(Clearwisdom.net)
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| Exercise demonstration to the overseas Chinese Committee Chairman and secretary-general | Photo exhibition in Johannesburg | Visiting Mr. Yang, Director of Taipei Liaison Office in Kempton |
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| Introducing Falun Dafa in Johannesburg | Introducing Falun Dafa in Kempton University | Practicing Falun Gong exercises on the campus of Kempton Institute of Technology |
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| Visiting the Commissioner of the Department of Education in the Capitol | Sending forth righteous thoughts at the Cape of Good Hope | Dafa banner unfurled at the climax of the Cape of Good Hope |
On February 28, 2003, we arrived at the economic capital of South Africa -- Johannesburg. Soon after we dropped off our luggage, we went to the local Chinatown to clarify the facts about Falun Dafa to Chinese people. While distributing Dafa truth-clarifying materials, we met some fellow Taiwanese, including the president of the local Women's Association and her husband, president of the Countrymen Association. They warmly welcomed us and expressed their support after they learned the truth. We then demonstrated Falun Gong exercises in front of a shop. Local residents expressed their wish to learn the practice. After watching the exercise demonstration, Mr. Chang, the president of the Countrymen Association, immediately phoned local media reporters to invite them to attend the press conference to be held at 10:30 am the next day outside his shop. He also invited us to attend the moving-celebration party of the Voice of Overseas Chinese Daily and perform the exercises after the press conference.
On the next morning, we went to the shop and put up Dafa banners. Some practitioners also helped to clean the shop. Local residents were all very happy for our volunteer help. Meanwhile, a number of Chinese people came to ask for information and find out the real situation in China. When reporters came to learn the facts, a few people people who had been deceived by the Chinese government propaganda also came over, threatening us and demanding that we leave. Apparently they were instigated by a shopkeeper from a Chinese medicine store, because he knew that Falun Dafa is good and feared that if local people learned Dafa and became healthy, his business would be affected. We kindly explained the facts to them.
Later that day, when the 13 of us were late to the party because we were not familiar with the route, they were all very worried about us. We found out later that the public safety in the area was not very good, and local Chinese people frequently encountered robbers. They acted very surprised that we actually arrived safely, even though we dressed in bright yellow Dafa T-shirts, drove ourselves and asked the way along the route. At the party, we met the Representative of Taiwan in South Africa, Mr. Du Leng. Mr. Du shook hands with us and expressed his concern about our safety. He asked the president of the Overseas Chinese association to learn the details and help to arrange our scheduling.
Very quickly, we explained the facts about Dafa. People all eagerly watched our exercise demonstration. The president of the Overseas Chinese Association and the wife of the secretary-general as well as many gentlemen and ladies expressed their wish to learn the practice. Practitioners individually explained the facts and they all knew about the persecution occurring in China. Some practitioners also presented them with their own copies of Zhuan Falun. Before we left, they kept telling us to be careful. They also asked us to immediately contact Mr. Yang from the Taipei Liaison Office in Kempton when we got there.
We then visited a few Chinatown supermarkets and tourist attractions. We practiced exercises there and introduced Dafa to the public. Lots of Chinese people accepted our materials and most of them were quite clear about the Party's deceptions. People said frankly, "We are abroad already. What is there to fear? What is the big deal about reading it?" While saying that, they accepted the truth-clarifying materials in front of others and put them into their pockets. Some people said that they would like to read it but they dared not, because they were pressured from above. We talked with them. Some practitioners showed them photos, some chatted with them to explain the facts. Most people who became aware of the facts held a very positive attitude. We felt very happy for them and even more so, we felt grateful for Master's kind arrangement.
Stores in Johannesburg often closed around 5 or 6 pm. Most people normally don't dare to go out in the evening. Fortunately, public safety in Kempton is much better than Johannesburg. In the evening, people could freely walk around. Guided by local practitioners, we carried out a three-day activity here.
In the evening, we first went to a shopping mall at the famous Table Mountain to practice the exercises and introduce Dafa. Many people watched our exercises and wanted to learn them. Because we did not apply for approval to do the exercise demonstration, we had to stop at the fifth exercise. The police officers welcomed our demonstration, but according to the regulations, we had to apply for approval. Therefore, they invited us to come the next day after we applied for approval. In the end, they took group pictures with us and asked us to make sure to come again the next day. At the dock, some people said that they were willing to help us to distribute the truth-clarifying materials so that the people passing by could learn the truth.
On the next day, we visited Mr. Yang, the director of the Taipei Liaison Office in Kempton. He received us and consented to give the materials to his staff. Half an hour later, we separated into two groups: one group went to the Kempton University and another went to the Kempton Institute of Technology to introduce Dafa. Apart from that, three practitioners went to the Capitol to visit the commissioner of the Department of Education. While waiting for the meeting, practitioners also clarified the facts about Falun Gong to the receptionists. The commissioner was very kind to us and was very supportive of Dafa. He kept asking us what he could do to help. We expressed our wish to introduce Dafa to the public and they were willing to help promote it. Because the Minister of the Foreign Affairs was in a meeting, we asked his secretary to pass on the message. The effects of the Fa-introductory activities in the two universities were also very good. Our truth-clarifying materials were instantly distributed. At the same time, what was even more interesting was that, although some practitioners were not very good at English, they tried very hard to introduce Dafa to westerners. They broke through the feeling of embarrassment, and their precious pure hearts gained westerners' kind responses. We realized that "compassion" was not only expressed by words, but what was more important was that every single word and action should embody "Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance" through our cultivation of Dafa.
The Cape of Good Hope is a famous tourist attraction in South Africa. We climbed to the lighthouse and unfurled our Dafa banner at the tip of the Cape. One after another, tourists stopped to watch our exercise demonstration. Looking ahead from the apex, the scene was very beautiful. The beautiful mountain and water as well as the kind people seemed to predict that the wonderfulness of Falun Dafa will spread more widely in South Africa in the near future.
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Category: April 25 Events
