DJ Chuang

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.