Today I'm honored to bring you a truly remarkable conversation with Merrilene Pat Osife.

Pat's life story reads like a testament to the power of faith and the guiding hand of providence. Born on the San Carlos Apache reservation and named Merrilene after "Merry Christmas," Pat's journey took an extraordinary turn at age eight when she entered the LDS Indian Placement Program. For nine years, she lived with foster families in Utah, learning English in just one week and embracing an education that would shape her entire life.

But Pat's service to the Lord was just beginning. At seventeen, what was supposed to be a two-month youth mission in New Mexico turned into a year and a half of dedicated service, where she learned Navajo through the gift of tongues and became a senior companion to full-time missionaries at just eighteen years old.

Throughout her life - as a mother of five, a career woman working for the Gila River Tribe, and a faithful member of the San Tan Branch for over fifty years - Pat has exemplified what it means to follow the iron rod and trust in the Lord's plan, even through profound loss and challenges.

Today, she shares her wisdom about staying close to our Heavenly Father, the importance of scripture study, and her powerful testimony of Jesus Christ. This is a conversation you won't want to miss.

In today’s episode, Elder Sam Stanley, one of our remarkable young service missionaries, sits down with Bishop Kirk Halbison. You’ll hear about his childhood split between the Gila River Indian Community and a small northern Arizona town, his memories of a close-knit family full of cousins, camping trips, and good-natured pranks, and the lessons of sacrifice, patience, and faith learned from both his hardworking mother and his gentle, steady father.

Bishop Halbison opens up about the values he hopes to be remembered for—loving his family deeply, being a true friend, and keeping his relationship with the Savior at the center of his life. Along the way, you’ll laugh at stories about “Air Jordans” that weren’t quite what he expected, shocking Christmas lights in more ways than one, and epic orange fights in the Arizona sun.

It’s a warm, personal conversation that reminds us that joy in the Lord’s service often comes from the everyday experiences that shape our character.

In this episode of Joy in His Service, President Aaron Hale engages in a heartfelt conversation with Charlie Bevilacqua, a member of the stake council. Charlie shares his remarkable journey of faith, transitioning from Catholicism to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and highlights the importance of service in building community. He discusses his unique food ministry, the significance of ministering to families, and the transformative power of the temple. The conversation emphasizes the need for compassion, unity, and the role of service in discipleship, particularly in engaging young people.