"Tears Flowing Over My Fourteen-Year-Old Son's Arrest"
Written by Mr. Zastrow, the father of Jimmy, the boy who was arrested along with Mr. Crawford while bringing the Gospel to China.
"Tears Flowing Over My Fourteen-Year-Old Son's Arrest"
Dec. 10, 2011
Yes, my beloved son, James Elliot Zastrow was arrested this week. I haven't see him yet. He has only been able to call twice.
We had prayed that he would turn out right. We home school him, take him to church, and now this happens. The police took him to a real jail, booked him, fingerprinted him, and are currently detaining him. They even called him "incorrigible" when he showed no remorse for what he had done, and he wouldn't shut up.
My heart is bursting. The tears keep flowing.
I'm bursting with joy. I'm bursting with thanksgiving. I'm weeping and praising G d that Jimmy is turning out right. This kid really gets it!
He and his sub-team leader, Rescuer Jerry Crawford, were arrested in Gansu Province, Communist China, and are still being held under hotel-arrest. They will know soon if they are to be released or deported. Their "crime" was distributing Chinese Scripture booklets in an evangelized city in West China, and targeting Muslim homes. They had spent a night walking through their city, placing the booklets at the entrances of thousands of homes. Although they weren't caught at night, the Communist police arrested them when they tried to check out of their hotel early the next morning to catch the first bus out of town.
While the hotel lobby filled with police, Jerry sent me a quick text message, "Pray." I did!
A couple of hours later, he sent another one: "Being detained. Will call with details when we can." I quickly replied with the two-word exhortation I often give my kids and friends: "Preach good."
After initial interrogations and the Communists seized the rest of their Chinese Gospel tr4acts, Jerry's third text broke the dam of my emotions. My tears fell down as my hands raised up in worship to God, thanking Him for what He was doing in my son's life: "You can be very proud of your son. He preached good."
When Jerry was able to call later, he told of Jimmy's faithful (and respectful) witnessing to the police. When Jerry and Jim wouldn't agree that what they had done was wrong, and because they kept talking about Jesus, the Communists reprimanded them, called them "incorrigible," and then tried to intimidate them. My boy and Jerry were taken into a real Chinese jail, walked past sell blocks, shown the gate to the dungeon, booked as common criminals, and further questioned. Jimmy just kept talking about Jesus. Later, I asked him on the phone if their efforts worked to intimidate him. He replied, "Naw."
"But was it scary being in the jail?"
"Yes Dad, kinda." "When they showed you the dungeon, did you think of Pilgrim from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress?"
"Ha! I sure did, Dad!"
He went on to say that the PSB was awaiting orders from Beijing, but that they were under hotel-arrest for at least the next five days. They have permission to walk to nearby restaurants, but "Captain Richard" has their passports, preventing them from traveling or even checking into another hotel.
Some of my newer readers may be questioning my parenting and wisdom in allowing my son to do such activities with such people. I trained Jimmy last April how to distribute the Scripture booklets in Chines cities, so I'm pleased that he succeeded in not making any mistakes to get caught at night. Ten years ago, we quit counting after hitting the fifty million mark for such Gospel tracts being delivered this way in China. Untold numbers of new Underground Church's have been started in places where teams like ours have spread the Word. We do it in such ways as to not endanger the Chinese Christians.
As far as allowing him to go across China with Jerry Crawford, I'll reply that there aren't very many men I'd rather have my son be with than him. Jerry and I met nineteen years ago in Buffalo, New York. Along with hundreds of other pr-lifers, we did sit-ins to shut down surgical aboartuaries. We were arrested. We spent twenty-four days in jail together. The first nine were in the aesbestos-filled dungeon of the Niagara Street Armory before being dumped into the Bravo Day Room of the Erie County Holding Center. You get to know people when you suffer with them, when you are in jail together. We've stayed close through the years, and have been in other jails together for peacefully stopping baby-murder. He and I have also been together evangelizing in Chan. Jerry said that the police had lots of questions after seeing his tattoo, from his time in Vietnam. Jerry is a U.S. Marine veteran who didn't leave any Marines behind in Danang during real combat, so I knew he wasn't about to leave my son behind either. Yes, I trust Jerry with my life, and my son's life. These Communists had never met a real American Marine before, let alone one who had fought Communists. And they had him in custody now. You and I both are wondering what all questions they asked him. I know that Jerry's answers always lifted up Jesus.
Jimmy was very excited on the phone last night. He had found a music store near the hotel, went in, and played some of their instruments. I'm sure the first song he played on a Chinese violin was "Power in the Blood." Other songs he knows by heart, and can play on the piano or guitar include "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, " "Agnus Dei," "Fayth of Our Fathers," and "All Hail The Power of Jesus Name." I wonder if he played the violin or piano and sang all the verses to "Fayth of Our Fathers?" He loves to do so. We sing them often at home. He knows well the second verse:
"Our fathers chained in prisons dark, were still in heart and conscience free.How sweet their children's fate would be, if we like them, could die for Thee.
Faith of our fathers , holy Faith,
we will be true to Thee til death."
He also knows all the verses to "Stand Up , Stand Up, for Jesus."
Here are two extra verses I wrote while in jail with Jerry in Buffalo:
"Stand up , stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of Rescue
Abortion murders babies, and sometimes women too
Ye that believe in Jesus interpose in the babies' place
And if He finds you faithful, then you will see His face."
"Stand up , stand up for Jesus, ye prisoners of Rescue
Let us look unto our Savior, His trial was unjust too
May we reflect Your Glory while we're behind these bars
We worship You King Jesus, the One who bears our scars."
"Hey Dad! I met this guy at the music store who made this really cool mountain instrument! It has strings and is played a little bit like a violin. Can I buy it, huh? It is only 300 kwai (forty-some U.S. dollars). He showed me how to hold it and play it, and it is really cool!"
"Sure Jim, buy it if you want to."
The text I received from Jerry this morning says that Jim bought it for cheap and is "working hard at earning time to play it." I sent him some suggestions for "earning" including: 1. Use soap and shampoo when he showers. 2. Stop talking about how much he likes to eat chicken feet. 3. Wash his clothes in the sink. Etc.
I am very pleased with Jimmy, and so long to see him in two more weeks. He understands clearly that he was born for missions. As he works out his own salvation with fear and trembling, I'm very blessed to see him follow Christ, saving his own money to go on trips like this. Being as he will probably not get another visa to China, perhaps he can start learning Farsi, or Arabic, and prepare to evangelize those unreached people.
I'm thankful for friends who pray for our family. His sister and brother are also in China now, doing the same activities in other cities. Please also pray for poor old Jerry Crawford now. He will need more grace and patience to listen to a very zealous teenager screeching away on some Chinese mountain instrument in a hotel in Gansu.
Update: Dec. 16thThe police have been playing "good cop, bad cop," and tried to get Jerry to pay them hundreds of U.S. dollars. Ha! That extortion didn't work. I talked to them both on the phone last night. They are supposedly being released today and put on a train for Beijing, where they will be free to await their flights home next week. Thanks everyone for "thinking" of us. Some very wonderful and amazing things are happening in other places. I'll write more in a week. I am shouting Glory all the way!Cal
"Tears Flowing Over My Fourteen-Year-Old Son's Arrest"
Dec. 10, 2011
Yes, my beloved son, James Elliot Zastrow was arrested this week. I haven't see him yet. He has only been able to call twice.
We had prayed that he would turn out right. We home school him, take him to church, and now this happens. The police took him to a real jail, booked him, fingerprinted him, and are currently detaining him. They even called him "incorrigible" when he showed no remorse for what he had done, and he wouldn't shut up.
My heart is bursting. The tears keep flowing.
I'm bursting with joy. I'm bursting with thanksgiving. I'm weeping and praising G d that Jimmy is turning out right. This kid really gets it!
He and his sub-team leader, Rescuer Jerry Crawford, were arrested in Gansu Province, Communist China, and are still being held under hotel-arrest. They will know soon if they are to be released or deported. Their "crime" was distributing Chinese Scripture booklets in an evangelized city in West China, and targeting Muslim homes. They had spent a night walking through their city, placing the booklets at the entrances of thousands of homes. Although they weren't caught at night, the Communist police arrested them when they tried to check out of their hotel early the next morning to catch the first bus out of town.
While the hotel lobby filled with police, Jerry sent me a quick text message, "Pray." I did!
A couple of hours later, he sent another one: "Being detained. Will call with details when we can." I quickly replied with the two-word exhortation I often give my kids and friends: "Preach good."
After initial interrogations and the Communists seized the rest of their Chinese Gospel tr4acts, Jerry's third text broke the dam of my emotions. My tears fell down as my hands raised up in worship to God, thanking Him for what He was doing in my son's life: "You can be very proud of your son. He preached good."
When Jerry was able to call later, he told of Jimmy's faithful (and respectful) witnessing to the police. When Jerry and Jim wouldn't agree that what they had done was wrong, and because they kept talking about Jesus, the Communists reprimanded them, called them "incorrigible," and then tried to intimidate them. My boy and Jerry were taken into a real Chinese jail, walked past sell blocks, shown the gate to the dungeon, booked as common criminals, and further questioned. Jimmy just kept talking about Jesus. Later, I asked him on the phone if their efforts worked to intimidate him. He replied, "Naw."
"But was it scary being in the jail?"
"Yes Dad, kinda." "When they showed you the dungeon, did you think of Pilgrim from John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress?"
"Ha! I sure did, Dad!"
He went on to say that the PSB was awaiting orders from Beijing, but that they were under hotel-arrest for at least the next five days. They have permission to walk to nearby restaurants, but "Captain Richard" has their passports, preventing them from traveling or even checking into another hotel.
Some of my newer readers may be questioning my parenting and wisdom in allowing my son to do such activities with such people. I trained Jimmy last April how to distribute the Scripture booklets in Chines cities, so I'm pleased that he succeeded in not making any mistakes to get caught at night. Ten years ago, we quit counting after hitting the fifty million mark for such Gospel tracts being delivered this way in China. Untold numbers of new Underground Church's have been started in places where teams like ours have spread the Word. We do it in such ways as to not endanger the Chinese Christians.
As far as allowing him to go across China with Jerry Crawford, I'll reply that there aren't very many men I'd rather have my son be with than him. Jerry and I met nineteen years ago in Buffalo, New York. Along with hundreds of other pr-lifers, we did sit-ins to shut down surgical aboartuaries. We were arrested. We spent twenty-four days in jail together. The first nine were in the aesbestos-filled dungeon of the Niagara Street Armory before being dumped into the Bravo Day Room of the Erie County Holding Center. You get to know people when you suffer with them, when you are in jail together. We've stayed close through the years, and have been in other jails together for peacefully stopping baby-murder. He and I have also been together evangelizing in Chan. Jerry said that the police had lots of questions after seeing his tattoo, from his time in Vietnam. Jerry is a U.S. Marine veteran who didn't leave any Marines behind in Danang during real combat, so I knew he wasn't about to leave my son behind either. Yes, I trust Jerry with my life, and my son's life. These Communists had never met a real American Marine before, let alone one who had fought Communists. And they had him in custody now. You and I both are wondering what all questions they asked him. I know that Jerry's answers always lifted up Jesus.
Jimmy was very excited on the phone last night. He had found a music store near the hotel, went in, and played some of their instruments. I'm sure the first song he played on a Chinese violin was "Power in the Blood." Other songs he knows by heart, and can play on the piano or guitar include "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, " "Agnus Dei," "Fayth of Our Fathers," and "All Hail The Power of Jesus Name." I wonder if he played the violin or piano and sang all the verses to "Fayth of Our Fathers?" He loves to do so. We sing them often at home. He knows well the second verse:
"Our fathers chained in prisons dark, were still in heart and conscience free.How sweet their children's fate would be, if we like them, could die for Thee.
Faith of our fathers , holy Faith,
we will be true to Thee til death."
He also knows all the verses to "Stand Up , Stand Up, for Jesus."
Here are two extra verses I wrote while in jail with Jerry in Buffalo:
"Stand up , stand up for Jesus ye soldiers of Rescue
Abortion murders babies, and sometimes women too
Ye that believe in Jesus interpose in the babies' place
And if He finds you faithful, then you will see His face."
"Stand up , stand up for Jesus, ye prisoners of Rescue
Let us look unto our Savior, His trial was unjust too
May we reflect Your Glory while we're behind these bars
We worship You King Jesus, the One who bears our scars."
"Hey Dad! I met this guy at the music store who made this really cool mountain instrument! It has strings and is played a little bit like a violin. Can I buy it, huh? It is only 300 kwai (forty-some U.S. dollars). He showed me how to hold it and play it, and it is really cool!"
"Sure Jim, buy it if you want to."
The text I received from Jerry this morning says that Jim bought it for cheap and is "working hard at earning time to play it." I sent him some suggestions for "earning" including: 1. Use soap and shampoo when he showers. 2. Stop talking about how much he likes to eat chicken feet. 3. Wash his clothes in the sink. Etc.
I am very pleased with Jimmy, and so long to see him in two more weeks. He understands clearly that he was born for missions. As he works out his own salvation with fear and trembling, I'm very blessed to see him follow Christ, saving his own money to go on trips like this. Being as he will probably not get another visa to China, perhaps he can start learning Farsi, or Arabic, and prepare to evangelize those unreached people.
I'm thankful for friends who pray for our family. His sister and brother are also in China now, doing the same activities in other cities. Please also pray for poor old Jerry Crawford now. He will need more grace and patience to listen to a very zealous teenager screeching away on some Chinese mountain instrument in a hotel in Gansu.
Update: Dec. 16thThe police have been playing "good cop, bad cop," and tried to get Jerry to pay them hundreds of U.S. dollars. Ha! That extortion didn't work. I talked to them both on the phone last night. They are supposedly being released today and put on a train for Beijing, where they will be free to await their flights home next week. Thanks everyone for "thinking" of us. Some very wonderful and amazing things are happening in other places. I'll write more in a week. I am shouting Glory all the way!Cal
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