Preparing the Sacred Ground for farmland expansion The Sacred Ground of Soil continues to greatly advance Christ Farming established by Masaaki-sama by Masaaki-sama. In March, 828 members came to take part in dedicatory work. Alongside the construction of a rainwater storage reservoir, weeding and the removal of thorny trees blocking pathways were carried out in order to expand the farmland. Two planting beds, each 1 meter wide and 10 meters long, were also prepared. Seeds of lettuce, tomato, eggplant, and Portuguese kale were sown, and 17 papaya seedlings were planted. The harvest yielded 13 kg of papaya, 1 kg of jindungo (a type of red chili pepper), and 1 kg of green chili pepper. ＊＊＊ In Angola, an overnight training program in dedicatory work was held at the Sacred Ground of Soil for regional directors and chiefs of missionary areas, marking the beginning of initiatives to practice Christ Farming in every province across the country. Below, we share a testimony from that training. From the very first day of dedicatory work, Lino Chinanga, lead minister of the Lubango Church in Huíla Province, felt strong anger toward the monkeys that came to eat the papaya and watermelon. However, as the training progressed, the following thought arose naturally within him: “The monkeys were created by God, and all living beings are connected to me.” Together with his fellow participants, he then practiced surrendering to God, in the name of Masaaki-sama, the negative feelings he harbored toward the monkeys. To his surprise, his perception of everything around him was completely transformed. He came to feel with strong conviction that the time had come to save those suffering within him, and that God was receiving all of those feelings into His heaven. Lino now holds the conviction that he can be born anew together with all humanity connected to him, and for this he expresses his deep gratitude to Masaaki-sama. PhotosPhoto 1 (above): Female members working together on weeding.Photo 2 (above): Removing trees that were blocking the pathways.Photo 3 (above): Clearing away tangled trees and undergrowth.Photo 4 (above): Carrying loads while maintaining balance on a steep slope.Photo 5 (above): The construction of the reservoir nears completion.Photo 6 (above): Many members working together.