By Kevin V. Hunt
Blog #28
It is a Mission Thanksgiving Day, and there is much to be grateful for. I am thankful to the Lord for His many bounties on our behalf.
GRATITUDE TO HEAVENLY FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We are grateful for all of the Lord’s blessings. We are grateful that we can represent them as missionaries. We are grateful that we can witness of them and the Restored Gospel. We are grateful that they visited Joseph Smith and called him to be their Prophet of the Restoration. It is a great blessing to be missionaries and to be able to share these messages with the many guests who come or are brought here.
I am thankful for covenants that I have made with God and Christ. I am grateful that there is a picture of the Savior in our current home. This helps me remember Christ each day and the blessings He has given, as well as the opportunity to go out to serve and build His Kingdom anew.
I am happy that I can wear the sacred black badge with the name of Christ on my chest.
GRATEFUL FOR A TEMPLE NEARBY
I grew up less than a mile from the Mesa, Arizona Temple and this was a great blessing. For the last 40 years, however, the Temple has been quite distant from me. Now, here in Nauvoo, we live less than a mile away from the beautiful Temple. It is so amazing. We get to see the Temple every day from various angles. And we get to go frequently for the various ordinances. This has been a wonderful blessing and opportunity.
GRATEFUL FOR THE HOPE OF FUTURE SPRING
When we arrived in Nauvoo, months ago, the whole place was green and beautiful – as if a lush garden. Seeing green everywhere was so great. And then came fall with its kaleidoscope of beautiful colors. This too was magnificent as we got to experience the season of fall. This was a scene that I really have not experienced since for most years (even though away from Arizona) have been in tropical or semi-tropical areas where the trees remained mostly green most of the time.
Now, there is a new look in Nauvoo. The leaves have fallen from the trees and the FM missionaries have crushed them or they have been moved away by the winds. The trees look kind of bleak and naked without their leaves.
But, even with this stark reality of the now moment, we can look forward with hope for the spring when the life and greenery will be renewed and the town will once again be green and vibrant.
GRATEFUL FOR WARM COATS
Okay, so it is getting colder – especially for us desert rats. We have been kind of dreading the winter weather. We are grateful that the cold has mostly held off and here it is almost December and it has been great weather up to this time. So, that is a major blessing. We have been somewhat protected, I think. It must be the prayers from our family who are all praying for us.
And with the cold, we have stacks of coats to choose from. Thanks, Jenae! And with these coats, we have really been protected from the cold.
Before our missions, Sister Hunt was in a major panic about Nauvoo weather. With that panic, we went to a fabric store. She found this very unique fabric. It is black fleece on the outside and on the same thick fabric, and on the inside, is a heavy plaid flannel.
Combined, this fabric has become a wonderful cape that Sister Hunt has made. She has worn the recently and she has not complained at all about the cold. (But she does look like a grizzly bear on the prowl!) This newfound warmth is very unique and different for her. Usually, her tolerance for cold is almost nil. So, this really is a major Nauvoo miracle.
Today the temperature was super low. Kind of a shock to the system.
And with the wind and chill factors, we are all the more grateful that our home is warm inside. What a blessing!
GRATEFUL TO SIMEON DUNN
Pioneer of Nauvoo – Simeon A. Dunn
I have mentioned that we live in the historic Simeon A. Dunn Home.
At this moment, I am very grateful to him for the beautiful home that he built back when he lived in Nauvoo. The brick home was so well-built that it has lasted through 180 years. The home is the old brick on the outside.
The inside has been updated to modern time – with sufficient space, washer and dryer, a giant bedroom, a modern kitchen, a real bathroom, etc.. The place has been very comfortable for us. We have enjoyed our time here.
One of the great elements of the Simeon Dunn home is the basement. We have the washer and dryer down there, the large gas furnace, storage space, and the electrical systems.
The great thing about the room is that it is spacious and big. The downstairs room came with a giant rug that covers the whole room and makes it feel nice. It is big enough for us to spread out five or six air mattresses at once. And Jenae gifted us a plethora of air mattresses when they moved from St. Louis to Las Vegas. With the room, the rug, and the mattresses, we have room to welcome our family members who might come to visit us.
GRATEFUL FOR THE CHANCE TO SHARE WHAT WE BELIEVE
We give tours to about 30 restored homes and shops. In each of these places, we give a “soft-sell” about the community, the people, and how they lived their lives in the covenant community of Nauvoo. Each tour includes some gospel teachings – mainly through the example of how the people lived the Gospel. We do not preach to the people, but the sites themselves testify to the people who come to us. People come and say, “There is just a special and holy feeling here.” They have difficulty expressing that feeling and how it affects them.
Sarah Ann Pulsipher Terry
Occasionally, I get to share tidbits of my own ancestors and their lives. This is a great opportunity. It is fun to bring in some personal feeling and experience from these ancestors. These ancestor stories bring me strength which I can share with those who come.
I am even grateful that we can wear pioneer costumes – to better portray the lives of the Saints who once were here in Nauvoo. It helps the atmosphere when we look legit.
GRATEFUL FOR NEW FRIENDS AND FAMILY
It is amazing how many of our guests come and we are able to find common friends and family with them. I have come to appreciate the “Relatives around Me” App on FamilyTree. It is so fun to do this exercise with the guests who come. Most relationships found are pretty distant – like 8th or 9th cousins, but sometimes we are very surprised to find third and fourth cousins. These connections are pretty “close”. This seems to create a special bond with us and the guests.
A couple of days ago, a large family came – with many of the folks being from Farmington, Utah. I gave my usual quip: “I am related to half of the town of Farmington, but most of them are in the cemetery.” This always brings a laugh. We did “Relatives” with this Clark family group and learned that we are 3rd and 4th cousins. Our common ancestor was Ezra Thompson Clark, a prominent Nauvoo ancestor.
GRATEFUL FOR MISSIONARY FRIENDS AND EXPERIENCES
Being a missionary in Nauvoo is a wonderful experience as we get to share brotherhood with so many great couples – who are all around our same age. This has proven to be the greatest of retirement communities. It is amazing that we all have the same goals, dreams, and a common life here (even without the grandkids). We really are a “covenant community” together.
It is very fun to experience events and activities together. It is great to be at the side of 300 or more missionaries. We attend church together in our “missionary ward”. We have many fun activities and dinners. It is a fun time.
A MISSIONARY THANKSGIVING GATHERING
Of course, we are not the only missionaries here who are away from home. So, we pooled our time and resources to be together for our Thanksgiving festivities. Each couple was able to sign up for their specific and traditional food items. Sister Hunt signed up to make the Alura sweet potatoes and her traditional and wonderful dinner rolls.
And I made my favorite apple cake.
About 200 missionaries gathered to the giant “pageant building” warehouse for a grand feast. There were seven rows of tables – and I noted that each row seated about 24 people. And every seat was taken.
There are a great many Temple service missionaries here in Nauvoo. They serve under a different President (their own Temple president) – while we serve under our mission president. Typically, we do not have many activities together. It was nice to have both groups together today to jointly celebrate and rejoice together in our blessings.
There were five or six long sets of tables that were all full of wonderful Thanksgiving food. We could serve ourselves from both sides and each set of tables had about the same foods as the others. After the meal, we had to figure out what to do with all of the extra leftover food. And with the floors cleared, we broke into dancing the Virginia Reel – in four or five sets. It was a great time.
Mission President Mehr and wife dancing the Virginia Reel
GRATEFUL FOR GOOD HEALTH
I just celebrated my 70th birthday. I am grateful that I still have fabulous health. I have no problems at all. And I am amazed that I still have hair at that age. I (and my brothers) am/are a major enigma as compared to our Hunt cousins. Their hair designs have much in common with billiard balls and we kind of stand out with our hair. Thanks, Grandpa Larsen!
And another great development is that while here in Nauvoo, I have actually lost a dozen pounds. Wow! This is amazing. I have not really tried to lose it, but I am happy that it is gone.
GRATEFUL FOR A WAGON THAT WORKS
Vehicles, no matter how wonderful, can have their challenges. I am grateful that our wagon has been very dependable and wonderful. We had a flat tire on the way to the Mission and our alternator needed to be replaced for the second time in seven months. Other than these incidents, the vehicle has been great and we are grateful for this blessing.
GRATEFUL FOR A FAMILY WHO LOVES US
Though we are over a thousand miles away from them, we feel great love and support from our family. We are grateful that we can still connect through Zoom, FaceTime, and our WhatsApp family communication app. It is fun to connect with the family members. We enjoy talking to the parents as well as the many grands. The grands don’t have a lot to say, but they and we feel a great relationship together. It is fun to watch them be crazy.
We are also grateful for the prayers of all of the family members. We can feel those prayers in our behalf.
i am grateful to a loving daughter who keeps me supplied with “Idaho Spud” candy bars!
GRATEFUL FOR SOCKS
This may seem a funny “I am Grateful for …” but it is a big thing for me. Whenever my family asks me what I want for birthdays or Christmas, my standard answer is “some socks”. (I say this not wanting anyone to splurge on gifts for me – since I feel that I have everything that I need and don’t really need other “stuff”. This sometimes bothers the family members …). After the laundry, I was in awe. Anyway, I note the socks just as evidence that the kids have given them all to me and I have received the love for them. So, thanks, family!
GRATEFUL THAT “THERE AIN’T NO BUGS ON ME”
You might be saying, “What?” Well, that is actually the truth. A while ago, I was really “bugged” with the local bug collection. Every night I seemed infested with them. (Lou did not feel the same friendship). Anyway, I reported the situation to “FM” and asked for their recommendations. I expected them to come and spray the place.
To our surprise, they came and took the old furniture (that looked as if it was the upper class of Noah’s Ark – or certainly enjoyed by the Dunn family.
Then they came and brought us brand new furniture – including a recliner for each of us – and a couch – also with two recliners. Wow! We really felt guilty for getting the old stuff doomed to the junk yard, but we are truly grateful for the new arrangement.
GRATEFUL I CAN WRITE AND CREATE
I am grateful that even while doing all of my missionary tours and other assignments, I still have time to write in various ways. I am able to write the blogs which I enjoy – and which some of seem to also enjoy. It is so fun to do the research for the various articles.
A “prepared Boy Scout” with a plethora of 3 x 5″ cards
I am very grateful for this special talent that the Lord has given me – in conjunction with the Holy Ghost. Amazing and wonderful.
Boooks published by Kevin Hunt in Nauvoo 2024
And it is fun to expand the blogs into other writing projects. While here, I have also been able to publish a plethora of books. Most of these have a tie to history and times and people of the past. This has been exciting and wonderful. I am thankful that I have been able to create these books with the hope that in the future, folks will find and enjoy the books.
GRATEFUL FOR CURRENT RESOURCES
We are grateful to folks who have so willingly shared their resources with us as we have served. But, we are also feeling very blessed that prior to the mission, we were able to pay off the mortgage and the vehicles. It is such a great blessing to achieve the state of being totally debt free. Wow! This has been such a wonderful scenario. It is hard to express how great this is. It is exhilarating! We know that the Lord has given us this blessing and we are so grateful.
GRATEFUL FOR TRADITIONS
We are grateful that we can continue to experience the traditions of past family connections and activities. We are grateful that the children still get together frequently – even without us there to organize the events and activities. It is fun when they connect with us through technology during the events.
Today, even though we were away from our usual family traditional gathering, we still were drawn to the recipes of my mother. We were anxious to again experience mom’s sweet potato casserole. It was fun to find her own recipe – even in her own handwriting. It was fun to make the casserole and to make it in her honor.
GRATEFUL TO BE ENJOYING AND LIVING LIFE
As I write this article, I have had opportunity to reflect again on what a good life I have and enjoy. I am grateful for a special and wonderful missionary companion. It is a joy to serve together with Sister Lou Hunt in this Holy place. I am grateful for her many (and continuous) acts of service that she does for me. I am truly grateful for her.
GRATITUDE OF THE PAST IS STILL VALID TODAY
A few years ago, President Russell M. Nelson, our Prophet and Church President, encouraged everyone to be grateful and to express our gratitude on social media. I took up his challenge. I really got into the challenge. I wrote a new and different blog of gratitude for each of many successive days. This was a great experience as I was able to focus upon my many blessings.
At the end of my gratitude week (or more), I published one summary article that referenced the many individual blogs with a link to each article. Here is a link to the article. Once in the article, interested parties can scroll down to the various articles. (Click on “More” and the full article will open up.) You may have to copy the link into a new browser in order to get it to open.
https://kevinthescout.wordpress.com/?s=gratitude
On that occasion, I wrote:
Well, it has come and gone – the week plus of gratitude blogs on social media. It has been intense but amazing – for me at least. It has made me realize just how greatly I have been blessed. I can see that the Lord has been good to me. He has given me so much.
In response to President Nelson’s Gratitude challenge, I have written ten blogs (this makes eleven – and three more than I planned at the beginning.) When I set out on this adventure, I listed seven different subjects to write about. I wrote those ideas down right after the talk by Pres. Nelson and have worked to carry out each. I hope that they may have been helpful to someone. I know that they have helped me greatly as they made me think and ponder and rejoice in the good things of life.
I have written these things in sincere gratitude. I have not written them to boast or to toot my own horn. My sincere desire was to acknowledge the Lord and to express gratitude to him – and to use the talents and abilities that the Lord has entrusted to me.
Through the gratitude blogs, I have posted the following … and I included links but they don’t seem to open here. But, as noted, you can access each through the main link included above. Although the links do not appear “active”, you can still copy and paste blog articles that interest you.
Gratitude Blog #1: Gratitude for Life and Many Blessings
Gratitude Blog #2: Gratitude for Sunrises and Sunsets
Gratitude Blog #3: Gratitude for Ancestors
Gratitude Blog #4: Gratitude for Talents and Abilities
Gratitude Blog #5: Gratitude for Service Opportunities
Gratitude Blog #6: Gratitude for my Family
Gratitude Blog #7: Gratitude for the Restored Gospel
Gratitude Blog #8: Gratitude that I am STILL in Scouting
(This situation changed a bit with recent situations, but the memories of 60 years still remain vibrant in my mind.)
Gratitude Blog #9: Gratitude for People who Have Touched my Life
Gratitude Blog #10: Gratitude for My Personal Journal
Gratitude Blog #11: Gratitude Synopsis (That is this article!)
And as ever, at the end of the blogging, I complied all of the articles into one book now available on lulu.com under the title, “Expressions of My Gratitude”.
So, another wonderful Thanksgiving Day (and a great and blessed year) has come and gone. The day was different from our usual family gathering, but still a great day to reflect on my blessings – and to bask in the joy of the current moment and circumstances.
I am grateful for these moments of gratitude along this mission trail.
On the Nauvoo Trail 