Gaylan Mathiesen was born on August 3, 1952, and graduated from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy (CLB) in 1970. It was at Hillcrest that he began to develop an adult understanding of God's work in his life and began to learn about God's mission in the world. During his college days he met and married Magdalene Joy Larsen, who grew up in northern Japan, the daughter of missionary parents who served with the Church of the Lutheran Brethren (CLB). His relationship with Joy heightened his interest in missions in Asia.
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