Written by Gideon [of Heidi], Pakistan:)

Our son, Zion (29), went home to be with Jesus on New Year’s Eve, 2003. It seems he was stabbed several times in his residence in Dallas, Texas. Zion’s body was discovered about one hour later by his two deaf roommates. He had lost a considerable amount of blood so that by the time he arrived at the hospital there was little that could be done, and he passed away while undergoing surgery. We are trusting that the Lord knows best and simply saw fit to bring him home to a higher calling.

Zion had been out of the Family for the past eight years, working in various jobs in the Dallas area. I had made a trip to visit him in November 2003, and he was so happy to see me. He had a sincere love for the Lord, and told me how he would read his Bible and pray daily, and he would often witness to others when he could. We had a special time together, and talked about his coming back to Pakistan for a visit in this coming year, and to help with our deaf school, etc. It was a sweet visit (little did I know that it would be our last), and I was able to pray with him about some things that he wanted prayer for.

We know that he’s Home now, and able to see the Lord face to face and hear from Him, which is something that he always wanted to be able to do. We’ve received various messages that he’s happy, and has now moved on to fulfill a greater calling, and to be a help to the deaf ministry worldwide from his new vantage point.

I was able to fly in to Dallas to attend the funeral, and about 100 people came to the service—all his co-workers from the restaurant where he worked, as well as many deaf friends. A group of about 10 deaf senior citizens also came. Zion would visit them at their old folks’ home on his free days, and sit and talk with them. The day before I left for the U.S., we were able to make a photo biography of Zion’s life, which we put on two large sheets of paper.

I hung this up at the entrance to the funeral home, and it was a tremendous testimony as the people who came didn’t know much about this aspect of Zion’s life—that he was a missionary and that he’d been so instrumental in touching the lives of thousands of other deaf people in different parts of the world. I was able to speak about this aspect of his life and how he was used of the Lord to help many and that now he will be able to continue his ministry from his new home.

Zion loved images of eagles. He had a poster in his room, and a necklace with an eagle on it, so I closed with the verse from Isaiah about how he has now “mounted up with wings as an eagle.”

I shared some stats of how the Deaf ministry has grown worldwide, much of it being done by people who had lived with Zion at some point and were influenced by that experience. Overall it touched all who were there and people were inspired and amazed to learn how much he did and/or was instrumental in being used to accomplish.

Zion left a legacy in the two deaf schools that are now running full time and caring for upwards of 100+ deaf students here in Pakistan, as well as various other deaf ministries in countries around the world.

From Gideon: (Zions father) 2 of our young teens (Elaine and Joseph) just returned from attending a Teen camp in India where they had a chance to visit the Deaf Center in Delhi and talk to the Family members there who are overseeing things in the Deaf ministry there. Some of the original Deaf members whom we had won to the Lord back in 1987 are still there and going strong for Jesus, i.e. Zorin, and Peter, and others! At this point there are now 3,000 Deaf Live Out Members in 40 different Family Deaf clubs around India, all of whom are saved, filled with the Spirit, witness, read the Word which is sent to them on video translation of new GN’s, and tithe. Wow! Amazing!! All that from the small beginnings of our ministry in Delhi that has now expanded tremendously! That’s the fruit of personal witnessing and doing our part to change the Deaf World. That’s Zion’s fruit, and the fruit of Dad and Mama’s vision and faith for Zion and the deaf ministry.

(Jesus:) My dear Gideon and Heidi, My heart goes out to you in this time of heaviness of heart and spirit. I see your tears, and My heart feels the pain you feel, for you feel the full impact of Zion’s death, and that wound is open and tender.

Just as I have spoken clearly to you many times over the years concerning dear Zion, I now come to you both in great love and compassion with the balm of My Words. This balm will be an anchor to you during the coming days, and a soothing ointment to your souls. For though your hearts are heavy and you grieve, there is strength yet to come. There is greater faith yet to come, and even greater joy yet to be found through his tragic passing.

First I wish to apply the ointment that will relieve the pain of how dear Zion died. This pain—knowing the details surrounding a tragic or traumatic passing of a loved one—can tend to linger and unsettle your spirit, and in some cases, even cast a shadow on My great love and mercy for My children.

Please know that dear Zion’s pain was short. Though it was undeniably a tragic death, it was brief, in that I took much of the pain and trauma of his death away from him, and he passed peacefully into My arms. His spirit called out to Me as he was passing, when his eyes dimmed and darkness was surrounding him, and his angels and helpers lovingly and with great compassion guided him through that darkness into My arms. The first touch he felt was Mine as I embraced him in great, unconditional love. And the first sound he heard was My voice, as I told him how much I love him. We embraced and wept in each other’s arms.

Your dear Zion is happy and safe now, for he’s free at last from a world he never felt he belonged in, and he’s home at last in the true Zion—the wonderful habitation and realm wherein dwell those who are Mine.

In Zion’s earth life, his sense of never feeling he was fully understood or belonging culminated in him leaving the Family, but all too soon he found that he didn’t belong out in the world either. He never found what he was looking for in the world; he never found satisfaction, he never found true fulfillment. The promises the world seemed to offer quickly faded into the harsh reality of living in a world without faith, without purpose, and without My love.

But, that seed of faith you nourished and tended in Zion’s heart and spirit so faithfully over the years, never died. Though Zion was besought with different doubts and troubles, that inner flame of faith never died. It waned at times, but it never died. He never turned his back on Me or the Family, and he never turned down the road of bitterness, denial, or betrayal. His faith and love for Me was the only thing that anchored him in this world, and it was certainly the only thing that kept his sanity while out in that wilderness.

Yes, he tried his best to be a witness, he tried to give Me to others, he tried to live a godly, Christian life, faithfully feeding his faith through reading the Bible. But all too soon his own strength failed him, for try as he might, he did not have the strength of spirit to go it alone. And even though he had the support and fellowship of his Christian roommates, he was largely trying to fight and maintain a Christian life in the midst of a world growing increasingly darker. The Enemy truly is walking about the earth as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour, and he takes no greater delight than in attacking one of My Own—one who is weakened, off guard, and not spiritually aware and armed.

His faith in Me held firm, but even his struggling and resisting in the face of this robbery-—something he shouldn’t have done-—was indicative of his habit of leaning too much to his own arm of strength. He had not yet learned the strength of fully leaning on Me—-the true strength of humility and weakness.

The Enemy had his way and had his moment of victory over Zion, but I hold the keys to Heaven and Hell, and I allowed Zion to depart from this world for a much greater and wonderful purpose. Zion paid the price in the physical, but not before he had made a conscious decision in the spirit to try to come back to some form and capacity of service within the Family—where he truly belonged. Your visit, dear Gideon, was instrumental in that decision. When Zion recently saw you again, he knew. In his heart of hearts, he knew he had made a mistake in leaving the Family. That visit was pivotal in the spirit, and because of your step of obedience, Gideon, and Zion’s consequent decisions in the spirit, a great Romans 8:28 has been performed.

Because Zion made that decision in the spirit, even though the Enemy wanted to debase Me and be lauded as victor through taking his life, the Enemy’s moment of victory was brief. He is not the victor in this situation, even though it would seem so to the natural eye. The Enemy gained only the lesser prize—Zion’s body—but I gained the true and foremost prize of his spirit. This the Enemy can never snatch out of My hands.

I have now taken him Home, where he can be of the most use and bear the fruit he was destined to bear—within the realm of the spirit. This is not a defeat. I work in wondrous ways to perform My best--ways that are in most cases beyond the full understanding and reasoning of the carnal mind. But you can trust in Me and My wisdom even in this. I know you both will trust Me, for you both love Me and have given yourselves to Me in entirety. You have done what you could, and I am proud of you. And Zion is proud of you, and you can know that he will do his utmost from this realm to serve and help you—his parents, and the rest of his greater Family. Now he is free from his conflicts. Now he has wings that lift him above his spiritual struggles. Now he is truly happy and forever free.

Now your dear Zion is home where he belongs—within the ranks of the children of David. He has joined the ranks of My young children of David who have passed over into the realm of the spirit. Now he is enveloped in the truest sense of belonging, because he is home with Me and his loved ones in the Kingdom of Light, where dwells unconditional love and acceptance, purpose and understanding. No longer does he feel a sense of isolation from living in a silent world. He’s free from his doubts, free from his fears, and free from any condemnation for past sins and mistakes.

He rejoices now in My love, and in all the glorious and wonderful sounds and sights around him here in Heaven. He has entered a new world of sound—sounds that are awesomely beautiful, sounds that are perfect and harmonious, and sounds that only come forth from true love and faith. He has both seen his reward and is now experiencing it, for from his birth and life, a great ministry and fruit was borne. That fruit and reward will forever remain and will never be taken away.

And you, My dear, faithful loves, have only gained. You have not lost. This incident will again cause questions for some. The Enemy will attempt to confuse, to cause doubt, and to twist and distort the truth of the matter, for news of such incidents passes quickly within the ranks and networks of those who have left the Family. But rest in this wonderful truth and reality, and take no thought for the rumblings of the Evil One: You have gained a son—a warrior—who will be there for you and yours in the fullest, most wonderful capacity imaginable! That which was lost from your side is now found! Rejoice in this wonderful truth! For in this victory of the spirit you can find your peace, joy and comfort. (End of message from Jesus.)