(Minghui.org) I came across Falun Dafa in January 1999, the same year the practice was vilified and banned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
After I was born in the early 1960s, I was faced with illnesses and hardships from day one. My parents, both uneducated and illiterate, were in their mid 20s when I was born. They did not know how to care for a child. My father was going to bury me several times, but relented when he noticed that I was still breathing.
My parents took me to a doctor who did not give them much hope about my future, but I held tenaciously onto life.
When I graduated from high school, I missed the university entrance examination, attended the county high school, retook the high school courses, and took the university entrance test a year later. I later entered a Maritime College, graduated, and worked for 15 years in shipping. Given my good workmanship, I was promoted from a general mechanic to a senior engineer.
Dafa Enters My Life
Visiting one of my relatives in January 1999, I noticed the book Zhuan Falun. I took it home and soon learned the Falun Dafa exercises. Soon after I realized that all my illnesses had disappeared.
Given my work, I often traveled around the world, and never missed a chance to tell anyone I come across about Dafa and the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) persecution of the practice.
I taught people how to recite “Falun Dafa is good; Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” They understood that when repeating these words, calamities can turn into blessings and help them survive disasters.
Using Every Opportunity to Tell People about Dafa
When I was assigned to a ship, I worked as the owner’s representative. I once escorted an aged bulk carrier to fetch grain from a port on the edge of Lake Ontario in North America.
The owner knew that I was a Dafa practitioner and that I was able to deal with any problem the ship faced. This was also a great opportunity to talk to everyone on board about Dafa.
After we departed, and a lot of the crew were off work, I began to talk to them about Dafa and the importance of quitting the CCP and its affiliated organization.
Master said:
“All lives came for the Fa,Each and every lifetime was for this life.”(“Every Lifetime Was for This Life,” from Hong Yin III)
Talking about Dafa was my first priority, and soon found out that I was not the only Dafa practitioner on board. That practitioner told me about how he and his mother had gone to Beijing to appeal for Dafa, and were arrested. He then told the crew about the cruelty he was subjected to.
Both of us talked to everyone on the carrier during the 20-day outbound journey, and many of the crew watched the Shen Yun Performing Arts videos in the dining hall. We also talked to them about quitting the CCP - only one crew member did not want to quit.
A female navigator, in her 60s, was assigned to our ship to help steer us through a long river channel to berth. She was not happy with any of our helmsmen, so I was called to assist her.
After sharing a few pleasantries, I told her about Dafa's principles of 'Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance'. I also asked her to surf the Internet to learn more about the persecution.
While in port, some of my friends and former colleagues who had emigrated to Canada, visited me. Three of them quit the CCP and one's wife accepted a copy of Zhuan Falun.
Adverse Weather Conditions
I did not have a U.S. visa and had to stay with the ship on its return to Singapore. As nothing is by chance I knew that as I had to stay on board for reasons unbeknown to me at the time.
We encountered strong northerly winds when crossing the Bashi Channel on the return journey. The carrier was full of grain, and if it faced strong cross-winds for a prolonged time, it may risk capsizing.
The carrier was very old, so we changed the route and traveled through the Luzon Sea and Sulu Sea. We reached Singapore quickly and safely.
After arrival, we learned that our Singaporean colleagues on a boat full of nickel ore died as the ship sank in the Taiwan Strait. Their ship was only 20 nautical miles from ours. This made me realize the importance of talking to people about Dafa as calamities can turn into blessings and help people survive disasters. Our carrier and the entire crew were safe and sound.
Cherishing the Family
I had been married for 12 years when I started to practice Falun Dafa. Since then I stopped drinking, smoking and gambling. My wife could not understand that the book Zhuan Falun could be such a great influence on me.
My wife used to be susceptible to getting fevers, with one once lasting for half a year. After learning about Dafa, she was still energetic during a bout of fever and even went about with her normal chores. She did not take any medicine, and usually recovered within one day. She soon no longer came down with any fever, and benefited in so many ways after becoming a Falun Dafa practitioner.
We invited our relatives, friends, and neighbors to watch DVDs about Dafa. We talked to them about the practice and the persecution, and gave copies of Zhuan Falun to many people. Some of them started practicing Dafa, and we all took part in Dafa activities, studied the Fa and did the Falun Dafa exercises.
After the persecution started however, many of our friends and family members gradually stopped practicing.
I know that Master never gave up on them and still looks after them. From time to time, they come to my house and I update them on everything that has happened, including the latest news about the persecution.
When I faced unlawful arrest, my family members helped to get me released. Therefore, I cherished our family relationship even more, for they are being responsible to Dafa and its practitioners. People from other villages also admire our family's relationship.
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