My trip to America

Translated from French

By a Swiss Falun Dafa practitioner.

I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to America in October. The following is how this came about.

I am a mother of four and I am the only one in my family who practices Falun Gong. As I live in Geneva, I am able to join in the activities that take place here, but when it is a question of traveling farther afield, it becomes very difficult for me because of my family responsibilities. When I heard about the trip to America, therefore, I did not really pay much attention to it. But later my husband talked about taking an “autumn holiday” and when he mentioned the dates a little voice within my head began to speak: “Are these not the same dates as those for the trip to America?”, and so I began to think about the possibility of going. Since I didn't have the courage to face my husband, I talked to my second daughter about this trip. But she said to me: “You must talk to daddy about it.” At first it was proposed that we leave on Tuesday and return on Sunday, which corresponded exactly with the holiday dates that he could take. I began to talk about it with him, but there was strong opposition. When I discussed it again with my daughter she said to me: “You know, Mummy, if in your heart you feel very strongly that you must go there, then you must go, and money is not a problem, I can lend you as much as you need.”

The financial aspect was indeed an important issue because my husband had had to accept a cut in his salary in order to keep his job. Consequently, our budget is very tight, but my daughter who is a student and works every Saturday, offered to lend me the necessary money.

Therefore I talked to my husband about the possibility of going. He couldn't understand why I wanted to make such a journey and asked me the real reason for this trip. I talked to him then of the factors behind the persecution and the effect of righteous thoughts, and how the closer we could be the more effective our righteous thoughts would be. He understood the reasoning and agreed that I should go. From that moment he has been much more pleasant to be around, and I think it is because he has positioned himself with regard to the Fa [Law and principles in the Buddha School].

There was still a small test before leaving, as the departure was brought forward to Sunday morning, and there was no one to look after my youngest child on Monday. I decided not to worry about it and to have faith, as, if I was meant to go, I would go. My husband indeed announced on the preceding Friday that he had been able to take leave on the Monday since he had been able to finish his work.

I am immensely grateful for having been able to make this journey because it was enriching in so many ways. I hold within myself the very precious memory of the day spent at Crawford close to the Bush ranch, where all the practitioners were able to feel the solemnity and sacredness of what we were doing and how we were acting as one body.