Photo Report: SOS! Global RescueWalk: Stories from Sydney to Brisbane (September 14 to 19)

The Kind Australians

A car pulled up to us and stopped while we were distributing flyers in a small town on September 14. An elderly woman asked us what cause we were collecting donations for. We explained that we were not asking for donations and that we did not accept money. After explaining to her what our walk was for, she said, "Best wishes on your journey. Have a good trip."

While we were walking on a narrow road, a car caught up with us. It was a reporter from the Camden Haven Covier. She had read information about the SOS Urgent Rescue and had great interest. She took a group photo with us and wished us good luck. She said she would put the photos about our SOS RescueWalk in the next day's newspaper.

On September 17, while walking to Macksville Town, we saw a car waiting for us. It was Ms. Sue Paterick, a reporter of The Mackleay Argus Kempsey. She said her colleague saw us while driving on the highway. Her colleague had called her so she came to interview us. At noon we reached Kempsey Town and spread the Fa in the parks. One lady hugged each practitioner. She said she was so glad to see us. Another lady said her friends did not know about the SOS! RescueWalk and hoped that we would let more people know about what was happening in China. She said she would love to help us distribute information about Dafa.

"Falun Gong is so good"

Promoting Falun Dafa at a remote town of Australia, Port Macquarie was so special that it made me realize it wasn't just a stopover event for the SOS Sydney - Brisbane Walk, but a predestined journey!

On September 15, we reached Port Macquarie and began to spread the Fa there. Practitioners from Sydney came to join us. Tears emerging from a girl's eyes upon learning the 5 sets of exercise for the first time made me feel that the 5 hour drive (15 days walk for the walkers) was all worth it.

Her name was Amanda. At the end of the 5th set of the exercises she said, "This practice is by far more advanced than what I've learned in Yoga for many years!" She meditated with us for 1 hour without moving her body or flexing her legs! Amanda went on saying, "I've never been able to sit for more than 30 minutes in Yoga! This is so Amazing! And I felt the energy all around my body!" Then, tears came down from her eyes when she told me that there was a voice telling her to come out to the streets before the shops closed that afternoon, and how she was drawn to our Falun Dafa introduction site by the energy. I cried, too. The following morning at 6 a.m. she joined our practice.

Amanda and 2 other ladies bought the exercise videotapes, China Falun Gong, and the practice cassette tapes from David of Byron Bay, who was also present that day, and they said they would like to set up a practice site in Port Macquarie. This is a true demonstration of predestined people who have been waiting to find Dafa, or be found.

David's story

On September 16, while walking on a highway we saw the van of Western practitioner, David, from the Province of Queensland, with the words "Falun Dafa" painted in red on top and "Falun Gong" and a web site address on the sides and back. One practitioner told David's story: About half a year ago, David sold all his assets -- a houseboat. With the money, he purchased this van and since then he has been living in it. Wherever he goes, he brings Dafa and the truth there with him.

French Visitors

On September 19, a practitioner met two French visitors. This practitioner gave them Dafa materials and introduced to them Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. They totally agreed with these principles. They said that they had been searching, from France to America to England, then to Australia, not knowing what they were looking for until they heard "Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance." These three words really moved their hearts. They said, "It is what we were looking for. We will take the information back and study it carefully."