Churches like Yours are Collaborating to Send Among All Nations.
At Union Baptist Association’s Annual Celebration, three leaders from UBA churches took the stage to share how God is using the unique diversity of Houston to reach the ends of the earth—starting right in our own neighborhoods.
1. Immigrant Believers Fueling Mission Near and Far
Ray Chin from Houston's First Baptist - Sienna wasn’t expecting to find a mission field in a Houston apartment complex.
At one of UBA’s "Who’s My Neighbor?" events, he joined a team visiting the Rohingya community—a highly persecuted group of refugees, many who have been resettled in Houston.
For over a year, local mission workers had been trying to build a bridge to this specific family, but they were stuck behind a formidable language barrier.
When Ray walked through the door, the atmosphere shifted. Ray is originally from Malaysia, where the Rohingya family had spent years as refugees. As an immigrant from a similar background, he was able to engage them in ways the missionaries could not.
“It was like the burning bush. God was telling me: ‘Go to these people.’”
As Ray went to their homes, one father was stunned to hear fluent Malay being spoken by a Christian stranger in Texas.
Their shared language opened a road for Ray to share the story of Jesus as the "Lamb of God" with this Muslim refugee living here in Houston
2. From the Nations to Houston and Back Again
For Ben Niscavits from Sagemont Church, the mission field reappeared over dinner. Having been a missionary in Pakistan and India for 12 years, Ben is fluent in Urdu and Hindi. When he moved back to his native Houston, he was surprised to find how many Pakistanis were right next door.
While eating at a local Pakistani restaurant, he overheard the staff speaking Urdu and chimed in. The reaction was immediate. "The lady ran to the back laughing, thinking this white boy is nuts!" Ben joked.
Their waitress, a Hindu woman, was captivated. She confessed she had been attending a Catholic church because she was desperate to know who Jesus was.
In the middle of the restaurant, Ben began sharing the gospel in Urdu, explaining the cost of following Christ. Later, Ben’s assistant, Amy, began discipling this woman. By December, this Pakistani woman was baptized.
Through this whole process, Amy felt her own call to the nations. So, she is moving to South Asia to serve as a full-time missionary in the very same city where Ben once lived.
One meal in Houston resulted in one soul saved and another worker sent.
“One meal in Houston resulted in one soul saved and another worker sent.”
3. Trading the American Dream for God’s Dream
Adrienne Segundo from Iglesia Cristiana Cypress represented a sending movement happening within Hispanic churches. When his pastor heard about the Missionary Sending Cohort, he didn't just send students. He sent translators. They translated the entire curriculum into Spanish to empower their own congregation.
The first cohort was small—just Adrienne and his wife—but the impact was deep as he felt God confirming the call to go in their own lives.
“This cohort helped us confirm the call God already placed in our hearts.”
After a month-long exploration trip to Spain, Adrienne returned ready to mobilize a new generation of Hispanic missionaries to spark revival in Spain.
Adrienne’s takeaway captured the heart of the night: "Hispanic people are no longer pursuing the American dream, but God’s dream."
One Common Thread: On Mission Together
Whether it is a Malaysian-born Texan reaching the Rohingya, a former missionary meeting a waitress in a Pakistani restaurant, or a Hispanic couple going to Spain for the gospel, the message was clear: The harvest is here, and the pathways to send are open.
Learn more about Sending Pathways or connect with cris@ubahouston.org to get involved.
Creating a sending culture is simpler than you might think. Start with these three things.