At 82, She Still Says Yes to God
“I will never go on a mission trip, never, never. No, I’m not leaving the United States of America.”
This was the proclamation Dolores Jones shared with her late husband, Dr. Joseph A. Jones, Sr., when he asked her if she wanted to accompany him on his first mission trip to Nigeria. She kept her word that year with every intention of keeping it in the future. However, it wasn’t even a year later when her husband asked the same question – this time asking if she could preach. Dolores replied stating that while she may be tempted to accompany him, she didn’t feel qualified to speak. He insisted she pray about it. She agreed. And, after taking the matter to God, Dolores agreed to speak.
In Kenya, the hesitant Dolores was scheduled to preach every day at one of the local sites. It was uncomfortable. Not only was she speaking outside of her element, but she was also asked to give the appeal – a task she had never done before. When she brought her concern to her husband, he had a solution. Sitting down, he quickly wrote an appeal out for her asking her to simply read it.
“So I read it,” she exclaimed, “and I was shocked to see all these people coming up, 145 people came up just at my site to be baptized.”
When Dolores witnessed what God did through her – a reluctant evangelist with a borrowed appeal – her mentality toward overseas mission shifted. “It just threw me,” she reflected, “And I said, ‘Wow, Lord, you really did want to use me. If I put an effort into it, maybe you’ll even use me more.’”
From that moment on, Dolores was hooked on mission work. She and her husband were asked to speak in many churches and communities worldwide and to bring volunteers and supplies along with them. Everywhere God called them, they would willingly and joyfully go. “It’s an addiction. That’s what it is,” she shared, “It’s a spiritual addiction—that you have to go. And you feel the urgency to go. And the desire to go. And God always opens the way to go.”
Then, calamity fell upon Dolores and her family. Dolores’s husband passed away. Subsequently, Dolores vowed that she would never go on a mission trip again. She was not interested in going alone.
After some time passed, a friend called Dolores asking why she hadn’t signed up to go on their next trip. She explained to him what had happened and how that had impacted her decision. “But did you pray about it?” the friend insisted.
“Of course not, no,” Dolores admitted, “Because I knew if I prayed, maybe the Lord will tell me, I need to go.”
And that’s just what happened. Again, Dolores felt the call to go despite her discomfort. She trusted that urge to do what God was calling her to do. In an answer to her prayers, nine other people who Dolores invited accompanied her on the trip. Since that time, Dolores has gone on many more mission trips with friends and family, and she has watched God continue to use her in powerful, unexpected ways.
Now, when opportunities arise to travel overseas to spread the gospel, Dolores doesn’t hesitate. It is her policy to always say yes to God, and she has seen Him find ways for her to go even when it seemed impossible.
Currently, Dolores serves in the Gift Planning Ministries Department of the Central California Conference, and she continues to brighten everyone’s day with her smile, her energy, and her love. While she enjoys her daily work, she is frequently invited to travel overseas to preach the gospel and to offer aid to struggling communities. On the cusp of her 82nd birthday, Dolores recently returned from a three-week trip to Zimbabwe. Her joy upon her return is surpassed only by her love for Jesus and how He continues to bless her.
Dolores’s advice is to say yes to God no matter the circumstance. “It's really amazing how God carries his work,” Dolores shares, “When he asks you to do something, he opens doors and provides for it to be done.”
Written by Kisa de Bruin
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