No wonder God permits pointless evil as that's how He can use His free will. So we're indeed in His image Were we as the supposed denizens of Heaven, we also would have free will and a guarantee not to do wrong David Ramsay Steele, my friend, notes i n 'atheism Explained : from Folly to Philosophy." This is no hobgoblin of little mind! Ah, it is irrelevant to aver that  Heaven  will  make up for all this   pointless evil as one should first give evidence for it: no holy books can confirm it!
And, also  the second point that  Patrick T. Mackenzie makes, that it is also irrelevant to aver that  this world is  a testing   place.
Besides,  the tests  presume too   much as many, many natural disasters and humans  kill  millions.   As Burton Porter avers, there could be less contrast betwixt good and evil or better still the contrast could be amongst the good, the better and the best. Some people  supererogate- go beyond duty- to help others but never experiencing hardships themselves. John Hick  pleas for the tests for soul-making, but as noted, then, he pleads without success.
Carneades