A Nine Year-old's First Parade Experience

My name is Janni. I am 9 years old. I obtained Falun Dafa in 1996, when my Mom started to cultivate. Even after July 1999, I still believed that Master Li is a really good Teacher, and what he does is the best thing for the world. I introduced his Teachings to my class during a time capsule project in December 1999. I have read Zhuan Falun several times, I can recite almost all of Teacher's poems, but I do not do the five exercises regularly yet.

Last weekend, from Friday, August 3^rd to Sunday, August 5^th, was the Hillyard Festival in Spokane, Washington. I helped my Mom hand out Dafa flyers while she was demonstrating the five exercises and sending forth righteous thoughts. I had done this many times before, so it was not hard at all. I have handed out thousands and thousands of them.

But on Saturday, there was a parade. Uncle Liu came from Pullman to help, but they still need one person to hold the middle pole of the huge banner that read "Falun Dafa, Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance." So I filled in. It was cloudy and rainy in the morning. Although the rain stopped right about the time the parade started, it was still very windy. Uncle Liu and Mom encouraged me to send forth righteous thoughts all the time, think about our fellow practitioners in China, and ask Teacher to give me strength. I know that because I am a Falun Dafa disciple, I can do what average nine year-old little girls cannot do. So, gritting my teeth, we walked along to the Pudu and Jishi music.

Historic Hillyard is in the Northeast Spokane railroad area. Our parade route was only about 10-20 blocks long. I used all my strength to hold the banner straight. During the last couple of blocks, I felt so tired that my legs are shaking, my hands were burning, and we had to stop a few times so I could catch up my breath. But we kept the banner up. Finally, we reached the end. Everyone was so glad that I actually made it! We were happy to have such precious opportunity to help share Falun Dafa. We gave so many people a chance to read the characteristics of the universe - Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.

Even though I was exhausted, my face was so flushed, and I was soaked in sweat, I recovered very quickly after a little break. I was handing out flyers all afternoon without stopping.

My Mom is making a smaller banner for the next parade, in case not enough practitioners can help. I know I will be in it, no matter whether I hold a banner pole or not.