God Has a Plan & I'm Along for the Ride

As departure gets closer by the hour, we hope to give you an intimate picture of the team which will be representing Church of the Nativity in a few weeks. They will also be bringing back all of their experiences, thoughts, and emotions to you in less than a month. Before all of this, we want to help you get to know them better. This installment of our summer series is from Rob Devereux, a member of our Anawim Home Team in Abuja:

This summer has been an interesting one for me so far leading up to the Nigeria trip. I had my first experience doing missionary work this summer. We traveled down to the Mississippi Coast to help out people who still need relief after Hurricane Katrina. It was a great experience. When talking to the people down there, they call all of the other hurricanes that have hit the coast by name, but when referring to Katrina, they just call it "the storm." They still need a lot of help, and it was great to try to help where we could. Hanging drywall is tough work, though very rewarding. We got the opportunity to enjoy some of the local cuisine as well, which was quite good.

I have done the usual summer stuff like trying to stay active. Whether it is running, playing tennis, working out, or swimming whenever possible. Of course my dog Mugsy had to get in on the action. I am going to miss him while I am gone, as I have just found out that he has heart disease and might not have long to live. My mother will be watching him while I am in Africa, so he will be in good hands. I have learned through this experience, to cherish the moments that I have with him, and with everyone for that matter. We know not the hour nor the day when someone won't be here any longer.

I am definitely getting excited for the trip, and the opportunity to serve God's children is something that I am very eager to do. I am looking forward to the opportunity to try to help out in Abuja however I can, though I am sure that I will end up receiving more spiritually than I give. I am pretty sure this will be a life changing experience, and I am up for it. God has got a plan, I am just trying to go along for the ride.