Category Archives: Gratitude

Gratitude, History and Heritage, Inspiration, Mission Service

Getting Ready to Head out on the Mission

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By Kevin V. Hunt

Elder Kevin and Sister Lou Hunt preparing for Missionary Service April 1, 2024

Getting ready to head out on the mission …  I announced earlier about the upcoming mission that my wife and I are doing for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  The plan is to be gone for 18 months.  We have been asked to serve in Nauvoo, Illinois – which is a historic church site in Illinois.

As we prepared to go on the mission, there was much to do.  My wife and I both had “To Do Lists” that were a mile long – at least.  It was kind of over-whelming.  There was so much to do.  My wife wanted to organize and clean up the entire house.  She cleaned and sorted everything in the house and garage. Everything had to be perfect.  She wore herself out in this process.

I had many family history and other computer projects that kept me entertained.  I worked hard to get these tasks completed and ultimately got through many – but not all of them.  I worked on these projects right up to within a few hours before we were to head out of town.

We were invited to give a talk in church.  (See my previous blog, entitled, “Praise to the Man” Check it out!

As we anticipated the church talk, our children decided to come from all over to participate with us.  We had a steady stream of family for a couple of weeks as we were trying to make our trip preparations.  One daughter, her husband and son, came from Texas and they stayed a week.  A daughter came from Idaho with her two boys, and they were with us for two weeks.  Another daughter came from Idaho.  They made a family trip and came to be with us for two days on their way home.  And we had two children come from towns 50 or so miles away.  And of course, we have three families who live in our own home town.  Two sons-in-law were not able to come – and we missed eleven of the 42 grandchildren.  So, this meant that we had a crowd of 50 of our posterity – and many other family and friends gathered with us.

After the church meeting, we gathered to the home of a local son, and we had a great farewell dinner and activities together.  And of course, we posed for more family photos than any person should ever have to endure.  We got shots of every possible group gathering.  It was great!  (We have many able photographers in the family … so they are great!)

We had a few challenges in the week before our departure. Our microwave oven gave up the ghost. Our son had an accident in his vehicle. He needed a vehicle while he worked with insurance, etc . We offered to loan him our second vehicle. Then three days later, his wife wrecked our car.

On Thursday before our Saturday departure, the alternator of our vehicle decided to quit.  Three sons-in-law worked together to get the alternator changed.  They finished at midnight about eighteen hours before we were to head out.  They made a great team as they consulted together and tried to loosen all of the bolts, the belt, etc.  They called themselves, “Three brothers-in-law, a wrench, and You-Tube”.  We were so grateful for their combined efforts.

The night before we were to leave town, a daughter put out an “all hands on deck” call to get her siblings to come to help.  Again, there was much to do.  Many responded to the call to help us.  Son-in-law, Mike helped check out the vehicle to make sure it was road-worthy.  Ladies helped with packing and a plethora of other projects.  (And meanwhile, my wife and I still tried to complete tasks from our never-ending lists).  We said sad good-byes to the local children and grandchildren.  It was a happy-sad day as we all knew that it was good-bye for a year and a half.  There were a lot of tears and of course, everyone (including us) had to get in “just one more hug”.  One daughter sobbed, “How can I survive without you?”

Then came the big day to leave town – Saturday, March 30th.  It was a short night before D-day.  We each only got about four hours of sleep – not enough, for sure.  We had already said our good-byes.  One son-in-law came to our home about 6:30 AM to load our two bicycles onto our car rack.  I finished packing the already-too-loaded vehicle.   (We had packed the vehicle on Thursday and Lou had meticulously packed different suitcases for each phase of our adventure of the next two weeks.)   Somehow, we got everything but the kitchen sink – and then some – into the Honda mini-van.

We had wanted to leave at 6:30 in the morning, but it was 8:00 AM  when we finally headed out of town.  We stopped in Tempe to say goodbye to one more family.  And then we were off.  We headed north on the I-17 freeway from Phoenix – and headed north toward Flagstaff.  We stopped at our usual Sunset Point rest area for “drink and drain”.

As we were just a few miles south of Flagstaff, the lack of sleep caught up with me.  I swerved a bit, and we were saved only because of our pre-departure prayer, and the faith of our family.  It could have been bad!

We had planned to drive clear north to Salt Lake City – to spend two nights with my wife’s sister.  We didn’t make it.  We decided that we had to stop for a night – in order to get a full night’s sleep.  We had driven north on Highway 89A – as is our usual custom on trips to Utah.  We spent a wonderful night in the beautiful Jacob Lake Inn.  (Such a great place to stay …  Everyone ought to stop there at least once.)  Their home-made cookies, alone, are worth the drive, but the drive through the Alpine setting – with a big forest of beautiful pine trees, made the drive most enjoyable.

Then the next morning, we awoke to four or more inches of snow on top of our car and everywhere else.  This was a bit of a shock to us desert rats.  Somehow we got the snow off of the window – or at least enough to peer out.  And getting up and out of the snow was another adventure.  We wondered if we would be going anywhere that day.  Again, the prayers of faith got us out of the ruts and on our way.

By this time, it was Easter Sunday, and it was not the Easter day that we had anticipated. – to celebrate the Atonement and Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  We did rejoice in Him in our interesting circumstance.    Our clothes were all packed tightly in the vehicle – such that it was not easy to get to them.   We had not planned for church along the way but our desires to attend church en route were foiled.  We opted to use our phones to tune in to a video broadcast of a daughter’s Texas local ward (congregation).

We arrived at the home of my wife’s sister and husband, and they had a wonderful meal waiting for us.  They are always great hosts, and we love them.  We noted with them that they have hosted us five previous times as we have prepared to send off our missionary children.  (Two other children also served missions – but they reported directly to foreign MTC facilities.  A daughter attended an MTC in England and a son reported directly to the Brazil MTC.  It was interesting to now be the parents entering the MTC.

And then, it was April 1st – the day for us to report to the MTC (Mission Training Center) where many out-going missionaries are trained for the work they will do on their various missions.  (Stay tuned for our blog about the MTC – to come soon!)  We had been anticipating this day for almost two months since we had received our mission calls (assignments) to serve.

We had a leisurely morning – cold cereal and all.  I did some last-minute repacking of the vehicle.  Always such a fun task.  And I even found a few minutes to post the “Praise to the Man” blog post.  We dressed in our missionary attire.  I was in my black suit and a brand new shirt, socks, shoes, and everything.  Sister Hunt wore a beautiful dress that matched my suit (though this was not planned).  I think that we looked great – if I do say so ourselves.

We left in plenty of time to get from Salt Lake to Provo, Utah.  We had to chuckle a bit.  We were given rather specific  instructions that said we were to report between 10:30 and 10:40 AM.  Wow!  They have this reporting system down to a science.  Very impressive!

We had about fifteen minutes to kill before our scheduled arrival time.  We decided to do a video conference with our many children – located all over the globe.  Many of the family members were able to join in with us.  My wife manned the phone call as I drove the car into the MTC.  We got through the security booth and parked in a parking lot designated for “senior missionaries” like us.  Senior missionaries are those (with gray hair and expanded stomachs” who have achieved an advanced age – but who still have some energy to commit to missionary service.  We revise the old Primary song, and sing, “We’re glad they’ve called us on a mission … now that we have grown a foot of two.”  (Not to brag about the direction of that growth.)  Well, anyway, we got one of the last available parking spots.  And it even accommodated our mission bikes that were strapped onto the back of our vehicle.  We must have looked a sight with the fully packed car, the bikes, the Jacob Lake dirt, snow, and salt, and more.   Admittedly, we thought that we had everything that we thought that we needed for the next 18 months.

My wife continued the video call with the family – and they “went” with us right up to the front door.  I finally had to tell her and the family that it was time to “be hanging up now”.

We had many service missionary folks there to usher us in to start the mission.

And the adventure begins …!  Moving onto the Nauvoo Scouting trail … !  Can’t wait!

Gratitude, History and Heritage, Inspiration

Praise to the Man!

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By Kevin V. Hunt

(Photo copyright by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Kevin’s Mission “Talk in Church”

PRESENTED MARCH 24, 2024 – Pacana Park Ward

We sing a popular hymn #27, as written by William W. Phelps.   With gusto, we sing, “Praise to the Man”.

                Praise to the man who communed with Jehovah

                Jesus anointed that Prophet and Seer

Blessed to open the last dispensation,

                Kings shall extol him,

                And nations revere …

                And the final line of the 4th verse says, “Millions shall know “ Brother Joseph again …”

As we know, Elder M. Russell Ballard, long the “Acting President of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles”, died just after General Conference.  His final address – just a month before his death – was a powerful testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith – his great grand uncle. 

He said, “I have seemed to have the Prophet Joseph in my mind the last few months.  I’ve sat and contemplated his glorious responsibility in becoming the prophet of this, the last dispensation of the fulness of times.”

“I think how grateful we are as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that Joseph Smith, a boy who desired to know what he needed to do  have his sins forgiven, found the courage to go into a grove of trees near his home in Palmyra, New York, and there kneel in prayer.

“On that occasion, as Joseph got on his knees in what we call the sacred Grove, the heavens opened.  Two personages, brighter than the noonday sun, appeared before him.  One spoke to him and said, “Joseph, this is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!”  Thus began the Restoration of the fulness of the everlasting Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Still quoting Elder Ballard:  “I’ve been thinking about all the marvelous thins that we know and all of the things that we have … and how abundantly blessed we are to know all that we know because we have Joseph Smith, the prophet.

“We have an understanding of the purpose of life, of who we are.  We know who God is, we know who the Savior is.  … We can know that Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ have revealed themselves in this latter-day and that Joseph has been raised up to restore the fulness of the everlasting gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“[Because of Joseph] we have the Book of Mormon … another witness, another testament that Jesus is the Christ.

Then Elder Ballard said, “So my testimony this morning is that I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world.  I also know that our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus appeared and spoke to Joseph and prepared him to become the prophet.”  A powerful final testimony by Elder Ballard.

The conference talk of Elder Rasband grabbed my wife and me.  He talked of the great need for more senior couple missionaries.  Lou and I had talked of a mission before but we didn’t want to get the Covid shots so did not want to go when we first retired.

But with Elder Rasband’s talk, we felt it was now our time to go.

From that talk, we began immediately to make preparations to serve.  We began our missionary recommendation form and process.  It was truly a miracle that we were able to complete all of the medical appointments, the shots, the photos, the application, and much more – all within just a week.  That was in October, and it seemed to take forever to get the application moved on to the next step. I was frustrated and did not have the humility that my wife has just talked about.  For the record, Lou has pretty much conquered that trait, but I still need some work on it.  That’s why she  was assigned the topic today – so that she could do some preaching to me. But, looking back now, we see the knowledge of God in the timing of us going to Nauvoo when we are.

When couples go on a mission, they can specify some “preferences” of where they want to go.  But that doesn’t mean that this is where you will serve.  In the paperwork, the couple signs a statement that they will serve anywhere the Lord needs them.  We initially listed several preferences, but ultimately pulled all of the preferences and submitted our will to that of the Lord – to serve anywhere as needed.

I still have to laugh at my mother and step-father as they planned to serve a mission.  My step father had some Salt Lake connections and he thought that they had all of the t’s crossed and all of the I’s dotted  for them to go to Nauvoo.  When they received their call, the step-dad called their Bishop.  He said, “Now Bishop, how did you spell Nauvoo on that application?”  The Bishop said, “N A U V O O …”  Elder Nash said, “Well, let me tell you how THEY spell it … T O O W O O M B A”.  The Bishop said, “Where in the world is that?”  They were called to teach institute out in the Australian bush in Toowoomba, Australia.

My wife wanted to go to Australia since she had served there – a hundred years ago – in her youth.

So, our folks wanted to go to Nauvoo, and they got called to Toowoomba, Australia.  Sister Hunt and I wanted to go to Australia, and we got called to Nauvoo.

When I went on my youth mission, I was sure that I would go to a foreign mission.  My patriarchal blessing said I would go to a foreign people and learn their customs and ways”.  I was surprised with the call to  Alabama, Flawda, and Jawja.  My mother said then, “Those people are about as foreign  as you can get … I reminded Mom of her statement when she and Richard were called on their 2nd mission to Alabama –  They served in Tuskeegee.  She there met David Oryang, then the Branch President of the small Tuskegee branch and his wife Christine.  A couple of months ago, I went on an Elder’s Quorum visit to visit Brother Randy Tuke in our Pacana Park Ward.  We got to talking about missions and it was interesting that Elder Tuke also served in Tuskegee, Alabama.  He knew the Oryangs and even produced photos of them when he attended their elaborate African wedding.  He ministered to them and set an example for them.

My folks were there in Tuskegee just a couple of years after Elder Tuke was there.  They continued to fellowship the Oryangs.  They taught them the Temple prep lessons and got them to the Atlanta Temple where they were endowed and sealed.  I worked for a time for America West Airlines, and we flew to Alabama – all 11 of us – and visited Mother and Richard on their mission.  We attended their Tuskegee branch with them.  We met President Oryang, the branch president, and I can still recall seeing this great Ugandan Brother as he stood tall and testified boldly of the Prophet, Joseph Smith.

Mother continued to stay connected to David and Christine over the next 25 years.  They came to visit her in Mesa, and she visited them in their home in Washington, DC   I connected with them, and they participated by video on the program at her 90th birthday celebration held just before her recent death.  Because of their continuing connection, I had their contact information in my phone.  As Randy Tuke and I talked about the Oryangs, he said that he had lost contact with them.   He was surprised and pleased when I told him that David is now the stake president in Washington, D.C..  We took a selfie photo, and I shipped it off immediately to Pres. Oryang.  He was very pleased to see the photo.  I got Randy and David connected.  President Oryang and his wife have just been called as Mission Leaders in Nigeria.

We never know the full results of our missions …  It may be years before we learn results of seeds that we plant … and we may never know our impact.  As a youth, I was a teen guide at the Mesa Temple for a couple of years.  Lou and I and our baby, Jackie, served as guides at the Ogden Temple and Tabernacle soon after our marriage.  Our mission at those places was to help people feel at home and to feel Spirit and the Lord’s guidance in their lives through our testimonies.    Such will be our mission in Nauvoo.

I served in Cullman, Alabama – a strange town for the South  – since it was all German Catholics.  I was there five months – and I felt that it was a total waste.  I tracted out the whole town 3 ½ times.  I didn’t baptize anyone … I had been home for FIVE YEARS when got a letter from a Sister Buchanan, from Cullman.  She thanked me for bringing her into the Church.  I could not remember her – nor could my companion of the time.  I went to my missionary journal.  I found a couple of entries about her.  We first met her and taught her the first discussion on her porch.  She loved everything and said, “Ya’ll come back now, ya heah?”  We did return the next week to teach her again.  Her husband met us and kicked us off the porch – with no “Ya’ll come back”.  That was our last contact with her.

Then five years later, she wrote to tell me that she had been baptized – all because of me.  She had my address from my “Article of Faith” card I had given to her.  She wrote again a year later and said that her two teens had been allowed to join the church.  Then still later, she wrote me and said that her husband had mellowed out and had also joined the church.

My Brother Kyle served his mission in NYC – Our first child was a girl.  Unusual … Hunts do not generally have girls first.  I looked in our family history … had to go to the 1600’s to find a girl born first …I  knew that our Hunt family had been in Utah, Kentucky, and North Carolina but I had totally forgotten that our Hunt family first went to Hopewell, New Jersey about 1620 and were there for over a hundred years.  My brother Kyle at that moment was serving his mission in Hopewell, New Jersey … I copied genealogy pedigree charts and sent them to him.  He tracted out all of the local Hunts who were still there and shared the charts with them.  Then after he had been home, seven years, he received a letter from a guy in Pennsylvania.  He said, “You do not know me, but I have been doing Hunt family genealogy work all of my life and have not known what to do with it.” 

“I contacted a  cousin in Hopewell, New Jersey.  She said, “If you want to know about Hunt genealogy, you need to talk to a Mormon elder who was here a COUPLE of years ago.”  She then gave him Kyle’s article of faith card he had given to her.  To make a long story short, I communicated with the guy, got his genealogy package – and ultimately processed 1,000 names for Temple ordinances.

We are a missionary family – All four of our parents went on missions.  Lou and I served – and we sent seven children on missions …  We are now starting missions for the grandkids.  Our first grandson is presently serving in Argentina.  His younger brother just left the MTC to go to Yakima, Washington.   Two granddaughters are processing their missionary applications.   These are exciting missionary times for our family.

Sister Hunt and I are going on a couple mission now for the grandkids.  We could have done a service mission and remained at home, but felt that we needed to uproot and GO somewhere … so that the grandkids – all 43 of them – would see us and later say that Grandpa and Grandma WENT a mission and we want to be the examples for them.  It would make us very happy if all 43 of them would serve a mission.

When we are willing to be missionaries, the Lord puts people in our path to hear of the gospel from us. We have had many wonderful missionary opportunities through the years …

Sister Hunt talked of her folks serving on a mission to Nauvoo.  Just for the record, almost no one baptizes anyone as they serve as missionary guides at church historic sites – as we will be doing.  That is not a goal for historic missionary guides.  When they were at the Lucy Mack Smith home, the folks were frequently visited by a young lady from nearby Keokuk, Iowa – located about 10 miles across the Mississippi river from Nauvoo.  She just kind of gravitated to Gramps/Elder Belcher.  She came to see the folks frequently.  Elder Belcher ended up baptizing this young lady in the Mississippi River.

Years later, as our family was in the Nauvoo, “City of Joseph” pageant, we were in a scene with all of the huge cast.  In this scene, we were all Saints who were “building a city” – building Nauvoo.  All over the stage there were a multitude of city building tasks going on.  The centerpiece of the building scene was a giant water wheel that was about 20 feet or more tall.  During the scene, the water wheel suddenly started to topple.  I joined several men around me and we rushed to help “steady the ark”.  Somehow we managed to keep it upright.

After the scene, a lady whom I did not know came up to me.  She introduced herself as a news reporter from Keokuk.  She said, “I got a picture of you with the water wheel … now I need your name and information for my newspaper article.”  We talked of my former mission to Nauvoo, the train trip of my family and me, and more, but she was not impressed.  Then I said, “My father in law served a mission here years ago and was at the brickyard.” She then lightened up.  She asked his name.   When I said, “Elder EH Belcher,” she nearly ejected from the stage.  She excitedly told us that Elder Belcher had baptized her in the river.  We were all in total amazement at how the Lord had orchestrated all of this.  Wow!

With our 18-month service in Nauvoo, we will be historic guides at a multitude of historic homes and shops of old Nauvoo.  More than 20 of our combined ancestor families lived in Nauvoo.  We will arrive in Nauvoo just as all of the Nauvoo properties of Joseph Smith have transferred to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  It will likely be our privilege to guide visitors through those marvelous properties.  Talk about the timing of our mission …!

One of our mission training booklets is called, “On Holy Ground”.  In this booklet President Gordon B. Hinckley was quoted as he dedicated Historic Kirtland.  Those words are applicable also to Nauvoo – to my wife and me, and to each of you.  He said, “May this area become a great gathering place for Thy people from over the earth.  May they come here, walk about with reverence and memories, feel the power of Thy Holy Spirit, and grow in faith and testimony concerning Thy work and Thy kingdom.  May it be a place of spiritual refreshment, where hearts and minds will be  touched by the power of the Holy Ghost to lead them to knowledge of Thee and their Redeemer, Thy Beloved Son.  May it be a place where the stranger will be touched by Thy Spirit and come to know something of the wondrous workings of Thy cause and kingdom.  May men and women from over the earth experience here a sure and solemn witness of the divine calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the divinity of Thy work established through him.”

That is an invitation to all of you … come visit Nauvoo while we are there … bring your families … come and stay several days … walk the paths of the Prophets and your ancestors … Come to experience the two Nauvoo pageants.  Come and see Sister Hunt and me in our pioneer costumes, sing with us, “Praise to the Man” and Come and get to know Brother Joseph, again.  I know that Joseph Smith was and is God’s Prophet that God, our Father, and His Son,  Jesus Christ did in reality visit Joseph and called him to be Their prophet to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to the world.  I look forward to testifying of him and of Them to the world as we are in Nauvoo.

In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Heading to the Provo MTC today! A great day for UP” (Dr. Seuss)

Kevin the Nauvoo Scout …

Adventures in Scouting, Gratitude, History and Heritage, Nostalgia

Announcing the End of a Scouting Trail Era

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Kevin the Scout – Celebrating 60 Years of Scouting Adventures

Well, today (March 17, 2024), I made a major announcement. I published this article on my Scoutingtrails.com website.

Here is the link:

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/1743400140141384184/8295642121742167505

I wrote:

MY FAREWELL SCOUTING TRAILS BLOG – By Kevin Hunt

Published on the Scoutingtrails.com website on March 17, 2024

To all of my devoted fans of my Scouting Trails blogsite.  Greetings!

This is to announce that I am ending this Scouting Trails blogsite.  I have had the site for many years and have loved writing and posting what I hope has been informative and enjoyable articles on many subjects of the wonderful Scouting life.  Thanks to all of you who have read my articles and commented on them.  The site has given me great joy and purpose and has been fulfillment of a great dream for me.  It is sad to give it up.

After 60 years of committed service in and to the Boy Scouts of America, I have kind of retired my Scout uniform.  Several situations transpired that led to my current state:   My church made the decision to depart from the program – and this cut many of my ties.  I moved to a new community and lost the previous district and unit ties that I had previously.  For two years, I hauled two grandsons to Mesa – located an hour away from my home – so that they could still participate in a quality troop program.  Then they moved to Texas.  So, with all of these circumstances, I kind of backed out of the program (though I still have the fond memories of my years in the program).  And I still have a room in my home that is full of Boy scouting memorabilia – my Scouting Trails Museum.  (And this  will still be open for ten days or so before it gets filled with furniture.  Come on over!)

It has been a while since I have last posted on this site.  I apologize for that.  Life has changed …

My wife and I are off on a new adventure.  We have accepted an assignemt (A “Call” from a Prophet) to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  We report to the Provo Mission Training Center – the “MTC” on April 1st (no joke!)  We will serve in historic Nauvoo, Illinois as historic site missionaires.  I will don a new uniform – to look like a pioneer of 1839-1846 as I present tours of 30 or so historic homes and shops commemorating pioneers and Saints who lived in that community during those years.  Many of the original structures remain even to this day – mainly those made of the Nauvoo brick.  Others have been totally restored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the public to experience.  And it will be a great honor and privilege to honor and testify of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the visit of God, our Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ to the Prophet Joseph.  I know that they appeared to him and called him to be the Prophet to restore the Church of Jesus Christ once more to the earth.  I have a testimony of these grand eternal events and look forward to sharing that testimony with those who come to Navuoo.  My wife and I will serve in Nauvoo for 18 months.

It will be so great to “return home” to Nauvoo.  My original “youth” church mission was in Alabam, Flawda, and Jawja.  Then the Church sent me on special assignment to serve my last six months in Nauvoo.  Such a fabulous experience!  My wife and family and I have returned to Nauvoo many times through the years.  Twice we took all nine kids and participated in the cast of the “City of Joseph” pageant.  The first time we went (1996), we travelled together on the train.  (And that will make a great future blog.  I promise to do that.)  We were there even last summer for several days.  What a joy.  And my wife’s parents, Elder E. H. and Sister Verna Belcher served two and a half years on a mission to Nauvoo, and Elder Belcher built the original (modern) brick yard and his Nauvoo bricks are now world famous.   And between my wife and me, we have about 30 of our own pioneer ancestor families who lived and served in Nauvoo – “The City of Joseph”.  So, it will be wonderful to kind of re-live their lives and the legacy that they have given to us. 

This “Scouting Trails” site will remain open for just three more days. (to March 21, 2024)  At that time, I will shut off the blogsite.  You have one last chance to peruse the articles and experience them again.  I made the financial decision to close this site because all possible cost savings are being implemented in order to pay for our coming mission.

But, all is not lost!  You may still read past Scouting (and other) articles on my kevinthescout@wordpress.com blogsite. I will continuie to keep this site active.  Some of my Scoutingtrails.com articles appear on this website – but there are many differences.  I will also use this KevintheScout site as a medium to blog about new experiences as a missionary.  I will attempt regular (weekly is the goal – time permitting) to post about our mission life and times in Nauvoo.

Also, I have published most of my past Scouting blogs on the Lulu.com publishing webiste   These volumes (and a multitude of other historical books are published and available for purchase on the Lulu.com website under a search of “Author Kevin V Hunt”.  Check it out.   Here is the link:   https://www.lulu.com/search?page=2&q=author+kevin+v+hunt&pageSize=10&adult_audience_rating=00

Sixty years is a very long time – a life-time of Scouting advenmtures.  I recently completed the compilation and writing of my own personal autobiography – in 20 volumes (and still growing) under the title of “My Life’s Collective Works” (or shortened in titles to “MLCW”).  Fully 7 volumes of the autobiography detail my various Scouting adventures through those 60 years.  These are volume numbers 14 to 20.  And my own youth Scouting experiences are detailed in Volume #1.  Volume #20 might be of special interest for my Scouting Trails fans.

Volume #20 is entitled: “MLCW – Vol. #20 “KevintheScout” Woods Wisdom from the Scouting Trail”.    This volume contains many or most of my Scouting blogs through the years – and available to you in one volume.  Other Scouting blog articles are also woven through the other MLCW Scouting volumes.

I invite you to check out the Lulu.com website and peruse my many writing attempts.  And some of my Scouting book titles are still also available on Amazon.com (again under an author search in my name.)  Something on these sites might be of interest to you.  (And of course, sales might also help with the total mission effort).

And finally, here is my invitation to come and visit Nauvoo while we are there … bring your families … come and stay several days … walk the paths of the Prophets and pioneer ancestors … Come to experience the two Nauvoo pageants.  Come and see Sister Hunt and me in our pioneer costumes, sing with us, “Praise to the Man” and Come and get to know Brother Joseph, again. 

Best wishes on your continuing Scouting and other trails.    Thanks for walking the Scouting trail with me through these many years.

Kevin the Scout!