West Coast Outreach in High Gear

The Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) in Las Vegas and the Los Angeles Family Church have been working hard to spread the good news of True Parents and the teachings of the Divine Principle around the West Coast. Their latest endeavors included sharing outreach materials and hosting events such as discussion groups and workshops. Read their stories below to inspire your own local efforts!

CARP Las Vegas Starts Strong for Spring Semester

CARP has had an exciting few days in Las Vegas. Sunday, January 18, became a historic day for the Las Vegas CARP team when Kwasi and Kobe, two young men who recently began studying Divine Principle, visited the Las Vegas Family Church. They were joyfully welcomed as new members of the community. It was a powerful experience for the two students to see so many people who believed in the Divine Principle and True Parents. Kwasi moved into the local CARP house and has started the “actionizing” training program. He does Hoon Dok Hwe every day, fundraises once a week, and receives internal guidance daily.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day—Monday, January 19—Kobe and Kwasi had their first experience of outreach work, joining together with the CARP team, Universal Peace Academy (UPA) students, Japanese missionaries, and the whole Las Vegas Family Church community. The group donned red t-shirts and hats that read, “Forgive, Love, Unite,” and shared outreach materials with passersby. Kobe and Kwasi confessed that it was a challenge to overcome their fear of approaching people, but said it was rewarding to listen to people and to try to share their own beliefs.

After spending about an hour at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade, the group visited the MLK DreamFest, a street fair in honor of Dr. King. There the team continued to talk to passersby, and supported Ricardo de Sena, the national chairman of Universal Peace Federation USA, when he presented Ambassador for Peace certificates. The team was thrilled to meet several dignitaries, including Mark Hutchinson, the lieutenant governor of Nevada.

CARP kept the momentum going with a promotional event at a local campus the next day. The students invited the Los Angeles church band to come to Las Vegas to play music at their campus booth. The band played during the times between classes, while CARP members, UPA members and Japanese missionaries spoke to students who were passing by and who stopped to listen to the music. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet students and gain visibility on campus.

On Wednesday there was no slowing down. CARP held its first Discussion Night of the semester. With the combined help of CARP members, UPA students and Japanese missionaries, it was the biggest Discussion Night they had had to date. More than 20 new guests, who had enjoyed the music and met the outreach team the previous day, attended. This brought the total attendance to 50. It was a wonderful kickoff to the new semester, and a big improvement from the last in terms of the quality of the program. The food, songs and performances, discussion, and overall family spirit were exceptional. With this great start, the outreach team is hopeful for an even more successful and inspiring semester.

West Coast Spiritual Retreat

Further west, in California, local Unificationists gathered for an inspiring weekend at the “One Family Under God Spiritual Retreat.” Two guests attended on Saturday, one of whom came all the way from Seattle with the person who introduced him to the Unification faith. He had a wonderful experience and is now attending the seven-day Divine Principle workshop in Camp Mozumdar. Another guest also returned for his second weekend and decided to attend the seven-day workshop.

The spirit of the retreat seemed to spread quickly. Fourteen people attended the second day of the retreat as several new community members came and brought friends of their own. One couple brought their father who, along with their two children, is preparing to receive Holy Marriage Blessing. It was invigorating to see so many inspired to share the message of True Parents with those they love.