China in Houston
By William Chen and Rachel Teng, as told to Sandie Gross
What does God do when He sees 445 unreached people groups among 1.4 billion people in China? He finds a willing Taiwanese couple and sends them to Houston, Texas. This is William Chen and Rachel Teng’s story. “Our goal has always been to take the Gospel to the Chinese,” explain William and Rachel. “After a short time at Andrews University, we enrolled in the Reach the World Next Door (RWND) cross-cultural missionary training program. We discovered that Houston is home to more than 200,000 Chinese-speaking people, but not a single Chinese-language Seventh-day Adventist church.” William and Rachel determined to plant a church. “We were excited to discover that the Houston International Seventh-day Adventist Church hosted a small Chinese Sabbath School group,” they recall. “We started attending and encouraging them. We found out some members had not attended for years, so we hosted a Chinese New Year celebration. Former members, realizing their brothers and sisters in Christ still loved them, started coming back to church.” During the week, William and Rachel were busy with mission classes, gardening, and helping Buddhists and Muslims at multiple Houston outreach sites. “Our English is not perfect,” they admit. “But God gave us an opportunity to make friendships with unreached people by teaching English. A mission family visited RWND and shared about their work in China with the Uyghur, a persecuted Muslim people group. By searching online for Uyghur restaurants, we discovered members of this people group living in Houston. During one visit to an Uyghur restaurant, the manager asked us to help her workers learn better English. God sent local church members, Pastor John and Phyllis MacFarland, to help us. One friendship is leading to others throughout the Uyghur community in Houston.” Though William and Rachel’s focus is on reaching the Chinese, they eagerly share Christ’s love with everyone, no matter their ethnicity. Cambodians who were hit by Hurricane Harvey opened their hearts to them as they saw their concern and helpfulness. One mother, Kim, was distraught after learn-
Would you like to be a missionary to the unreached? The first step may be closer than you think!
Watch “Come to Houston!” or visit reachtheworldnextdoor.com to learn more.
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“Thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand angels are waiting to cooperate with members of our churches in communicating the light that God has generously given, that a people may be prepared for the coming of Christ….Let every family seek the Lord in earnest prayer for help to do the work of God” (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 9, p. 129).
