Japanese-Taiwanese celebrity Makiyo Kawashima, who was involved in a beating of a taxi cab driver while intoxicated, received baptism at “Blackie” Chen Chien-Chou and Christine Fan’s home. Wang Leehom also witnessed this event.
Last year, Kawashima, her Japanese boyfriend, and two other female celebrities were prosecuted for beating a taxi cab driver while drunk. The cab driver suffered severe head injuries and was hospitalized. While the 28-year-old celebrity apologized, she said she hopes to make up for what she has done to redeem herself.
The court has placed injunctions on Kawashima’s work status in Taiwan, where the actress is only allowed to participate in charities. To show her repentance, Kawashima donated all her earnings to charity, but the public have not changed their opinions about her. Moreover, her mother, who has repeatedly apologized on her behalf, has large intestine cancer, which continued to worsen.
In a rejected and depressed state, Kawashima received guidance from her celebrity friends, married couple Chen and Fan, and Huang Kuo-lun, from whom she was introduced to Christianity. She has been reading the Bible daily, praying, participating in Sunday services, and her attitude towards faith has changed from doubt to conviction.
Kawashima, who has testified of God’s grace, decided to accept Jesus as her savior. In a recent gathering at Chen’s home, she was baptized while her close friends witnessed the change. She was said to be very emotional afterwards.
According to reports, Kawashima was baptized in Chen’s bathtub, and two pastors were present.
Kawashima recalled her baptism, “the moment my head was pressed into the water, the fears piled up in my heart all vanished.” She said that she feels that she has become someone else, where every cell in her body feels “happy.”
While crying joyfully, she said, “I am very happy now. Life is restarting. Now I’m beginning a new life.”
Kawashima promises to maintain abstinence until after marriage like Vanness Wu, another Taiwanese celebrity that made the same promise after his conversion. She hopes to become a good testimony for the Lord.
