Charlotte Jones
Pioneers — Isolotto, 50142 Florence, Metropolitan City of Florence, Italy
Ciao!
A little about me. I’ve been a Christian since a young girl. I was raised in a home with a wonderful Christian mother. I’m now a single, 58-year young lady, finding myself at a place in life where I am free and feel called to go into missions. I have no particular ties which prevent me from following Christ's command to go to all the world and make disciples... I would like to spend the remainder of my active years doing something that matters for Christ. This is a bit of my journey.
I believe God started moving me toward this point, many years ago, when I was just out of college. I remember sitting in church listening to a missionary couple serving in Bangladesh. I still remember their names, George and Deb. I remember in my mind asking myself, could I do that. Then like many people, dismissed it because I had things to do. I wanted marriage, and the house with the picket fence etc. I had it all planned, but yet it never happened. I ended up working in the American corporate world for a living, which was as far from my heart as could be.
All those working years, my desires still tended toward ministry. I moved to Nashville in 94 to explore the possibility of music ministry. I love to sing and felt maybe I could be used in this capacity. For many reasons, this was not the plan God had. Through all those years, I knew I wasn’t ready yet and that God had things to “fix” in my life. You see, all those years, I secretly harbored an eating disorder. Of course I knew that marriage or ministry wouldn’t work as long as I had this sin in my life. (My journey with the eating disorder is another whole book and miracle of God's healing!)
Fast forward to 2013. My life felt like it was in the tank. I literally found the end of my rope. But this is where God can begin to work. I had some raw conversations with God that summer. Then God introduced me to a music/missions ministry. (Another whole book!) Still struggling with my sin, but I felt compelled to go to Africa on my first short term mission trip. This trip in 2014, ignited a passion for missions in my heart. It was also the tool God used to begin to free me from the eating disorder. Later in 2014, within a 2-week period, and my complete surrender of will, God freed me of that sin/addiction!
In 2015, missions was still on my heart. When my church choir announced a mission tour in Italy, I was all in. It was planned for May of 2016. Italy had never been on my radar. Never dreamed of going there. Still, it didn’t matter, because I was going to minister with my church choir and was excited to be making another mission trip. That trip changed me completely. I remember as we were leaving, sitting on the bus and plane thinking, I’m leaving home to go back to the USA. I went from not caring about anything Italian to a heart melted toward the people of Italy.
In 2019 I was laid off from my job for slightly over a year. That summer, after not finding work, I began asking God what he wanted. He answered by putting me in a missions explore week with Pioneers in Orlando. I was a little surprised that I was offered appointment as a missionary candidate during that week. I came home with a lot to consider. I prayed. I spoke with my missions pastor and prayed some more. I accepted appointment in August of 2019. I just couldn’t pass over it this time. The pandemic slowed my progress, but I completed my assigned coursework through this time and in February of 2023 I received my assigned location which will be in Florence, Italy.
People often ask “why Italy”. It’s often perceived as a Christian nation, however Italy along with most of Europe is now Post-Christian. Italy is known as the missionary’s graveyard due to the difficulty in reaching people. Religion is a social status rather than a relationship with Christ. Less than 1% of the 60 million people are Evangelical, having a daily walk with Christ. The need is great. Often times we see the physical need in poverty stricken areas, and this need tugs at our hearts. While attending to physical needs is a valuable tool, the reason we are sent is not a physical poverty, but rather a spiritual poverty. Therefore, the need in a country like Italy is as desperate and equal to the spiritual poverty in poverty stricken areas.
My first couple of years will be spent in a lot of language and culture learning. During this time, I’ll also begin forming relationships for outreach as well as working with the local church. I have opportunity to begin working with local children in after school English tutoring, which I can begin even though I don’t have fluency in Italian. As my fluency grows, I will have opportunity to work within the church groups as well as continuing community outreach efforts. I am excited and anxious to see what all God has planned.
I’m currently working to raise support funding partners. My goal is to be fully funded by April of this year. I am currently at about 60% of needed monthly funding. I need to be at 90% of funding in order to purchase tickets and begin Visa processing. Also, in all the mix is going to be selling my possessions, and attending to all the details and paperwork, which cannot fully begin until those dominos begin to fall.
I have so much I could share about my journey, but this already is a lot. I’m open to having a chat over coffee, zoom or phone. I would love to discuss partnership with you!