I’m glad I had an opportunity to take part at the biggest CARP winter workshop, which was held in France in a little village near Geneva. On Friday the 2nd of January 2004 around 160 people gathered from STF, CARP and many STF-graduates and 2nd G who are working came. I was so happy to see some friends after ages again. I learned many new STF guys and was struggling to remember all the names.

The first day started with a personal testimony of our CARP consultant Hun Wee hyung, which I liked very much. I could get to know him much more and understood how difficult it was for him to be immigrant in USA in his childhood and how he learned Hyun Jin Nim. Then he gave a presentation on the Core Values and later we discussed them in teams. The teams were announced at the day of arrival and I was in Mira Brady’s one. We discussed how we experience the Core Values in our daily lives and what they mean to us. I found the sharing very fruitful. In the afternoon we played our skits. We had to present three from four Core Values. Our team had the Ownership. Testimonies given by STF and CARP members followed. People were talking about their experiences with God from the fundraising condition and keeping their faith while studying.

On the 2nd day we went through wonderful Challenge Day. It’s theme was taken from the movie The Lord of the rings and everyone form the each team should resemble one from the movie’s characters. There were some rules for everyone e.g. Aragon should use only right hand, Gimli couldn’t talk the whole day…I was Legolas and I enjoyed my role. At one station I had to walk on the thin iron rope from one chair to other and turn back on the rope and go back. We had 40 minutes for each of the tasks and I managed it after thirty minutes of training and falling…We were trying hard as a team to unite and were helping each other to fulfill one’s responsibility. I forgot, we had to use in each sentence one of the Core Values’ words. Sometimes it was funny but it made us think of them as well. I realized the Challenge Day is not about whose team will be first but how we as a team experience unity and are able to get the spirit, support each other and don’t give up…In the evening we heard some testimonies from the day.

On the third day we heard the national CARP reports and learned how CARP develops in various nations. In the afternoon Simon Cooper, the CARP leader of England, gave us presentation about Time Managing which I really needed. It showed us the difference between the "urgent" and "important" and that we shouldn’t forget about the relationships that aren’t urgent but very very important in our lives. In the evening we reflected about the last year and on the last day we wrote reflections from the workshop.

When we were saying "bye" to each other we were much more motivated and determined to do something great for the young people in our countries and support True Parents’ providence in Europe and in the whole world. We Slovaks went to Switzerland for two days of fundraising afterwards. I could feel much love and peace when I was approaching people and also a sense of unity with all STF and 2nd G.

I’m so happy and grateful that I could be at this workshop.

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