Overseas Chinese Share Tears and Pains under Dual Identity in 'Chinese Homecoming 2016'

Overseas Chinese from Singapore, Australia and the United States shared their stories of their birth and growing experience in other countries for the "Chinese Homecoming 2016" on July 15.

Stripped off their glamorous outer coat, the identity of "overseas Chinese" wraps up the hearts that want to return home filled with pain and confusion. 

The host, Rev. Ma Jianming, said that we wanted to understand their hearts more by walking into their world, experiencing their pain and heartbreaks while receive healing with them.

First, the third-generation Singaporean Chinese Ian and his mother Lily Ann shared their story. 

Ian described his embarrassment in China with a parable: It seemed like that he was unfamiliar with anyone who sit on the table when invited to celebrate his great grandmother's birthday. The host said to him, "You are truly a part of this family". But he couldn't understand what others said and he laughed following others' laughter. "This is what I felt." 

Ian continued, "Sometimes I felt that I had a dual-identity."

Nevertheless, he was proud of his identity as an overseas Chinese, saying, "I came here not to see what China looks like as a foreigner. I participated in it as a Chinese."

Ian's mother Lily Ann shared that her son joined the service in the homecoming gathering for one thing, he is a Chinese and he loves God. 

She added that although there was some contradiction in their identity, it was the will of God that made them absorb the essence of the East and the West as a secret weapon prepared by God.

She witnessed how God had been healing the country and nations through "homecoming" gathering and hoped that one day the whole world could return home, referring to "the heavenly people back home".

Then, a Singaporean Chinese pastor who had a pastoral experience said that he felt blamed by the Holy Spirit when he read that the two children died in China in the biography of Hudson Taylor.

Previously denying his selfishness, he surrendered in the end and committed his "sin", hearing a voice in him asking, "Can you love China as a Chinese since a foreigner loved China to this extent?"

He answered yes and began the journey of "loving China". But he met some challenges along the road.

He bought a land to build a church near the local's most famous right-light district. Every day, he saw some prostitutes standing before the church and got angry at their existence that affected the church growth. Members and newcomers stopping going to church.

Although the prostitutes come from China, he was determined to drive them away.  One day, a hooker was going to take him by the hand, he blamed her action loudly.

Seeing her trembling because of his anger, he realised that he could serve the drug addicts at the bottom but refused to accept these prostitutes.

God used another pastor to remind him that Jesus cared these people on earth. At that moment, he repented with cries.

When he back in the church after a couple of days, he heard God's word - "I love them, too." when he saw a hooker praying in front of the cross at the entrance. Since then, he has led the church to serve the special group, obedient to God's calling.

Later, a Chinese pastor from Australia and an Chinese American shared their growing and ministry experiences in other countries.

The Chinese American said that he felt like an outsider but he wanted to be with Chinese a lot of times. However, he still wanted to walk with the "family" to satisfy the heavenly father's heart on being Chinese.

After the sharing, Rev. Ma comforted the American with a hug. 

This year, the homecoming gathering focuses on the healing and reconciliation of "ethnic minorities" and "overseas Chinese" to make the world know that God's heart lies on the missing minor ethnic groups besides on Han people and the mainland China.