(Minghui.org) A few days ago I met an 88-year-old practitioner who is affectionately called “Uncle” by his fellow practitioners. For 18 years he has diligently practiced Falun Gong in a remote village all by himself. Because he is so isolated, other practitioners only visit him every few years. Nevertheless, he has never wavered in his belief in Falun Gong.
Uncle suffered a stroke in 1996. He suffered its effects until May 1997, when a small group of practitioners came to his village to introduce Falun Gong.
Excited fellow villagers told Uncle to head to the house where the Falun Gong practitioners were set up. The practitioners showed videos of Master Li teaching the Fa and demonstrating the exercises. Uncle never missed a chance to watch the videos, despite his ailments. After seeing all the lectures, Uncle’s health problems completely disappeared. Experiencing for himself the miraculous effects of Falun Gong, he decided to start practicing.
Uncle is now nearly 90 years old. He has never wavered in his practice of Falun Gong and is still in very good health. He can even ride his bike.
Originally, there were many practitioners in Uncle's village. But in 1999, when Jiang Zemin launched the brutal persecution of Falun Gong, everyone was pressured to quit practicing. Uncle, however, refused to give in to the authorities and has never let up in his cultivation.
Due to the persecution, Uncle’s fellow practitioners were either displaced after they were imprisoned or they are still being illegally detained. Only a few have managed to visit Uncle every two or three years.
For 18 years Uncle has gotten up very early every day to do the exercises and to listen to the Falun Gong teachings.
During their occasional visits, fellow practitioners have given Uncle flyers that tell people the truth about Falun Gong. Uncle always carries flyers with him. He will display a flyer in a clean place in the village and will not go home until someone takes it.
Uncle lives with his son’s family around a courtyard, but he lives very independently, not wanting to burden his son or daughter-in-law. He never asks for help with his daily life and he takes very good care of himself.
Because Uncle always follows the principles of Falun Gong, Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, everyone in the village admires him for being so caring, kind, and considerate.
In 2006 Uncle developed a persistent cough. His son suggested that he see a doctor. Uncle refused to go and told his son that he was not afraid of death. Because he practiced Falun Gong, he said, he would be taken care of even if he did die. With his unwavering faith in Falun Gong, Uncle completely recovered.
In 2014, Uncle became sick again. This time he had bowel problems and was not able to eat or drink for over a week. With his firm belief that a Falun Gong practitioner was not supposed to have illness, he went on doing what a practitioner should do and, once again, recovered completely.
When I saw how steadfast and diligent Uncle has been in practicing Falun Gong, I felt quite humbled. Even though he is so isolated from other practitioners, Uncle has never slacked off in his cultivation nor has he ever complained about his lot in life. This is all a result of his unwavering faith in Falun Gong.