Contributed by Samuel Miranda:
The "Find your Inner Light" retreat was inspired by a collaboration between CARP Boston & Bridgeport to bring the Divine Principle to life through engaging lectures, meaningful fellowship, and heartfelt reflection. This three-day retreat was held from December 17th - 20th at the beautiful Morning Garden property in Gloucester, Massachusetts with the vision to, “Discover who I am to God and deepen my relationship with Him.” There were a total of ten participants and staff which included two new participants from Boston & New York.
The retreat began with fellowship and ice-breaking activities to encourage open dialogue and connection. One participant reflected, “I really felt a heavenly & pure environment being here. It seemed like we all connected immediately, and we could open our hearts to one another”. After preparing the environment, a recap of “The Principle of Creation” was given by CARP Boston officer Eva Schneider. This recap reminded the participants of the God-centered worldview that the Divine Principle offers and encouraged reflection about our relationship with God. To close out the night, the participants individually reflected about what they hoped to gain from the retreat.
The next day began with a wonderful breakfast made by the generous CARP mother figures, who cooked for the entirety of the retreat. After preparing the participants' hearts with a few songs, “The Human Fall” was presented by CARP Boston president Luc Jean. Another participant reflected, “this lecture helped me pinpoint the root of all sin and contradiction that I see in myself and the world today”. It helped the participants not only pinpoint but address selfishness and envy in our own relationships.
The day continued with fun sports activities outside, which encouraged teamwork and further bonding with one another.
When gathering back, songs in honor of Jesus were sung to prepare our hearts for a presentation on “The Messiah and I,” which was given by CARP Boston vice-president Samuel Miranda. The talk outlined Jesus’ life of unconditional love and sacrifice despite the failures of key figures at that time. It inspired participants to reflect on the life of Jesus and how they can follow in his footsteps. It also emphasized the commitment needed to be God’s champion in this world today.
The night was concluded with improv games, which had the participants on the floor trying to catch their breath from laughter.
The last day consisted of a presentation on the “Intro to the Principle of Restoration” given by CARP Bridgeport president Junghee Sohn. The presentation clearly conveyed how God was working through key people who took responsibility to fulfill His will. It also inspired the participants to take ownership over fulfilling God’s will. The presentation concluded with a beautiful quote from Vincent Van Gogh, “Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow”. This quote reinforced the idea of walking on the road less traveled for the sake of the world.
The last education portion of the retreat was a “family discussion”, where everyone had a chance to present a topic on the Divine Principle themselves. This was inspired by the fact that the best way to learn is to teach.
The retreat was then concluded with a final adventure through Gloucester; we enjoyed hot coffee and tea while taking in the scenery of the beautiful city. We thank God & Rev. and Mrs. Moon for making this possible; we are very proud of being able to represent them through this retreat! Stay tuned for our next CARP Boston x Bridgeport end-of-semester retreat that is being planned for Memorial Day Weekend on May 27th – 30th!
Share your story to ryota@carplife.org.