Contributed by Midwest CARP
Midwest CARP, a hub of chapters from three states, gathered for their final event of the semester on May 15, 2021. Nine participants gathered from chapters in Harper College in Illinois, Grand Rapids Community College in Michigan, and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis in Indiana for this gathering, centering on the theme of “Hyojeong Promise.”
After the initial introductions and icebreakers which gave an opportunity for all the participants to introduce themselves and to learn more about each other, it was followed by presentations. We had three speakers: Chungbom Katayama spoke about the significance of the first promise on building a thriving relationship with God. The second promise was presented by Rosia Schmidt, who highlighted the importance of living a life of purity and the benefits of this lifestyle to not only the individual, but the world as a whole. Our last speaker, Josue Kisile, presented on the third promise and encouraged all the participants to look at their potential and abilities to make a positive impact on the world. One participant said that these talks were the highlight of her day, stating “every single presenter gave us insight to how specifically to lead a better life.”
Each presentation was followed by testimonies by CARP leaders who had been impacted by one of these three promises: Kai Moyongo, Zaiya & Francis Marchitelli, and Muneaki Nakamura. There was time for discussion afterwards, providing each participant with an opportunity to share their takeaways from the presentations & testimonies.
To conclude the evening, the participants partook in a commitment ceremony, led by Josue Kisile. After a review of all the promises, the participants declared their commitment to practice
the HJ Promise in their own life. Participants could also sign up for a series of 21 day scripture readings to learn more about the promises and gain ideas on how it could be practiced throughout the day. With the day ending in everybody committed to the Hyojeong promises, all the CARP members left the event inspired and ready to grow themselves further in their life.
Stay tuned for more from Midwest CARP. Share your story to jennifer@carplife.org.