My name is Yoko Matsuoka; I live in Tokyo, Japan.

Living the life of a missionary in the Family International is a great privilege that I am eternally thankful to God and my parents for. They have given me the kind of childhood and upbringing that I wish everyone in the world could partake of.

I was home schooled for most of my life and firmly believe that the method of home schooling is far superior to that of secular schooling. I graduated from junior high school at the age of fourteen and then graduated senior high school at the age of 16. Because I finished my studies early I now have a head start of more than a year to begin vocational training in the job I love, that of being a missionary and teaching children.

Where else in society can you find a movement that provides love, support, excitement, change, valuable training in all aspects of life, and a real sense of belonging than the Family? I doubt you could find any such place. In the Family I have a chance to daily interact with people from all walks of life, from many different countries and cultures. I have the opportunity to really do something to help my fellow man, to make the world a better place.

True, my life was not, and is not perfect. But then again, no one can boast of a perfect life. But I do believe that my life up until now has been happy, exciting, fulfilling, challenging, meaningful and productive. In my mind, that is about as close to perfect as you can get.

Yoko Matsuoka is a second-generation member of The Family International