In mid January 2010, I received a call from the Area President, who told me of the planned consolidation of the Hiroshima Mission. The consolidation was to take place on or about July 1st and would result in the closure of the Hiroshima Mission with about two thirds of that mission being absorbed by the Kobe Mission.
Shortly after hearing this news, I found a map and began to ponder the implications of this change. As I looked at the map, the island of Awaji continued to come to mind. Awaji lies between Honshu and Shikoku, two of the four main islands of Japan. Awaji sits in the Inland Sea and connects Shikoku and Honshu with two wonderful bridges located on opposite sides of the island. Near the center of Awaji, lies the town of Sumoto which is home to the Sumoto Branch of the Kobe Stake.