Vivian Gilmer’s calendar is full.  If you can catch her between WMU meetings, tutoring at a local Good News Club, working at the prison or Street Reach homeless shelter or serving on First Baptist Church Myrtle Beach’s mission committee, you may be able to hear her story of true faith in the midst of persecution. 

Ms. Gilmer, who, along with her friend Marie Bush from Texas, was detained in the United Arab Emirates for 12 days for distributing Christian literature in a public market.

The 74 year-old Myrtle Beach resident was on her second medical mission trip with Tom Cox World Ministries to India when a smaller group from the mission team decided to extend their trip four days to Dubai.  The first stop for the group was to a local international church where they prayerwalked the church, visited with the pastor and attended their Friday night service.

The next evening the group broke off into pairs to connect with shopkeepers and shop at a public market.  As per instructions, Gilmer and Bush never distributed materials to anyone with whom they had not engaged in conversation.  The trip to the market was to be a short one, as the group had to catch a 4 a.m. flight back to the US the next morning.  But around 6 p.m. Bush was stopped and questioned by Emirate authorities.  She then called for Gilmer, her ministry partner.  Both were taken into custody. 

As the pair was taken to a police station, Gilmer remembered picking up a church bulletin at the Friday night service.  After repeated attempts to make a phone call and many prayers of whether to involve the local pastor, the authorities allowed Gilmer to call the number on the bulletin.  Within minutes, the pastor and two other deacons arrived to stay through the night at the station.

With the rest of their group on the way back to the US, no place to stay and their passports confiscated, the local pastor graciously allowed the women to stay at their home until their case passed through the Emirate court system.  Members of the church provided meals and company during their nearly 2 week stay.

“I just really feel like God increased my Christian family.  I just know the Lord is going to bless them.  I really felt like they showed us Christian love,” said Gilmer.

Authorities were slow to take up the case, as faithfully the pair would report to the police station only to be told to wait until tomorrow or later, as the government would delay any proceedings until after their holy days.  Through it all, Gilmer prayed for God to use the extra time in the country.

“My prayer was for Him to intervene in His time and His way.  It was a real exercise in patience and faith, trust and perseverance.”

Gilmer filled her time with home schooling the pastor’s children, visiting the playground, cooking and attending local Bible studies and church services.  One local businessmen even expressed that the reason the government did not imprison the pair was because of their faith.

“He told us [the government] knew we were Christians and they trusted Christians,” said Gilmer.

It was an attitude exhibited through the hierarchy of Emirate government.  While being questioned by the chief prosecutor in the trial which eventually allowed her to go home, Gilmer was able to share the Gospel openly in court. 

“The chief prosecutor asked me if I believed Jesus was coming back.  I told him I did and asked him if he believed that as well.  He told me yes.”

Then Gilmer asked if he believed Jesus died on a cross.  When the prosecutor answered no and Gilmer responded that she believed in the crucifixion, the prosecutor inquired as to why she was not sharing this with the Emirate people.  Remembering sharing her faith was the very action that detained her in the first place, Gilmer prayed for wisdom.  The chief prosecutor allowed her to share the Gospel to all present in the courtroom. 

Shortly after their court appearances, Gilmer and Bush’s passports were returned.  The Emirate pastor offered encouragement to the pair telling them that this ordeal really helped his ministry in defining the boundaries of what they can do legally in the country.

Gilmer and Bush want to make clear that they were never in prison or under house arrest and were never deported.  In fact Gilmer jokes that it would have been easier to be deported.

“They probably would have paid our way home.”

Now, at home in Myrtle Beach, the missional servant hopes to encourage others to go to the nations.

“I think it is important for every person to go on at least one international mission trip.  Even senior adults are not too old.”

Gilmer plans to return to India next year and even says she wants to visit the United Arab Emirates again, but cautions that though those are her desires, she will go “wherever God sends me.”

“I am ready to go again.  I really believe in the Great Commission.”