Breaking Through Thick Shells, One Friendship at a Time

Posted by Diane Montgomery | Nov 13, 2026 | Feature God’s guidance has led Bintang and Dian across continents and cultures, preparing them to reach the nations. After moving to the United States from South Korea to attend Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Lord led them to serve at Oklahoma City, Vision Community. While there, Bintang and Dian’s heart for the nations grew, especially for an East Asian diaspora. After a few years, the Lord called them to return to East Asia and reach the same diaspora there. From the first week the Phans arrived in East Asia, they went as a family of five to the subway to find their people group and hand out Gospel tracts. It wasn’t long before they discovered that reaching the diaspora would require a relational, marathon-distance mindset: “One person from the diaspora compared her people to “eggs with very thick shells.” She meant that the shell does not break after only one or two meetings.

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