(Clearwisdom.net) On March 26, 2004, more than 10 Illinois Falun Gong practitioners went to Dekalb to participate in its annual health expo. The health expo is organized by Northern Illinois University and it typically has nearly 100 group participants. The expo attracts thousands of faculty, students and local residents every year, and this is the 5th time practitioners participated in this health expo since the year 2000.
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| Practitioners demonstrating Falun Dafa exercises | A young man learns about Falun Dafa |
Practitioners came very early in the morning to set up the booth, and their posters about Falun Dafa spreading around the world and photo illustrations of Falun Dafa exercises attracted many students and faculty members from the very beginning of the expo. With great patience, time and time again, practitioners explained the basic principles of Falun Dafa to visitors who were interested. At 11 a.m., five practitioners presented a one-hour demonstration of the five sets of Falun Dafa exercises on the stage. Spectators commented on the overwhelming peacefulness of the practice.
Practitioner Mr. Wang said: "We come to participate in this health expo every year because we don't want to miss this good opportunity to introduce Falun Gong to more people. Our practice is unique because it teaches how true health resides in physical improvement and spiritual uplifting simultaneously. The highest universal principle 'Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance' together with the five sets of slow and gentle Falun Gong exercises brings true health."
Upon hearing the three words "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance," many people smiled and nodded their heads. When hearing that they can learn Falun Gong at a weekly Falun Gong instruction class, they were even happier. Mr. Wang said that every year there were people who took Falun Gong information during the expo and then came to practice site to learn Falun Gong the next day.
Falun Gong instruction class at Dekalb started as early as 1999, and countless people in the area have thereby learned about Falun Dafa. Many people who came to the expo said that they had heard about the brutal persecution in China from the media.
On December 11, 2000, during a Dekalb city council meeting, Mayor Bessic Chronopoules issued a proclamation to Falun Dafa and announced December 14 as "Falun Dafa Day" of Dekalb. In the proclamation, the mayor wrote: "...the great compassion and forbearance demonstrated by Falun Dafa practitioners under the most severe environment has touched the heart of every kindhearted human being..." While he was presenting the proclamation, the meeting was broadcasted live to all the city residential homes by a local TV station.
This one-day event soon concluded. As usual, most of Falun Gong materials we brought had been distributed. In the end, the expo organizer expressed his appreciation of practitioners' participation and sincerely welcomed them to come back next year.
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