Article February 7, 2005 Issue

PERFECT PREPARATION

Patricia Kadick with contributions from Robert Nofsinger

To some of us, spending eight months of 2004 in Iraq—as a soldier—might sound frightening, or at least unpleasant. For United States Marine Lieutenant Robert Nofsinger, however, serving in Iraq felt like an exhilarating opportunity to trust God's protection, not just from danger but from fear and loneliness. In a recent conversation with staff editor Patricia Kadick, his enthusiasm for being a part of something to which he is deeply committed was unbounded. Also apparent was his great love for God, his colleagues, and the Iraqi locals he worked with. Lt. Nofsinger has since returned to Iraq for another tour of duty as staff secretary to a general based in Baghdad.

WHEN ASKED HOW, AS A PRAYERFUL man, he prepares for his assignments in Iraq, Nofsinger says he mainly prays "not to accept the idea that you could suddenly find yourself outside of God's care." And looking back on his previous time there, he's convinced his prayer has been perfect preparation for every situation he has faced—particularly since he did not know what the specific need would be ahead of time. He says he doesn't want to be caught unaware by a feeling that being in combat can somehow require him to pray harder to experience God's care. Neither does he want to believe in a "human" definition of safety, but rather to understand that God is good and is everywhere, whether he is in combat or back at home. He doesn't pretend there haven't been times when things have been "pretty bad," even "horrible," but says that as he held tightly to the conviction that his safety is "in the kingdom of God, which is everywhere at hand," it didn't seem to matter what was going on around him.

He describes the dual nature of his mission in Iraq with excitement, and gratitude. On the one hand, during his initial tour of duty, it was the responsibility of his Marine unit, as a provisional Military Police battalion, to provide security with vehicles and guns for all convoys in western Iraq—for food trucks, supplies, and personnel. But his specific job was as a Civil Affairs officer assisting with reconstruction in Iraqi communities. He is pleased that this activity with the locals exactly fitted his skills, and he feels his purpose there was to express as many qualities of God's goodness as possible.

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