The one with the chicken feet

Hola Everybody!!! i know i know you've heard the same beginning to an email for the past like year and a half but hey just hang in there cause you wont heard it much longer. that's right this week is start my very last transfer in the mission. it's ridiculous how soon all of this is coming to an end. but that's not gunna stop us from making the most fo everyday that we have left. 

so this week was great, we ended a transfer we said our goodbyes to people that went home and had transfers to other areas out of the zone, we had a primary activity where as a zone we sang "the army of helaman" and it went pretty well for only practicing 10 minute before haha. 

this new week starting off fast as we helped the new people to the zone get into their houses and get to know their new areas. it's fun to be able to serve in leadership, more opportunities to serve others. then for lunch we had a delicious, chicken feet soup. i don't know if ya'll have ate chicken feet but it's an interesting experience, especially when their talons are still attached. but it's okay, we survived.

highlights happen everyday, we laugh we preach and we walk a lot. that's what we do in this mission and thats what ill be doing until the end. all's good in the Lord's vineyard. success will come soon and you'll be seeing more people coming unto Christ and getting baptized. prepare yourself for some white clothes real pronto!

love you guys! Elder Carlos Cabrera

fact of the week:

chicken feet are apparently good for your skin, i ate 4 so i should be looking real good anytime soon...i'll be waiting

The one with the perks of being a baller

Hola a todos!!! i hope everyones been doing well up north (like northerm hemisphere) and that youre all enjoying the beautiful spring time. reporting to you live again after another week of this 2 year chilean adventure that ive been on. this week has week has been one of a lot of self reflection and growth. ive learned so much everyday and ive been able to see the Lord's hand in His work. its been a blessing to be able to. besides the normal missionary work and all the randomness that it consists of, we're just been running around with some many things, busy life as a leader. 

but funny story of the week, so every pday or tuesday we have kind of like a day to go out play sports and write all you guys. but if we want to go to another part of santiago we have to ask permission from our leaders to do so. so last night we and 2 sister missionaries wanted permission to go to this activity which they invited us to. but in the end when we asked for the permission, the leaders ended up giving us permission to go play basketball but not the sisters. when i had to tell the sisters, they were not very happy campers, they complained and whined and just didnt understand why we could go and not them and the answer i really had for them was "hermana, its the perks of bein a baller". they didnt respond to that very well but hey, it is what it is am i right?

besides that all is good down here, keep me in your prayers and i will sure keep you all in mine.

much love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week: 

1. culd de sac is a french word and thats how you spell it, ya learn something new everyday

2. in basketball everything is possible if you have a good 3 point shot, steph can testify of that

The one with the 10 from Tennessee

Hola Everyone, yeah i know i know youre probably all getting tired of getting these emails every week for the past however long but hey hang in there guys, theres not many more so enjoy them while they last haha.

this week has been a good one, we've been working hard and preparing our two investigators that we have with bapstimal date for this sunday to be baptized. Remy and Gabriel are doing great, they go to church, they go to activities and theyre reading and praying everyday. theyre great people. i have found great joy in my mission service as ive come to recongnize the opportunities ive had to better the lives of the people by sharing the message that im here to share. and to explain the subtitle of this email, a guy came up to us yesterday out of nowehere at night and i was caught off guard and a little worried he was trying to pull something on us and then out of nowhere he said in english, "are you guys from tennessee?" and we were like "NO" confusingly and he was just like "cause youre the only ten i see" and then just walked off, we were left laughing hahaha, totally made our night. the most random, funny stuff happens here in the mission and its those memories you cherish as well. as you all can tell im great right where i am. i wish the same for all of you. have a great week!!!

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

instead of facts i want to give a huge shout out to some really special people in my life whove had or will ahve birthdays this month tghat i have to miss for the last time:

Happy Birthday to my Grandpa Eccles, Aunt Camille, Aunt Trudi, my handsome lil brother Caden (13), my lil princess Kami Lu (9) and my grown young lady for a sister, the red herself, Kennedy (17)

Happy Birthday guys i love you so much, sorry i have to miss your birthdays, but its the last time. You all are in my prayers and ill give you all your birthday hugs, and maybe gifts, when i see you again. LOVE YOU

the one with my last general conference

Hola Everybody!!! It's your favorite missionary from down here in beautiful Santiago reporting to ya'll again and man what a beautiful easter weekend did we have. As many of you know, we had the opportunity to hear from our beloved Prophet President Russell M Nelson and other inspired men and women of the Church. It was the first actual solemn assembly that i participated in as we sustained him as a prophet of God, i truly felt the spirit testify to us all of the truthfulness of his sacred calling and allowing us to know that he is truly a man of God. i'm so grateful for these beautiful spiritual experiences that testify to my soul and allow me to grow in ways i didn't know were possible. after all this time that i've been in mission, i would think that i have seen and felt it all, but moments like those are what continue to prove me wrong. I thought a lot of my loved ones all around the world this past Easter Sunday and i want you all to know that you remain in my prayers and thoughts often.

today, as a zone we played handball and let me tell you...it was so fun to throw a ball like that again. i haven't thrown like that since the last water polo game i played and i'm pretty sure ill be sore tomorrow, but it was definitely worth it. then we hit up wendys and i made my original chili covered baked potato, don't knock until you try it. still dont have frostys but we'll get there someday. love you all so much and see ya'll soon!

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. everyone and their mother passes missionaries chocolate eggs on easter, so much for the diet

2. the missionaries are a drunk mans best friend, if you're wasted and can't get home, the missionaries are your friendly-neighborhood spidermans to save the day, we won't just get you home but we won't steal your phone in the process, hope ya made it okay Hernan

the one with a whole lot of social events

Hola Everybody!!! that's right I'm alive and well still down here in Chile!! this week went by way fast and i think the next 10 weeks are gunna fly as we come down to the end, it's a little scary. anyways to give ya'll a run down on the week, this week we had zone conference which was super awesome i saw a bunch of my buddies and we learned a lot of important things from our awesome mission president, what a conference. i didn't want it to end. then yesterday we also had to take care of some visa stuff for my companion in the city and we were there like all day with a bunch of buddies from my group so the hours sure passed by fast. we were just chatting up a storm and it's crazy how close we've all become after all this time here in Chile, these are friends that im going to have for life, i love these guys. Today we played basketball, my jumpshot was on point but my 3 pointer was struggling a bit, we'll work on it when i get home. then we went to carl's jr and i ate the best meal ive had a long time. and free refills! that doesn't exist down here in Chile, but today i felt like i was at home again haha. 

the work has been going great, some investigators went to church this week that we were definitely not expecting to come and that really made our day. we're working a lot with haitian people and im little by little learning their language (creole). it's crazy to understand 3 languages in one conversation. everything's going great and i'm truly happy with life these days. i pray that you can all say the same as well. 

I love you very much and i wish you a great week!!! 

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. when a bunch of gringos play basketball for the first time in years, they all just try to make 3 pointers the whole time

2. free refills don't exist in chile, but little by little, they're moving in the right direction, next step: free bathrooms

The one where i was a burglar

Hola everyone!!! So this week has been crazy busy!!! we had meetings to go to (we also ate mexican food so it wasnt that bad) and a whole lot of people to visit. My comp Elder Whiting and I have been going so hard since we're kinda on our last stretch of the mission. yeah we still have like 10 weeks left but we're not trying to waste anytime at all. we've been teaching people from all over the world, Haiti, Peru, Dominican Republic, Colombian, you name it. not that many chileans believe it or not. but this week my comp made the dumb mistake of forgetting the keys inside the house and unfortunately the only way to get into the house was through the bathroom window which was way too tiny for either of us to go through and actually impossible for my big boy companion. so, for being the skinny one of the two, i had to go through the window and let me tell ya, it was not a pretty sight. but we ended up getting in and we're all good now haha. so that was the story of the week stand by for more wild adventures of Cabrera and Whiting!! Love you all and have a great week!!!

Elder Carlos Cabrera

facts of the week:

1. you can call anyone tio or tia (uncle or aunt) and its totally okay here, apparently a bunch of people have nephews or nieces hahaha

2. everyone has the same african decor in their houses, i dont know if its the style or just the cheapest thing in the stores 

The one where i go to Conchali

Hola Everyone!!! well heres the latest updates: i am no longer in Colina i was transfered to a new area called Fermìn Vivaceta in the zone of Conchali. my new companion is elder darren whiting from Mesa, AZ. we came to the mission together and we're actually going home the same day too so we have a history together haha. But yeah it was so sad having to say goodbye to the area and all the people i grew to love but thats the mission for ya. its full of hellos and goodbyes and you know you loved the people when it hurts to say goodbye. i guess i loved them too much haha. but i know ill learn to love the people in my new area as well. but this time the goodbye will be when i go home. i just want to invite you guys all to appreciate what you have and not only when you dont have it anymore because by then its too late. but we'll see what this new area has in store for me and ill be keeping you posted on all our adventures. 

Love, Elder Carlos Cabrera