Moses Lake graduate shares Iraq experience

Army captain thanks citizens for support

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake residents have the opportunity to hear about the war in Iraq from the perspective of one of their own.

Ben Kayser, Army Ranger Captain of the 82nd Airborne, based out of Fort Bragg, N.C., speaks Sunday at the 11 a.m. service at the First Church of the Nazarene, located at 422 S. Balsam St.

Kayser, a 1997 graduate of Moses Lake High School and the son of Jerry and Ronda Kayser, recently returned from 15 months service in Iraq and will begin attending seminary to become a chaplain in the Army.

Kayser is visiting Moses Lake while on vacation, and he admitted to some initial misgivings about using his time off to talk, but soon he experienced a change of heart.

"I know I need to share what happened over there, I know I need to share what God did in our lives and just our experiences over there," he said. "There have been numerous institutions that have asked me to speak for interviews and stuff, and I jump at the chance to do it because it's one of the ways I can let other people know that actually good things do happen over there and lives can be changed for the better."

The news does not accurately portray what happens in Iraq, Kayser said, so he hopes to share the on-ground experience of a soldier.

"The media typically only shares the deaths, the explosions and the catastrophic events, but there are also some positive things that go on over there," he said. "And also just the life of a soldier in Iraq. A lot of people only see the things on the news, they don't really see what it's like for a soldier over there in Iraq from day to day."

God did "amazing" things in Kayser's life in Iraq, he said.

"He certainly showed me the need for soldiers to find something bigger than themselves," he said. "I appreciate what God did in my life, so I'd like to share that as well."

Kayser hopes his audiences come away with an accurate view of what goes on in Iraq during his daily operations, a broad perspective of what the mission is and some successes and failures of the mission.

"I'd like them to come away knowing the soldiers are well taken care of," he said. "Their support for the military and the soldiers over there certainly makes a tremendous impact. I received letter after letter from people I'd never even met. I'd like to share with people how much that means to soldiers and just tell them thank you for their support."

Kayser said he cannot imagine going out every day to fight in a war without the support of American citizens.

"Knowing they support us, and they showed their support through care packages, letters and I know many, many prayers, I'd like to just pass on my thanks to everyone," he said.

Kayser also speaks before an all-school assembly at Lakeview Elementary Monday at 2:20 p.m. and before the Morning and Noon Rotary at noon on Wednesday. Wife Betts shares at the annual Ladies Tea, at 4:30 p.m., how she and their two daughters, aged 3 and 1, were sustained through the months while Ben was in Iraq.

First Church of the Nazarene Pastor Floyd Wilks said the church is supportive of the troops and the safety they offer.

"He simply grew up here in our church and our community," Wilks added of Kayser. "He's a great leader … and of course now he is pursuing ministry to be a chaplain in the army. It's an exciting thing for us to have him be with us. We, of course, have prayed for him, for his safety in this situation all of us wish would end. It's going to be a delightful time. He's going to be sharing his experiences, what he's learned, how the Lord has kept him safe and blessed him on an incredible journey. We're just excited to have him home."

The church celebrated the Thanksgiving season all throughout November, Wilks said.

"I think that helps us realize, even though our country has some problems, we live in a great land and the basic freedoms we have because of that," he said. "I hope people understand the sacrifices these families make for our protection, and we want to be an encouragement to our military people and all those who keep us safe, (including) our local police and law enforcement. We pray for them often, for their safety."

The community is invited to attend. For more information, call the church at 509-765-4343.