Life in Texas!

March 18, 2020

We have been in Texas for 12 days now.    We found 15 acres we are going to build our home on.

It use to belong to Glenn's dad.   He sold it in 1962.   We feel very blessed to be able to build on it.

The red building is a Chicken House Glenn helped his dad build when he was about 12 years old.

He  mowed the pastures.....milked cows, and they raised pigs....and chickens.

We're in the process of having a survey done, and our floor plans are being drawn.  We are going to

get an estimate on how much it will cost to build.

Things have been falling into place so quickly.    I'm grateful for the "tender mercies" we have

been receiving since moving here.  We have been having a lot of rain, and it is so beautiful and green.

I went out this morning and sat for 5 minutes while the rain poured down. Nothing quite like a

rainy day in East Texas.   I've attached the video I took this morning.    It's dark so you can't see well,

but the sound is 2nd to ocean waves crashing on the beach!!

Greetings from Texas!

January 29, 2020 The Provo MTC Mission 9/18 to 3/20

It's hard to describe in words how I feel about serving a mission at the MTC in Provo, Utah.   But I will do the best I can.
We began our mission at the MTC on September 3, 2018.  Prior to this, we had been serving as volunteers so we knew the Spirit that was there is something we were anxious to experience long-term, well, at least 18 months!  From walking the grounds of the MTC, attending devotionals, meeting young people from all over the world, who were there for the same reason:  To serve a mission and to testify of Jesus Christ.  It always amazed me that so many young people from so many different cultures and countries, they all had a love for the Savior and a conviction of the truthfulness of the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I add my own testimony that Jesus is the Christ, and that this IS His Gospel that has been restored.  I know that Joseph Smith was the Prophet of the Restoration.  We have a living Prophet and Apostles today who lead and guide the Church.  What a blessing to have this knowledge and testimony.    It isn't something that just happened over night.  It began 48 years ago when I was 18 years old.   It began as a sincere desire to know for myself these things.  It has come through prayer, fasting, study and reading the Book of Mormon.  I would recommend anyone who is reading this to try my plan of 48 years ago, with a sincere desire to know for yourself.   Read the Book of Mormon!
Our mission at the MTC was recruiting volunteers for the missionaries to teach.    When we first begain, we were assigned:
Mandarin      Cantonese      Burmese     Vietnamese     Cambodian      Hmong

French           Italian            Malagasy    Tahitian          Romanian        Haitian-Creole

We have been over the Senior missionaries,  Visitor Center Sisters and ESL(young people from
all over the world who were learning English for their missions.)
At the beginning of this year, they changed everything.  We no longer have any of our languages,
with the exception of the Seniors.

The languages we have now are:

Hungarian              Norwegian               Armenian                  Dutch
Finnish                   Georgian                  Persian                      Polish
Turkish                   German                    English                     Albanian
Bulgarian                Danish                     Estonian                    Icelandic
Latvian                    Lithuanian               Slovak                      Slovenian

When we served our mission in Independence, we associated a lot with the young Elders and Sisters,
and what a wonderful experience!     However, at the MTC,  our association has been with the
volunteers we recruit!      What an amazing group of young people.    They have blessed our lives in
so many ways.     We know for a fact that Heavenly has saved His most valiant spirits for the last
days!  Our testimonies are stronger from having served with them.   Every Tuesday night at the MTC
they have a devotional.    What a blessing to be taught by leaders of the Church.  That as well has
changed our lives and we have been richly blessed.     And to get to hear the "Heavenly" MTC
choir every week was very moving!    The only way I can describe our mission at the MTC, is
when we drove through the gate, we felt like we were entering Heaven.  We forgot the world and
our trials and struggles.   Everyone we served with were kind and loving, and everyone worked together in harmony.
We are finishing our mission in just 5 weeks.   March 3.   We are sad to be done, but we hope and pray that the spirit we felt serving at the MTC will be with us throughout the rest of our lives.  We will always be grateful for our mission there.   As we will be grateful for the mission we served in the Washington DC Temple, and our mission in Independence, Missouri.  We have learned so much from each, and the people we served with have become our Eternal friends.
I know God lives and that He sent His only begotten Son to live and die for all mankind.  It is only through the atonement of Jesus Christ that we are saved, after all we can do.  I have a strong testimony of the Prophet Joseph.   He was indeed the Prophet of the Restoration.  The Book of Mormon is true, and was translated through inspiration by the Prophet Joseph.  It IS a second witness of Jesus Christ.  Sister Shirline Tefteller

Senior Missions are the BEST!!

October 15, 2019

I'm sad and ashamed that I haven't been keeping track of our Mission at the MTC.  It has been amazing,  humbling, and an experience that both of us will never forget.  We are down to only 4 1/2 months left.   Seriously, where does the time go?
We had an experience today that I would like to share.    First, I'd like to say how I have gained a greater testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have learned that the Gospel message touches so many people from so many countries around the world.  The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ., and anyone who will read it with a sincere desire to know for themselves that it is true, WILL indeed gain a testimony of it's truthfulness!!
Elder Tefteller and I work in Teaching Resource Center.   We are responsible for recruiting volunteers for 12 different languages.  We also recruit for the Senior missionaries, and the Visitor Center Sisters.
These are the languages we recruit for:

French           Italian         Malagasy        Tahitian        Haitian-Creole   Romanian

Mandarin      Cantonese       Hmong      Vietnamese       Cambodian     Burmese

Today we had Italian, Tahitian and French missionaries learning these languages.   One of our regular Tahitian volunteers, brought a young man with her to help Volunteer.    He is from Tahiti.  We learned that he is an only child.    His mother joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  But his father after meeting with many missionaries hasn't joined.   This young man joined a few years after his mother.
But he told us that he was against the Church at first.  He wanted nothing to do with it.   He had been a member of a gang, and had nearly lost his life many times.     One day his mom's Home Teacher came to their home to visit her.    His mom asked him to give her son a blessing.   So with his permission, he received a blessing.   He remembers being told in the blessing if he would listen to his mother, he would be ok.    It was at that time he decided to "Give God a try!"   That's when his life turned around.   His mom told him she always dreamed of him serving a mission.   He told her he would NEVER go on a mission.   But....he finally decided he would go.   He was called to Australia.  He bore testimony to us of how he personally witnessed peoples lives change because of the Gospel, and coming to know their Savior.  This had a great impact on this young man's life.    He told of a man who drank alcohol.   The missionaries found him and taught him.    Two years after he joined the Church this man became a Bishop.   This young missionary saw many lives change for the better and it humbled him.  He loved the service he was able to give to others, and how it not only changed his life, but the lives of those he came in contact with.
As I was sitting listening to his story, tears welled up in my eyes.   Someone who was so hard hearted, and involved in a gang, had his life turn around because he decided "To give God a try!"
We've had so many, many experiences of hearing conversion stories of young missionaries from all over the world.....Mainland China, Africa.....Tawian....France.......Italy......and the list goes on!

I Know that God our Father lives and that he loves us.    I know that Jesus Christ is His only Begotten Son, who died for us that we might return and live with them someday!   I also know he lives and loves us.    Without a doubt, I KNOW that God the Father and His Son appeared to the Boy Joseph in a grove of trees.    Joseph Smith was God's Prophet, chosen, to help restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ once again on the earth!

My life has forever been changed from having served three missions.   Each one has had a different impact on me.   But the one thing that is sure:    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's only true Church on the earth today.  The testimony I have is because of the years of study, answered prayers, fasting to know,  and the fact that we have a living Prophet on the earth today.

Wonderful first week!

We have finished our first week as missionaries at the MTC.   In spite of ALL we have to learn, it was a fabulous week.    We have 18 months to go, and we love it already!
We got to be there on Wednesday, when all the new arriving missionaries come.  The Church never ceases to amaze me with how organized everything is!   They had parents who were dropping off in and out quickly.   We saw parents crying as they were leaving.   We saw missionaries smiling, and filled with great hope of serving their mission!! We went to our first Tuesday Devotional, Elder Kyle S. McKay and his wife.  IT was a great meeting, and the choir was Heavenly!!  We had the privilege of working with Senior couples who were going out to serve their missions.   That has always been a highlight of our week.   Saturday morning, we were able to serve with young Elder's and Sister's who are preparing to serve missions where the Mandarin language is spoken :  Knee How!  (that's how it is pronounced!)  and shi shi (also how it's pronounced!)  That is thank you!    And Knee How is Hello.  It's amazing how your don't have to know a language to feel the spirit.  It was in abundance in the Sacrament Meeting we attended today.  It was a Mandarin District.  The Spirit is mighty strong in the boundaries of the MTC!    We are so honored to be able to serve there!

We are so humbled and honored to serve at the MTC!

September 3, 2018

I haven't quite decided how often I will be posting...but our first day at the MTC was so amazing I just had to post!!!

 I took a selfie before we left home this morning for the MTC, our new mission.
Another selfie in front of the Administration building before entering.  Poor Elder Tefteller....we were looking right into the sun!!

We met with Elder Nyman today.     He went over things we would need to know.  I couldn't remember a thing.....I was so excited, but I was smart and wrote it down!  He then took us on a tour of the buildings and where everything is.  We then got to meet the MTC Presidency and their wives.  It's a small world in the Church!   Glenn's cousin from Denton, Texas, RB Pennington and his wife Lena have known the MTC President's family for over 40 years.  He was thrilled to meet a fellow Texan.   Then the first Counselor in the Presidency, Pres. Rohlf and his wife, are best friends with our Daughter-in law Rachel's, parents.  They greeted us like we were long lost friends!!

Wonderful people!!

 Before the President's Welcome Meeting....

 We arrived early, so there were a lot more Seniors when the meeting started.

Elder Nyman gave us our missionary name tags when we arrived today at the MTC.   What an honor, and exciting thing it is to be able to wear one of these name tags again!!!  We are definitely looking forward to the next 18 months!!! We love our Savior, and what a better way to show our love then to be serving a mission!!!   In the meeting today, there was a couple sitting on the front row next to us who are leaving to serve their 8th mission.     That's our dream!!

They called us on another Mission!

September 2, 2018

Today Glenn and I were set apart as Missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
It was a very special day.   Charles, and Rachel, Hannah, Lucy and Parker came for our setting apart with the Stake President.   Rebecca had planned to come, but she was hit with a migraine, but we were blessed to have her come for dinner and a visit.    I sure love my girls!!!  We had a wonderful dinner and visit.  We are so happy to be wearing name tags again, bearing the name of Jesus Christ,  as we serve our 3rd mission.
Tomorrow we begin to serve at the Provo MTC and will serve there for the next 18 months.
We recommend serving a mission to all you retired folks.   It will bless your lives in ways you never could imagine.  And it will bless the lives of your children and grandchildren.
Talk to your Bishop!!   Get the application rolling!