Soul Searching (Week 64)

It's already been another week! That's crazy to me. Time on the mission goes faster the further along you get. It's the darndest thing.

We played some American Football with these punk kids at this park. They think they're all that with their vape things and low riding pants, but we've seen them there a few times and have become bros with them. They are in awe whenever us Americans walk around, haha, and hopefully we'll teach them the Gospel super soon.

This week, I hit 15 months as a missionary! Crazy haha. We were able to meet with our friend, Fred. Fred has a lot going on in his head about the injustice, the unfairness, and the suffering in the world. To him, it challenges his belief in a kind and loving God. It's a legitimate question that needs a legitimate answer.

A few weeks ago, my companion and I were teaching a 20 year old dude named Ben. Ben had similar questions. He told us his faith was non-existent because of the suffering in the world. He said he would like to believe, but that belief wasn't quite there.

I also recently went on an exchange with one of our APs, Elder Sorenson. He is an absolute beast of an Elder from Provo. We were in a park and started talking to this bro. We complimented him on his bike. Go us. We started talking and the conversation progressed to the point of why he struggled to believe in God. It was because of the unfairness and the suffering in the world. 

To all these individuals we were able to share the principles of the Gospel that help us to understand suffering. 

When I was with Elder Sorenson he shared how his brother had recently been diagnosed with Cancer. His brother doesn't have long to live. He shared another example of how his mom was injured pretty badly in an accident. 

I told these individuals of my experiences. I told them of my uncle Tyson who died in a plane accident just days before I came on my mission. I talked about how my Dad has suffered with back and joint pain everyday for year after year. It's not fair that all these things happened to these people. Especially these good people. It's not fair that there are children who go hungry. It's not fair that there are women who are abused. The injustice of the world is real. 

I then testified to them of this simple truth: God loved us so He sent His Son. ONLY Jesus Christ can make it right. ONLY the Son of God could have suffered every pain and injustice to the end of the Earth. Only He can make it right. Above all, the only HOPE that I or anyone else can have in something better, is through Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate HOPE for all injustice and unfairness.

Our suffering is so we can understand Christ better. Romans 8:16-17

-Elder Shockley :D