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SOS Car Tour to Ten Alberta Cities and Towns (Photos)

Sept. 16, 2003 |   By a Dafa practitioner in Calgary, Canada

(Clearwisdom.net) September 10 report: Today I want to share with everyone the unforgettable experience of our "Car Tour." This "Car Tour" may not have been as large in scope as the SOS Walk last year, but we felt that it had the same importance in clarifying the truth and saving sentient beings in larger areas before the mighty force of Fa-rectification comes to the surface level of the human world.

On August 19, in the city of Slave Lake, 1210 KWA radio station reporters came to conduct an interview, and then followed the practitioners to the mayor's office to continue the report On the morning of August 20, the practitioners arrived in the city of High Prairie and were interviewed by Radio 1020 CKVH On August 21, in Grande Prairie, a reporter from SUN FM97.7 interviewed a practitioner and expressed his support for Falun Gong
On August 23, in the city of Camrose, led by a friendly university student, the members of the car tour visited a news agency-Booster and chatted with the editor On Sunday, August 24, in the city of Red Deer, a reporter from the local newspaper Red Deer Advocate interviewed the practitioners at his office and photographed the practitioners' exercise demonstration

Our "Car Tour" group was comprised of five Western and Chinese practitioners. Early on the morning of August 17, we set out from Calgary. In the following eight days, we traveled to ten cities, including Red Deer, Wekaskiwin, Edmonton, Slave Lake, Kinuso, High Prairie, Grande Prairie, Whitecourt, Edson, and Camrose. We clarified the truth about Falun Dafa to the local media, delivered Dafa truth-clarifying materials to the local people, and received support from the local governments, media and citizens.

But not everything went smoothly on the path of Fa-rectification. The first stop was in Red Deer. It was Sunday and the weather was pleasant. We selected a place in a famous park, hung banners, displayed photo boards and Dafa truth-clarifying materials, and then we confidently waited for the media and visitors to come. We waited for three hours, but the media we had made an appointment with did not come, and there were only a couple of visitors in the park. After inquiring, we were told that more visitors were be expected at noon. Should we wait or drive to our next stop, Wetaskiwin, as scheduled? What would be the situation at the next stop? We decided to send forth righteous thoughts: We should take control of the situation, and absolutely not acknowledge the arrangements of old forces. So we skipped lunch and drove to Wetaskinwin.

As we were not familiar with the route, when reached Wetaskiwin, we didn't find the park where we had arranged to meet the media. We drove around and found that there were many people on Perace Street. After an inquiry, we learned that this day was the last day of the town's biggest festival, "Pioneer Days." Most of the people in the town participated, and it was really bustling. So we began to find an empty place on the street, and hung banners, displayed photo boards, performed Falun Dafa exercises and handed out flyers. We clarified the truth to local people on the spot. In more than three hours, we almost distributed all the materials we had brought with us. We met a Chinese man from Guangdong Province who ran a restaurant there. He told us that there are ten Chinese people in the town. When he learned the truth about Falun Dafa, he was shocked, and expressed that he would tell the truth to the other Chinese people. Some predestined people learned to practice the exercises on the spot.

At night, we studied the Fa together besides a campfire. We analyzed the losses and gains of the day, and we found that we had omissions, as we were eager to meet with the media to clarify the truth to them. Led by this attachment to doing things, we were taken advantage of by old forces, and we didn't meet one single media outlet. However, we all had strong righteous thoughts, so we happened upon a good festival, and many predestined people had an opportunity to learn about Dafa. If our righteous thoughts were not that strong, and we continued waiting in the park in Red Deer, how much loss that would have been! Our "Car Tour" is to use our great compassion to save more sentient beings. When our understanding was elevated, it was late at night. That night, we saw the northern aurora, splendid and magnificent. The sky was illuminated ...We had more confidence in the path of Fa-rectification in the future.

The next day, we arrived in Edmonton. At the place we had arranged with local practitioners, we came across another large festival -- The Fringe Festival. We immediately realized that this would be a good opportunity to raise awareness of more people about the truth of Falun Dafa. Though it was Monday, there were many people walking around, so we handed out flyers and clarified the truth to these people. One day passed quickly this way.

With the help of practitioners in Edmonton, we prepared a box of Dafa truth-clarifying materials and headed for our next stop. Just after leaving Edmonton, two of our practitioners felt very uncomfortable in their stomachs, but they maintained strong righteous thoughts, and didn't leave an omission for the old forces to take advantage. One practitioner said afterwards, "When I didn't think about myself, but only thought of Fa-rectification, the stomachache disappeared unknowingly." We arrived in Slave Lake, a beautiful and serene small town. When we were getting prepared under a pavilion at a crossroads of the central street, the media came, and government official also arrived. Reporters from two media outlets also accompanied us to meet the mayor. The practitioners remaining at the crossroads, handing out a large amount of Dafa truth-clarifying materials to passersby. When we left Slave Lake in the afternoon, we were very pleased. Our righteous thoughts and righteous actions changed the whole situation.

This "Car Tour," comprised of both Western and Chinese practitioners, is a unified body. The formation of the group was not accidental, as everyone played a special role. For example, David and Caylan are good at making contact with the media and clarifying the truth to government officials. Carrie is amiable and easy going. Jerry

is capable of coordinating and analyzing. As a Chinese student, I can directly clarify the truth to the media and government officials, and it is more convincing. So we should make full use of the strength of the whole body, and reinforce the strength and influence of the truth clarification to the media and government officials.

The third day, when we arrived in High Prairie, we met with a local broadcasting station, Radio 1020. After a brief introduction, the media staff showed great interest, and immediately conducted an interview and shot video at the studio. Obviously, our hearts were together, and the atmosphere was very good. In the afternoon, while practicing the exercises in front of the City Hall, we clarified the truth and handed out materials. Four to five local students learned to practice the exercises from Carrie. Local police also came after receiving a phone call from a passerby and asked us the purpose of our trip, "Isn't this a good opportunity to clarify the truth?" So we told them about our "Car Tour," about the wonderfulness of Falun Dafa, and the severe persecution in China. Later, when we went to the police station to distribute materials like "Witness to History," they were very glad to accept them. In the end, practitioners who went to visit government departments said that government officials also support us, and support Falun Dafa!

The fourth day, we arrived in Grande Prairie. We hadn't planned to visit this city, but the media in High Prairie introduced us and helped contact the media there. We were interviewed by one TV station, Grande Prairie Channel 7, and one radio station, SUN FM97.7. We also sent Dafa truth-clarifying materials to a large newspaper, the Herald Tribune. The host who interviewed practitioners showed his righteous thoughts after learning about the truth. We felt this was a successful morning. In the afternoon, we selected a big park to introduce Falun Dafa and distribute Dafa truth-clarifying materials, but found that there were not many people around. One practitioner was stung by a wasp after practicing the exercises. The reporter of a TV station with whom we had made appointment didn't come. Some practitioners could not calm down when doing the exercises. Later, when we went downtown to distribute materials, some passersby seemed not to hear us when we greeted them. Some even returned the materials to us. When we left the city, our car seemed to be not working right, either. We arrived in Whitecourt at 10:30 p.m. As so many issues and problems popped up, we decided to sit down to share our understanding, and everyone looked within to find the cause. Through exchanging and sharing, we found that we had an attachment of zealotry, so we slacked off a bit, which resulted in wasting the whole afternoon not doing many things. As our hearts were not pure and righteous, our car also broke down; as we slackened our sense of urgency for saving people, the media reporter did not come, and the pedestrians also refused our flyers. Though we had kept traveling from one city to another, and we were tired, if we failed to provide opportunities for people to be saved because of our own reasons, where is the "compassion" we have cultivated in Dafa? Where is our benevolence? How can we deserve the name of "Fa-rectification Dafa disciples?" These were not minor issues! We had thought we had strong righteous thoughts, but after examining ourselves, we found a big omission. Because of the omission, the surrounding environment changed with our hearts. Our hearts were not so pure and righteous, we had not devoted ourselves wholeheartedly, and we did not have immense compassion-- that's why the people looked so numb and aloof. After becoming clear about our responsibility, our hearts were bright again. Just as Master said, "Your path is, and I think you've all seen this now, actually very narrow. If you deviate just a little bit you won't measure up to the standard of a Dafa disciple."Teaching and Explaining the Fa at the Metropolitan New York Fa Conference). We have to walk well and righteously. ?/P>

The next day was Friday, and we all got up early. We practiced the exercises and sent forth righteous thoughts, and then we went to downtown Whitecourt to clarify the truth and introduce Falun Dafa. As our minds were righteous, the surrounding environment was changed positively. The media came, and there were a lot of people on the streets. Kind-hearted people wanted to donate money to help end the persecution after they learned the truth. They also expressed that they would write to congressmen. One citizen brought his video camera to film our photos and exercise demonstration. He expressed that he would make a CD and send to government departments. We also managed to drive to the nearby small town Edson in the afternoon. This was the ninth stop of our "Car Tour." Once we arrived in Edson, we saw a police station nearby and we gave the materials to the police without hesitation. We were like a high-efficiently cooperating unified body. Some practitioners met with the media in Edson Park, some demonstrated the exercises on the roadside, some clarified the truth and handed out materials downtown. Everybody worked efficiently and everything went smoothly and in good order. We also came upon a big festival in Edson, Sidewood Jumbling. Most people in the small town were out on the streets. While handing out flyers, we explained to people the purpose of our Car Tour. Many people learned about the persecution and were shocked. They signed the petition to support us. Within a few hours, we met many predestined people: one shopkeeper saw us handing out flyers. She immediately asked for one, and invited us to enter her shop to talk in detail. After listening to the explanation, she was shocked and showed sympathy. She also showed an interest in the Falun Gong exercises. While clarifying the truth, we also met people who have learned the exercises from the website. We also came across a Chinese man. When he learned that we were all university students, and that we used our summer vacation to make this car tour on our own expense to tell people the truth, he was very surprised and also showed his appreciation.

That night, we arrived in Edmonton, and joined with practitioners who came to participate in the parade. We shared experiences for a while and made some preparations for the next day. Early the next day, we set out. That was Saturday. Our "Car Tour" arrived at the tenth stop of our journey, Camrose. In this beautiful city named "City of Rose," it was a bit colder. The media came as we had arranged. After listening to our explanation, they took us to several other media outlets. As it was a weekend, no people were in offices. They expressed that they would pass the Dafa truth-clarifying package to other media outlets, and invited us to come to introduce Falun Dafa to high school students in the future. As I understand from Master's teaching, people who learn about the truth are "living media," and they will tell the truth to more people. Before long, it rained. We drove around in the city, entered a restaurant to buy something to eat, and clarified the truth. After that, we found another restaurant. As our righteous thoughts were strong, no difficulties could obstruct us on the path of Fa-rectification. We were not aware when the rain stopped. We went to the square of a large supermarket, CO-OP, to distribute flyers and clarified the truth. It was quite interesting that when we began handing out flyers, shoppers in CO-OP increased, and cars filled up the parking lot.

Through a week's truth clarification and Fa study, we gained a deeper understanding of the Fa, and we became more mature in clarifying the truth. The eighth day, (August 24) was another Sunday. We managed to make appointments with the media we hadn't met previously in Wetaksiwin and Red Deer. We cooperated well with the media, and had a successful interview. Each of us said something, and we all talked appropriately.

It was 1:00 p.m. when we left Red Deer. Though we hadn't had much to eat the whole day, everyone seemed to forget about being hungry. On our way back, we either studied the Fa or shared experiences. Later, some practitioners sat back on their seats and slowly fell asleep.

Today, our "Car Tour" ended, but the Fa-rectification has not ended. What is waiting us is more arduous effort, which requires us to cooperate well and improve as a whole body. Through the car tour, we gained a deeper understanding of Master's benevolence and inspiration, and we also realized the importance of studying the Fa, and the importance of working as a whole body. We better understood the great responsibility of Fa-rectification Dafa disciples. Of course, the success of the car tour must also be attributed to the unselfish efforts of Dafa practitioners in Calgary and Edmonton. Hereby, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to them on behalf of all Dafa practitioners in the Car Tour.