Parachute Outings

I have had a marvelous experience at Parachute this year. It’s hard to believe it has all happened. In the words of my friend Brian, “You have turned a new leaf” I will go on with what He said: I am reminded of two songs, Boldness of Love by Jimmy Hendrix, and “They will know we are Christians by our love”

Let me tell you a few stories of some things that have taken place. While having lunch with Sandy and Graham (the directors of Voice of the Martyrs NZ) I was sharing my highlight of that day while at the booth (I will call it this from now on)

I had been thinking about China, and it occurred to me there were many human’s rights violations towards Christians in China. Then sandy shared a story of a church in China, they had been harassed by the government, forced to move from building to building to coordinate their meetings. This ended with them finding a forest to meet in. As she was sharing this story I became quite emotional, that was hard to believe! We have a responsibility to stand with them, against the human’s rights violations that are rampant there.

So I came back to the booth. During this time at the booth a man was startled at the use of our stocks, I shared the why behind it that I have a friend who was a witch doctor in Laos – who converted to Christianity, needless to say, it wasn’t good for Him not being a witchdoctor, you see as part of their culture, they tolerate the use of witchcraft. Turning from this is like turning from your family.

I shared this story, and came to what was happening in China, the human’s rights violations that were taking place, and about praying for them. He was very encouraged and courageous to get in the stocks and show where his allegiance lies. That’s with Jesus.

At the end, I said “you know what you just did, you plundered the kingdom of darkness, and brought it to light, would you like to do some more?” you see prayer is none other than plundering the kingdom of darkness in these countries. We have a newsletter that we send out to help people pray for those that are in prison, forced to meet in forests, turned away from their families, and keep praying, after all, It says “remember those who are bound as bound with them in prison” I  believe when the writer of Hebrews said this, he was of course thinking of prayer, because previously he had said “do not give up the meeting as some of you have thought of doing” we are commanded at the end of the gospels to go to every tribe, tongue, people and nation.

I have another story that I would like to share with you. Being at the booth it stirred up some feelings in me, that regardless of my fear of sharing, Jesus gives me courage. This was evident when, as a group of youth came to the booth, I could see they were talking, I said “Can I be forward with you? I have a question to ask of you” They were open so they listened to me. I said “do you know about my brothers and sisters in arms?” They were a bit lost, so I said “There’s only one thing in life that will truly satisfy, when you are convinced death is gain, and when you have something that satisfies in life, this is Jesus, because He himself has shown His great love for us”

Then another guy, who was blown away by us, took me aside and asked if he could pray for me. I will share with you what He said, because I believe you are praying for me. He had a picture of a table full of stuff, and all I have to do is to take it with my hands, that there was a huge table full of things, and confidence is where you can take a hold of it, that God wants me to share from my heart, just as I have been doing.

 

One of the guys who I talked with previously also took me aside and said, “What you did just there, God wants you to do that more, where you said ‘Can I be forward with you’”

There are so many stories of which I can share with you from the experience of parachute. Including this last one, It gave me great joy. I was at the stocks, when all of a sudden a group came by (as I was talking with another group) stopped at the stocks, and had this huge photo frame that they put around the stocks. Well I was right next to the stocks with the chains in my hand and I said “How about holding these” – to which they said yes.

Then after it was all finished I was able to talk with the person who got in the stocks. I said “these chains they put on their hands and feet for days at a time” Then she was surprised and said “I could not hold these for a minute”

I hope you have had an enjoyable experience of parachute by hearing the stories that I have shared with you. All the best from Nathan