It has been a while since I have felt motivated to write a new blog, but to not share something about Ezekiel Kiehl would have been an extreme dishonor. For those who don't know, a very dear family to me in our mission company just lost their youngest son Ezekiel. He was 17 months old.
The Kiehl's were stationed last year in General Cepeda, Mexico where Ezekiel was born. In General, FMC has a mission house where the first year missionaries go for a month during their time of training, Intake. The trip to General Cepeda this past November was my first mission trip. I remember getting out of the car, heard who I thought was a Mexican child yelling something (of course in Spanish) and was honestly freaking out a bit. Then I saw it was Moses Kiehl, the oldest child of the family, welcoming us to Mexico.
When I walked into the house, it was total chaos. After 50 people had been traveling in cars for 18 hours, waiting in lines of traffic, parking lots, crossing the border, getting visas, and now running around our Mexican home, you would expect nothing less, right? I remember seeing Teresa running around trying to get everyone settled, with a baby on her hip, Ezekiel. Since unpacking is like my least favorite thing to do in the world and caring for children when their parents are busy is my favorite, I went up and offered to take him from her and then proceeded to sit down on one of the rocking chairs in the courtyard. It wasn't too long after that when Gemma, the 2 year old came running over and climbed into my lap, and then along came Isaac, the 4 year old. As I rocked, they all quickly fell asleep, ignoring the bustling and screaming around them.
I was very over joyed when put on Jonathan and Teresa's mission team for the next week. Every evening we would load up with all the kids in the trusty gray van and head out to a Rancho. We usually went to one of the farther ones so we had time to pray the Rosary AND listen to another one of Jonathan's stories while using my arms as a seatbelt for either Isaac or Gemma. After coming back to the house pretty late, there was always someone there needing their help, so the kids usually came with me. We would all sit at a table and eat PB&J and coffee milk. With Ezekiel in my lap, I convinced Gemma not to only drink coffee milk and Isaac to eat both the peanut butter AND the jelly while Moses, Elijah, and Micah told stories over one another. The Kiehls instantly made me feel like part of the family.
When I heard about Ezekiel's death, I was instantly reminded of Lizzie McCullough. She is the daughter of some dear friends of mine, Morgan and Grae, from my Church Parish who passed away a year and a half ago. She was born with Trisomy 18 and lived for a month in the NICU. During that time I had gone home to attend a praise and worship/prayer service our church was holding for Lizzie. She died a few hours later. I got the privilege of visiting her in the hospital earlier that day and felt like I was in the presence of heaven. When Lizzie passed, I remember that it was said at her funeral: "She was our little missionary" She united so many people in prayer, so many lives who gathered together to lift up her parents. Those words have always stuck with me because 'missionary' is unfortunately not a word used very often. Now it is my life.
Missions were not in my plan at the time but always lay within my heart. After Lizzie's testimony I remember God started stirring something new within me, and a few months later I was called to FMC. Seeing her beautiful example, as just a baby, how she mirrored the Love of Christ and brought so many people together in prayer, showed me how EVERYONE is called to be missionary.
A missionary in today's world is a word associated with someone who comes to your door when you don't want them to and tries to convince you to believe in what they do. Or it is someone who goes to a foreign country for a little while to bring some sort of medical assistance, to build a school, a chapel, or DO SOMETHING! These are all good things, but the most effective missionary doesn't DO anything, they just live, they just breathe, and Love as Christ loves.
Jeremiah 1:5
"Before I knew you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you."
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| The best Thanksgiving nap |
Ezekiel drew so many people to him through his joy, his smile that mirrored Christ, and his tosseled blonde head living in a world of Mexicans. So many times I held him and walked around Mexico and encountered so many people wanting to see and talk to Ezekiel. He was recognized to them as a Mexican because of the beautiful witness of his parents to truly live as the people did, to enter into total solidarity with the poor. This is what it means to truly be missionary.
We all know the verse: "If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clanging symbol." (Cor. 13:1) but what does that really mean?!? Without Love? Without Christ?? Without living by His example we do NOTHING! This is why a baby can do EVERYTHING! This is why Ezekiel Kiehl IS a missionary, an apostle, and a prophet sent by Our Lord, dedicated to His mission.
Suffering is a chance to grow closer in community, for God to strengthen us, an opportunity to see the Joys more clearly and for our Father to reveal to us His Glory.
"Suffering can make us the most effective tool. The more suffering you endure and the more challenge and hardships you face will allow you to be more effective." -Sarah Granger.
It is a beautiful thing to be united in suffering, even more so united in prayer. In this tragedy that is smothered in death and an oppertunity for Hell to have a little victory, Ezekiel has instead given us all a great Hope and a strength by uniting so many people around the world to lift up his family in prayer.
I ask for your prayers during this time for our missionaries, especially the Kiehl family.
"Prayer is not the LEAST we can do, it is the MOST!"
-Genie Summers
I guess the Lord just wants to use us all a little more.
In Christ who has called me,
Lauren
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