Last month, I sent a video message to the Brazilian members, asking their forgiveness for visiting Angola first, before Brazil, with my wife, Mami. When the Church in Japan came to know the content of this video message, they contacted me, expressing their desire to support me, however they can, so that Mami can also accompany me when I go to Portugal and Brazil this year. Surprised yet grateful for their sentiment, Mami and I humbly accepted the proposal of the Church. That is, Mami and I will visit Portugal and Brazil this year. We also received our children’s permission and blessings before we made the final decision. Without their understanding and support, going on these trips is impossible. Mami is super excited, to say the least, to meet all of you in Portugal, Angola and Brazil. It is the very first time that she is accompanying me on these official missionary visits to countries overseas, and her first time ever to set foot in Portugal and Angola. She cannot wait to meet all of you and also spend time together with you in your kitchen to learn all the delicious vegan dishes that you prepare in your countries. For me, it will be the first time to try vegan food in Portugal. How exciting! And my mouth starts to water just thinking about the funge and muteta of Angola and the rice and feijão of Brazil. Everyone in Angola, are you all united as one under President Cabuço in whom I have full trust? Beware of all the lies. Kyoshu-sama and I stand as one with President Cabuço. In Brazil, this time, I am looking forward to trying mandioquinha, jabuticaba and pitanga. I hope the season is right for these foods. Well, enough about the food because I might not be able to go back to talking about something more serious. But can I just say, isn’t it amazing that Meishu-sama left us the Sacred Word saying that humanity will follow a vegan diet in the world of Miroku, in a paradise on earth? And really, accepting this Sacred Word 100 percent and practicing it is one of the greatest things you can do in your life. I promise you that. Let’s be followers of Meishu-sama in the truest sense. Now, back to something more serious. When I go to Brazil this November, I will be consecrating, in the name of Kyoshu-sama, an area of land located in the city of Itaboraí in the state of Rio de Janeiro. And what a blessing it was to acquire this land. I mean, think of all the elements that have to do with water: Rio de Janeiro, meaning “river of January,” Itaboraí, meaning “beautiful stone hidden in the water,” and Itaboraí being a city that developed around a church dedicated to John the Baptist, who performed baptism with water. Not only that, the Church in Brazil acquired this land on April 17 this year, on Holy Thursday, the day when Jesus, before the famous last supper, washed the feet of his disciples with, of course, water. If we were to choose one day related to the Easter season that has to do with water, it would be Holy Thursday, wouldn’t it? And this was the very day that the Church acquired the land. On top of that, this land was registered under the name of “Born Anew Farm” in Portuguese. I guess one of the previous owners named it this way. I mean, what? Think about all these miracles that God is showing us. Who can deny that Meishu-sama is behind all this? Meishu-sama is definitely behind World Church of Messiah and World Church of Messiah only, and not Sekai Kyuse . . . no, I’m not gonna go there. Just kidding. Back to serious. On Holy Thursday, when Jesus tried to wash his disciples’ feet, Peter said to Jesus not to wash his feet, as it was something that servants usually do, and in Peter’s mind, Jesus was definitely not his servant. But then Jesus said to him, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8). When I read this part of the Bible, it struck me. It struck me that water, ultimately, is Jesus’s blood. Unless you are washed with Jesus’s blood, you will never be clean nor be connected to him. In this sense, I think we have to admit that the baptism with water and Jesus’s blood are not separate but are one. God is now asking us, “What is the significance of the Sacred Ground of Water in Brazil? What does water signify for you?” To this, I believe there is only one answer. The water of the Sacred Ground of Water in Brazil signifies this: Jesus’s blood; Jesus’s blood of atonement; the sacred, golden blood that Jesus offered to God two thousand years ago; the blood that cleanses and forgives our sins. This is why Meishu-sama allowed us to have a sacred ground in Brazil, one of the greatest Christian countries in the world. Be clear in your mind about what “water” means when we talk about the Sacred Ground of Water. We need to determine in our hearts that the water of the Sacred Ground of Water means the blood of Jesus. What about the Sacred Ground of Soil in Angola, then? What does “soil” signify? In Genesis, it is written that “God formed a man from the dust of the ground” (2:7), that is, God created a human being from the dust of the soil. Yes, we were banished from the Garden of Eden and sent to earth. But then, by sending us to earth, God gave us a chance to be His children one more time, just like we were His children in the Garden of Eden. That is, even though God banished us from heaven, He still wished to welcome us back to His home once more as His children, out of His unfailing love. And by the way, in the Garden of Eden, we were all following a vegan diet. Did you know that? In the Garden of Eden, God allowed us to eat only vegetables and fruits, no meat or fish. In any case, I believe that soil of the Sacred Ground of Soil signifies this: the birth of humanity and the love of God who wishes to receive us once more as His children into His heaven. In one word, it is love. The love of God. That is why the Sacred Ground of Soil exists, and that is why Meishu-sama prepared this Sacred Ground for us in Angola, in Africa. Now, about the Sacred Ground of Fire in Japan—what is this fire? Meishu-sama clearly and repeatedly said that “fire” is God’s judgment, as you can see in the following hymn of Meishu-sama: “Oh, how fierce is the fire of judgment! / When it comes, / Though you may look up to heaven / And pray to God, / It will be too late.” Or we also have the following hymn of Meishu-sama: “Even amidst the raging, world-ending fire that devours everything, / I fear nothing. / For I am enveloped in the cloak of God’s spirit.” Meishu-sama is saying that even amidst the apocalyptic fire of judgment, he can come out unharmed, for he is clothed with God’s spirit. What is this cloak that Meishu-sama is wearing that can fend off any fire, any judgment? Of course it is forgiveness. Meishu-sama accepted Jesus’s blood of atonement and received God’s forgiveness. That is why the raging fire does not consume him. What am I getting at? I am trying to tell you that fire of the Sacred Ground of Fire in Japan means judgment and forgiveness. John the Baptist said that Jesus would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11), and Jesus did that, didn’t he? On the day of Pentecost, fifty days after his resurrection, Jesus sent fire in the shape of tongues to his disciples and also sent the Holy Spirit. Jesus sent us fire to judge us, but at the same time, he sent us the Holy Spirit, imbued with God’s forgiveness. This year, we celebrate the day of Pentecost on June 8. And it is on this day that Kyoshu-sama and I decided to consecrate the Sacred Ground of Fire here in Japan. And look how the significance of fire and the day of Pentecost match perfectly. I know most of you cannot participate in this consecration ceremony, but I want you to think about everything I said on the three Sacred Grounds today and reflect on the heart of Meishu-sama who is allowing us to have these Sacred Grounds, even though two of them have yet to be consecrated. It is hard, no, impossible to deny that Meishu-sama is behind all this, isn’t it? That is, World Church of Messiah is no doubt led by Meishu-sama through Kyoshu-sama. So with this conviction in our hearts, let us make this Church be known to everyone around us. In Christianity, the day of Pentecost is considered to be the birthday of the Christian Church. It was the day when Christians began to spread their gospel to the world. Now, for us who are officially moving forward as World Church of Messiah after the end of a long trial, I believe this Pentecost, this June 8, signifies the real birth of World Church of Messiah and the beginning of our mission in spreading our gospel, the true will of Jesus Christ and Meishu-sama, to the world. That is, the time has come for all of humanity who were born on earth, on soil, to know that they need to receive the true water of life, meaning Jesus’s blood of atonement, survive God’s raging fire of judgment, be forgiven by the Holy Spirit and be born anew as God’s children, as Messiahs. With the three Sacred Grounds of Soil, Water and Fire in our hearts, let us proclaim this salvation to everyone we know. Let us start our mission. Are you ready?