Our Family
      We have been married since July 2006 and have both been serving with Cru since 2002. We met each other while serving with Cru in East Asia. We have three kids, Hudson, Amber and Alethea. They are growing quickly and keep us busy and often smiling.
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Our Testimonies

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      I (Matthew) grew up in a Christian home and from a very early age, my parents told me that God loved me. They also told me that I was sinful and that Jesus died on the cross for my sins. I didn’t really understand that though until I was seven years old. At that time, I remember sitting in a church service for kids and hearing our pastor give a Gospel presentation. He told us that we were all sinners and that on our own we had no way to get to God. He also explained that God the Son had come down to earth, lived a perfect life and died on the cross for our sins. He told us that in order to know God we just had to believe this and ask Jesus to come into our lives. I had heard this idea many times before but on that occasion, the Holy Spirit really opened my eyes and I saw my need for God so I prayed and asked him to come into my life!

       I (Sijie) grew up in a traditional Chinese household that practiced ancestral worship and some form of Taoism. As a young girl, I would help my mom with some of the customs such as burning incense and joss sticks to the gods and ancestors. Like most Chinese in Singapore, we were, by default, Buddhists. As a young child, I liked the fun of the customs, but I started thinking about the meaning of doing what I did, wondering if the gods really knew me.
      When I turned 9 year old, my school teacher brought the class to a children’s party organized by Christians. I don't recall any Christian content mentioned in the party, but it started my interest in becoming a Christian. In that same year, my elder brother became a Christian. Two years later, my older sister followed. My interest and curiosity towards Christianity continued to grow. However, I was hesitant because my dad was very against Christianity and I wondered about the implications that it would have on our Chinese family traditions.
      My sister had been sharing with me about Christ since she accepted the Lord. When I was 13 year old, I decided I wanted to also become a Christian, mostly out of interest and curiosity. I prayed with my sister to confess that I'm a sinner and asked Jesus to be my Savior and Lord. The Lord was good and brought opportunities for me to grow in my faith. Over the years, I began to realize my deep sinfulness and grew to appreciate the meaning of Christ dying on the cross for my sin.

Our Ministry Calling

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      After I (Sijie) graduated from university, I went on a one and a half year STINT (short-term international) trip with Cru to East Asia. The people there were empty of spiritual truth and were hungry to hear the Word. I had a great time sharing the gospel to many local friends and had the opportunity to disciple some of them who came to accept Him as Savior and Lord. While there, I was convinced after reading Ezra and 1st and 2nd Timothy that I need to teach the Truth well to the current and next generation, whether they know God or not. From the book of Jonah, I understood how compassionate God is and that He desires people to know Him. Yet, I was hesitant to follow Him completely. However, the Lord worked in my heart to trust Him for the concerns that held me back from serving Him full time such as financial capacity to provide for myself and my aging parents, and the desire to live a comfortable life like my peers.
      From Psalm 16:11“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” God taught me to surrender my all to Him, to trust Him that it is only when I am right in the center of His will for me that my life is truly full. Matthew and I love serving the Lord together. It is exciting to be involved in proclaiming the gospel to those who have not heard and discipling others who will take the word of God to other parts of the world!

       In the summer of 1999, I (Matthew) went on a 6 week mission trip to East Asia. I went on the trip just because I couldn’t think of anything else to do and I thought it would be a fun adventure. While in East Asia that summer, I was shocked when I realized that there were so many people there who had never heard about Jesus. As I read through the gospel of John, I was struck by Jesus’ admonition to the disciples to open their eyes and look at the harvest (John 4:35). I felt that my eyes were being open to the harvest and I committed to come go back to Asia to share the gospel with others once I had graduated from University.
      In 2004, as I was serving with Cru in East Asia, I began asking God what I should do next. As I prayed, I really felt that the Lord was calling me to be involved in training others who could go out and plant churches and preach the gospel in some of the less reached parts of Asia. During my time in China, I saw a need for the local staff as well as pastors and others to be trained in how to think about and teach the Bible.
      Since that time, I have been actively pursuing the Lord as he has led Sijie and I to a variety of ministries where we have been used to proclaim the gospel and disciple others in how to live the Christian life. In doing ministry, I realize that God has gifted me as a teacher and I am confident of his leading to be involved in teaching theology at the East Asia School of Theology in Singapore. I am very excited about training others who can take the gospel to all parts of the world.