In August 2024, Audrey started studying with a local church. She remembers studying about different levels of kingdoms in heaven and other gospel principles that caused her to have questions.
One day, she went to the library with her friend to do more studies together. Audrey was sitting outside of the library when two missionaries, Sister Massey and Sister Talbot, walked up to her right before the library closed. They briefly introduced her to the Book of Mormon. They couldn’t talk for long, so they gave her a Book of Mormon, exchanged numbers and set up a time to talk again.
At that time, a lot of outside influences started to tell Audrey not to study with the missionaries, so she canceled her meet with the sisters. She decided not to attend church with them that Sunday and kept studying with the church she was currently with. Later on, she decided to step away from that church and try something new, and she couldn’t help but remember the two sisters that walked up to her that day at the library.
So, one late Saturday night she decided to text the phone number the missionaries had given her and ask if she could come to church with them. Sister Critchfield and Sister Dever dropped everything to find her a ride! After many phone calls, they found a couple in the ward who were able to pick her up. To this day, this couple have become some of Audrey’s best friends. Her experience at church that Sunday caused her to want to learn more as soon as possible!
Once Audrey started studying with the missionaries, all the questions she had that couldn’t be answered anywhere else were answered. She felt the Spirit telling her that this was the right church. She had been searching for a long time to find the truth.
Audrey had some challenges to overcome on her journey. One night the sisters invited her to pray for an answer to the specific direction she was seeking in her life. They came back a couple days later to follow up and Audrey had received her answer. She didn’t understand why at the time, but the answer she clearly received was that Heavenly Father wanted her to be in the temple. After receiving that answer, she was determined to make that happen. From that day on, everything changed! The power of god was working in her life, her challenges became easier to overcome, and her burdens were easier to bear.
#TKMTenderMercies
This goal pushed her to do whatever it took to be baptized so she could make it to the temple. Audrey was baptized on February 23, 2025, and just one week later she was able to attend the temple for the first time. Audrey has been such an amazing strength and addition to the Lakeway Ward! She loves sharing the gospel, she loves family history, and she doesn’t leave a Sunday without greeting everyone she sees.
On March 10-13, we were very excited to welcome Elder David L. Buckner and his wife Jennifer for a mission tour of the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. This was our third mission tour since we’ve arrived in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. Shortly after we arrived, we welcomed Elder and Sister Bowen and Elder and Sister Corbitt. Last year we were blessed to have Elder and Sister Nattress tour the mission.
Prior to the mission tour, we participated in a historic event in the mission. Because of the growth happening in East Tennessee, on Sunday, March 9th, the Kingsport Stake was divided to create the Kingsport and Johnson City Stakes. It is very exciting to see a new stake created because the church growing and thriving in wonderful ways. The Lord is truly hastening His work!
Kingsport Stake Presidency: President David Duffey (1st Counselor), President Jason Pickup (Stake President), and President Michael Peterson (2nd Counselor)Johnson City Stake Presidency: President Ryan Hackett (1st Counselor), President James Boone (Stake President), and President Ryan Youngblood (2nd Counselor)
The units in the Kingsport Stake now include the Greeneville Ward, Kingsport Ward, Powell Valley Ward, Rogersville Branch, Rotherwood Ward, and joining from the Cumberland Stake are the Lakeway Ward and Newport Branch.
The units in the new Johnson City Stake include the Abingdon Ward, Bristol Ward, Gray Ward, Johnson City Ward, Marion Branch, Watauga Ward, and Kingsport YSA Branch.
Our mission tour started on Monday. We first met with Elder and Sister Buckner, and then were off to meet with MLC for most of the day. In MLC, we discussed what is going well and what needs improvement. Sister Buckner noted that the Book of Mormon is bookend by tender mercies in 1 Nephi 1 and Moroni 10. We should look for these tender mercies every day. As we do so, the hand of God will be very evident in our lives. Elder Buckner shared that wherever there is a gap, the adversary will insert fear or darkness. We cannot convert people. It’s the Spirit’s role to convert people. Our focus should be to bless, bear witness, and invite people to act in ways that will build their faith in Jesus Christ. This is the one time in your life that you will get to do this in this unique way as a missionary, so remove any obstacles that are getting in the way and focus on this moment. There are angels around you, some who you know. They aren’t just hear cheering you on. They are here to lift you and help you.
We had zone conferences on both Tuesday and Wednesday. While both had things that were unique, there were many repeated themes.
Sister Buckner shared that her and Elder Buckner set a goal to listen to every talk from General Conference every month for the six months between conferences. So they’ve reviewed every talk at least six times. She noted that 25 of the 34 talks use the word “power”, and that “power” was referenced 103 times. This shows that receiving God’s power in our lives is a prophetic priority. She shared seven ways to access God’s power:
Be willing to go and do. Have a heart that says, “I will go, send me.”
Through covenants and ordinances. Look up Faith in the Topical Guide. the first things it says is “See baptism.”
Wear the garment.
Focus on the message of the restored gospel. This will bring power. Smile as you share it.
Read the Book of Mormon every day. This is the most powerful tool for conversion.
Be obedient to missionary standards. As you use your agency to choose to be obedient, you are promised power.
Power in your purpose. When you live the doctrine of Christ yourself, you will have greater power to invite others.
Elder Buckner talked about finishing his mission, getting on the plane to go home, slipping his shoes off, leaning back in his chair, and as the plane took off he said, “No regrets.” He invited all of us to serve in a way where we would have no regrets. He noted that doesn’t mean “no mistakes.” It doesn’t mean being perfect. It means doing all you can to fulfill your purpose while you are here and have the chance to do so. He used an analogy of a puzzle to help us think about gospel questions we will have in life. As we put together a puzzle, we begin with the edges, because they are easy. These represent primary principles of the gospel. We then start organizing groups of colors. What do you do when a piece doesn’t fit? Do you throw it away? Or course not. Why? Because you know it fits somewhere, you just don’t know where right now. So you keep it, set it aside for later, when you know you will see where it fits. We can look at our questions in similar ways. He then taught us about the doctrine of Christ. We have faith that leads us to repentance. There is power of turning and returning brought about by repentance. We take the sacrament to repair us each week. You can’t repair yourself from sin, you need the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We then take upon us the name of Jesus Christ through covenants, and receive revelation through the Spirit. We endure to the end by lookin forward with faith and continuing to change. He noted the Savior waited until the last minute to say, “It is finished.” We should not declare that we are finished prematurely. Keep enduring and He will help us to improve.
The afternoon of each zone conference was spent counseling together about steps we can take to improve on our three key priorities.
Helping more people attend church.
Helping more friends who are on date get baptized.
Finding through members.
Asheville, Cumberland, Kingsport, and Johnson City Zones
On Tuesday, March 11th, we met at the building in Greeneville, Tennessee with the Asheville, Cumberland, Kingsport, and Johnson City Zones.
.
Chattanooga, Cleveland, Cookeville, and Knoxville Zones
On Wednesday, March 11th, we met at the Farragut building with the Chattanooga, Cleveland, Cookeville, and Knoxville Zones.
.
After MLC on Monday, we had a devotional with all of the senior missionaries in the mission. We love these missionaries. They each are making a tremendous difference for both the missionaries they work with and the members they serve.
.
We also stopped by the Knoxville Tennessee Temple site to visit with Elder and Sister Markli. It’s exciting to see the progress at the temple each time we stop by.
.
Lastly, we were grateful to have Samantha join us for MLC, where Elder Buckner put her right to work. We can’t express how grateful we are for Samantha. She LOVES Tennessee and is having a wonderful experience here. She’s a big multiplier when it comes to our service as mission leaders.
One of the greatest blessings of serving a mission is having a companion to share with all of the experiences of missionary work. It’s an adjustment for missionaries to be with a companion 24X7. They are ALWAYS together. These companions are brought together for a short time, but during that time they are inseparable. They share hardships and triumphs. They work to be united in all they do. They have powerful experiences together that will connect them for a lifetime. Some of their very best friends in life will be companions they served with on their mission.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell once taught, “The macro plan of salvation is composed of micro plans. God governs the intersections of our lives, the people that we meet, and when we meet them. These intersections are all watched over by our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and we will not be aware of it. We can look back on these intersections, and the people that God brought into our lives and see how we were changed as a result.”
Monday, February 10th was “Companion Appreciation Day” in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. Missionaries were asked to do something that day to celebrate their companion. We had so much fun expressing gratitude and doing acts of kindness for each other. We saw a lot of pancakes, ice cream, homemade treats, doing dishes, making beds, matching outfits, and messages on mirrors.
We shared pictures all day long across the mission and it brought such a sweet feeling of love and unity. We love and appreciate all of the wonderful missionaries, young and old, who we get to serve side by side with. They are a great joy in our life.
Five more missionaries completed their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission on January 22nd. We’ve been able to see how much each of these missionaries has changed as they’ve worked to come unto Christ themselves while doing all they can to help others come unto Christ. We love these missionaries and will forever be grateful for the time we’ve had to serve side-by-side with them.
Before the fun of the Olympics, we met as a group to discuss how we can continue to be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, and met 1:1 with each missionary to give them a blessing.
The competition in the 14th TKM Family Olympics was the closest it has ever been! Because of some really cold temperatures, all of the events were held indoors this time around. Our three events were:
Ping pong
Sequence Board Game
Poster Making Contest
.
We only had two team, and it was the closest competition we’ve seen yet, but in the end, only one team can take home the gold medals!
.
We love these missionaries and look forward to all of the great things that lie ahead!
Juan sent in a referral request to meet with missionaries in May of 2024. He did not respond to missionaries at first but Sister Dever was persistent on Facebook and soon he started to respond. After several messages back and forth with the Sister Missionaries he met them in person.
Juan’s Story
Hi I am Juan. I am from Mexico and I met the missionaries by messenger and then eventually met in person. It’s really cool what they do. They help get people to Jesus. It is really awesome. The biggest experience I had was getting baptized. It was really cool. Keeping the commandments of God and His gospel, being a better person every day is awesome. In my opinion, it is the best thing I have ever done. It is really challenging for the missionaries but it is so cool that they help people change by reading the scriptures. It makes you think differently and better. I have been a better person since reading the Book of Mormon. The biggest miracle is being a better person and thinking better than I used to. I have been able to reach out to more people and have better conversations with people and especially the missionaries. I haven’t been to church a lot but I have loved being there with the awesome people, it is such a cool experience even though I haven’t been able to go there much. As I have followed the Word of Wisdom I have actually had more energy and been able to wake up as I have followed that commandment! I sleep better and rest a bit more.
My relationship with God is continuing to grow. I have more faith in him. I used to have faith but now I feel that he is with me all the time. Every time I read the Book of Mormon I notice all the things in it have happened or are coming to pass. It helps me to not fall into the temptations of the world. Having the Holy Ghost has helped me feel more confidence. I don’t feel tension in my life and I have more relief. My trust in the Lord keeps growing and I am so blessed. I have so much gratitude that I can’t even express it in prayer.
It’s not cool, it’s amazing and incredible and all of the big things.
.
I loved to see Juan and his progression and continuing progression in the gospel. From the first time we met him I knew Juan was ready to take steps of faith and from that time forward he did! I was so blessed to learn from someone so humble!
-Sister Bosh
Teaching Juan has been an absolute privilege and pleasure. Juan, from day one, was full of light. Since his baptism he has illuminated Christlike charity. It has been beautiful to watch it flood into the lives of his family and friends. He is a beacon of light which many are drawn towards. Juan loves the gospel and continues to grow every day. I’ve been able to watch his desire to share the gospel grow and develop. He now is sharing with everyone around him like his coworkers and family. He recently told Sister Bosh and I that he shared the Tennessee Knoxville Mission “The Living Christ” with his boss!! He also told me the other night that his heart has changed and he is full of gratitude for his Savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for Juan and his example to me and he will forever have an impact on my life.
Once each transfer, we gather together with all of the senior missionaries in the mission. On December 14th, all senior missionaries in the TKM gathered at the mission home for a Christmas Party. We had a wonderful lunch together and shared white elephant gifts. The best part is being together, sharing our experiences, and getting to know each other better. This is a special group with a special connection.
It was Sister Jentzsch’s birthday, so our Christmas party doubled as a birthday celebration! Sister Jentzsch is the heart and soul of the mission. Happy Birthday Sister Jentzsch!
Elder and Sister Hillman brought their Christmas bells, so we created our own bell choir to play some Christmas songs.
.
A special shout out to my mom Marilyn and my sister Christie who flew into Tennessee to help us this week and cooked lunch for all of our senior missionaries.
.
This is a great opportunity to introduce all of our incredible senior missionaries!
.
Elder and Sister Jentzsch
Elder and Sister Jentzsch arrived in the TKM a month before we did, so we can’t imagine the TKM without them! Sister Jentzsch serves as our mission secretary and keeps us all organized, and Elder Jentzsch is our Vehicle Coordinator and is responsible for the 84 vehicles in the mission. Both are really big jobs and the Jentzsch’s do them incredibly well. They also serve in the Loudon Ward where they are having many special experiences as missionaries and ministers.
Sister Young
Sister Young is our Mission Health Advisor. With a background as a nurse, she supports our missionaries with all things related to their physical health. When you are around her, you will notice her phone rings frequently. She is always so kind, generous, and supportive. All of the missionaries love her! I don’t know what we would do without Sister Young (or Sister Ford)! We like to call Sister Young the TKM Ministering Angel because we have watched her drive from Knoxville to Asheville to Chattanooga and then back to Knoxville in the same day ministering to missionaries!
Sister Ford
Sister Ford also serves as a Mission Health Advisor. She lives in Kingsport, TN and like Sister Young is like a guardian angel of the mission. One of Sister Ford’s super powers is being a cheerleader. Along with keeping everyone healthy, she is always encouraging the missionaries in their missionary work. We love Sister Ford and have been so grateful for her service as a missionary.
Elder and Sister Neville
The Nevilles are from St. George, Utah and started in the TKM in September 2023. They have been serving in the Powell Valley Ward and also help to support the Group in Harlan, Kentucky. They are incredible ministers and have helped new and returning members, have taught self-reliance classes, helped families with significant welfare needs, and helped members progress on the covenant path. They have been so willing to do whatever is needed to help support their ward. The missionaries in their district gather each week for district council meetings at the Nevilles’ home and they love to spend time with them.
Elder and Sister Chris
Elder and Sister Chris are from Santa Clara, Utah and have been serving since October 2023. They live in Hendersonville, North Carolina and serve in the Hendersonville 2nd Branch, which is a Pohnpeian branch in the Asheville Stake. They have completely embedded themselves in the branch and adopted the Micronesian culture as their own. The members in that little branch love them and have gifted them many beautiful necklaces and head wreaths as a symbol of their gratitude for all Elder and Sister Chris do. We were especially grateful to have them in the Asheville area during Hurricane Helene where they provided calm and assurance for the missionaries and helping hands for the Asheville community.
Elder and Sister Hillman
Elder and Sister Hillman are from West Jordan, Utah and have been serving since November 2023. They heard Elder Rasband’s talk in the October 2023 General Conference and were here a month later. Sister Hillman has tremendous organizational skills and keeps everything in the office organized. She is in charge of supplies for the missionaries and takes care of the many lunches and dinners that happen with meetings across the mission. Elder Hillman serves as our Technology Specialist and Referral Secretary. They also serve in the Knoxville YSA branch and have had great experiences there. The Hillmans are well loved by the missionaries and have been mentors and examples of Christlike service to all of us.
Elder and Sister Bennett
Elder and Sister Bennett are from Asheville, North Carolina and have been serving since January 2024. They serve in the Asheville Central Branch and the missionaries all love the Bennetts! They are often side-by-side with the missionaries as they teach new friends and recent converts. They also were an incredible blessing during the challenges we had with Hurricane Helene. They didn’t have power or water for a number of days but that didn’t stop them from welcoming the missionaries with open arms to their home. Even in the aftermath of a hurricane, Elder and Sister Bennett didn’t miss a moment of Southern hospitality! Memories of charity and love from the Bennetts will stay with the missionaries for life.
Elder and Sister Markli
Elder and Sister Markli are from Oak Ridge, Tennessee and are serving as Temple Construction Missionaries at the construction site of the Knoxville Tennessee Temple. The missionaries love to take friends to visit the Markli’s at the visitor center set up at the temple site. Their district of missionaries also love to have their district councils there. They recite The Living Christ from memory on their drive to the temple site each day. They know the Savior and it shows in the way they serve. The Marklis will continue to serve until the temple is completed.
Elder and Sister Davis
Elder and Sister Davis are from Farmington, Utah and have been serving since March 2024. They live in Sevierville, Tennessee and serve in the Sevierville Ward and Member and Leader Support missionaries. They’ve been busy working to contact all less active and prospective elders in the ward and inviting them to return. They have a love for family history and set up family history booths and many of the local county fairs this summer. They are also organizing service opportunities for every area in our mission. Elder and Sister Davis have been a great blessing to their ward and every time we see the members, they tell us how much they love and appreciate Elder and Sister Davis. We do too!
Elder and Sister Browning
Elder and Sister Browning are from Smithfield, Utah and have been serving since July 2024. Sister Browning as our Financial Secretary and Elder Browning is our Housing Coordinator. These are two incredibly big jobs. We don’t know what we would do without the Brownings. They are incredible! And everyone loves serving with them. Sister Browning has a gift of eyes to see what is needed and the ability to quickly and kindly take care of things and people. Elder Browning is a man of great humility and faith. They also serve in the Smoky Mountain Ward and help minister there.
Elder and Sister Heslop
Elder and Sister Heslop are from Ogden, Utah and have been serving since October 2024. They live in Crossville, Tennessee and serve and Member and Leader Support missionaries in the Crossville 1st Ward and the Crossville 2nd Branch. In their role, they are helping to minister to less active members, part member families, and prospective elders. The missionaries love to be in their home and spend time with them every chance they get. The Heslops bring incredible experience and we are so grateful they are here serving in the TKM.
Elder and Sister Puentes
Elder and Sister Puentes are from West Jordan, Utah and joined us in the TKM in November 2024. They live in Morristown, Tennessee and serve in the Lakeway Ward supporting the Spanish Group there. The members and missionaries felt an immediate connection with Elder and Sister Puentes! Elder Puentes has a great sense of humor and always gets a laugh. Sister Puentes is humble, warm, and it’s easy to feel her love for the Lord.
Elder and Sister Hendrix
Elder and Sister Hendrix are from Taylorsville, Utah and started their service in November 2024. They live in Chattanooga, Tennessee and are assigned to the Chattanooga Ward. The missionaries love them already! They are the classic grandparents away from home- full of love, kindness, and a great talent for ministering as the Savior does. We have already seen them be His hands as the serve. They are musically talented and their little branch is in for a treat whenever they share their incredible talents. We are so blessed to have them here in the TKM!
Elder and Sister Shumway
Elder and Sister Shumway started in the TKM in December 2024. They are from Mesa, Arizona, live in Lafayette, Georgia, and are serving in the Lafayette Branch. Even though they’ve only been here a few weeks, we’ve already received multiple calls from members of the branch thanking us for sending the Shumways there. They have a great sense of humor, are fun to be around, have incredible experience in serving in the church, and will make a tremendous difference in their missionary service.
Elder and Sister Greaves
Elder and Sister Greaves are from Ogden, Utah and began their service in December 2024. They are living in Abingdon, Virginia and will serve in the Abingdon Ward. The Greaves have a grandson serving here, have joined our weekly zoom call with families called “Knit Together Sunday”. One week while on our zoom call, they felt a strong impression they should come serve in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission…and here they are! We love their faith in answering the call to serve. They are very talented and bring remarkable church experience that will greatly bless the people in Abingdon.
When we first came to the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we had 11 senior missionaries serving, with three couples close to returning home. Today we are so fortunate to have 28 senior missionaries serving. Each of them are making an incredible difference in the TKM. These missionaries make a tremendous difference in the wards and branches where they serve, but they make an even bigger difference with the young missionaries they serve with every day.
And yet, we could still use many more senior missionaries. If you’ve thought about serving, and especially if you would like to join us in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, please reach out to me and Sister Barlow. We would love to share with you the ways that you can serve and the great difference you will make. We promise you will have a life-changing experience. We would love to have you serve here in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, but any mission would be happy to welcome you.
If you’ve ever thought about serving, watch this talk from Elder Ronald A. Rasband titled, “How Great Will Be Your Joy”. Please come!
See these other posts about the impact of senior missionaries:
We had a great welcoming committee at the airport with he welcome posters made by our departing missionaries.
.
Because it was wet and cold, we held all of the orientation at the stake center in Farragut, though we did get to go out to Market Square and find people to teach.
.
The most exciting part of welcoming new missionaries is assigning them to their trainers and first areas. We know Heavenly Father has great trust and confidence in these trainers. Here are the trainer assignments for these new missionaries.
New Missionary
Trainer
Area
Sister Iongi
Sister Bunderson/Campbell
Brevard
Sister Laulu
Sister Nunn
Marion
Sister Rush
Sister Bosh/Low
Asheville
Sister Diede
Sister Petersen
East Ridge
Sister Lancaster
Sister Bundy
Ringgold
Sister Peterson
Sister Wilson
Pleasant Ridge
Sister Williams
Sister Massey
Greenville
Elder Keeler
Elder Wright
Lafayette
Elder Jarman
Elder Woodward
Cherokee
Elder Hales
Elder Wilson
Jamestown
Elder Gunther
Elder Sommer
Lebanon 2nd
Elder Bronson
Elder Eyre
Lebanon 3rd
Elder Tyler
Elder Carroll
Watauga
Elder Woodruff
Elder McDonald
Powell Valley
Elder Painter
Elder Wickliffe/Farnes
Athens
Elder Christensen
Elder Farr
Sevierville
.
.
Can’t wait to see what this group accomplishes and the disciples of Christ they become during their time in the TKM!
On December 11th, we had 9 fantastic missionaries who finished their service in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. They’ve each made a tremendous difference here and we’ve been very grateful to serve side-by-side with each of them.
The competition in the 13th TKM Family Olympics was very, very close. With it being a rainy day, we competed in three events: Poster Contest, Sequence, and Corn Hole.
.
In the end, the poster making contest ending up being the deciding factor!
.
In the end, the winners of the gold medal for the 13th TKM Family Olympics were Elder Mecham and Elder Huff (who by the way were also MTC companions!).
.
We love these missionaries, and can’t wait to see what big plans Heavenly Father has for each one of them!
On October 30th, we welcomed 20 (yes, 20!) new missionaries to the Tennessee Knoxville Mission. We are so excited about this group of missionaries and know they will make a big impact in the TKM!
Elder Dave WilkinsSister Grace ZoggSister Ruth TualaElder Alec NielsenSister Alayna ThatcherSister Megan MathiasSister Megan KingstonSister Taylie ChristensonSister Madison MairSister M’li BrockSister Rebecca LeeElder Thomas BartholomewElder Aaron CaldwellElder Matthew JaggiSister Hailie FraserElder Isaac EgglestonElder Chase NewmanSister Tai AstonElder Gianfranco RevillaElder Brian Allen
.
We had a wonderful “Day 1” with them doing training, interviews, and then finding people to teach at the University of Tennessee and at Market Square in downtown Knoxville.
That afternoon, they were assigned their first areas and trainers.
We had 12 incredible missionaries depart the TKM on October 30th. We’ve felt so fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve side-by-side with them:
Elder Dallin TaylorElder Dixon ClarkElder Rhett HathawayElder McKay BecksteadElder Grant CoxElder Brock PorterElder Christian MatthewsSister Caitlyn WoodSister Syvannah BirdSister Eliana BerrettSister Mara SmithSister Brooklyn Condie
.
We drew names to form teams for the 12th TKM Family Olympics. This was probably the most competitive TKM Family Olympics we’ve had yet, especially given how close the judging was in the poster making contest.
Sister Berrett and Elder CoxElder Matthews and Elder BecksteadSister Wood and Elder TaylorSister Smith and Sister BirdSister Condie and Elder PorterElder Clark and Elder Hathaway
.
We competed in three other events as well: Bocce, Kub, and Corn Hole.
.
Sister Berrett and Elder Cox were the winners of the poster contest.
And the Gold Medal winners of the 12th TKM Family Olympics were Sister Condie and Elder Porter!
.
We love these missionaries and can’t wait to see what comes next in their lives!
Barlows in TKM 