From Unemployment to Teaching in China

🌍 Explore Matthew’s Upcoming Screenplay
Learn more about The English Corner, a new project Matthew is working to bring to life:
👉 https://mattfterry.com/the-english-room-adapted-from-dragonflies/

💡 Support the Mission
Help bring this mini-series to reality and support Matthew’s ministry to inspire others to answer God’s call:
👉 https://www.gofundme.com/f/english-corner-a-proof-of-concept-short-film

🎬 Watch Matthew’s Award-Winning Work
Check out his animated screenplay Children of God (The Last Remaining Sibling):
👉 https://mattfterry.com/children-of-god/

📖 Dive Into Devotional Writing
Enjoy one of Matthew’s favorite devotionals, Raymond:
👉 https://mattfterry.com/raymond/

When God calls, the path isn’t always clear—or easy. In this episode of the Gospel and Gradebooks podcast, we sit down with Matthew Faye Terry, educator, missionary, and author of I Came to You in Weakness, to hear how God led him from corporate America to teaching in China. His story is one of weakness surrendered to God’s strength, and of learning to trust the Holy Spirit when the next step is uncertain.

For 10 years, Matthew worked in the corporate world. But when he left, he walked into two years of unemployment, searching for direction. During this season, his wife Pearl helped him discover a deeper relationship with Christ, leading to his new birth in 2007. What seemed like failure became the foundation for a new calling.

Matthew began working in special education, supporting students with autism, Down syndrome, and other needs. He quickly realized that patience beyond his own strength was required. “That’s where the Holy Spirit comes in,” he explains. God used these years to refine him for ministry, teaching him to rely on divine help in the classroom.

After major spinal surgeries, Matthew experienced a near-death moment where he prayed for God to take him home. Instead, he heard a distinct reply:
“Not now, my son. Still got work to do.”
This reminder of God’s purpose gave him a renewed passion to live in obedience, no matter the cost.

When Matthew and Pearl moved to China, he faced a new challenge: how to teach English while sharing his faith in a communist country. Unsure of what to do in one particular classroom moment, he prayed a simple prayer: “Lord, I don’t know what to do next.” From that day, the phrase “I came to you in weakness” took on new meaning—God’s strength was enough.

Above the blackboard, Matthew placed Psalm 32:8:

“I will teach you and guide you the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you.”
 

This verse became not only an English lesson but also a powerful witness to students. Even years later, some still meet for Bible study online, hungry for truth.

Scripture became Matthew’s anchor through trials. He points to passages like:

• John 9:1–3 — “This happened so that the works of God might be displayed.”
   
• 2 Corinthians 12:9 — “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
   

These verses reminded him that God doesn’t waste suffering—it becomes the very stage where His glory is revealed.

Matthew Terry’s story is a reminder that God uses weakness as a testimony of His power. From unemployment to special education, from near-death to teaching in China, every step was a lesson in trusting God’s leading. His journey encourages us all: when we feel inadequate, God is more than enough.