Ministering Globally from Campusby Mark Harrington, Urbana 06 Volunteer
Teh Sheng came from a family where his father was non-religious and his mother was Catholic. Thanks to his mother he knew the material of the Bible, but he did not have a relationship with Christ. When he arrived at the University of Texas for a neuroscience PhD, he was not eager to hear Christian witness. However, a pastor who had been called to international student ministry at a previous Urbana convention kept pursuing him. When Teh Sheng hit a low point in his grad student life, he was more receptive to the pastor’s ministry. A key point came when Teh Sheng attended a prayer retreat in the Fall of 2003, a retreat that changed his whole concept of prayer and brought him to Christ.
The retreat was followed by Urbana 2003, a time which greatly encouraged, strengthened, and emboldened Teh Sheng and gave him a vision for ministry. He developed through the International Student Connection ministry at the University of Texas and is now a student partner in the leadership of the ministry. He has a hand in the organization of the Bible studies and English assistance classes. Teh Sheng is also an active evangelist. He rejoices in seeing an ever-increasing boldness in his witness. “I feel I can speak to international students, American students, locals and anybody!” In addition to working locally, Teh Sheng maintains a weekly Bible study by e-mail with his friends in Taiwan. He rejoices that they have begun responding to the Word of God like he has, and the study has sprouted many other student Bible studies in Taiwan!
If there is one thing that Teh Sheng would want others to take from his story it is that anyone can be a minister where they are. He often heard people exhort Americans to befriend lonely international students, but he would exhort internationals to do some of the befriending themselves. Everyone can contribute to the ministry and he is thrilled with the part he has had in it.
