When parents let their child leave the house, they know their child will encounter difficult things—a bully, a scraped knee, or maybe a failing grade. But it would be hard for us to learn and grow if our parents never let us leave the safety of our homes.

God sent you to earth so that you could grow to become more like Him. As He allows you to experience the struggles that help you learn, you might mistakenly feel like that is proof He doesn’t care about you. In fact, it shows the opposite—God loves you enough to let you grow into your divine potential as His child.

The bad things that happen to you here on earth may feel all-consuming now, but they are a short moment in the course of your eternal life. Everything that feels unfair in this life will be made right in the next, and you will understand the true joy of God’s plan for your happiness.

If you’re looking for undeniable scientific proof that God exists, we’d suggest a different approach. Each one of us can receive the knowledge that God is real, but it happens through a deeply personal process of seeking God through study, service, prayer, and divine inspiration. When we have that knowledge, we can see proof of God everywhere we look—in nature, in the course of our daily lives, and in the answers to our prayers.

Missionaries are volunteers who have set aside their normal lives for up to two years to help others come closer to Jesus Christ. Before leaving on a mission, they were students, employees, athletes, bookworms, musicians, and, well, you get the idea. After their service, they will return home to finish college, work, date and marry, and live a pretty normal life.

They come from all over the world. It’s not uncommon for missionaries to serve in a country and speak a language other than their own. Missionaries serve as young adults or in their retired years as singles or couples. Whatever their age, their motivation is sincere—they leave their homes and families for a period to do what Jesus taught His Apostles: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).

No. The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. He invites everyone to come unto Him “without money and without price” (Isaiah 55:1). Missionaries actually pay to see you, covering their own costs to come on a mission. Local Church leaders and class instructors don’t get paid either.