(Clearwisdom.net) Falun Dafa practitioners recently participated in the annual Earth Day outdoor celebration in Spokane, Washington's Riverfront Park. This was our fifth year participating in this event. The volunteer organizers of the event are all familiar with us, and they helped us by putting our large six by nine-foot banner on the center of the performing stage's backdrop. The banner says, "Falun Dafa, Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance" in both English and Chinese. We were also invited to speak on the stage to briefly introduce Falun Dafa. After a local practitioner finished speaking, some people up on the stage said "Right on Falun Gong! We've been watching your program (Pure Heart, Clear Mind) on Channel 14!" It's so good knowing that Falun Dafa is reaching and is welcomed by others.
We added a new activity this year--folding lotus flowers. Not only do kids love to make the beautiful lotus flowers, but it attracted many adults' attention as well. We let them choose their favorite colors, and helped them make the flowers on the spot. While folding the flowers, we told them the profound meaning behind lotus flowers. "This lotus flower is a reminder of moral discipline, because lotus flowers grow in the mud, but keep themselves very clean and elegant. In Asian culture, lotus flowers are symbols of highly virtuous individuals who maintain a high moral standard while living in a corrupt society, just like the persecuted Falun Dafa practitioners in China." People naturally asked about Falun Dafa, and were given flyers with information about the practice and the persecution in China. We were quite busy all day. Some people came back wearing the flower in their hair, and talked more with us with big smiles on their faces.
Unlike past Earth Day Fairs, the sun was playing hide and seek with us all day long, and it rained at the end of our event. A young Chinese man came over right before the big rain storm. He was reading our display boards carefully, and asked me if I was Chinese. We started a very informal chat, but he got more and more serious towards the end. He told me how he is seeking the truth, joined a religion, but still feels ashamed sometimes in front of God, as he cannot control himself and his sins. He found that I was not afraid to be rained on, my hands were always warm no matter how chilly the weather, and he liked every word I said to him. He could tell from the brief conversations among practitioners when the rain started, that we are good people. He told me before we parted that he came to the United States five years ago, and because he believed the Chinese media's lies, until today he did not know that Falun Dafa is good. Now he wants to study our website to find out more about Falun Dafa's teachings.
Looking at his happy face, I knew we were here for him, and he was sent to us to learn the truth.
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Category: Parades & Other Community Events
