(Clearwisdom.net) The 21^st Quincy Moon Festival was held on August 24, 2008, in downtown Quincy, Massachusetts. Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the event again by setting up a booth, demonstrating the exercises, distributing informational flyers, and teaching people how to make paper lotus flowers. The practitioners also exposed the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) nine-year-long persecution of Falun Gong and collected signatures to end the persecution.

Many people enjoyed the Falun Gong exercise demonstration and wanted to learn about the practice. They also made paper lotus flower and signed their names on the petition form calling for an end to the persecution.

Starting with the question, "Why make a lotus flower?" Maria learned that Falun Gong is a cultivation practice that improves both mind and body. An insurance company employee, she said she would bring her two children to learn the exercises.

Two Asian ladies learned that the lotus flower represents the spirit of remaining pure and clean while growing in the mud, and related that to the persecuted Falun Gong group. They said they wanted to learn the exercises, too. Ms. Ikuko from Japan said she would help her daughter in Connecticut to learn the Falun Dafa exercises. Another Asian lady said she had just learned how to browse on the Internet and she would learn more about Falun Dafa online.

Ms. Wang, a resident of Hangzhou City, China, was visiting her children in Quincy. She looked at a senior Falun Dafa practitioner and exclaimed, "You look very healthy!" Chatting about health, the practitioner told her how she had been sick and weak before she practiced Falun Dafa and how she had become healthy and energetic afterwards. Ms. Wang immediately announced her withdrawal from the "Young Pioneers," a group affiliated with the CCP.

A lady from Taiwan said she didn't know much about Falun Gong but her maid from mainland China told her not to learn Falun Gong because she had heard negative things about it in China. When she saw the practitioners were so kind and peaceful, her own experience told her that people practicing Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are very kind and honest, so she took some informational literature and a "Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party" DVD to watch with her husband at home.

Granny Luo told a story about her friend, Granny Chen. Granny Chen came from Jiangsu Province, China to visit her children in America. She didn't practice Falun Gong but she knew Falun Gong was good. Four months ago, she suddenly had severe pain in her legs and could not move. She began to repeat "Falun Dafa is good" in her heart. In a few minutes, the pain disappeared and she could get up. Then, two months ago, Granny Chen fell down the stairs and hurt her ankle. Her nephew said she had to use a wheelchair for a few months. But she kept repeating "Falun Dafa is good" in her heart. As a result, after four days, she could get up and move around. Granny Chen said repeating the verse can dissolve tribulation, and she is very convinced of Falun Dafa's power.