Be the Sponge
As the Hyojeong Divine Principle True Parents’ Life Course Conference in Las Vegas continued, Rev. Masayuki Kachi opened his first lecture with the Divine Principle as the Foundation for the Providence of Restoration Centered on True Parents. Throughout the break periods, participants have been sharing testimonies about their personal experiences. Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) member Sarah Takhar proposed everyone “go into the lectures as dry sponges who can soak up the water of the life.”
Regional Chairman of Family Federation North America Dr. Ki Hoon Kim visited with the Hyojeong Divine Principle Conference staff over lunch to share his gratitude for everyone’s hard work and cooperation, and shared how moved he was by the testimonies and how happy being part of the conference has made him. “People have been asking me, ‘When will you be leaving?’ and I tell them, ‘I’m not going anywhere. I like it here! I want to hear more of these wonderful testimonies!'”
Dr. Kim recognized everyone’s love and heart throughout the group discussions, saying, “These workshops are becoming upgraded; the content leaves a deeper impression on the participants, giving them a life-changing experience.” Dr. Kim expressed how he takes the responsibility of being the representative of True Parents to the families and a representative of the families to True Parents very seriously. Dr. Kim has been sharing all of these testimonies with True Mother.
“Being at this workshop I realized that once we connect in heart with God and True Parents, there is a desire to share that connection. It upsets me that not everyone can listen and learn from these lectures, I feel like we need to go into the lectures as dry sponges who can soak up the water of the life expressed through the words and we need to go back to our communities and squeeze it all out and share it with everyone. We must learn, inherit and then share it.” –Sarah Takhar, Los Angeles, CA, 23, Subregion 5
“A lot had happened to me this past month; I went on the Hyojeong Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles (CARP) Trip and now I’m here in Las Vegas. Before these experiences, I wasn’t sure where the church belonged in my life and I had so many questions. I used to think I would never be happy and could never experience the joy that everyone around me was feeling. But throughout these workshops and these lectures, a lot of my questions have been answered, and I now understand where the church belongs in my life.” –Mirai McKain, Salt Lake City, UT, 24, Subregion 4
“Thinking about Vision 2020, it may seem impossible to do within the next two years; but I believe it will happen. During the Hyojeong trip to Japan and Korea, I learned that Korea is the Father nation, Japan is the Mother nation, and America is the Elder Son nation. When the CARP group met with True Mother in Japan, we found out the Japanese church had arranged everything for us and also paid for the very expensive luncheon with True Mother that all 360 participants were invited to. And now, at this Divine Principle Conference, our Japanese lecturers are teaching the Elder Son nation a deeper meaning to the Principle. Through these experiences I realized that Japan has really been like a mother to me, and together we can prepare for the success of Vision 2020.” –Chris Kenedy, Alexandria, VA, 29, Subregion 2
“The reason I came to this workshop was to acknowledge God’s guidance for me. As a recent Generation Peace Academy (GPA) graduate, I was trying to figure out how to keep my faith as my priority. It can be easy when you’re in an environment that allows you to think about God all day every day, like when I was on GPA. This environment allowed me to learn about True Parents’ convictions and strengths and gave me the strength to give to others. No matter what level of faith we are in, we need to come together to support God’s Providence and move toward Cheon Il Guk.” –Monica Schlaepfer, Hayward, CA, 20, Subregion 5
“When you’ve been studying the Divine Principle for so long, you begin to practice it to understand it better. When you apply the Principle, you see the benefits. When you separate from it, you see the consequences. From this workshop, I’ve been truly touched by the younger Unificationists. They need to take advantage of the foundation the first generation Unificationists have laid down for them and use the Principle to take charge and take leadership. They need to use what God has given them to change the world.” –Roshan D’Souza Wolff, New York, NY, Subregion 1