Jolea Jensen

Dear Praying Friends:

“For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him. O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto thee?” (Psalm 89:6-8a). “O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come,” (Psalm 65:2).

Thank you very much for your prayers for my adjustment back into life in the Philippines. The Lord has been very good. I am enjoying my students, especially as the Lord has given me some tenderhearted young people to train.

My co-workers, Doug and Ruth Bachorik, started a music publishing ministry a few years ago to provide quality music for Filipino Christians. One need in the Philippines is producing quality sacred music in the vernacular—the language of the people. This coming Friday, August 19th, we will hold a special sacred concert entitled “Makalangit na Salmo” or “Heavenly Psalms.” This concert consists of newly composed/arranged pieces in the Tagalog and Cebuano languages. Following the concert, people will be able to buy the new music and use it in their church ministries. We would like to see our Savior glorified through this concert and music and covet your prayers. Please pray for good health for those singing/playing, good weather for those commuting distances, and good communication of the message in each song. We have already had hindrances in the way of health, music writing/publication, and preparation. Satan does not want our Lord to be glorified in this way. May Christ alone be seen and heard.

I have had two opportunities to share the Gospel since returning to the Philippines. In both instances, the individuals were strongly Roman Catholic and hardened to hearing the truth. I am burdened that the Lord might give me open doors to hearts that are seeking the truth. Please pray with me for God’s power in witnessing to the lost I come in contact with. It is only through prayer that our enemy, Satan, will be defeated.

“The one concern of the devil is to keep the saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless work, prayerless study, prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray” –Samuel Chadwick

Prayerfully serving our Almighty God,
Jolea Jensen

Dear Praying Friends:

Thank you so much for your prayers for my travel this week. The Lord granted me a safe, uneventful journey, with all flights leaving and arriving within a good time frame. I was even able to obtain a visa extension at the airport upon arrival in Manila. The immigration official sent me to a separate room to pay the fee, and I had to wait an extra forty-five minutes for the process to complete. By the time I got my passport and receipts back, and I returned to the booth to receive the stamp on my passport booklet, my flight was no longer listed on the baggage carousels. The agent at the booth was looking over my documents, and I happened to look over at the carousels and see my luggage being taken away! Thankfully, the agent completed the process, and I was able to run after my luggage and catch it before it disappeared. This was all to my advantage, as I did not have to lift the fifty pound bags off the moving carousel onto the luggage cart myself—it was all taken care of for me!

On my first flight, my seatmate was a Mormon named Larry; we talked about the Bible, Christianity, and Mormonism. During the summer of 1999, I traveled on a Bob Jones University mission team to the Western United States. In preparation for that trip, our mission team leader trained us in witnessing to Mormons. Larry was surprised at how much I knew about Mormonism. At the end of the flight, I challenged him to read the Bible for himself. He told me he had read the Book of Mormon several times but had read the Bible only once. Please pray that Larry will read his Bible and will see that doctrines such as the Trinity and Jesus Himself being God are true. He told me that he has prayed many times and believes he is saved and is trying to continue working toward that salvation. Please pray that he will consider the verses I shared with him such as Titus 3:5-6 and Ephesians 2:8-9 that teach that salvation is through faith in Christ alone.

On my second flight, I met a young lady traveling home to Nepal. She is currently studying in Maryland at a secular college but told me she has been attending Bible studies while in the States. When I told her I am teaching at a Bible college in the Philippines, she replied, “Oh, I wish there were a Bible college in Nepal!”

Today I have not had much trouble with jet lag at all. I even took a new co-worker, Sara Morris, to the mall to get items she needed for her new apartment. We took two jeepneys to get there, and I was reminded of the difficulties of air pollution here in Manila. Please do pray for my health, as there is a lot of pollution from smoke and exhaust that stays above the city in a haze much of the time.

I went over to the church/school building in the afternoon and saw several students preparing to travel to another church in metro Manila for a weekend ministry. They were thrilled to see that the Lord brought me back safely, and greeted me with hugs and joyful excitement.

Please pray for the following requests:

1. Wisdom in training my students
2. Understanding of the Tagalog language as I continue language school
3. Opportunities to witness and to nurture believers in their walk with the Lord

Thank you to all of you who continue praying and financially supporting my ministry in Manila, Philippines. May God be glorified.

In Christ,
Jolea Jensen

Dear Praying Friends:

Psalm 107:21, 22, “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.” Truly our God is good as He sovereignly works in the lives of His children. As I Thess. 5:24 says, “Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.”

God has led and provided for my ministry teaching at Bob Jones Memorial Bible College in the Philippines. I am trusting that He will continue to lead and guide as I seek to remain faithful to Him. Please pray with me for safety on my flights from New York to Manila, Philippines. Please also pray with me that the Lord would grant opportunities to share the Gospel with people I meet in the airport and on the airplanes.

My flight itinerary is as follows (with all times given in EDT):

Thursday, July 21 Albany, New York 10:02 AM – Washington-Dulles 11:38 AM
Thursday, July 21 Washington-Dulles 1:25 PM – Seoul, Korea 4:35 AM (Friday, July 22)
Friday, July 22 Seoul, Korea 8:05 AM – Manila, Philippines 11:00 AM

Thank you very much to all of you who continue to uphold my ministry in prayer and financial support. May God and God alone be glorified.

Joyfully serving the King of Kings,
Jolea Jensen

GFA Missionary to the Philippines
www.joleajensen.com

Mailing Address:
PO Box 120-UP
1101 Quezon City
Metro Manila, PHILIPPINES

“PEACE does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to ‘wait trustfully and quietly on Him’ Who has all things safely in His hands.” ~ Elisabeth Elliot

Dear Praying Friends:

With joy and excitement, I am preparing to return to my adopted country in less than two weeks.  I will be very glad to start teaching my students again and anticipate ministry opportunities that the Lord will give me both at church and with children.  It has been wonderful to be in the States since April, but traveling 4,000 miles in one month is not my ideal of relaxation!  I praise God for safety from a couple close calls while driving on the interstate.

Many of my recent meetings have been at supporting churches.  The Lord has confirmed and re-confirmed my calling to serve Him in the Philippines through these visits.  I thank God for each of you who have stood so faithfully by me through prayers and support since I first went to the field in 2006 and started full-time deputation in 2008.  At a recent meeting in South Carolina, the Lord burdened the church to take on my remaining 5% support, bringing my current support level up to 100%!

The Lord has been teaching me many lessons lately in putting my complete trust and confidence in Him.  One of my favorite topics to share with ladies’ groups is trusting in the sovereignty of God.  Many times, I have entered a class, thinking I had enough examples to share and did not need any more; God, however, has often had other plans and brought yet another challenge into my life that I must surrender entirely to Him.  As I look forward to the years ahead, I do not know what the Lord has planned, but I do know that He has placed me in the center of His will, and I am eager to follow His perfect plan for my life.  One song that has been a blessing to me recently has been “Is Your All on the Altar?” by Elisha A. Hoffman.  The third verse reads as follows: “O we never can know
 What the Lord will bestow Of the blessings for which we have prayed, Till our body and soul
 He doth fully control, And our all on the altar is laid.”

My remaining itinerary for July 2011 is as follows:
July 10 Immanuel Baptist Church, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
July 17 AM Faith Independent Bible Church, Pennsauken, New Jersey
July 17 PM Fellowship Baptist Church, West Berlin, New Jersey

My flight itinerary is as follows (with all times given in EDT):
Thursday, July 21 Albany, New York 10:02 AM – Washington-Dulles 11:38 AM
Thursday, July 21 Washington-Dulles 1:25 PM – Seoul, Korea 4:35 AM (Friday, July 22)
Friday, July 22 Seoul, Korea 8:05 AM – Manila, Philippines 11:00 AM

Joyfully serving our Almighty, Sovereign God,
Jolea Jensen

Every year, Gospel Fellowship Association hosts a week of training and spiritual refreshment at the WILDS camp in North Carolina for missionaries who are on furlough or deputation. I enjoyed seeing a few of my co-workers from the Philippines and having a mini Philippines Reunion. My short-term co-teachers have already returned to Manila and are beginning a busy year of teaching. The 2011-2012 school year for Bob Jones Memorial Bible College began on Tuesday, June 7, and we are excited to see what God will do this year. While the Bachoriks are in the States on furlough, there are six single ladies and five graduates who will continue the music training. One of our graduates is replacing me until I return to the Philippines on July 22nd. She is excited about coming to the States to continue her studies at Bob Jones University in the fall.

The Lord’s recent blessings include safety over 5,800 miles in six weeks of travel. He also raised my support level to 94%! I continue prayerfully trusting Him to provide the remaining 6% that is still needed. I also had another opportunity to share the Gospel. I visited a friend in the Rochester, Minnesota, area, and her husband took us on a tour at his workplace—the Mayo Clinic. One young lady in our group was Asian, and I asked her what country she was from. She replied that she was from Beijing, China, and was in the States to complete her college studies. I shared a gospel tract with her and gave her the names of two good churches for her to visit in the cities where she is studying. Please pray for Jan’s salvation.

My itinerary for this coming month will take me into New England and back down to South Carolina and Georgia. Please pray for continued safety in travel and for more witnessing opportunities as I meet people along the way. Pastor Bryce Hager from Fellowship Baptist Church in Taylors, South Carolina, preached a challenging message on soul-winning the night of my ministry presentation. My desire is to continue faithfully serving God not only in training national believers but also in reaching the lost with the light of the glorious gospel of Christ.

My itinerary for June-July 2011 is as follows:

June 5 Bible Baptist Church, Elmont, New York
June 9 Valley Bible Church, South Windham, Vermont (supporting church)
June 12 Calvary Bible Church, Westport, Massachusetts
June 15 Heritage Baptist Church, Mount Laurel, New Jersey (supporting church)
June 19-24 Grace Bible Church, West Middletown, Pennsylvania (VBS)
June 26 Faith Baptist Church, South Charleston, West Virginia (supporting church)
June 28 Sonpoint Baptist Fellowship, Greenville, South Carolina
June 29 Westgate Baptist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina

July 3 Hurst Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia (supporting church)
July 6 Bethel Baptist Church, Hampton, Virginia (supporting church)
July 10 Immanuel Baptist Church, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
July 17 AM Faith Independent Bible Church, Pennsauken, New Jersey (supporting church)
July 17 PM Fellowship Baptist Church, West Berlin, New Jersey
July 21-22 Fly back to Manila, Philippines on Korean Airlines.

Thank you all very much for your continued prayers and financial support. The ministry on the mission field is not a work of man but rather a work of God; without laborers upholding God’s work in prayer, the ministry would be a failure. As Mark 10:27 says, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

Privileged to serve the King of Kings,

Jolea Jensen
GFA Missionary to the Philippines

Dear Prayer Partners:

“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen,” Ephesians 3:20-21. As I look back over the past month, I can see God’s amazing provision and protection. My car has gone over 2000 miles in just two weeks! At the beginning of the month, I flew home from the Philippines and then flew out to Iowa for my first two deputation meetings of the spring. I returned home for my sister’s wedding and then drove away on Monday, April 25th, heading back to the Midwestern states. The weather was rainy on April 25th, and at one point of my travel, my left windshield wiper flew off. Thankfully, this occurred just as I was approaching the city of Buffalo, New York, and I was able to find a new wiper at a department store. A kind man helped me put it on, and I tested it to make sure it worked. I returned inside the store for one more thing and then realized that I had forgotten my key! Thankfully, I always carry a second key on me and still had that one in my purse. When I returned to my car, I found the key not only in the ignition but still turned ON! I just had to sit inside my car, thanking God for His gracious protection and that I still had my car. Now I treasure prayers for protection even more.

A new church joined my support team this month, bringing my support level up to 91%! Thank you for your continued prayers for God’s provision. I am looking forward to potentially being able to stay in the Philippines when I return on July 21, 2011.

Deputation always provides opportunities for ministry. I enjoyed taking part in the first missions conference for Victory Baptist Church in Corydon, Iowa. Since they do not yet have a piano, I incorporated a recorder solo of “Bring Them In” into my ministry presentation. Another missionary lady kindly accompanied me on the keyboard. In Kansas, I had the opportunity to share in chapel in the Christian school and to give a hymnplaying/arranging workshop for six piano students. It was exciting to see my former school administrator from Memphis and to see two of my former piano students mature in their walk with the Lord and in their music ministries. One of my students commented after the workshop that one thing he never expected was to have another lesson with Miss Jensen. In Minnesota, I was asked to share a challenge for a ladies’ tea. It was a blessing to hear from several of the ladies afterwards of how the Lord used His Word that evening in a specific area of their lives.

Please pray for the following requests:

1. Safety in travel
2. Opportunities to witness: I would love to meet some Filipinos as I drive through several states!
3. Financial support: my level is currently at 91%.
4. Good health
5. Four ministry teams from Bob Jones Memorial Bible College traveling to different parts of the Philippines
6. Twenty young men and twenty young women with a heart for the Lord to enroll in BJMBC for this coming school year

My itinerary for May-July 2011 is as follows:

May 1 Adelphi Calvary Baptist Church, Runnells, Iowa
May 4 Calvary Baptist Church, Ottawa, Kansas
May 7-8 Grace Baptist Church, Stillwater, Minnesota
May 15 Avoca Bible Church, Avoca, Wisconsin
May 18 Faith Bible Church, Bellevue, Ohio (supporting church)
May 21 Wedding of Timothy Jensen and Kristen Sutter, Williamson, New York
May 29 Fellowship Baptist Church, Taylors, South Carolina (supporting church)
May 30-June 2 GFA Camp at the WILDS, Brevard, North Carolina

June 5 Bible Baptist Church, Elmont, New York
June 9 Valley Bible Church, South Windham, Vermont (supporting church)
June 12 Calvary Bible Church, Westport, Massachusetts
June 15 Heritage Baptist Church, Mount Laurel, New Jersey (supporting church)
June 19-24 Grace Bible Church, West Middletown, Pennsylvania (VBS)
June 26 Faith Baptist Church, South Charleston, West Virginia (supporting church)
June 28 Sonpoint Baptist Fellowship, Greenville, South Carolina
June 29 Westgate Baptist Church, Spartanburg, South Carolina

July 3 Hurst Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia (supporting church)
July 6 Bethel Baptist Church, Hampton, Virginia (supporting church)
July 10 Immanuel Baptist Church, Pawtucket, Rhode Island
July 17 AM Faith Independent Bible Church, Pennsauken, New Jersey (supporting church)
July 17 PM Fellowship Baptist Church, West Berlin, New Jersey
July 21 Fly back to Manila, Philippines

Thank you all very much for your faithful prayers and support.

In the Service of the King,
Jolea Jensen
GFA Missionary to the Philippines