(Minghui.org) The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa has gone on for 18 years. Countless Dafa practitioners have been persecuted, and thousands have been tortured to death. Even though the persecution has negatively impacted practitioners’ families, many continue to support practitioners.
Dafa practitioner Ms. An and I were incarcerated in a forced labor camp in 2000. We missed our families terribly, but she had one more concern.
Ms. An and her husband, Mr. Chen, had both been divorced before. A few months after they got married, she was incarcerated. Her daughter from her previous marriage was living with Mr. Chen and his two sons, who were almost strangers to her. Ms. An felt very uneasy. We soon learned that her concern was not necessary at all.
We were released one year later. Ms. An was an elementary school teacher, but her contract was terminated because she refused to renounce her faith in Dafa. To make ends meet, she and her husband sold tofu on the street. Although life was difficult, they lived happily. Mr. Chen commented, “I don’t believe good people will be persecuted like this forever.”
To avoid further persecution, Ms. An had to move from place to place. Mr. Chen had his sons move in to live with his parents, so that he could move with Ms. An frequently to protect her through these years. He never complained no matter how difficult life was.
When we met again, all they had to share with me was good news. Her mother-in-law changed her attitude toward Dafa for the better after learning more about the persecution. Their eldest son got married and had children. Their daughter found work in a hospital after college and got married.
Ms. An opened a school with a few other practitioners. They were all former teachers who had lost their jobs for refusing to renounce Dafa at the demands of communist authorities. I visited their school and found out that they even provided room and board for students who could not return home each day.
Mr. Chen ran a farm nearby and supplied Ms. An’s school cafeteria, allowing her students to eat organic pork, chicken and natural produce.
I also went to see their new house. There was a blackboard and desks in the living room. Bedrooms were used as student dorms, and the dining room was the student cafeteria. They rented a kitchen to prepare food for the students. Some students were doing their homework when I visited, and Mr. Chen was busy cooking for them.
Ms. An told me that she told everyone around her about Dafa and the persecution. Mr. Chen sacrificed a lot for her and took very good care of Ms. An’s daughter.
When it was time for lunch, we ate in the cafeteria. Looking at the dishes and soup on the table, I felt so happy for this family.
I complimented Mr. Chen for his sacrifice. He replied, “I have many friends who cultivate in Buddhism or other schools of practice, including Falun Dafa. Although I am not cultivating in Dafa, I follow Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. I can endure hardships, and when my body feels ill, I can also endure and get by without taking any pills. I know that the persecution will end someday, the perpetrators will be punished for their crimes, and the good will be rewarded. As long as we follow our conscience, we have nothing to fear!”
I am so grateful for people like Mr. Chen who endure hardships to support their families who are Falun Dafa practitioners. Without fear or complaint, they take good care of their families and patiently wait for the persecution to end.
Thank you, families of Dafa practitioners!
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