Thanks to the best support group in the entire world!

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to first start off by thanking you all. I honestly have the best support group in the entire world. My family, my friends, my neighbors.... Y'all are seriously the greatest. Thanks for all of the emails and shoutouts--I'm sorry if I haven't been able to respond, but just know that I am very grateful. Heavenly Father manifests His love through the blessings of the people I know in this life--of that I'm sure! :)

So this week has actually been an incredible week. But for lack of time, I'm just going to share an experience I had at the multi-zone the week before and say that Sister Vasquez and I have seen many tender mercies and miracles in the last couple of days. I know that Daddy is already helping me on his side of the veil. How glorious is this work--that all may take part in serving the Lord!

So. Sister Hintze is an incredible person--I hope all y'all know that! She shared an amazing experience at the multi-zone about faith. I have already shared it with Mom, but I'll share it with the rest of you because it is......I just loved it!

When she and President Hintze and the fam were living down in Argentina, she was diagnosed with sudden hearing loss in one ear. And to reluctantly make a long story short (wish I had more time..... Sorry! :/), she was having a very hard time with it. There was a possibility that with the steroid she was taking, she could regain all, some, or NONE of her hearing back in her ear. President Hintze was in Colombia at the time and so she couldn't immediately communicate with him; she was in a Spanish-speaking country, where she couldn't speak very well; andit was her birthday to top it all off! The taxi driver asked her as she sat, hysterical, in the back of the car, if everything was okay. To which she responded, "No! Everything is not okay!" and then she related the whole story to him.

She then said that he turned around and asked her a question that she will never forget, "Are you a woman of faith? I am a man of faith and I will pray for you...." She said inside she was thinking, "YES! I am a woman of faith. But why is it that my faith just disappeared in a moment like that? Where did it go???"

Sometimes in life, we have those moments. We get thrown a curveball and it's as if our faith faith has taken a vacation. Which causes us even more distress. If our faith is supposed to sustain us through the hard times, how is it that when those moments do come, we break down?

Sister Hintze's hearing did come back, but she says that when everything's quiet and there is nothing to hear, she hears a quiet ringing in her ear: a reminder that she is a woman of faith. And she invited all of us missionaries to think about something we can have or do in our moments of distress that remind us that we are men and women of faith. My invitation for you is to do the same.

I know that Heavenly Father's hand is in all things. I know that He loves us. He knows what challenges we can handle and will never give us more than we can take. And throughout it all, He will be right there with us, lifting us up and providing us with strength when we feel as if we can do no more. There is something in the Emma Smith movie that I love that Emma says--"Sometimes God brings us low, before He can lift us higher...." I know that we have trials to make us stronger. I know that our adversity is but a small moment. I know that Heavenly Father does love us. My prayer is that we all can continue to be men and women of faith. I know you all are and I am very grateful for the examples and support you all are for me.

I'm praying for you! Keep moving forward! :)

Love Always,

Hermana McCulloch