(Clearwisdom.net) When I first met Sinikka, my impression of her was that she was a capable, quiet lady with attractive white hair and a slim build. After associating with her for a while, I found that she is steadfast in Falun Gong and is a diligent practitioner. Afterwards, it came to mind that I might introduce her to more practitioners by posting her story on this website.

However, I don't speak Finnish and my English is only good enough for daily conversation. On the other hand, she doesn't speak English either. As a consequence, I could only collect some basic information about her based on my own observations. After all, it would be a great opportunity for me to learn from her during the process. As time flies, the opportunity had finally come five years later, when Northern European practitioners held a small-scale Falun Gong experience sharing conference in Sweden's Gothenburg, which included group Fa study, practicing the Falun Gong exercises, sharing experiences and a New Year's party. I invited my daughter and granddaughter to go with me as they like to be with our practitioners even though they do not practice Falun Gong themselves My daughter speaks English and has picked up some Finnish. As I heard that Sinikka was going, I knew that it would be a great opportunity for me to get acquainted with her.

Sinikka participated in a parade in Vienna in 2004	Sinikka poses at a photo session along with other Finnish practitioners	Sinikka attending group study with a young practitioner

Sinikka's story

Through my daughter's translation, I learned that Sinikka began to practice when Swedish practitioners spread Falun Gong in Helsinki in 2000. Before practicing Falun Gong, she used to be in poor health and often felt exhausted; however, she felt energetic the very first day she started to practice the Falun Gong exercises and she didn't take a nap that day. She said that this is what she had long looked for. At that time, there were no Finnish Falun Gong books. The only Finnish Dafa materials she had was a hand-written copy of Zhuan Falun mailed to her by a Finnish practitioner in Sweden. She persisted in studying Zhuan Falun every day. I asked her if she, as a westerner, could comprehend it. She said that in the beginning it was quite difficult for her to understand. But she firmly believed that this was what she wanted, and the more she studied, the more she was able to understand it. She explained, "There are always some difficulties encountered when embarking upon new things, no matter what you do. In terms of studying Zhuan Falun, something deep in my mind kept telling me that I must be steadfast in studying it, and the more I study, the more I am eager to get to know it."

When I asked about her son, Samuli, Sinikka said that since he was always with her, he naturally joined her in practicing the Falun Gong exercises and became a young practitioner. He told her that he used to have very strange thoughts, and some scary illusions often made him cry. However, after being with practitioners and studying the Fa and practicing the exercises together, he seems to have become another person. She said that she can tell that he really wants to practice Falun Gong from his heart.

Sinikka added that her current work puts her into contact with many youths aged between fifteen and twenty-five. Her cultivation practice has a tremendously positive impact on them, as she often introduces the magnificence of Falun Gong and the facts about the persecutions of Falun Gong practitioners in China to these young people. On the other hand, with her cultivation of Falun Gong, based on the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassionateness and Tolerance," she is able to understand the strengths and weaknesses of youth, so that she can inspire them and help them with compassion. She could never do these things in the past.

The above is a short account based on my brief talks with Sinikka. As I talk with her further, I will share more information about Sinikka's life and cultivation experiences.

Source: http://clearharmony.net/articles/200601/30891.html