Trafford Publishing: Beyond My Wildest Dreams

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Beyond My Wildest Dreams - A Medjugorje Odyssey

by Frank J. Stoppa

200 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0446; ISBN 1-55369-633-6; US$20.00, C$23.00, EUR16.50, £11.50

Join the author on a humanitarian pilgrimage to war-torn Bosnia, drawn by an irresistable calling to visit the site of the alleged apparitions of the "Blessed Virgin Mary". What transpires should convince even the most hardened of skeptics that God does hear and answer prayers.

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about the book about the author excerpts catalogue info

About the Book

All proceeds from the sale of this book are being donated to the Catholic Medical Foundation.
"Ask and you shall receive; Seek and You shall find; Knock and it shall be open to you." The author's journey is one of love, labor and longing and shows how God can answer prayers in a way that is Beyond Our Wildest Dreams.
Seeking to find peace of heart and mind and a sense of purpose the author is led to Medjugorje in Bosnia - Herzegovina because of the reported apparitions of the "Blessed Virgin Mary". His love for "Our Lady" has him embarking on a humanitarian pilgrimage to war torn Bosnia, not only to help those in need, but also to find himself. What he acquires on that trip is a tremendous longing to continue helping until the war is over. Without the financial resources to make more than one more trip he prays to the "Blessed Virgin" for her help and intercession. The result is how God answers prayers and brings people together to accomplish good things.
Having volunteered on his first trip to accompany a doctor and his wife and another pilgrim into Mostar (which was being shelled daily by artillery) to deliver medicine, has the four pilgrims discovering that God has bound their lives in a unique way through "the Mother of Jesus". It is from this connection that the author's prayers are answered and the journey begins.

About the Author

Frank J. Stoppa was born in Williamsport, Pa. and attended Lycoming College before entering the Marine Corps to serve as a company sniper in Vietnam. During his short three-month tour, due to wounds suffered, he received two Purple Hearts and was recommended for the Silver Star. After his discharge he worked as a laborer, roofer and steelworker. Frank and Helen (his wife of 35 years) raised four children before moving to Jacksonville, Florida where they now reside. For the past 20 years Frank has been employed as a truck driver transporting automobiles.
In 1992 having felt called to Medjugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina, because of the reported apparitions of the "Blessed Virgin Mary", he accompanied Sandy Tobin and the Pilgrims Peace Center out of Clearwater, Fla. on a humanitarian pilgrimage during the war. To enable his wife to share in his experience Frank wrote her a combination letter/journal. What he did not realize was that it would be the first of many.
On that trip he met Dr. Christopher and Judy Chapman from Bethlehem, Pa. and Gilbert Norstrom from Twin Lakes, Wisc. all four of whom are bonded in a unique way by the "Blessed Virgin". The result of this tie, and what they consider one of the "fruits of Medjugorje", was a humanitarian organization that delivered more than fifty million dollars worth of medical supplies and food to central Bosnia during the war, and was recognized by the Vatican for its work.
In February 2003, Frank was also recognized by Catholic Charities and awarded the St. Augustine diocesan "Good Samaritan" of the year award.

Excerpts

Although I saw the cross long before we got to the village, it isn't until we make the hard 90 degree right hand turn on the main street and are looking straight at St. James church that I am overwhelmed with the fact that I am really here. It isn't just a feeling of a dream come true but a realization of a gift from God. A totally awesome feeling! (Chapter 1).
What's so amazing is that a few minutes before we were talking about not being able to go to Apparition Hill with his prayer group when I looked up at the sky and said, "Mary, why don't you tell Ivan to let us come up". The others started laughing. So did I after I got to thinking about it. Like She was really going to have Ivan come and get us. But a few minutes later he did, and there we were sitting in the loft with seven other people, praying the rosary until Our Lady arrived. (Chapter 2)
Again I insist that I am an American but they are just as insistent that it is not an American name. After a few more verbal rounds I start to get a little nervous. Finally I say, "Look, my parents are Italian, Polish and Czech but I was born in America and I am an American citizen and have come to help." No dice, they still don't quite believe me. By this time I am not exactly sure where this was heading, all the while hoping not in a ditch along side the road. (Chapter 4)
It is almost impossible to put into words except that "you could literally feel the presence of death." It was so overpowering and so suffocating a heaviness that it was as if death had just enveloped you and was trying to squeeze out your very life. (Chapter 7)
Although we explain to them that we came from there earlier today, and that we have to get the respirators to Mostar, they insist that we will not be able to get through. After much discussion back and forth they ask if we know that we could be killed. We say "yes, but we still have to get to Mostar." They finally say, even if we let you through the Herzegovenian guards won't, then go over and get some of them to come and talk to us. When they see our papers they say, "Yes, it's OK. You can come." They tell us it is extremely dangerous, there are major battles going on and they would send an escort with us all the way to Citluk. The six Croatian guards turn and say to us, "You people must be crazy, but God bless you." (Chapter 9)
We took a wrong turn onto a narrow street where not a living soul was moving, went by the old morgue and the city park cemetery then came to a dead end sandbagged barricade. Would you believe sniper alley? Definitely not a good place to be! (Chapter 10)
I also know for sure that I had an encounter with Satan in this very room on the trip when just Doc, Judy, Sandy and I came. I never said anything because I passed it off as a bad dream but last night I had another encounter that was definitely no bad dream. It was very vivid, very intense and very real. (Chapter 11)
On the way we stop at Humac where young Goran gives Gil and I a gift. He gives me a Serbian Army Officer's belt that I can wear with my Croatian Army camouflage vest he had given me, along with my camouflage Croatian Army jacket, shirt and patch from Dragan, HVO emblem from Zvonko and with my Chetnik Army coat Bro. Johnny gave to me. At times I go home with more than I came with. It's a wonder I don't get arrested at the airport. (Chapter 13)
At the first checkpoint they really don't want us to go but then give us a four-man escort to the border because of bandits. Once across the border and in Moslem territory we are on our own. (Chapter 16)
...when we stopped to ask directions from a group of Moslem soldiers they told us to "cross yourselves and go straight ahead" then started laughing. Very comforting! (Chapter 16)
They brought the results of all the tests and you could see the aneurysm big as life. While checking into the hospital in Bethlehem Sasa was giving the necessary information and when they asked what religion he said, "Moslem." Since the mother knew that Sasa was Catholic she knew they were talking about them, so she said to Sasa, "No, no Moslem, no religion. I do not believe in God anymore." When the tests were redone at this hospital, the aneurysm was gone, completely disappeared. When the mother was told she started crying and said, "Maybe I do believe in God." (Chapter 17)
After some tense moments when we get to the other side and see the UN vehicles we know we are at the right place. A wrong turn would have put us with the Serbs. (Chapter 17)
It seems that most of the Croatian people are willing to judge the Serbs, former neighbors, not because they fought on opposite sides, but by their individual actions during that period. "A soldier is a soldier." He does his duty. "A criminal is a criminal even if he wears a uniform." (Chapter 17)
Although some of the most beautiful gifts given to me, my family or those associated with our journeys, all save one, took place in the US. I know however that they were the result of Our Lady's intercessions through Medjugorje. (Chapter 18)

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