I came up to the prayer of Hannah, "My heart rejoices in the LORD", that describes the strong confidence to the LORD, and "There ia none except thee, none so holy as the LORD, no rock like our God","Cease your proud boasting, let no word of arrogance pass your lips; for the LORD is a god of all knowledge." What crossed in David who cut off a piece of Saul's cloak was, I interpreted, the common thought with the prayer. The absolute confidence to the LORD, the strong mind that enables me to live only with the LORD, are my ultimate targets. I cannot but pray for getting them.

Ms. Motoko Hani wrote more: "If you realize that the LORD is the only exsistence you can deeoly believe in, your heart will be eased and become clear", or "During your eager pray, you'll find that your pray gwill give a light to the world through the darkness. It is a foundation on which the eternal peace is constructed, instead of fragil armored peace."

The passages reminds me of a person, Mr. Takeharu Terao who passed away three years ago in Oita. He was exposed to Hiroshima A-bomb when he was 20 years old. He hadn't opened his mouth even to his wife. One day late in his life, he decided to publish his experience on a personal computer communication group.

We all were deeply moved by his brave decision. One of his old students thought the record should be read by all the people in the world, and finally published it on an Internet web site after his death. We also approved of the publication and cooperated with him. The site has been creating a continuous sensation all around the world.

One day last autumn, a message arrived from a Korean professor Mr. Lee of Changshin College.

Mr. Lee came across the site by chance and sent a message saying:
"Mr. Terao knew that complaint, quarrel, fights, and disharmony would not get the situation better. He knew that only forgiveness, love, and peace would recover the past wounds. That was why he wrote at the end of his record 'I always appreciate the society.' Mr. Terao shows the power of the spirit that maintains the Japanese society as well as the world in peace. I find an unquenchable light of life in Mr. Terao's record."

In World War 2, Japan invaded Korea and gave unthinkable damages to Korean people. Professor Lee, however, didn't refer to it at all. He just intended to quote Mr. Terao's record to his English textbook to be used in his college in order to make the students read about Mr. Terao.

In commemoration of his textbook, we three visited Changshin College in Masan in April 1999. When I learned that both of President Byung-Do Kang and Ms. Mun Jong Ae, professor Lee's mother-in-law, spoke fluent Japanese, I couldn't but feel ashamed and cast my eyes down. What was happy to me, they opened their minds and talked frankly each other.

In late July, one of my close friends Mrs. Takahashi of Jounan branch of our Group of Friends asked me to accomodate two highschool students for three days. What was surprising was the students were from Changshin Highschool attached to Changshin College. The world is small, indeed.

Another Korean female student had stayed in my home in this March. She visited some houses of my friends and joined a meeting of our group. She was very glad to have so many new experiences.

There are many difficult things in country-to-country relationship, but I believe world peace starts from the small steps through person-to-person communications like above.

In our Group of Friends' activities, we always encourage each other in learning how to improve our lives, keeping household account, and preserving natural resources in order to construct healthy homes. I think such basic activities with careful eyes are the parts of creating world peace.

Just as everything in our daily lives is the base for peaceful life, I strongly believe to make importance of the life by "telling the truth to neighbors."