A Family Business
by Justin Walker
Ken Yu
BBA ’00
Missionary
Essen, Germany
Life is full of learning opportunities, and no one understands that better than Ken Yu.
Born in Singapore, Yu and his family moved to Richardson, Texas, in the mid-1980s, just before he turned 8. Although he knew English – the official language of Singapore – he had a self-described “wicked accent” and took ESL courses his first year in school. He was mindful of his speech, as he recognized his natural accent stood out amongst his classmates.
Although shy, Yu made close friends with other kids in his neighborhood. While faith wasn’t a big part of the Yu household, they made friends with local Christian families.
“We had a lot of church friends who took care of us, so to speak,” Yu said. “They knew we were not believers, but they were still welcoming.”
Yu was invited to the local youth group and attended regularly. Although he hadn’t yet accepted Christ, he knew he wanted to attend a Christian university when the time came. Baylor University checked off a lot of boxes: it was far enough away from home to have independence but close enough to still visit whenever he wanted, and it was a reputable school with a Christian focus.
In 1996, Yu arrived in Waco ready to study Information Systems at the Hankamer School of Business. He had long been interested in the hardware side of technology. In fact, he spent more hours disassembling his Sega Master System than playing it. Yu learned a lot from his studies, but the biggest takeaway wasn’t what he expected.
“One of my professors told us that technology doubles every six months,” Yu said. “I realized in that moment that he wasn’t truly teaching me the most up-to-date technology – he taught me how to learn. Once you learn one programming language, the second is easier.”
Learning to learn would become a major theme in Yu’s life. While many of his friends growing up were Christian, it wasn’t until he was at Baylor that he learned who Christ was. His roommate, Mike, played a huge role in introducing Yu to faith.
“He noticed I never went to church,” Yu said. “He was super persistent. Every Sunday, he would bang on my door until I answered. ‘It’s really important,’ he’d say. ‘We have to go to church.’”
While Yu may have been annoyed at the time, he’s thankful now that Mike cared for him in that way. Yu would accept Christ as his Lord and Savior – the first in his family to do so.
His family had also gone through major changes during this time. Yu’s father went to work in the Middle East during his senior year of high school and returned just after Yu graduated from Baylor in 2000, only to pass away just a year later.
“It was not a great year,” Yu said. “He passed away shortly before 9/11, and I was laid off as well. I had to grow up really fast.”
Yu had been working at MCI WorldCom prior to being laid off and needed to shift his focus slightly. He spent a number of years with various startups and then landed in information technology (IT) consulting. During this time, he met his wife, whom he married in 2007. He remembers having a conversation about work early in their relationship.
“When we were dating, I told her, ‘I see myself serving God one day,’” Yu said.
His wife, also a Christian, shared that revelation with her family, who were from a non-Christian background. Yu remembers their confusion and even understood their concerns.
“I had to let her family know I would take care of their daughter,” Yu said. “She was going to be fine, and she is fine.”
Yu enrolled at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) in 2011 studying Cross-cultural Ministry. He took classes part-time, but in 2016, his pastor sat him down to have a serious conversation.
“He asked me, ‘Ken, what do you want? It’s like you haven’t made up your mind,’” Yu said. “A short time after he asked that question, I realized I did want to serve 100 percent in ministry.”
When Yu quit his job later that year, the company questioned his decision. Yu didn’t. He started back at DTS full-time and graduated in 2017. Yu spent the next few years preparing for full-time ministry. That’s when his family put their learning to the test.
In 2019, Yu, his wife and their three daughters packed up their lives and moved to Essen, Germany. Yu began preaching at a Chinese church in Essen and led a Bible study.
“I prepare material, teach and consult in terms of relationships,” he said. “Anything the church needs, I do.”
It’s not just Yu serving – his whole family shares the calling.
“When I was in the interview process with my organization, they told me, ‘Ken, you’re not the only missionary in your family,’” Yu said. “Sure enough, our kids helped us open so many doors for conversations when we first arrived.”
Despite some initial challenges, the Yu family has found a home in their community. The German language can be very formal, Yu said, especially when first meeting people. Once a connection is made, the language relaxes.
“I remember the first time my neighbor corrected me,” he said. “She goes, ‘Yeah, we can start using informal.’ I was over the moon!”
As Yu reflects on his journey, he knows he wouldn’t be where he is today without his family’s support.
“We are a missionary family,” he said. “Without my wife’s backing, I don’t think I would be here. And without my kids, we don’t integrate into the community as smoothly.”
As his kids get older and start to look at colleges, Yu knows one campus he will be visiting with them – his alma mater, Baylor.
When it comes to his missionary work, Yu doesn’t know what the future holds. But he does know who holds the future.
“I often wonder why God called me to the field so late in life,” Yu said. “I don’t know the answer, but it’s how things worked out. In the meantime, whatever God throws at me, I’ll find a way to serve.”