(Minghui.org) I came to the United States from China as a refugee in 2012 and was granted asylum in 2014. I worked for the Chinese Epoch Times to earn a living.
I heard in 2016 that a green card holder younger than 38 years old could join the U.S. army. This looked like an excellent opportunity to blend into society since I was educated in China and had not held a job in an English-speaking environment. I was particularly interested in joining the Army Reserve.
During the recruitment interview, I introduced Falun Dafa to the interviewer and told him about the persecution in China. The officer had no questions. That particular recruitment office recruits a few dozen new soldiers each year, and I was one of them.
A few days before training began, I wanted to test my running speed. I ran about two miles, three days in a row. On the fourth day, my knee started to hurt. The pain did not concern me, as I only wanted to improve my conversational abilities, so I could spread Falun Dafa in an English-language society.
In the dining room a slogan caught my eye, “There are three things which are controlled by yourself – your thoughts, feelings, and belief.” This was Master's hint, which told me that my life was given to by Master Li, and so was my future. As long as I follow Master's arrangements, there will always be a path for me, and it will be the best.
During the training, my knees did not hurt at all. Many of the new soldiers needed medication for leg or feet pain from the intensive workout. I was fine throughout the training period, and my running speed increased. It was Dafa's power!
All 800 recruits were asked to attend a meeting, and the director asked why we wanted to join the Air Force. Some said they wanted a better life, others were attracted by the college tuition benefit, and I spoke about the persecution I had suffered in China. I said that I wanted to join the Air Force so that I could repay this society and speak up for freedom and justice.
The training was extensive, but I always did the sitting meditation after the lights were turned off. Soon every one of my more than 50 roommates knew I was meditating. Many of them asked for more information.
In the bed opposite mine was a young man from Las Vegas. He told me that he had a pleasant feeling every time he saw me. I believe this was Master's arrangement. I showed him a letter that I wrote about Falun Dafa before the training had started. He was very moved and asked others to read my letter.
During breakfast, I poured some cold water over an egg and got yelled at by a very strict female instructor. I explained that pouring my cold drinking water over a hot, hard-boiled egg made it easier to remove the egg shell. She accepted my explanation, but I received a demerit for wasting drinking water.
The instructor called me into her office two days later and showed me the report she wrote, which said I would receive an unsatisfactory grade for this week's test. I was ordered to write an article, “How should directors and instructors tell my parents if I die because I did not drink enough water?”
My fellow soldiers all thought that she made a big fuss over a minor issue, because two demerits would result in not graduating on time and having to repeat the process. However, I was not upset. On one hand, I was thinking: the instructor said I drank too little water, so maybe it was a hint that I studied the Fa too little. On the other hand, I thought the writing assignment was a good opportunity to tell them about Falun Dafa.
In my article, I thanked the instructor who pointed out my mistake. I compared the strictness of the military training to Taoist teaching methods in ancient China. I said I am confident I will graduate on time under their strict training. At the end of my article, I attached the letter about my background.
The instructor talked to me after she read my article and the letter. She said she was very shocked to learn about my experience in China. She also was pleased that I did not complain about the military's teaching method. In the end, she told me that I had leadership qualities, and she assigned me to be the Acting Dorm Chief.
During the training, soldiers are not allowed to chat with each other, but Master arranged opportunities for my to tell people about Falun Dafa and the persecution.
When I missed a routine group physical check up, I was given another appointment. I saw an African American man from another squad doing a sitting meditation while waiting for his check-up. I immediately chatted with him and introduced Falun Dafa to him. He was extremely interested and asked for more details.
When I began the training, somehow I kept bumping into a Caucasian girl who always had a smile on her face. I did not know how to approach her, yet I kept ending up in the same place as her. Then, she sat down next to me, smiled and introduced herself. I talked to her about Dafa and the persecution. She listened very carefully and asked many questions.
During the training, soldiers met with officers from different divisions. Each conversation only lasted a few minutes. I always talked about Dafa and the persecution, and most of the officers listened carefully.
Whenever I talk to soldiers, I use any opportunity to talk about Falun Dafa. Many soldiers showed great interest in cultivation and Dafa. I asked practitioners to mail me Dafa books and brochures. Although the training was very intense with little free time, many soldiers read some sections of the books. Some told me that they have been looking for the right spiritual belief for a long time.
At the end of the training period, I donated Zhuan Falun and Falun Gong to the training camp library. The librarian put about 20 Dafa brochures at a very visible spot at the library entrance.
I graduated from Air Force training with top grades and excellent recommendations at the beginning of 2017, and became an Airman First Class.