Life forced Lacie to become an independent woman. The disappearance of a mother left Lacie to help her stepdad care for three sisters at a young age. With a biological father out of the picture following a tragic divorce during her infant years, her stepfather became the four girls’ only support out in the country in South Carolina, where Lacie learned how to grow her own food, shoot a gun, and, most importantly, repair cars. Such a life experience served as the backdrop for the teen to help women decades later, turning a life of pain into a car clinic of love in Wilson County.
The Middle Tennessee Missions Market Single Moms and Widows’ Car Clinic now runs at Fairview Church in Lebanon, where dozens of women get their automobiles repaired once a year. Some come poor, others carry broken hearts, and even more arrive burdened.
Lacie understood some of their hurts.
Maturing fast
Lacie spent much of her childhood in Columbia, South Carolina, with her identical twin sister, two younger sisters, her mother, and stepdad, whom she called Daddy. From the outside, everything appeared normal.
Until one day, the mother gave 10-year-old Lacie a goodbye note, instructing her to pass the message along to her daddy.
He immediately became distraught upon reading the note and took all four girls in their car to look for their mother, but the search turned out fruitless as the family returned home that night in devastated silence.
During those long hours in the house, Daddy called on Lacie.
“He just kind of held me, and we just cried, and he told me I was going to be taking care of my sisters in the morning to get them ready for school, and that’s kind of how life went on,” Lacie recalled.
Lacie matured fast, helping her dad care for her sisters, clean the house, and tend to the garden. Just as importantly, Daddy worked on many things, including an old jeep, and allowed Lacie to assist, giving her a mechanic’s foundation.
Years passed, leading to 14-year-old Lacie moving in with her mother. But Lacie was soon kicked out, forcing her to bounce from place to place until she rented her own apartment at 17. At 18, she secured her high school diploma.
Shortly after, Ricky Aldret swerved into the picture.
Ricky was born in San Diego and grew up in Charleston, South Carolina after his dad retired from the navy. He started fixing cars at 16. Due to owning many cars that broke down over the years, Ricky gained a lot of practice. At 17, he began working at Advance Auto Parts, where he met 19-year-old Lacie, who served as his supervisor. They became friends, but Ricky knew she was the one for him.
He later quit after she wrote him up for missing work without calling.
“He asked me out on a date now that we were no longer working together. I was pretty independent and knew what I wanted in life, but God had other plans.”
Dating turned into marriage in 2000, and love gave birth to eight children in 15 years. Many years later, they started their own repair business in Carthage, Tennessee: Saddle Up Auto and Diesel.
Caring for single mothers and widows
Lacie said God moved the family to Lebanon in 2012, leading to them joining the Fairview Church two years later. In 2015, Ricky and Lacie’s Bible class group created an annual Middle Tennessee Missions Market to offer a low-cost community event during the fourth weekend of September and raise funds for missions. The market features items that are handcrafted, vintage, repurposed, and more, provided by artisans and small businesses. As the event grew, church members decided to add the car clinic in 2019.
Ricky wanted to use his skills to serve, and Lacie knew people struggled to afford car repairs. Taking the command in James 1:27 as an inspiration and their joint love for mechanics, they started the Middle Tennessee Missions Market Single Moms and Widows’ Car Clinic, with Lacie serving as the clinic’s director.
Women’s vehicles are serviced free of charge, with meals, crafts, and balloons provided for children. Partnerships with local organizations and nearly 100 volunteers have helped expand the clinic, which now accommodates up to 50 vehicles during the one-day event. Despite this capacity, some attendees typically end up on a waitlist. April 26, 2025, will serve as the clinic’s seventh anniversary.
“Being a female that had knowledge of the repairs, it was such a key role for me to help with the car clinic,” Lacie said. “The many learning opportunities God provided me in understanding mechanics since I was a teenager helped me bridge the gap between the mechanics and the single moms and ladies.” GN
Women can sign up for the annual car clinic events on the Mission Market’s or Fairview Church’s Facebook page.
