“100X BLESSINGS” - Mk. 10:28-30
Paige was the perfect daughter on track toward her parents’ Chinese American dream for her as she aced her way through high school and made it into an elite university. Then she gave her life to Christ and to missions. Her parents were devastated that Paige was throwing her life away.
Paige and Wayne had decided during their college days that while they loved her parents, God’s calling and the lordship of Christ must come first. So, they committed her parents to God, and did their very best to honor them.
Early in their marriage, they also learned an important principle from a missionary couple, who raised their daughters in the red-light district of Amsterdam: The safest place to raise a family is not the suburban neighborhood of America, but to be in the center of God’s will.
“When we laid down everything to follow God, we experienced what Jesus taught, that ‘(the first) will be last, and (the last) will be first’,” Paige reflected. Jesus said, “Everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt. 19:29-30) He fulfilled this promise to Paige and Wayne.
Their family landed on the mission field with a few thousand dollars in their bank account. They sent their boys, 3, 7, and 9 years old to local schools. An Ivy League education that they themselves had was not on their parenting agenda. But they did have a family mission statement: “To serve and glorify God in all that we do by bringing Kingdom culture into every sphere of our influence”.
As a stay-home mom, Paige was learning about marriage, family, and parenting, when Wayne invited her to give informal talks at his company. Women would come to the marriage and family seminars. But talks on parenting would draw the men too. In time, some of Wayne’s colleagues joined their couples fellowship and several came to faith. Before long, Paige was asked to write a column for a family magazine published by Christians. The materials in her column became a book, followed by another that was voted into the top one hundred national bestsellers by teachers. Paige’s impact as a popular author, speaker, and media influencer grew far beyond her wildest dreams.
Wayne’s career suffered a setback initially. When the firm that sent him to Asia was acquired, he was laid off. Were it not for God’s clear calling, he would have taken a job offer from the U.S. and gone home. But they chose to stay, and God advanced his career. He ended up leading teams, overseeing multi-million-dollar budgets, and mentoring young entrepreneurs. Wayne’s work also gave him opportunity to do marketplace discipleship. At church, Wayne and Paige served as deacons. Their couple’s ministry flourished when they were open with their own struggles, making the group a safe space of trust and acceptance for everyone.
At the end of ten years, Wayne and Paige did not come home emptyhanded as their parents had feared. “God gave us a hundredfold,” Paige testified. While overseas, they purchased a home instead of paying expensive rent, and their property quadrupled in value. Wayne was hired back at his company’s headquarters. In the new role, he again worked with teams and colleagues in Asia and continued his relationships with people.
Their oldest son was accepted early decision to his parents’ alma mater. The middle son had four years’ full scholarship at a first-tier university. And the youngest son is apprentice to a Michelin-star chef. They all made their grandparents proud.
There was spiritual fruit too. Growing up, the boys served on worship team with mom and dad and babysat while their parents led Bible study. The family visited orphanages and taught English to rural students. Now, as young adults, they continue to live out the family mission of service at church and at work, even reaching out to lonely youth in the cyberworld of gaming. The family is scattered in four cities, but they would serve together at least once a year. In 2022, they ran a family camp together. The boys led games for the children. When Wayne and Paige gave the parenting workshop, the boys shared their lived experience growing up under their roof, which kept everything honest and real.
“We laid down the American dream, but God gave us back everything and more,” Paige said. “It’s not about giving in order to be blessed in return. It’s not transactional. We just tell God, ‘We don’t know the future, but we are giving it all to You because we want to serve You with our lives.’”
It has been almost ten years since they first returned from Asia. Wayne and Paige are actively seeking God for an open door to the Middle East. They continue to give it all in response to the invitation: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mt. 6:33)