(Minghui.org) I am a 58-year-old teacher and work at a special education school that cares for children who have mental or physical disabilities. I started practicing Falun Dafa in 1997 and over the years, have experienced many amazing things.
During the winter of 2015, we had a heavy snowstorm. Our area was buried in snow more than a foot deep. All the public transportation services were suspended.
Our students usually live on campus and return home to spend time with their families every other weekend. The massive snowstorm coincided with our students’ weekend break. On Saturday morning, we were contacted by the principal and told that the school would be closed on Monday. Teachers were told to update their students on the closure, pending further updates on the exact date of re-opening.
My husband also works at the school. At 3 p.m. on Monday, our principal called my husband and told him that the school gatekeeper had encountered Li Zhimou (alias), an 11-year-old student from my class, who had walked to school accompanied by his grandmother. They lived more than ten kilometers away and it took them more than six hours due to the biting cold and icy roads. The gatekeeper had given them some food, and the grandparent and student were on their way home. The principal asked us to try and contact relatives who could bring them home before it got too dark.
Li Zhimou’s parents had both died when he was young. The boy had been raised by his grandparents who were both over seventy years old. Besides his mental disability, Zhimou suffered from poor health, including a heart problem and epilepsy. His family lived in extreme poverty and we helped the child whenever we could, for example by buying him shoes and clothes.
I called the child’s home and managed to get his grandfather who said, “The teacher did inform me that there would be no classes on Monday. I didn’t think to tell them, as the weather conditions are so bad no sane person would venture outside. I didn’t expect them to slip out behind my back. I will ask Zhimou’s uncle to bring them home.” I immediately said, “The uncle does not own a vehicle and will also have to walk. Don’t trouble him. We will find another way to get them home quickly and safely.”
My husband is an experienced driver, so I asked him to help. My husband is a kind person who helps those in need. I told him of the situation and said, “If you are willing to drive, we can offer them a ride home. The sun is setting and the temperature is dropping. They may not be able to walk home in these conditions. Although the roads may be slippery, we will have Master’s protection. Nothing will happen to us.” As my husband put on his overcoat, I turned to Master’s photo and silently asked for his blessings.
We slowly made our way along the icy and deserted roads and eventually found the grandmother and grandchild struggling in the deep snow about two kilometers from the school. Their clothes were covered in ice crystals and their faces were red.
We quickly bundled them into the car. Zhimou’s grandmother was overcome with gratitude and thanked us repeatedly and profusely. She explained, “Li Zhimou was determined not to miss any lessons. He deliberately avoided his grandfather because he was afraid his grandfather would forbid him from coming.” I told her, “You don’t have to thank us. I am a Falun Dafa practitioner and we are merely following the principles taught by our Master.” Zhimou’s grandmother said she understood, “You are such a good person. Falun Dafa must certainly be good.”
I told them, “The road isn’t safe. Let’s all say, 'Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!' Master will safely guide us home.” Whenever Zhimou got distracted and stopped reciting, his grandmother encouraged him to continue. We encountered a steep uphill road coated in ice. Despite the difficulty, we reached the top smoothly, all the while reciting “Falun Dafa is good! Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good!” We delivered Zhimou and his grandmother home safely. The family thanked us profusely as we left. They all said, “Thank you! Thank you Falun Dafa’s Master!”
Our journey home was much easier since many roads had been cleared of ice and snow by then. I thanked Master for his divine protection.
The start of our new school term, on September 10, 2018, saw many new students enrolled in our school. I was in the office that morning when I saw a 10-year-old boy and his grandmother walk in. The child, named Liu Yongqiang (alias), lived in the countryside 25 kilometers away from school. His parents both suffered from disabilities and the boy lived with his grandmother.
As soon as Yongqiang entered our office, he started looking around and feverishly touching things, ignoring his grandmother’s pleas to stop. The child’s restless behavior, similar to symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), caught my attention. His grandmother told the staff, “This child does not know the meaning of fear. He sometimes wanders far from home and does not return before dark. He is unable to express himself clearly. We tried enrolling him in our hometown kindergarten and elementary school, but each time, he was sent home.”
That afternoon, the teacher responsible for overseeing the students exclaimed, “Did anyone see student Liu Yongqiang? He isn’t here. Did he return home with his grandmother?” The principal immediately contacted Liu Yongqiang's grandmother. “Is your child with you?” She replied, “No.” The teacher in charge of his class also told us, “I noticed the child closely following his grandmother. I’m not sure when his grandmother left, but I’m certain she did not hand the child over to me.”
When we asked our gatekeeper he said, “The camera is malfunctioning. The child may have slipped out and followed his grandmother home.” The principal anxiously said, “Let’s try to find him!” We split up and started searching.
Our school is located in the middle of a densely populated residential area, bounded on all sides by major roads, and heavy traffic.
My colleagues scattered in all directions to search for the missing student. Some rode their electric bikes, while others started searching on foot. By then, Liu Yongqiang had been missing for three hours. Having never seen the child, the people searching for him relied on verbal descriptions of his looks and height.
I was among the last to leave the school. As I slowly drove my car towards the bus station, I started wondering. For practitioners, nothing we encounter is by accident. The child’s behavior had caught my attention this morning. Perhaps this child had a karmic relationship with me. If so, I was sure that I could find him. I silently asked, “Master, please help me find this child. His family situation is not good. I will do my best to take care of him.”
There were no parking spaces when I arrived at the bus station, so I turned onto a less busy road. I planned to find a parking spot and continue looking for Yongqiang on foot. Though the road was relatively quiet, both sides were fully parked. I slowly inched forward until I found a parking spot. I only saw two old people on the street as I silently begged Master to help me locate the child. Just as I was about to park my car, I suddenly noticed a child carrying a schoolbag. It was Liu Yongqiang!
I was so stunned that I sat there in shock. I had just looked at the sidewalk and seen two elderly people. Yet the boy materialized before me within a blink of an eye. Clearly Master had brought him to me! I happily thanked Master, pulled my car to the side and approached the child. I gently took his arms and kindly asked him, “Little one, where have you been? Are you hungry? Come back to school with me and we can eat lunch!” With a sweet smile, he climbed into my car.
I immediately phoned our principal and told him I found the child. “He’s now sitting in my car.” I heard the relief in his voice, “That is great! I will immediately update the other teachers and his grandmother.”
While driving back to school, we noticed the principal who was walking back. I stopped the car and after he climbed in, he said, “Let me have a look at this child. I lost him even before I had a chance to meet him. What a scary experience!” He asked me where I found Liu Yongqiang. I told him, “My master was the one who found him.” The principal was amazed as I described how I found the boy.
The principal exclaimed, “Falun Dafa is so amazing! I should thank you.” I quickly replied, “You should thank Dafa’s Master. I possess no special ability.” The principal agreed. “Yes, I really should thank Dafa’s Master.”
When my colleagues returned we all happily resumed eating lunch. After they heard how I found Liu Yongqiang, everyone was excited. “Falun Dafa is truly amazing.” Two teachers smiled and said, “When the principal called to tell us that the child had been found, we immediately guessed that you found him. Falun Dafa practitioners are good people, nothing like the lies spread by the Party. They enjoy perfect health, are kind, perform their jobs conscientiously and do not compete for fame or benefits!” They teased the principal, “If we all practiced Falun Dafa, your job would be so much easier!”
Seizing the opportunity, I told them, “We have Dafa’s Master to thank for the good outcome! In the future, please remember these words: 'Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.'” Everyone smiled and agreed.