A Brother Is In Prison For Organizing Abortion Clinic Sit-In. Would You Write Him?
Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Hebrews 13:3
In 1994, Bill Clinton signed FACE into effect, making it a crime to block abortuary access. In 2021, nearly a dozen pro-life activists participated in a sit-in/rescue at Carafem Health Center in Mount Juliet, Tennessee. They read from their bibles, sang hymns, and in some cases blocked access to some of the doors. When a police officer came to remove them, they peacefully complied and left.
As a result of their actions, they were charged and found guilty of conspiracy and FACE charges. Cal Zastrow, considered one of the organizers, faced eleven years in prison for his part, but was ultimately sentenced to six months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
Zastrow began his sentence earlier this month, and his daughter Eva shared ways that you can bless him and encourage him while he’s imprisoned:
Show up at your local abortion mill! Pray, sing, and peacefully share the love of Jesus with those running towards death.
Get your passport and be ready for opportunities to engage in global evangelization.
Write letters. Make sure your full name and return address are on the envelope. All incoming outgoing mail is subject to search.
Calvin Zastrow / Case # 26324-510
FCI Thomson
FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION
PO BOX 1002
THOMSON, IL 61285
Email, if you would like to communicate through Corrlinks Cal will need your email address to send you an invitation. With the invitation you can create a free account. You can mail him your email address or contact me, and I will get it to him.
Books! Paperback books can be sent directly from the publisher or from Amazon. Missions books are his favorite!
Visitation, all visitors must first be put on his visitation list and then go through a verification/approval process. There are many rules and specific times when visits are allowed. If you want more information here is the link to the prison’s website. https://www.bop.gov/inmates/visiting.jsp
Furthermore, Cal recently shared an update through his daughter:
To beloved friends: 10/23/2024
Worthy is the Lamb of God!
Revival greetings from Thomson federal prison. It’s my 9th day today.
Jesus has me! I have Him. I feel Him, His Holy Ghost, in my mind, spirit, and entire being. He keeps filling me. I keep telling Him how wonderful and awesome He is. The more that I evangelize, the more that I minister to others, the more I see and feel the Holy Spirit flow through me. He keeps filling. I keep pouring. The harvest is ripe!
We are locked down again. My cellmate is planning to sleep all morning, so instead of going out witnessing, I’ll write an update and then spend hours whispering praise to Jesus!
I checked a Bible out of the prison chapel library. The print is small, but here is what really blessed me today: “And why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say? Luke 6:46
Let’s all stop now. Instead of thinking about others, instead of charging ahead with busy tasks and responsibilities, even spiritual disciplines, let us be silent before the Lord. Later, tell Him how beautiful and marvelous He is. Next, ask Him if you are missing anything. Unconfessed sins? Is your focus on stuff, problems, fears? Are you getting lukewarm, losing your first love for Him? Are you disobeying any of His commands?
A jail library book that I am reading, is one of my favorites at home: “The Heavenly Man,” by Brother Yun and Paul Hattaway. How is this for a marriage proposal and acceptance? “… I told her, ‘God has chosen me to be His witness and to follow Him through great hardships and the way of the Cross. I don’t have any money and am always being pursued by the authorities. Do you really want to marry me?’ “
“She answered, ‘Don’t worry, I will never let you down. I will join with you and together we’ll serve the Lord.’ “
The other book I checked out from the jail library is, “I Escaped from Auschwitz,” by Rudolf Vrba. After he escaped on April 7, 1944, and told the world what was going on, how the Nazis planned to bring over one million Hungarian Jews soon, not all of the authorities cared or believed him. One believing Rabbi, Michael Dov Weissmandel, wrote: “Remember that one day of your idleness kills 12,000 souls. …May God open your eyes and give you heart to rescue…”
Yes – Rescue. That’s what we have done. The love of Christ compels me. The joy of the Lord sustains me. I have Revival in my soul! May God bring the Big Revival here to the 2300 prisoners and hundreds of guards at Thomson prison!
To those who are praying, thank you. I’m also very thankful for the letters and books I’ve just started getting in the mail. God bless you all with pure love for Him, holy living, and fruitful ministry.
I am shouting GLORY all the way!
Cal
About Author
I’ve known Cal for about 30 years. A few months ago I had the pleasure of visiting him at his home in Michigan. We knew the penalties he could be facing. I asked him, as one who’s been in jail myself for doing the same thing (but my sentences were much, much shorter) how he regarded so much jail time. How was he dealing with that? He told me that he regarded the possible long prison time as just an “idol.” In other words, he wasn’t scared at all. He wasn’t going to let prison time stop his obedience. I’ve known several believers who walk closely with God and who fear Him. With all respect to them perhaps Cal fears God more than any man I know. And his daughter Eva is following in his footsteps.
Amen to that. I pray that we believers start looking at our circumstances and start obeying God. The only religion He accepts is taking care of widows and orphans and keeping oneself from being stained by the world. Praying for Cal and thank you Jim for your commitment to the the unborn.
When I was young these clinics were bombed, and I wondered why someone would do that. When you take away a person’s ability to protest then there is only violence. I don’t wonder why these clinic were bombed anymore, and think we will see a return to community justice in the US in many areas not just this, it’s what happens in a 3rd world country. We all saw how quickly the police will stand down and run away if faced with force (BLM for example.) Personally I prefer peaceful protests but I think sitting judges want violence.
Can we not send books directly? Does it have to be from the publisher or Amazon?