Welcome to the TKM!

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On August 7th, 14 new missionaries arrived in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission! Sister Brown arrived on time from the Mexico MTC, but the other 13 missionaries from the Provo MTC were delayed and didn’t arrive until 2am on August 8th. Needless to say, it was a very long day of travel for them.

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This is a great group of missionaries! They will begin in the TKM with the following assignments:

MissionaryTrainerArea
Sister BrownSister SmithLebanon 2nd Branch
Elder CarleyElder ClarkGrove Park Spanish
Elder ColungaElder CollinsFranklin
Sister CovingtonSister AngellSignal Mountain
Elder GrantElder HarperDalton 2
Elder GreenElder LewisWatauga
Elder HirstElder StakerOoltewah
Elder KerbyElder PreeceHouse Mountain
Elder McDonaldElder WilsonPowell Valley
Elder MorganElder ScottRotherwood
Elder PotterElder AndrusJamestown
Elder RobbinsElder FisherLoudon Spanish
Sister RoseSister BirdJohnson City
Elder SpethElder OlsonMarion Branch

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Elder Speth
Sister Rose
Elder Robbins
Elder Potter
Elder Morgan
Elder McDonald
Elder Kirby
Elder Hirst
Elder Green
Elder Grant
Sister Covington
Elder Colunga
Elder Carley
Elder and Sister Browning
Sister Brown

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The departing missionaries made great welcome posters as part of the TKM Family Olympics!

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Because they arrived so late, we had a late start in the morning and weren’t able to do our typical orientation activities like going to the University of Tennessee campus to contact people.

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But the best part of Day 1 is always assigning the new missionaries to their trainers. These trainers are all terrific missionaries. I will forever be grateful for my trainer from the Hawaii Honolulu Mission, Garland Parris. Shout out to Elder Parris! Very few people have had the impact on my life that you’ve had. I will forever be grateful for you. We hope these new missionaries will feel the same way about their trainers.

#WhatsUpInTKM

10th TKM Family Olympics

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On Tuesday, August 6th, we had 13 incredible missionaries complete their missionary service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. We met for lunch and discussed the lessons they’ve learned in becoming lifelong disciples of Christ, especially the importance of being in the Book of Mormon daily, taking the sacrament weekly, and being in the temple regularly. These 13 missionaries have learned how to apply the Doctrine of Christ in their lives.

We then had the chance to meet with each of them individually and give them a final priesthood blessing as missionaries.

Elder Josh Russell
Elder Easton Wakefield
Elder Dallin Symes
Elder Addler Tubbs
Elder Bronson Bradshaw
Elder Solomon Sleater
Elder Joseph McClellan
Elder Talon Bluemel
Elder Braden Fisher
Elder McAllister Berg
Elder Hunter Bangerter
Sister Anna Stephens
Sister Sophia Dalby

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After that, we went to the mission home, changed clothes, and started the competition for the 10th TKM Family Olympics. Once again, the marquee event was the welcome poster making contest, along with corn hole, bocce, and Kub.

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In a change of rules, we allowed missionaries to share with the judges some explanations of their posters. You can see a couple of pictures above of elders trying to sway the judges.

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While the competition was fierce, there can only be two gold medal winners!

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On the strength of their welcome poster (designed after the Facebook profile pics of the arriving missionaries), Elder Sleater and Elder Symes took home the gold medals. Winners of the poster contest were Sister Dalby and Sister Stephens. Imaginary silver medal winners (and 3-0 in corn hole, Kub, and bocce) were Elder Berg and Elder Bluemel.

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We LOVE these 13 missionaries! They have been outstanding and we feel so grateful to serve side-by-side with them, witness their growth over the last year, and now will cheer them on from the front row as they move ahead with the next big steps in their lives. They are going to do big things!

#WhatsUpInTKM

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Isaac

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On a Saturday evening, Sister Avei and Sister Angell in Signal Mountain were cold-calling people on Facebook Messenger who they had friended on Facebook. Isaac answered and they told him a little bit about the sacrament and why we go to church. Isaac said he’d like to go to church, so they invited him to attend the following morning. However, Isaac was not in their area. He lived in Dalton.

After their lesson, the sisters called Sister Wittwer and Sister Dever and explained Isaac’s situation. The missionaries all had a group call with Isaac at about 9:30pm to introduce him to Sister Wittwer and Sister Dever. He said he would love to come to church in the morning, but he would need a ride. Sister Wittwer and Sister Dever accepted the challenge and crossed their fingers that someone would answer the phone in the morning. Thankfully, Brother Finley answered and said he would be delighted to pick up Isaac.

Isaac showed up to church that Sunday and has been almost every week since. The members were amazing and made a tremendous difference. Practically the whole ward introduced themselves to him and made him feel welcome with this new church family. He commented that the church is very friendly.

Isaac started having regular lessons and was readily accepting the concepts of baptism and the priesthood. Isaac is just a good person, he wanted to hold himself to a higher standard and understand more of God’s Plan for him. His relationship grew with Brother Finley as they became really good church buddies.

Sister Dever, Issac, Sister Wittwer

Isaac was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on June 23, 2024. While his only comment afterwards was, “It was good,” he was grinning ear to ear. 

Isaac was able to attend the Temple! He was so excited to enter into the Lords house and while at the temple he had such a big smile on his face the whole time. When we asked him about his experience at the temple, he simply said “It was great!”

We are so grateful for Isaac and his testimony of Jesus Christ. He has been such a light to us and the ward here in Dalton.

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Mia

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In 2019, the Cruz Family lost their home. Brother Cruz Sr. shared, “I sent my son, my daughter-in-law, and my two grand-daughters away to Virginia. I told them before they left, “Don’t worry about me, I’ll catch up.” I ended up being homeless and I lost everything I owned.”

“One night while homeless, I said to the Lord “If you want me, come get me. Otherwise, I am jumping in front of a bus at 9pm.” At 8:30pm that night, a man came up to me and asked me about what I was doing. I shared with him my plan. As we were talking he told me things that comforted me and told me he would miss me.”

“After talking so long, I looked up and saw that the 9pm bus had just zoomed by. I took this as an answer to my prayers and asked the Lord: “Tell me where to go and I’ll do it.” He led me to the Anaheim, California 4th ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

“After a while of going to the church, the members said they wanted to help me. The bishop asked what could they do and I asked for a one-way ticket to Jonesville, VA. My first missionaries and the bishop said goodbye and sent me off from Santa Ana, CA to Jonesville, VA. When I got to Jonesville, I met back up with my family and said “I told you I would catch up”. I kept going to church in the Powell Valley Ward and got baptized December 27, 2019.”

Brother Cruz Sr’s powerful testimony has had a huge impact on the rest of his family. Teaching Mia has been a special experience. As she read the Children’s Book of Mormon we had gospel discussions about the scripture stories found in its pages. Brother Cruz Sr. would tell his grand-daughters how much the gospel meant to him and how much it changed his life.

Mia was baptized by her grandfather on April 21, 2024. Now every first Sunday of the month during Fast and Testimony Meeting, Brother Cruz Sr brings his two granddaughters up to the pulpit with him to all bear their testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

#TKMTenderMercies

Tender Mercies in the TKM: Bobby

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Bobby was found when the missionaries we’re making phone calls on a park bench and he stopped by to use the restroom. He wasn’t planning on being there that day but the missionaries invited him to church and he said “YES!”

His best friend of 28 years and then fiancé hopped out of the car and it turns out she was a long-lost member from South Carolina who wanted to come back to church. She had just recently pointed the church building out to Bobby and said she wanted to go, but was really nervous. Bobby kept saying, “Wow, God knew I needed to come to this park tonight, and you guys just called after me, He is amazing!” 

In our first lesson with Bobby, we taught the restoration and Jodi shared her testimony and insights too. As we shared Joseph Smith’s First Vision experience, Bobby immediately responded saying “I know that is true!” He was so aware of the spirit testifying of the truth of our message.

The missionaries recognized his tremendous faith and desire to follow in Christ’s footsteps and invited Bobby to be baptized right on the spot, and he happily accepted! He began reading the Book of Mormon every day and attending church every week. Mike n’ Ikes became his new best friend to help overcome an addiction he had, and he likes to joke that their trash can is only full of empty Mike n’ Ike boxes.

The branch and missionaries planned Bobby and Jodi’s wedding just 3 weeks out so that he wouldn’t have to wait any longer to be baptized. Their wedding was beautiful and they already look forward to the day they can be sealed.

Sister Holladay, Sister Gabbitas, Jodi, and Bobby at their wedding.

Bobby never missed a lesson and was so excited when he understood what a covenant was. He loves to say “ahh that special promise!” And the day he was baptized he remarked that he finally got to make his special promise. Jodi’s Aunt and Uncle drove down from Kentucky to be able to attend and baptize Bobby, and the love and support from everyone in the branch was wonderful. He was baptized on June 23, 2024.

Bobby loves sharing his love for Jesus Christ with everyone around him, in every possible way. He is so excited to continue to learn and grow and says “Don’t forget enduring to the end!”

#TKMTenderMercies