Been kickin' up sparks, now set the flames free

January 3, 2011

Hey everyone. Happy New Year! I can't believe that it's already 2011. I can now say that I will go home from my mission this year. Weird.

So, about an hour and a half after I sent my emails last week, I went to a little health clinic and had surgery done on the big toenail on my right foot. I was really nervous about it before going in. I waited with my companion in the hallway and talked to him and a few other patients who told me all about ingrown toenails and how bad they hurt and what the surgery would be like and all that. After about a half hour the doctor arrived and called me into the surgery room. He and a nurse did everything. They told me to lie down on my back on the operating table-bed thing. They started messing around with some syringes and stuff, so I nervously asked if they were going to give me anesthesia. They said yes and started to load my big toe with it. They gave me shots on both sides of my toenail in that really sensitive area of flesh. Honestly, those shots hurt more than the surgery. They sent me back into the hallway to wait while the anesthesia settled in.

They called me back in after some time and cut me open. I was lying on my back, so I couldn't see anything, but I asked the doctor if he had started cutting because I had felt something on my toe. He said he was just testing things, but it was a lie. He finished up without me knowing it and then asked if he could start. When I said that he could go ahead, he informed me that he had already finished. Anyway, the surgery didn't really hurt, but I definitely felt something. It was like a weird pressure down the center of my toenail. And I swear I could smell something burning during all of it.

I have to go back there every day to change my bandages and get my toe cleaned. I saw my toe for the first time the day after the surgery. I would send you guys a photo, but I don't have my camera with me -- I'll send one next week. Basically, I have a big nasty black hole where the right half of my toenail ought to be.

Because of the surgery, I haven't been allowed to walk much. The doctor told me that I have to stay off my feet for at least ten days, so my comp and I have been spending most of our time reading and stuff at our house. I've been catching up a lot on journal entries and things like that, but I'm going a little crazy. I just want to be able to use normal shoes and go back to being a normal missionary. I'm anxious to go back to work.

So, we got to watch Toy Story 3 on Wednesday after we ate pizza for dinner. President and the assistants came and did it all. The movie was awesome, even though we had to watch it in stupid Portuguese. Dubbed movies are so stupid. Anyway, it was a lot of fun.

The other news for this week is that we have transfers today. Elder Harris was transferred after spending three transfers in this area. He will make six months on the mission this week, and he was chosen to be the new financial secretary of the mission. I'm still a little flabbergasted by that, but whatever. We got along really well and had a lot of good times, but I'm sure it was for the best that he left. My new companion is named Elder Ramos. I still haven't met him yet, but everyone says he's really cool. He'll be the first Brazilian comp that I will have had since the beginning of June. I'm looking forward to getting better practice on my Portuguese and having the kinds of experiences that you don't get with Americans.

So, that's what's going on. I really can't wait to be able to work again, because I'm tired of reading and writing. I need to preach the gospel, dudes!

I'm doing well and trying my best to be a good missionary-o. I hope all is well back home and I wish you all a feliz ano novo!

luv

boooooga