These stories have taken shape because my children urged me to write out what I remember of our experiences in China and Japan. They thought that these stories might serve as a valuable resource for them, and for others as well. The process has taken a long time, and was not started until after my 80th birthday had come and gone. There are several reasons why this process has moved so slowly, one of these is that "slowly" describes well the way I move these days.

It is my sincere prayer that these stories will serve as an inspiration to the persons who have known Louella and I through the years. Her diaries have been my main source of reference, and have been quite effective in prodding my memory. Although her diaries are brief in their content, I soon found that I recalled many incidents connected to the ones about which she wrote. Also, my children have often asked about incidents that I had almost forgotten about, and in responding to their inquiries, I have remembered more of what may be told.

My beloved wife's name was Louella, and her life was an inspiration to me. As a companion, she was truly an encouragement and she always worked with me in order to accomplish our goals. Wilbert Shenk, our Board Secretary, one time commented that, "Gene and Louella are a good team," and that is what we tried to be as we served the Lord together.

Eugene Blosser