1 of 3

How did a Buddhist girl raised in New York City grow up to become a moving force in one of Southeast Asia's most dynamic Christian ministries? Only through the grace of God.

Erica Kim's parents were anticipating the birth of their first child in 1963 when they emigrated from Japan. Her father was already a doctor, but because his medical degree was not accepted in the U.S., he had to go back to medical school.

The family settled in New York where they lived hand to mouth, struggling to meet basic needs. But through hard work and determination, Erica's father, Dr. Hiromi Shinya, changed all that. He invented a medical device now utilized in endoscopies around the globe, becoming a world-renown—and wealthy—physician.

Life changed drastically for the Shinya family. "We went from this tiny, nothing apartment where we couldn't afford milk to a 10,000-square-foot home with a swimming pool and tennis court," Erica recalls. "My first car was a BMW." But the financial success couldn't fill a deeper need in Erica's life. "I felt empty. I had everything, yet I had nothing."

In college, Erica accepted an invitation to a Christian Bible study—a most unusual place for a lifelong Buddhist. "I came from a devout Buddhist family; in fact, my grandfather's brother was a priest."

She remembers clearly how deeply Christianity touched her. "I was overwhelmed by the love and forgiveness of Jesus. Buddhism taught me to do the right thing, to do things by duty, by tradition. But there was no heart change. When I learned about Jesus, I recognized that my life needed to change, as well."

Not surprisingly, Erica's family was less than thrilled. "When I became a Christian, my father was shocked and my mother was completely against it," she recalls. "They would often take the car away from me so I could not go to church. Sunday used to be our family day, and my conversion disrupted that."

As time went on, however, Erica's parents began to see positive changes in their daughter. "Mom and Dad saw my rebellious spirit becoming more obedient, my selfishness turning into helpfulness around the house, and my pride turning into humility when I made a mistake—because before becoming a Christian, I never used to apologize for what I did wrong." The Shinyas could not argue with Erica's transformation, and eventually accepted her decision to leave the family faith.

At church she met a handsome Korean man named Frank Kim, her soon-to-be husband. A student at Harvard, all Frank's plans revolved around working in the business world. But shortly before graduation, he decided to become a minister.

next page... |  1 of 3

	What did you think of this story?
	Please to give us your feedback.

Home  |  People of Faith  |  Stories of Hope  |  Today's Culture
Build Your Faith  |  Laughing Matters  |  Archives  |  Contact Us

				Try Today's Christian Woman Free! Name Street Address City/State/Zip E-mail Address No credit card required. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only. If you decide you want to keep Today's Christian Woman coming, honor your invoice for just $17.95 and receive five more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The trial issue is yours to keep, regardless. Give Today's Christian Woman as a gift Order a gift subscription!

FREE Newsletter Subscribe to the Today's Christian Newsletter    RSS Feed   RSS Help