(Minghui.org) For Falun Dafa practitioners around the world, May 13^th is a very special day. Falun Dafa, with its principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance, was first introduced to the public in May 1992 by Master Li Hongzhi. Millions of Falun Dafa practitioners say they have found the true meaning of life.

After a hard Michigan winter, the bright and sunny day promised that spring was on its way. Falun Dafa practitioners from the greater Detroit area gathered on Belle Isle to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and wish Master Li Hongzhi a happy birthday. They did the five Falun Dafa exercises and shared their cultivation experiences to express their gratitude to Master.

This year is the 29th anniversary of Falun Dafa’s public introduction and the 70^th birthday of its founder, Master Li Hongzhi. Michigan state senators and representatives issued special tributes and sent letters of greeting to honor the occasion.

The Michigan Falun Dafa Association received six special tributes and four letters from 13 state senators and representatives. They commented on Falun Dafa’s positive influence, practitioners’ contributions to Michigan’s communities, and bringing hope to the world. Some also expressed their utmost gratitude to Master Li Hongzhi.

Practitioners from the greater Detroit area gathered on Belle Isle to do the exercises to celebrate World Falun Dafa Day and wish Master Li a happy 70^th birthday.

Obtaining A New Life after Finding Falun Dafa

Jeanmarie Lunsford does the second exercise at the practice site in Detroit.

Jeanmarie Lunsford was a high school English teacher, while her husband was a high school Mathematics teacher. Three of their five children were teenagers. Mr. and Mrs. Lunsford decided to homeschool their children because they were worried they would be negatively impacted by society. As easy as it may sound to homeschool, it was actually very challenging. While homeschooling her children, Jeanmarie realized that her husband had become very arrogant and began acting like a king. She felt it was unfair and the couple fought. “Our relationship became so bad that we filed for divorce,” she said.

She obtained the Fa in 1998 and said, “I never thought Falun Dafa would forever change my life. I was not aware that I had cancer and diabetes. Doctors told me that in a couple of years I might die or end up in a wheelchair. However, I am perfectly healthy and here I am today celebrating World Falun Dafa Day!”

Jeanmarie said, “It’s truly frightening to think back on those years. My life was on the brink of despair and I wasn’t even that old. It was very sad for me to think that I would be unable to attend my children’s weddings.” However, something miraculous happened. She said, “After I practiced the exercises for the first time, I realized that my pains and insomnia all vanished. I went from being able to sleep for only two hours every night to sleeping for 12 hours. It was a miracle!”

Amazed by her positive changes, Jeanmarie did the exercises diligently. She even showed other people how to do them and told them about Falun Dafa. She said, “I established a practice site in Detroit and I go there every weekend and introduce Falun Dafa to people. Everyone really likes Dafa and gets very upset when they hear about the persecution in China. I hope more Chinese people will realize how brutal and bad this persecution is.

“When people ask me why I, a Westerner, practice Falun Dafa, I clarify the truth to them and tell them about its benefits. Especially during the pandemic, Dafa brings people goodness.

“All my problems vanished after I began practicing Falun Dafa! My marriage was saved and all my family problems disappeared. My husband also supports me in cultivating Falun Dafa by reminding me to be more compassionate.”

Depression Vanishes

Mary Manthey from Michigan.

Mary Manthey, who works in education, experienced tremendous changes in her life after she began practicing Falun Dafa. She suffered from anxiety and depression and this impacted her work and family. Once she had such severe chest pains that she thought she was about to have a heart attack. She became bedridden and even thought about quitting her job.

She said, “My husband brought a Falun Dafa flyer home after attending a local parade. He gave it to me and said that this might help with my depression.”

This simple yet profound flyer led her to a new life.

She decided to go on Falun Dafa’s website to learn more about it. She contacted the local group practice site coordinator. Mary also started to read the book Zhuan Falun.

Miracles happened after she started practicing Falun Dafa. She said, “I started to read more of Zhuan Falun each day, and about a week later, I was able to go back to work. Even though I still get depressed at times, after doing the exercises or reading the book Zhuan Falun, these symptoms are alleviated.”

She realized that she needed to improve her cultivation by abiding by the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance to become a better person. Much of her pain, which she’d endured for so many years, vanished.

She said, “I am now less depressed and can sleep better at night. Cultivating Dafa has strengthened me physically and mentally.

“The principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance have helped me a lot in my work. Especially in the world we now live in, there are many conflicts—people disagree on many things. If one abides by compassion before anything else, the world will become a better place.”

Engineer: Assimilating to Falun Dafa’s Principles

Ms. Xiao is a graduate of Tsinghua University in Beijing and is an engineer with an international company. She has practiced Falun Dafa for 24 years. Recalling her cultivation path, she said, “My husband was brutally persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for eight years. No matter how bad the situation became, I was filled with hope each time I thought about Master and Dafa. This was what kept me going during difficult times. After 22 years of persecution, we practitioners learned to be more appreciative of Dafa and how hard it is for Master to save sentient beings.

“A classmate told me about Falun Dafa in 1997 and I embarked on my cultivation journey. Thinking back to the time I was in college, I would ride my bike to the park and do the exercises every morning. Then I’d go to the cafeteria to have breakfast while everyone else was still sleeping. After breakfast, I attended classes. On the weekends or in my spare time, I’d study the Fa and share cultivation experiences with other practitioners. Dafa changed my short-temper and I became more peaceful and self-disciplined. I’ve gradually assimilated to Falun Dafa’s principles.

“Falun Dafa teaches us to look inward,” said Ms. Xiao, “find our own shortcomings, and not hurt anyone. In reality, human suffering and many problems are the direct result of one’s own attachments and blaming others. Dafa has taught me to let go of my resentments and jealousies. I learned to consider others and no longer worry about getting hurt and losing face. When I started to let go of my ego, I became more peaceful and can better assimilate to the principles of Dafa. By doing that, my physical state also improved and all my health issues vanished.”

She said, “Today is our compassionate master’s 70^th birthday and also World Falun Dafa Day. I sincerely wish Master a Happy Birthday. I am grateful for his compassionate salvation!”