(23 years old, currently residing in Japan‚ A.K.A. Sam)

I am proud of my upbringing. I thank God every day that He chose me, (out of all the billions of people living on this corrupt and decaying planet) to be born and raised in The Family. It still amazes me every time I think about all the thrills and adventures I’ve experienced so far during my life as a full-time missionary and ambassador of the King of the universe. My life hasn’t been devoid of hardships, difficulties, and moments of extreme depression, I’ve had close brushes with death and the number of accidents that resulted in unsightly scars are many, but as I reflect on all the battles I’ve fought over the years –whether they were physical, emotional, psychological, or spiritual ones – I can only affirm with unwavering conviction that the only reason why I was able to find the inner strength to persevere and overcome the obstacles every time was because of my deep faith in God, love for His unfailing word, and the habits of unceasing and fervent prayer.–all of which were instilled in me ever since I was born.

I’m grateful to my parents for raising me in a happy, healthy, and loving environment where all my needs were met. I’m grateful to my teachers who selflessly served us, diligently taught us, and effectively motivated us to commit to excellence regardless of our chosen field of endeavor, and I’m especially grateful to all the self-effacing and sacrificial leaders of our missionary fellowship who bravely guided us over the years and provided us with renewed vision, fresh inspiration, and most importantly, instruction from the Source. All of the groups of individuals mentioned above are heroes in my book and I will continue to support them through thick and thin. I’ve chosen to be here and I will fight with all that’s in me to defend my beliefs, uphold my values, and protect my fellow comrades.

Because of The Family I’ve learned that good and evil cannot peaceably coexist, and it’s becoming more and more evident to me that as long as there are people in this world who burn with unjustified hatred and rancorous bitterness in their hearts towards those who simply let the law of love govern all aspects of their lives, there can be no peace. By the grace of God I am determined to overcome evil with good by employing every skill, every talent, and every weapon in my arsenal to refute, expose, confound, and destroy the works of Satanic men.–I believe that the best defense is all-out, offensive, and unrelenting war! “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds.” 2Cor.10:4

I love The Family, I love everyone in The Family, and I will do my best to defend The Family until Jesus comes back.

Because of The Family I live everyday with a sense of purpose and meaning. Because of The Family I’m an individual with a high level of self-discipline and self-control. Because of The Family I speak English, Japanese, and basic Korean. (I’m currently studying Spanish). Because of The Family I experienced life as a full-time missionary/volunteer worker in South Africa and Botswana for two years. Because of The Family I am well advanced in the musical arts. (I am proficient in playing the piano and the guitar. I am also currently an aspiring songwriter) Because of the Family I’m a confident dancer and choreographer (art forms which I enjoy immensely). Because of The Family, I’m an above average athlete. (I tend to display skill on the soccer field.) Because of the wide variety of vocational training I’ve received in The Family, along with my academic studies, I believe I can achieve anything I put my mind to.

By mentioning my qualities, it is not my intention to boast about my talents and achievements but to merely convey the truthful message that we of the second generation in the Family International are in no way inferior to our secular counterparts. In many ways, we are far superior because we realize that this decadent world is soon coming to an end and every day we are preparing for that glorious day when our Savior returns to take us home. Because of The Family I have inner peace and I can truly say that I am happy.

Akiyama Masato is a second-generation member of the Family International.