Courageous and Strong in the Word
On Valentine’s day years ago a beautiful soul was born in southern Minnesota to a couple who would have 16 children. Destined by the Lord to be a missionary, local spokesperson, and encourager, this child, Jean Zitzmann, did not anticipate these things for her life as she was growing up.
Jean married at the age of 18. Her husband was in the military and served in Vietnam and Japan, among others.
Days after her husband left for the Japan assignment, Jean observed a military car on her lonely country road. It turned in and parked in her driveway. Two men walked up to her door. Jean knew before the knock at the door. Staring her in the face she found out she was a widow. Jean was 30 years old with seven children ranging in age from three months to almost eleven, and she was hearing she would never see her young husband again.
Within six months of becoming a widow, Jean’s 16 year old brother was killed in an accident. Grief was everywhere.
But God and a revelation.
Trying to hold her life and that of her children together and at the same time learn who she was now as an “I”, no longer a “we”, Jean decided moving away would help. She would leave Villard and move to Colorado Springs. How absurd this sounded, to leave behind family/friend support and move across the country. But it made sense to her, so she did the ridiculous and flew to Colorado Springs Co.
Within three days she found a house for the family, signed a lease, and returned to Villard. Then she hired a mover and finally announced her intentions to children, siblings and parents. Away they went to an unknown world filled with beautiful mountains.
Once the move to Colorado was completed Jean found a church to attend with her children. An unknown woman told Jean in no uncertain terms that she needed a relationship with Jesus, had to receive the Holy Spirit. KABOOM. Within a few months these things came to pass.
As she was establishing a routine and life for herself and the children she heard the Lord’s voice again. This time he told her she was to move back to Minnesota. Jean had a million reasons why this was not a good idea and the timing was all wrong, kids in school, routine being established, mountains etc. She resisted. But God was not done testing whether she would follow his request. So, on a wintery day a local garbage truck’s brakes failed, and the huge truck barreled through Jean’s back yard, clipping the corner of the garage and flinging debris all over. Jean surrendered, realizing God was not kidding about the move back.
Due to the insanity of a move back to Minnesota Jean was praying with the Lord asking her to follow Him. He told her she didn’t not have to move to Minnesota and could certainly stay in this surrounding she have come to love, but she would live out a lesser destiny if she stayed. Jean’s thoughts and choice? She knew she had already lived less. The family moved back to Villard.
The Lord never stopped talking and pruning Jean. In learning how to recognize the Lord’s direction and correction, Jean noticed a hat-like heaviness sometimes settled upon her head. She knew it was from the Lord. Upon reaching out to the Holy Spirit she was convicted of her behavior towards her kids and took action. Jean apologized to each child for her conduct. Immediately after obeying whatever the Holy Spirit showed her, the heaviness lifted.
A huge shift took place when Jean moved back to her clan of family members who had lived a life of hard work and worldly living. Christ had a field day that summer as many family members moved into the family of God. Some eventually became prophets and pastors.
Reflecting back on those times Jean realizes it was getting into the Word and making it her own by placing her name in the scriptures that made the difference. Jean stated that by applying this technique, God WILL change your life. She told how 22 summers of attending a Bible camp at Strawberry Lake in northern Minnesota and Resurrection House in Alexandria, the Holy Spirit transformed her family’s lives. A 19 yr old son was intrigued when a camp speaker, Wes Smith, talked about taking Bibles into China. A major revival was underway there and Bibles were so scarce in that communist country that people were willing to die for possessing one. Her son knew he had a calling to go with Wes.
Around 1983, Wes Smith asked her to go to Haiti. Lord, you must be kidding she thought with five kids still at home and herself a student at the U of M in Morris, there was NO way. So to prove to the Lord that she could not go, she made preparations as if she were going, speaking to department heads. She was amazed when they each told her that she would be allowed to postpone finals. Jean and one of her brothers both went to Haiti three years in a row. On one of those trips, the Holy Spirit called Jean to travel the whole world.
There were many challenges but Jean endeavored to “hear and obey”. When it seemed the Lord was directing her to go with the Smiths to take Bibles into China, Jean ordered her passport, and all kinds of spiritual attacks came upon her household. Ultimately, she was too late to join the Smiths’ group but contacted a nun from Forada who lived in Hongkong. Instead of the downtown hotel the Smith team stayed in, Jean spent the week as a guest at the Maryknoll convent, while joining the Smith team for all their activities.
In late 1987 Jean sensed the Lord was calling for another trip to China, but of course she could not go due to life. By now the kids were catching on to what happened when the Lord told mom to do something. This time the family took a mid-winter trip and were caught in an unanticipated snow storm. Fortunately Jean was able to find overnight lodging enroute, and the place happened to have a swimming pool. Unbeknownst to her the kids had all packed swimsuits. What, on a winter trip?
The next day they noticed more than a dozen cars in the ditches on the roads to Nebraska. When it was time to come back, Nebraska got 19 inches of snow, making for an unpleasant return trip. The heavy fog from Benson to Villard was no help. Jean wasted no time in getting on her face to repent for delaying her obedience.
The next morning, a different brother called to tell her he was going to China and asked if she would want to pray about coming. The answer was obvious and this time she knew she would do anything the Lord asked of her. Don’t wait for the truck.
In the fall of 1988, Jean took her two youngest kids to Hongkong and planned to stay three months. Not to be left out of this adventure her two recently graduated sons decided to join them for three weeks, and together as a family they helped with getting Bibles across the border into China. When Bibles were delivered the receiving pastors fell on the floor and wept, as they had been fasting and praying for Bibles.
After this trip Jean made others, and taking groups of Christians there and also later was asked to be a teacher at a university in China. She would return home twice a year. Jean also traveled into Mexico and several other countries as she felt led by God.
Ultimately, she lived in China for 20 years. In 2014 her Canadian friends were imprisoned, accused of being spies. The Lord said “Sit tight,” so Jean stayed in China and waited for her friends’ release. They were in custody for six months for interrogation. Then the lady was released while the husband was transferred to prison stand trial. He was found guilty and sentenced to 8 years in prison, but two days later he was abruptly deported. “Two Tears on the Window” is a book written by these friends, (edited by our dear Ruth Thielke, and can be purchased on Amazon.) In late 2015, Jean was reading Zechariah when the Holy Spirit drew her attention to a certain passage directing her to flee, to escape. She knew God was telling her to get out of China and soon. Her son emailed that he’d also read the same passage with the same message put on his heart. China was no longer safe for Jean. With the support of her kids, Jean came out of China.
Due to the severe persecution of Christians Jean observed and heard about in China, Jean is compelled by the Lord to discuss persecution. She shows and discusses the film and book “ Insanity of God” and promotes Nik Ripken’s readings. When Jean speaks, I hear the voice of the Lord and it is glorious. To Him be the Glory.
POSTSCRIPT
Words taken from “Extreme Devotion” published by the Voice of the Martyrs seem applicable to Jean’s life.
“While not everyone has the opportunity to smuggle Scriptures into restricted areas, we can still be willing servants for the kingdom. It might mean deliberately putting ourselves in new, often uncomfortable situations. We can’t share Christ if we avoid interacting with unchurched people or hide our faith in their presence … we should be willing to take the risk instead of settling for mediocrity."
Jean married at the age of 18. Her husband was in the military and served in Vietnam and Japan, among others.
Days after her husband left for the Japan assignment, Jean observed a military car on her lonely country road. It turned in and parked in her driveway. Two men walked up to her door. Jean knew before the knock at the door. Staring her in the face she found out she was a widow. Jean was 30 years old with seven children ranging in age from three months to almost eleven, and she was hearing she would never see her young husband again.
Within six months of becoming a widow, Jean’s 16 year old brother was killed in an accident. Grief was everywhere.
But God and a revelation.
Trying to hold her life and that of her children together and at the same time learn who she was now as an “I”, no longer a “we”, Jean decided moving away would help. She would leave Villard and move to Colorado Springs. How absurd this sounded, to leave behind family/friend support and move across the country. But it made sense to her, so she did the ridiculous and flew to Colorado Springs Co.
Within three days she found a house for the family, signed a lease, and returned to Villard. Then she hired a mover and finally announced her intentions to children, siblings and parents. Away they went to an unknown world filled with beautiful mountains.
Once the move to Colorado was completed Jean found a church to attend with her children. An unknown woman told Jean in no uncertain terms that she needed a relationship with Jesus, had to receive the Holy Spirit. KABOOM. Within a few months these things came to pass.
As she was establishing a routine and life for herself and the children she heard the Lord’s voice again. This time he told her she was to move back to Minnesota. Jean had a million reasons why this was not a good idea and the timing was all wrong, kids in school, routine being established, mountains etc. She resisted. But God was not done testing whether she would follow his request. So, on a wintery day a local garbage truck’s brakes failed, and the huge truck barreled through Jean’s back yard, clipping the corner of the garage and flinging debris all over. Jean surrendered, realizing God was not kidding about the move back.
Due to the insanity of a move back to Minnesota Jean was praying with the Lord asking her to follow Him. He told her she didn’t not have to move to Minnesota and could certainly stay in this surrounding she have come to love, but she would live out a lesser destiny if she stayed. Jean’s thoughts and choice? She knew she had already lived less. The family moved back to Villard.
The Lord never stopped talking and pruning Jean. In learning how to recognize the Lord’s direction and correction, Jean noticed a hat-like heaviness sometimes settled upon her head. She knew it was from the Lord. Upon reaching out to the Holy Spirit she was convicted of her behavior towards her kids and took action. Jean apologized to each child for her conduct. Immediately after obeying whatever the Holy Spirit showed her, the heaviness lifted.
A huge shift took place when Jean moved back to her clan of family members who had lived a life of hard work and worldly living. Christ had a field day that summer as many family members moved into the family of God. Some eventually became prophets and pastors.
Reflecting back on those times Jean realizes it was getting into the Word and making it her own by placing her name in the scriptures that made the difference. Jean stated that by applying this technique, God WILL change your life. She told how 22 summers of attending a Bible camp at Strawberry Lake in northern Minnesota and Resurrection House in Alexandria, the Holy Spirit transformed her family’s lives. A 19 yr old son was intrigued when a camp speaker, Wes Smith, talked about taking Bibles into China. A major revival was underway there and Bibles were so scarce in that communist country that people were willing to die for possessing one. Her son knew he had a calling to go with Wes.
Around 1983, Wes Smith asked her to go to Haiti. Lord, you must be kidding she thought with five kids still at home and herself a student at the U of M in Morris, there was NO way. So to prove to the Lord that she could not go, she made preparations as if she were going, speaking to department heads. She was amazed when they each told her that she would be allowed to postpone finals. Jean and one of her brothers both went to Haiti three years in a row. On one of those trips, the Holy Spirit called Jean to travel the whole world.
There were many challenges but Jean endeavored to “hear and obey”. When it seemed the Lord was directing her to go with the Smiths to take Bibles into China, Jean ordered her passport, and all kinds of spiritual attacks came upon her household. Ultimately, she was too late to join the Smiths’ group but contacted a nun from Forada who lived in Hongkong. Instead of the downtown hotel the Smith team stayed in, Jean spent the week as a guest at the Maryknoll convent, while joining the Smith team for all their activities.
In late 1987 Jean sensed the Lord was calling for another trip to China, but of course she could not go due to life. By now the kids were catching on to what happened when the Lord told mom to do something. This time the family took a mid-winter trip and were caught in an unanticipated snow storm. Fortunately Jean was able to find overnight lodging enroute, and the place happened to have a swimming pool. Unbeknownst to her the kids had all packed swimsuits. What, on a winter trip?
The next day they noticed more than a dozen cars in the ditches on the roads to Nebraska. When it was time to come back, Nebraska got 19 inches of snow, making for an unpleasant return trip. The heavy fog from Benson to Villard was no help. Jean wasted no time in getting on her face to repent for delaying her obedience.
The next morning, a different brother called to tell her he was going to China and asked if she would want to pray about coming. The answer was obvious and this time she knew she would do anything the Lord asked of her. Don’t wait for the truck.
In the fall of 1988, Jean took her two youngest kids to Hongkong and planned to stay three months. Not to be left out of this adventure her two recently graduated sons decided to join them for three weeks, and together as a family they helped with getting Bibles across the border into China. When Bibles were delivered the receiving pastors fell on the floor and wept, as they had been fasting and praying for Bibles.
After this trip Jean made others, and taking groups of Christians there and also later was asked to be a teacher at a university in China. She would return home twice a year. Jean also traveled into Mexico and several other countries as she felt led by God.
Ultimately, she lived in China for 20 years. In 2014 her Canadian friends were imprisoned, accused of being spies. The Lord said “Sit tight,” so Jean stayed in China and waited for her friends’ release. They were in custody for six months for interrogation. Then the lady was released while the husband was transferred to prison stand trial. He was found guilty and sentenced to 8 years in prison, but two days later he was abruptly deported. “Two Tears on the Window” is a book written by these friends, (edited by our dear Ruth Thielke, and can be purchased on Amazon.) In late 2015, Jean was reading Zechariah when the Holy Spirit drew her attention to a certain passage directing her to flee, to escape. She knew God was telling her to get out of China and soon. Her son emailed that he’d also read the same passage with the same message put on his heart. China was no longer safe for Jean. With the support of her kids, Jean came out of China.
Due to the severe persecution of Christians Jean observed and heard about in China, Jean is compelled by the Lord to discuss persecution. She shows and discusses the film and book “ Insanity of God” and promotes Nik Ripken’s readings. When Jean speaks, I hear the voice of the Lord and it is glorious. To Him be the Glory.
POSTSCRIPT
Words taken from “Extreme Devotion” published by the Voice of the Martyrs seem applicable to Jean’s life.
“While not everyone has the opportunity to smuggle Scriptures into restricted areas, we can still be willing servants for the kingdom. It might mean deliberately putting ourselves in new, often uncomfortable situations. We can’t share Christ if we avoid interacting with unchurched people or hide our faith in their presence … we should be willing to take the risk instead of settling for mediocrity."
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