One day, when I was living in Singapore, I received a phone call saying my mother was having problems after some minor surgery. I went to my teacher, Ven. Master Chin Kung, and told him of this. He replied that I should quickly return to Dallas to look after her. In just a few days, I was back in Dallas with a box of chocolate as a gift from Teacher to my mother. I remained with her until she was fully recovered.
One day we went to La Madeleine, a wonderful restaurant we used to go to before I became a nun. As we were leaving, I noticed a woman looking at me, but only smiled as I walked past. My mother (much more talkative than I ;-)) was following me and I heard her say "Buddhist Nun!" Mom told me afterward the woman replied, "I thought so!" Mom and I used to joke that I should put a sign on my back: "Buddhist nun."
I remembered this incident while answering a letter from a gentleman who has just moved his elderly mother into his home so he can care for her. He is a Pure Land Buddhist. His mother is a Catholic. He wrote that she is reading some books on Buddhism and he was very happy with that. He added that with her Catholic upbringing and hearing problem, there would be some difficulties.
I wrote back saying the best way to teach his mother about Buddhism was to show her how it has made him a better and happier person. Her loss of hearing wouldn't keep her from seeing this. His being happier and more patient and caring will do more than a hundred books would do.
In other words, to introduce Buddhism to others, we first have to show how it has benefited us. If someone has themself not improved, it will be difficult to convince others that Buddhism makes people happier and less selfish. It was the changes in me that sold my mother on Buddhism. (Anything that made her younger daughter more patient had to be good. ;-))
In addition to telling people "Buddhist nun" when they looked at me quizzically, my mother could work "Buddhism is a teaching not a religion" into a conversation faster than anyone else I know. The incongruity of this statement coming from a spry eighty-plus year old white-haired lady with a New York accent always made people listen. My mother would then say a few more things about Buddhism, firmly planting a seed for the future, and move on to other topics.
As I have said: "A good teacher."