I have a peace that I did not have before, says Nhan Ng

One woman’s miracle survival despite lack of food, shelter and pirate kidnappings

One of 350 people on a 20-metre boat, 18-year-old Nhan Ng recognised that her situation was barely better than the war ravaged Vietnam her family had just escaped.

Back in Vietnam, she remembers, “Many nights I would fall asleep to the sound of gunfire and exploding bombs. Because of the instability of life I had very little education, and went to work at 14 years of age.”

In fear of their lives, Nhan, her mother and youngest sister boarded an overcrowded boat for an unknown destination, and then faced terrible conditions.

“The weather was very hot, there was no food, no toilets and only a few drops of water for each person each day,” Nhan recalls.

Four days out to sea, her sister died of suffocation because there was no space to lie down in the hot cramped vessel.

“We were fortunate on our boat, only three people died,” she says candidly. “On other boats many people died. The dead were simply thrown overboard.”

Then pirate boats attacked. Nhan’s boat encountered nine of them.

Once all their money and possessions had gone the pirates took the young girls away at gunpoint.

“I was 18 and numb with fear. There was lots of yelling, crying and screaming.

“I was nearly taken, but my mother hung on to me very tightly; a gun held to her head.”

Arriving in Indonesia, Nhan and her mother spent a year in a refugee camp before they were granted refugee status in Australia.

“Red Cross provided us with support and we eventually arrived in Melbourne in 1980.

“I will always remember The Salvation Army (a Christian charity and church denomination) helping us with clothing and basic living needs in those first few days. They were so kind to us and also helped us set up home and find employment.”

Marriage and two children followed. Sadly, Nhan’s marriage broke down and she found herself on her own.

In 2000, one of her cousins was in need. Remembering how Christians had helped her family and good experiences in a church in Vietnam, she decided to take him to a Christian church.

There she heard the good news of Jesus Christ. The Christian preacher explained that all mankind does and thinks evil and all deserve death in light of God’s righteous judgement, however, God the Son, Jesus Christ, took this punishment by dying on a cross 2000 years ago.

Nhan also heard that the authenticity of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus was proved by His resurrection from the dead.

“I took my cousin to church because I wanted to help him,” Nhan says excitedly, “but I found Jesus myself — He became my friend and Saviour, and I became a committed Christian (follower of Jesus).”

Now facing many challenges in a foreign country, Nhan says she felt at her very lowest, “even lower than in war torn Vietnam or on the boat trip.”

“But Jesus gave me a peace I had never experienced before — I knew He was always with me.

“Although my problems were not solved immediately, I prayed and God assured me of His constant presence, He gave me support and love I had never known before.”

Nhan knew she had found a friend in Jesus who will “never leave or forsake” her (see Hebrews 13, verse 5Hebrews 13, verse 5).

In John chapter 15John chapter 15, Jesus explains we are His friends if we obey His commands to repent of our sin, to trust in His sacrifice and display His love to others.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends,” Jesus says in verse 13. “You are my friends if you do what I command… I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you… I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.”

Nhan continues: “I didn’t always make good decisions, even after becoming a Christian, but I wanted to stay close to God.”

A few years later, Nhan met William and they married in 2009.

Six months after they were married William knew God was calling them to serve at a Chinese church in Box Hill, Victoria.

Moving again was not easy but Nhan says that “the peace Jesus gives me continues every day.”

“I am now training to join my husband in full-time ministry.”

Courtesy of Warcry magazine of the Salvation Army