I tried to hide my shameful foot under the bench...

Howdy y'all! 

I know you are all just dying to know if I have been living the last 4 days of my life with only 9 toes, so I'll put your curiosity to rest. Tinanggal nila ang kuko ko lang. Nandito pa rin ang daliri ko! [They removed my nail only. Here is still my toe!] Now you still may not know what's up because you don't understand that combination of letters and sounds called Tagalog. They just took my toenail, actually only about 1/3 of it. I'll send you a picture you can use to replace your screensaver of my last toe photo. :) 

The first photo is my toe the day after surgery. the second one is what it looked like today.

4 days later

It actually went pretty smooth. I went into the surgery building and they gave me one of those hospital outfits that looks kind of like an apron, but they only had ones for Filipinos so that didn't work very well for me. They found me some pants to put on that were fat enough to fit santa clause and that was what I wore. The actual surgery went pretty fast. they just laid me down on a bed, injected my foot with the numbing stuff like what they use at the dentist, then waited a couple minutes for it to take effect. after my toe didn't have anymore feelings they took this thing that looked like some sort of scissors, snipped my toenail the vertical way, and after about only 15 seconds pulled this big red bloody kuko [nail] from my foot. I was so surprised it was so fast. Most of the time I was in surgery they were just

 numbing me up and putting on a bandage. it was pretty cool. The coolest part is that I got a free pair of St. Luke’s hospital slippers. They're a bit small too, but it's okay because they were free. :) the lamest part is that I lost my right proselyting shoe in the taxi on my way home and now only have a left shoe. I was only wearing one shoe and one slipper, and when I got out of my taxi at my apartment I forgot my right shoe in the taxi and then it drove away and I have no idea where it is now. I just walk around with one church shoe, and one flip flop right now. :) I will be getting a pair this Thursday though that I can use, but they're already pretty worn out. 

Another cool part is that my toe hasn't hurt one teensy weensy bit the whole time since my surgery. 

It was really awkward last Sunday at church because Elder Bowen, the Philippines area seventy came to our ward and he picked the one day that I was wearing a flip flop to church. I was sort of embarrassed so I tried to hide my shameful foot under the bench as he walked by. I did my best to act casual, but I think he suspected something none-the-less. Sunday was also way awesome though because we had 7 investigators at church! I'm really excited for this up coming month. We have a marriage coming up around Feb. 11th, then a couple of baptisms for the 25th, and also a baptism on the 18th if Tatay Dorriteo can keep coming to church. It's way awesome to have all these progressing investigators. 

I wish I could have seen McKay's talk. I like him. Also I miss seeing Bob and then he always says, "Roberto!" in a really fun voice. I too gave a talk in Sacrament a couple Sundays ago. 

I really do sort of miss seeing other tall people. Just yesterday I bashed my head on a thing hanging over the walk way. I like how things like that are higher in Utah than here. Like doorways and ceilings and big wooden pallets hanging over the road. hahaha It's fine though. I'm not critically injured. :)

I don't have a lot more to say about this week. Mostly just I had a crazy surgery and bumped my head yesterday on a wooden pallet I didn't see hanging in my way. So yeah! Life is good! Mahal ko kayo!!!!

Elder Fawson