Grueling farm work taught Elder Alfred Kyungu, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, about the power of hope. In his BYU-Idaho devotional address, Elder Kyungu shared a story about a time when his father’s illness prevented him from working. Elder Kyungu’s father no longer had money to send his children to school. Elder Kyungu couldn’t study for two years, and worried about his future.
“All my dreams seemed to end and my whole future became dark,” Elder Kyungu said. “I had lost hope for a better future.”
When his father recovered, they worked together planting and harvesting crops, including cassava. Elder Kyungu found hope in his father’s promise that eventually they would make enough money to send him back to school. The labor was intense, but eventually their efforts paid off.
“Eventually, God blessed our effort and our fields,” Elder Kyungu said. “We had a very good harvest. We saw the products and were able to save money. Finally, I went to continue high school after two years of inactivity.”
Elder Kyungu feels grateful for the hope of receiving an education that his father gave him. In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Elder Kyungu said that he chose to include the story to encourage young adults who may be struggling.
“Sometimes they feel depressed. Sometimes their discouraged. Sometimes they’re left out. Sometimes they are disappointed,” Elder Kyungu said. “And they need to keep that hope.”
He counseled students to trust in the Lord, and to act upon the things that they know.
“As much as we trust our Heavenly Father, He will respond to us,” Elder Kyungu said. “So, we don’t need to fear.”
You can listen to the full interview and devotional address on our podcast. Just search for BYU-Idaho Radio on your favorite podcast app.