My name is Denise Teetor and I was born and raised in Lexington, Nebraska. After graduating from high school I when to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. I graduated with a degree in Education with endorsements in Physical Education and Coaching. My first and only teaching job has been at Hasting Sr High in Hastings, Nebraska. I have been a teacher there since fall of 1979. I coached volleyball for 13 years and I taught Physical Education for 17 years. The last 20 years I have taught ESL.  

I grew up in a Christian home and accepted the Lord as my Savior when I was eight years old. When I was in college I went on a summer mission trip to Guatemala. I always thought I would go back to Guatemala some day as a missionary. God had other plans. After giving up coaching I traveled around the United States for a couple summers. After the second summer I felt like the Lord was asking me to do something for Him. I told him I would love to but all I could do was teach. One day while I was leaving the Christian book store I glanced back and I saw a poster advertising “Teach English in Japan for six weeks.” I thought I could do anything for six weeks so I took the postcard and sent it for information. Really the rest is history. I went that summer in 1994 and have gone back every summer since. After the second summer I took a sabbatical and stayed for a year. After that year I found various ways to go back during the summers. In 1996 I started working on my ESL endorsement. In about 1998 I knew the ESL teacher was leaving my school so I set things up before I left for Japan to possibly be considered for the position if she left. Half way through the summer I got a phone call asking if I would be interested in teaching ESL. That’s how I got into teaching ESL at my high school.  

When I first went to Japan I thought I would go and serve and then move on with my life. God got ahold of my heart and I fell in love with the Japanese people and just kept going back year after year. I retired at the end of the 2017-18 school year and moved to Japan and joined Tim and Wakako Clark ministering in Fuchinobe. In August of 2020 because of COVID I decided to move back to Nebraska. When I came home my plan was to return to Japan after COVID was under control. Once again God had other plans. During the last few years I have gone through several health issues which have caused me not to be able to return. Finally, 2025 has been a good year and God has given me the green light to return to Japan. I am so thankful to be going back to Japan. I know God still has work for me to do in Japan.