Contributed by Lisa Regidor
To culminate all their semester efforts, CARP Las Vegas (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College of Southern Nevada) held a Winter 2021 7-Day retreat from December 14th to the 21st. All who attended were previous 7-day participants so it set the tone for a cozy and familial group the whole week.
The theme was “Leaving a Legacy of Love Through Becoming True Sons and Daughters of God." Hearing presentations given by CARP director Makiko Watanabe, and CARP graduates Chungbom Katayama, Mia Taguchi, and Ryota Naito, the participants were able to learn more in depth about the teachings of CARP founders Father and Mother Moon, and how to apply them into their lives. The presentations covered God’s ideal for humanity, the reality of the world, the process to bring back the ideal, and how God-centered marriages can bring healing to the world. They also learned about Father and Mother Moon’s lives, and the impact that they have made through their initiative of the Marriage Blessing movement.
The retreat began with introducing CARP’s core teaching, the Divine Principle, and starting an activity called the “River of Life.” It tasked each person to creatively draw a river with the bends and turns symbolizing their defining moments and the river representing their life. The activity was designed for the CARP students to ruminate on how their life experiences brought them to where they are now. At the end of the week, the participants shared their “River of Life” in their groups, which helped them understand one another more deeply.
There were many intentional activities throughout the retreat. Each morning was dedicated to explore spiritual habits such as reflection, prayer, and reading scripture. Some afternoons were dedicated to sports or simply personal time. One activity challenged participants to overcome limitations by breaking boards that they had written their limitations on. Evening activities included skit night, brothers and sisters night, and lastly an open mic night. One day was committed to doing a service project with a local food drive, handing out food to people. It was a great opportunity to bond while giving back to the community.
CARP Las Vegas carried out their traditional End of Semester celebration as part of the 7-day retreat. The party was a great way to celebrate and reminisce on all the accomplishments within the past year. As part of the celebration, they hosted a Blessing Festival watch party, which was initiated by CARP’s parent organization Family Federation USA. Hosted by Mother Moon, the festival aimed to show a new culture of love and marriage to the world.
The watch party showcased personal stories from couples who have received the Marriage Blessing and the lifestyle they lead because of it. Participants also heard live testimonies from two couples who received the Marriage Blessing, the Comptons and Jespers, who candidly shared how their commitment to the Marriage Blessing impacted their families and those around them. The retreat participants and guests had fellowship over dinner while they watched the program and brought the semester to a close.
Check out more from CARP LV on their Facebook page. Share your story to ryota@carplife.org!