FFWPU USA: New Year, New Hope - National CARP USA Workshop

“[True Parents] have my highest, utmost respect,” shared a CARP member from New York. “I appreciate True Parents’ commitment and dedication to keeping the faith and spreading God’s Word. It reminds me that anything is possible, and the sky’s the limit.”

A recent national CARP workshop brought new hope for the student organization in the new year. The 7- day “New Hope” workshop, held Jan. 2 through Jan. 8 at the Cheon Shim Won in Las Vegas, drew some 50 participants from across the country. “We had a lot of learning and fun activities, and a lot of laughter,” said Jinil Fleischman, CARP USA President, while sharing about the program during a Jan. 17 leaders’ meeting.

“Our purpose was to provide a space for new members who have spiritual children and guests who have completed their study of the Divine Principle,” said Fleischman. “They wanted to know more deeply about True Parents and about our movement and have that kind of transformational experience.”

Twenty-one young guests invited by CARP members joined the workshop where they heard from the main lecturer and Dallas pastor, Rev. Hideyuki Sakai. The program covered two days of Divine Principle content, and three days of focusing on True Parents’ life course. “It was very deep content, [some of which] was even new for those who grew up in the movement,” said Fleischman. “Everyone was very attentive, and I think the spirit of Cheon Shim Won helped us to receive the lectures.”

In a short amount of time, guests were able to powerfully connect with the program material as well as each other. The group also enjoyed testimonies, including one from True Parents’ former security guard, Bob Smart. “He shared a lot of very deep, personal stories about his experiences with True Parents,” Fleischman said. “[He shared] the kinds of stories I don’t think anyone else could tell besides him or someone else who was physically there with them. It was really incredible.”

“I’m inspired by [True Parents’] determination and how they are able to live purely with the Will of God always in mind and in their heart,” shared a participant from Dallas. “I want to be able to live like True Parents and devote myself to them; I want to help them with everything.”

Another participant from Los Angeles resonated most with the lectures focused on True Father. “[This is] because I realized how much [True Father] had to go through and sacrificed for the world,” said the participant. “He became a perfected individual and truly lived for the sake of others through God’s heart.”

The weeklong program also featured outdoor activities in nature, as well as entertainment nights including skits and various games. Fleischman said, regardless of their level of understanding or involvement, all participants visited the Cheon Shim Won prayer hall as well. This opportunity touched guests who were very familiar with the movement, as well as those newly introduced to the Divine Principle who had never before attended CARP or church meetings.

“I think it helped all of our participants feel closer to True Parents and understand who they are and their quality of heart,” said Fleischman. “[Guests’] relationship with their spiritual parent was their spiritual lifeline … By the end of this workshop, there was such a spiritual connection to True Parents that it was so natural for everyone to go together to the prayer hall to offer devotion and prayer.”

The workshop concluded with the group feeling uplifted and determined going forward in the new year. “I am going to actively work to be a champion of God,” shared a participant from Maryland. “And spread His love wherever I go, because all is possible through Him.”

You can connect with a CARP USA chapter near you here.

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To beg in t he new year, Natio nal CAR P hosted the 7-day “N ew Hope Work shop” in Las Vegas, Year in Review N evada fro m Jan. 2nd - 8t h, 2023. The obj ective of this ret reat was t o ignite new hope into each participant t hro ug h unde rstand ing the Divine Princi12le and d iv ing int o the life and m issio n of CARP fo unde rs Rev. Dr. Sun My ung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja H an Moon. By unde rst and ing th e ir heart and lif elong comm itm ent t o world peace, the hope was fo r all t he part icipa nts to find a deepe r ca lling for t he ir own life. The w ho le retreat was he ld at t he beaut iful p rop e rty w here Father and Mother Moon used to resid e w hich was a perfect location for a spiritual re treat. Over fifty pa rticip ants and staff were able to j o in.

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Each mo rn ing st arted w ith an “ene rg izer” an d a sp irit ual gu idance. There were ma ny fun energize rs th at g ot everyone moving w it h laug hte r w hile bonding together. Mo rni ng g uid ance — was foc used on sharing t he importance of life of fait h habits such as p rayer, read ing scripture,

b uild ing a re latio nship w ith a mentor. and more. Eve ry morni ng CARP lea d ers fro m d iffere nt c hapters we re able t o share gu idance and testimo nies.

Before rece iv ing the main educat io n, the participants sa ng some songs to set th e atm osphere.

tlonshlp Is Sacred Sacre an Is the n Is d. place. the most holy hol~

The pr ese ntations were given by Rev. Hideyuki Sakai, pastor of the Family’ Fe d eratio n community of Dallas-Fort Worth and mento r fo r the Da llas CARP chapter. He covered the main point s of the Div ine Prin c ip le in two days and Rev. and Mrs. Moon’s lif e in three d ays. Rev. Sakai co ncl uded by inspiri ng the p articipants to thi nk of how they ca n make a di fference in the world to d ay.

“The last two lectures impacted me the most because I was able to relate or feel some sort of resemblance to both Jesus and God’s struggles … It reminded me that I’m not alone on my journey and that I have a higher power watching over me.”

“The lecture that impacted me most was the one about Rev Moon’s time in Heungnam prison. It inspired m e to work hard in my relationship with God because Rev Moon was literally in the worst type of situation yet he kept his faith in God and always fo und time to keep God a t his core.”

A fter each lectu re. the participants b roke o ff into disc uss io ns in g ro ups w here many of t hem had a great t ime d ig e sting the content together. Each day, there was also a Q&A session w here the parti c ipant s were able to as k many q uestio ns to Rev. Sa kai.

In between prese ntations. mea ls we re wonderfully p repa red by many mothers fro m local CARP chapt ers. The participant s could fe el so much love invest ed into each meal; th ey were even spoile d with snacks and dessert practica lly every nightl

D uring the afternoons, t he re was t ime fo r sports or a bond ing activity. They a lso had time f or board games and free sports. One afternoon was d ed icated to hiki ng at Explora tion Peak, a nearby park that overlooks parts of the Las Veg as valley and strip.

The evenings were dedicated to a fun, bond ing activity, o r a deeper activ ity. Activ ities like sk it night and improv nig ht were fi lled w it h crea ti v ity, laughter, and see ing many different sid es of people. The deeper activities included a prayer night, a t est imony from a former security g uard of Fathe r and Mother Moon, Mr. Bob Smart, and an open-mic testimony night. The part icipants gai ned a lot from each of them.

The prayer night started w it h a t estimony o f one CARP leader’s jo urney in prayer. Then, th e participants had the opportunity to pray fo r another pe rson th at they were pa ired w ith and also experienced being prayed for. At t he e nd, t hey were ab le t o join toget her in a g rou p p rayer.

“My experienc e with the prayer night was really moving for me because through this exercise I could really feel God’s heart for the person I was praying for. Being able to put my self in a position to talk to God for them really hit me. It gave me a chance to see how much God loves us as His children and how much he longs for us. I got just a glimpse of what a parental heart feels like.”

“Putting my prayer into practice with a partner was nerve-w racking, but I realized that during my prayer for my partner, I felt as though I was able to really speak from the heart. I was truly touched by my partner’s prayer for me; she brought me to the point of tears.”

“My favorite activity was the prayer night. Seeing everyone pray for one another with a sincere heart moved me to tears. I felt that this le vel of care and love is what God wants to see in His children.”

H eari ng Mr. Smart’s testi mo ny was a t reat for many of th e participan ts! He shared a personal

and intimate account of Fathe r and Mother Moon as someone w ho was able to see more of the ir lives in the background.

“Uncle Bob’s testimony about his life as Father and Mother Moon’s bodyguard gave some really amazing perspective. It’s easy to look at an influential figure such as Father Moon and think they are in a league of their own separate from ours. But with Uncle Bob’s retelling of his experiences with Rev. and Mrs. Moon, I can see that they too had real everyday interactions with others and amongst themselves.”

The last eve ning activ ity was an open-mic testimo ny nig ht where many part icipants sha red what they gained from the retreat and how it impacted their understand ing of God, Rev. and Mrs. Moon, and the Divine Principle. At the end , Rev. Sakai also shared his t estimony of joining CARP.

“What I can take away from this experience is that everyone needs God’s love. Hearing the testimonies from many participants was really a testament to how God and Rev. and Mrs. Moon have changed their lives.”

The New Hope workshop concluded w ith Nationa l CARP Pres ident Jinil Fleisc hman giv ing guidance o n practical next steps that the participa nts can take in th eir life of faith. The re treat officially concluded w ith ma ny part icipant s d eclaring their next st eps in their journey.

N atio nal CARP is proud t o say that ma ny participants expressed experiencing a new hope in the ir own lives and th ey are certainly bringing new ho pe t o CARP, Rev. and Mrs. Moon, and th e world .

NEW HOPE! J, LAS \ t:.u,-.,…, … .

More Refl ections:

‘:Lin experience of new hope and life. I feel more ready, determined and committed going into this semester. I am willing and ready to change for God.”

“The best way to start a New Year Q “

“I wanted to connect with God’s heart and become a better leader - my heart is filled with more love and understanding to do that. I am going to actively work to be a champion of God and spread his Love wherever I go because all is possible through Him.·

“I realize that I’m more happier whenever I go to these wo rkshops, I feel I’ve been

expressing more of myself within this God-centered environment.”

Share your story to [Y_ota@cargJife.org.

Tagged: CARP Life, New Hope Workshop, Divine Principle, retreat, Las Vegas

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