Shiina, a freshman in college, is enjoying a cozy life in Niigata Prefecture dating her coppersmith boyfriend, Shuu. She’s grown used to the rhythmic sound of his hammer, inwardly dubbing him the “smithing nut” for his obsession with hunkering down in the workshop, even on his days off. What she’s not ready for is a sudden proposal out of nowhere! Barely out of high school, is she ready for the next step? And more importantly, can she really hack marrying into a prestigious smithing family?

Daily life continues for Shuu and Shiina. Shuu trains a new mentor in coppersmithing, Shiina dives into her training to become head clerk of the shop, and the two enjoy the coziness of their home together. But as the days go on, the stoic Shuu struggles to communicate his love and appreciation to Shiina. Then he finds his moment: a romantic couple’s getaway to Sado Island! With everything planned out down to the most intricate of details, Shuu should have this in the bag—but he soon runs into an unexpected problem. Can Shuu still pull this trip together and show Shiina what she really means to him?

What's the natural next step in a relationship before marriage? For Shiina and Shuu, it’s moving into an apartment together! But each up comes with its own down, and the couple is surprised by the roadblocks popping up alongside the conveniences and fun of sharing a cozy abode. This is especially true for Shuu, who has a habit of not voicing his emotions, complaints or otherwise. Can the two of them hold on to their lovestruck bliss and successfully navigate the challenges that come with cohabitation?

Following in the footsteps of one’s family is never easy—especially when that family runs a traditional coppersmithing business in rural Japan. This is a tough lesson for Shuu, who must now decide whether to follow the path his father walked or find his own. But that’s not the only thing he must learn. A coppersmith must meet the expectations of their clients—and the clients themselves—something with which the reticent Shuu struggles. Somehow life has become more complicated than simply hammering away on copper. With his loving fiancée Shiina as his anchor, can the smithing nut rise to all the challenges his vocation presents?

The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India is a four-volume ethnological study of the caste system written by Robert Vane Russell. The book is the result of the arrangement made by India's Government for the preparation of an ethnological account, dealing with the inhabitants of each of the principal Provinces of India. Although being a four-volume study, the study is basically divided in two parts. The first part, consisting of volume one, contains articles on the religions and sects of the people of the Central Provinces and the glossary of minor castes and other articles, synonyms, subcastes, titles and names of exogamous septs or clans. The second part, consisting of volumes two, three and four, contains descriptive articles on the principal castes and tribes of the Central Provinces.

This issue of The Ministry contains a complete record of the six messages given during the 2007 Thanksgiving Weekend Conference held in Boston, Massachusetts on November 22-25, 2007. The general subject of the conference was "Closely Following the Present Vision of the Lord's Recovery." The burden of these messages can be summarized in the following four statements: 1) To live out and work out the New Jerusalem is to live out and work out God's complete salvation according to the intrinsic essence of the unique New Testament ministry for the reality of the Body of Christ and a new revival; 2) God became man so that man may become God in life and nature but not in the Godhead to produce and build up the Body of Christ for the fulfillment of God's economy to close this age and bring Christ back to set up His kingdom; 3) God's intention is, through the universal woman, to bring forth the man-child--the stronger part of God's people--whom He will use to defeat His enemy and bring in His kingdom; and 4) We must closely follow the present vision of the Lord's recovery by holding to the teaching of the apostles to remain in the essence of oneness. The Reports and Announcements section includes a schedule concerning the upcoming conferences and trainings for 2008.