Contributed by Hiro Kamata
From December 18th to the 21st, CARP DMV held a 4-day Divine Principle retreat at an Airbnb in Bumpass, Virginia. The intention for this retreat was for participants to build a deeper relationship with God, see the value of CARP and the Divine Principle, and deepen the relationship we have with them. This retreat was unique and different because a few participants helped plan and shared responsibilities!
The first day began with setting intentions for the retreat and getting to know their teams through activities led by Yoshi Orikasa and Marc Simon.
The next day was a full day of presentations and activities. In the morning, we read a speech from Father Moon titled, “Love Forever.” We received two Divine Principle presentations on the first two chapters given by Semoon Nakama. The way he led these sessions was reading directly from the Exposition of the Divine Principle: Diagrammed Lecture Manual for Three-Hour Lectures in teams and then discussing it. Then, he would give a short talk on what we read. Overall, it was filled with a lot of content which allowed the participants to take it in and understand it better.
After lunch, there was an intentional activity called “4 ball” which was a fun and experiential way that the staff put together to demonstrate the importance of having one universal truth. The afternoon concluded with a presentation on the “Mission of the Messiah” before dinner.
After dinner, we had an evening activity called the “House of Prayer.” Throughout the Airbnb rooms were different prompts that the participants had time to reflect on such as, “What are you filling yourself up with these days? Is your spiritual food healthy or unhealthy? Are you filling yourself up with God?” It was a great opportunity for them to check in about their relationship with God, their family, and themselves. Afterwards, they took time to share in pairs and trinities.
The second full day was led by Tayo Adeyeye who did an amazing job facilitating the day. We had two presentations in the morning: “Restoration” was given by Christopher Krienbuehl and the “Parallels of History” by Toshio Barber. After each presentation, Tayo would share his insights about the content. After lunch, we went straight into the “Second Advent” lecture given by Toshio. He concluded the presentation sharing his own personal experience on how the Family Federation movement and Rev. and Mrs. Moon has saved his life. It touched all of our hearts. When Tayo went up to transition into discussions, he was speechless.
We concluded the afternoon with a game of “Capture the Flag.” After dinner, we had a mini Christmas party to celebrate the holiday with each other. We had a gift exchange and spent the rest of the evening playing a board game called “Codenames.”
On the last day of the workshop, we all packed and headed back to the CARP house in the morning since we had to leave the Airbnb by a certain time. Even with the two hour drive back, everyone was in good spirits and the workshop continued where we left off. CARP DMV co-director Robert Abendroth passionately gave presentations on Father and Mother Moon’s life course. He hit on the main points of Father Moon’s life and showed at the very end how Rev. and Mrs. Moon have been contributing to the world and the 7 Pillars of Society. The presentation was given by Robert’s co-director Tomomi Fukuda sharing the importance of the Marriage Blessing. At the very end, Robert shared his personal testimony on receiving the Marriage Blessing with Tomomi. We concluded the retreat with reflection and parted ways shortly after.
“Usually around this time of year, I would be spending time either wrapping gifts or just being idle at home with nothing to do… after spending 4 days with CARP, I feel as if it is time well spent. I’ve learned quite a bit while enjoying the time I had. For these things I am grateful for.” - Marc
“My highlight was my first lecture, Principles of Creation. It was my first received segment of information about God and the Divine Principle. It was fascinating learning about the ‘Universal Prime Energy,’ the ‘3 Great Blessings,’ and the ‘Four Position Foundation.’ An activity that really stood out to me was the prayer walk thoughts that were shared in the inner circles. It was a safe moment for everyone to share their anxieties, stressors, and vulnerabilities while also expressing how CARP, God and the Divine Principle has impacted everyone's lives.” - Nich
In total, we had 17 participants! We’re grateful to all the cooks who came to cook for us (Mr. Arakawa, Pierson couple, Mrs. Katsumi, and Rebecca) which allowed us to solely focus on the retreat and eat really well. We’re also grateful for Tetsuya Nomura and ChanWoo Ang who made a generous donation for the retreat. We will continue involving the participants and young adults of the community so we can make a thriving CARP chapter!
Share your story to ryota@carplife.org.