CARP Florida Revisits the Meaning of Witnessing

Contributed by Ju-Young Okoth

On a beautiful Memorial Day morning, seven young Unificationists of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) chapter in Florida gathered for a 1-day workshop that focused on witnessing.

Ju-Young Okoth, a Unificationist who organized this gathering, explained the reasoning for this focus: “Although witnessing is one of the most important aspects of the Unificationist movement’s activities and history, many young Unificationists are unaware of how to do so.” He continued, “They have heard of witnessing, but they do not know what it really means to witness to someone.”

In order to help the young Unificationists in attendance understand the significance of witnessing, the workshop emphasized the importance of the 3 P’s as a method: Prayer, Planning, and Patience. Risa Perea, a member of CARP Florida, gave her thoughts on witnessing:

“Witnessing is difficult because we are trying to bring people closer to God by having a conversation with them. It’s also their initiation into Divine Principle. It can be hard for people to accept because it’s something new, and we have a natural inclination to question and be skeptical of new things. Most of all, witnessing is about heart. We can’t expect to witness well without sincere preparation and the attitude to offer everything up to God. I was glad to share this spiritual growth with my brothers and sisters. We aim to uphold the standard of True Parents.”

In addition to lectures that clarified the mission and purpose of witnessing and CARP, there were also activities that helped the Unificationists channel their inner creativity through arts and crafts. Everyone was able to express their individuality as they designed and created their very own CARP hats and T-shirts. Nan Young Segovia found the activity very meaningful, saying “This activity showed how God’s love flows through everybody’s creativity.” Nan Young’s brother, Jin-Hun, echoed his sister’s sentiments: “It was fun—we did something all of humanity shares, and that is the creativity that God bestowed upon us.”

After gaining a deeper understanding of witnessing and displaying the beauty of their individual creativity, the Unificationists then concluded the workshop with a delicious, Memorial Day barbecue.