I’m a native of Hendersonville and the oldest of five kids. I grew up Southern Baptist. I believed in God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. I loved going to church and being active there. I loved singing the hymns and learning about Jesus, but I had questions. Questions that were brushed off or ignored if they didn’t fit in the box of their theology.
I went to Southern Baptist University to study nursing. I knew at a very young age that I was called to be a nurse. That was one of the clearest promptings that I ever had. Now, it is second to the clarity that I had when I made the decision to join this church, and the answers and confirmation that I received during my baptism and confirmation. Even in college, my questions still weren’t answered to my satisfaction. I felt like there was something more out there, and that something was missing. I didn’t know what it was.
After school, I came back home and helped start a non-denominational church that split from the church of my childhood. I was very active in the children and youth programs. I loved spending time with them and trying to answer their questions. Then I got married. At first, we were still going to church regularly. As time passed, he didn’t want to go anymore. I was frustrated with the lack of answers and fell away in my faith as well.
Over the years, I was cut off from friends and family. My finances were in ruins. In 2023 things began to escalate. Small tiffs suddenly became explosive arguments. I tried praying and felt no one was listening as things kept getting worse. I was utterly devastated and could not figure out why my life had been spared to be left with crippling anxiety, pain, and darkness. My prayers felt empty and like they were hitting the ceiling.
In July 2024, I had COVID for 3 weeks. This pushed me deep into a dark place. Coupled with court dates and an upcoming birthday, my world became dark and painful. I felt desperately alone. On August 4th, I prayed in desperation. I begged God to give me a sign, to show me a reason to keep going on. On August 6th, Elder Huff and Elder Johns arrived at my door. A physical answer to my prayer.
I answered my door, something that was very rare, and the first words out of my mouth were, “Y’all are here to tell me about Jesus.” We stood on my porch and talked in the hot August sun, they gave me a Book of Mormon, asked me to pray about it, and we set up a meeting later that week at the park with the Sheltons joining us. I walked inside, put the book on my shelf and left it there. I wasn’t sure what to do. I felt confused but strangely hopeful. So I did as the Elders asked. I prayed. And I read the verse they had asked of me. 3 Nephi 9:14.
Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me. 3 Nephi 9:14
I showed up at the next meeting. I read the next thing they asked then went off on my own, reading and praying and questioning. I sent them a list of questions. I knew the answers they shared with me were true. I was filled with a peace that I cannot explain. I was still nervous and began to overthink and actually delayed my baptism. I continued to search and pray. I was constantly reminded of one of my favorite verses. Isaiah 52:7. I will be forever grateful to all the missionaries that I have met for being the feet on the mountains.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Isaiah 52:7
Prior to my baptism, during a lesson either on prayer or the Holy Spirit, I informed the Elders and the Sheltons that I had been impressed with a phrase that I simply could not shake but did not have direction on. The phrase was “Called to Serve”. I then learned that it is also a song. And we sang it. Little did I know, that was to be a calling that would encompass my life. The covenant that I made in baptism has been so very precious to me. In the temple I was reminded of my covenant and the joy it brings.
I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on September 22, 2024
Since my baptism, there was the hurricane and I changed jobs. During the hurricane, my house and my family’s houses were spared. Immediately after the hurricane, I spent a lot of time with friends who lost everything. Like many of you, serving those in need. Loving and being examples of Christ. In case you ever wonder, that can make a huge difference. It did for me.
My first experiences with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was with the Sheltons, the Creasmans and Brother Watson. I knew a bit about the church, but more so, I knew how they lived their lives. I had watched them and their kids for years. I know Heavenly Father sends us moments of clarity and assurance when we need them most. I wouldn’t be here otherwise.
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
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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!
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We love these missionaries and look forward to all of the great things that lie ahead!
At zone conference last week, we rolled out March Madness 2025 in the TKM. In March Madness, we will be focusing on 1) reading the Book of Mormon together over the next 90 days, and 2) dialing in the “Sweet 16 Daily Essentials” introduced by Sister Barlow.
We invite parents and families to join with us in our Book of Mormon reading. Here is the schedule we will be following over the next 90 days:
Book of Mormon reading schedule
As you talk to your missionary each week, ask them how they are doing with the “Sweet 16 Daily Essentials”.
Sweet 16 Daily Essentials
We know that power comes from the Book of Mormon. President Nelson said, “When I think of the Book of Mormon, I think of the word power.” He’s also reminded us that power comes from these daily essentials. Speaking to missionaries, he reminded us, “Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles!” We are excited to apply these principles to gain more power as we work to baptize 100 friends by the end of March.
Seven years ago, Ronnie’s wife Kim joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She had met with missionaries, gained a love for the Book of Mormon, and a love for the people at Powell Valley Ward. She now serves in the church and bears her testimony to everyone, “I thought I was happy before I was baptized, but I realize now how much happier my life has been since I joined the church!”
Ever since his wife began to attend church regularly, Ronnie began to come with his wife on and off for a few years. He has always had a love for the Lord ever since his father read bible stories to him at a young age. He has a firm testimony that the Lord hears and answers prayers and has seen the Lord answer prayers especially for his family members, sometimes in miraculous ways. He knew that keeping the sabbath day holy was the right thing to do, but every week there would always be a struggle between his busy work schedule and church.
Ronnie had loved the community of saints found at church. He stated, “There was a lot of love at the church, I could definitely tell that everyone there was trying to live what was being taught.” This dedication and devotion Ronnie saw in others and most importantly in his wife Kim sparked a change in him as he began to set spiritual goals for himself in his own life. Missionaries began to visit with him more frequently as Ronnie began to improve himself. He set a goal to make it to church every single week, and found spiritual support during missionary visits during his journey. Ronnie said this while reflecting on his progress: “I am grateful for all the time the missionaries spent helping me for so long. I know they didn’t have to be there, but they wanted to be.”
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Elder Driggs reflects on the experience, “I had the priviledge of seeing Ronnie change and grow over the course of 6 months. Teaching the gospel in the Raymer home has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my missioanry service. I felt that Ronnie was ready for baptism when I had first met him, I remember inviting him to make that commitment our first evening together! He explained that he wanted to feel more prepared before making the commitment and he most certainly did prepare! His faith and hard work was inspiring, and Sister Raymer’s testimony was always so powerful and encouraging.”
Ronnie was baptized on June 22, 2024.
Ronnie now attends church weekly and feels confidence in the Lord as he chooses to keep the commandments. He is an incredible example of making small improvements everyday and his faith in the restored gospel is powerful. He stated, “I never had any doubt. I always had in faith in the Book of Mormon and I never doubted Joseph Smith.” Ronnie’s spiritual foundation is set with faith, goal setting, and steady progress. He has just been ordained to the office of priest in the Aaronic priesthood, and will continue with faith together with his wife to aim towards to the temple, improving every day.
At our December Zone Conference, we invited our missionaries to memorize”The Living Christ“. We did this last year as well, but now have a new group of missionaries who weren’t with us then. When each missionary arrives in the Tennessee Knoxville Mission, we give them a flip book that will help them memorize this powerful statement about the Savior.
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Speaking of “The Living Christ”, President Russell M. Nelson said:
The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission—the more we understand His doctrine and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives…
As you seek to learn more about Jesus Christ, I urge you to study “The Living Christ.” As we invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice, we are drawn to participate in another key element to accessing His power: we choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.”
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.
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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.
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This is a great opportunity to introduce all of our incredible senior missionaries!
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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In the end, the poster making contest ending up being the deciding factor!
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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!).
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We love these missionaries, and can’t wait to see what big plans Heavenly Father has for each one of them!
This story is about a valiant seeker of truth, who is a powerhouse of knowledge and the Spirit, and loves Jesus Christ. Her name, is Angela.
One day, Angela was down by the pool at her apartment complex, when she met Tevin, who is a member but had not been to church in a while. They got to talking, and began to do Bible studies together, which of course led to discussions about church. Angela had been looking for a church to attend since she moved here, and while she had visited a few, none of them felt quite right. She’d always had a strong relationship with God, and when Tevin brought up the Church, she convinced him to go to church and to bring her as well. She enjoyed the experience, listening to the talks and the music, and she introduced herself to the missionaries, and expressed interest in learning more.
We set up a time to come see her later that week. We went over and got to know her, and even at that first meeting it was clear that she had a strong relationship with Jesus Christ, and that it meant a lot to her. One of the first lessons we taught her was about prophets, and how important they are, and we invited her to listen to some talks by President Nelson. After listening to some of his talks she remarked that she had never felt so much peace in her home as she did when she would play his sermons. She explained that she would turn it on and have it play in the background becasue of how much peace it brought to her. During this same time she started her study of the Book of Mormon.
As she opened the Book of Mormon for the first time, she read the Testimonies of the Three Witnesses, the Eight Witnesses, and of course, the Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. As she read Joseph Smith’s testimony, she gained her own testimony of it’s truthfulness, and the reality of the First Vision, that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that he had indeed found the ancient record and translated it by the gift and power of God. She said that God had been preparing her for a long time, so when we taught her the doctrine of baptism, it was more like she taught us, and as we extended the invitation to be baptized, she was more than ready to accept.
Angela’s original date for baptism was September 28, 2024. But the day before her baptism, Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina, and unfortunately for us, we were stuck right in the middle of it. Due to a lack of water, power, and service, we were unable to have Angela’s baptism that day, despite our best efforts.
Following the hurricane, there were also a lot of needs in the community and our church family that prevented us from using the church building. As we consulted with the Bishop, he said that her baptism (and eternal salvation) was top priority, and he even offered his pool if the church remained unavailable. Fortunately, the church got power and water back in time for us to perform Angela’s baptism on October 9, 2024.
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It is often said that the opposition in our lives reflects the faith that we have. We know that Angela’s faith was so strong, that a literal hurricane was the only thing that could slow her down. She was able to persevere, and make that sacred covenant with God. We’re grateful for Angela’s faith, and for God’s hand in her life.
Angela is proof that God is preparing people, and He has a plan for each of us. One visit, Angela said that she wished she could have heard this message earlier, but she recognizes that she wasn’t ready at that time, but that God had been preparing her for, and leading her to, the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
God is in the details of each of our lives. We each experience hardships and trials that may feel like a hurricane. We can testify that there are no accidents and that God always provides a way. He did for Angela and he will for you!
We found Deybinxon from a media referral we received from his aunt, Emily Ochoa. On the first lesson we had with Emily, her sister Marianne (Deybinxon’s mom), and their neighbor Yaquelin, the Spirit was felt very strongly and we extended to them the baptismal date of August 10, 2024.
Within the next couple lessons we were also introduced to the parejas of Emily and Marianny, as well as Emily’s son, Neyder, and his cousin, Marianny’s son, Deybinxon. Both sons had the same baptismal date extended to them as well. As we taught, most everyone was interested in our message, but we could tell that Deybinxon especially felt the Spirit from the truths that were taught.
Over time and with the help of the Lemon family in the ward, Deybinxon was taught all the missionary lessons. Any time we talked about their baptism, Deybinxon and his cousin Neyder would literally bounce up and down in their seats and clap their hands from excitement.
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Deybinxon was only able to come to church once before his scheduled baptismal date on August 10, so we had to move his date back. Nevertheless he continued to take the lessons and had a wonderful ability to understand and remember the things we taught.
A super important moment for him was when he attended the baptism of another young person, Adrian, who was baptized on September 14. After the baptism he told members that he wanted to be baptized too, and the very next Friday if possible, since that would be when his dad was off work so his whole family could attend.
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On September 20, 2024, Deybinxon had a powerful baptismal service and in his own words, he said he felt God touch his hand and he could feel His presence immediately after getting out of the baptismal water. He was confirmed on September 22, 2024. Since then he has loved listening to General Conference and watching the children’s Book of Mormon Stories on YouTube.
Barlows in TKM 