AMADORA

This city is...fantastic. Holy mangos the people here are so open! Its awesome! So far we haven't really met with many people but those we have are amazing.

So first things first, I'm extremely grateful for the sisters that also serve in our ward for the sacrifice of the house we now live in. The house that the sisters used to live in was in our area and the house that we lived in was in theirs. By orders of President both parties were evicted and swapped. Well. Now we live in a five star presidential sweet with air conditioning, yoga mats, and individual bathrooms. It is probably one of the greatest thanksgiving/christmas gifts I've had. So hat goes off to them.

The city is also sic because we have a ton of christmas lights in the streets! Its great! Our ward is super supportive as well. I've met so many people who knew grandpa Hillam. Its amazing to get lunch and help from the members! The sacrifice they make to help with the missionary work is truly appreciated.

So far we have just been getting to know the area. We are teaching a man who is progressing pretty well. He is scheduled to be baptized this coming Sunday. Yesterday he didn't show up to church so we met up with him later and had a super sic lesson about the importance of being baptized because we know the church is true and not because the missionaries are cool and it will make them happy (even though both are true). He is now going to start reading daily and praying to know if its true. He is awesome.

Not much else to report about. For thanksgiving a random lady at the butchers bought us some kebabs. We made those for lunch and it was fantastic. We gave her a Book of Mormon.

My little spiritual thought comes from a quote I had heard before but read recently this last week and it hit me like something that hits really hard (maybe like a cement truck or an iPhone at terminal velocity):

“Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace."

It explains itself pretty well. The Lord is going to make us a lot better than we think we can be. And its going to be uncomfortable. But its going to be awesome in the end. Who wants to have a four room cottage when you can have a massive palace with schnazy paintings and columns and towers and fountains and other fancy majestic things?

Anyways, this week has been one of gratitude, how fitting for thanksgiving right? 

I love you all,

Elder Cordon