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In defending my belief =96 Thanh Boyer
=09
My belief in Christianity is somewhat different from the Christians who
were raised around here. My belief in Christianity has very little to do
with what the Bible teaches. In other words, while I believe the Bible, I
do not use it as the basis of my faith. I believe my life was touched by
God through the experiences that I had faced and Christianity is the
religion that I most identify with. I was raised in Vietnam as a Buddhist
because my parents=92 faith is Buddhism. In 1978, I left Vietnam with my
aunt=92s family and one of my sisters. My boat narrowly survived after a
huge storm and piracy at sea. Robbed and left adrift to die in the ocean,
we were rescued after several days. We lived in a squalid refugee camp for
a little over a year. Eventually, we were randomly chosen and sponsored by
a Catholic church group in Athens. In 1980, we arrived in Alabama. I met
my best friend, Adrian, during junior high school. She was a deeply
spiritual person but never tried to force Christianity on me. She prayed
for me because she felt burdened to do so. On the night of our senior prom
she and her fiance, now her husband, left the prom and went to the park.
Still wearing their prom clothes, they knelt together in the grass and
began to pray for me. At that same time John, who is my husband now, was
going down an escalator in the mall and something made him think of his
past. He had always thought that he would marry an Asian woman some day.
Not caring if anyone heard him or not, he said aloud, "God, that is what I
need". At that same time Adrian and her fiance were still praying for me in
the park. They suddenly looked up at each other and said "John". =20
We knew we were right for each other as soon as they introduced us. We
have been happily married now for seven years and have a wonderful son and
daughter. We know that our marriage was ordained by God and it is such a
blessing to have that knowledge. Another great event in my life occurred
the same summer that John and I met. John and Adrian had their church
praying for me to get a Sunday off because I was working seven days a
week. They also prayed that I would accept Christ that day. Well, I did
get a day off and that night I had an incredible experience. I remember
when the pastor gave the invitation, my heart was pounding as I raised my
hand. I had no control of my body. Now I know it was the Holy Spirit in
me. My life has never been the same after that experience. I now know
that my life has been continually filled with answered prayers.=20