Contributed by CARP LA
On January 2rd to 5th, CARP Los Angeles hosted their 4th Turning Point Workshop at the Los Angeles Family Church with the theme, “Owning a Principled Life.” The purpose of the workshop was to commit to building a life of faith by understanding God’s heart and learning about how CARP’s Founders, Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, lived their lives for God and for world peace. It was also to help participants realize the need for young leadership.
Attending the workshop were 103 participants, with 32 first timers. The staff felt this year’s workshop was the best one they had so far. This year, Naoko Hiraki, CARP LA parental mentor, was the main presenter with Maiko Shimogawara, another parental mentor, translating.
The first day of Turning Point was leaders’ training. Team leaders and core staff gathered to discuss the heart of a leader and set an intention for themselves as they begin the workshop.
After the first day, they gathered their participants for Turning Point. On the first day, they broke into teams and did two “projects” to present principle material based on questions given by Mrs. Hiraki. Afterwards, she told them more in depth about the meaning behind what they presented. This gave participants the chance to engage in the material before the lectures began.
Then, Mrs. Hiraki gave the presentations. She shared about a life of faith and how an individual grows to maturity based on principle. She closed the workshop with an overview of Rev. and Dr. Moon’s life, the sacrifices they made, the obstacles they overcame, and their attitude toward building one world of peace.
Those final sessions were especially meaningful to the participants. Learning about Father and Mother Moon’s life and work gave them a deeper appreciation and understanding about the path for peace. To honor the sacrifices Father and Mother Moon made, the participants made resolves to practice the principles that they learned during the retreat.
Testimonies:
“I think the most important thing about experiencing and exchanging love is to first accept God’s love, understand the love that is being given, and then return the love with a humble and gracious heart.” - CARP ECC student
“Just looking at what [Father and Mother Moon] have done for the world so far and creating this community and joining it. It has brought meaning to my life that I never had before. I have gained the determination and the next step to really take ownership of my life of faith.” - CARP CSULA student
“What stood out to me was Father Moon’s course when he went to Heungnam Prison [a concentration camp]. I was able to feel so deeply of how much he wanted peace for us and how much he loved us. I was amazed about how Father Moon was able to love people who even tortured and tried to kill him. It made me realize he truly is the Father of Peace. Peace is what everyone wants but I feel like there’s no one who went through so much to actualize peace.” - CARP PCC Student
“The part that stood out to me the most was Father Moon’s course. I cannot imagine how Father has been persecuted by people. I really feel so sorry to Father because I realized how much I did not understand and know about his history. I was moved by how much Father Moon really loved Japan, despite having received so much persecution by the Japanese.” - CARP CSUF student
See more of CARP LA on their Facebook page. Share your story to jennifer@carplife.org.