Hope Helps: Navigating Everyday Life
21 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 years ago -Hope Helps is a podcast designed to encourage, inspire and help people navigate their lives through the stories of others. As host Charly Burridge-Jones and her guests reflect about the joys and challenges of everyday living, they will uncover ways to strengthen relationships, manage disappointment, serve others, talk about life and even have some fun along the way. Everyone has a story to share and there is so much we can learn from each other. We hope you will tune in to Hope Helps where you can find something to relate to and be uplifted. Hope Helps is produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Europe. Views expressed don’t necessarily reflect the Church’s official position
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Episodes
The School of Life: Rekindling Faith in Times of Trial
February 14, 2022 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBFaith. Hardship. Loneliness. On this episode of Hope Helps, Charly Burridge-Jones introduces three guests who are on three separate faith journeys. Cristina and Stephen, both members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Jaspreet—a Sikh activist—share the ups and downs of finding, following, rediscovering, and recommitting to their faith. Together the guests explore the full scope of faith journeys—including times when faith has empowered them as well as moments it needed ...
Full House for Yuletide: Adopting Seven Children at Christmastime
December 23, 2021 14:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBDancing. Singing. Midnight meals. Tropical Christmas mornings, holiday road trips, Father Christmas and… a barbecue? On this special festive episode of Hope Helps, host Charly Burridge-Jones shares magical Christmas traditions of UK residents from around the world. Featured guests Amy and Michael Morris recount the remarkable story of how their family grew from zero to seven children overnight—just in time for Christmas! Although it’s said to be the most wonderful time of the year, Amy a...
Building Bridges: Hope for a Unified World
November 20, 2021 09:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MB“We don’t live in isolated communities,” says civil service worker Mamataj Begum. We meet different people all around us, whether at work, school, sporting events, or simply walking down the street. As society becomes increasingly divided, collaboration with others becomes increasingly valuable. Ben Shapiro is a six-year employee of the interfaith charity, the Faith and Belief Forum. He describes the power people have to dispel stereotypes and solve societal problems when they work together ...
The Travelling Story-Teller: Lessons from the Pilgrimage of Life
October 19, 2021 23:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBFor professional storyteller Darren Hill, life is a pilgrimage. “It’s a journey which has a beginning… an end, and the middle bit.” Darren’s “middle bit” includes prestigious theatrical training and a career he loves. However, it began with the challenge of dyslexia and facing opposition while pursuing his storytelling dreams. He believes overcoming life’s obstacles is possible through stubbornness, determination, humility and listening to others. “I’ve met people from all cultures and ages ...
Passing Through Pain: Overcoming Grief and Loss
September 29, 2021 15:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBGrief after losing a loved one—though devastating—is felt by many. Richard Auger and Camilla McNally came to understand this pain first-hand after unexpected tragedy struck their lives. While their personal stories are different, both beautifully convey how faith in Christ enabled them to overcome grief. Focusing on prayer, service and self-compassion has the power to displace confusion, bitterness, and sorrow with comfort, hope, and healing. Richard and Camilla, both members of The Church...
Making It Up As We Go Along
August 11, 2021 16:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBPeter and Alexandra Mackenzie Johns met at age 16 and dated for a few years before serving missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and going their separate ways. After eight years, they reconnected and realized they were perfect for each other. During their ten-year marriage, they have lived and worked in Jersey, India, and soon, Jordan. Alex and Pete regularly trade off the roles of child caretaker and breadwinner as they care for each other’s interests and health. Th...
Breaking Down the Barriers of Racism
July 16, 2021 14:00 - 30 minutes - 21.3 MBLola Ogunbote was only 14 years old when she had an experience with racism that changed her life forever. Lola is a black woman, football coach, activist, and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Regular encounters with racism do not stop her from pursuing her dreams. She is a firm believer that in order to build bridges and eliminate injustice, we must learn to love each other in the way that Jesus Christ loves each of us. As brothers and sisters in Christ, it is our ...
Finding Our Way Together
June 28, 2021 11:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBThis week on Hope Helps, Charly Burridge-Jones speaks with Felicity and Ben Munzer, a newlywed couple living in England. They assert that the ideal marriage is 1+1=3, where two individuals join together to create something greater than themselves. Ben and Felicity know that they have found a relationship that has clicked into place, and that with persistent effort and care for each other, their marriage will last a lifetime and beyond.
Known and Loved
June 09, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBIn this episode of Hope Helps, Tom Christofferson and Arteh Odjidja reflect on how we can affirm ourselves in Christ. As members of the LGBTQ+ community, they share their common life experiences on being members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how we can reach out and love those around us. Tom is the author of inspirational books, That We May Be One: A Gay Mormon’s Perspective on Faith & Family and A Better Heart: The Impact of Christ’s Pure Love. Arteh is an award-wi...
Messages from Molokai: Befriending the One
May 26, 2021 00:00 - 33 minutes - 23.1 MBKristen Metzger, a singer, actress, director, and more takes time to truly connect with an exceptional group of people. What makes these people so unique? They are the last colony of lepers that were exiled to the island of Molokai, Hawaii. In this episode of Hope Helps, Charly Burridge-Jones and her guest, Kristen Metzger, speak about how each of us can reach out to others who are struggling with hardships and difficulties, in a loving and uplifting manner. Charly and Kristen talk about th...
From Convict to Convert - Through Christ
April 28, 2021 00:00 - 30 minutes - 21.1 MBOn this week’s episode of Hope Helps, host Charly Burridge-Jones welcomes Peter and Kay O’Malley. Together, they discuss how life changes can be a positive experience. In his twenties, Peter spent almost two years in prison. Following his sentence, he found a home in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Peter and Kay were married in 2013 and together have ten children. Their relationship is based on mutual respect and years of trusting friendship. Discover how Peter went from co...
Faith and Hope Despite Challenges
April 14, 2021 00:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBIn this week’s episode, Charly Burridge-Jones talks with singer and performer Alex Boyé about how music and faith have been a source of hope during times of trial. At just 16 Alex was homeless and performing on the streets in order to make his way in the world. He had dreams and ambitions he could only dream of coming true. With vigilant hard work and hope for brighter days, Alex was able to achieve those dreams. Despite a challenging upbringing, he went on to serve a mission for The Chur...
Through Clouds and Sunshine: Conversations with Irish Paralympian Jason Smyth and his wife Elise
March 31, 2021 00:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBIrish Paralympian Jason Smyth and his wife, Elise, guide Charly-Burridge-Jones through their relationship journey on this episode of Hope Helps. Life’s challenges come in many forms but balancing a family and a Paralympic career is certainly a unique one. Jason is a five-time gold medallist at the Paralympic Games and holds world records in the 100- and 200-metre sprints. Elise is a stay-at-home mother who takes care of their two young daughters while finding friendship within her church ...
Refugees within Reach
March 17, 2021 12:00 - 40 minutes - 28.1 MBAround the world, there are millions of people fleeing their homes due to war, violence and persecution. The refugee crisis may seem distant, but there are ways we can help from our own homes. On this episode of Hope Helps, host Charly Burridge-Jones and guests shed new light on the experiences of refugees and volunteers in Europe. Gulwali Passarlay, a refugee-turned-writer shares his experiences during and after his flight from Afghanistan. Nina Kerrou explains what it’s like to volunteer ...
Chasing Your Life’s Dreams
February 24, 2021 01:00 - 30 minutes - 20.6 MBNo matter our age, profession, or background we all have dreams and things we hope for in the future. In this episode of Hope Helps, Charly Burridge-Jones and her guests talk about how to explore what our dreams might be and some helpful tips for how to chase them. Charly reflects on how we are all encouraged to chase our dreams, but that it can be difficult to navigate what that looks like. Her first guest, Steve Edwards, worked in the police service for over 30 years. He now volunteers w...
The COVID Conundrum: Hope Helps’ holistic approach to the pandemic
February 10, 2021 01:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBBalancing mental, physical and spiritual health can be tough, even during a regular year. With the added problems and opportunities of the last year, it is easy to feel like you are falling short. In this week’s episode of Hope Helps, Charly Burridge-Jones and her guests talk about how they have adapted to maintain their holistic health. Charly shares her own experiences about how COVID has changed the way she works and spends her spare time. She also speaks with HR worker Kangwa Musonda, p...
Discovering your life’s work
January 27, 2021 01:00 - 29 minutes - 20 MBFinding our life’s work can seem a daunting task. In this episode of Hope Helps, Charly Burridge-Jones and her guests explore tips that can help guide us on our own journey to find direction. Charly begins by expressing how individual our journeys can be and how important it is to approach the work we do positively. Her first guests are Hannah and David Bain. Hannah works as an acupuncturist who, from an early age, was surrounded by alternative health practices. She emphasises the importan...
Building Great Relationships - Even During Covid
January 13, 2021 01:00 - 37 minutes - 25.4 MBRelationships can be complicated. Add in the circumstances surrounding Covid and we can all experience another level of complexity. In this episode of Hope Helps Charly Burridge-Jones and her guests explore tips that can strengthen relationships with each other, at any level. Charly begins by sharing her personal story of how she discovered love in her life. Her first guest, Sammy Odoi is a social worker who shares tips from the ‘Real Talk’ workshops he and his wife led. These workshops we...
New Year’s goals: are they a good idea?
December 29, 2020 01:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBTraditionally a New Year brings with it the promise of a new beginning. With the challenges and heartbreak of a worldwide pandemic that began this past year, many are hopeful that 2021 will bring new opportunities and a fresh start. In this episode of Hope Helps, host Charly Burridge-Jones explores the topic of New Year’s goals with Lauren and Gabe Jones and executive coach Daryl Watson. The Joneses, two university students from Wales, share stories with Charly about their sometimes-creativ...
Hope of the Season
December 15, 2020 22:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBIn the first episode of Hope Helps host Charly Burridge-Jones and her guests reflect on their unique experiences of the Christmas season, even in the circumstances surrounding Covid-19. Guest Savannah Stevenson, a wife, new mother and well-known West End actress, shares her thoughts of what it was like to portray Mary, the mother of Jesus, in an international film version of The New Testament. Restrictions surrounding Covid-19 have affected many this Christmastime. John Maxwell and Candice...
Hope Helps aims to encourage and inspire
December 06, 2020 15:00 - 1 minute - 920 KBHope Helps is a new podcast designed to encourage, inspire and help people navigate their lives through the stories of others. As host Charly Burridge-Jones and her guests reflect about the joys and challenges of everyday living, they will uncover ways to strengthen relationships, manage disappointment, serve others, talk about life and even have some fun along the way. On the first episode of Hope Helps, Charly will talk with guests about their unique Christmas experiences. Her first gues...