(Minghui.org) The Minghui Summer Camp in Germany was held from August 3 to 10, 2025, at a youth hostel near Meschede, North Rhine-Westphalia.

The camp, surrounded by lush greenery and picturesque scenery, offered a rich program including Fa study, exercises, and various cultural activities. It attracted over 100 young Dafa practitioners and their parents from Germany and thirteen neighboring countries. The environment for mutual exchange and cultivation fostered a sense of unity among participants, elevating their character through diverse activities.

Placing Cultivation as the Top Priority

Putting cultivation first is a basic requirement for every Falun Gong practitioner. Therefore, daily group exercises in the early morning, as well as group Fa study sessions, for children and adults, are essential parts of the summer camp schedule.

Group Fa study

Group exercises

Fourteen-year-old Selina wrote in her reflection: “Through daily exercising and studying the Fa, many things I couldn’t manage to do every day before coming to summer camp have become regular habits again. I didn’t want to practice, at first, but during the exercises, I realized I must learn to prioritize and handle important matters first. During the exercises, I felt incredibly relaxed and at ease, and I was happy that I could overcome my inner struggles and persist in practicing.”

Thirteen-year-old Michael also had a wonderful experience during the exercises: “At first I felt a bit uncomfortable. But then I thought, if I go practice now, I’ll be able to perform in the show today. So I went out and practiced with the others. I felt my body being purified, and I started to feel comfortable. I was able to perform in the closing ceremony.”

A father who brought his child to the summer camp shared his cultivation experiences, “This year’s summer camp arrangements are as excellent as ever. The goal is to maintain a diligent cultivation state and help children learn to trust Master and the Fa. I am extremely satisfied that the children can participate in group Fa study.”

Discovering New Talents

African Drum and Choir Performance: “Falun Dafa Is Good” and “Mighty One”

Dance

Kung Fu Performance at the Closing Ceremony

At the summer camp, children can learn various traditional arts such as Chinese martial arts, classical Chinese dance, choir, theatrical performance, drumming, and various solo instruments. Through these diverse courses, children have the opportunity to discover their talents, further cultivate their abilities, and find their path in Falun Dafa practice.

The weekend closing performance serves as the highlight of the week-long summer camp activities, where children showcase and introduce Falun Dafa to local residents who come to watch the performance.

Eleven-year-old Luna shared an experience: “During the dance, we had some disagreements. Somehow, everyone wanted to do their own ending pose. The dance teacher told us we shouldn’t argue about it and that we had to respect the decision that had been made. In the end, everyone got to do their own ending pose, but the dance teacher decided who would do which movement. Everyone respected that decision.”

Clara, a fifteen-year-old from Romania, enjoyed Chinese kung fu the most at summer camp. “It helps me find my inner strength, which is very beneficial for my practice.”

Counselor: Treat the Children as Our Mirrors

Theatrical Performance — Fairy Tale “Little Lotus”

Mr. Chao served as assistant director for the fairy tale play titled "Little Lotus." He took over directing rehearsals just before the performance. Due to the tight schedule, rehearsals were incomplete, and adding another evening session was impossible—the activity schedule was already packed, and the children were exhausted.

“I felt immense pressure, realizing I’d been overly focused on external goals while neglecting the children’s feelings. Ultimately, I decided to shift my mindset: instead of pursuing more rehearsals, I would strive to bring them joy, confidence, and a sense of ease.”

Despite various uncertainties, the children completed their performance of the fairy tale “Little Lotus” with focus and joy, and the show was a great success. Through this process, Mr. Chao realized, “The focus isn’t on the performance itself, but on one’s state of mind—acting with kindness even under pressure. The true stage lies within my heart. I am grateful to Master for this opportunity—and to the children, whose sincerity and joy served as a mirror, revealing areas where I still need to improve.”

As a counselor, Sibylle Schneller-Jost discussed her responsibilities at the summer camp: “One thing I place great emphasis on is that children not only demonstrate Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance on stage, but also come to understand these principles through their own personal experiences. This is especially challenging for them when they need to recognize and overcome laziness. However, the principle of forbearance has guided us. Forbearance helps overcome laziness and has taught me that it is an inner, proactive cultivation and that, even when facing difficulties, we can advance with diligence.”

Parents Assisted in Organizing Nine-Day Fa Lectures

The summer camp also provided numerous opportunities for parents to cultivate themselves. For instance, courses on traditional Chinese culture were held, Falun Dafa materials were distributed locally, outreach activities took place at two information booths, and a nine-day lecture series on the Fa was conducted for the first time at the camp, enabling more people to learn about Falun Dafa.

A Wide Variety of Activities

Children unleash their creativity in the craft room

Sports Day and Bonfire Night

Outside of class, the children can unleash their creativity in the craft room. They draw, play with clay, and make crafts. They fold lotus flowers of various sizes, make bowls out of clay, and string various animals with beads.

The children were fascinated by crafts. “The craft room is the best! Making bowls with clay, stringing beads into butterflies. Oh, and I also love roasting bread and barbecuing with sticks at camp.”

The summer camp also featured many exciting indoor and outdoor activities, including a sports day, barbecues, bonfire gatherings, and forest hikes. These events aimed to foster harmony, build a strong collective, and deepen connections, uniting all participants as one cohesive group.

Since all activities required translation into multiple languages, patience, cooperation, and mutual tolerance were particularly essential. Everyone handled this challenge exceptionally well, with multilingual children often assisting program instructors with translation.

Tatjana Aleksejeva, the sports program director for the summer camp, was a bronze medalist at the World Contact Karate Championships and a multiple-time Latvian champion. She remarked, “During the sports days at the summer camp, you can feel the tremendous enthusiasm from participants of diverse nationalities and cultures. All activities require coordination and cooperation—and this stems from the principles our Master teaches: Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.”