The Huang's were welcomed by the congregation of 2,000 at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena, California.
Matthew and Grace Huang, an American couple, finally returned the to U.S. this past weekend, after being detained for two years in Qatar.
The couple attended the church they went to before their departure to Qatar this past Sunday. Lake Avenue Church, located in Pasadena, California, welcomed the couple and their two sons with warmth.
The congregation of 2,000 applauded the family as they took the stage. Matthew Huang told the church that he was glad to be back at the church, and joyous to worship with fellow Christians once again.
Matthew Huang expressed gratitude for the congregation's prayers as well as God's faithfulness during the process.
“It’s just something we longed for – for so long,” he said.
The Huangs traveled to Qatar and were arrested two years ago when their adopted daughter, Gloria, died suddenly. Although the cause of her death is unknown, and there were no signs of violence nor were there indications of abuse, Qatari officials immediately placed culpability on the couple. Matthew and Grace Huang were charged with the murder of their eight-year-old daughter for the purpose of benefitting from her death through organ harvesting. Officials believed the couple starved their daughter to kill her.
Families of different cultures and ethnicities are rare in Qatar. The Huang family’s diversity was illogical to the Qatari officials, who believed that the family adopted their three children through obscure means for the sake of human trafficking. Matthew and Grace Huang adopted all three of their children according to proper international laws and regulations.
"They thought we were human traffickers. They said we adopted our children to either harvest their organs or to do medical tests on them. I mean, this is an outrageous charge against us-- who's a loving family. But the Qatari authorities just didn't understand multi-ethnic adoption," Matthew Huang told CBS in an interview.
Matthew Huang, an engineer and alumnus of Stanford, went to Qatar with his family to oversee an infrastructure project for the 2025 World Cup. During their detainment, Huang lost his job and the couple had to sell their home in California to pay the legal bills. The two boys, Immanuel (12) and Josiah (7), lived in foster homes until they were allowed to travel to the United States to stay with their grandmother.
Despite the difficulties, Matthew Huang expressed gratitude to the congregation. Huang said the Lord taught him patience during the ordeal. According to Huang, God gave them “amazing, hidden blessings” during the process.
The couple was held in Qatari jail for a little less than a year. Matthew Huang told CBS that he was physically and sexually assaulted while in jail.
Evidence gathered by forensic specialists, hired by the Huang's, concluded that the Huang's had not starved their daughter. The Qatari officials, according to the conclusions, never performed a proper autopsy of the deceased daughter.
The congregation will help the family get back on their feet and start a new life back at home.
The Huang's are back in California and hope to heal from their experience. Lake Avenue Church prayed for the couple during their detainment. Starting two weeks ago, the church held prayer sessions for the couple after every service. Jeff Mattesich, the church’s head pastor, asked church members to contribute to a benevolence offering to aid the Huang’s in their new start.
