Ember.js -Render a template in separate directory with own controllers

I am not understanding the correct way to render a template inside another template. I am using ember-cli 2.4.3.

I have my route.js:

import Ember from 'ember';
import config from './config/environment';

const Router = Ember.Router.extend({
    location: config.locationType
});

Router.map(function() {
    this.route('index', {
        path: '/'
    });
    this.route('nodes', function() {
        this.route('detail', {
            path: '/:node_id'
        }
    });
    this.route('widgets', function() {
        this.route('node_list');
    });
});

export default Router;

I have my outlet in my index.js:

<!-- app/templates/index.hbs -->

So far this is what I have in my index.js route:

// app/routes/index.js
import Ember from 'ember';
import AuthenticatedRouteMixin from 'ember-simple-auth/mixins/authenticated-route-mixin';

export default Ember.Route.extend(AuthenticatedRouteMixin, {
    renderTemplate: function() {
        this.render();
        this.render('index');
        this.render('widgets/project_list', {
            into: 'index',
            outlet: 'node_list',
            controller: 'nodes/index'
        });
    }
});

And my controller that I am trying to reference is at app/controllers/nodes/index.js, but I am not sure if that is correct. The only thing I have in my controls regard creating, deleting, and destroying nodes, which actually I am just trying to get a node list. It would be based on the node models, which is in a separate ember project library that gets accessed through the nodes.js route:

// app/routes/nodes.js
import Ember from 'ember';
import AuthenticatedRouteMixin from 'ember-simple-auth/mixins/authenticated-route-mixin';

export default Ember.Route.extend(AuthenticatedRouteMixin, {
    store: Ember.inject.service(),
    session: Ember.inject.service(),
    model() {
        let user = this.modelFor('application');
        if (user) {
            return user.get('nodes');
        } else {
            return this.get('store').findRecord('user', 'me').then(user => user.get('nodes'));
        }
    }
});

I actually have more in index.js route, but all I am trying to do is render my template in the directory app/widgets/node_list.hbs. I am confused as to where renderTemplate is actually supposed to be (what route), and the correct way to get my widget to show up in the index. Right now I am not getting any content to render, but the routes are showing in the ember inspector. I plan on adding several more widgets to the index, but I would like someone to help me understand the correct way to route and render these 'widget' templates into another template. Thanks in advance!