Contributed by CARP Las Vegas Team
On Presidents’ Day weekend, the Las Vegas chapters of CARP hosted a 3-day Divine Principle workshop for students.
The lectures were given by Noah Ross of Westchester, New York, who was specially invited with his wife, Catherine, for the weekend. Mr. Ross used a unique style of teaching the Divine Principle reminiscent of the educational ethos of the early Unification movement on the West Coast. Through each of his presentations about the ideal, the purpose of life, as well as the challenges and the opportunities now facing humanity, Mr. Ross conveyed a simple but consistent message: all change begins with oneself. Change yourself to change the world.
Hearing this essential message of the Divine Principle was invigorating for everyone who attended the workshop, both those who had previously studied the Divine Principle and those who were hearing the contents of the Principle for the first time. Many participants expressed gratitude and renewed hope after the workshop.
“I’m going to continue to try and change the world and am very thankful God blessed me with the Principle to help me do that.” - Victor, OR
“I’ve seen the growth of others, those that have been here a while and those that are new, and it motivates me to keep striving in bettering myself.” - Juan, Las Vegas
Jinil Fleischman, Program Coordinator for CARP America, was also able to attend. He shared:
“Less is more. Uncle Noah’s lectures were so short and clear. He knew exactly what to say, no more, no less. He didn’t waste a single word and every sentence had meaning. I hope to inherit from his strengths as a lecturer.”
Before and after the workshop, Mr. and Mrs. Ross sat down with the CARP LV team to share more about their own experiences with outreach over the years. Mr. Ross stressed how important it is both to give truth and to create an environment where people can share their lives with each other and truly feel cared for. He encouraged everyone to remember the essential purposes of the Unification movement: to seek, to find, and to love our long-lost brothers and sisters, and in so doing, to grow together and become people who can create a good world in which God feels truly welcome, loved, and free.
This gentle call to exist for the sake of something greater and to be a movement of hope comes at an important time for the CARP LV team. In less than two months, on April 13, CARP LV will host their fourth “Campus Talk,” an initiative created by CARP to promote principled marriage and family on college campuses through education, networking, and actionizing.
Amid recent news that the entire state of Nevada has been listed by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation as one of the “Dirty Dozen”—one of the 12 organizations or institutions deemed most responsible for mainstreaming and abetting sexual exploitation in the past year—it may be that the challenge to stand up for sexual integrity in Las Vegas couldn't be greater. But it’s also clear that CARP’s efforts for God, for change, and for hope couldn't be more needed or more timely.
If you want to get involved in some of the awesome things that CARP LV is doing, like outreach and campus engagement, contact Makiko Watanabe, co-director of CARP LV at familywatanabe@gmail.com .
Keep up with CARP Las Vegas’s activities on their Facebook Page! Share your story to jennifer@carplife.org!