GONE

Our dear little wendito is gone.

You don't know me...I don't even know me....

Well...so I'm back. Kind of a silly statement because anyone who really cared would already know. :) I got back exactly 6 weeks ago and I can't believe how fast but yet monotonously slow the time has gone. Its been nice to relax and catch up with my great friends and family but I'm SO ready to dive back in and start work and school...I wonder how long it will be before I regret that statement.

It's been aprox. 19-20 months since I posted anything so maybe I'll just do a quick review of the last little chunk of my life.



So, I went on a mission. I could write all day about the wonderful experiences I shared with the beautiful people of Uruguay, but it wouldn't be the same...if you have questions or interest let me know...I'm happy to share...but more than anything I've come to learn that missions are quite a personal experience. It's amazing how one can find his/herself by forgetting about themselves and focusing all their energies on the happiness and salvation of others, you get soooo much more in return...cool stuff.



so, after 18 months of nothing but walking, talking, and preaching the word and falling absolutely in love with those Uruguayos they threw me back on a plane with ZEEERO instruction headed back to "real life".



After 27 hours, 4 airports, and less than 3 hours of sleep you can only imagine how my heart almost swelled right out of my chest when I saw my beautiful mountains. ... I was home...after sooo long and sooo much...i was back. (mixed emotions)



...and there the fam was waiting at the bottom of the escalator. Mom all but ran past security to get to me first. Larn started crying (typical :) Austin was just happy to be out of school, and there my dad stood, beaming. My beautiful girlfriends we standing there with balloons and there cameras snappin away and my incredibly supported Grandparents and aunts and uncles were all standing there patiently waiting on that cold cold march morning. What a day.(what a lucky gal I am.)


Oh ya...we were, however, short one sibling. Tyler is currently serving in the philipenes and doing AWESOME! (I wish i could say that he got the good genes from me...)




My girls are still as beautiful and fun as ever...even with their new found eternal companions...and Wendy's recent mission call to the New Mexico mission.



so my BFF decided to wait till i got home, so leave me here...alone...and go serve in New Mexico. She leaves tomorrow!! CRAZY! but its been super fun to hang out with all the girls a little more than usual...man wendy we're sure gonna miss you.



So...life is full of changes. The most recent...my venture down to bountiful. I'm now living in a beautiful new apartment with my old mission comp Synthia Smoot. We loved being comps so much we decided to be roomies. :) It still hasn't been a full day in my new place, but I already love it. Great area, great roomies, and a great ward. Lots of fun to be had this summer before school starts.

-Conclusion- its a wonderful life. it took leaving for 18 months to a 3rd world country to realize how good i really have it here..and it took coming home to realize how good i had it there. I'm learning now, how to be happy and content where I am. :)

Farewell

Just want to thank everyone who came to support me this last sunday! It was so good to see everyone and really sweet of you all to travel. If you guys want to write here's my addresses:

MTC:

Provo Missionary Training Center

2005 N 900 EProvo, UT

84604

Pouch: (letters only)

Sister Lyndsie White

Uruguay Montevideo Mission

POB 30150Salt Lake City, UT

84130-0150

USA

Packages: (and pictures)

Sister Lyndsie White

Uruguay Montevideo Mission

Horacio Quiroga 6350

Carrasco

11500

Montevideo

Uruguay

Life is GOOD!

You know your life is good when...
-your family and friends are willing to wait for you to get home from the Ben Folds concert to see where you are going to be spending the next 18 months of your life.
-your parents give you a trip to europe for Christmas.
-when your on top of the Eiffel Tower looking out over Paris with your mom and sister and can't think of anywhere else in the world you'd rather be
-you go sledding on top of the Alps in the middle of June
-you sneak out of your hotel room in your pajamas in Venice to go buy Gelato in the middle of the night.
-the worst gelato in Italy destroys the best Ice Cream in America
-when you can say 'merci bou qua' to the cashier and they speak french back to you because they don't know your a tourist...YAY
-you walk into Roosters and see your closest friends sitting there
-they don't hesitate to throw their arms around you when you burst into tears
-you stick it to the man by riding the front runner almost every single day for free.
-you can say you love someone and really mean it.
-your previously stolen wallet shows up in the mail with all your cards still inside...including your full cafe rio card.
-someone will do anything for you because you ask them too.
-You win...
-you find a glacier in the middle of the summer and decide to go sledding
-Someone is willing to compromise.
-you get butterflys thinking about the next 18 months, and what could happen afterwards
-you know that what you are doing is right and that your heavenly father loves you and is pleased with you.
It has been the hardest and best summer of my life. I'm sad to be leaving but can't wait to go serve the people in Uruguay. I have so much to learn and am ready to work. Thank you all for your love and support. I'll see you in 18 months!...or so!

Adios...

Oh the Irony!

I just wanted to document that I was 15 minutes late for church because I couldn't get through the Utah "Pride Parade". I thought it was pretty ironic. . . and flamboyant(and super obnoxious yet mildly entertaining?).

That is all before i say something racist. . . :S

i love to see the temple

When I was little I always imagined when I went to the temple for the first time it would be to get married, but that would have been what a typical 21 yr old would do. It was such a great opportunity to go through as a future missionary. I totally respect all my friends who have gone through in order to be married (thats totally cool), but I'm glad I could go with a different mindset. A mindset that its my goal to help other people get to this point. That thought stuck with me all through the evening and has been on my mind all day today. I'm not going to lie, it was a lot to take in, but I'm grateful for all the support I had. Man, I cannot wait to get out of here!

like a thief in the night

Let me restate that. . .it WAS a thief in the night. Mondays are bad enough without walking out of your house a 5:25am only to see your trunk open and everything you left there the night before. . .GONE! Well, ok, not everything. More like my laptop, charger, digital camera charger, purse (with cards, birthday money, recommend and other personal items typically found in a purse) and favorite DVD. So basically it seemed like everything! It might as well have been. I realize that it could have been alot worse, but it was still inconvenient. I leave for europe in 2 weeks and have had to rush around trying to get a new id, debit/credit card so I can buy a few last minute needed items. Whoever stole my purse didn't hesitate to go down to the local betos and blow $30 on a late (4:30am) dinner with the whole family. Too bad betos wasn't smart enough to id these fellas cuz now they are out $30 of food. Shame. Anyways. . . I'm really getting sick of people who think they can just take whatever they think they want. I was talking to my mom last night and she told me that our back door had been kicked in and a bunch of cash was missing out my dad's closet. And today me and my sis were just sitting in wendy's when a bunch of punk kids took all of the used trays and ran out of the dining area. What is this world coming to? Maybe I've been too trusting for too long. I feel like my safe little bubble I thought I grew up in is gone. :(
Since I've gotten my mission call its amazing the little things I've noticed. On one hand the crappy things that seem to keep happening to me are quite frustrating, but then its only more of a confirmation of how much I am needed to serve in Uruguay. Like yesterday, I went hiking with a bunch of friends when I noticed this awful batch of hives on my legs. . .as the day progressed it got even worse and spread over my entire body. How convenient that this happened on the day before I am supposed to go to the temple for the first time. Thank heavens Instacare was open on memorial day. Its already been quite a ride and I'm sure its not going to get any easier. I know where I need to be on August 20th its going to take alot more than getting robbed and hives to keep me from going.