(Minghui.org) On July 21 and 22, practitioners in Austin, Texas, marked the 13^th anniversary of Falun Gong's efforts to end the persecution by holding activities to tell people about Falun Gong and about the persecution in China.

They did the exercises as a group in downtown Austin on the morning of July 21. Many people were drawn to the beautiful exercises. They took photos and obtained introductory materials to read. The Chinese people who passed by looked a bit surprised to see the group exercises.

Later the practitioners moved to the front of the Capitol building, where they did the exercises, distributed materials, and talked to tourists. It was the first time that many tourists had ever heard about Falun Gong and the persecution in China.

Falun Gong practitioners at the Mind, Body, Spirit Expo in Austin

They also participated in the annual Mind, Body, Spirit Expo on Saturday and Sunday. Many people stopped by the Falun Gong booth to get information about the practice and the persecution. Some stayed to learn the exercises. A lady who tried the exercises exclaimed after the third exercise, “I haven't felt so comfortable for the past two or three months!” Some of the people who got information at the Expo on Saturday joined Sunday's group exercises.

Pat teaches Chinese history at the college level. She had heard about Falun Gong before and invited practitioners to introduce the practice in her class this fall. Anna, a teacher at a private high school, also wanted Falun Gong practitioners to come to her school for a lecture.

A man who had worked in China for a few years had heard a lot of slanderous information about Falun Gong from the Chinese Communist Party's propaganda. Practitioners talked to him about the nature of the Chinese Communist Party, which answered many questions he had. He really appreciated Falun Gong practitioners for providing him with the information and took a CD and a copy of the Minghui Special Edition with him to learn more.

The practitioners who participated at the events discovered that many people have already heard about the persecution. Some had heard about the organ harvesting crimes involving Falun Gong practitioners. They nonetheless gained a better understanding of Falun Gong and the persecution by talking to practitioners at these activities.