Mrs. Buay rose from the river waters, weeping. She had never known this deepness and intensity of joy was possible. Indeed, she had always fled from strong emotions, working to overcome them. As the Buddhist priests had taught her, “desire” could manifest itself in many ways in her life, and strong emotions, left uncontrolled, could so easily spiral into desire.

But this—this—joy—something so pure and clear that she knew it was holy, springing from within her yet not of herself, from a source other than herself—“Oh, Father God, how good you are! You have turned my bitterness and weeping into laughter and peace.”

Ten years ago—even ten months ago!—she would never have dreamed that today she would be crying with joy. So much sorrow over the years. First her son, Jeep, turning renegade in his teen years, eventually becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol and gambling. He had even gambled away their house, forcing her to move in with her eldest daughter. And then her younger daughter, Ning, with her shameful lifestyle, also addicted to drugs and alcohol. So much shouting, hateful words, blows, never enough money…

It had been shocking, to say the least, when both Jeep and Ning came to her separately and told her that they had become Christians. But as neither of them had ever been good Buddhists, she didn’t see the harm in their trying a new religion.

Her amazement had steadily grown, however, as she watched real changes take place in Jeep’s and Ning’s lives. Both of them found work, and stuck with their jobs. They even began helping her financially! Jeep stopped gambling. Both he and Ning stopped using drugs and alcohol. When they would come to visit, she could tell they really wanted to know how she was. Both smiled with a hope and peace she had never seen before.

She had agreed to study the Bible with missionaries who lived in the next town. Slowly, she began to believe that not only was God real, but He could also give her a new heart!

Today, she had become a new person. She could not but weep.