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I was born a Muslim, and therefore I must stay a Muslim
I grew up in the city. As a result, I am very accustomed to Han people and their ways. In fact, many of my friends are Han. Although my husband is Hui, his mother is Han. I do not wear a headcovering and I honestly do not think much about my religion. Of course, I do not eat pork, and I enjoy celebrating our Muslim holidays. I have heard about Jesus and about what Christians belief. If I were to believe this, even though my family is not very devout, they would disown me. I was born a Muslim, and therefore I must stay a Muslim.
Day 30 – Ramadan 2020
As Ramadan 2020 ends, let us continue to pray diligently for Chinese Muslims.
Day 29 – Children
Most of the time Musa enjoys his status as the only son, but the weight on his shoulders seems to increase each year.
Day 28 – Restaurant Owners
ShaoShao works hard. He decorates his restaurant with pictures of Mecca. He doesn’t eat pork, doesn’t smoke. He fasts during Ramadan. He wears his white cap like a good Hui Muslim should. Of course, all of this is empty. His searching, his perseverance, all in vain until he knows of Jesus Christ, the final sacrifice, making a way for him to have a relationship with the God of creation.
Day 27 – Children
Mei Li’s parents teach her about Jesus and tell her stories from the Bible, and her grandparents help her understand the Muslim culture and holidays she experiences in her small village. Sometimes she feels confused about how her parents’ faith and her grandparents’ faith are similar and how they are different.
Day 26 – Grandmothers
Grandmother wasn’t sure where she would turn for health advice, care, and encouraging conversations now that her foreign friend was leaving. Everyone in her circle of influence had been encouraged or touched in some way, and the gospel was always shared.
Day 25 – College Students
As a college student, Mary is struggling with identity, wanting to fit in to this new world at university with more freedom but still knowing the importance of her Hui identity.
Day 24 – Farmers
The majority of Chinese Muslims who live outside of larger urban centers are rural farmers but many Hui people are moving to cities to find other jobs that they know or care little about in order to provide for their family.
Day 23 – Young Women
Amina lives in two worlds. She is diligent and works long hours but spends her days with people who do not share her religious background.
Day 22 – Grandfathers
YeYe (“grandfather”) spends his retirement years sitting outside in the sun in his apartment complex and walking back and forth across the street to the Mosque five times a day. Like most elderly Chinese Muslims, he’s devoted to his faith because thoughts of the afterlife seem more pertinent at his age.