(Minghui.org) It was the custom in my family that we all gathered together on New Year's Eve. There are over ten people in my family, all Dafa practitioners. Since everyone follows the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance and looks inward during conflicts, we get along really well. We always have a very good time together.
After we began to practice Dafa, Master cleansed our bodies. Ailments like asthma, kidney disease, severe allergies, stomach problems, and gout all disappeared. We compared how we studied and cultivated, shared our experiences and improved quickly together. We felt lucky for encountering Dafa in this lifetime and following Master to return home.
However, after Jiang Zemin initiated the persecution of Falun Dafa 18 years ago, we were no longer able to live in peace. The gathering on New Year's Eve Day was not the same anymore. But we all continue to assist Master to validate Dafa and fulfill our mission to save sentient beings, no matter how difficult or dangerous the situation.
Right after my younger brother graduated from high school, he took a train to Beijing to seek justice for Dafa. At Tiananmen Square, he calmly did the second Falun Dafa exercise even though many police officers were there.
One of them kicked him extremely hard without warning. With Master's protection, he wasn't injured. He was taken to a police station and beaten, but he always smiled at the police officers. One of them was so touched that he just couldn't hit him anymore.
My brother was arrested several more times later, and was detained and sent to forced labor camps and brainwashing centers. No matter how terrible the conditions were, he always told everyone he met how great Dafa was. He said that he would never give it up, even if everyone else in the world did.
On one New Year's Eve gathering, we were not in the mood to enjoy the holiday because Master and Dafa were being defamed and so many practitioners were being persecuted. Our home was under police surveillance.
However, my brother managed to go out with a big bag of informational materials. It snowed that night. He walked the whole night to distribute the materials. He came home at dawn, covered with snow, in triumph. My mother cried and held his cold hands in her own.
At lunchtime, he went out again with my other brother to the market and distributed more than a hundred Dafa DVDs.
My younger sister has been arrested several times and sentenced to prison, but she still firmly believes in Dafa.
She used to be responsible for making Dafa materials and, over the years, made thousands of them. She did not have any money to buy an air conditioner. In the summers, she worked without a fan because it would blow the paper around. Her shirt was soaking wet, but she always tried to keep the equipment cool before herself.
She is slim and not strong, but she managed to carry heavy boxes of materials. She often rode her motorcycle to deliver the materials alone, day or night. She worked every day. Once she had to carry a piece of equipment that weighed more than she did up a flight of stairs. She asked Master for help and managed it miraculously. Udumbara flowers have blossomed in her home.
When she was imprisoned, she remained firm in her belief and kept reciting the Fa during brainwashing and torture. The authorities were never able to to make her renounce Dafa. She also told the other inmates about Dafa and they seemed grateful to know her and to learn the truth.
After she was released, she continued to do the three things well, but she was forced to leave home for safety reasons.
My brother and sister both lost their jobs because they refused to give up their belief. They made a living doing temporary jobs. Even with their limited income, they made Dafa materials in their homes. To avoid arrest, they had to move often. Moving heavy equipment and materials was not easy, and it had to be done at night.
They lived simple lives and saved their money to purchase equipment and materials. They also helped other practitioners set up their own material production sites.
When my younger brother and sister were detained, my mother missed them and was often sad. However, Master showed her children in another dimension. She also saw Master's Fashen to encourage her to be diligent and strong.
My sister has now moved to another city and we do not know where my brother is. They once were good employees and devoted children. They have been forced to stay away, unable to fulfill their duties to our elderly parents. Our parents miss them and always wonder where they are.
2018 is already here. Our family did not welcome it together as before, but we are all Dafa disciples who are doing what we should do, no matter where we are. We know that wonderful things await us and Master awaits us to return home.