Change Makers EPS 54: Bonnie Gray on Sweet Like Jasmine, Chinese-American Stories, Growing Up in San Francisco, and a Journey of PTSD

Bonnie Gray is an author and inspirational speaker based in Northern California. Bonnie has developed a global following of readers who come to her for inspiring Christian living content written in her authentic, unique voice. Bonnie’s moving, soulful stories challenge believers spiritually and connect deeply at a heart level.

Raised by a single mother in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Bonnie worked alongside her mother to make ends meet. While speaking only Chinese at home, Bonnie became fluent in English at school, excelling in her studies. Bonnie’s hard work earned scholarships for college, which she knew would enable her to provide for her mother and younger sister.

After graduating UCLA with a computer science and engineering degree, Bonnie worked as a high-tech professional in Silicon Valley for 15 years – as well as a missionary to Asia and a ministry entrepreneur in the U.S.

Bonnie’s publishing career launched in 2014 with the release of her first book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace: Awakening Your Soul to Rest. Her next book, Whispers of Rest: 40 Days of God’s Love to Revitalize Your Soul, released in 2017. Bonnie’s writing is featured at her blog and in numerous Christian media outlets such as Relevant Magazine and Christianity Today.

Bonnie’s new book, Sweet Like Jasmine: Finding Identity in a Culture of Loneliness (Harvest House, October 2021) is her most personal to date. A moving memoir about uncovering family secrets, finding true worth, and witnessing brokenness made beautiful, Sweet Like Jasmine celebrates what it really means to belong.

Growing up as an American-Chinese daughter of a mail-order bride and a busboy working in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Bonnie never truly felt beautiful or beloved. But at 39, a long-forgotten birth certificate in an old file cabinet sparked a curiosity she couldn’t ignore. Bonnie embarked on a journey that led to soul-shaking discoveries about her identity, human kindness, and what it means to be loved.

As an inspirational speaker and podcast host of Breathe: The Stress Less Podcast, Bonnie touches thousands of lives every year using storytelling, soul care, and prayer. She speaks passionately on topics of women’s wellness, spiritual growth, prayer, meditation, healing, storytelling, creativity, and finding God in the daily grind of everyday life.

Bonnie Gray (thebonniegray.com) lives in California with her husband Eric and their two sons. Readers connect with her on social media @thebonniegray.

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