A few weeks ago, I asked for your prayers for me and my family. I very much appreciate your prayers and am happy to announce that our Lord has blessed me and my family with greater job and financial stability and with good plans in place for our future.

As many of you know, after 23 years as a pediatric RN, I took a position at the University of Tennessee Medical Center on an adult medical-surgical unit. My manager at UTMC was wonderful, and I genuinely liked the nurses with whom I worked. But, the work itself wasn’t a good fit for me, and I wasn’t happy. I made the decision to return to pediatric nursing and have started at Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City, Tennessee. Margaret, Genevieve and Felicity will remain in Knoxville, at least for now. I’ve been enjoying the hospitality of Deacon Steve Helmbrecht and his wife, Genae, these past few weeks while I’ve been commuting back and forth between Knoxville and Johnson City. Now, I’ve recently found a studio apartment in Johnson City only a couple of minutes from Niswonger, and will continue commuting between my two homes. No, it’s not ideal, but I am so happy to be back in pediatrics that I’m willing to do what’s necessary. Being happy in one’s career is worth making sometimes even considerable sacrifices.

I’m also happy to report that Margaret will be returning to school this semester and that Genevieve will begin her college career, as well (she elected not to go to the missions with Family Mission Company, though she’s not given up the hope for mission work in the not too distant future). Felicity has started middle school at Sacred Heart Cathedral School, and Bernadette has begun her pursuit of her Master’s in Psychology at Middle Tennessee State University. She and her fiance, Luke Davis, are planning their wedding, set for next June at Immaculate Conception Church in downtown Knoxville.

All in all, things have settled nicely for the Hunt family, and I thank you again for your prayers.

Now, I must ask for your prayers again. A couple of months ago I submitted an application for the diaconate program for the Diocese of Knoxville. I learned yesterday that Bishop Stika has accepted me as an aspirant for the diaconate. I and other aspirants will begin classes next month for what will be a five year journey that, by God’s grace, will lead to ordination as deacons in June of 2022.

I’m grateful to those of you who signed the necessary paperwork, who submitted letters of recommendation to Bishop Stika, and who encouraged me in this effort. You know who you are. Mostly, I want to thank Margaret for her support. I had considered the diaconate a few times over the years, but each time Margaret made it clear that she was not ready. Marriage is a sacrament and I am convinced that God’s will is made known to Christians who are married through their spouses. As such, it never entered into my mind to pursue such a thing unless I knew I had Margaret’s support. It made no sense to me, as a married man, to commit myself to such a thing without the support of the one with whom I am one in Christ. If God wants me to be a deacon, I reasoned, than He will make His will known to me. It only made sense that the instrument by which His will would be made known would be Margaret. I love her, and I cannot imagine being successful or effective in such a ministry without her support.

So, here I go. We will see what God has in store. All is grace. All according to grace.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.