Photo Report: Urgent Rescue Across Canada (III)

DAY 5

Saturday August 17, 2001

Fort St. John, BC, Canada

Traveling from town to town and city to city, it seems everywhere we go there are people who are genuinely happy to meet us. Seems our thought to touch the hearts of kind-hearted Canadians across Canada is really true. This morning in the washroom, an older lady was touched by my words of honesty, courtesy, loyalty, and Truth-Compassion-Tolerance. She expressed our trip was such a good cause, and gave me a hug.

We dropped off a package for the mayor, and the receptionist gave us city pins in Fort St John, also part of North Peace Country. We donated Falun Gong books and Falun Dafa exercise instruction video to the public library, and arrived in Centennial Park in the afternoon. When the cameraman from the local TV station arrived to film us he was feeling tired as he began to conduct the interview. Then he took the time to film the back of my yellow jacket that read, Truth-Compassion-Tolerance on his own initiative! Later when we were practicing the exercises the cameraman returned on his own time and watched us practice for many minutes. Later he asked Richard some deep questions regarding how Christianity relates to Falun Dafa. We were touched by this man's heart.

Hongfa to future mayor	Hongfa to workers	Reporter in Fort St. John

DAY 6

Sunday August 18, 2001

Grande Prarie, BC, Canada

Everywhere we go, we ask many people for directions, and everyone gets a flyer. Today we asked at least three people how to get to Muscaceeti Park. The Daily Herald Tribune volunteered to print a news release, but otherwise, media were unable to meet with us in this town. Therefore we decided to hong-fa and practice in the park. One pre-destined young man was happy to meet us there. He had a friend who practiced in Edmonton, AB. On this day we talked about many things. He bought the exercise video, and said he would learn and share it with his group of friends whom he felt could also benefit.

In The First 18 Days of our Trip We Received 43 Media Reports

DAY 8

Tuesday August 20, 2001

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

This day brought great lessons about how to best contact the media. The Northern SOS Team had only recently celebrated a kick-off event in Edmonton, and some media had already covered the story. Our Cross-Canada media release had been faxed twice to all of the media, but they had not been phoned. Wanting to offer our best effort, we quickly gathered all the media contacts and phoned them one by one. We introduced ourselves, let them know we were ready to meet them, and shared our message and the encouraging support we have received from media and kind-hearted people thus far on our trip. We let them know how this persecution relates to Canadians, and how this kind of persecution is against human nature. We also offer our contact information and ask if they would like a press package or more information in the future. Actually, many media know how important this issue is, and often generously offer us the maximum airtime and print coverage. One media outlet requested that we definitely phone them before all of our media events and let them know, as they would like to cover the story.

With our righteous minds and understanding, the results are positive, and the media is left with better clarification for the future. Master taught in his article, "What Are Supernormal Abilities," "At present, humankind's everyday is arranged according to Dafa's needs; Dafa disciples' performance in the human world is to be left for history." We will use every opportunity to let them know more about Falun Dafa so that they can use upright thoughts to report us, have a good future, and will be less likely to be used by the evil while reporting us. With the understanding that we need to actively and confidently present our events to the media, we have greatly improved the effectiveness of our trip to share Dafa with even more people. With this improvement, everywhere we go, we now phone all the media, and now we are receiving a lot more coverage. In the first 18 days of our trip we received 43 news reports.

The gazebo in Churchill Square, City Hall, Edmonton, was covered with banners and display. A-Channel TV filmed a glorious picture. Many kind-hearted Edmontonians signed the petition and expressed their upright thoughts. One devoted Christian man put his head to the ground in prayer, and expressed his wish for the persecution to end at an early date. Thank you Edmonton practitioners for all of your support and help on this day. Also, good luck and our best wishes to Tom, who accommodated us in Edmonton, and who has worked painstakingly on translation work, and who will soon move to Poland to spread Fa to a new country!

Exercise in Edmonton	Hongfa in Edmonton
Petition signed in Edmonton	Hongfa in Edmonton

Hinton, Alberta, Canada

We rushed to Hinton for an after hours meeting with a kind-hearted local reporter at Lion's park, near the playground. Thanks to this reporter, who really went out of her way to cover our story in depth!

Hinton media

Overcoming Obstacles and Upgrading Xinxing During Cross Canada Trip

DAY 9

Tuesday August 21, 2001

Hinton, Alberta, Canada

This morning we awoke to discover our truck battery had been run down, and we discovered many xinxing upgrades were needed. Actually this was very serious, because every day our trip is filled with opportunities to let more people learn about Dafa. Our Teacher said, "A Dafa disciple completely opposes everything arranged by the evil old forces." (Dafa is Indestructible) We can not allow our attachments and karma to impede the Fa-rectification. Our Cross Canada SOS Rescue Tour Mission Statement included, "Our effort, whether it is those who are traveling on the tour, the support team behind them, or other practitioners in other environments, also aims at enabling us to cultivate out every last remaining attachment." Any mistake a team member makes could cost many opportunities for sentient beings to be saved.

To help resolve the problem a kind-hearted family at the campground came to help boost our truck, but instead the cables were hooked backwards and blew a wire, which required a tow truck. Each team member was forced to look inside for the cause of this delay. Our attachments were deeply concealed, and even a week later we are discovering further lessons from this experience. But Fa did not allow us to miss any appointments. In the end our truck was fixed quickly, and we were back on the road.

Jasper, Alberta, Canada

We had arranged for a photo with the local editor at the Jasper Booster, but after we arrived, the editor conducted a full interview complete with photos in the local park! Many kind-hearted people stopped to talk and take flyers on the street where our truck was parked. We also donated a book and exercise tape to the local library.

áJasper reporter	Hongfa in Jasper
áHongfa in Jasper	donating books to the public library in Jasper

Driving toward Banff in the evening we took time to send forth righteous thoughts in the mountains.

Sending forth righteous thoughts in Jasper Park

While stopped there I had the thought about a nearby vehicle at the rest stop. I thought, "These people did not stop here by accident. They also have a predestined relationship to Falun Dafa. I should bring them some flyers." Because my thought was benevolent, I was able to clarify many points to this Christian family. I explained about the moral emphasis and the universality of the principles. I told them this persecution of innocent people is against human nature, and that we are traveling across the country to let more people know. I was not moved by their obstacles and clarified simply and honestly all the concerns they raised. I felt it was my selfless thought that broke through the evil's interference to these kind-hearted people. Maybe it was the serenity borne in the Rocky Mountains that helped our minds to feel so clear and even more aware of the truer Fa-principles.

Throughout our trip many Christians have expressed their concern and voiced their support. One day at a rest stop a lady said her minister told their entire church about the persecution, and they all prayed for the innocent practitioners. She was so pleased to meet us in person. The first thing she said to me was, "You are not Chinese!" It was an excellent opportunity to clarify the truth further to these kind-hearted people.

DAY 10

Wednesday August 22, 2001

Banff, Alberta, Canada

We arranged an early morning event in Banff because we did not want to miss this opportunity to appeal to the people there. The Cragg and Canyon Newspaper was quite busy, but agreed to meet us at the office. We arranged to send digital photos via e-mail in order to make a good story. The staff at this newspaper were very kind and supportive.

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

When we arrived in Calgary the four street corners in Chinatown were filled with yellow t-shirts and two big banners. It was a solemn welcome from Calgary practitioners. The major newspaper reporter was waiting to speak with us. Also a Chinese daily paper happily took photos with our team. On this day practitioners experienced a breakthrough in receptivity. Chinese were accepting more flyers than ever before! A major TV news station took a clip for their evening report, and we offered them truth clarifying videos and information. The news anchor told us he would view and read everything, and also make sure his staff also read everything, so that next time they would be better informed. He volunteered to do this very positive work.. This is really one of our greatest hopes that the media gets to know us well enough that they will also resist the propaganda and act with higher moral conscience. The Fa works miracles throughout our trip.

Calgary Herald reporter	Calgary practitioners	Hongfa in Calgary

In the afternoon we visited the Chinese consulate to send forth righteous thoughts. After some time we sent our thoughts again to eliminate the evil elements that control those people to do bad things.

Sending forth rightous thoughts in front of the Chinese consulate

Next the entire group of us went to a practitioner's home to share a meal and experience sharing. This was such a good opportunity to "share in learning and share in cultivating."(-unofficial translation Hong Yin "Solid Cultivation") Thank you for the incredible hospitality and accommodation. Thank you for the big bag of apples, and for helping us to improve our signs. As soon as the new sign was up, there was a woman asking about Falun Dafa.

DAY 11

Thursday August 23

Red Deer, Alberta, Canada

We met with the media first thing in the morning. RDTV filmed an interview and an exercise demonstration. Next the photographer arrived to click many photos before hurrying to his next appointment. This man looked for us four times in order to cover our story. In Red Deer we sent forth righteous thoughts in the rain.

Leduc, Alberta, Canada

Because we still had a long way to drive on this day, and could not possibly meet the media in our destination, we decided to stop in Leduc. While in Leduc we took the chance to call all the media in the phonebook. One newspaper asked me to send in an editorial letter, and she suggested I send this to all newspapers! She believed this issue was very important, and everyone should know about it. This was a really good lesson for me, because I had believed one needed to live in the area to send in letters. But in remote places, those people may not have any chance to learn about Falun Dafa from a practitioner, and it would be a shame not to try. All remote places can still have an opportunity to learn the truth.

Lloydminister, Alberta, Canada

While driving we still conducted a telephone interview with the local radio station. After we arrived in town we placed banners at our prearranged location, and practiced the exercises as a group. It was a rare opportunity for us to demonstrate in public, as it was largely drive-by traffic in this town. One team member said afterwards that this town probably never had so much traffic.