Meet Jennifer Lane & Shannon Mathis

My name is Shannon Mathis and I am from Raleigh, North Carolina. I am 22 years old. Growing up, my youth group was very mission-minded. I had the opportunity to really see how to do missions, each with their own unique goal, at a considerably young age. Having been a part of three church planting missions in the U.S. and one church planting/orphan outreach mission in Jamaica, I developed the cognizance of our lost world and the need for Christians to say “yes” to God. My life since high school has not taken the road I would have expected it to, but then again, when is God’s plan ever what we expect? After a few semesters of college I was married at 19, went straight into working full time, and bought my first home. I am still perusing a degree in dental hygiene, and with my husband being a nurse, we talk often about doing medical missions together in the future. Some have asked the question, “Why do you think God has called you to Ethiopia?" My answer never seems to satisfy how I would like it to sound, but the truth is this: I don’t know. God doesn’t just use the highly educated or the well traveled. God can and WILL use anyone or anything to carry Jesus’ testimony throughout the world in order to build His Kingdom in Heaven.

I'm Jennifer Lane from Amarillo, Texas.  I have been married to my husband James for 17 years, and we have three biological children.  My daughter Lucy is 15, my son Andrew is 11, and my son Gabe is 4.  I have homeschooled Lucy and Andrew for many years.  Our family serves the Lord at an inner-city children's ministry called Citychurch.  My husband James has gone on four mission trips to several countries in Africa.  God used his trip in January of 2013 in South Sudan to call our family to adoption.  We are now on the waiting list with America World Adoption Agency in their Ethiopia program.  We have requested a little boy between the ages of three and seven.  We anxiously wait for the day that we can add him to our family.  We truly enjoy serving at Citychurch, and we love the ministry that we are able to be a part of.  Citychurch is committed to the principle that God has a purpose for every child regardless of their geographical location, financial status, religious affiliation, race, or culture.  We are doing our best to try to transform the disadvantaged neighborhoods of Amarillo by affecting the lives of children.  During the summer, we use bicycles to deliver hundreds of free lunches to disadvantaged children in Amarillo.  Citychurch also has free day camp Bible clubs four days a week during the summer and weekly Bible clubs after-school during the school year.  My husband and I really enjoy riding our bicycles to deliver lunches and teaching Bible clubs at Citychurch.  I am very excited about this mission trip to Ethiopia with AWAA ACT.  This is my first international mission trip and my first trip to Africa.  The goal of our team is to make the orphans we meet feel loved and special.  I feel honored to be able to share the love of Christ with the children we will encounter.  I am happy that God is using me this time of waiting in our adoption journey.  God is showing me how deeply He loves orphans and His plan to provide for them.