GPA and CARP Las Vegas Make a Powerful Team
Students at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, are embracing the message of the Divine Principle and the culture of living for the sake of others, thanks to the investment of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) in Las Vegas and Generation Peace Academy (GPA). The two groups recently joined forces in the ongoing effort to transform “Sin City” into the “Shining City” that True Parents envisioned.
On February 7, 2015, three new guests joined CARP and GPA participants for fundraising activities. Even though it was their first time, they had a meaningful experience. “Fundraising with GPA was a very new experience for all of our guests,” said Jinil Fleischman, a GPA alumnus who is now a member of the CARP staff. “GPA brought the spirit and energy of fundraising training, and the guests could feel how fundraising can help us to connect to God through practicing overcoming our own desires and loving people from God’s perspective.”
Bobby, one of the guests, said that fundraising was a life-changing experience. He could see clearly how fundraising was an amazing opportunity to practice everything he had learned from CARP and the Divine Principle about God’s unconditional love. It was a wonderful bonding experience for all of the young people involved.
Kensei Maeda, a GPA second-year captain, told how one of the guests, Kwasi, “was so energetic and excited to share his love for CARP. We all could gain a thing or two from him.” Indeed, it was an inspiration for many of the GPA participants to see the eagerness and excitement of the guests.
A few days later, on February 12, GPA and CARP members reunited for a day of outreach and a weekly discussion night hosted by CARP. GPA had been preparing for meeting new people by studying Divine Principle and practicing giving lectures. They headed out, ready to ask questions and share their faith.
Emmanuel Muyongo, a first-year GPA participant, said: “[Outreach] opened my eyes to how people view family values. It opened my mind to how anything can happen if you really invest in the people around you, even if they’re strangers. We all met different types of people, and they all seemed to share a heart of really accepting and loving each other and learning something new.”
Participants were able to delve into their own faith as well as share it with others. It was an amazing opportunity to put into practice True Mother’s desires for outreach and education.
First-year GPA participant Atsuko Mochizuki explained: “[Outreach] was difficult, but even in one approach it helped me to realize how much love and blessings I’ve been given in my life. There are so many people who have never experienced true joy because they don’t have God and True Parents in their lives. We have been blessed to have True Parents so we can find our way back to God’s loving embrace and feel true love and joy.”
The discussion night brought everyone back together again for a shared dinner and thoughtful presentations and discussions. The theme for the night was “True Rebels Stand for True Love” and focused on the importance of abstinence before marriage and fidelity within.
“Attending the CARP discussion night gave me a greater perspective on what people believe. The guests had past relationships or were currently in a relationship, but because there is so much love at CARP, people respected the topic and also opened up about themselves,” said Megumi Homma, a third-year GPA participant.
First-year GPA participant Artur DaSilva said: “One of the coolest experiences that night was hearing a new guest talk about how he was taught the theory of the Four Position Foundation and the Three Great Blessings. It was neat how into it he was when talking about Divine Principle. It was awesome to see that Divine Principle definitely can be applied to anybody.”
There was a genuine camaraderie among all the participants, whether guests, CARP or GPA. It was inspiring to see so many young people from different walks of life come together through a shared connection to God.
This first partnership between GPA and CARP Las Vegas was a successful and enlightening experience for everyone involved. Jinil Fleischman said: “It was a powerful experience for everyone. We hope GPA and CARP Las Vegas can team up again in the future!” In the meantime, the two groups hope to continue to work together toward the common goal of bringing about True Mother’s vision, expanding the love they have received from God and True Parents to others.