Master Arrives in America - Hail To The Brightness!

Jim and Mary Flemming
New Age Frontiers - February 15, 1965

The Great Day dawned for us before the sun was up. At 5:50 am on the still, cool morning of Friday, February 12th, our Master set foot upon the continent of North America! Twenty-seven highly honored, greatly privileged, and totally breathless members of the Unified Family in the United States were on hand to greet him and Mrs. Choi as they stepped off the Japan Airlines flight from Hawaii at San Francisco International Airport.

Among the fortunate few were the three missionaries from Korea whose love and single-minded devotion were responsible for the presence of Americans at the momentous occasion -- Miss Young Oon Kim, Col. Bo Hi Pak, and Mr. David Kim. Other representatives included Alexa Altamare and Jhoon Rhee from Washington, DC; David Bridges and John Schmedly from Portland, Oregon; Galen Pumphrey, Denver; Doris Walder and Gordon Ross, Los Angeles; Carl Rapkins, Fresno; John Pinkerton, Sacramento, Edwin Ang and Tom Keryk, Berkeley, Lowell and Kathy Martin, Oakland; Pearl World, Jim and Mary Fleming from Burlingame; George Norton, Sandi Pinkerton, Peter and Shirley Robinson, Orah Schoon, Herb Kraegel, and Mrs. S. S. Lim of San Francisco; and Ernest Stewart, recently returned from a year in Korea.

There were meetings for members every night during their seven days stay here, including one meeting on Saturday night for members and guests (those familiar with the Principles and its conclusion). Days were devoted to showing our Leader and Mrs. Choi points of interest in and around San Francisco. The Official Party stayed at the Oakland Center, new headquarters since the first of the year. Other visiting members stayed at the Berkeley, San Francisco and Burlingame Centers.

As he will do in each place he visits, the high point of the Master's visit in the San Francisco area was the selection and sanctification of Sacred Ground. The site was chosen on February 14th, and the ceremony took place on the 15th. This will be Holy Ground for all members in this area, and has already been the scene of several meetings for prayer and renewal.

The Official Party left the Oakland Center for Los Angeles at 9:30 am Friday, February 19th. The Party included our Master, Mrs. Choi, Miss Kim, George Norton, Gordon Ross, and Eva Sepp of Germany who arrived in S.F. on the western leg of her American journey a few days before.

Reports of the rest of the trip will be included in later editions of the newsletter.

What can we say to convey to you our feelings during this Great Week in ' our lives? Even Hollywood superlatives pale into insignificance. Perhaps it will suffice to say that our Leader left behind him a Family whose dedication and devotion are now supreme. The car had no sooner left the driveway in Oakland than the Bay Area groups swung into action.

There is so much to be done, so many to contact, to teach, to tell this marvelous true message! If we were convinced before, our conviction now is absolute. We must work and grow and accomplish, for his sake and in his name! There is nothing else we can do, no other way we can go, no other cause so worthy than returning the world to God, our Father! To this end, we pledge our blood, sweat and tears!