If someone told Eric Roxburgh a year ago that he would be going to a small island in the Caribbean to serve the Lord, he would have thought they were crazy. Not just because it was out of the country but mainly because it was serving the Lord. Eric knew of Jesus but didn’t know Him personally. He wasn’t living a life for the Lord. He wasn’t even curious about God. However, deep in his soul, he knew he needed something. He needed something to change. His life wasn’t working. God gave Eric an opportunity to change it all.
Last January, Eric came home from work exhausted. He was feeling a new level of hopelessness. With nothing to look forward to, he went to bed.
“I was working a ton and just got off work,” Eric described. “Nothing was fulfilling me. I was depressed and full of anxiety. I went to bed. In the middle of the night, the reality of everything smacked me in the face. I couldn’t deny it. I asked out loud what do I have to do!? Immediately the response was do nothing! You tried everything for yourself. Surrender! So, I surrendered right there. I surrendered to Jesus. A new conviction and peace came over me. I cried. I went back to an amazing sleep. From there on out, my identity was to serve and follow and learn about the Lord.”
The next couple of months, with new peace and patience, Eric began to seek. He heard about Citylight through a friend and after visiting, he quickly connected with pastors Trevor and Ryan.
“I watched Trevor preach and then met Ryan,” Eric shared. “Ryan discipled me. I’m not lovey-dovey but Ryan is. He always embraced me. We met several times. He told me to be open and aware of sin. My expectations of people and life began to change. My heart was becoming more open. It strips the titles. I used to title myself as an introvert because I didn’t go out or surround myself with people. Ryan said that’s not in the Bible. I also had a wrong understanding of love. I thought it was transactional. God said He is love and His love is always abounding and surrounds you. I have a nine-year-old son. When my son messes up, I don’t not love him. I never felt that way with love and now I do. I also have a new understanding of forgiveness. The power of forgiveness is liberating and free. I am able to forgive myself. I used to be self-serving, and I would beat myself up. I also understood that I needed to forgive my family. I now understand that their love was never going to be enough no matter what they did.”
Eric continued to grow in his faith and connected with community. When Trevor and Ryan announced a new church plant Harbor Church this past fall, Eric went with the core team to help plant. He’s been faithfully serving there since.
This past November, an email was sent out to Citylight members from Luke Manna, Citylight’s Global Director. Luke described a need from one of Citylight’s Global Partners in the Caribbean. A hurricane had just torn through the tiny island of Jamaica and left loads of destruction including downed power lines. Luke was asking for people who particularly could help put back power lines and with cleanup to go and now. Something stirred powerfully in Eric’s soul. Eric is a lineman with Omaha’s power company. Fixing and putting up power cables after disasters is his specialty.
“I read Luke’s email and thought it was something I could do,” Eric confessed. “I hit reply and the Lord took over. Luke shot an email right back and asked when I could go. Honestly, I didn’t think much of it and just knew I could go. For me to surrender and let God lead, is not in my power. I’m not doing that. He is. I had nothing to fear.”
Luke and the team, Eric and two other guys from Citylight, Dan and Jonathan, came up with a plan to leave the following weekend. The ironic part for Eric was a scheduled baptism he committed to at Harbor Church. Their first baptism Sunday was about to take place, and he was going to get baptized. But God. When Friday came, the team’s plan had to be rescheduled for Monday due to cancelled flights.
“We were in contact with Dave and Robin Laney in Jamaica,” Eric described. “They said don’t come until Monday. It was a blessing and another opportunity for patience. That Sunday before leaving I got baptized. That Monday I served. God showed me in James 5:1 to be patient. You have no idea what the Lord is up to. And it’s not your business to think of it. Patience is a major fruit of the spirit and God is giving it to me.”
When Eric and Dan and Jonathan landed in Jamaica they saw firsthand the devastation. Most buildings and trees were destroyed. The roads going up to Dave and Robin’s were compromised with downed trees and washed out. What was once a green, lush jungle was now brown and barren.
They made it to the orphanage later that day, and the first goal was to get the solar power up and running. After that it was all about clearing out downed trees and getting the power lines back up for when the power would come on.
“Standing on top of the Robin’s Nest and seeing all the brown and downed trees was tough,” Eric reminisced. “People’s houses were decimated. We cleaned up a bunch of stuff. One of our main goals was to also get information and help plan things for future teams.”
The whole week left an impression on Eric. The biggest were the people. Their resiliency and perspective changed Eric.
“I thought I would see people just destroyed and angry,” Eric said encouragingly. “But it wasn’t. It was the opposite. The people in town and the locals around Dave and Robin were positive. I remember there was a family living in an abandoned schoolhouse nearby. We asked if they needed help and they said they were good ... That they had life! That whole trip just for that one moment was beautiful. All this material is nothing and it’s not worth crying over. From somebody who lost everything, that was powerful.”
Dave and Robin, the staff and the kids at Robin’s Nest made an impact on Eric. Everyone pulling together and working nonstop with positive attitudes was unexpected.
“The last day we were there a surplus of food was available,” Eric described some of the examples he saw everyone coming together. “Dave is a pro seeking out the hungry and was delivering food to families around us. I was tired at the end of every day, but I couldn’t admit it because of Dave. He is alive in the spirit and never complains. I’ve gained a mentor for life with Dave. And the kids! They were like little bright lights. There were so many smiles. I’ve learned to appreciate what I have, but to also hold on to it loosely.”
The guys, Dan and Jonathan, gave Eric a team he didn’t know he needed. They were united the entire week down there in work and spirit.
“Here I didn’t even know them prior to going,” Eric said. “We all just met on the plane. For us to come together like that was powerful. Jonathan had already been on mission trips and was knowledgeable. Dan taught me a lot and was so accepting. It’s all a part of the bigger picture. I am more patient at work. I want to take on that role now to teach and have apprentices. I used to point and expect others to figure it out and not explain. I am now trying to lean in with them. Lean into their lives too. Jesus did that when He taught people.”
The week serving at Robin’s Nest quickly came to an end. However the lessons, friends, and perspective have not ended for Eric. Recently he was reminded of Psalm 67 when he was thinking of the great and grand picture of why a church sends and goes to the nations.
“It says to bless all the people, not just you,” Eric concluded. “Making Him known blesses everyone. We are the city on the hill. That’s the Robin’s Nest too. The people in the town ... Everyone knows about Robin’s Nest. They see people are being sent. It’s hard to deny it especially after a disaster. For everyone to witness God’s people coming and serving. You don’t know who is affected when they see it. Even Dave’s interaction with everyone is amazing. The locals know him. He is very personal immediately. Everyone on their road knows who Dave is. It’s a great example for you and for me. It blesses everyone and we should lead by example ... Christ’s example.”
Since that night, eleven months ago, where God’s Spirit woke Eric up and told him to surrender, God has given Eric opportunity after opportunity to serve, learn and follow Him. Eric considers himself blessed. He now has peace and patience. He knows all of it wasn’t any of his doing. All the glory goes to God.
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We praise God that every child and staff member at Robin’s Nest is safe, but nearly everything on the property, including staff homes, has been damaged. If you would like to support and send people to help, please visit citylightomaha.org/global/focus/jamaica.