My Foot

I'm sorry i haven't written for awhile, if you have not heard, i broke my foot 6 days ago. two days before Christmas. It happened as i was walking and stepped onto some un-level ground, i twisted my ankle and it made my foot go onto its side and all my weight was to much for the bone. 

so, i have been hearing from doctors that i need surgery. the plan was for me to go home to Oregon, get the surgery then come back to Brazil after 2 to 3 weeks. but when i got to Salvador to go home, i heard that if i ended up going home, i would have a very small chance of returning to Brazil. so i told my mission pres. that i wasn't going to leave if i couldn't come back. 

so we have been working with another option of getting the surgery here in Brazil. we have gone to 3 different doctors who all said i needed surgery, but today i just got back from a specialist who suggested not getting surgery. we have another consultation tomorrow and we are talking with other specialist to make sure i get the best help there is, to get back to work as soon as possible. 

so as of right now, we are working hard at keeping my in Brazil, and it looks possible for sure. i will keep everyone posted so you know whats going on.

i attached a couple picture so you can see what it looks like. not to bad. just a small bone.

i have had a few super special experiences with this foot problem so far. first, 2 days after i broke my foot, i felt no pain anymore. I'm not taking my medicine and the pain never came. to me it is a huge blessing, you can see from the X-Ray that the bone is broken all the way across. yet, i can put pressure on it or pinch it without almost any pain. i feel like this is a huge blessing on the part of all those who have been praying for me and i am SO very grateful for it (as the doctors here gave me medicine less powerful than Tylenol)

the second miracle i have see from this is that i was initially supposed to go home. if you need surgery as a missionary, you almost always go home. my mission president told me i would be back in 2 to 3 weeks, but latter we found out (the night before i was supposed to go home) that if i went home, the chances would almost be 0 of me returning to Brazil. but i needed surgery.. i made it clear to my president that i didn't want to go home if i wasn't going to come back. i told him that i will use my pocket knife and we will have my foot fixed real fast. he doesn't want me to leave either, so he has been calling lots of people and finally, and miraculously, got permission for me to have the surgery here. i felt that was a huge answer to my, and mine family and friend's prayers. 

so right now its not for sure 100%, but it looks as though i will be staying here and getting the treatment i need in Brazil. :) and ill be recovered soon. 

so thank you to all that have been praying and fasting and all for me. it has helped so much and i am so grateful.  i am doing good, my foot is not hurting and I'm keeping busy doing what i can do for the mission. 

i love you all and hope everyone had an amazing Christmas! 

Elder Cluff