After New Jersey came the Big Apple-New York City. In Central Park, Father found a small tree growing out of a huge flat rock.

"Here," he said. Among the towering grandeur and bustle of New York City, the entire holy ground was blessed on a rock measuring at least 20 feet across. The tree growing out of it seemed to be splitting the solid rock apart.

"This shows the strength of even a small plant," Father said to the group around him. "You should be like this tree and break apart Satan's kingdom. You may feel small, but with the Divine Principle you have the tool to be powerful."

Although New York is very large and important, Father spent only one day there. They stopped by the little apartment of Moonhye Yoon (Seuk), New York's first member, for a bite to eat; then headed out of town..

North they went to the church spires and peaceful villages of historic New England. The car whizzed through Connecticut, Rhode Island, the Public Gardens of Boston, Massachusetts, and on to northern New Hampshire. In that single day, Father blessed ground in six states!

They reached Portsmouth, New Hampshire, around 10 o'clock at night. It was cold, and as a full moon shone upon the frozen ground, Father performed the ceremony.

Although it was night, their "day" was not yet finished, for they still had to hit Maine. There was not enough time to drive to the capital; therefore, while peacefully sleeping, the quiet village of Kittery received the blessing for that northern state.

Cross Country into the Sunset In Maine the car turned around and headed west. Into the night, past

the sleeping villages, over the hills and dales and rivers, and through the woods, they sped at breakneck speeds.

If someone had been watching, they would have wondered who was chasing this station wagon so loaded down with people and luggage.

Reaching Brattleboro, Vermont, at about 3 in the morning, it was March 20. Rather bleary-eyed and saddle-sore, they collapsed into their motel beds (or on their floor space). But as tired as they were, the sky had barely begun to lighten when Father woke them up and urged them on. With haste, they found City Park and blessed its ground.

The next stop was Niagara Falls. It was a long drive across New York, but they reached it by late afternoon. The ground was covered with snow there, and the spray from the roaring falls froze onto their clothes as they stood by the water's edge. The sheer power of so much water plunging nonstop over the cliffs made them feel small, indeed; and once again they marveled at the magnificence of God's handiwork. Yet, Father had taught them that creation is only a reflection of their own image. One little person is much more important than the greatest and most awesome object of creation. They turned to go feeling exhilarated-and very cold.

As they passed around Lake Erie to Cleveland, any notion of spring was put to rest. It was snowing, and it quickly developed into a blinding blizzard. For once, they had to slow down, as the driver squinted into the swirling whiteness and kept a tight grip on the wheel. Not many cars were on the road now. Occasionally, snow plows whizzed by in pairs, looming out of the blizzard like friendly monsters.

"Keep going," said Father.

"Whew! The angels sure must be guiding us," said the driver of the moment, "because I don't know what's keeping me on this road. I can't even see it, and the way the wind is blowing, I feel like I'm getting hypnotized."

While the drivers were under great strain to push on, Father looked serious but relaxed. His mind seemed to be focused on another realm, and the storm was only a minor inconvenience.

The little clapboard center in Cleveland was truly a welcome haven prepared by Pauline Phillips (Verheyen) and Ken Pope. The steaming bowls of rice and meat served at midnight quickly warmed the weary travelers and helped them forget the day's ordeal.

"Is it our imagination or is winter unusually long this year?" someone asked. It's the first day of spring, and we're battling snow and zero degree weather all the time. Isn't this the time to be looking for rain and thawing temperatures, and maybe a robin or two?"

"Yes, absolutely, responded another. "It's usually warmer by this time." They all agreed that Satan was probably working overtime.

Saying good-bye to Col. Pak and Miss Yoon, they shot up to Detroit, Michigan, the land of the car factories. Then it was south and west again, past the factories and polluted skies leading into "The Windy City," Chicago, Illinois.

Eileen Welch (Lemmers) welcomed them into her "Center" and served her best food, and then she cried because Father stayed only one night.

They finally admitted that the snow was not likely to leave them alone for awhile, so they purchased a set of chains for the tires. "The instructions say not to go over 35 miles per hour," said George

to Gordon. "It's not safe to go faster."

"Yeah," answered Gordon. "And it's hard on the car." They made very poor time.

"You can go faster," Father said. They sped up a bit.

"Faster," Father kept saying. They sped up, but within 15 miles the chains broke.

"We better get a stronger set," they agreed. Although the chains made a terrible noise and the car bumped along, they went faster and faster.

"Good," said Father.

In Madison, Wisconsin, another student of the correspondence course, Marjorie Hill, welcomed them into her home, and Father chose a little park nearby for holy ground.

Father smiled when they arrived in St. Paul, Minnesota.

"He likes the idea of staying in a city named after Paul of Jesus' time," explained Mrs. Choi. "He loves Paul and feels close to him in many ways."

The temperature was 4 degrees below zero in that northern city settled by so many hardy Scandinavians. They bundled up the best they could, and as they followed Father to the snowy hill, they literally followed in his footsteps. The snow was up to their knees in places! As always, Father's energy was far ahead of theirs. As he paced off the 4- position foundation, he walked very fast. Long gone was the leisurely pace of California.

The next day, they drove on into the vast frozen North. In Fargo, North Dakota, there wasn't as much snow on the ground and the sun was shining, but the temperature was 16 below zero-and that was at noon! They rubbed their hands together vigorously and stamped their feet to keep warm-but not Father. He didn't even wear his gloves. He concentrated fully on the ceremony and didn't seem to notice that his fingers had quickly become red and stiff.

"Why can't we be like that," wondered the others. But if they asked, he gave no answer. To follow Father means learning on our own sometimes. "Study the Principle" or "That's how serious I am," he would probably say.

In South Dakota, they had to climb up a hill on their hands and knees because of the ice and snow. The men helped Mrs. Choi and Miss Kim the best they could.

"Those two ladies are amazing," remarked one.

"Yes," answered another. "They often have to run to keep up with him. They must get tired, but they never complain."

The next day, as they drove south to Nebraska, yet another storm hit them, and they put on the trusty chains again. Carefully, yet speedily, they made their way to Omaha and found a motel. As they often did, they all slept in one or two rooms, some on the beds and some on the floor.

When they awoke the next morning, the world was a dazzling wonderland of white, and they had to sweep at least a foot of new snow off the car. They located a park with a small zoo, and a flock of sheep watched silently as their True Shepherd sanctified the earth around them.

The road to Wyoming was also icy, and once again they prayed unceasingly that they wouldn't skid off the road. Very few cars were even attempting further travel that day, and they passed abandoned cars all along the way. Yet they continued on. Neither snow, nor rain, nor sleet, nor hail....

Father blessed land in Lyons Park in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with a toy railroad track running beside it.

A meal had been prepared in the Center, but Mrs. Choi informed them, "Father is anxious to travel on to Denver. He doesn't want to take time to eat here. Perhaps we could take the food with us and eat it there."

They quickly packed it up and headed south. The smell of the food accompanied them and urged them on. Eventually, seated with Galen and Patty Pumphrey in Denver, Colorado, the food was a banquet. And it was very late.

"We'll leave early," said Father, "right after we bless ground." But the next morning, right after they blessed ground in City Park around a huge oak tree, the car suddenly rebelled.

"No! No! I won't go!" it seemed to scream. "I can't go another inch on this burnt-out valve." By the time it could be repaired, it was 3:30 in the afternoon. Precious time had been lost.

"Should we wait until tomorrow to leave?" asked one driver as he looked apprehensively at the overcast sky. In his heart, he knew the answer before it was given, and soon they were driving off into what was left of the cold gray day.

Father must have had a premonition, for suddenly he said something in Korean and Mrs. Choi translated, "Father says we should not go west over the Rocky Mountains as planned."

"We could head north and spend the night in Laramie, Wyoming," suggested one of the drivers. "From there, we can drive straight across Wyoming to Salt Lake City."

"That is good," said Father. Both drivers heaved a sigh of relief, for they knew how treacherous the mountains can be in winter and spring. The northern route would be less mountainous.

But the next day, their sighs of relief turned to sighs to relieve tension. Snow began to fall once again, and the winds soon followed. The snow was whipped around them and over them until they could hardly see. As they came up behind big trucks, huge clouds of snow and ice were flung onto their windshield. The visibility was zero. Whenever they reached the side of the truck, they could see again, but each time it was a terrifying experience.

"Don't worry," Father kept telling them. "Go faster." At some points they went 80 miles per hour, even though the roads were covered with snow. Lesser people would have died of heart attacks.

Well after dark, they arrived at the home of a member in Salt Lake City. David Kim had come from Oregon, and the cozy home looked extra warm and inviting to the travelers after such a harrowing day on the road. The next morning they took a quick tour of the Mormon Tabernacle. It

is a grand church built by the Mormons in the city founded by the Mormons.

Father blessed ground on a bald mountain top nearby. The view of the city on one side and snow-covered mountains on the other provided a stunning setting. As usual, they didn't take much time to enjoy its beauty.

"Kapshida! (Let's go!)" said Father.

That evening, they were welcomed by Vernon Pearson in Boise, Idaho. As the rain softly fell, Father chose a spot in Julia Davis Park to bless.

Then, "Kapshida!" And they were off again.