As a baby, Fern was loved and encouraged to smile. And when she did, she was rewarded. All her life, she longed for smiles of approval and acceptance. This is part of what motivated her to marry and to become a tour guide.

Unfortunately, neither Fern’s marriage, nor her professional happiness, lasted. After a while, the honeymoon smiles faded. Fern was burdened, trying to hold a marriage together as her husband pursued his own pleasures, abused alcohol and then drugs. She worked hard as a tour guide, smiling all the time as she hosted groups of foreigners. Many of these foreigners appreciated her with smiles and tips. When Fern took them to a temple, she always made merit by making a donation and hoping for good fortune.

Fern enjoyed taking the tourists to beautiful beaches and national parks. But the foreigners did not just want to go to temples and scenic beauty. Fern had to take them wherever they wanted to go, and go with a smile herself. Bars, nightclubs, red light areas, legitimate massage parlors, and massage parlors that were just a front for other activities. Fern often felt pressured to eat and drink with them so they felt accepted and approved, even though it left her feeling empty. And when she went home from a tour, all her earnings were demanded by her husband and her family.

The Covid-19 pandemic put Fern out of work. It put her husband in jail as he tried to make ends meet by selling drugs. The only option was to go back to her rural home, where she could find food in the rice paddies and canals.

One day Fern’s mother-in-law came to visit. She had recently become a Christian and wanted to share her joy with all her relatives. Fern was surprised that her mother-in-law had become a Christian. She listened politely but did not fully understand what her mother-in-law was sharing. But she was impressed by the joy that radiated from her mother-in-law’s smiling face.

A few days later, Fern’s heart stopped, and she had a vision of Jesus. He was smiling. After 30 minutes, Fern’s heart started to beat normally. She immediately went to see her mother-in-law.

Fern is now a Christian, enjoying the smile of acceptance from the Lord Jesus. Together with her mother-in-law, they visited her husband in jail to share about the Lord Jesus Christ, whose loving smile is real.