Mehdi Mourad was born in Morocco. He was a fun big brother and well loved by everyone he met, largely due to his desire to really know you. He could always be counted on for lending a helping hand, giving protection to anyone who needed it, and for lots of fun.

He loved dogs and he loved cars. From a young age he could tell what car was coming by the sound of it. His favorite was the Ford Mustang.

He was an international exchange student attending Lake Land College when he decided to be a volunteer firefighter. He was so excited to join the Wabash Fire Company in Mattoon, Illinois. He wanted to be a part of something that gave back to the community he was residing in, and he was very excited to know he’d have blue flashing lights for his car.

He was a typical car-loving young man, so he raced cars for Lake Land College at the local track and would always be looking for legal ways to improve his ride or increase the sound of it.

He had a big heart for others and would offer you the shirt off his back if you needed it. Although he was struggling himself with making ends meet to pay college tuition and working a couple jobs, he never forgot those back home who needed some help and would send what he could to help out friends and neighbors that were struggling. He did not forget where he came from.

He had a love for family and often called home to chat with his brothers and sisters and to encourage them in doing what was right. He called his best friend, his dad, daily.

He loved meeting new people. If you exchanged numbers with him, be assured he would call or text, and you became part of the people that he cared for.

He was able to do so much in his short 21 years on earth. He fulfilled his dream of coming to the U.S. to study mechanics, he owned his own Mustang, and he left his fingerprint on so many hearts that will never forget his love, kindness, and goofiness.

He was just a kid who grew into a man who loved Jesus and loved others. He was an ordinary guy who had an extraordinary love for people. To know Mehdi was to love and be loved by Mehdi. He had a warm personality, a goofy playful teasing side, and a servant’s heart. He stood up for what he believed and had strong opinions, but he did not allow that to sever his relationships. He lived his life with intention. He followed Jesus with joy and fun! He showed how Jesus’s love is still relevant today.

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ Acts 20:35