Early the morning of November 12, 1999, Margaret Jensen heard God speak to her after finishing prayer in an audible voice:
"I have you called to be a Nun. I have called you to be a Missionary. I have let you do what you wanted to do. From now on, your Life in Mine."
The words were clear. The message was undeniable. There was no question as Margaret said "YES LORD."
Back in October 1989, she purchased land in Vallecito, Calif., and had been running a profitable gold prospecting business for nearly a decade. Nestled in the hills of California's historic Gold Country, the property lured residents far and wide, who came on a mission to mine for buried treasure.
Then, in 1998, Margaret visited the Holy Land. The experience was one never to be forgotten, giving her visions and changing her life forever.
"Even though I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know Jesus, my life changed dramatically and my faith took on new dimensions," Margaret recalls. "The first assignment was to tell people to listen and I could no longer be passive."
And after hearing God speak in 1999, God impressed upon her to write the book Hearing God Speak, to phase out her gold prospecting business and go into full-time ministry. Through Pearl Gates of Heaven Ministries, Margaret now dedicates her life to witnessing, writing about faith in a weekly newsletter and going on international mission trips to countries such as Korea, Mexico, Guatemala, Thailand, Kenya and Uganda.
The 217-acre property, formerly known as Jensen’s Pick & Shovel Ranch, was deeded over to the ministry for the purpose of making the Bible come alive and becoming Mount Zion Biblical Garden.