(Minghui.org) Celebrated by most Asian countries, the Mid-Autumn Festival is a time when families reunite and celebrate with their loved ones. The festival is especially poignant for one group of young people because their parents are imprisoned due to the persecution of Falun Dafa by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), making family reunions impossible for them.

These young Falun Dafa practitioners grew up in a cultivation environment and learned to temper their characters (xinxing) and face major tests with composure. With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching again, they wished to express their gratitude to Master Li Hongzhi, Falun Dafa’s founder, for his guidance and teachings, which enable them to elevate themselves amid hardships and become resilient and upright people.

Young practitioners in Toronto wish Master a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

“A clear stream in this turbid world”

Stacy thanks Master and wishes him a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Stacy, born in 1994, was weak and often had a high fever when she was young. She frequently had to take medicine and get injections. Her parents had to work in another city, so she lived with an aunt. When Stacy was seven years old, her aunt fell seriously ill, leaving her alone and helpless. At that time, an older aunt had just started practicing Falun Dafa. She was kind and offered to take care of Stacy. This aunt became like a mother to Stacy.

Every night, Stacy slept next to her aunt and listened as she read Zhuan Falun (Falun Dafa’s main book). Stacy recalled, “When I was young, I was irritable, unruly, and self-centered. But after I listened to Zhuan Falun, I learned to be kind and tolerant. I was willing to share books with other children and I helped my aunt with the housework. I was no longer weak and sickly, and I became strong and healthy.”

When Stacy was thirteen years old, she went to bed early one night because she had a final exam the next day. In the middle of the night, she was awakened by the sound of rummaging. She opened her eyes and saw her aunt handcuffed, held by two police officers. Stacy was terrified and wept.

“I resented the police and thought they were bad people who harmed my aunt. I thought they would face retribution. Later, through cultivation, I realized that Master taught me to have kindness and compassion. I learned to let go of hatred and resist this persecution with a peaceful mindset.” Stacy said she told her classmates the truth about the persecution of Falun Dafa, hoping that they could distinguish right from wrong. She also distributed truth-clarification materials, CDs, and she made truth-clarification stickers.

Stacy’s roommate in college was indifferent and sarcastic, making it difficult for others to approach her. However, Stacy reminded herself that she is a practitioner, so she should be kind to others. She was sincerely kind to this roommate and made friends with her. Over time, her roommate’s personality became as cheerful and helpful as Stacy’s. 

Her roommate told Stacy that she became aggressive because she was bullied in school when she was young. It was Stacy’s kindness, without asking for anything in return, that touched and changed her.

Stacy said, “Because I practice Falun Dafa I learned to treat others with kindness. After realizing that the power of kindness can change people around me, I became more determined to cultivate myself.”

As a young disciple who has been practicing for more than 20 years, Stacy said, “Master’s grace is immense and indescribable. The world is muddled, and many people are lost and carried away by the current. It is only because I practice Falun Dafa that I have been able to go against the tide and become a clear stream in this turbid world.”

“Master helped me find my way home”

Hannah wishes Master a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Hannah is a college student. When she was in kindergarten, she personally experienced the persecution. “Our home was ransacked,” she recalled. “I only remember the mess on the ground, my younger sister’s crying, my mother’s helplessness, and the moment watching the evil police drag my father out of the house. He was wearing thin clothes and they didn’t even allow him to put on his shoes.”

Hannah didn’t see her father for two years. Her mother visited the authorities repeatedly, trying to get her father released from the forced labor camp, while Hannah and her sister were taken care of by their aunt and grandmother.

After her father was released from the labor camp, local authorities never stopped monitoring Hannah’s family. “People watched us. There were cameras in the elevator, and the security guard at the entrance of the subdivision questioned us every time we went out or returned home; they constantly reminded us that the persecution was still going on,” Hannah said.

Due to the harsh environment in China, Hannah’s parents decided to take their two daughters to Canada when Hannah was about to enter junior high school. However, the CCP refused to issue a passport for Hannah’s father. Hannah has not seen her father for nearly eight years.

Hannah has always believed that Dafa is righteous, not only because of the teachings and examples set by her parents but also because she has personally experienced the wonders and beauty of Dafa. When she was in the eighth grade, she participated in the Gauss Mathematics Contest held at the University of Waterloo. “I had just attended the World Falun Dafa Day celebrations in Ottawa and returned to Toronto that night. I was still sleepy before the exam. The last few questions on the test posed a challenge for me.” 

She always recited “Falun Dafa is good, Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance is good,” and asked help from Master when she faced a problem she couldn’t resolve. Hannah did the same this time. With Master’s blessing, she was able to answer the questions. Unexpectedly, she won first place.

“Thank you, Master, for helping me to find my way home in this vast world,” Hannah said.

“Cultivation makes me sunny and cheerful”

Gilbert wishes Master a happy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Born in 1996, Gilbert was only one year old when he and his mother listened to the recording of Master’s Fa lectures. He began learning how to read when he was three, but he found it difficult and couldn’t recognize the characters. However, when his mother taught him to read Zhuan Falun, he showed extraordinary intelligence. At a young age, he was able to read the entire book.

The persecution of Falun Gong started in 1999. Gilbert was only four years old when he and his mother traveled to Beijing in 2000 to appeal to the government. They were arrested and separated. The police returned him to his father, but his mother was detained in Beijing.

Afterwards, Gilbert’s mother was repeatedly arrested. Police and people from the neighborhood committee knocked on their door and harassed them. His father had to ask a relative to care for Gilbert. He was always worried about his mother.

Gilbert recalled, “When I was eight years old, my mother went on a hunger strike to protest the illegal detention. She was released when her life was in danger. I became depressed. Although the persecution was severe and I was terrified, I understood the meaning of life. I never thought of giving up practicing Falun Dafa and I’ve always believed in Master and Dafa.”

When Gilbert was twelve years old, he started to take on responsibilities beyond his years and began providing technical (computer) support for Dafa practitioners. He showed them how to download and print truth-clarification materials. He said it took tremendous patience to teach older practitioners to use computers and maintain printers. “Master taught us to look within,” said Gilbert. “So, I no longer looked outward and complained about practitioners’ forgetfulness or how slow they were. Instead, I discovered that I was impatient. I decided that the teaching process was a test of my character and I patiently taught the older practitioners.”

When he was nineteen, Gilbert came to Canada to attend college. Last year, Gilbert began working at a media company run by practitioners. “I met other young practitioners. They are all innocent, lively, and cheerful. I realized that this is the state of mind I should have. People who knew me before couldn’t believe it when they saw me again. I used to be sad, but now I always smile.

“I respectfully wish Master a happy Mid-Autumn Festival! I will live up to Master’s kindness and practice diligently.”