All this week at WitnessLA.org we’re featuring the stories and testimonies of Christians in the entertainment industry. Our friend Yealee Song shares about how God inspired her to combine her faith with her passion for news and media.
Q: Thanks for speaking with us! Could you please share how you are currently involved in the entertainment industry? What kinds of projects have you been working on?
I worked for nearly ten years in broadcast news and am currently the director of production at KAC Media, a faith-based media company. I also host and executive produce a Christian talk show called “Upper Room” and was co-producer of the short film, “Elijah’s Liquor Store.” I am most interested in human interest stories, documentaries and testimonies.
Q: How did you first enter the industry? Did God speak to you on this calling?
I was always interested in journalism because my dad was a photojournalist and ran a Korean language newspaper company in LA.
What evidence do we have that God is real? Our friend A shares an amazing testimony of how he went from a hardened atheist to a Christian when God miraculously answered his prayer in a time of need and saved his job against all odds.
What is God?Who is Jesus Christ?What is the meaning of spiritual warfare?If you asked me these questions six months ago, I would have told you that God is just some made-up character to keep people under control.He is there to instill fear in us, so we would stay morally correct.Jesus Christ is nothing more than a fictitious figure in a story book called the Bible.He is as real to me as Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings.And spiritual warfare? Plain old bad luck.When you are faced with a problem, closing your eyes and bowing your head to pray in order to make your problems disappear was just nonsense to me. That was what I believed, and my belief was firm, like how the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.So what am I doing writing a testimony on this Christian blog, you might ask?A miracle?Believe it or not, in the last few months, I have gained faith… enough to say with confidence that now I believe God, our Father, is undeniably real.
One of my favorite life moments is when I drive my Grandma home from a family gathering or church service. As we coast down the freeway, she would tenderly hold my hand while praying over me. We would catch up on life, and she would drop knowledge with a sagacity that only grandmothers can possess, drawing from deep wells of experience and hardship. Normally I just listen, carefully.
Last Sunday, the lesson of the day was, “Daniel - Rule #1: Humility. Rule #2: Humility. Rule #3: Humility.”
This is was a theme for us ever since returning home from my travels around the world doing mission work in developing countries. I believe she wanted to make sure I didn’t let it get to my head or puff up my pride. Her mantra was to always give God the credit and to honor those around you.
We were talking about this while on Vermont Avenue ready to hop on the 10 East. Our car idled behind a white van belonging to LA Busan Presbyterian Church. We chuckled at the sight because my Grandma is from Busan, S. Korea. Then just as we merged onto the on-ramp I noticed the bold decal on the side of the vehicle. In large, navy, cursive type, it simply read, “Humility.”
Being based in LA we sometimes have the opportunity to meet incredibly talented artists and musicians. Even more inspiring is when they share with us how their faith has helped them overcome obstacles in life and achieve their goals and aspirations as entertainers. Here at WitnessLA, we are so blessed to be able to launch a new series of artist testimonies with a story from our friend Shin-B the MC.
Shin-B is a female hip hop MC from LA. She’s performed all throughout the States and toured Korea extensively. Shin-B has been featured on Power 106 and has performed with the likes of Jay Sean and many others. She shares with us the story behind one of her new songs “See You There.”
“all things happen for a reason.”
i never understood what that meant. i always felt like life was unfair and that He especially hated me. i didn’t understand why, everything i did and put my heart into failed. i always had to fight to get where i want to go and be where i want to be.
a few years ago, i was in korea and this is where i’d say i reached the lowest, darkest point of my life. i ended up in the ER and it took a toll on me emotionally, physically, and mentally. it was the last straw. i couldn’t take life seriously anymore and contemplated ending my life.
i came back home to la and immediately blocked out everything and everyone. i isolated myself. at what cost must i put myself through all this. i just couldn’t handle it. i was at rock bottom on the verge of ending it. i felt like there was no point in having religion, having faith because i felt He wouldn’t listen anyway, so i began drifting. i began feeling bitterness towards God. it got to the point i didn’t even call myself a Christian anymore. as far as i was concerned, there was no God. but, one day, i got a phone call…[click “Read More” below: continue Shin-B’s testimony, song lyrics, more pictures]
it was from a fellow church member from my grandma’s church in seattle. she broke the news that my grandma had passed. what made it even more tragic was that, her death could’ve been prevented. apparently, she was at the hospital alone with no one to help her communicate with the doctor. she wasn’t very fluent in english at all. the doctor assumed she didn’t want any medication or surgery so he let her be. the doctor didn’t even bother contacting any of her family members. it was complete drama.
at her funeral, i was giving the eulogy and this really opened my eyes to something more. this is what was responsible for my transformation today. it put life in perspective. i began reflecting on my life and everything that’s happened. i was always a weak person and i thought maybe God had me go through all those hardships to strengthen me.
i began realizing the value and lesson hidden behind everything. that i shouldn’t worry or stress or have bitterness because things could’ve been a lot worse. and as time passed, i became stronger and better and better. i began treating my family a lot better. i began treating my friends a lot better. i began treating myself a lot better. and with this renewed spirit, i wanted to reacquiant myself with God, religion, and faith.
it’s funny now when i hang out with old friends. they comment on the change they see in me now and that i’m completely different. i finally feel like i’m on top of a mountain. all that climbing paid off and was in reason. i finally feel like i’m there. even if hardships were to come my way now, i embrace it. i know it’s all for a reason and whether i like it or not, it’s all to help me. help me reach my full potential and live life here with a purpose. now that i understand this concept, i feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. it really makes you appreciate everyone and everything.
“See You There”
didn’t vision didnt listen didn’t try to break from a jail cell prison on a mission, isolation insulatin heat with a pain called dissin and for a second, i felt that i could take it cuz of an ambition, i felt that i could make it but who u kiddin, u livin in a world got too many folks with the same kinda goals we gotta grow, we got a fault too many hope, for a rise not a fall but who to call, where to turn think u know the road but u dont know at all a dropped call, broke from static think u progressed but to them ur stagnant paid dues but u still make payment fates been sealed, concrete, like the pavement
i’ll see you (see you when i get there) i’ll see you (see you when i get there) see you when i get there
yup, isolation was an answer didn’t wanna bother with any of ya questions so i questioned the point of my existence livin on this earth, but feelin i was dead leanin on the edge, hangin by a thread dangle on a cliff, in my hand was a med do i wanna pop a couple of the pills do i oughta think it’ll muffle how i feel do i wanna end it this time for real if this the solution, do got appeal it’s a judgment, no more appeals with chills down the spine with no more the ills will i see the face of my grandma will i regret, a bad case of karma so many downs, it’s a whole lotta drama is it a goodbye, will i see ya tomorrow
i’ll see you (see you when i get there) i’ll see you (see you when i get there) see you when i get there
i know eventually you’ll see a part of me and i’ll get there and i’ll get there
Our friend Esna, an aspiring musician here in LA, sent us an incredible testimony about answered prayer and God working in her life that we wanted to share:
Two Friday nights ago (Jan. 22) I was out with my friends and I parked my car on a yellow loading zone knowing that it was ok to do that after 6:30pm. By the time I got back to my car around 2am, it wasn’t there. I immediately started panicking not knowing what to do because it had never happened to me before. I started calling a bunch of people but they weren’t answering and I decided to call 911. They told me that I should report it as a stolen vehicle. I was hoping that my car had just been towed, and I kept calling all the tow places near that area, but they said they didn’t have it. Two of my friends ended up coming to pick me up and I had to spend the night at my friend’s house.
The next morning, still in disbelief, I called the tow places all over again only to hear that they still didn’t have my car. At this point I was realizing all the things that were in my car. The most important to me was my guitar, a classical guitar. It’s not an expensive one, but it was the first guitar that I ever owned and the first guitar that I picked up and tried to play and figure out chords on. It was full of sentimental value. I wanted to keep him forever. Second, was my diary. I went to a missions trip with my work (a musical choir where I choreograph) to Beijing and that’s where I started to write in that diary so it had a lot of memories written down. Then there were other things like my rainboots, clothes, sleeping bags, and things like that. All of it was gone.
I was without a car for three days. I kept thinking about all the things I had to do in the upcoming week: auditions, photo shoot, music video shoot, short film shoot, work etc. I couldn’t get over the fact that because I didn’t have a car my life was in shambles. But it was in these three days that I finally took the time to talk to God. I had been too busy thinking about things that I had to do that I wasn’t spending any time with God or giving him thanks for anything.
I’m pursuing a career in entertainment and recently things had been going really well for me. I now realize that this was a way for God to slow me down and make me realize what is really important at the end of the day. I realized that God is the ultimate provider, not me. He showed me the goodness in people which I was starting to believe wasn’t there. People offered to buy me a new guitar and even help with paying for a new car. People were offering rides and even offering to lend their car to me. God was providing in the midst of what I was going through.
Now during this whole time people were praying for the return of my car (which I didn’t find out until afterwards). But their prayers were completely answered because the police finally called and said they had found my car. Incredibly, it was returned to me in one piece, not a scatch. And my guitar and all my other belongings were still in the car! EVERYTHING came back to me. It was a miracle.
Prayers were definitely answered and I was reminded once again of the magnitude of our God. He cared for me so much, that he broke me to realize that I need Him. If I didn’t go through this experience, I would’ve fallen into arrogance and probably strayed away more and more.
I’m thankful and more mindful and humble of the opportunities that are coming my way because of all this madness. :)
Coda to this amazing story - here’s a video we found of Esna performing one of her songs on that favorite guitar that was lost, but came back to her through prayer:
