GTGY Grow in Awareness and Character

Read the latest of the daily update from Global Top Gun Youth (GTGY), as they transition into a week of education, reflection, and bonding following their pilgrimage across the length of South Korea last week.

August 7 was our first day of lectures at the Global Top Gun Youth workshop. After a long pilgrimage journey throughout Korea, participants are ready to engage in thought-provoking discussions and internal growth activities. The interactive reflection periods here are anything but quiet introspection–they are high in energy and loud with love, giving the youth here a sense of identity as young Unificationists and allowing them a chance to connect in heart with more of their brothers and sisters around the world. They’re getting a daily dose of self-value, confidence, fun and laughter.

“I just love my brothers and sisters so much!” said Kengo, a GPA participant at GTGY. “The love generated across borders here with other young Unificationists around the world is priceless.”

To open the Divine Principle lecture series, Naokimi Ushiroda, President of the Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) USA, gave a presentation on the Original Mind to the middle and high school participants. Justin Okamoto of CARP USA gave presentations to the university students, in turn, who also began their introductory lectures this week. Middle and high school participants are encouraged every evening through intentional games and activities to realize that they are children of God and to look inward to connect with their original selves.

The educators here are striving to instill True Mother’s words from the first day at GTGY into the hearts of the young adults: “You are the first in history. True Parents are happy because of you. I am proud of all of you. Please do not forget that; there will always be the blessing and love of True Parents in all of your hard work in order for all of you to reach your dreams.” 

“The second week of GTGY is a very important week, because this is where the education and content will happen,” said Naokimi. “I was reflecting on the purpose of this workshop, and what I see as the main purpose is for everyone in this age group, the future leaders, to align their goals centered on God, True Parents, and the Divine Principle. True Mother wants to make sure the next generation of leadership is centered on the right thing.”

A typical day this past week opened with morning lectures, and then participants spent the afternoon engaged in various activities, appropriate for each age group and stage of life. Middle school participants took part in activities designed to promote bonding between them, and to instill a sense of self-value and self-love within each participant. The middle school youth emerged feeling more confident and more connected.

For university-aged participants, activities included several ice-breakers, introspective assignments, and team-building exercises. Though many of the participants do not speak English, translators, singing and fun activities helped everyone to bond and create international friendships. In one activity, participants wrote down a list of the walls that they tend to put up internally which block their original selves and contribute to their personal vulnerabilities. They then wore a sign with their number one personal wall, and walked around the room talking to each other about it.

“Participants have been exploring the Divine Principle, taking part in leadership training and creating a global family,” said Kenji Sugawara and Tamami Sugawara from Worcester, Massachusetts, co-directors of the Global Top Gun Youth middle and high school group. “The energy has been growing every single day; the participants have been getting louder in their singing, louder in activities and cheering, and feeling very free. They feel empowered in the commitment they are making for True Parents and for the lives they want to live.”

August 10 was Justin Okamoto’s last day lecturing with the university students. He was met with enthusiasm and encouragement. Justin also led a vision statement exercise, encouraging everyone to envision the future that they want to see, and the future that True Mother wants to see in this world. “It was a very powerful session,” said Jinil Fleishman from Las Vegas, USA.

In the evenings, participants had exciting clan-wide open mics and testimonies, later sharing as a tribe about the process of creating vision statements and their long-term plans and goals to guide them in achieving their dreams. “In each group, we shared our testimonies,” continued Jinil, “then we joined all together as one clan to share all these experiences that we’ve had. I think each participant is taking away a clear vision and a hope for the future that we can create.”

The five-day lecture series concluded on August 11, with everyone singing and praying in unison. According to one participant from Washington State, USA, Esther Pisano, “the lectures were amazing. It was definitely a new and creative expression of the Divine Principle.”

Lecture Testimonies:

My favorite experience so far has been listening to lectures from Naokimi and Justin. I thought commitment is what brings my mind and body to unite. Naokimi said, “If you love someone, you will do anything.” I immediately realized how right he was. Love is what unites our minds and bodies. I saw this truth in coming to this GTGY workshop. When I heard that True Mother was holding this workshop, I knew right away that I had to be here. I felt my heart pulling me here to help True Mother to accomplish her goal. So my mind directed my body and here I am.

-Sarah Takhar, USA

I’ve gained so much spiritually in these past couple of days that I have in this year. The lectures have given me a sense of clarity within myself and who I am as a person.

-JaYeon Mayele, USA

In the past I had not been interested in reading the Divine Principle from cover to cover. However, the lectures in this workshop made me want to study the Divine Principle more and read it in its entirety.

-Riki Egoshi, USA

Within the last two days of the GTG Youth workshop, I felt that I was really enlightened through the Divine Principle lectures. I was inspired and learned so many new things that I didn’t know about before.

-Wonja Kim, USA

During this workshop I’ve realized that I really didn’t understand the Divine Principle in such a practical way. I couldn’t imagine that the Divine Principle in itself, excluding True Parents’ words, could touch my heart so deeply. So many questions I prayed to receive the answer are now appearing in front of me just by looking things in a different way. It’s so amazing to think that the Divine Principle applies to all our situations and life. 

-Jens Fernandez Muhlke, Dominican Republic

Naokimi said one thing that really hit me like a realization. It was one of those things that are so obvious and logical but we don’t see it until someone tells us. That the secret to mind-body unity is LOVE! I always would think that mind and body unity is such a hard thing, and that you need to make so many conditions to achieve it. However if you love, then you no longer need to force yourself to do it. That really resonated with me and I almost cried.

-Yann Taupier-Letage, France

With regards to lectures, I just find them some of the best lectures I’ve ever had and that’s truly sincere. I’ve heard Divine Principle lectures a lot, but I feel I learned how practical and logical the Principle can be. And maybe also a way that I can explain the Principle to others.

-Yvonne Marsh, UK

I am amazed by the way the Divine Principle has been broken down and brought to everyday experiences. The methodology of teaching is very convenient as we come to understand how Divine Principle can help us and thus we can find easy experiences to share with the people that don’t know Divine Principle. I understand that I cannot convince anybody to understand or to study Divine Principle if I myself cannot understand it or see real examples of how it has helped me.

-Virgilio Leitao Muando, Mozambique

I really appreciated the lectures, especially the ones in the morning. It will really help me when I will be witnessing to someone, as it really teaches us how to outreach.

-Nadal Noel, France