I am a teacher by profession, holding dual degrees in Social Science Education and History. When I first entered the job market, history teaching positions were scarce, so I seldom had the chance to teach history throughout my career. This school year, however, brought a welcome change: I was assigned to teach world history to upper elementary students. Having taught the class once before, I anticipated exploring the cultures of Mesopotamia, ancient Israel and Egypt. To my surprise, after reviewing the curriculum, I discovered these topics would not be covered this year. Instead, we would focus on Japanese history—a turn of events that felt more than coincidental.

This year, I have the unique opportunity to teach my students not only about Japanese history but also about the nation’s spiritual needs. Recently, I introduced them to Shintoism, Japan’s indigenous religion. Their reactions were priceless when they realized that the Kami, whom the Japanese worship, are really the fallen angels who were involved in the war in heaven—a topic we have been studying in Bible class. The collective moment of understanding deepened when they recognized that the ritual washing performed before entering a Shinto shrine reflects a profound need for the Savior’s cleansing blood.

This school year has truly been a profound blessing. Every class reminds me of the importance of our mission to reach the Japanese people. In just a short time, I will close my classroom for the final time and set out with my family for Japan to begin our journey as career missionaries. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported our project so far, and we invite you to prayerfully consider joining our monthly support team as we take this next step.

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