On April 4, 2024, we said goodbye to 8 incredible missionaries who wrapped up their 18 or 24-month service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. Every time we say goodbye to a group of missionaries, we wonder how the mission will possibly continue without them, and this group was no different.
We began the afternoon on Wednesday, April 3rd meeting at the church where we had a discussion on being a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ. To do this, we reviewed how we can put the Savior at the center of our lives, and more joyfully live the gospel of Jesus Christ by doing four key things:
- Read the Book of Mormon daily as a means to “always remember Him” so that we might “always have His Spirit to be with us.”
- Partake of the sacrament every week to apply the Doctrine of Christ.
- Attend the temple regularly…weekly if possible…to help access His power.
- Wear the garment always as a reminder of Him and the covenants we have made with Him.
We then met with each missionary individually and gave them a priesthood blessing.
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Then it was off to the mission home for the 7th TKM Family Olympics. It was a cold day, but each event was still competitive. We competed in corn hole, bocce, Kub, and making welcome posters for the new missionaries who would arrive the next day. The teams were Elder Smith/Sister Milne, Sister Hunt/Sister Arellano, Sister Bailey/Elder Hagerman, and Sister Palmer/Elder Steiner.
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The highlight of the TKM Olympics is always the poster making. It is where our missionaries always want to spend the most time. They won’t even meet these new Elders and Sisters, but it is important to them that these new missionaries feel welcome.
After the events, we had dinner with the office senior couples, had a ceremony to award the gold medals (Sister Arellano and Sister Hunt were the gold medal winners of the 7th TKM Family Olympics), and then change back into our missionary clothes for a testimony meeting.
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These 8 now “returned” missionaries from the Tennessee Knoxville Mission are truly remarkable. We’ve had personal experiences with every one of them. We’ve seen the challenges they’ve faced and overcome, witnessed their determination and diligence to invite others to come unto Christ, and know of the sacrifices they’ve made to serve. In the process, they each now return home changed. Changed for the better. And will never go back…only forward. They are well on their way to being lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ. We are excited to see what comes next for them in their lives, and look forward to having a front row seat to cheer them on every step of the way.
Barlows in TKM 