Contributed by Jonte Crawford
In another attempt to create a Holy Spirit-filled environment and convey Father and Mother Moon’s teachings this Fall 2023 semester, the CARP LV team hosted a 4-day retreat on December 17th to 21st. It may have been a small and intimate gathering, but with several guest speakers and an overnight camping trip, all participants found that it was a meaningful and reflective way to conclude the year.
The retreat’s theme was “A Glimpse Into a Life with God”. It focused on the Three Great Blessings - a central idea expressed by Father and Mother Moon, and the core understanding behind CARP’s three core values of God, family, and peace. Instead of trying to explain these ideas intellectually, we showcased people who strive to make them a way of life - the members of the Las Vegas Holy Community, the wider community supporting Father and Mother Moon in Las Vegas. This less intellectual, experience-based focus made Father and Mother Moon’s teachings more real and applicable to life.
The retreat began with an overview of the Three Great Blessings by CARP CSN’s chapter president, Tatsuhiro Narifusa, and CARP UNLV’s chapter president, Lisa Regidor. This was the framework for the rest of the retreat. Following this was a talk by Shinghi Detlefson, a successful, young businessman, husband, and father of three loving kids. Taking from his own life experiences, he shared the lessons he had gleaned on the importance of these values. He spoke with us as if we were truly his younger siblings.
This familial spirit was continued and given a hint of professionality in the following presentation by Coach Hilde Wiemann, a professional marriage and family counselor. After graciously welcoming us into her home, she conveyed about how trauma blocks us from developing into our true selves. She then went on to create a safe environment for each person to share about our past trauma, which was an experience which even brought some of us to tears.
Our retreat’s last guest speakers were couples, young and old, from the Las Vegas Holy Community. The young couples shared a genuine glimpse of their lives including the joys and pains of marriage, having children, and navigating life. The older couples shared their hilarious marriage stories and provided us with food for thought. All of the couples there touched on how dedicating their marriage to a higher power, either God or creating a peaceful world, helped push them through the challenges which arose.
The whole retreat concluded with a camping trip in northern Nevada, creating a space for deeper reflection and connection with God through nature. As we closed the night around a warm bonfire, we had a beautiful conclusion for the year. We had fun, shared about our year, and most importantly, connected to each other as brothers and sisters through God.
With all of these things coming together, the retreat was truly more like a family gathering than a college club workshop. There are many things we know that we need to improve on, but the CARP Las Vegas team is excited to continue this new style of retreat! It is our belief that this environment can open anyone’s heart and impact their lives.