Contributed by Shogo Nakaza
On May 20th to the 21st, CARP New Jersey held a weekend retreat focusing on the core contents of the Divine Principle with a total of 46 participants. Seventeen of them were joined by CARP’s sister organization called Generation Peace Academy. The program started off with an intense game of rock-paper-scissors that allowed everyone the opportunity to step out of their comfort zone.
Afterwards, the emcee Sasha Okon introduced CARP to kick off the workshop and CARP New Jersey Director Shogo Nakaza gave opening remarks. Participants were placed into smaller family groups where a leader facilitated discussions and helped to create an atmosphere where they could feel heard and cared for. Four CARP leaders shared the Divine Principle content: Samuel Tamelessio who gave his first-ever Divine Principle presentation, Yujin Angolio, Keisetsu Nakamura, and Shogo Nakaza. For some of the participants, this was their first time to hear the content; they were able to understand the Divine Principle’s depiction of God through the presenters.
During the closure of the retreat, Arick Iglesias, a 1st year student from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, reaffirmed his love toward CARP and testified to its culture of gratitude. President of CARP Princeton Yujin Angolio shared about the experience of one first-time participant she invited named Brian Mmari, who expressed eagerness to continue building a relationship with CARP.
Through the education, discussions, meaningful activities, and delicious meals, a beautiful and unforgettable retreat experience could be felt by all participants. Generation Peace Academy participants contributed greatly to the experience. CARP New Jersey is looking forward to continue deepening a relationship with all the participants by engaging with them in Divine Principle study sessions.
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