I was here to referee a Pre K basketball game. The staff was very nice and accommodating. I will…read moresay it was a joy to referee those little fellows and little young ladies I'll be back again. And a big thanks to the church for opening the doors for this to be possible.

I love MDPC! They have several services on Sunday (8:30, 9:45, 11:00 and 5:00p) and they always…read morehave different monthly activities like volunteering, retreats, small group, etc. I went here as a kid, I got married here, and I continue to love it!

I came to Fo Guang Shan Chung Mei Temple 佛光山中美寺 was because my neighbor recommended. This is a…read morebeautiful place to visit. It has a Sunday service with monks and prayers spoken in Chinese Mandarin. Fo Guang Shan Chung Mei Temple 佛光山中美寺 is part of the International Buddhist Progress Society (IBPS). Located in Stafford, this temple sits on 89 acres of land. It officially opened in 2001. Fo Guang Shan as 佛光山 in Chinese translates to "Buddha's Light Mountain", was founded by Master Hsing Yun 星雲大師 in 1967. Fo Guang Shan is the largest monastery in Taiwan. There are over 300 branch temples worldwide. As far as I know, besides Houston, there is one in Austin and Dallas. I got a chance to try vegetarian food at Water Drop Teahouse. Prices were reasonable and food was delicious. Because most of the vegetation was damaged from a recent arctic blast. The garden was not as green as I wanted. So, I'll be back this summer. p.s. I uploaded 40 photos to go with my review. You need to use a computer see them at https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/fo-guang-shan-chung-mei-buddhist-temple-stafford?userid=jwPVqdHpVHCBfAe4pZBbgA

My mom has been here before and recommended the tea house. We ordered 3 side dishes- lotus,…read moreseaweed, and edamame, kimchi soup pot, kale fried rice, potstickers, and the fruit tea and prosperity tea. Everything is vegan and they have education in the temple about how decreasing consumption of animal products is beneficial for the environment. The teas were both absolutely incredible. The fruit tea is so sweet, tart, and refreshing. The prosperity tea has a lovely floral smell and light taste. All of the food was incredible, though the kimchi was quite spicy. I should have ordered mild. There is a small shop in the temple, a library, and some books on buddhism available for a small recommended donation. Visitors are allowed to walk the grounds and it is so beautiful and peaceful

First time in a Quaker/Religious Society of Friends meeting house. Felt very calm and welcome. Love…read morethe philosophy of simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality and stewardship. The open grounds with a garden and live oak trees is so peaceful and inviting. The meeting house is also a James Turrell Skyspace,known as One Accord, that is open to all on Friday nights or available for special events, like the one that I attended. So interesting how James Turrell used the tenets of the Quaker faith to design the space. One of the Quaker meditation tenets is that you go inside to greet the light. As the retractable roof opens at sunset, you can watch as the light of the day slowly fades across the sky. So beautiful and so special. Ask a Friend to learn more. So willing to share information about the history of this stunning space. #OurStoryIsOne Invited by a Baha'i friend to a concert tour to remember the ten women of Shiraz who were murdered forty years ago on June 18, 1983. What were the charges? What were their crimes? Teaching neighborhood children in Sunday school. Being a student. Not being married. Gender equality. Practicing their Baha'i faith. Ezzat. Roya. Mona. Nosrat. Shirin. Mashid. Tahereh. Simin. Akhtar. Zarrin. They were hanged one by one in Chowgan Square when they refused to renounce their religion. Tears flowing as their journey, their stories were shared. The youngest who was only 17 years old kissed the noose before she was executed in a final display of faith and defiance. A special thanks to Live Oak Friends Meeting and the Baha'i community for hosting this moving event.

For those youngsters who first heard about James Turrell via Hotline Bling, well at least you're a…read morelittle bit more cultured. But he's been making interesting art installations for years before. I first heard of him when Rice was lucky enough to get one of his stand alone public installations. Since, then I have been tracking them down worldwide. I was shocked to find that here in Houston alone, we have 3 of his works. I actually walked through the one at the Museum of Fine Arts without even knowing it was him. So, when Fujio posted his review, I had this place bookmarked. It's hard to come by because it's only open to the public on Friday evenings and it's got to be a clear night. I was lucky enough to be able to get off work before sunset and stop on by. The people who manage the space are super sweet. This place is small and intimate, but provides a unique experience. Expect to spend about 30 minutes - 1 hr to experience the color change in the sky. When, the roof is closed the roof lighting has a shade of blue too. If you are a fan of Turrell's work, it's very cool to be able to see another piece. On the night I went there was only 8 people there. So you get to take it all in!

It always blows my mind that there's a temple this big secluded in the woods next to a small…read moreairport. I love coming here during the lunar new year for the festivities. The facilities are clean and the monks are very kind and welcoming. Perhaps the biggest secret of them all is that they sell delicious vegetarian food here! I'm not sure if it's sold every day but I know that they definitely sell it on Sundays. There's a wide selection of Viet dishes to choose from and the prices are fair. I came on New Year's Day when they were selling their special Vegetarian noodle soup and it was some of the best I've had. Generous portion, less than $10, incredibly flavorful broth enhanced by the chili paste. I also tried some imitation meat in a sweet and savory orange sauce. Very unique flavor and something I'd definitely get again. Come here on a Sunday morning/early afternoon and expand your palette with some delicious temple food!

Vien Thong Tu Buddhist Temple is such a peaceful and welcoming spot in Houston. Even though most of…read morethe ceremonies and chanting are in Vietnamese , it's easy to feel included just by being there. The temple is beautifully maintained, with the marble statues and flooring that make it feel serene and elegant. Seriously, they have some of the best vegetarian food in town, available only friday through sunday. The menu is weekly updated on Facebook under Zen Vegetarian Dinh Duong Chay Vien Thong Tu.

This church is small but cozy. Everybody was welcoming and friendly! I was only visiting but I…read morewould love to come back and attend mass every Sunday! :-D The mass I attended was nice. Parking is not a problem if you arrive early.

Visited there for the first time a few weeks ago and we have now joined the Church. That's how much…read morewe liked the Church and Father Francis who keeps your attention with his Sermons. We're in Katy, but well worth the drive on Sundays.. Very Friendly, cozy, ample parking. Tony

it's it such a friendly community. I went with 6 of my Vietnamese friends to the crawfish boil,…read moreand it was super fun. They had lots of good things for sale and such nice people. They had lots of cool performances too. I made lots of friends as well.

That place is a very nice and have plenty of space inside. I would recommend if anyone are new to…read morethe church

I came here today (Saturday) with my mother. We are new to…read morethe practice of buddhism, and we make a substantial effort to be as respectful as possible. Today, we mistakenly thought that Saturday was the day for english instruction. Upon entering, I removed my shoes and greeted the woman at the front desk with a smile. She did not smile back. This did not make me feel welcome. Me and my mother proceeded further inside the temple, which is BEAUTIFUL by the way. We did take a moment to take it all in. There was no instruction or teachings going on, so we decided to seat ourselves quietly just to observe the beauty of the temple. There was a lively looking woman doing some work on the flowers. I decided to ask her what days of the week do I come for english teachings. Once again, I keep smiling at people to greet them, but they keep frowning! (I want to be clear and say that this is a normal faint smile that you do when you say hello to someone, I definitely was not doing anything weird or threatening) At this point I am thinking, Am I doing something wrong, or are these people really not pleased to have me here for any reason? She directed me to ask the lady at the front desk..so I went to ask. I respectfully stood outside of the room, waiting until she didn't look occupied. She greeted me with a disgruntled "Yes?" And I asked her my question. She answered me curtly, and I proceeded back into the center room of the temple. Me and my mother discussed plans for coming back, and then we decided to leave. As we were leaving, there were VERY kind women practitioners who were more friendly than the 2 workers I am discussing in this review. The woman at the front desk, closed the door on them as they were in prayer. She said "It's getting hot, sorry about that." And did not even say goodbye to us as we left. I am sure they have amazing teachings, its a shame I came on the wrong day! But overall, for a beginner practitioner who is a little unsure of themselves..I did not feel very welcomed or embraced in these interactions I had..I will not be returning. I don't know if these people were having a bad day, or if I did something wrong. But it was very uncomfortable for me. A temple is supposed to be a place where someone can take refuge, and feel safe around other compassionate people.

A little history of this temple and me: When I migrated from Taiwan more than a decade ago, I was…read moreshocked at how Buddhism was so difficult to find in America. Fortunately, my family was contacted by someone from Jade Buddha Temple. Even though I used to live in Baton Rough, LA, Jade Buddha Temple has ever since been my spiritual center to this point. Anyway onto the review! --- Located relatively close to the Houston Chinatown, Jade Buddha Temple is easy and convenient for visitors to access from the city without losing the serenity of the usual temple ground. In front of the temple is a large pond surrounding a tall, standing statue of Kwan-Yin (Avalokiteshvara). If the day is not too hot, the pond has benches surrounding it, so you can admire the pond and contemplate under the gaze of the merciful Bodhisattva. The temple's largest building is the Hero's Hall (The Main Hall), which houses the namesake jade Buddha statue with Maitreya (Popularly known as fat Buddha) as the cheerful greeter to those who enter the Hall. This is where services and festivals are held, but outside these times, the Hall is a silent yet serene ground to simply sit and behold. Quietness without coldness, simplicity with majestic extravagance, Jade Buddha's Main Hall is truly something that both practitioners and non-practitioners to visit to witness the spirituality and the art of Buddhism. Behind the Main Hall is a court yard that is followed by the second building, Kwan-Yin Hall, which houses the traditional Chinese Kwan-Yin in front and Cundi Avalokiteshvara in the back. In contrast to the more extravagant Main Hall, Kwan-Yin Hall displayed Zen simplicity in its decor, so it is no wonder that this is the Hall where the usual mediation sessions take place. Jade Buddha Temple offers many weekly scheduled events, almost all free, to the visitors that include yoga, mediation, service, and sermon. Although most of the staff and the reverends are Chinese-speaking, Jade Buddha Temple has English-oriented events for non-Chinese visitors. The Temple also has some volunteer opportunities to help maintain the temple ground and logistics. At certain times of the year, the Temple hosts traditional festivals including Buddha's birthday to pray for the welfare of all sentient beings. Whether you are a Buddhist or not, Jade Buddha Temple is worth to visit at least once if you are in the Houston area. The staff and the reverends at the Temple are very friendly and will happily answer any questions relating to life or Buddhism for you! You should temporarily escape from the loud urban environment and take refuge in the Jade Buddha Temple to relax, pray, or simply admire what Buddhism is all about.

We stopped by Teo Chew Temple for Lunar New Years last February to pray & wish for blessings for…read morethe New Year. This temple is really huge. It's a popular temple with nice Buddhist statues of different Gods. It's a nice temple, but the inside can be a fire hazard since there's so much smoke coming from everyone's incenses whenever people pray. Aside from that, it is a nice temple.

Teo Chew Temple 本頭公廟 has been a national treasure for many decades. I only learned about this place…read moresince I start of CoVid pandemic. My company was looking to do a virtual lion dance performance. Then, I found Teo Chew Temple Lion Dance Team. Recently, the temple added a virtual guide by scanning the QR code on the door. You will get the description of each God in English. That was a lifesaver. Because the volunteers spoke only Vietnamese and very little Chinese. English is not a spoken language at the location at all. Teo Chew Temple is a must-see place for tourists. It's right off of the side street by Kim Som on Bellaire Blvd. there are plenty of parking as long as it's not a Buddhist holiday with celebrations.