NOCP 2016 Participants Persevere and Grow

Contributed by Naria McGee

Twenty-one days sounds like a long time, but these past three weeks flew by much too quickly for most during this year’s National Ocean Challenge Program. The last couple weeks concluded with ocean and river fishing, along with a plethora of other engaging and fun activities.

The participants faced some difficult challenges and circumstances, both expected and unexpected. There were rainy days on the boats, others beautiful and sunny, while other days on the ocean sometimes caused a bit of seasickness with its slow swells, but the spirit of the participants never waned as they persevered in the spirit of True Parents and pushed through together, creating deep bonds, friendships and victories.

During the last week we were fortunate to host several members of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (FFWPU) USA Executive Team. Continental Chairman of FFWPU in North America Dr. Ki Hoon Kim, President of FFWPU USA Dr. Michael Balcomb, and Chief Financial Officer of FFWPU USA Dr. Michael Jenkins all made time to visit us, go fishing, and share important messages about the importance of America, the state of our movement in America, and the unique experiences they shared with True Father.

The final days of ocean fishing wrapped up with a two-day fishing tournament. Our captains-in-training led the teams and chose the areas to fish. The first day was certainly a challenge for their spirit as the fishermen experienced a cold, rainy day with hardly a bite on their hooks, but on the final day they brought in a bountiful haul, proving they had truly made a great condition of perseverance by not giving up the day before.

After all the fishing concluded, community service projects were conducted, which included beautifying the city’s community garden, cleaning the yard and interior of the local Women’s Resource Center, cleaning up a local park and nature path, and performing outdoor maintenance and painting for the National Wildlife Refuge and museum. In the evening a talent show was held, showcasing all the gifts, skills and abilities of our brothers and sisters.

The final day of the program ended with a city tour, a complementary lunch from the Old Power House Restaurant, and a graduation dinner and ceremony. The Northwest District 10 Pastor, Inchan Park, joined us for the final days of the program.

We want to thank all our wonderful sponsors, the Kodiak Family Church and community, and our amazing staff for supporting and making the program possible and a great success! But what truly makes NOCP great and memorable for everyone are the participants themselves. Fishing was certainly a great experience, but the culture of heart developed during these past 21 days between the participants is also irreplaceable.

For more information about the National Ocean Challenge Program and to sign up for a future workshop, visit the NOCP homepage at www.oceanchallenge.org.