A Glimpse into Lee's LDS Mission

Throughout this post and other posts on this blog, the words and names that are highlighted and underlined are links to other Website posts, including LDS sites, to gleen more details and background information. It's a lot of fun to find so much through Google to add background and details to these pictures. Have fun!

Look at this "Greenie" grinning! Here we come!
Mom Lorraine Hunt poses with Warren Lee Hunt at the Salt Lake International Airport after my two months at the LTM (Language Training Mission) at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. This would have been end of April or first part of May of 1969.
Look at those stylish eyeglasses and Mom's hairstyle! Nice suit and tie, though!

Family photo as I get ready to board a jetliner in Salt Lake City, Utah, for my trip to Central America via Los Angeles and Guatemala City, Guatemala.
Left top: Warren Merrill Hunt, Troyleen, Warren Lee Hunt, Beatrice Lorraine Hunt (Magee), Vicki (Kershaw) Hunt, Merrill Ray Hunt.
Front: Rendall Albert Hunt and Trena Leona Hunt.

W. Lee Hunt with his two sisters: Troyleen and Trena at my departure in 1969. 

Lee and my parents Lorraine and Warren Hunt at the airport as I get ready to board the plane for Central America.
Obviously not paying attentiion to the camera!
Dad looks pretty dapper in his white sports coat.

The men in the Hunt clan: Warren Merrill Hunt, Warren Lee Hunt, Merrill Ray Hunt and Rendall Albert Hunt as I head off on an LDS Mission in spring of 1969.

A good missionary friend: Sister Broadhead.

The famous singing group in the Central America Mission, 1970 -- well, before the real one. (Pictures below)
Elder Hunt, Sister Pulsipher, Sister Holly Gudmundson, Elder Reuel Smith (I don't remember the name of the other tenor).
We're performing at a Costa Rica conference session in the dual branch chapel in Costa Rica. Central America Mission President Milton E. Smith is at left with his arms folded. 

Most of my time in Costa Rica (1970) was spent working in the mission office as the public affairs officer. I wrote articles for local newspapers and coordinated church movies for television stations and audio tapes for radio stations throughout the mission. Episodes of "The Spoken Word with The Tabernacle Choir" were the most popular. I also wrote some articles for The Church News. A couple of them were published.

 Central America Mission President Milton E. Smith at a Costa Rica conference session in the dual branch chapel in Costa Rica, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1970.
Sister Holly Gudmundson is at right and I think it's Brother Topia at left in back.

The chapel and cultural hall are filled for the Costa Rica conference session in the dual branch chapel in Costa Rica, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1970. This picture I believe ran in the local newspaper La Nacion after the conference with a caption only about the session.

This is an invitation to an "Exposition" and a special video presentation of "Man's search for Happiness" at the branch chapel in Managua, Nicaragua, July 26, 1969.
It starts with:
"Where did we come from? Why are we here? and Where do we go after this life?"
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
We put up a bunch of posters in the cultural hall about the church and had quite a good turn out of members and the curious.

Sister Holly Gudmundson performs a solo at a San Jose, Costa Rica, LDS District Conference session in the dual branch chapel in San Jose, Costa Rica in 1970.
I'm hiding behind the flowers at left and Sister Pulsipher is at my right.

This is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints branch chapel in San Jose, Costa Rica, in 1970.
I have many fond memories of the work here.

I received a birthday card and this note inside from President Milton E. Smith and his wife on my birthday while serving in the mission office in San Jose, Costa Rica, Feb. 27, 1970.

Two members of the branch in San Jose, Costa Rica, perform in "Todo A Favor" ("All in Favor") in 1970. I was asked to direct the LDS musical comedy partly because I had been in the show just over a year before back home in Granger, Utah.
I can't remember either of their names: Is his Victor Vida? Can anyone help me with the names?
I never got to finish the job or see the performance because of the problems I was having with my leg.

Two members of the branch in San Jose, Costa Rica, perform in "Todo A Favor" ("All in Favor") in 1970. I was asked to direct the LDS musical comedy partly because I had been in the show just over a year before back home in Granger, Utah.
I can't remember either of their names: Is his Victor Vida? Can anyone help me with the names?
I never got to finish the job or see the performance because of the problems I was having with my leg.

Two members of the branch in San Jose, Costa Rica, perform in "Todo A Favor" ("All in Favor") in 1970. I was asked to direct the LDS musical comedy partly because I had been in the show just over a year before back home in Granger, Utah.
I can't remember either of their names. Can anyone help me with the names?
I never got to finish the job or see the performance because of the problems I was having with my leg.

A member of the branch in San Jose, Costa Rica, perform in "Todo A Favor" ("All in Favor") in 1970. I was asked to direct the LDS musical comedy partly because I had been in the show just over a year before back home in Granger, Utah.
I think his name is Brother Topia Can anyone help me with the name?
I never got to finish the job or see the performance because of the problems I was having with my leg.

I was asked to direct the LDS musical comedy in San Jose, Costa Rica, of "Todo A Favor" ("All in Favor") in 1970 partly because I had been in the show just over a year before back home in Granger, Utah.
Elder Hunt and Sister Holly Gudmundson at a rehearsal.
I never got to finish the job or see the performance because of the problems I was having with my leg. Sister Holly Gudmundson carried it the rest of the way -- as I recall.

This is the famous singing group in the Central America Mission, 1970.
Elder Ralph Dewsnup, left, Sister Elona Knighten (Shelly), Elder Callahan andSister Holly Gudmundson, front.
(President Smith sent an email update: "In regard to the singing group the one name you were missing is Elona Knighten (Shelly). She lives in Orem, has a nice family, and her husband works for BYU. Elona has kept very busy with organizing mission reunions along with Andy Valdivieso. When we meet in Salt Lake, Elona gives me a ride. My wife is not doing too great in her health and has not attended for the past two years. We generally meet in October. Back to the singing group: Holly Gudmundson has had some health problems which have caused her many challenges. Mike Callahan passed away a couple of years ago. Ralph Dewsnup returned a year or so ago after serving as a mission president in Puerto Rico. He is an Attorney."    

This is the famous singing group in the Central America Mission, 1970.
The group did quite a bit of traveling for missionary promotional performances, including some television and radio gigs.
Elder Ralph Dewsnup, left, Sister Elona Knighten (Shelly), Elder Callahan and Sister Holly Gudmundson, front.
(President Smith sent an email update: "In regard to the singing group the one name you were missing is Elona Knighten (Shelly). She lives in Orem, has a nice family, and her husband works for BYU. Elona has kept very busy with organizing mission reunions along with Andy Valdivieso. When we meet in Salt Lake, Elona gives me a ride. My wife is not doing too great in her health and has not attended for the past two years. We generally meet in October. Back to the singing group: Holly Gudmundson has had some health problems which have caused her many challenges. Mike Callahan passed away a couple of years ago. Ralph Dewsnup returned a year or so ago after serving as a mission president in Puerto Rico. He is an Attorney."

This is the famous singing group in the Central America Mission, 1970.
The group did quite a bit of traveling for missionary promotional performances, including some television and radio gigs.
Elder Ralph Dewsnup, front, Sister Elona Knighten (Shelly), left, Elder Callahan, back, and Sister Holly Gudmundson, right.
(President Smith sent an email update: "In regard to the singing group the one name you were missing is Elona Knighten (Shelly). She lives in Orem, has a nice family, and her husband works for BYU. Elona has kept very busy with organizing mission reunions along with Andy Valdivieso. When we meet in Salt Lake, Elona gives me a ride. My wife is not doing too great in her health and has not attended for the past two years. We generally meet in October. Back to the singing group: Holly Gudmundson has had some health problems which have caused her many challenges. Mike Callahan passed away a couple of years ago. Ralph Dewsnup returned a year or so ago after serving as a mission president in Puerto Rico. He is an Attorney."

This is the famous singing group in the Central America Mission, 1970.
The group did quite a bit of traveling for missionary promotional performances, including some television and radio gigs.
Elder Ralph Dewsnup, front, Sister Elona Knighten (Shelly), left, Elder Callahan, back, and Sister Holly Gudmundson, right.
(President Smith sent an email update: "In regard to the singing group the one name you were missing is Elona Knighten (Shelly). She lives in Orem, has a nice family, and her husband works for BYU. Elona has kept very busy with organizing mission reunions along with Andy Valdivieso. When we meet in Salt Lake, Elona gives me a ride. My wife is not doing too great in her health and has not attended for the past two years. We generally meet in October. Back to the singing group: Holly Gudmundson has had some health problems which have caused her many challenges. Mike Callahan passed away a couple of years ago. Ralph Dewsnup returned a year or so ago after serving as a mission president in Puerto Rico. He is an Attorney."Elder Dewsnup was my companion for several months, mostly while I was "recovering" from surgery on my left leg.
The doctor and I thought my problem was cartiliage damage in my knee from a tubing accident I had when I was on a Scout winter camp. (That's a different post).
Elder Dewsnup was an athelete as I considered myself, too. He encouraged me to tough it up like the football players I had worked with for so many years and get better so I could do missionary work. He and I didn't realize how serious it really was.
Thanks to Elder Lorin Hansen for emailing back and identifying Elder Callahan.
(Elder Hansen said in his email that he's from Elwood (Tremonton) Utah. He now live in Costa Rica and has been there 7 years. He lives on a farm near Guapiles. He retired 7 years ago, sold everything in the U.S. and moved there with hid wife who is Tica. "We enjoy it here. Church has changed greatly since 1969. I left the mission in march 1970 from Honduras.")

One of the highlights of my mission was the visit from a member of the Quroum of Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Elder Delbert L. Stapley.
In the picture, he's holding a replica of a traditional brightly colored orange Costa Rican cart. The missionaries in Managua, Nicaragua, met with him as part of  zone conferencein 1969. He also met with media representatives.

One of the highlights of my mission was the visit from a member of the Quroum of Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Elder Delbert L. Stapley.
In the picture, he's greeting LDS Scouts.

One of the highlights of my mission was the visit from a member of the Quroum of Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Elder Delbert L. Stapley.
In this picture,Elder Stapley meets with a government official in 1969.

When I first arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica, from Managua, Nicaragua, Elder See was one of the mission office workers. He was a funny, fun guy. Notice the Coke bottle on the shelf behind him.

Elder Ralph Dewsnup, left, and Elder Callahan perform on television program in San Jose, Costa Rica, in 1970
The group did quite a bit of traveling for missionary promotional performances, including some television and radio gigs.

One of the highlights of my mission was the visit from a member of the Quroum of Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Elder Delbert L. Stapley.
Elder Stapley is holding a press conference. His reflection is in the mirror. Elder Gayton, at his left, is the interpretor. Sister Smith and Mission President Milton E. Smith are at Elder Gayton's left.

Elder Andy Valdivieso on our "diversion day."A great missionary!
I need more details on this, Andy! 

Elder Warren Lee Hunt
Central America Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1969 and 1970.
For my family, I want to include the email from Pres. Smith:

"Hi Elder Hunt. It looks like I received your email through Andy Valdivieso. It is great to hear from you and get an update on your activities. Your pictures and comments brought back some great memories. The last I knew about you I think you were working for the Deseret News writing headlines. Is my memory correct? We hope things are going well for you. I suppose you have heard from some other missionary friends as I notice you now have the name of Robert Alsop which I did not see at first....

I have thought of you often and wondered how you are doing. I really appreciate the great job you did when you were assigned to the office. Your leg problems saddened us very much but we are grateful you got help before it was too late.    
I retired from BYU about fifteen years ago. My wife and I spent three years in Guatemala where I served as Temple President. I now serve two days a week in the Mount Timpanogos temple. Our children are spread around a little, and they are subject to the normal challenges of life. We have one grandson currently serving a mission in Argentina and another in Colombia. Our oldest daughter, Terri Lyn, is currently serving a mission with her husband in Uganda.

Take care of yourself. May the Lord bless you. Con Amor, Mitt Smith"

Elder David Hacking
Now lives in Brigham City, Utah

I think this is Elder Hill.
Details?

Elder Alsop
Pres. Smith emailed: "Bob Alsop is also an attorney and lives a little north of Salt Lake. He and his wife still have one child at home since they were blessed with a little one several years after the rest of the family.

Elder Wilde was my first companion in San Jose, Costa Rica. We were only together for two or three weeks before I saw him off on a jet plane, bound for his hometown in Utah (I think it was Magna.)
He asked me to sang a special song to his friends who came to see him off at the airport:
"I'm Leaving, on a Jet Plane, Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again!"
Couldn't do it, though. Sorry, Elder Wilde.
Quite the experience!