A few months ago, when I arrived at church, one of the church mothers approached me with a smile and told me a package was waiting for me in the office. As the principal, I naturally assumed it was something related to the church school. However, to my surprise, the package was addressed to me personally. Curiosity piqued, I eagerly opened it and discovered three books inside: Snake Bum Logic and Rainforest Discipleship, as well as Mud, Matchets and Mourning, both by Dale Goodson, and Hidden Song of the Himalayas by Abigail Follows. A thoughtful note explained that a church member had received duplicate copies and thought I would enjoy them.

As an avid reader and both a former and future missionary, I found these books written by former missionaries to be the perfect gift. To make the moment even more special, I realized that one of the authors (Dale Goodson) had actually been one of my teachers during my student missionary training.

Just a few weeks ago, I discovered that two of those very books are required reading for our upcoming missionary training, and Dale Goodson would, again, be one of our teachers. It seems God had orchestrated the whole thing, ensuring that we would receive these books in advance and have enough time for in-depth study.

As we continue preparing for training, we remain in awe of how God has guided each step of this journey. Receiving those books was just one of many reminders that His hand is in every detail, confirming that He is the one sending us to Japan as missionaries. We are deeply thankful for the encouragement, hospitality and generosity we have experienced from so many along the way—it has truly sustained us. If you feel led to be part of what God is doing, your prayers, encouragement or consideration in joining our support team would be greatly appreciated.

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