FFWPU USA: New CARP Chapters - University of Texas, Arlington and Community College of Philadelphia — Jinil Fleischman

Two new CARP chapters have emerged on campuses this year in Pennsylvania and Texas thanks to the hard work and dedication of their leaders and core members. The Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) officially welcomed CARP among its school clubs this spring semester, as well as a chapter established at the University of Texas, Arlington (UTA).

“It’s been a long time coming,” said Soonmee, founder of CARP CCP, in a recent CARP USA report. “I am so grateful for the multitudes of people that have hoped for and anticipated this time. I can proudly say on behalf of those who I work with that these beginnings would not have been possible without the support of national and subregional CARP teams, as well as the ongoing relationship and rapport with the Philadelphia Family Church.”

CARP CCP quickly hit the ground running, with weekly meetings held by Soonmee and her two sisters. The trio also organized the grand opening of the local CARP apartment, which featured special guest Rev. Naokimi Ushiroda, FFWPU USA President. “With the support of our advisor, we could host weekly

meetings in a room and lead discussions based on the CARP curriculum,” Soonmee said. To clarify CARP’s identity as a campus ministry, she said the group has so far discussed topics including ‘Religion and Science,’ ‘God or No God,’ and ‘Family and Marriage.’

“The topics were voted on by those who participated in our kickoff meeting,” said Soonmee, whose team consistently seeks ways to improve the program after each meeting. “My highlight and source of inspiration has been being able to witness how we engage as core members and express our care and concern over CARP and the students,” she said. “Although our meetings always have a few disagreements and compromises are required, there is inevitable laughter and joy. I truly feel grateful and indebted to those who collaborate with me in every way.”

One CCP student, a regular at CARP meetings, said, “[The club] has created a comfortable environment where I personally feel safe enough to share my honest opinions and values, and have those opinions respected and even celebrated.”

“The club is a safe space for serious discussion with a variety of people who all think similarly, and if they don’t, their views are appreciated and respected,” they continued. “The leaders of the club carefully

prepare activities and materials for the members, and allow us to enjoy the act of learning and engagement. Even though there has only been a handful of sessions, the club has fostered camaraderie and intellectual fellowship, and most significantly, community is respected and appreciated.”

The CCP chapter recently hosted a half-day seminar on April 7 covering the core principles of CARP’s founders, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. “My faith is growing along with discovering and expressing new emotions,” said Soonmee. “These past few months have been nothing short of questioning, asking, seeking, and waiting … I have also never felt God working so closely in my life. It’s almost as if leading CARP has put me in a place to have fresh opportunities to reexamine my faith, my perspective and relationships, my roots, and all that I have come to know - and, simply put, rebuild myself as a child of God.”

In Texas, similar success has come about with the CARP UTA team, led by students Yuya, Mayra, and Carlos. “I am truly honored to be able to start CARP at my school,” said chapter president Yuya, as he thanked supporters, their faculty advisor, and CARP USA’s national president. “We are just getting started,” said Yuya, “but I am sure there is going to be more progress in the future … I am very happy to have an official presence on campus to spread the culture of CARP which centers on divine principles. The future is bright!”

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

March 29, 2023 chapter-spotlight, monthly-newsletters, news Q. Search

Contributed by Soonmee Iwasaki

STUDENT STORIES

ALUMNI STORIES

Year in Review

It’s been a long time co ming, but CARP Philadelphia has fina lly estab lishe d a chap ter fo r itse lf an d o ffic ially became a club on campus this past Fe b ruary1 I am so grateful for the multitudes of people that have hoped fo r and anticipate d this time. I ca n p roudly say on behalf o f those who I work w ith t hat the se beginni ngs wou ld not have been possib le w ithout the sup port of N atio nal and Subreg io nal CARP te ams as well as the ongoing re lationship and rap port w ith the Phil adelp hia Fa mily Ch urch. We were ab le to welcome Mr. Naokimi Ushiroda , President of Family Federatio n for World Peace and Unification USA, to the grand opening of our CAR P apartm en t, hold a meeting w ith our loca l cong regatio n, and c larify o ur identity as a ca mpus ministry1 Since the n, we o ffic ially beca me a club at the Co mmunity College of Phi lad e lphia (CCP) and o ur weekly meetings have been led by myse lf and two of our core me mbers, w ho also hap pen to be my siste rs.

International Trips

President Naokimi Ushiroda visited CCP campus and the “CARP Apartment”

With t he support of o ur advisor, we could host weekly meet ings in a room an d lead discuss io ns based o n t he CARP Curriculum. So far, we have to uched upon “Re lig io n and Sc ie nc e,” “God o r N o God,” and “ Family and Marri age .” The topics we re vot ed on by t hose w ho pa rt icip ated in o ur kickoff meet ing and we’ve been fo llowing t he order since th en. Each week. afte r o ur meetings, we as t he core tea m would come out w ith renewed dete rm inat io ns o n how to imp rove t he fo ll owing meeting . My hig hlight and sou rce of insp irat io n has been be ing ab le to wit ness how we e ngage as core membe rs and express o ur ca re and concern ove r CARP and the students. A lt hough ou r meet ings a lways have a few d isag reeme nts and co mp ro mises are req uire d, there are inevitable laug hte r and joy. I tru ly feel grate ful and indebted to t hose w ho collaborate w ith me in every way. A lt ho ug h the d ays lead ing up t o o ur meet ings are oft en fil led wit h d read. as if we are going in t o present a school proj ect, w he n t he day comes and we go fort h w it h it, it e nds up bei ng such a g reat t im e. We all fee l it every tim e.

Photos from CA RP Philly’s first on campus CA RP meeting

The fo llowing is a w ritte n testim o ny o f Shobi Wise, a reg ular at o ur c lub meetings:

“The CA RP club a t CCP has created a comfortable environment where I, personally, feel safe enough to share my honest opinions and values, and have those opinions respected and even celebrated. The club is a safe space for serious discussion with a variety of people who all think similarly, and if they don’t, th eir views are apprecia ted and respected. The leaders of the club carefully prepare activities and materials for the members, and allow us to enjoy the act of learning and engagement. Even though there has only been a handful of sessions. the club has fostered camaraderie and intellectual fellowship, and most significantly, community is respected and appreciated.”

O n that note. we are anticipati ng a ha lf-day seminar on A pril 7t h t hat will cover t he core p rin cip les fro m whic h CARP de rives its identity as a campus ministry ! As o f th is week, we are p utting a pause on the CARP meetings so t he core members can meet a nd p lan f or our seminar- so for t he ti me being, we w ill be e njoying an outing at t he movies t his Tuesd ay to wa tch Creed Ill ’

Photos of recent CARP Talks at CCP

In te rms of pe rsonal g rowth , I want to to uch upon my fait h in t his new yea r. My fa ith is g rowing alo ng with d iscovering and expressing new e motio ns, too. These past few mo nths have been nothing short of q uestio ning, asking, see king, and waiting. If I were to use a met aphor, sometimes I feel like all I could do is ho ld o nto t he o ne p iece of a rock that represents t he sing le t ruth I know, and it is stick ing ou t fro m t he g round and there is a storm around me. And the core of why I seem to be ho lding o nto t his p iece of rock is due to t he belie f that I know I’m not seeing t he who le pict ure and is the refusa l to make a rash decision a nd t o ho ld o ut unt il the sto rm passes. I seem to be so perplexed because I wo uld have so many question s t hat makes me wonder if I w ill ever find any sound , intellect ual answers. Thi s is a milesto ne in my growth th o ug h beca use I used to be someone that halted w he n things beca me questionable. used to have to stop and know- and to fi nd o ut w hat w as next before taking a ste p. Even tho ugh the state I am in is very uncomfortab le, this conflicting state has been fulfilling because I can see ju st how much I’ve come to g row. If anyth ing, it se e ms that all I ca re abo ut th ese days are fin ishing wha t I started and in turn, I am relea rn ing t hat the answers w il l come w ith tim e. Iron ically, even w ith t he questio ns and uncertaint ie s I have in terms of my life of f ait h, I have also never fe lt God working so c losely in my life . It’s almost as if leading CARP has p ut me in a place to have fres h o pport un ities to re- examine my fa ith, my perspective and relationships, my roots, and all t hat I have come to k now- and to simply put, re bu ild myself as a child of Go d .

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Connecticut New Jersey New Jersey University of Bridgeport Montclair State University New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)

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ifaryland Montgomery College

I lli no is India na 1innesota Harper College Indiana University- Purdue University University of Minnesota, Tw in Cities Indian apolis

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Californ ia Cali fornia Ca li forni a Chabot College Cypress College Californ ia State University, Los A ngeles

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Californi a Californ ia Cali fornia East LA College (ELAC) El Camino College (ECC) Pasadena Community College (PCC)

Cali forni a Ca li fo rn ia H awa ii University of California. Berkeley University of California, Los A ngeles University of Hawaii at Manoa

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ifa ssach usetts New Jersey New Jersey Bosto n Bergen Community College Rutgers- New Brunswick

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New York New York Pennsylva nia Cornell Un iversity Farmingdale State University Comm unity College of Philadelphia

Florida Florida Georgia Florida Intern ational University University of Florida Georg ia State Un iversity

Maryla nd Virginia University of Maryland Northern Virg inia Community College

Okla homa Texas Texas University of Oklahoma University of No rth Texas University of Texas, Arlington

T exas University of Texas, Dallas

A laska Ca li fo rn ia Ca li fo rnia University of A laska, A nchorage Califo rn ia State East Bay Santa Monica College

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