Cameron's Story

ὄνομα μοι Cameron ἐστιν.

The above is Greek for "my name is Cameron."

I was born to two of the best parents a Cameron Michael Neace could have. Out of three children...I was not the firstborn. I'm a MK. No, not a "missionary kid" a "Missouri kid" as I lived pretty much my whole childhood in Union, Missouri. 

Just before my junior year of high school I gave my life to the Lord. I thank God for placing me in a family that knew the value of being in church but, for most of my life, I felt that I had it all figured out and knew the Bible inside and out. You can imagine the shock that I had on August 10, 2008 when God opened my eyes to see my depravity apart from Him and to receive the grace that He offered me on the cross so many years ago.

Throughout school I was always obsessed with taking the art classes. I had a desire to go to college for graphic arts and as a senior in high school I just knew that was going to be my life career. After my first semester of classes, I applied and paid for the fall semester classes, yet God cancelled them all. I was pretty discouraged because I didn't know any other trade in life and I thought God was making a mistake, but it turns out He was doing exactly what needed to be done. You see, after serving in a trailer park ministry for three months that fall, I began to feel like I never have before, that I needed to go to Bible school.

However, I didn't know where I should go. I went in my room and fell to my knees. I remember my prayer like it was yesterday. I said, "Please show me the school that You would have me attend and open it up for me. God allow me to go in January because I just can't wait until the fall. I know it's impossible...but I know You are God. Send me to school this coming spring semester. I don't know where and I don't know how, but just do it. Lord, do it!"

Well, as you guessed, it was that same night that God showed up. I hadn't told anyone that I prayed that prayer but a friend of mine called me and said, "Hey, I am wanting to take a road trip up to the Bible school I went to. Would you like to come along?" We went on my birthday weekend in November and I applied while I was there!

I joined the January class and it was in this class that I had the privilege of meeting my future wife, although neither of us knew it yet. Throughout Bible school, I found myself continually humbled at all I didn't know that I thought I knew. But, even more than that, I spent my time trying to invest in the lives of the teachers and staff. I saw in their lives something better than just head knowledge. I saw Christ and I wanted Him to penetrate my life as He did theirs.

It was during the next year (two semesters) that I just wanted to spend time getting to know Christ. I became burnt out on just head knowledge and I saw how vain it was if that was truly all it was. I became much more people oriented after that summer as a result of the brokenness that God put me through, but I know that I still have a ton more to learn and if its anything like that summer I know it will be rough.

Towards the end of our junior semester I began noticing Caitlin. My eyes were opening to see truly how beautiful, both spiritually and physically, she truly was. We were part of a group that went to a place in Pennsylvania called Wayumi for Spring Break and were pretty much were inseparable. It was at this that I began thinking this could be a possibility of pursuing a relationship, but I definitely didn't want to rush anything.

Fall of 2013 was our senior semester and, about five weeks in, we had a speech class which required us to talk for six to eight minutes on whatever topic we chose. We think it's hilarious that both of us chose to speak on singleness! October 10th, after days of stalling and fearing rejection I finally got up the nerve to tell Caitlin of my love for her. She was surprised and didn't answer me for three days. Because of her delay, I had prepared myself mentally for the world famous "No."

But she said yes! We started to intentionally get to know one another and officially started dating a month later on November 10th followed quickly by our engagement on December 16th! We think it's rather ironic that our engagement was almost seven times longer than our dating as our wedding wasn't until July 19th!

Now we are in the midst of the program here at the New Tribes Missionary Training Center  as we desire to serve the Lord in overseas tribal missions in Papua New Guinea. I am very interested in translating the entire Bible for the church that Christ alone will build as we, by His grace, will make disciples of Jesus Christ.

It has always been my ambition to preach the Gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Romans 15:20 

That is His story using my life for His glory.