(Minghui.org) I didn’t know whether I should go to the Minghui Camp in England or not. I wasn’t sure if it was worth traveling so far. It was expensive, and this year my coworker didn’t want to go. But since people asked me to come and even offered to pay for my flight, I knew I was really needed – especially since it was connected to Falun Dafa. I decided to go. I also knew I was supposed to write a report for Switzerland. And what better way to prepare for xinxing tests than by working with children?
I learned this year the camp was open to non-practitioners, and there were even more ordinary people than Falun Dafa practitioners, about two-thirds more. Before I even arrived I already had a preconceived notion: “It would be chaotic, loud, and disorganized.” I really didn’t want to participate, but I grit my teeth and signed up. I even found an incredibly cheap flight: Basel to London round trip for just 36 Swiss francs.
On the day of departure, things didn’t go as planned. Since it was a budget flight, I had to leave very early in the morning. I didn’t pay close attention to the departure time and I almost missed it. With the train and bus connections, I arrived at the airport 15 minutes before takeoff. I ran through the airport in a panic and even had to push in front of a few people (of course, asking and apologizing). As soon as I got to the gate, I felt relieved. But then a woman immediately came up to me and asked to measure my suitcase. Because it was five centimeters too big she demanded an extra 85 Swiss francs.
I immediately thought, “This is probably another one of those gain and loss tests.” So I told her, “Okay, I’ll pay by card.” But the woman explained that she only accepted cash. She sent me to an ATM, which is on the opposite side of the airport from where I had just run. I asked her, “Will I miss my flight?” She replied, “Yes, but you still have to pay,” and even got angry. I wondered, “Why is she so angry?” At the same time, I felt my own anger rising. The man behind me didn’t help matters. He laughed and said, “If I were you, I wouldn’t stand for this.”
I immediately realized my thoughts were heading in a negative direction. So I calmed down, smiled, and asked the woman for another solution. Suddenly, I remembered that my father put some cash in my suitcase for emergencies. I immediately opened my suitcase, gave her the money and I was able to board the plane.
In retrospect, I realized how much Master helped me: The train and bus connections worked, people let me cut in line, and then I remembered the cash just in time. Thank you so much, esteemed Master! And a very special thank you to my father as well! I’ve also learned to always carry cash.
The First Night
As soon as I arrived at camp, one of the kids ridiculed me. I thought: “Now the real test begins.” I was tired and I just wanted to sleep.
A teacher was supposed to arrange a sleeping bag and tent for me, since I was traveling from far away and didn’t want to pay for extra luggage (we all know how that went with my suitcase...). My desire to save money would soon be tested several more times.
But the teacher explained, “I tried to get a sleeping bag the day you arrived, but it was too late. The shop was already closed.” This was another test of my attachment to comfort. Because I live comfortably in my everyday life it means I have fewer opportunities to reduce my karma. Therefore, I knew I should appreciate this opportunity.
The teacher was kind, though: He gave me his jacket so I at least had a “blanket.” But during the night the temperature dropped to around 0°C. I wrapped myself in his jacket and my bath towel, but I could barely sleep. I was so cold that I woke up at 3:00 a.m. I wrapped my arms around my legs to stay warm. The next day I was able to get a sleeping bag.
The “Problem Child”
From the very first day, I had a negative attitude toward the child who spoke badly about me. Since he was an ordinary person, I wanted to pay even less attention to him, even though he was part of my group. But the more I wished to distance myself, the more he approached me.
He started dragging me around and even stole my things. The organizer later explained that he already caused many problems: He ate his roommates’ food, left crumbs and trash everywhere, and hit a boy and two girls. He was the reason two children already left camp.
That’s when I realized I’d been thinking selfishly. I only wanted to take care of the “good” children and ignore the troublemakers. But my job was to look after difficult children as well.
The next day, an incident occurred. During a lesson, he was supposed to stand up but refused. When I asked him to, he became angry and hit me several times so hard that his ankles cracked. After that, he even blamed me. I repeatedly told him to stop. When he didn’t, I held his arms and laid him on the ground to stop him. He immediately ran to another helper and claimed I, “Knocked him out.” I calmly explained what happened, but he shouted, “Liar!” and hit me again.
When I reported the incident to the teacher the organizers decided to officially expel him from camp. However, since his parents didn’t pick him up, he stayed for a few more days.
After two days, I looked inward: “Did I show enough compassion?” I realized that I actually viewed him as a “pest” I wanted to get rid of, not as a living being who also deserved salvation. In truth, I didn’t want him because he bothered me. That, too, was attachment.
Interestingly, after the organizers decided to expel him, he became calmer and more obedient. I even noticed he was sad. So, the next morning, I taught him the Falun Dafa exercises. The teacher took him home later that day.
The Return Flight
When booking my return flight, I made another mistake: I booked it one day before the final performance. Even though I knew this from the beginning, I didn’t change the flight—out of my attachment to money.
Shortly before the performance, things got stressful, and helpers were urgently needed. I thought, “Okay, I’ll buy a new ticket.” But when I saw the prices, a flight suddenly cost 250 Swiss francs—more than my round-trip ticket combined. My sincere thought vanished instantly.
I started making excuses. Only after talking to my mother did I realize again that it was a test. Because of this delay, the ticket was now 350 Swiss francs. I was almost ready to give up until I thought, “No, this is a test. I’m buying it now, even if it costs 500 Swiss francs.” So I bought the ticket.
On the day of my return flight, I was told at the airport that the flight was overbooked and I couldn’t fly until the following day. At first, it seemed like a disaster. But then it turned out to be a blessing in disguise: I received 250 Swiss francs in compensation, a shuttle to the hotel, dinner, accommodation, and an early return flight the next morning.
That’s when I realized that the so-called expensive ticket was actually a xinxing test—and that Master always arranges everything perfectly. As I discovered, most of the xinxing tests at the summer camp involved money. I realized I should eliminate my attachment to money.
Closing Remarks
As predicted at the beginning, this summer camp was full of xinxing tests that truly helped me elevate my cultivation. However, I didn’t expect that the focus of my tests would ultimately be on money. I thank you again Master, for this opportunity. Now I know what I still need to work on.
My sharing reflects my insights at my current level.
Thank you, esteemed Master!
Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Selected submission presented at the 2025 Swiss German-speaking Fa Conference)
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