My Story

My Story

 

My Story

 

Hi everyone, my name is Aubree Lane. My journey with missionary life began when I was very young. Around my fourth birthday my family moved to help with a ministry called Macedonian Missionary Service. Our little family of only four at the time packed up from Acworth, Georgia, and headed to Nancy, Kentucky. As every other missionary on the field we left behind friends, family and all familiarity. Although we only moved a little over five hours away the sense of normalcy was nowhere to be found.

The first thing about the mission field that I remember is bits and pieces of the first year. Being five years old your comprehension of the situation is less than the full picture, but here is what I remember. My dad was gone for most of the year as he was raising funds for our family. My mom got a job at a local high school to help make ends meet during this time of deputation.


I started kindergarten at the local elementary school and my little brother started daycare; life went on. It was very difficult that first year in many ways. Not only was my dad gone, but we only knew a few people in the entire State of Kentucky. But by the Lord’s faithfulness He got us through. In hindsight now, I can see how the Lord was guiding our family for what our future held. Little did we know the blessings around the corner. After the first year of being separated as a family, the idea of doing home school wasn’t so terrifying. Shortly after, my mom committed to home-schooling us kids, we purchased a camper and hit the road.


Macedonian Missionary Service has many different branches with coordinators of each. My dad is the coordinator over the “Building” branch. Growing up, I didn’t have to learn a new language, but I did learn how to become useful on a construction site! In a normal year Macedonian will plan around five building projects. Naturally, that takes up a good bit of our year traveling to and from the projects.

In fact, doing the project is really only half the battle, the other half is raising the funds to do it and awareness of the physical help needed. The time spent when we aren’t on a building project is used telling people of various needs of missionaries around the globe. For many years traveling around the USA to different churches was far from what I wanted to do. The bad parts of missionary life seemed to outweigh the good. My outlook was simple-minded and selfish because of my spiritual condition. It wasn’t until I took my relationship seriously with Jesus that I truly gained perspective on what was important in my life! You can only coast down a hill for so long until you have to begin pedaling for yourself. I learned that the same applies with my relationship with Christ. Being a missionary kid, going to countless revival meetings, and singing every Sunday wasn’t enough. I had to become personally invested in my relationship with Jesus. It was then that my eyes were opened to the value of what my family does!


Looking back, one of my most favorite memories took place in a town called Calera, Alabama. At the time my family had come
into town to help Paul and Amy Armstrong with a small project to be done on their newly constructed building. Our families have
been friends for many years, I consider them like family. That particular year was extremely rainy, and the job site was nothing less than a mud hole.
Somehow, we got parked in the red clay parking lot but the more it rained the more it became a disaster. Our so loved white Excursion just didn’t have what it took to get out of the mess. It got so muddy that we were no longer going outside unless it was absolutely necessary and going to town was also fastly becoming an option no longer. A family of six (my two younger brothers had come into the picture) kind of trapped in a camper with no way to go outside is a recipe for insanity. To cure the insanity my dad came up with this risky plan to get us out of the camper for a while. The parking lot had a steep embankment that led to a field. So, if we could get down the embankment, then up this tiny trail with a deep ledge on either side we could possibly get to the road which leads to town and the opportunity to get out of the mud hole for a little while. All of us kids thought this idea was a stroke of genius; my mom didn’t agree. But despite her doubts we all got inside the trusty Excursion to try the idea out. Dad counted down 1, 2, 3 go!!!! Mom immediately started screaming as we rapidly slid down the embankment. Gaining speed to try and make it up the other tiny uphill trail, dad yells, “Here we go!” The tires are sliding, kids are yelling, and mom is screaming as we somehow make it to the road. That particular moment lives in infamy for the rest of my life.


If I were to tell all of the stories from over the years, it would take me a small eternity. The impact of every experience, big or small, will stay forever with me. Whether I realized it or not these years have molded me into the person I am today. If I were to choose one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me, it would be the blessing of His people. As I leave for college here in a few days and start a brand-new season of life, I have learned to value true obedience to God over vain worldly success. I cannot help but look back and be overwhelmed by the goodness of God. He has been faithful.

 

Aubree Lane

 

For more information about our missions or to make a donation please click the link below.
https://www.abaptist.org/missions