Eric Ebisu grew up on the Big Island of Hawaii in a small sugar plantation town called Paauilo along the Hamakua Coast an hour north of Hilo, near Honokaa. He is a “sansei” or third generation Japanese American whose grandparents immigrated from Japan to Hawaii to work the sugar plantations. He graduated from Honokaa High School in 1970, attended UH and graduated with a B.S. in Physics in 1974, Secondary Science & Math Teacher Certification 1976, & M.Ed. in 1980. He taught junior & senior high school in Hawaii for 8 years before going to seminary. He graduated from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 1988 with anM.Div. He served as pastor at Pearl City Community Church for 22 years, then he & his wife were called to Yokohama, Japan as missionaries for 8 years. Eric is married to Rita, his wife of 42 years, with 3 daughters, Jessica, Natalie, & Crystal (who are all married) and 3 grandchildren.