(Minghui.org) Natalia looks at her audience intently, leans forward slightly, and greets them with smile. At break time, she talks with the audience members cordially. No one would suspect that she used to suffer from serious language and reading difficulties.
On May 13, World Falun Dafa Day, Falun Dafa practitioner Natalia expressed her gratitude to Master Li, the founder of Falun Dafa. “Without Dafa, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” she said.
When she was younger, Natalia suffered from dyslexia and had trouble expressing herself. She said gratefully that without Dafa she would not have been able to coach others in speaking, as she herself struggled to speak. How did she get to where she is today after going through so much hardship?
Natalia volunteering at a Shen Yun booth to help sell tickets
Natalia practices the Falun Dafa meditation.
Lonely Childhood
Natalia grew up in a small village in Argentina and could not read as a child. She found it difficult to read because all the letters would move around as she tried to read. She also struggled to speak, had few friends, and spent a lot of time alone in the garden-like nature.
Natalia has memories from childhood where she felt as if she had been waiting for help in the void. When she was a child, she felt that her physical body did not belong to her, and she felt like she was trapped in her body. She felt that she belonged to the universe, and she needed to have a pair of eyes that could see the entire universe. This is how she felt as a child.
Natalia was baptized in the Catholic Church in 1992 when she was six years old. But that wasn’t actually what she was looking for. When she was 12 years old, she decided not to go to church anymore. She remembers feeling very sad, as if her life had suddenly become empty. Her dream to go to heaven was shattered.
“I found it, the law is here!”
Natalia’s mother is British and her father is Argentinian. When she was 18, she left Argentina and moved to Cardiff, the capital of Wales.
As soon as she arrived in Wales, Natalia changed a lot and was no longer a simple girl. She started dating, drinking, and buying things she probably didn’t need. She was depressed and felt that she had lost her innocence and spirituality.
In January 2004, Natalia came home after work one day and her brother was sitting in the living room. He looked at her for a while and said slowly, “You know, Natalia, Master is the only one who can explain the origin of the universe clearly.” Natalia replied, “Wow, really?” She thought this was her destiny transforming.
Her brother was reading some blue books at the time. He said that the books made him feel calm. This was the first time she’d heard her brother say “calm.” Her brother had become so friendly, and his tone was different. This was special, she thought. She said to her brother, “You don’t smoke anymore. You don’t do drugs. And you’re talking to me! Oh, this must be a very special thing.”
She wanted to read the Falun Gong book. Her brother said, “If you’re going to read it, read it in one sitting. Don’t read a little bit and then put it off for a week, because you might get distracted. So read it in one sitting.”
Out of respect for her brother, Natalia said she would do it immediately. She took the day off work the next day. At 8 a.m. she sat in her bedroom and began to read. Because of her dyslexia, she would fall asleep after reading a little. She persisted all day and all night, and finally finished reading Falun Gong at 8 a.m. the next day. She closed the book and thought about it. She then said, “I don’t understand anything.” But at the same time, she felt something deep inside and found it to be true. This was the spiritual thing she had been looking for her whole life.
The white curtains fluttered. She opened the floor-to-ceiling windows, opened the door, and walked outside. She wanted to shout to the world, “The Dharma is here!”
Attending the New York Fa Conference
Easter was one month later, and her brother was going to attend the International Falun Dafa Cultivation Experience Sharing Conference held in New York. He asked her if she wanted to go to New York with him. She said, “No, I can’t go, I haven’t finished reading Master's book Zhuan Falun yet.” She felt it would be disrespectful to go to see Master without reading Master’s book once.
She remembers opening the book Zhuan Falun later and reading:
“I think that those who can listen to my lectures in person, I would say, honestly... you will realize in the future that this period of time is extremely precious. Of course, we believe in predestined relationships. Everyone sits here all because of a predestined relationship.” (Lecture One, Zhuan Falun)
She realized that this was fate! She told her brother: “I want to go.”
At the New York Fa Conference, Natalia was honored to see Master, and she decided to practice Falun Dafa. She joined a parade with thousands of practitioners from all over the world. When she passed through Chinatown, she saw a lot of Chinese people and a kind of compassion was born in her. She felt that the Chinese who were deceived by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) were so pitiful. She talked to them about Dafa and advised them to not be misled by the lies of the CCP.
Dyslexia Is Gone After Practicing
Natalia didn’t know she was dyslexic; she just felt that she lacked intelligence. So when she read Zhuan Falun, it was still difficult.
But after she read it for the first time, she felt that Master had repaired something in her brain. The letters in the book stopped flying around, she could concentrate, and she could read normally. She could understand everything in the book. It was so organized and clear. The book removed all doubts she had about life and its meaning, such as, "Why are people here?" "Why must we become part of Dafa?" Master explained it in very simple language, and she was really touched.
But it was still difficult to read any other texts, except books with Master Li’s lectures. Zhuan Falun was the only book she could read quickly. She later found she could read well and fast, faster than other people, which was incredible. It was like she had a new brain, with a super-strong memory. Dafa is really a magical tool for generating and increasing wisdom!
When Natalia learned the third exercise, she found it difficult to follow the rhythm of the hand gliding movements at first, but she persisted. When she managed to follow the rhythm, she noticed a change in her brain, and she could communicate better. The first month she started practicing Falun Dafa, she learned the five exercises and experienced unprecedented changes. Dafa cured all her problems.
Cultivation Changes Her Destiny
Natalia had never thought about going to college before. After practicing Falun Gong, she went to college and studied simultaneous interpretation. This major is complex and highly academic. She later became a teacher and learned another language, Italian, in three months. She thought she was so fortunate. Dafa gave her wisdom. Her family thought it was a miracle!
After obtaining Falun Dafa in the UK, Natalia finally had found the true meaning of life, just as she had wished. She felt very happy and practiced the exercises and studied the Fa every day. She heard that Argentina was going to launch The Epoch Times newspaper, so she returned to Argentina and participated in the translation of the Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party and selling advertising for The Epoch Times. She promoted Shen Yun and sold tickets before Shen Yun toured in Argentina.
During that period, Natalia went through an unhappy marriage that lasted seven years. Even though she tolerated it and told herself that she was a cultivator, in the end she was penniless and had to leave. After going through a heart-wrenching ordeal, she forgave her ex-husband who had taken all her savings. She said, “The debts owed in a previous life should be paid off in this life. After practicing cultivation, both good and bad karma are good things. If they are dealt with, they will be resolved in this life.”
Natalia always reminds herself that she is a cultivator, improves her character, and practices the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. She puts herself in other people’s shoes and has compassion for others, so she truly cares about others.
After returning to the UK, Natalia started her own business helping people speak and communicate. Her clients include employees of large companies, students, and executives. She also trains TV station reporters, and her company is very profitable. “Falun Dafa not only gave me wisdom, but also gave me the ability to express myself. Without Dafa, I would not be where I am today,” Natalia said. She makes a living by speaking and teaches her clients public speaking, although she had a hard time expressing herself before practicing Dafa.
She actively promotes Shen Yun and sells tickets in shopping malls. She is very interested in China’s profound traditional culture. She wants to tell her clients and students that good deeds are rewarded and evil meets with retribution.
Concluding Remark: “Master is by my side.”
One Friday afternoon during Shen Yun’s performances in London this year, Natalia sat in the full lotus position and listened to Master’s recorded lectures. Master’s Fashen (Law Body) suddenly appeared in front of her and moved closer to her until she entered Master’s body. When Master’s body turned in the same direction as hers, Master took her up to heaven on a golden chariot.
The scene in heaven was calm, soft, and neither cold nor hot. She rode on fluffy clouds that were a soft golden color, sparkling with some color made of light. The sight was so beautiful that she wept and put her hands in the heshi position (palms together in front of her chest) to show her appreciation to Master.
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