Catching Up with GTG 2016
It’s been only a month since the end of Global Top Gun 2016, but the newest class of Top Gunners are already moving and shaking the world in a multitude of ways.
Serving Local Communities
Jonathan Golden, TX, USA, went with Dallas youth to a neighboring church where they made sandwiches for the homeless. Jonathan writes of one youth group member who quipped, “Packing love into these bags, one less empty stomach tonight; volunteering makes us glad, in our spirits we continue to fight!”
Gee Doo, front left, with fellow Congolese Unificationists.
Gee Doo Nguala goes out regularly with fellow Congolese Unificationists to clean the streets of their capital city of Kinshasa. Gee Doo also recently supported a memorial event held in honor of Hyo Jin Moon, a role model in his spiritual life as a fellow musician dedicated to True Parents.
Testifying to True Parents
Top Gunners are also sharing the good news of True Parents in their home countries, both through formal workshops and personal testimony.
In Nigeria, Henry Oko, Walton Prince Shihyun Ditu, and Godson Ogurie have been working with Universal Peace Academy envoy Bok Jin Lee to support their national chapter of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) since they returned home. Henry writes, “As part of the goal to establish 40 CARP centers on Nigerian campuses in 2016, we held a discussion forum with campus representatives of the University of Abuja. We spread awareness about CARP and shared our understanding of Unification Thought with the campus representatives, who responded with excitement and pledged full support to CARP activities on their the campus.”
Bok Jin Lee and Henry Oko meet with university representatives on behalf of CARP.
Kevin Legre and Konan Jean Marie Brou have both been involved in facilitating week-long Divine Principle and Tribal Messiahship workshops in the Ivory Coast. Similarly, Akio Friesacher of Austria has held a workshop about finding one’s God-given purpose and passions based on the Tribal Messiahship presentations he received at Top Gun.
Kevin and Konan at a Divine Principle workshop in the Ivory Coast.
Akio’s local Tribal Messiaship workshop.
Many other Top Gunners have also given testimonies about their experiences in Korea at their local churches as a way to share the love they received directly from True Parents with others—a simple but heartfelt way to give back to their communities, many of which were instrumental in sending them to Korea in the first place.
Shaking the World
Almost as soon as she returned home, Global Top Gun alum Nicole Thurner, Germany, began an internship with Women’s Federation for World Peace International (WFWPI) at the United Nations in Geneva in order to learn more about human rights and international affairs. Nearing the conclusion of her internship, Nicole writes,
“Since I came here to the United Nations, I’ve heard a lot about the suffering in this world and the atrocities which the majority of people have to deal with. Being raised in Germany, finishing school, being appreciated by the people around me, exercising my hobbies, having the opportunity to continue studying, living in a house, having food and free, clean water every day, living in a safe environment, having the opportunity to work, having friends I can count on in difficult times and a family who stands behind me—all of this, we tend to forget so easily. All of this, we easily take for granted. But this internship has given me the opportunity to look behind the curtain and to see clearly what is going on in our world and how miserably the majority of humankind is living. This made me feel deeply sad but also grateful for the life I have led so far.”
GPA with Yeon Ah Moon, President of WFWPI, in Cheongpyeong.
A special group of Top Gunners from Generation Peace Academy (GPA) were also in training to become Cheon Il Guk Missionaries when we last saw them. Now, they are just about to start their second month of mission work in the Philippines, where they are working closely with Filipino Unificationists to host educational conferences and rallies to inspire young people about True Parents’ message and Marriage Blessing ceremonies to build a vibrant culture of marriage in the Philippines. To learn more about their adventures, you can read their most recent reports here. You can also donate to their ongoing missions fundraiser here.
GPA supporting mission work in the Philippines.
There are so many incredible things happening around the world on the foundation of True Parents’ Top Gunners. The next opportunity to join this amazing, international tribe of movers and shakers will arise when you least expect it, so–start preparing now!