(Minghui.org) On May 12, 2012, as part of the Falun Dafa 20th Anniversary Celebration, thousands of Falun Dafa practitioners from different countries participated in a grand parade in Manhattan's Chinatown in New York City. These practitioners came from five continents, and many different ethnicities and races. Some practitioners shared their joy and expressed their appreciation for Dafa.
Mr. Stephen Beaulieu and Mr. Scott Brown came from a small town called May in northern US. They said that most practitioners in their area are non-Chinese.
Stephen Beaulieu (right) and Scott Brown (center) with young practitioners
Mr. Scott Brown, a middle aged plumber, said that the Dafa principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance changed him. He tries to follow these principles in his work and life, and to be a good person who cares for others first.
One day a customer asked him to do some plumbing work, but refused to cover a down payment for material, citing financial constraint. Scott said it was no problem, and he would buy material for the customer first. The customer was touched and asked why he was willing to do this. Scott told him about Falun Dafa. The customer was moved and expressed his admiration of Dafa. He also promised that the next time he needs a plumber, Scott will be his first choice. Scott Brown put a sticker “Falun Dafa is Great” on his truck. One day he worked at a construction site, many workers there called out: “Falun Dafa!”
Stephen Beaulieu is an electrical engineer. After he began to practice Falun Gong, his two sons noticed the changes in their dad, and began to practice as well. His boys are in their 20’s. Now they form a regular Fa study site at home.
Trisha Anderson (left) and Amy Ducan (right) from Australia
Trisha Anderson is an outgoing and energetic young woman. She is from a small town, Mildura, in Australia. She told the reporter that Dafa saved her life. Just over a year ago, she was an alcoholic and depressed. Falun Dafa practice completely changed her life. She quit drinking, and is no longer depressed. She has a job and a stable life. Her friends were all surprised to see her change, and several of them also began to practice Dafa. Trisha traveled a long way from Australia to the US to tell people about Dafa’s wonderful benefits.
Kacey Cox and Yonas Kidance
Kacey Cox and Yonas Kidance are two young African-Canadian men from Toronto. Both started to practice Dafa two years ago. Kacey is a media manager. After he practiced Dafa, he tried to measure up with the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. He stopped complaining, and is able to listen to different opinions. He understands that everything has a reason, and the love and hatred between people are due to karma. He learned how to treat everything with a positive attitude.
Yonas Kidance had been forced to drop out of school due to some personal hardships. After practicing Dafa, he found his sense of responsibility as a student, so he resumed his study at school. He is now a student at the University of Toronto. Whenever he gets good grades, he no longer brags about it. He has learned to face life with a calm mind.
Sun Borong (right) and Deng Manxing (left) from Chicago
81-year-old Mr. Sun Borong and 82-year-old Mr. Deng Wanxin live in Chicago. They have both practiced Dafa for more than ten years. Both live independently. They are physically and mentally healthy and therefore need little help from their children.
Ms. Susan Williams and her son who just graduated from high-school are from Halifax, Canada. They came to celebrate this special occasion. Susan told the reporter with pride that Dafa has made positive changes in all aspects of her life.
Susan Williams and son Otab from Canada
She said that had she not practiced Dafa, she would not have reconciled with her father, who she had not contacted for many years before she practiced Falun Gong. After she began practicing Dafa, she began to follow Dafa principles and made peace with her father before he passed away. Her father left the world feeling grateful to Dafa. Now she has a good relationship with her family. She no longer gossiped at worked. Her work environment became much more pleasant and productive.
Susan’s son Otab was in middle school when she started practicing. He saw the changes in his mother and decided to become a practitioner himself. He now stays away from all sorts of bad influences and has a good work ethic.
Ms. Natalia Basdeki, a young jewelry designer from Athens, Greece began to practice Falun Gong in 2010
Ms. Natalia Basdeki from Athens, Greece is a young jewelry designer. After learning about Falun Dafa from the Internet in 2010, she became a practitioner right away. She told the reporter that she used to be a selfish person who took her parents for granted. She did not know how to appreciate all the things her parents did for her. She was a heavy drinker. After she began practicing Falun Gong, she quit drinking and developed empathy for her parents. Her parents were so happy to see her change that they told everyone they know about Falun Dafa.
Mr. Zheng Xiuxian from Seoul, Korea is a 75-year-old gentleman, but he looks like someone in his 50’s. He said no one believes that he is 75. Dafa practice makes him healthy and energetic. He came to New York to tell people “Falun Dafa is great!”
Mr. Zheng Xiuxian from Seoul Korea
For the past five years, Mr. Zheng Xiuxian manned a quit-the-CCP booth in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, Korea. So far, more than 40,000 people have processed their three withdrawals (quit the Communist Party, the Communist Youth League and the Communist Young Pioneers) there. Among them were Chinese students, tourists, people who visit relatives, and Communist Party officials. One day, five Chinese senior officials passed by. After Mr. Zheng talked to them, two of them quit the Party right away. One veteran junior rank army officer participated in the crackdown on the 1989 Tiananmen student movement. He had been tormented by that nightmare for years. After he came to the booth and quit the CCP, he felt a great sense of relief.
