(Minghui.org) Greetings Master! Greetings fellow practitioners!
Canadian and U.S. practitioners from many cities worked together to bring Shen Yun Performing Arts for the first time to a northern U.S. state. Even though there aren’t any practitioners in that state, all of the tickets were sold. I’d like to tell you about my amazing experiences while helping with this effort.
Years ago, I asked how Shen Yun could come to cities where there were no practitioners to make the local arrangements. I clearly remember the answer was that smaller cities could work together to bring Shen Yun to a particular location. So, when a coordinator asked for our help, I knew that this was something I needed to do.
I hadn’t been involved in Shen Yun for many years, since I was busy with other projects to let people know about Falun Dafa. It was hard to stop working on those projects I was actively participating in. During the few months I was involved with this Shen Yun project, I had some unforgettable experiences. I knew that Master was giving me opportunities to help me fulfill my vows by helping with Shen Yun.
My Journey Begins
During my first trip to that city, my first thought was to contact a former university professor who was now a city councilor in that city. I tried to contact him by email, but to no avail. I figured that since we had not been in contact for many years, my email probably would be low priority since he was busy. So, I just went to that town without having the attachment of needing to rely on anyone. I knew that I needed to rely on the Fa. I took posters and flyers to the various restaurants and coffee shops that had been contacted by another practitioner prior to my arrival.
When I walked into a restaurant whose owner was willing to help out, the city councilor I'd tried to contact was there. Both of us were shocked! What were the chances of bumping into him without an appointment? It was Valentine’s Day and he was holding a fundraising event at that restaurant. We were happy to see each other and he told me he'd received my emails but was too busy to reply.
He asked what he could do for Shen Yun, and connected me with the city’s tourism bureau to spread the news of the show online. The mayor promised to go to the show.
I experienced another miracle during my second trip to the city. That state's capital city has a much bigger population, and is only about an hour’s drive from the theater. A team of practitioners from the U.S. drove 13 hours to prepare for the show’s logistical needs. Several practitioners from Canada came to put up posters there and in the other populated areas of the state. I did not originally plan to go because I was busy with work. But after a practitioner contacted the town's school board, a teacher asked us to do presentations on Chinese traditional culture and Shen Yun to his three music classes. Another large senior residence’s activity director also wanted us to speak to the residents about Shen Yun. If I didn’t go, these presentations would be canceled. I said I would go. My knowing side understood that this was a vow that I needed to fulfill. So, I left the next morning.
My Journey Parallels My Cultivation Path
The U.S. practitioners finished their tasks early and left but kindly left the rental home for me so I could spend the night. I didn’t realize that the city was flooded. The day I drove there, the water was already close to the highway in some sections, but traffic was normal. After I arrived, a severe snowstorm warning was issued for the next morning. The home owner told me he’d come by to shovel the snow at 8:00 a.m. the next morning. The hour by hour weather forecast indicated that snow would start around that time. What should I do? I still had a 10:00 a.m. presentation at the senior residence. On the other hand, I didn’t want to be trapped by a snowstorm.
While I studied the Fa that evening, I realized that I should not be attached to time or anything. I was there to save sentient beings. Anything that had nothing to do with my goal should not have anything to do with me, and therefore should not affect me. I contacted the other practitioners and asked them to send forth righteous thoughts to have the snowstorm arrive after I left the city.
It worked. The next morning, the forecast predicted that the snow would arrive at 11:00 a.m., instead of 8:00 a.m. I thanked Master and continued my righteous thoughts. I didn’t hurry through the presentation. I did what I needed to do, and talked with the activity director who really liked Shen Yun. As I walked out of the building, it wasn’t snowing, but strong winds were blowing. The storm was behind me from the south while I drove north for my next presentation.
The one-hour drive became very long. The road conditions were drastically different from the 24 hours before when I'd driven into the city. Most of the highway was covered with high water on both sides, like a sea. Some houses were covered in water. There were only a few cars on the road and they all passed me because I had a small sedan. I couldn’t drive the speed limit due to the strong winds. I didn’t have anything in my mind. I held onto the wheel tightly to stabilize the car, and asked Master to bring me through. I couldn’t go back because the snowstorm was right behind me. If I swayed to the side, my car would be submerged in water. The only way was to forge ahead against the strong wind.
I realized that the road in front of me was exactly like our cultivation. We walk a narrow path. There is only one way – forward. But if we walk our path correctly, Master will lead us through. I arrived 15 minutes before my appointment with the theater.
Though the storm was heading towards me, I was not afraid anymore. I felt I was riding in a chariot, with a shield covering me. I wasn’t in a hurry and finished what I needed to do there. I was successful in getting a local restaurant to sponsor the food service for the Shen Yun production. Because the owner had a stall at the local military base, he distributed Shen Yun flyers to all his customers. The base employs thousands of people, but we didn’t have access due to security restrictions. The owner also introduced me to the manager of a local shopping mall who immediately agreed to run the Shen Yun promotional video on the TVs at his mall.
The skies were clear and filled with sunshine as I drove toward the Canadian border. The lady at the tourist bureau told me that the road between the cities I had visited was completely closed due to the severe snowstorm. Two hours before, a section just before the first city was still open but now it was closed. It was exactly the time I arrived in the second city.
She showed me the red closed line on the Internet. I smiled and said I was being taken care of and told her about Shen Yun. She said she'd seen a poster about Shen Yun in her community. Thank you, fellow practitioners, who hung up posters in the border towns. Thank you Master who brought me safely through the danger!
Everything we do as we work on Shen Yun is arranged by Master. When my heart is pure and my one thought is to save sentient beings, dangerous storms like this do not affect me. We are able to fulfill our vows. For example, I was able to complete my tasks in that state and I still met the deadline for submitting my students’ grades.
From my experiences in that state, I found that our xinxing is like a barometer for ticket sales. When our hearts and efforts are there, the tickets sell as they should. When we don’t, the sales drop. The trip where Canadian practitioners and U.S. practitioners came together was a breakthrough for ticket sales in that state. The tickets sold steadily. However, the ticket sales dropped the week that our efforts dropped. We immediately realized there was a gap and we pulled together and made calls to several businesses.
Master said, “...when it’s the first time they perform somewhere it takes a wholehearted effort from everyone.” (“Teaching the Fa in Washington D.C. in 2018”)
I’m very grateful to Master who provided me this opportunity. I experienced His mighty benevolence. Thank you Master!
(Presented at the 2019 Canada Fa Conference)
