The Story of DJ Chuang
I was born in Taiwan and grew up in a very traditional Chinese
family. They placed much value on respect for parents, to the degree
that anything they said was not to be refuted, even if it may have been
in error.
I attended church occasionally, but much of the rituals were
meaningless to me. My few years in Taiwan were spent going through the
motions, trying to study in school and obeying my parents in their plan
for my life.
In March 1974, our well established home in Taiwan was traded in for
a life in America. My parents always considered themselves "outsiders"
even in Taiwan because they were originally from mainland China. By
moving to the USA, it gave us better opportunity to earn money and
enjoying life.
We settled in Bethesda, Maryland, where I attended elementary
school. My mother stopped attending church in America because of the
language barrier. This indicated to me that religion perhaps wasn't
important; that maybe it was just a superstition people had about life
and it was up to the individual to find one that fit him best.
In 1977, our family moved to a small town in Virginia to manage a
motel. Now we were even more isolated from some old Chinese family
friends that lived around Washington, D.C. We were visited by an
American family who invited us to his church. Our parents decided we
kids should attend church because religion was good for us and
Christians were always nice people. I started to learn about Jesus
Christ and some other things about Christianity, but my parents warned
me to not get baptized if the church people ever asked. They explained
that by committing myself to such a degree, I would have no control of
my finances (I would have to give a certain percentage of my salary) my
time or my life.
In 1981, my parents were naturalized to be American citizens. Since
I was still under 18, I automatically received citizenship because we
were children of new Americans. My parents continued to stress the
importance of education and how it would open up more opportunities.
They stressed how I'd always be looked down upon because of my skin
color rather than who I was. I was taught how important it was for me
to be in control of my life. One day, a young truck driver stayed at
our motel. He brought a Bible with him to share with us a story. I
told him we had been attending Sunday School at church. I don't
remember all the details, but I and my father and my brother bowed our
heads to pray. I think we did this just to humor the guy. He shared
with us a verse labeled John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He
gave us His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not
perish but have everlasting life." Somehow, I took this verse to heart
and sought to find out more about what I had prayed.
After high school, I continued my education at Virginia Tech. I had
a confident knowledge of Christianity and was ready to give it a rest
so I could enjoy my college years. But during the second week there, I
saw a sign about a dinner held by the Chinese Bible Study Group. I
decided to check it out. I met some very nice people and continued to
visit with them on Friday nights.
Through their ministry, I was reassured of my faith in Jesus Christ,
that He came to earth to pay for my sins and that we can have
confidence in Him, and that we can have true freedom in living. It
says in the Bible, "He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he
that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." The evidence was
staring at me in the face that Jesus Christ did come to earth and He
was who He said He was, not just another religious leader. I believed
that Christ did die for my sins! I followed up my decision and was
baptized on the Saturday before Easter in 1985. Baptism was an
important step to publicly announce my faith. But afterwards, I did
not feel any real difference and I couldn't tell if I was really living
a Christian life. I would try to abstain from doing wrong things. It
seemed that I had good fellowship with other Christians. But my
Christian maturity was slow in growing. Sure I attended church and
Bible studies, participated in Christian activities, tried to set an
example and share my faith, but I didn't feel like God was working in
my life.
After graduating from Tech with a degree in Electrical Engineering,
I was in need of a job to earn some money before returning to graduate
school, as my parents desired. I was unsure of what was in store for
me as I searched around the United States job hunting. But God was in
control. I had some offers that seemed attractive, but there was
something about Southern Maryland that made it unique. My decision
deadline was close and I decided to take the offer in Southern
Maryland. It turned out to be a real blessing. I became situated with
a good company where the people are great, but even more significantly,
I met a fellow Christian on a computer bulletin board. He invited me to
attend a Bible-centered church, and to check out an organization called
CBMC. At these places, I'm learning how to apply God's word in my
life, that I may be used by God to do His work. I know there is a
loving God who cares about me and every other person on earth. He
cares so much that He won't force me to do anything, but knows the best
for me and instructs me through the Bible. I look back and see all the
mistakes I've made in the past, and how my own human nature often fails
me. I now know victorious Christian living isn't just in my own
efforts to live a Christian life, but that I must put my complete trust
in Christ's leading my life.
I know God is using many opportunities to help me grow closer to
Christ. I am just beginning to learn what it really means to be a
Christian and to take on the responsibility I have in letting others
know about Christ and to seek God's plan and involvement in my life.
Testimonies of people changed by the power of God!