Aging with Joy

I would like my story to be built upon my joy and gratitude for life for receiving the Fa, and for having the opportunity to age with dignity in my garden.

My name is Christina. This year I turn 80. I turned 50 the year I had the great honor of attending Master's lectures in Gothenburg in 1995. Such a tremendous blessing and I didn't fully understand how immense it was at the time. But now, 30 years later, my heart is filled to the brim with joy and gratitude.

That same year, 1995, my husband and I were given the opportunity to purchase a plot of land on the mountain Billingen in Västergötland. A plot where no one has lived for 40 years, it was the oldest house in the parish. I've always been fascinated by the idea of becoming a settler — of building a house — and having access to a greenhouse and the ability to grow my own food.

The first time I went to look at the property, which was completely overgrown at the time, I felt a jubilant sense of recognition; I knew that this is where I was meant to live my life until I leave this world. I felt such enthusiasm for all living things and for how things come to us when they are meant to. What a blessing, what richness!

At that time, I knew a woman who could see into the future, and she told me: “There is so much light surrounding you, and the place you’ve found has been saved for you by the gods.” I knew it was true.

Over the past 30 years, my husband and I have created a large and beautiful garden. We grow much of our own food, and we are happy to show our garden to those who find their way there. This also gives us opportunities to clarify the truth and allow people to encounter Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. We both have a strong desire to open people’s hearts to Dafa. Our entire property is a cultivation environment that will be left to the future.

As I have studied more intensely and with deeper understanding during daily Fa study, I’ve noticed that my level has risen and that I’ve come into greater contact with my own inner power.

I’ve chosen to work from home on several Dafa projects, and there is much I can contribute in truth clarification this way. We have neighbors, and I participate in a book club and a discussion group in the village on various life issues. From a healthy and harmonious environment, I can reach people digitally, but also mentally through strong righteous thoughts.

However, when Shen Yun comes to the Nordic region, I make sure to be there. I’ve had the great privilege over many years to assist when Shen Yun performs in the Nordic countries. These are my most amazing experiences. This great project, guided personally by Master, offers us all direction in true inner cultivation. The complete discipline, the seriousness, the precision, and the full presence speak deeply to me and teach me so much.

Part of my task also involves answering calls and assisting with ticket reservations about six months before Shen Yun arrives in Sweden. When Shen Yun is on site, I work backstage helping with costumes, mending, ironing, washing, and more.

I am also involved in the art exhibition Zhen Shan Ren. This summer we spent two weeks on Marstrand with the exhibition The Art of Zhen Shan Ren – The Art of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. It was our third visit to Marstrand, which has a unique and magnificent art hall where our paintings are truly highlighted and come into their own. Strandverket, now used as an art gallery, was originally built as a military defense facility on the island of Marstrand on Sweden’s west coast in the mid-1800s. It’s a wonderful place to showcase this art, created to inform the viewer, inspire the soul, and invigorate the spirit.

At this year’s exhibition, we had around 2,000 visitors, whom we as guides had the opportunity to clarify the truth to. As it was summer and holiday season, many visitors came from all over the world, we counted around 25 different nationalities.

Important Dafa projects often come with tests and tribulations. We rented a truck to transport the paintings from Gothenburg to Marstrand. At the ferry terminal, we had to wait, and the truck engine was turned off. When we tried to start it again, it wouldn’t start! We contacted the rental company, who told us to call for roadside assistance. When they arrived, they found that the battery was too weak. They charged the battery on the spot and instructed us not to turn off the engine during the ferry ride or during unloading on the island, so the truck ran on idle. When all the paintings were unloaded, the truck was returned to the rental company. As compensation for the inconvenience, we were told we didn’t need to pay for the rental. But we felt that we should pay anyway, because we wanted to do the right thing. The owner said: “But you didn't yell at us, and you weren't even angry.” So, we got the truck free of charge for our trouble.

From September 25–28 this year, the art exhibition will be on display at the Freedom of Expression Square at the Gothenburg Book Fair. This is our fourth time there, and the event typically attracts around 90,000 visitors.

What I’ve Discovered in My Cultivation

We must never stop living our lives — we have a mission to fulfill, the most important one ever, and a vow made to Master. When things get tough — change your thinking.

As Master said:

“Don’t worry, and this includes some of those who have stumbled. Just hurry up and get up”.
(Teachings Given on Lantern Festival Day, 2003)

Important guiding words that help us move forward are: compassion, determination, will, wish, trust, and cooperation.

I am incredibly grateful and joyful, and nothing will stand in my way — not tiredness, not age, not pain; I add 20 percent more effort and feel proud of the honor it is to be Masters Dafa disciple, participating in this sacred mission, predestined tens of thousands of years ago. In every moment, we are walking the path of cultivation, and in every moment, Master is watching over us.

Each of us has our own path to walk. It wasn’t easy at first, but I feel that I have grown and dared to walk my own way. The more diligently we study, the more our understanding increases, and the more our level is elevated.

As Master says in Teachings at the Conference in Los Angeles, 2006:
“As Dafa disciples, you have an extraordinary past, and you should have an extraordinary present too”.

Master also says in Congratulations to the Taiwan Fa Conference:
“The form that Dafa’s cultivation takes is different from all forms of cultivation in history. That is because you shoulder the responsibility of a Dafa disciple: the sacred mission of saving sentient beings at a critical moment in history for mankind. Conveying the truth to the world’s people may appear simple, yet it impacts the futures of sentient beings. In order to do this task well, you must cultivate yourselves well.”

Thank you, Honorable Master!
Thank you, dear fellow practitioners!

(This article was presented at the 2025 Nordic Fa-Conference)