Nice to meet all of you---

Hello:My name is Trish. Presently I live in Virginia, but will be moving to CA early next year to attend Fuller Seminary. I teach at a local university in the Va. Beach area. I work with the UG Ch-- in the Middle East as well as in China. I also do work in Africa.I thank God for sites such as this. Thank you.I am looking forward to chatting with all of you at one time or the other. Would love to hear from you.God bless.Trish

Hi Trish!A warm welcome to you, hope you enjoy yourself here.I thank God for sites such as this. I heartly agree!Would love to hear more about your work in the areas you mentioned. Let us know if we can be of any assistance.Mike (crsschk)

Well---if you know anything about missionaries, then you know they love to tell their stories. :) I would love to share some of them with you--- especially the ones where God literally saved my life. He is awesome!God bless you ---. (Sorry I didn't get your name.)Trish

Thank you Mike. Anytime!!! God saved me from death while I was in Yemen---how?? Because of an ugly pink frog. He is truly amazing!God bless.Trish

Thank you, Greg! You are doing a fantastic job!!! I will keep you in my prayers. SO nice to meet you.Trish

O.K. I'll bite---tell me about the frog......

Hello again. Before I left on this particular trip, God told me to take this ugly pink beaded-eyed stuffed frog that someone had given me for Valentines Day. What?? Was the craziest thing I had heard of. In the Middle East, stuffed animals are not the "thing" like they are in the West. I knew I would get some strange looks and comments from the locals that I would be staying with. "OKOKOK---I'll take it!" I put it on top of my carry-on luggage and zipped it up. I went to Jordan, Bahrain, Dubai and Abu Dhabi---had no idea that I would even be going to Yemen, even though I had tried to get a VISA on this end but never could. [This is another story in itself] But I did get the opportunity to get a ticket and visa while I was in the UAE. At this point the trip had become quite dangerous because of what I was carrying at that time--- I had no problem while going through the airport, but on my way out the Lord spoke to me and told me to be prepared because they were going to try and check my carry-on luggage---"Great! I thought!. This is going to be a death sentence" (not kidding--it could have been). Sure enough the Yemeni religious policeman told me that he wanted to check my carry-on luggage. "Yikes! This is it", I thought. I unzipped my suitcase and there was this pink frog staring right into the policeman's face. I picked up the frog and began using it like a puppet talking to the Yemeni man. His eyes got as big as saucers, and before he could think he was talking back to the frog. He was totally embarrassed since everyone at this very small airport was looking at him. He got so mad I thought he was going to hit me right then and there. Instead, he yelled at me in Arabic---to put that stupid frog back in my suitcase and get the "you know what" out of there. I happily followed his orders and dared not laugh until I was halfway across the Atlantic. That pink frog literally saved my life! How wise is our God!! I can never thank Him enough!!!Thanks for asking.:)trish

Thanks for sharing this!Don't know if I am 'surprised' by the Lord so much anymore as I am amazed."My ways are not your ways"That must have been quite an experience.Tell us more!

No wonder Christ tells us to be like children. :-P

LOL!!!!! It's funny now, but was quite a serious matter then, pink frog and all. :) I thought I might loose my head on that trip. But, you are so right! We all need that child-like faith, huh? It's one of those times when you see a new meaning to the Scripture that says that God uses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. lol

It really was quite an experience! :) Gives me a new story to add to my "Missionary Story Collection". :)You know---I have found that when we are willing to put it all on the line (even our life), then God can do some amazing things through us. It's not easy stepping out of a boat when the hurricane force winds are all around us, but when we do---whoah! Watch out!!! God is looking for those who will lay it all on the altar. Personally, I want to "walk on the water" in all that I do for the Lord---When a Mus--- accepts Christ, you can believe they have counted the costs. They know that they may die by morning because of their decision. I have to wonder how many of us have truly counted the cost??? Interesting question, I think.