This episode is a rebroadcast of a beloved conversation with Daniel Ranson, dedicated to his daughter, Ella Marie Ranson. Ella lived for 20 short months with her parents and three older siblings. She brought joy, laughter, excitement, and optimism into their lives. In this episode, Daniel shares his feelings about Ella’s passing and the hope that the gospel provides. Ella passed away from pneumonia on February 10, 2016.

Daniel grew up in Riverside, California, where he was first introduced to missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is a CODA, or child of deaf adults, and his first language was American Sign Language. After joining the church at the age of 12, he moved in with a family from his branch who welcomed him as one of their own.

He served a mission in the Idaho Pocatello Mission and was introduced to the campus of Ricks College, now BYU-Idaho. While on campus, Daniel felt eager to attend the university, which he did after his mission. On his first day as a student, he met Sarah. Seven months later, they were married in the Salt Lake Temple. Daniel and Sarah are proud parents of eight wonderful children.

Besides his work in accounting, Daniel shares family responsibilities with Sarah, including their kids' music lessons, sporting events, campouts, and regularly shooting hoops in the driveway. Listen to hear Daniel's remarkable journey to find God and family.

Finding Personal Peace, Henry B. Eyring

In John 6:35, we read, "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst."

Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Living Water. Bread and water are simple. Christ uses these symbols to teach us every week at the Sacrament. As the Bread of Life, Jesus provides the essential nourishment that we all need.

What a gift! Feeding and gathering are Christlike characteristics, exemplified by Jesus, who miraculously fed and gathered people.

We, too, can gather and feed God's children. Our guest in this episode, Rhonda Steed, delights in being a disciple by nurturing and feeding those around her in both body and spirit.

In Rhonda's words, "I'm a wife, mom, baker, photographer, collector of recipes, chocolate lover, and small town girl… and I love gatherings."

Rhonda Steed is married to Regan Steed and is a mother to 5 great kids: Alden, Lucy, Eli, Oliver, and Norah. They live in Raymond, Alberta, Canada. She loves collecting Jesus art, baking, cooking, and feeding people. She is also often found hanging out with her husband or reading a cheesy novel. Rhonda is a professional photographer and loves capturing the beauty of other humans. She enjoys serving in her ward and stake and is currently a temple worker and a primary teacher. Rhonda also teaches "mom seminary" in her stake, which is a class she helped create. We are excited for you to hear more about how Rhonda nourishes others in this episode!

In a Worldwide Devotional to Young Adults, President Camille N. Johnson said, "God has prepared a way for healthy living for everyone on this planet, if we are willing to employ our gifts and talents for this good, remain worthy to receive revelation, and prudently use the earth's abundant resources to care for one another."

We can be confident that God will help us know how to care for one another. In that same message, President Johnson taught that we have stewardship for one another. She mentioned the parable of the talents from Matthew chapter 25 as a reminder of how we can use our gifts to help and serve others.

Our guest for this episode is an excellent example of applying those principles. Carrie Kirk has sought to serve and stretch to help others through humanitarian work. As you listen to this episode, we hope you recognize how you use your gifts and talents to bless others.

Carrie Kirk is a devoted wife and mother of five children. Carrie holds a Master's degree in Instructional Technology from Utah State University. Carrie served a Russian-speaking mission in the Baltics, which sparked her lifelong dedication to helping others. She and her family have volunteered annually in Guatemala and Uganda for the past eight years, showing their desire to help underserved communities and their commitment to humanitarian work. Professionally, Carrie currently works as a part-time coordinator for humanitarian trips to Africa through an organization called Family Humanitarian. An adventurer at heart, Carrie loves travel, making new friends, and striving to make the world a better place. You can learn more about Family Humanitarian at FamilyHumanitarian.org.