(Clearwisdom.net)

My name is Guizhen. I am a 48-year-old woman from the countryside who used to be in poor health. In 1998, I was fortunate to discover Falun Dafa. Before I practiced Falun Gong, I suffered from numerous diseases all over my body, particularly heart disease, bronchitis, and arthritis. After practicing for over one month, all of my diseases vanished. I truly felt how wonderful it was to be free of pain and sickness. My family became happy and harmonious. Ever since then, I have conducted myself strictly according to the standards of Dafa.

It was just before the persecution of Falun Gong started on July 20, 1999 that I started to practice Falun Gong. As a new practitioner, I did not understand the Fa very well. But I firmly believed in Teacher and Dafa. Seeing the lies and deceit everywhere, I wept almost every day. I went to Beijing to appeal on behalf of Falun Dafa twice and was detained in a detention center. Afer being released, I was again detained in my house. But I did not give in. Instead, I went through all that with a firm belief in Teacher and Dafa.

In the spring of 2001, the town government began to hold brainwashing classes. Under great pressure, many of the local new and veteran practitioners were "transformed," but I still refused to renounce my belief. To achieve a 100 hundred percent "transformation" rate, the town government put me in a brainwashing class held by the municipal authorities.

In the brainwashing class, I was deprived of sleep and constantly forced to listen to slander and lies against Dafa. I said, "Depriving me of sleep is a psychological torture." The head of the brainwashing class, Song Shuqin, furiously shouted at me, "The central government issued secret orders that no Falun Gong practitioner can be released and must be sent to a labor camp unless he is 'transformed.' You said it was a psychological torture for you not to be allowed to sleep, but if you are sent to a labor camp, you will suffer even more." I told her, "I am a cultivator in Dafa. The path of my cultivation is arranged by my Teacher, not by you."

I felt very sorry when I saw that some practitioners were "transformed" against their will and betrayed Dafa and disappointed Teacher because of their attachment of fear. I sent forth a thought that I would not be "transformed," nor sent to a labor camp, and that my fellow practitioners who know Dafa is good but hold the attachment of fear will realize the fact that the evil's plan will fail and Teacher will arrange everything for us if we keep our thoughts and actions righteous at all times.

I went on a hunger strike. The third day of my hunger strike, I was sent to a detention center. The fifth day, I suffered savage force-feeding and was put on trial. I thought this was a good opportunity for clarifying the truth about Dafa. I told them a lot about how Falun Gong helped people become healthy and improve their moral character. Thus, I successfully broke out from the den of evil under Teacher's protection and compassion after more than 30 days of detention.

After I went back home, someone from the town Party Committee said to my family members that I was the only one who still practiced Falun Gong in the town and I would give up my cultivation only if I were strictly monitored for a period of time. Being afraid that our children's future would be affected by the persecution, my family members cooperated with the Party Committee to try to force me to give up practicing Falun Gong.

Teacher said in Zhuan Falun:

"When it's hard to endure, try to endure it. When it seems impossible to do, or just hard to do, give it a try and see just what you can do. And when you can really do it, just like that worn and weary traveler, you'll see, "the shade of willows, the blooms of flowers, a place to rest my head!"

I improved myself through a genuine understanding of the Fa and thoroughly opposed the old forces' arrangements and patiently clarified the truth to my family members. Now they understand the truth very well. My daughter has graduated from college and my son goes to a prominent high school. My husband said to others, "I have good fortune now."

One night in autumn 2002, I dreamed that all the apples fell from the trees in an orchard. Some of the apples had become dry and some had recently dropped to the ground. At this moment, a voice said to me, "You should pick them up." After I woke up, I wept. I was enlightened with Teacher's hint that I should help wayward fellow practitioners resume cultivation as soon as possible.

Ever since then, I have talked with them one after another and helped them understand the Fa. Now, most of them have awakened and are cultivating again. As a result, Fa-study groups have sprung up everywhere and our cultivation environment is getting better and better.

Although the situation is getting better, we can absolutely not become careless as the persecution is still going on. In the last stretch on the path of Fa-validation, let us steadfastly make progress and do well the three things Teacher requires of us.

Please kindly point out anything improper.