UK Harpies attended both the Senior UK HARP workshop as well as some travelling to attend the international workshop in Poland, hear all about their experiences here…
Hear about the Senior HARP Winter Workshop 2024-25!
‘From the evening of Saturday 28th August 2024 to lunchtime of Thursday 2nd January 2025, a group of 38 of us gathered to attend the Senior winter workshop at Livingstone House. The participants were aged between 14 and 18, and we had an international flavour as we had some participants from across Europe. In particular, we had a significant group from Ireland, both staff and participants, reuniting the British Isles. We were very grateful to have this unique group gather together and experience the closing of 2024 and the start of 2025.
The motto for this workshop was:
“Look in. Stand strong. STEP UP.”
The post-Christmas atmosphere was there as many had come from various places, mostly spending time with family and friends. But we could transition well as a group, back into a workshop environment. With 4 full days, we had a packed schedule, but the participants and staff took the initial invite from the motto well – everyone chose to step up in taking responsibility and in their attitude to take on this senior workshop.
The first couple of days was densely packed, we had what seemed like a condensed version of the Divine Principle spread across the first two mornings, professionally delivered by Dr David H.. Additionally, we had packed afternoon and evening schedules to follow. On the first day, there was a fun and bonding team building afternoon, solving problems, getting creative and learning about each other’s family trees. And on the second day we went through a restoration course together as a workshop, completing challenges related to various significant Biblical figures, to learn and understand the stories of restoration better.
The second half of the workshop started by exploring the importance of leading a purity lifestyle and what blocks us from being free to express the God inside each one of us. We had this content given by our elder sister Yebuny H. and as a staff team were significantly supported by her husband Patrick H.. We could have time spent separately as brothers and sisters to experience brotherhood and sisterhood, as well as share our reflections as 2024 was coming to a close. We set goals for ourselves, a step up that each of us want to take in 2025 that we feel God is calling from us. Finally, the year ended in worship and fireworks, to offer our 2024 and celebrate the start of 2025 with God. The final day we could hear from various staff members their internal guidance and testimonies of their lives of faith and where they have stepped up. It was inspiring to hear the seriousness taken in their lives with God and how it has led them to experience even more joy.
Overall, our hopes for the workshop with the motto was to encourage us all to reflect and take our personal lives of faith more seriously as growing blessed children by first looking in. We believe amongst the various reflection and sharing activities, in pairs, in teams and across the workshop, that there could be moments that each person could connect to their original mind and listen to their conscience and what God is asking us to look deeper into. Too often in society we are looking out for what we want to take, but there is so much we can benefit from by pausing and looking in with honest self reflection of where we are currently standing and what steps we are already taking, the good and the bad.
We hope that by going through this experience together as a part of the community, we can be encouraged and inspired by each other to stand strong with our beliefs and high ideals. We are striving to succeed in the blessing lifestyle and following True Parents by raising our own personal standards despite the difficulties of our surrounding environments. It could be portrayed in the content that our journey of spiritual growth and maturation is one where we are called to step up constantly, to step up closer to being like God, in restoring our past mistakes, in deepening the relationships in our lives or growing in perspective of how God is working and how we want to work with Him. We hope for everyone that we can stay strong to step up to 2025 with becoming closer to God and closer to our true self, the God in us.
We are grateful for all the participants that came and invested into the workshop as well as all the parents and elders supporting them on their continued journey. We are also grateful to the staff that could offer their time and grow themselves in stepping up to take care of the spiritual lives of our younger brothers and sisters. We hope to enjoy more joyful and serious experiences together again. Well done everyone and let’s create a beautiful 2025 for God.
God bless,
Pyong Chan D. and Grace T.
Workshop Directors
Some youth from our community also attended and helped to staff the International Winter HARP WS in Poland! Hear about their experience including some testimonies here!
Read a short workshop report here-
Here is a couple testimonies from the British participants and staff-
‘I was lucky to go to the polish summer workshop earlier in 2024, and it only left me with a greater need to go again this winter! The cosy and familial atmosphere of the workshop was incredibly wholesome, and would not be possible if not for the welcoming participants and staff. One of the things I realised this year is just how caring our family is, no matter where in the world you are, brothers and sisters everywhere support each other. It was so much fun laughing together with everyone making references to jokes we’ve all seen online and breaking down international barriers.
A personal highlight of the workshop program for me would be when we separated into brothers and sisters time after challenge morning. It was a nice opportunity to get to know other sisters on a deeper level and really connect and be vulnerable with each other as well as ask questions or discuss topics that were on our minds.
Outside of the amazing community, the content we received was also inspiring, especially when it came to finding out what our north star is, knowing how to be “successfully single” and doing our own analysis on Jesus and True Parent’s life and their stories. I found that the content we received perfectly set up a strong foundation for us to reflect on and use when it came to us goal setting for the new year.
For anyone who wants to meet new brothers and sisters or expand their understanding of Jesus and True Parents, I couldn’t recommend the poland workshop enough! If you go to a winter workshop specifically, you’ll forever be grateful you ended the last year and started a new one in such a memorable and insightful way.’
-UK participant
‘After an amazing experience on the Summer Workshop in Glanow, I knew I had to go to the Winter Workshop too and end my year on the same high! Despite being new, the community was extremely inviting and keen to support us. The incredible lectures/testimonies and talks that were shared left me with so much clarity and motivation going into the new year. I gained so many new insights, friendships and experiences that I will treasure deeply. I was able to push myself both physically through the amazing sports sessions and internally, strengthening my faith and relationship with God. It was really special for me to also be able to connect with my European roots and share in their beautiful culture. The sincerity and care truly creates an environment that feels like home. Overall, I would reaally recommend this to anyone looking to grow themselves, form great friendships, develop their beliefs and understandings! Kocham polskę.’
-UK participant
‘It was a pleasure to staff the polish winter workshop this year after hearing such kind and positive things from the British participants who went to the previous polish workshops. The atmosphere that the participants and staff were able to create allowed a space for everyone to have fun and create and develop relationships while also allowing us to look to the year ahead fondly. My favourite activity was studying the life of Jesus and True Parents and helping other participants with their understanding. Outside the main schedule I also really enjoyed the various card games each of the countries had to offer. Such a precious time, can’t wait to go back.’
-UK staff member
We cannot wait to see you at the next HARP workshops thank you to all the participants for taking this time to invest into community and life of faith and for all the elders who invest year after year as staff!
