I can still remember when I joined the kitchen team at the 1999 South Africa International Retreat. After the Retreat, some initiates and I volunteered to stay an additional day to help clean up the kitchen. When the clean-up work was almost completed, a brother suddenly came and informed us that help was needed in packing Master's furniture and loading it onto a truck. A large group of sisters eagerly offered to help, but the brother, feeling very sorry, said, "I don't think you can move it; it's a big sofa!" However, observing the longing on our faces, he did not have the heart to refuse us, and agreed to let us help. So, a big group of sisters excitedly rushed to help carry the furniture. Though the big sofa was too heavy for us to carry, at least several of us could move another, smaller sofa together. Everyone found something to carry, including pans and flower vases. Our only concern was that we could not help enough.

At that moment, the blessing power and blessed reward derived from the work were not our main considerations. Though all of us understand that Master is constantly with us, we still long to be closer to Her. However, we must bear in mind that Master has to physically take care of a great many disciples, so we can only express our love and support for Her through our actions. Having joined the kitchen team in South Africa, it was true that I could not attend every meditation session and listen to all of Master's discourses, but after the Retreat, I still went home fully loaded with Master's love.

In doing worldly work, it is very hard not to calculate personal gains. However, we can often see wholehearted cooperation among our fellow practitioners. Each time I am distressed by trivial worldly work and obstructions, I always think about the sweet times spent with Master, and then my perplexities gradually fade away. In particular, I recall the honor of lifting the sofa after the South Africa Retreat, although only one leg of it. This memory always recharges me fully with a motivating force to face new challenges.