Give Scott Furniss a hammer, a drill and a tool box and he is content and in his element. Blessed with the ability to fix almost anything from a bike to a broken toaster he says, “I am most at home in my grubby clothes with grease under my fingernails.”
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His wife, Teri Furniss, on the other hand, fixes hearts.
Blessed with culinary skills, Teri finds her comfort zone in baking and sharing her wonderful bread, cookies and cinnamon rolls with everyone.
Scott and Teri Furniss, the parents of six children and 15 grandchildren have volunteered their skills and their testimony of Jesus Christ to work in the Wellington, New Zealand Mission as a senior missionary couple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Those in the community as well as the young missionaries have come to depend on the handyman skills and the culinary delights of this industrious couple.
“We wake up in the morning with 'who can I serve today' on our minds,” the couple said when asked about their missionary service.
Neighbours, friends, local businesses, churches and the younger missionaries are always pleased to receive cinnamon rolls from Teri Furniss.
The delicious rolls have opened the doors for the young missionaries on occasion who are serving and teaching the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Their willingness to serve a senior couples mission was never in question for Elder Scott Furniss and his wife and companion, Sister Teri Furniss.
Having served a mission in New Zealand at the age of 19, Elder Furniss said, “You can imagine the excitement we felt when we received our call to serve as member and leader support missionaries in the Wellington, New Zealand Mission.”
The couple from St. George, Utah, USA explained why they volunteered to leave the comfort of their own home and the association with family.
“Because we love Jesus Christ and have been so blessed by His love, our hope was to extend that blessing to others by serving a mission.”
“Some look for reasons to stay home. They worry about their family or feel that a mission is financially impossible,” said Elder Furniss.
The missionary couple gives this advice to those with similar concerns, “Don’t think of all the reasons why you can’t. Just come and you and your family will be blessed.”
"Senior missionaries, rich in life experience, add wisdom and stability to missions," said Newman N. Soloai, President of the Wellington, New Zealand Mission who also expressed his love and appreciation for the couple.
Watch a video on senior missionary opportunities and the website to find them.
Mormons believe that reaching out to others with kindness and respect is how we show our love to Jesus Christ.