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My son
Moisés Albert Langhorst born January 28, 1985 was an answer to my prayers. Happiness
for an anxious father is hearing, “It’s a boy” and a healthy one at 9 lbs. 9 oz.
Even at birth Moy’s wide-eyed stare expressed the Psalmist’s words, “For you created
my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because
I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well.”Moisés  (Moy) was Baptized
on March 17, 1985 in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
and upon receiving the Pastor’s blessing: Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has given you the new birth of water and of the Spirit and has forgiven
all your sins, strengthen you with his grace to life everlasting. Peace be with
you…Moy began his journey with Jesus. This indescribable most precious
gift of faith was obvious to all who knew Moy, as this blessing of grace and peace
resonated throughout his nineteen years of life. In the words of Christ, “But the
seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word,
retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” Luke 8:15. Moy’s eyes were
fixed on Jesus early by attending vacation bible school, by the music and teaching
of Sunday school teachers, through hearing the Word preached by pastors, by being
taught and confirmed in the faith by a devote Pastor who led Moy to be eager to
receive the saving truth and by the constant encouragement of his church family.
Enlightened and strengthened by Word and Sacrament Moy knew that his heavenly Father
had sent His own Son on a mission to save mankind from sin, death and the devil.
The price for our sins was high and Jesus would have to pay the ultimate price,
a suffering death on a cross. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down
his life for his friends.” John 15:13. Jesus
Christ accomplished His mission and to all who believe is the free gift of eternal
life. When the time was right his heavenly Father called Moy to be on His mission.
It was one to: unite his parents, bring them happiness, be a big brother to Mathias,
smile, laugh, be a friend, love his grandparents, hunt deer with his uncles and
cousins, play football, play handball, play with the Humbuckers, serve his church,
participate in Bible and Knowledge Bowl, and finally to serve God and country as
a U.S. Marine infantry Assaultman. As a preschooler Moy fervently prayed that our
shallow well would spring forth water so that, “his papa would not be so mad”.
Kindergarten he impatiently
asked his mama, “when are they going to teach me something?” He thirsted for true
knowledge. Troubled about the constant turmoil in the Middle East at about the age
of 8 years old Moy wrote, “If Jesus were alive today he would live in Isreal. He
would own a white jeep with a dove on the hood. He would work as a preast in Jeruslem.
He would be a peace k eaper during wars. Instead of dieing on the cross, he would
die in the gas chamber.” When his grandpa was on his death bed, Moy, hoping for
a glimpse of Heaven, asked him if he had seen “anything?” Transitioning from grade
school to middle school Moy was having a disappointing time and in frustration asked
his mama “why do we have to spend time here on this earth when we have Heaven just
waiting for us?” A concerned adult cousin asked him about his decision to enlist
when war seemed inevitable. He told her, “I’m not afraid to die.”Just like his commitment to his Lord, Moy’s desire to be a Marine infantryman
was unwavering. When he was seventeen, he asked if we would sign his enlistment
papers so that he would be guaranteed an infantryman slot before he went to boot
camp. Surprised to hear one needed to sign up for infantry, I told Moy that when
I enlisted in early 71’ everyone who couldn’t test for anything better went to infantry
and that he being as smart as he was, he should go to college or at least consider
a technical field within the military (being a former Marine and seeing the Vietnam
War on television I knew that during conflict Marine infantrymen suffer and die
more than most). Moy viewed Saddam Hussein as an evil oppressor of the Iraqi people
and believed that as a U.S. Marine he could play a part in ridding the world of
an evil regime. My wife and I discussed Moy’s request noting the many times we had
said no--to staying out late, to being with that person, to buying this or doing
that; and always the faithful son, Moy had honored our desires. It was time for
us to trust in God’s workmanship and let our first son spread his wings. While the
drums of war were beating in Washington, we reluctantly signed Moy’s enlistment
papers. Following high school graduation in June 2003, we sent Moy off to Marine
Corps boot camp along with a high school classmate. Moy wrote us many letters of
his boot camp experiences, always assuring us that even though he was now away from
home for the first time that he remained steadfast in Word and Sacrament. During
a particularly trying time towards the end of boot camp he wrote, “I am so scared
for the Crucible. So much could go wrong and then I’d have to be here longer…A strange
thought. I am praying a lot. I’ve always tried to pray for others before myself,
but I can’t help worrying about myself now. Most of the other guys around me are
quite confident or at least pretending to be, but I don’t know. I am going to cast
all my burdens on God and I hope he gets me through.” God got him through!
Coming home on leave after boot camp, he was ever more
mindful of God’s grace. He loved being a Marine; he appreciated his family, his
community and was evermore confident in his faith. He knew all good things came
from his Father in heaven. During infantry training, we received a letter from Moy
saying that his unit would be going to Iraq sometime early 2004. When I read of
his imminent deployment to war, I fell to my knees and cried. I don’t really know
why but I did. Moy’s last days with us were over Christmas 2003. My wife and I,
knowing how much he loved to write, gave him a journal with “VICTORY” on the cover
and below it the Bible verse Isaiah 40:31 “But those who hope in the Lord will renew
their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow
weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Inside
at the bottom of each page was a Bible verse and on the first page I wrote, “Just
as Mary and Joseph were blessed with a Son, Mama and I have been blessed with you.”
When I took Moy to the airport to return to Camp Pendleton,
Ca. for final training before deployment, I told him I really believed that this
war in Iraq was ill advised and that I was without hope of a good outcome. Yet young
and idealistic I knew Moy was gung-ho regarding the U.S. involvement in Iraq. My
honest feelings aside, I assured him my love and support. True to his character,
Moy was not offended, nor was he going to argue with his papa, he simply pondered
my words and said, “If nothing else, ousting Saddam Hussein and our military presence
in Iraq, may make it possible for Christian missionaries to enter with the Gospel
message of Peace.” I was awed by my eighteen-year-old son’s response. Once again,
I witnessed that by faith he saw beyond the worldly view of events and empowered
by the Holy Spirit he spoke with wisdom far beyond his years.
 Moy’s unit arrived in Kuwait at the end of February 2004 to a staging area called
Camp Victory. The demeanor of Moy’s letters tell us that the time at Camp Victory was a warning period for the young inexperienced Marines
to get serious because the training was over and soon they would be in the real
thing. On March 5th, Moy and his unit headed north destined for Ar Ramadi
a city of 400,000 people. The capital of Anbar Province had been relatively peaceful
for a year. Moy wrote that the Army unit they were replacing had not taken a casualty
in six months and that his convoy had detoured Fallujah because of the growing insurgent
threat in that city. Our Moy must have sensed his parents concern for his safety
because in his letters he always wrote a line assuring us that he would be fine.
On March 9th our small community was shocked by news that Moy’s hometown friend that he had enlisted
with had died in Kuwait. Our hearts reached
out to the young man’s family but our minds ached with concern for Moy. How would
he react to the pressure of being in a combat zone and to losing his friend? Moy
had told us early on that he would not stand in line to use the phone and that he
preferred to write letters. Unable to wait weeks for a letter I contacted the Marine
Corps asking if it was possible to have Moy call home. Their first response was
what one would expect, “Right! Your son is in the middle of a war and you want him
to call his mama and papa?” Even at the time, I too believed it absurd but my parental
instincts had taken over. After several phone calls and e-mails, a sympathetic ear
told me he would try to make it happen. On a Sunday morning just before leaving
for church, our phone rang and it was Moy! He said he was calling on a field phone
after being directed by his Lt. to call home. He said he indeed had found out about
his friend’s passing but that it had yet to hit him as he was on constant duty.
Sounding exhausted, he assured us that his fellow Marines would take care of him
and in his last words for us to hear, he told us that he was still “dedicated to
his mission.” A prayer answered we enthusiastically praised God at church and knowing
Moy’s church family was as worried about him; we announced that we had spoken to
Moy earlier that morning. We happily reported to our congregation that Moy was steadfast
in faith and “still dedicated to his mission”. Moy’s penciled printed letters were
now arriving regularly to our rural mailbox. The words reported an escalation of
violence; mortar attacks and the enemy drawing first blood by an IED wounding four
Marines. On April 6, 2004 we were notified that PFC Moisés Langhorst was killed
in action. Moy’s letters continued to arrive in the mail, one of them containing
his 10% tithe for his church. The words of his letters did not ease the sorrow but
comfort was found in the Words of Jesus, “Whoever believes and is baptized will
be saved…” We know that Moy was led by the Spirit of God and that he was not only
our son but also a son of God who had set his mind on things above. Moy is now where
he always wanted to be, in God’s glory and everlasting peace. Bound for glory through
the victory won by Jesus Christ, all Moy’s dreams are made real and all knowledge
attained upon his arrival to his heavenly home. Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! |
