Today, we’re so excited to share a powerful session from last year’s Restore gathering, given by Astrid Tuminez, president of Utah Valley University.

Astrid’s story is truly extraordinary. She was born in a small village in the Philippines and raised in the slums of Iloilo City. Her journey has taken her from Catholic convent schools to Harvard and Wall Street to leading a major public university—and throughout, she’s wrestled with what it means to belong and to find joy.

Drawing from the Book of Mormon, Buddhist meditation, and the lives of the people who have shaped her, Astrid invites us into the practices that help her live with joy, even in the midst of complexity and change.

We also want to acknowledge that this session was recorded just a few months before Astrid’s beloved husband of 37 years, Jeff Tolk, passed away unexpectedly. Jeff was someone we admired deeply. He had a brilliant mind and a tender heart and we’re holding Astrid and her family in our hearts during this season of unimaginable grief.

Listening to this message now, with the weight of that loss, we have even more reverence and gratitude for the wisdom and light Astrid shared with all of us on the Restore stage. We think it’s one you’ll want to revisit again and again.

Restore 2025 will be September 25-27 at UVU in Orem, Utah -- you can get tickets to join us at faithmatters.org/restore 

Join us March 6 in SLC for Interfaith REPAIR: a peacemaking workshop from Waymakers!