think that's puts, um, Jane right where she is or God has brought her. Awesome. So welcome sister. Uh, we, we want to hear from you. God has done an amazing thing in your life and through your life. And you've been such
Conversion and Mission Calling
00:01:38
Speaker
an encouragement to me. And, uh, so Jane, welcome to the podcast.
00:01:44
Speaker
Thanks to Bart and Rebecca for this opportunity to invite me to share about my story, how God led me from China and now to a four-time missionary among the Gujarati Hindu diasporas in the US. Today is the Monday, Thursday, right before the Good Friday. It's such a good time to reflect upon God's grace upon my life journey.
00:02:14
Speaker
I went to U.S. at the end of 1994, and then around this time in 1995, when I studied in Rodriguez as a graduate student, my friends in the campus invited me to a local Chinese church in New Jersey. That's where I heard the gospel the first time.
00:02:43
Speaker
The story of Jesus Christ, especially his last word, cried out to the Father, Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing. And that deeply touches me and moved me into unseasoned tears. That's the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and was baptized in 1995.
00:03:13
Speaker
So I am the first one in my family and so far still the only one in my family that is a follower of Jesus Christ. By 2005, in a mission conference, I heard a missionary story of Glidius Edward, an English woman who was obedient to God's calling as a maid servant in England
00:03:44
Speaker
but took such a long journey and landed in China and served there until she was buried in Taiwan.
Balancing Family and Mission Work
00:03:58
Speaker
And that story touches me deeply, start with the file for cross-cultural missions. And then through another journey until 2015,
00:04:13
Speaker
when I graduated from a line seminary school, I thought missionaries are all sending to the 1040 window among the Hindu people that God calls me. But unfortunately, because my husband and my two children, they do not want to move. And then start it with the interaction with global gaze. And then I realized,
00:04:42
Speaker
I have been living in Edison of New Jersey since 1999. And half of the population of this town, which is more than 30 to 40,000 of the population in this town are Indians with esteemed Little Indians.
00:05:03
Speaker
Jane, that is amazing. I just, I heard so much and I don't want us to lose any of those pieces. Can we go back? I just want to make sure I heard correctly and you can confirm this. So you said that you came from China in 1994 and you were not a believer whenever you came to the United States, right? Right, right. I love to go to gospel.
00:05:33
Speaker
I never know about God. I never even know there is a book of Bible existing. Wow. And then it was a 1995, you're a student at Rutgers and a friend invites you to a Chinese church, right? Right. So you came, so we've talked about on the podcast how different people come in different ways. So you came initially as an international student, never heard the gospel before in your life, no believers in your family.
00:06:03
Speaker
And God saves you in 1995 in a Chinese church, a diaspora people, you a diaspora as yourself.
Obedience and Career Sacrifice
00:06:13
Speaker
And so God was working in your life for decades, even before you came to faith, you coming to the United States was part of God's plan. And that's just amazing to think about. And then one other thing that you said,
00:06:32
Speaker
that was really captivating was it was 2005 was when you heard the story of the lady who went to be a missionary in China and you used a word and that word was obedient. How has that word impacted
00:06:53
Speaker
you in a sense of how God has called you to ministry. Because I think that is something we could skip over, but I think it's something that characterizes the life of a faithful missionary is obedience. How did that story and just that word obedience, how has it guided your life and your service to the Lord Jesus? The path I thought a successful Christian may bring lots of impact.
00:07:24
Speaker
or testimony to my family, but actually it's not. So by 2010, I left the pharmaceutical job, which is stable, which is conveying lots of the approval or applause from my family, from my friends, and chose a very uncertain or risky path
00:07:52
Speaker
to step on for the cross-cultural missions. So that's the first step of the obedience. I don't know how God is going to lead to you, but I trust that He calls me to really, really follow upon Him on every of the decisions and steps for me as an intellectual Chinese family with
00:08:21
Speaker
a very educated woman to give up her career, start with really a no fixed income and facing many rejections from my family, my friends, my classmates. So that's the first step to really test how much I would like to commit to the obedience to the God's
00:08:52
Speaker
Wow. So what I heard and Rebecca, maybe you can chime in. Obedience cost you stuff, right? You're saying how people reject it you and maybe you can talk about, because you said in 2005 is whenever you were really moved from missions, 2010 you quit your job and then
00:09:14
Speaker
Then you mentioned earlier, 2015 is when you started to open your eyes and see your city, Edison, and you got started to get connected to a missions organization who had a vision very similar to what God was calling you to do. What was it like in those in between years? Because maybe some people listening are in
Focus on Local Diaspora Ministry
00:09:31
Speaker
those in between years.
00:09:33
Speaker
Yes, that's what I'd like to hear because I think I also heard you say that you were headed to the 1040 window. So there was an obstacle even there and some people could have stopped and said, OK, well, then the Lord's not calling me to do this kind of work, but you didn't stop. So I'm interested to hear more of the story. Yeah, from 2005 after I received the first time for the cross-cultural mission calling,
00:10:01
Speaker
I started to evolve in short-term mission. So I started to evolve in the short-term missions from my church from 2005 until finally to give up my career path as a research sign in the pharmaceutical. And then from 2011 to 2015 is the time that respond to God's quoting to start
00:10:31
Speaker
seminary school training. And then for all those time, I thought missionaries are all moving to 1040 window. For me, my specific calling is for the Hindu people. So which means I needed to move to South Asia, to India, to Nepal or Bangladesh with my family. But unfortunately, my husband and my two children, they don't want to move or my children at that time.
00:11:00
Speaker
they are still junior high age. So that's why I stayed and that's another so-called a big step of obedience is I don't know how come God calls me for mission, but I'm a married woman. It's a wife and the mother, but my husband and my children, they don't share the same wishing or the according
00:11:29
Speaker
And is there something wrong with me as a married woman not submissive to husband's authority? My husband just feel teaching Sunday school in the church, serving inside the church. That's his calling. But how come I feel calling is a step out of the four walls of the church building to share the gospel to the UPG groups.
00:11:58
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So that's the time I continue to seek and to wait until 2018. Sarah Hui, at that time, she's already a Global Gates missionary. She invited me to lead the first team from my church, attending the Global Gates safety week training. And then I know about why even in US,
00:12:26
Speaker
There are many UPGs are brought into our labourhood, like the town Edison I have lived. There are so many Indians in my labourhood, even on my street, but I never click to me. I also need to share gospel to them instead of always the eyes are focused on the Indians oversea in the 1040 window in South Asia and waiting upon that opportunity.
00:12:56
Speaker
So that's the time that began to realize a lot. Even though the door to South Asia seems not open, but God already prepare me to live in Edison since 1999, interact with so many Indians in my neighborhood. Wow.
00:13:20
Speaker
God has brought millions of unreached people groups to North America.
Challenges with the Gujarati Community
00:13:24
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But who are the people, where do they live, what are they like, and how can they be reached with the gospel? What if there was a resource to answer those questions and more? There is. UPG North America was developed to be a voice to and a resource for the body of Christ.
00:13:39
Speaker
UPGNorthAmerica.com is an organizational neutral website where we have contributors from various individuals, churches, and organizations. And perhaps you have a part to play in contributing content, research, or your technical expertise to see all UPG communities seen, prayed for, and engaged with gospel workers. Go to UPGNorthAmerica.com for more information. I just see a clear
00:14:06
Speaker
I just keep going back to your timeline. I've just been taking notes. It's so captivating of how God is just taking you step by step. And then one of the final things you said, it was a sifting week. And if you're listening, you're like, what's a sifting week? Basically, Jane, it's like an evangelistic campaign. People get together and they pray and they go out and share gospel resources, share the gospel. And was that in New York City?
00:14:34
Speaker
right in Queens by global gates. Yeah, so it was just all of these pieces where God was, one, stirring your heart for the unreached. He'd given you a heart for the Hindus. You wanted to go to the 1040 window, go to India. Family circumstances didn't allow it. And I know for me, my story is somewhat similar that in that time, I was kind of frustrated. And I know that there are maybe people listening who think
00:15:03
Speaker
Diaspora ministries like second place, like, oh, you're a second place missionary. And what I want people to hear is that is not the case. There's no second place Christians. And so that means there's no second place Christians. We are all sons and daughters of the Most High King, and it is an honor to do whatever he calls us to. But what we want to do is we want to be, come back to that word, obedient to that call. And if that call is to stay,
00:15:33
Speaker
and work with unreached people groups, God will use you like he has used Jane, like he's used so many other people, but there's steps along the way and there's processes that God uses to grow us. Because Jane, tell us about the work among the Gujarati in Edison, because I imagine there's been challenges that make you want to quit.
00:15:58
Speaker
But it's what has happened the last, the two decades before then, God's faithfulness is I'm sure something that's kept you encouraged even in midst of challenges. Tell us about the work in Edison. So the Gujarati actually is the Hindu outreach start in 2018 before I even started.
00:16:24
Speaker
officially joined the global gates at the end of 2019. So the whole year, so me as a sister without really too much full endorsement from any church. So I started a prayer group in my house with only four or five sisters. We just gather to pray for how God is going to
00:16:51
Speaker
for us to share the gospel to our Hindu neighborhoods. So the whole year, just pray, prayer work until 2019 started to open up doors to this community called Hilltop. This is a very highly-endensed Indian community, about 10,000 people here, 75% above Gujaratis.
00:17:21
Speaker
The most challenging first is the language and the cultural barriers, even though I started to learn Hindi in 2019. At that time, I was already 51 years old. Most of mission organization, they would not even accept any missionary about 40 years old is the concern of learning a new language. It is very challenging for a middle aged person
00:17:51
Speaker
start to learn a new language.
Encouragement and Progress in Ministry
00:17:53
Speaker
The other is the culture. It's no matter what my face will easily tell I am not from the South Asian culture. And also as a woman, it's difficult to interact especially like across the gender. The other is the without too much of the
00:18:20
Speaker
local Indian churches' endorsement and support. Even in Addison, just in this, we have three Gujarati churches nearby, but none of these Gujarati churches really have a heart for outreach to their own people from a Hindu background. They are still, most of their congregation, they are all from Christian families,
00:18:48
Speaker
very rarely have a baptism and they are very focused inward for the church. So the partnership-wise from Gujarati, Indian Christian brothers and sisters are also very difficult to identify.
00:19:10
Speaker
Jane, obedience is so clear in your story over and over. And I even, as you talk about challenges, I hear challenges that you may not even mention as challenges. I know as I've heard
00:19:26
Speaker
you share many times just the challenge of your family, not really following or doing the same thing as you. And then you talked about, you know, the local church, the Gujarati church, not joining in and your language barriers, age barriers, women being a woman.
00:19:50
Speaker
But tell me a little more. You started sharing a little bit about this, but what really kept you? What did God just continue to say to you over and over again to continue in being obedient to Him? That's the story. One time I was very frustrated and could not sleep well.
00:20:17
Speaker
to a point or dispel, to a point I would like to quit, and God revealed me the vision that he not work with him alone, but he was delighted by the Lord. And that's the time I prepared, even just myself left. I'm still willing to follow up on his quoting, because the Gujarati
00:20:44
Speaker
In US, it's close to a million as bad shares. Almost every gateway city has lots of the Gujarati population, but so far there's really not too much attention focused on them. It's very difficult because they are very community-based. The belief for the Hindus, especially for the Gujaratis, they are
00:21:11
Speaker
In US it's a very unique but with very few people really realize or be aware of the leads of the outreach to them so that maybe just even a one church can be planted in New Jersey among the Gujarati. Hopefully that can be exemplified to many Gujarati
00:21:40
Speaker
diaspora all over the world. I just was keep keep reminded by the Lord how important to steadfast to persevere among the Gujarati Hindu people rather than just quit in the middle.
00:22:02
Speaker
And you continued through those challenges. Can you tell us some about how God's shown his faithfulness as he called you and led you, and then continuing to go through those challenges? Yeah, even though the obstacles or the challenges are huge, but God's grace is sufficient. Like the time I was very frustrated, almost even quit, unless the time is right before the Christmas,
00:22:32
Speaker
And that's the time that even though I felt rejected or hurt, but the two leaders from my church, they are faithful, taking on, coordinating for the Christmas outreach in this community. Even though personal style or way are very different, but they do, they do have a heart to respond to God's calling and see the lead.
00:23:02
Speaker
of the Gujarati people in this community, they remain the darkness and see the urgency to share the gospel to them. And that will help for each of us whenever one is a little bit weak, then God using the body of Christ with the other to help each other. So that's we have been through many of these times. Sometimes I was heated, sometimes they were heated, but we render
00:23:31
Speaker
the love and the support, understanding the forgiveness and acceptance to each other so that the ministry, not just sustain, but the ministry can thrive. Wow. So, Jane, what, you know, whenever we think about
00:23:51
Speaker
our faithfulness and obedience to the Lord. I think of John 15, because really that's like abiding. Our obedience is abiding and remaining in Jesus. And that passage in John 15 has been such a blessing to me. And it says for us to abide in His word, ask and we shall receive. We abide in His love.
00:24:14
Speaker
and we keep His commandments, or that's obedience. And it says in that passage, and this is just what so drives me, it says, and by this the Father is glorified. But what comes before that, it says that, so that you may bear much fruit. And sometimes how we define fruit is different, I believe, than how the Lord defines fruit.
00:24:40
Speaker
So not asking you to tell us of the hundreds of baptisms that may or may not have happened, but what fruit have you seen the Lord bear in the hilltop community among the Gujarati? So my ministry majority is in the Gujarati diaspora in US, but I also involve quite some overseas ministry in India, Bangladesh, as you said, yes.
00:25:09
Speaker
In South Asia, the partnership we involved for the church planting movement is really successful. They have five to six generations of the house church were built upon. Thousands of people baptized almost every quarter, not just every year. And compared to them, the hilltop among the Gujarati diasporas in US is really
00:25:38
Speaker
of those almost invisible fruits compared to them. But with all those challenges and obstacles, in Hilltop, this is about our fifth year we have been here in Hilltop, we have shared the gospel to hundreds of people. Not just in this community, we shared the gospel among the Gujarati diaspora,
00:26:07
Speaker
We sent 20,000 evangelical postcards to cover 100,000 Gujaratis in New Jersey based on the spiritual mapping. The baptism is not a lot of baptism. We let probably close to 30 some people believe in Christ.
00:26:34
Speaker
But during the pandemic situation, not everyone was followed upon for the discipleship. The discipleship right now, we are carrying on for one-to-one. And regularly for the Word of God study, it's still not a lot. Even though we do, we do have a weekly Masihi Senstrang in this community here, top every Saturday afternoon,
00:27:02
Speaker
worship, study the water of God and the prayer in Hindi. So it's still I would say still a long way to go for a house church to be planted maybe by the work of the Holy Spirit because nobody can limit the work of the Holy Spirit. Maybe a house church can be planted the next month or next year but we also prepare.
00:27:30
Speaker
maybe another five years, we still will not see indigenous house church, which means majority of the congregation are from Gujarati Hindu background and a church leader is rising up so that this church can be independently and started to multiply. So I still see a long way to go. Yeah, I think one thing I just want to pull out of what you were saying is oftentimes
00:28:01
Speaker
People from North America are we have become a microwave culture, meaning if you use a microwave, you can put your item in there in 30 seconds. It's warm. And if you cook it in the oven, it's 30 minutes.
00:28:18
Speaker
And what you're saying is you're prepared for another five years to see this accomplished because this is what the Lord has called you to. It's highly strategic. And if we think about the work in India, we have to trust that the fruit that is being bared in India now is on the shoulders of faithful brothers and sisters who labored hard field for decades.
00:28:46
Speaker
And in the diaspora, sometimes we see the Holy Spirit moving away where we see, you know, dozens of people coming to the kingdom at one time, but oftentimes it is hard work. And I think that's one thing we have to say is we have to approach this perspective as a long game.
00:29:03
Speaker
That we're not doing it for—this sounds odd—we're not doing it for results, we're doing it to be faithful and trusting God for the results.
Call for Support and More Workers
00:29:12
Speaker
And I think that that is what is going to sustain cross-cultural workers in the diaspora, is that point of view.
00:29:21
Speaker
So I'm just super encouraged. Rebecca, do you have any other questions? Because I want to give Jane an opportunity to recruit for Gujarati work. But before I give her that plug, Rebecca, do you have any final questions?
00:29:36
Speaker
Well, with that, I mean, that was kind of where my questions were headed is, you know, what would it take? What do you need from the body of Christ? Maybe it is workers, but maybe there are some other things that you need from the body of Christ that could get people more involved. I'd love to hear that piece. My age in China is we can retire at age 55. So many of my class even retire at age 50.
00:30:06
Speaker
And my health is really not great, besides I have a spine problem. So sitting or walking is really painful. And on top of that, I have a Sjogren disease, which means the autoimmune problems. That's why my eyes are very dry. For me, I really don't know that at least the current of my physical health,
00:30:35
Speaker
how I'm able to carry out this much Gujarati diaspora work. But that's where I say God is faithful. Not only in Hilltop, this is a new immigrant community. There are many established Gujaratis, not just in Edison, almost everywhere. English is not a problem and they work in American firms.
00:31:03
Speaker
So approaching them will be a little bit different or strategies because they really do not have that much leads. As the hilltop community are new immigrants, they still need to pass the citizenship tag, they need to learn English. So as well as another group, which is the Indian students in college campus, and then as well as the social media. And these are all
00:31:30
Speaker
the things I could not, right now, I could not reach by myself, at least right now. So if God's heart is really everyone to be saved, not even single one to be perished, I fully believe that the leads for the new generation, which is the Indian students in college campus, in the youth, the social media, these are really a very effective
00:32:01
Speaker
so-called platforms for evangelization among the Gujarati Hindu people and that lead young people who are well trained on the medias and also the age-wise very close to connect with the Indian youth or college students. So the harvest is just really plentiful but
00:32:31
Speaker
God is sending his workers and for us just learn to wait. We earnestly pray and we wait upon how God is going to unfold his plan for the salvation among the Gujaratis. I want to end our time just advocating for the work as well and just share a few details about the Gujarati. So you may be listening and you'll say,
00:33:00
Speaker
But Rebecca, Jane, I don't know where the Gujarati are.
00:33:04
Speaker
Well, we have the research to show that they have significant thousands and thousands and thousands of people in at least 30 cities across North America. And so the likelihood is that they are near you. That's, that's the first thing is maybe you're like Jane and you've been living around them. You just didn't see them. We want to help you see them. And then as you see them, I want you to hear from Jane's story. It started the first year.
00:33:34
Speaker
her and some sisters praying. So we want to help you see them that are close to you and just start praying for them because this, this is a spiritual battle. Um, and then ultimately we want to move just like Jane. Jane has given us such a good example. Then it moved to gospel proclamation. She said hundreds of Gujarati's have heard the gospel in Hilltop. But as Jane mentioned, there's about a million Gujarati's in North America.
00:34:03
Speaker
and a couple hundred shares, we're not even touching the tip of the iceberg. So we need more people to see, more people to pray, more people to go. And what I've seen in Jane is Jane is so open-handed with everything that she's learned. She's willing to equip
00:34:23
Speaker
new leaders and share resources. She's willing to give everything away for the sake of the kingdom and I'm just super glad to be a co-labor alongside Jane in the diaspora
00:34:39
Speaker
And if you want to learn more about the Gujarati or pray for the Gujarati in the show notes, we will put a couple links for some resources that you can use to help sharing, but also to help praying and also just to help see where they are. When we think of the most significant unreached people groups in North America,
00:35:02
Speaker
Gujurates are on the top, not the very top perhaps, but they are near the top of that list, one of the most strategic opportunities that God has given us. And we have to ask the question as the body of Christ in North America, how are we going to respond? James' testimony, which was informed by Gladys' testimony, is obedience. And so let us be obedient to the Lord.
00:35:30
Speaker
Rebecca, any closing comments or you can just close us out for our time today. Well, I'm excited to see Jane as you talked about Gladys and her obedience, even from someone listening to this podcast, how God is going to work in their life regarding obedience to be about sharing Christ. And my prayer is that it will be even among the Gujarati.
00:35:57
Speaker
But thank you, Jane, and thank you for your example of obedience. And we just give all praise to God just for how he's been working in and through your life. So thank you all for joining us for Let's Talk Diaspora. This season is sponsored by UPG North America. Go to UPGNorthAmerica.com for more information.