Your Impact

Susan He hadn’t knelt in prayer for years, but she could still remember the ache in her knees—the ache she’d endured every night in childhood as her grandmother led her in nighttime prayers on the hard bed. Back then, her grandmother’s prayers for each member of the family had felt comforting, but as Susan entered adulthood, she came to regard that faith as naïve. As a university student, standing in her dorm room in Beijing, she recalled the faith she’d rejected when another student asked her, “Is that a Bible?”

The question caught her off guard. Why had her friend noticed and drawn attention to that? To most people she knew, the Bible was an antiquated relic, irrelevant to modern life. But for Susan, the small copy of the Bible was a reminder of a faith she had left behind. It was the Bible her grandmother had gifted her, a symbol of what Susan had pushed aside as she moved forward with her life.

Born and raised on Xiamen Island, China, Susan had been cared for by her grandmother when her parents worked long shifts. Her grandmother, a Christian, had modeled daily spiritual devotion. When Susan grew older, she turned away from that faith. As the only child in her family, she felt the pressures of academic success and the constant drive to prove herself. It pushed her further from her Christian heritage. China’s communist education system afforded little room for the kind of faith her grandmother clung to.

That small Bible was about to become the key to the questions she had been asking since beginning university studies. The friend who noticed it invited her to a small group led by a professor. Susan attended the group, and the Bible became something new to her. The more she read it in community with believers, the more she realized that it wasn’t outdated at all—no, it was the living, breathing truth. After dismissing faith for years, Susan now found herself confronting the unexpected idea that God is real, and that he had been guiding her all along. She began to see that faith wasn’t just about habits or rituals but about a living relationship with God.

It wasn’t long before Susan took the step of baptism, publicly proclaiming that she had found something more fulfilling than the endless pursuit of grades and approval. She had found grace. From that point on, Susan’s life took a new direction. She boldly shared the good news of Jesus with everyone she met, bringing the energetic enthusiasm of a new believer to every conversation.

Unsatisfied with her job in banking, she heeded counsel from her pastor to seek further theological education in preparation for continued ministry. She had met three Dallas Theological Seminary graduates in Beijing and decided that if she attended seminary, she wanted to go to DTS. How did she get to Dallas? “Only God knows,” she laughs. Susan was the first recipient of the seminary’s “Pray for China” scholarship, which made her studies possible, and God even guided her through a tense moment during her passport application interview in China. The officer misread “Theological” as “Technological” and said, “You must be very smart!” as he approved her passport.

After completing her Master of Arts in Biblical Counseling at DTS in 2006, she returned to China, using her training in strategic ways, including translating ministry resources for pastors. Her work took another turn when she moved to the Bay Area of California with her husband, Richard, where they’ve built a life around faith, service, and financial stewardship. While living in California, Susan watched her parents face financial devastation as a result of a Ponzi scheme. This sparked a deep conviction in her as God helped her see her previous career in the finance industry with fresh eyes. Where before she had found only drudgery, the perspective she had gained at DTS helped her find a calling to help people understand the story they want to tell with their money and their time, ensuring that no one else experiences the pain her parents had endured. Susan now helps families become faithful stewards of their finances so they can focus on their God-given purposes.

Though Susan and Richard have faced their share of challenges—including the heartache of infertility—they remain committed to serving others in any way they can. Their legacy has taken shape in the Mei Hui Xie International Women Student Scholarship they’ve established at DTS, named for Susan’s grandmother. The scholarship helps students from China, just as Susan was helped when she was a student. Today, Susan works at an international financial firm, where she oversees half a billion dollars in assets; her heart focuses on the people she serves and the larger purpose of using her resources for God’s kingdom. Her vision remains trained on the work God has called her to do—whether that means continuing her financial career, moving abroad to serve as a missionary, or helping others discover the transformative power of faith that changed her own life.

DTS graduate, Tonya Neal, speaks about her experience with domestic violence and how she is answering her calling to minister to domestic violence survivors.

DTS Graduate, Jana Thompson, talks about her journey to DTS and coaching DC students.

Jalil Dawood tells the story of his journey from refugee to pastor and how DTS helped him to fulfill his life’s mission.

Natasha’s story is a testament to the power of faith, perseverance, and the impact of collective support, transforming a young woman’s dream into a beacon of hope and education for others in South America.