Hello from Knox!

 We had a very very slow week this week, unfortunately, but the highlight was probably Zone Conference. 


   We got up at about 5am to get ready and head out to Asheville, North Carolina for Zone Conference.  We finally got there and had a pretty good meeting.  President Pickett gave a training called "What's in a name?" It was very good.  He spoke of some Chinese traditions that believed what you are named has a great deal of influence on your characteristics, and who you become as a person.  I believe that.  I know it has influenced me a great deal.  I know that no matter how little feedback or interest we receive while being out here, me going and putting the 'Roden' stamp on people’s doors will make a difference.  It might not be through the typical missionaries’ categories like how many baptisms they have had, if they are really keeping a tally, but it will circle around.  I might not ever see that happen, but that doesn’t matter to me as long as it happens, and it will eventually.  

   Anyways, after Zone Conference we headed back to our area.  And one of the routes that used the least amount of miles happened to go right through Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, and Sevierville. My birthplace!  Elder Vinyard was actually the one that replaced me there when I left so we were both super excited.  We stopped and got some awesome tacos from a gas station and cruised around town for a little bit.  We even swung by our old ward mission leader’s house, Brother Thedy.  He was super surprised but super excited to see us, haha.  Then on the way back through Knoxville there was some really bad traffic so we didn’t get home until about 9:30. It was a looong day and we were glad to be back home. 

One thing I found interesting studying this week was in 1 Corinthians.  Paul sets some things straight about how we should go about our own teaching and examples:

  4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

  5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life(2 Cor 3:6). I just thought that was pretty cool.  Also, I am SO tired of hearing "well my pastor says..." haha. 

Hope y’all have a great week!
Elder Roden