(Minghui.org) My husband and I began to practice Falun Gong before the communist regime launched its persecution of the self-cultivation practice in 1999. Both my husband and I have been arbitrarily arrested and detained many times for refusing to renounce our belief.
Despite the persecution, we follow Falun Gong's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, which help us to be good people wherever we are.
Many people have come to see that practitioners are nothing like what the Communist Party had depicted. They began to show their acceptance and support of us, either directly or indirectly.
At the beginning of the persecution, the authorities arrested and detained me. They also ransacked my home. In addition, I was transferred from a leadership position at my work to a teaching position at a remote village elementary school.
In addition to monitoring me, the police also harassed my family.
One morning, when I opened my front door, I saw that someone had left four big cabbages outside our home. I was deeply touched, because there were people who supported me and cared about me. This kind act reinforced my belief and helped me to be a good person.
I was held in the county's detention center because I peacefully appealed for the right to practice Falun Gong. I met a clothing store owner, a young and pretty woman. When she was brought into the cell, she stood in the corner for a very long time.
I took care of her, made sure she had space in the bed, shared my quilt, and helped her contact her family. I also talked to her about Falun Gong and why I was detained. We became good friends. She was released a week later. Not long after, I received clothes and a mattress from her.
After I was released, I went to her home to thank her. “I thought Falun Gong practitioners were murderers and crazy people,” she said, “because of what I learned from the media. When I first saw you, I was very scared. However, you are the one who helped me during the most difficult time of my life. I would not have survived it without you.”
“After I was released, I told my husband about you. We decided to help you get out of the detention center, because you are a good person. You should not be imprisoned with criminals. However, we were told that no one could help, because you are a Falun Gong practitioner,” she continued.
She remembered that I slept on a reed mat and had no new clothes, so she decided to send bring me these items. The guards asked her about our relationship; she told them that I was her sister.
My husband was sentenced to prison because he refused to give up his belief. After he was released, the government fired him. I left home to avoid persecution. My daughter was at home but had no money and did not know where to go for help. The police also harassed her. Nevertheless, she did not let her situation bother her.
She grew up in a tough environment from childhood to college. Before her graduation, her counselor asked, “Why didn't you tell me about your family situation earlier? You still qualify for the subsidy for low-income students. I arranged for the subsidy for you. Your fellow students told me your situation.”
“I don't need it,” my daughter said. “Give it to other students who need it more than I do.”
He teacher told her, “Your parents are good people. They didn't do anything wrong. You are an excellent student.”
Although my family has been persecuted many times, more and more people have changed their opinion of us because of their experience with practitioners.
A foreign-owned company opened in my hometown. The director assigned me to the accounting and warehouse management position. He praised me because the accounting books were accurate. He told others, “I should hire more Falun Gong practitioners. They are very honest.”
He used to check the inventory on and off. He went from checking very carefully to not checking at all, especially after he learned that I was a practitioner.
To avoid harassment from police officers and possible arrest, we have to move from time to time. We finally settled down in my hometown, a rural village.
I never forget that, for practitioners, the needs of all others come first.
My mother, in her upper 80s, lives with me. When neighbors admire her happy life, she tells them that she benefits from Falun Gong.
My grandaunt is in her 70s and lives in a large city with her family. She was deeply affected by the state-controlled media propaganda against Falun Gong. Last year was the first time in ten years that she celebrated the Qing Ming Festival with us. She noticed that my entire family was doing well and changed her mind about Falun Gong.
My neighbors and relatives have also seen the goodness of practitioners and now support us wholeheartedly.