Dafa Promotion: The Australian Outback

About a year ago, I was introduced to a local Toast Master's Club, The Parramatta Breakfast, by a fellow Dafa-practitioner. His main concern was that many of our practitioners have been unable to communicate effectively. I hesitated at the time. "Would I be wasting too much of my time, which I could otherwise spend on Dafa studies instead?" I asked myself.

Two months later, our practice group at Carlingford was asked by the local Rotary Club to give a demonstration on Australia Day, and I gave the commentary during the demonstration. My training from the Toast Masters was definitely put to good use. Response from the public was good. Three months later, I joined the Rotary Club as well. On 19 September of last year, about six months after I joined the club, I gave a presentation on Falun Dafa to the club members.

The nature of my work requires me to travel a lot. Last year, over a period of three visits, I introduced Falun Dafa to a group of people at Mt. Isa, a mining town in central Queensland, about 2000 kilometers Northwest of Sydney. While I was in Mt. Isa, I stayed at a motel. Every morning at six, I practiced my exercise routine near the motel swimming pool. The lady who prepared my breakfast saw me practicing every morning, and told Carolyne, a cleaning lady working for the motel, about it. Carolyne was in her mid forties, but was already a grandmother. She told me afterwards that she had practiced some forms of Qigong before, one of which she had learned from a book. While cleaning my room one day, she noticed the book Zhuan Falun (Chinese version) and was curious about what it was.

I told Carolyne to meet me at the pool the next morning if she would like to learn. Without fail, Carolyne arrived punctually every morning at six. I briefed her about the two common attachments of everyday people -- smoking and drinking. Carolyne was very enthusiastic. " I don't drink," she said. She was a heavy smoker (about twenty cigarettes a day), but quit smoking two days after taking up the exercise and has not touched one cigarette since. Five days was a bit short. The evening before my departure, I spent two hours with her, trying to cram in all I could so she could continue on her own between the time I left and when she would receive the books and the teaching tapes I promised. I talked about Master Li and the purpose of his coming. For almost an hour, she was in tears while I talked. Not knowing why, she apologized, saying that it could be a withdrawal symptom from quitting smoking. I just smiled. On my subsequent visits, she brought the whole family along--mother, daughter and grandson, as well as some of her other friends. I have not seen her again since she moved to Bunderburg, but I know she still practices.

My recent visit to Blackwater, a quiet coal-mining town about 200 km off Rockhampton, Queensland, was quite fulfilling. I was there to run a training course for a group of technicians at the Curragh mine. One day, after completing the program, I had about an hour or more to kill. I casually talked about Falun Dafa and the students were deeply interested. They wanted to buy the book Zhuan Falun, which I happened to have a few copies of with me.

We have just won a contract to upgrade the control system at the Curragh Mine. It seems likely that I shall be visiting this place more often later this year. I am planning to set up an exercise group there on my next visit.

Joseph

19 April 2001