(Clearwisdom.net) I am a Falun Dafa practitioner in a rural area and have been since February 1999. At that time, a Fa study group had just been established. The number of practitioners increased rapidly because of Dafa's miraculous effects and benefits, including its ability to restore health and keep a person fit. At the time, the assistant of that study group helped new practitioners to be diligent. We practiced the exercises on the school playground every day at dawn. Then we worked on the farm. In the evening we watched video recording of Teacher's lectures or read Zhuan Falun. Practitioners' xinxing improved quickly. Alas, when the evil began to persecute Dafa, we lost our environment.

On July 20, 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began its persecution of Falun Dafa. Some people listened to the vicious lies and could not understand us. Others urged us to join other religions. But I had already chosen my path and my goal was clear. I did not renounce Falun Dafa. I wanted to return to my true self. We did nothing wrong. No one could make us waiver or affect our firm hearts.

Some practitioners wanted to go to Beijing to explain the truth. I also wanted to go. I did not think too much about it, but I had the urge to go. On December 24, five of us traveled to Beijing without any problems. We were told that the Appeals Office authorities did not listen to practitioners but did have them arrested. Therefore, we went to Tiananmen Square. As soon as we lifted our arms to do the second exercise, a police car sped toward us. The police arrested and took us to the Qianmen Police Station. Later, the chief of our local police station took us home and took us to the city's criminal investigative unit.

On our return, the police station chief impatiently stomped on a disabled practitioner's leg, as he believed him to be our leader. We were tortured, including being made to "fly an airplane" and detained in the detention center for nearly two months. I was released after they extorted money from me.

At the end of 2000, when I went to Beijing to validate Dafa again, I was arrested and sentenced to one year of forced labor.

After I returned home, my family opposed my practicing Falun Dafa because of the evil Party's slander and propaganda against Falun Dafa throughout China and because they also suffered on account of my forced labor camp sentence. Especially my wife--her mind was deeply poisoned. She forbid me to study the Fa, practice the exercises, or contact other practitioners. I had finally come to understand what is most important to us, but no matter how well I explained it, she still chose to leave me.

After my wife walked out, I cherished the environment of being able to study the Fa and do the exercises. I paid attention to solid practice. I took care of my parents and looked after my ten-year-old son. I never asked others for help. I cooked, washed my son's white shirt, and kept the rooms tidy and clean. I kept in contact with my wife's relatives, just as before. I acted as if nothing had happened. I said to my son, "It is not your mother's fault. It is a calamity caused by the evil CCP." I treated family members with tolerance and kind understanding and explained the truth to them.

My family members, relatives, and others changed their views of Dafa practitioners. My younger sister came to see us. An elderly person asked her, "Which family are you from?" She proudly replied, "I am from the Falun Gong family." My mother, elder sister, and second sister-in-law are practitioners. My father, a non-practitioner who had always been frightened of the evil CCP, now tells others who are sick, "You should practice Falun Gong!"

Along with the acceleration of the Fa-rectification process and practitioners persevering in telling the truth, the overall environment is gradually getting better. My xinxing improvement, giving up attachments, and taking sentiments lightly, plus sending forth righteous thoughts to clear all evil elements that affected my wife, were instrumental in my wife returning home in the spring of 2004. She had experienced many hardships and mental stress. Her health had deteriorated and her edema had become so severe, affecting her entire body, that she could not wear shoes. I urged her to practice Falun Gong, but she insisted on seeing a doctor. The doctor prescribed lots of medicine and guaranteed that it would ease the swelling. I knew that the medicine would not help her. Actually, it was Teacher's mercy. He gave her the opportunity to practice Falun Gong.

My wife had many concerns and was somehow embarrassed, as she was so opposed to the practice in the past. Now, she actually wanted to learn it. She said, "I have a health problem. If you agree not to tell anyone, I will learn Falun Gong." I agreed, as I knew that Falun Dafa was capable of anything. As long as one assimilates to it, everything is easy. Teacher said, "Cultivation depends on the efforts of the individual while transforming gong is done by the master." (Zhuan Falun) On the third day of her learning to practice, the swelling disappeared. My wife and family again witnessed Dafa's power.

My wife never attended school and could not read. She listened to the lectures daily, and I often read the book to her. She thought of learning the characters. Before practicing Falun Gong, she had already tried to learn the characters, but gave up, as she was not motivated at all. I thought, "Now she wants to learn the characters because she wants to practice Falun Gong. It will certainly have good results." So I said, "I will do all the housework, you just practice!" She was indeed diligent. She copied Zhuan Falun, listened to the lectures, and practiced the exercises daily. She went to sleep very late, so her xinxing improved rapidly. She no longer kept her decision to practice Falun Gong a secret and began to do the three things. She explained the truth about Falun Gong and its persecution and advised people about the "three withdrawals" (withdrawing from the CCP and its two youth organizations). She also started doing the housework. So far, she has copied Zhuan Falun five times, Hong Yin twice, memorized Zhuan Falun once, and is able to read all of Teacher's lectures on her own.

My wife's joining the practice laid a good foundation for a group Fa study environment. In autumn 2004, my elder sister, also a practitioner, and I discussed setting up a Fa study group. We contacted other practitioners and talked about the significance of group study and collective improvement. Such an environment is of great benefit to practitioners. It is also a cultivation form left by Teacher. We still have eight practitioners in our group. We study the Fa at my home when it gets dark, send forth righteous thoughts for local purposes at 9 p.m., and then do the five exercises. Everyone returns home to send forth righteous thoughts at midnight. We do not talk about everyday things during our Fa study. Any word irrelevant to the Fa and improvement of xinxing will be corrected immediately.

In studying Teacher's article "The Closer to the End, the More Diligent You Should Be," we arrived at a new understanding as to the seriousness and preciousness of cultivation. Our Fa study group faces interruption during the busy farming season-- from planting to harvest--annually. This year we only reduced our study time somewhat, but never canceled it. Fellow practitioners were in better condition than in prior years, improved their xinxing faster, and their righteous thoughts turned ever stronger. Sometimes we went to distribute truth-clarification materials about Falun Gong and its persecution in every village at night. We cooperated well with each other. Practitioners who stayed at home collectively sent forth righteous thoughts after 1 a.m. Practitioners distributing flyers seldom experienced a barking dog or other interference and safely returned every time.

Many experience sharing articles on "Minghui Weekly" talked about having material production sites everywhere. I shared with my wife and we decided that we should also set up a production site in our home. I told a practitioner in the city that was very supportive. We quickly purchased a computer and printer, and the practitioner gave us technical instruction. Since then we have been able to read the Minghui Weekly promptly and have made all kinds of booklets. It has also been very convenient for the distribution of truth clarification flyers. We can print and distribute different kinds of flyers and pamphlets, addressing people's perspectives about Dafa. When it was time to distribute the Nine Commentaries we made booklets of them until midnight daily. Every household in our village received a booklet or a disc on the Nine Commentaries. Other villages only had half the quantity of the Nine Commentaries as our village, and the other half had flyers or pamphlets about the "three withdrawals" (withdrawing from the Party and its two youth organizations). Sometimes we went to other villages and towns within a hundred-mile radius of our area to distribute materials.

My wife and I pay great attention to the cultivation of speech on the source of the materials. Even our family members, relatives, and fellow practitioners in our Fa study group do not know we made the materials. We are low key about owing a computer. We do not look at everyday people's websites, which also guarantees that the computer is clean and pure.

Our every step is governed by Teacher's compassionate protection. The above are only some of my experiences.

This is the first time I have ever submitted an article. If there is anything that does not comply with the Fa, please compassionately correct me. Heshi!