This book recounts the story of the Unification movement in America during the latter part of the 20th century. The first missionary, Dr. Young Oon Kim arrived in early 1959 and we tell her story and the stories of all who have been drawn by God to do His work of Unification in this great country.

In the Bible we find many occurrences of the number 40; the 40-day flood at the time of Noah and Jesus’ 40-day fast being but two instances. The Israelites’ 40 years in the wilderness may be more germane. It seemed appropriate at this time, the dawn of the new millennium, to look back at these 40 years of work, 1959–1999. We have done so not just as historians, though running through each chapter is the historical narrative written by Dr. Michael Mickler, Professor of Church History at the Unification Theological Seminary. We have, in addition, created a documentary. From the thousands of testimonies published over the years and from the hundreds submitted for this project, we chose a selection, some compelling, some deep, some curious but all relevant to the experience.

The stories speak for themselves. We want to record the minute details as well as look at the sweeping events. The Unification movement in America over these 40 years has been a unique mix -- a heart of working together, despite national, cultural and racial differences. The melting pot that God created in America has worked its magic. The real victory is the one of love and goodness breaking down all the barriers.

Our intention is to embrace the entire 40-year period -- to convey the large drama as well as the color and life within the daily happenings. Coursing through the history, the memoirs, the contemplations is a diverse and striking collection of photographs chosen by Jonathan Gullery. They add excitement to the discovery. New vistas are stumbled upon, old truths are seen in a new light, memories become clear, things make sense.

As editor I would like to take the opportunity to thank all those involved for their wonderful work. Gratitude must first go to our True Parents for inspiring us in this work. Second, I wish to thank Michael Mickler for the countless hours he invested in this project. Thanks are due to Jonathan Gullery for his great work in design and layout. Thanks also to Mrs. Kim B. and Mrs. Debbie Gullery for helping to collect and edit the testimonies and to Mrs. Louise Perlowitz for her careful proofreading.

Thanks most of all to our brothers and sisters for all they have given. This is their story, the story of the American tradition, the coming of age of the elder son nation.

Michael Inglis, Editor

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