George and Joy
The Jensens Joined: November 12th 2006
Logged in: January 28th 2012
Logged in: January 28th 2012
Our family has participated in numerous mission campaigns over the last ten years. In 2005, we had the great privilege of traveling together as a family to India, where we worked for one month. We began contemplating the idea of doing foreign mission work. In May of 2006, our whole family spent the month of May working in Malawi, Africa. During this trip, we observed the great need for more teachers and preachers in Africa. After much prayerful consideration, we made the commitment to move to Tanzania, Africa and work with a mission effort known as Tanzania 2000.
Our family arrived in Moshi, Tanzania April 17, 2007, where we have worked for two years. In April 2009, we relocated to the Arusha area, where George served as Dean of Academics at the Andrew Connally School of Preaching. In January 2011 we moved to Iringa, located in central Tanzania.
Our daughter Julia was married July 23, 2010 to Lee Parish of Rush Springs, Oklahoma. Lee and Julia have recently begun a two year study at the East Tennessee School of Preaching and Missions.
We are always mindful that we could not be here without your backing. Please continue to think of us and pray for us.
In Christian Love, George and Joy, Jacob, Luke, and Lindsey
Visit our website: www.jensenmissions.com
Travel Blog Posts
Singles
In the garden of Eden, Adam was single only a short time.<span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> It was not good that the man should be alone (Genesis 2:18).<span> So God fashioned a helper that would be suitable for him.<span>Many other passages affirm that marriage is the usual course for men and women. Certainly marriage is not mandatory.<span> Jesus was the perfect man and he remained unmarried.<span> But his unique earthly mission would be temporary.<span> It would not have been wise for Him to enter marriage, knowing His life would be taken, and that He would be taken back to heaven.<span> Paul is another example of spirit... read more
Editha Cooking
The recent rains have caused bugs to swarm.<span><span><span><span><span><span><span> The Swahili word for bug is "mdudu."<span> And all sorts of interesting wadudu (plural), some poisonous, have been in and around our house lately; flying, jumping, and crawling creatures. <span>We leave a nightlight on at the back door, and in the morning there are piles of wings that have been shed by the ones attracted to the light. Yesterday Joy and I spent some time cleaning around the rear steps, because we had an infestation, yea a breading-ground, of "Nairobi" flies. <span>These tiny little critters have a segmented body of alternating black and red.<span> If one gets on you, be sure to flick it off - don't smash it upon yourself. According to Wikipedia: "The beetles neither sting nor bite, but their haemolymph contai... read more
Handful of Hail
Weather is often a topic of conversation. Yet here in Africa, it is not idle talk used to pass the time. Water from above is a matter of life and death. I recall one drought-stricken year, the boys and I were driving out in the bush and saw the carcasses of dead giraffe and zebra. The rains have finally come to Tanzania. Some downpours have dumped enough in just two hours to turn our driveway into a river, and the front yard section into a lake. A few days ago, I was out in the little tin-roofed room I use as a study and hail began to fall. Much of it was pea sized but some got as large as small marbles. The sound upon the tin was deafening. With my hands over my ears I ... read more
The Good Confession
We made the 8 hour drive to the working capital of Dar Es Salaam and said our goodbyes to Joy and Lindsey at the international airport. Their journey from Iringa until they arrived at Joy’s parents’ home in Stockton, California would take about 50 hours. Wow! You talk about an exhausting ordeal. We are happy they have been enjoying the time with family and Christian friends. Since Carey, Charles and I were in Dar for the airport deposit, we got some errands done; especially since Iringa has much fewer items available. We were able to purchase a new modem which we had hoped would improve our internet connection (no improvement on this yet). Wednesday evening we worshiped with the congregation that used to be Charles’ church home. They asked me to teach the Bible class. My ... read more
Christopher and David
"For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). The message of the gospel "is the power of God unto salvation" (Romans 1:16). When this sword is wielded it cuts the human heart. The conscience of man is stirred. In Acts 2:37 some listeners "were pricked in their heart" and on that day "about three thousand souls" (Acts 2:41) were added to the number of the saved. On another occasion, some hearing the word "were cut to the heart" but they violently rejected both the message and the messenger (Acts 7:54-60). God has been blessing us with opportunities to teach this powerful ... read more
Buffet Meal
Our Lord gave us a monumental charge - to go into all the world with the saving gospel. He died that men might live. This commission in His own words reads: "Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit:" (Matthew 28:19). The "second part" of this charge is: "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:20). Once a soul has been freed from the bondage of sin, continued teaching is vital to further strengthen this initial foundation of faith. The attrition rate among new converts is often traceable to inadequate initial teaching and the lack of "counting the cost." ... read more
Fliers
Last week we were busy walking the pathways in Iringa and Ipogolo passing out fliers. We were advertizing the restart of our Saturday classes. We took a recess in order to make our special journey to Malawi. That proved to be a good two weeks of teaching Personal Evangelism. Our advertizing last week included distributing over 2,000 invitations and also having it advertized for about three days on the radio. Our morning session is conducted in a class room at the School for the Deaf. The afternoon class is conducted at the church building. We are thankful that we got off to a good start. We had a number of Christians attending at both sessions and 5 non-Christians in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Interestingly, one of our visitors said he had found a ... read more
Jacob speaking
Most parents have a natural bias toward their own offspring. Since it is expected that a father provide “for his own, and specially his own household” (1 Timothy 5:8), it is no wonder that he would also take particular interest in their development. Joy and I are very pleased with the service our children are striving to render toward others. This past Saturday, Ed and Lina Crookshank hosted a youth gathering at their home. Young people from many congregations came to participate. There was a table prepared in the driveway where those arriving could sign the register. However, after the program had started, a truckload arrived and these attendees likely did not get their names recorded. The attendance was about 130 young men and women. Once it was time to begin, everyone took a seat on ... read more
Kasiya
What is the best gift that you would be willing to give? Would you give "the shirt off your back" if someone needed clothing? Christians certainly ought to be the folks in this world who willingly assist others "as we have opportunity," and such generosity ought to be extended "toward all men" (Galatians 6:10). But let's challenge our thinking. In ascending order we ask: "Would I give away my wrist watch, my kitchen table, my vehicle, my house..?" However, all these physical items will degenerate over time. The greatest gift we can possibly offer is - Telling someone how to be saved! Can you think of any greater gift?! Read 1 Timothy 4:8. When someone becomes a forgiven, godly person, there are blessings in this life and in the life to come. We generally seem adept ... read more
Lining Up For Fuel
Back in 2006, the six Jensens spent the month of May in Malawi. We had been duly warned that Africa might "get into your blood." We had been considering a move to a foreign mission field for quite some time and the time spent with Ed and Lina Crookshank helped propel our decision to work in East Africa. Doors seemed to open smoothly for us to move to Tanzania in April of 2007. Again in 2009, Ed requested my help in teaching for a month. Jacob and I flew from the Kilimanjaro airport to Lilongwe, where we taught for the month of August. Now, two years later, the Crookshanks requested that I teach personal evangelism to the usual five locations. We chose to teach for only two weeks on this occasion, largely due to the fact ... read more
