Rebyl Pinto

I met teenager Rebyl Pinto in Muscat, Oman, in the Arabian Gulf where she lived with her mother and brother. I was taken with the deep faith she had, even as a teenager. Her faith was palpable in everything she said and how she carried herself. Rebyl was interested in a career in design which she has now pursued, but her bedrock is her faith. As a Jew, I did not understand what it meant for someone Catholic to become “born again,” and how that constitutes a change in faith.

But I do understand how anyone can have an internal upheaval, a change in consciousness where their God-connection increases and self- focus decreases. All of the sudden, they become “enough,” and life changes. At a time when I had no faith and needed it desperately, I came to know this amazing young woman and saw her living faith every day.