"Buckeye Heidi" tells the story of how her church community surrounded her during the greatest grief of her lifetime, and how now, 30 years later, God continues to lift her up in hope.

The American Hope tour finally takes flight! Having started where all road trips start – at home – we head to the southwest to Phoenix, Arizona. In part 1, you’ll hear from Ellie, a senior at Grand Canyon University, and I also bumped into some old friends from home! (We were in Scottsdale so I’m including them in the Phoenix episode!) I’ve also been asking people to submit their thoughts remotely via text or Instagram, so I’ll include one of those in this episode, too.

In this final set of voices from Tacoma, we'll hear about a woman whose brother was murdered in the line of duty, about living in complete surrender, and about the genuine struggle to find hope in difficult times.

Still on the road -- sort of -- we hit the road where all road trips start: at home.

Eleven people shared what gives them hope. While all are founded on faith in God, that faith is expressed differently. So you’ll hear some common themes, but some that may surprise you.

We hit the road where all road trips start – at home in University Place, WA, where most of my community are part of the church. So you’ll hear some common themes, but some that may surprise you.

Coming up: Tacoma church, part 2, and other voices from the Tacoma area. Then our journey will take us to the southwest for a brief stop in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Music for American Hope is by Kevin Macleod. Find American Hope at rss.com and wherever you listen to podcasts.

Erik Johnson is an athlete, actor, comedian, all-around goofball, as well as being a loyal son and brother and great friend. In this conversation, Erik shares about his unexpected physical malady, his struggle through addiction, and where he found hope throughout.

Mike summarizes the show's simple focus: "What gives you hope?"

But rather than an abstract philosophy, American Hope aims to share the voices and stories of Americans just like you: living, working, struggling, dreaming.

Those voices come from every corner of the nation, including right next door.