Primary School

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  • My name is Esther Byeongmi Lee, and I have the great privilege of serving as the first staff member of WICS. Before joining the school’s founding committee, I received a clear and heartfelt calling from God—to nurture students as Christ-centered leaders who will serve His Kingdom and impact the nations.

    With a major in Education and a minor in English Education, I am passionate about teaching and wholeheartedly committed to the growth of our students. It is my joy and honor to walk alongside them as they develop through the education offered at WICS.

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  • Hello! My name is Miko Oyakawa and I was born and raised in Northern Ontario, Canada. As you may be able to tell from my name, I am of Okinawan descent, however, it wasn’t until 2015 that I moved to Japan for the first time. Since then, I believe God has planted in me a heart for the country of my roots. Serving in the WICS community, truly a tight-knit family, has been a great privilege and blessing. By His grace, I look forward to growing alongside the students, staff and families for many years to come.

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  • My name is Hazel Peralta, and I primarily teach English at WICS. I graduated from Oral Roberts University in Oklahoma, USA, with a bachelor’s in Writing. I later studied at Temple University, Tokyo, and received a master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). I love languages, especially the English language, and I enjoy helping students on their individual journeys toward communication proficiency. As a teacher, I hope to show students that good communication skills not only allow them to share information effectively, but also let them use their God-given ability to create great works.

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  • Aloha! My name is Erika Sataraka, and I was born and raised in both Hawaii and Japan. I attended an international school in Japan and I graduated from New Hope Christian College in Oregon, USA, with a Bachelor of Science in Christian Counseling. I am excited to teach, learn, and grow with the students and see them grow into world changers for Jesus!

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  • I primarily teach Kindergarten and Physical Education for lower Primary students. I am a licensed Physical Therapist, registered in the Philippines, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy. Additionally, I am a certified Autism Movement Therapy provider with specialized training and certification in Program of Essential Competencies in Sensory Integration. Before joining WICS in 2020, I worked as a pediatric and school-based Physical Therapist in Malaysia for 12 years, supporting children with special needs, and spent 3 years in a hospital setting in the Philippines before transitioning to early childhood and early intervention. In 2022, I helped establish WICS Kindergarten, driven by my passion for fostering children’s spiritual and developmental growth.

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  • Hello! My name is Isiah Large, and I am a teacher at WICS. I graduated from New Hope Christian College in Eugene, Oregon, USA. I love Jesus and basketball, and I want to relate to the children through what I love. I want to encourage, teach, and develop students in their academic abilities, passions, and faith, raising up the next generation. I hope that they have a bright future and shine for Jesus.

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  • Hello! My name is Alecia Bonson. I am the fifth grade homeroom teacher at WICS. I graduated from Taylor University in Indiana, USA with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Writing. I also completed a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) through Biola University, which is located in California, USA. As a teacher, I want to encourage my students to hunger to learn more about God's world and to reflect Jesus' love to the people in it.

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  • Hello, my name is Hani Kim, and I am the receptionist at WICS Primary School. I grew up in Japan, and I speak English, Korean, and Japanese. I enjoy watching Korean Dramas, and I also love playing with kids! I hope that through my work, I can help our students have a good time and get to know who Jesus is.

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  • I teach music classes from Kindergarten to 5th grade and lead the piano club at WICS Primary. Before coming to Japan in 2020, I served as a music director for a church and Bible school in Malaysia for nearly 15 years. I am passionate about serving Jesus through music, and it brings me joy to see children express their praise and worship through the music they play. My goal is to inspire students to develop their musical talents while nurturing a heart of worship.

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  • Hello, my name is Anna Touchberry. I was born and raised in the state of Minnesota in the USA. I have had a love for Japan since I was little. My major in university was history and Asian studies. My interest in Japan grew stronger through these studies. I have been in Japan since 2007 to help teach and nurture the young minds of the next generation from kindergarten to junior high school. 

Secondary School

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  • Warm greetings, everyone! My family immigrated to the USA from South Korea when I was a teenager. After finishing high school in Northern Virginia, I earned a B.A. in Religious Studies (minor: Philosophy) from Boston University, an M.Div. from Westminster Seminary California, and a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. Before God sent me to Japan in 2016 to work at WICS, I had served at churches and mission agencies in the USA and Canada since 1995. An ordained Presbyterian pastor, I teach Bible, Christian Theology, Philosophy, and World Religions classes at WICS. As an adjunct professor in the USA, I also teach online doctoral seminary students. A few of my hobbies are reading, gardening, and traveling.

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  • My name is Debbie Im. I was born and raised in S. Korea, but lived and worked in the USA for 30 years. I earned these degrees from Western Washington University: a Master of Education, and a B.A. in East Asian Studies (minors: Japanese and TESOL). At WICS, I emphasize academic excellence based on Christian worldview and values. I pray that God would use me to instill in WICS students global perspectives, lifelong learning attitude, and caring for others. My husband and I have two adult children in America. I love reading, dancing, and singing.

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  • Hello! My name is Robert Edward Shiffer II. I grew up in Hawaii and later traveled to Japan where I have lived since 2016. While I have lived in Japan, I came to find my passion for education through my experiences volunteering, and I also came to realize Jesus’ guidance in my life. So that I could practice my hands and reflect God’s light as best I could, I studied to obtain my Master’s degree in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Temple University Japan. I eagerly look forward to doing my best to teach my future students.

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  • Hello! My name is Jonathan Tan, and I teach English, Mathematics and Physical Education at WICS. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Comp. Science with Mathematics) from the National University of Singapore and obtained a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (English, Physical Education) from the National Institute of Education. After teaching for over 15 years in Singapore, I came to Tokyo together with my wife and daughter in 2022 to begin serving God at WICS. As an educator, I believe in always giving off my best to my students and pointing them towards Christ.

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  • My name is Bill Komansilan and I came from Indonesia. I took my B.Ed. in Math Education minoring in Theology from Pelita Harapan University. I also graduated with an M.A. in learning, education, and technology from Oulu University in Finland. For five years, I taught at a Christian high school in Indonesia before I discovered God was calling me to share His good news particularly to places where most of the people barely hear of. I hope the math lessons I teach would help students see how orderly and unchanging our God is.

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  • My name is Christianna Traynor. I teach English and social studies at WICS. I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and moved to Tokyo in 2015. I received my Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham in Studio Art and Japanese Studies and later got my professional TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) certificate from UC San Diego Extension. I enjoy baking, watching movies, and chatting about language and culture. Above all, I take great joy in following God’s call to teach in Tokyo and to share His love with each of my students.

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  • My name is Jose Carlos Sandoval Tayag. I was born in the Philippines, but I grew up in Saudi Arabia where I came to faith in Christ as a young child. I later moved to the Philippines for college and medical school. After receiving my M.D. and passing the Philippine Physician Licensure Examination, I discovered my calling in education while serving as an assistant professor of physiology teaching medical students. After moving to a different university, I served as a lecturer of various biology courses for undergraduate students. In 2018, I came to Okinawa for my Ph.D. in Medicine (Pharmacotherapeutics) and moved to Tokyo in 2023. As the secondary school Science teacher at WICS, it is my hope and prayer to help my students to see how all things are by, through, and for Christ.

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  • My name is Leandro Bondad. As a licensed teacher with over 15 years of experience from elementary to high school levels, I am deeply passionate about nurturing young minds. I earned a bachelor's degree in Secondary Education, majoring in Physical Science, from Laguna State Polytechnic University in the Philippines.

    In addition to teaching, I am a textbook author specializing in science for grade school and junior high. I have also completed a  diploma in Pedagogical Leadership from Creative Council Education in Finland. My journey brought me to Japan with a mission to share the love of God through education. I am committed to making a positive impact on my students, helping them grow and deeply rooted in God’s love.

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  • Hello! My name is Tae Pun. I am an office staff member and a Japanese teacher at WICS Secondary School. I was born and grew up in Tokyo. I lived in England, Hawaii and New Zealand for 20 years in total until 2023. I like to write original worship songs when I have free time. I am very happy to work at WICS and see students’ growth both academically and spiritually. I also enjoy thinking of creative ways to teach Japanese.