the one where i defend myself with a shovel

Hola Everyone!!! another week has past and that means 7 days of experiences, laughter, and miracles! Every week in the mission had something new and different to offer, the adventure is finding out what that one thing will be this week. so instead of going on and on about how the week was good and the classic deal, im gunna tell you all a story.

so 9:50 last wednesday, we arrive home after a full day of preaching the gospel, not one time did we come home that day from the time we left in the morning. so we get home, Elder Puello goes to unlock the gate so we can go in and then open the house door. but when he goes he realizes the gates already open, and then he asks me "did you leave the light on when we left?" and i was like "no, did you?" and he was like "nope". by that point we were freaked out, we thought someone was inside maybe some homeless dude, maybe a thief in the act or whatever. i go inside the gate and i tell my comp to have my back. but he was like "nah im gunna stay here" and i was like "what if they kill me?!" and he was like "if they kill you theyre definitely gunna kill me too". yeah so i was like whatever at that point, i found a shovel outside and i crept through the back side of the house to enter the back door, the back door was already open. so i enter very sneakily and everything ready to defend myself but turns out nobody was there. the burglar has came and gone with my camera, my electric razor, a hammer, a a screwdriver, a flashlight and other meangless items. and from my companion's things....absolutely nothing. that lucky punk.

so i guess we all learned something from this, always lock up well, always have a shovel near by and when it comes to a fight, my comp will support me from afar. Awesome. I hope you liked the story, im sorry for zero photos but for obvious reasons there werent any to send today haha.

I wish you all a great week and i send my best.

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

The week where I was asked to be a son-in-law

Hola Everyone!!! This week has been great down here in Colina Chile, i was finally able to upload the photos from Genessis' baptism so feel free to check those out at the bottom. this week was really good, the weeks are getting shorter but not as short as the number of weeks i have left, too crazy to think about. but I'm just trying to make the most out of everything and try to take it all in. It's funny cause I'm finding everything more meaningful this way, the food we eat, the lessons we teach, the experiences we 're having.

But this week was good, Genessis was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and received the gift of the holy ghost. it was so special.

but funny experience of the week:

the other day we were knocking doors and trying to talk to people and this one lady came out kind of distressed about something, we offered her a card with a little question to think about and the question was: how can i achieve peace and happiness in my life? and when she read that she was shocked and said that she was in need of those two things. then she asked why we came to her house and we said " we felt like we needed to meet you" and she started to tear up. She told us to come back another day to share our message and then as she got to know us she asked about what we do, why we do it, how do we have money if we don't work, and then she got on the topic if we had girlfriends. My companion told her yes and i said nope I'm single haha. she then asked me if i wanted to be her son-in-law and called for her daughter to come meet us hahaha. it was hilarious but a very spiritual experience for us as well. it just goes to show that there are people waiting for this message, we just have to find them and have the guts to knock the door or open our mouths.

well thats all for this week, i love you all and have a great week.

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. in colombia Cartagena, they dont have addresses, you cant just type in a street name and a number and get there, i feel terrible for FedEx

2. the word tonto in spanish can mean silly or stupid but it depends completely on how they say it, half the time i cant tell the difference

the one with Genesis' baptism!!!

Hola Everyone, so this week has been so busy we've been all over the place preparing for a baptism and  being an experienced missionary, it's still a lot of work.

i'll see if i can give you all a rundown of what went on during the week.

so a baptism is no simple task, you have to plan the service, get baptism clothes, assign talks, invite members to go to the baptism, confirm with leaders and then maybe, with luck, youve got yourself a baptism. 

but all in all it was a great week, Genesis was totally prepared, the service went great, i had the honor of baptizing her so that was a neat experience. but on top of the baptism i was also called to give a talk in church, teach sunday school and make sure everything was prepared for the baptism afterwards, i think i walked around the church than i do a normal day in the street. but ya know i love what i do and i know that in not much longer i wont be doing what i do ever again so you can imagine that im trying to make the most of it. i love being a missionary, talking with strangers, walking like crazy and changing lives. I love representing the Lord's name on my chest all day long. i feel out of place without that plaque. the experience of a lifetime.

i wish you guys all the best and ill see you all soon.

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. haitians are like clowns, you can walk into a tiny house and find that 20 all live in the same room, like how?

2. Latinos dont use pepper all that often, i cooked some eggs with pepper and they thoguht it was the strangest thing ever

3. in computers here in central santiago dont allow my camera to upload photos so sorry guys, next week

the week where i think im a miner

Hoooola Everyone!!! Long time no talk! nah just kidding its just been 8 days haha. i hope everyone is doing well and getting back to school and not stressing too hard. Well this week has been good in a bunch of ways, first off we were all able to hear from the new President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson for those that havent gotten the announcement. thats right we have a modern day prophet just like back in Bible times, theres a man with all the power and all the authority just like Moises, Abraham, Isaiah etc. so that was pretty cool.

we had the opportunity to do a bit off service at an old mans house whos half blind, we cleaned up his back lawn, took out all the weeds and brush thats grown in and i had the luck to use the pickaxe and go to town on those bushes, i had a lot of fun to say the least. 

we have a great investiagtor progressing named Genesis and she is gunna be baptized this coming sunday so thats exciting, stand by for photos! shes already asking about how she can get to the temple and even how she can serve a mission like me! it was so awesome, nearly brought tears to my eyes. 

well thats the update for the week, if anyone has questions feel free to email me personally and ill try to get back to ya!

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. its nearly impossible to have a pick axe and not at least whistle if not sing the hi-ho song from Snow White

2. latinos have very mixed feelings about gringos, they either ask them a bunch of questions as if they were movie stars or they have an internal hatred toward you, either way its fun

the week where the Pope is coming to town

Hey Everybody!!! So im writing a day early this week but thats because the Pope is coming to santiago tomorrow and its gunna be madness all over, businesses are gunna be closed, people are gunna be all over the streets cheering or booing and its gunna be a very interesting day for a mormon missionary haha. but all the same its gunna be great, we're gunna spread the gospel, teach the truth and help God's children return back to him.

All in all this week hasnt been all that interesting we've just been teaching and we've had some really great lessons with investigators. we have this one investigator thats named Genesis, shes 15 and she is awesome, her mom and sister go with her to church and they have a testimony of the church, when we met Genesis she had doubts about if God even existed, lets just say shes made great progress, shes grown in faith and it shows on her face. shes happier, shes more at peace and awesomely enough shes gunna get baptized in 2 weeks!!! so stand by to see some photos of Genesis in white!!! so we're really happy for her. besides that all is well and we're just trying are best as imperfect humans trying to do a perfect work. 

I wish you all the best of luck in everything and a wonderful week! 

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. any latino, no matter how inexperienced they are at soccer, can juggle a soccerball better than a gringo with years of training. its in their blood its ridiculous

the one with wendy's

Hola friends and fam!!! Its Elder Cabrera reporting once again. man these weeks go fast and im starting to realize i dont have that many left. but we're not worrying about that just yet. anyways allow me to give ya'll a rundown on the week. so for the most part it was a normal week nothing too out of the ordinary or whatnot. so basically this week ive got some good news and ive got some bad/more like sad news. 

since i know how everyone is, i'll start with the sad news, President Thomas S. Monson the Prophet passed away this past week last tuesday night at the age of 90. He was an extroadinary man who dedicated his life to the ministery of Jesus Christ and brightened the lives of everyone who knew him through his faith and his pure love of Christ. He graduated from this mortal life and has taken his place much closer to our Heavenly Father. I dont weep for him, im proud of what he's achieved, in reality what each of us want to achieve. 

and on the bright side the good news, I ATE WENDYS TODAY!! thats right folks wendys has finally made its way to chile in a mall in the middle of nowhere outside of santiago center. its was amazing i nearly cried because it reminded me of home. so i hope youre all happy for me it was a big day for me today haha.

but besides that im great, im safe im healthy and im teaching people the truth about Jesus and his Gospel. what more can a guy ask for?

love you all!

Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. when a prophet dies, the senior apostle of the quorum of the 12 apostles (thats right theres 12 just like Jesus Christ had, coincidence? absolutely not) becomes the next president of the church. 

2. the wendys here in chile has everything EXCEPT frosties!!! thats a crime against humanity im pretty sure poor chileans they dont know what theyre being robbed of. 

the one with adios a 2017

Thats right everyone! it´s officially 2018 and its gunna be a fantastic year!!! i hope you all had great new years eve celebrations and youve set all your goals for the new year. i had an awesome new years too we ate dinner with our fav family here in Colina, we ate a family tradition then we sang kareoke and then we had to head home but the family sent us off with our lil martinellis bottle to celebrate at midnight haha. then we pop the bottle and watched fireworks, it was definitely memorable. this is going to be a big year for me. my last months in the mission, the return home and the return to normal life, its gunna be a busy year. but how exciting it all is. im just trying to make the most of each of my 365 days that i get. I hope youre all good and that youre starting your year off right. i dont have much to report but ill talk to you all later!!!

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. everyone lights flammable lanterns and throws em up in the sky, its like tangled i almost started singing "Now i see the light"

2. chileans have their own version of the new years countdown on tv but it doesnt beat times square