Stories of Relatives and Friends: Different Attitudes about Falun Gong, Different Outcomes from COVID

(Minghui.org) Many people in China have been infected with COVID since early December last year and my relatives are no exception. Below are some stories. 

My Husband

My husband is not a Falun Gong practitioner. In the past 20-plus years, however, he also suffered tremendously as I was persecuted for upholding my faith in Falun Gong. Nonetheless, he was always supportive of me. When the police and local officials came to harass me, he stood in front to protect me; When I needed to pass on Falun Gong materials to other practitioners, he was there to help. But when I tried to give him an amulet with the Falun Gong phrases on it for him to carry, he always shook his head. 

My husband and his siblings took turns staying with their elderly father to take care of him. When it was his turn a few weeks ago, I offered to help out but he declined. “You are busier than most people I know,” he replied with a smile. “I can handle this myself.” Nonetheless, I went to visit him and his father one week before the Chinese New Year. 

At that time, the number of infections was already soaring and people were very worried. His father was in a stable condition and he could even take care of himself. I handed my husband an amulet again with the words “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” This time, he accepted it with no hesitation. After examining it in detail, he carefully placed it in his pocket. 

Almost everyone in his father’s neighborhood that he knew had tested positive, and some were severely ill. A few elderly residents had passed away already. Only my husband and his father were fine. In the past, he trusted that the Chinese Communist Party"s (CCP) so-called “zero-COVID policy” would defeat the virus, but the reality taught him that everything the CCP did was to control people and the regime did not care about people’s lives at all. Having witnessed how Falun Gong had changed me for the better over the years, he knew he could only trust Falun Gong to keep him safe. 

Two Sisters-in-law

My husband has two sisters, Fang and Fen. 

Fang lives in a provincial capital city in southern China. After her daughter was infected, Fang and her husband tested positive too. Fang had the worst symptoms. She suffered a fever of 104^oF (or 40^oC) for three days and no medicine helped. She had to stay in bed for one week and was in a lot of pain. Several days ago, Fang was infected the second time and again it was very severe. Fang did not accept Falun Gong materials and discouraged me from telling others in the family about it. She is a CCP member but did not want to quit the organization although I had told her how harmful the regime is. I knew I needed to do better to help her. 

Fen lives in Wuhan, Hubei Province, and her family of seven miraculously survived the pandemic in the past three years. Despite her underlying illness and weak health, she only had very mild symptoms after being infected. When I explained to her in the past that Falun Gong helps improve mind and body, she was receptive even though she would not practice it herself. When I was detained for my belief, Fen and her entire family came to visit me. 

Last summer, when it was Fen’s turn to take care of her father, she accepted more Dafa materials from me and we chatted further. Fen agreed the CCP’s propaganda was all lies. Her child had been working overseas for the past three years and was also healthy all along. 

My Three Cousins

Two of my cousins, Yan and Yong, are already in their 60s. Living in the rural countryside in northern China, they have poor health. Several years ago, I talked with them about what Falun Gong is and how the CCP brutally persecuted practitioners for their belief. They were receptive to that and agreed to quit the CCP organizations. 

When this wave of COVID hit in December, everyone in my cousins’ village got infected. Yan had a low fever for one day before the situation improved. His daughter, a college student in southwestern China, had also quit the CCP organizations. She also had a low fever, but after taking two pills, she was totally fine the next morning. 

Cousin Yong felt uncomfortable for only two hours. He told me he believed the Chinese saying that “good is rewarded with good, and evil meets evil.” His family still kept the Falun Gong materials (calendars, amulets, audio files, etc.) from me and other practitioners, and cherished them a lot. 

The family of Ying, my third cousin, has mixed stories. Ying and her son both support me in practicing Falun Gong. Once her son asked me for the audio files of Falun Gong lectures and he listened to the entire nine lectures. Both Ying and her son had very mild symptoms, which lasted only one day. 

Ying’s daughter Yun, is younger than her brother and is always healthy. When I visited her in December, she refused to accept truth materials and shook her head. After we talked for a while, she did not shut me down again. But I could tell she did that just not to hurt my feelings. In the new wave of COVID, she suffered the worst symptoms and has been ill for over three weeks. She tried all kinds of medicine, but the fever continued. She became frustrated and complained nothing worked for her. 

My Five Friends

Three of my college classmates, Mei, Min, and Ming, are already in their 70s. Mei and Min have underlying illnesses and I haven’t seen them for nearly 40 years. When they came to visit my city last October, I invited them for dinner together with Ming. Seeing me walking with agility and energy, they asked me what was the secret to keeping fit. I was honest and shared how Falun Gong had given me good health and improved my character. Two of them agreed to quit the CCP and another one said she would think about it. 

When the latest COVID wave hit last December, I called all three of them, reminding them to keep in mind the phrases “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is good.” They and their families did not get infected. 

Hai and Ling are a couple. Both of them had underlying diseases. Ling is one of my best friends. Hai is stubborn and often argued with me when I explained Falun Gong in the past. But later on, he became more receptive while Ling agreed to quit the CCP organizations. Both of them were healthy during the latest wave. 

Their son Jian did not listen to me no matter how I clarified the truth to him. He just repeated the CCP's atheistic theory. Recently, he had a fever and was in a coma for one week. I felt bad when I heard that and wished I had done better clarifying the truth to him in the past. 

This pandemic has taught us many lessons. At the critical moment of life and death, everyone is at the mercy of the divine, be they the rich or the poor. If the virus targets the CCP, any of its members or followers could be in danger. Rejecting the cruel CCP and embracing traditional values could keep us safe.