Maddie Greenburg Dixon (Sister Greenburg) served in the Marshall Islands from 2016 - 2018. She was "blessed" to be the only sister missionary in her MTC group of 14 missionaries, but really it just prepared her for an elder dominated, tiny island mission in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Maddie served on almost every area on the main island of Majuro as well as the blessed island of Ebeye. 

#MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Ebeye #Majuro #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Episode 17: Maddie Greenburg Dixon - Marshall Islands - Majuro & Ebeye

Ezrym Ellis was originally called to serve in the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission from 2015–2017. However, about halfway through his time in the MTC, he learned that he wouldn’t actually be serving in the Marshall Islands at all—instead, he was headed to the other country in the mission: Kiribati. During his service, Ezrym served on Tabiteuea (first in Tab South, then Tab North), Kiritimati, and Tarawa, and was blessed with opportunities to visit several outer islands while serving as AP.

I still remember being personally welcomed by Ezrym's crossover at Moroni High School on my very first P-day in Kiribati—and legend has it, I wasn’t the first, nor the last, to receive such a welcome.

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Tabiteuea #Kiritimati #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Episode 16: Ezrym Ellis - Tabiteuea, Kiritimati, Tarawa, Outer Islands as AP

FIRST SISTER MISSIONARY ON THE POD!!! Nakitta Faupula Ellis served in Kiribati from November 2014 - May 2016. Nakitta had a rare experience to serve on the outer island of Marakei! Not often do you hear of sisters serving on outer islands, but for Nakitta, it was her "refiner's fire" moment after telling her mission president that outer islands were not for her. Nakitta knew she was headed to a third-world country, but always thought her living conditions would be a bit better than the elders'... she just didn't know that it meant being blessed with more pet rats to keep her company at night.

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Marakei #Tarawaeita #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Episode 15: Nakitta Faupula Ellis - Kiribati - Tarawa, Marakei, Tarawaeita 

Joey Powell served in Kiribati from 2015-2017 and he spent 9 months of those two years just on the outer island of Nonouti! Joey served on Tarawa, and the outer islands of Tabiteuea (Tab South), Nonouti, and Abaiang. After a tough start to the mission and dealing with some difficult circumstances on his first outer island, Joey fell in love with Kiribati on the island of Nonouti. Did the mission president forget that he was on Nonouti for so long, or was it meant to be? Probably a little bit of both...

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Tabiteuea #Nonouti #Abaiang #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Episode 14: Joey Powell - Kiribati - Tarawa, Tabiteuea, Nonouti, Abaiang

Tereua Oliphant is our first guest that was not a full-time missionary in the mission, but an even better guest because she is from Kiribati! To be exact, Tereua is Banaban/Fijian/Kiribati and was born on Rabi Island in Fiji where the Banaban people were displaced while the British mined for phosphate on Banaba Island (250 miles west of the nearest Gilbert Islands). After a long and faith-led journey, Tereua lives in Utah with her family and leads a Kiribati language and culture class at BYU in Provo, UT. Listen to the end to hear about Tereua's impact in helping the people of Kiribati receive a temple! 

Help Preserve the Wisdom of Kiribati Women - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-preserve-the-wisdom-of-kiribati-women-liz-tereua

Learn the Kiribati language with Tereua: https://www.instagram.com/langslaykiriway?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=OHQ3bG50aW44YzN5

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Banaba #Rabi #Tarawa #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture #BYUHawaii #BYU

Episode 13: Tereua Oliphant - Rabi, Banaba, Kiribati, BYU

Hayden Weenig served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2016-2018 and might have been the most well liked elder in the mission. Hayden served on 3 outer islands, Abemama, Tabiteuea (Tab South), Abaiang along with serving on Tarawa. During his time on Tarawa Hayden was able to see some full circle conversions as well as serve as AP. If you haven’t tried sea worms yet, Hayden has a recipe for you!

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Abemama #Tabiteuea #Tarawa #Abaiang #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Episode 12: Hayden Weenig - Kiribati - Abemama, Tabiteuea, Abaiang, Tarawa

Christian Mcalister served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2016 - 2018. Christian was adopted from the Marshall Islands when he was an infant and was able to return to his home country and people as a missionary of Christ. When he landed in the islands he felt as if he was home with his people. Learning his language and culture was very special to Christian, but most of all was finding and meeting his family members in the Marshall Islands. Christian served on Ebeye, Wotje, Majuro, & Ailinglaplap. Besides meeting his family in the islands, Christian also met his future wife, Polly Marie, who was a Fijian sister in his MTC group.

#MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Ebeye #Wotje #Majuro #Ailinglaplap #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Episode 11: Christian Mcalister - Marshall Islands - Ebeye, Wotje, Majuro, Ailinglaplap

Hands down the coolest mission! Canon Weaver served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2022 - 2024 and was one of the very first missionaries back to the Marshall Islands post covid. Building a mission from the ground up as part of the "pioneer group" had its ups and downs, but the biggest bonus of it all was Canon's special assignment. For 3 months Canon was told to visit all the outer islands in the Marshall Islands, scope them out, find housing for missionaries, and report his findings. If that's not the dream, then I don't know what is! After serving in Majuro, Ebeye, and his outer island jambo assignment, Canon continued on the dream mission as ZL/AP where he got to travel to more outer islands, Kiribati a few times, and even the forgotten (and forbidden) country in our mission, Nauru!  

Bonus - Canon was a referee during the Micronesian Olympic Games in the Marshall Islands. 

Best Book about life in the Marshall Islands: "Surviving Paradise: One Year on a Disappearing Islands" https://a.co/d/aZIKlcm            https://www.peterrg.com/book.html

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Kiribati #Nauru #Ebeye #Majuro #Tarawa #NorthTarawa #Ailinglaplap #Wotje #Ujae #Jaluit #Lae #Mili #Arno #outerislands #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Episode 10: Canon Weaver - Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru - Special Assignment - Outer Islands

Taylor Everett served in the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission, Kiribati region from 2010 - 2012. Before leaving the MTC after no language training at all, they told Taylor he was going to the Kiribati side of the mission where he would start on Tarawa. After time on Tarawa, Taylor went to the coveted northern island of Makin where he fell in love with the people and island. A unique disagreement between the Kiribati government and the landowners in Makin disrupted all plane service to the island for months, so the only way off was by sea. Taylor married a Kiribati girl (story for another podcast) and carries on the traditions and language of Kiribati every day.

#MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati  #Makin #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Episode 9: Taylor Everett - Kiribati - Tarawa & Makin

Mason Ross served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2016 - 2018. Mason had an incredible mission and served in both the Marshall Islands and Kiribati! Every elder was jealous of the areas that Mason served in because he not only served on 3 outer islands and Ebeye but also hit both countries in the mission! Mason started in the Marshall Islands, headed to an outer island in Kiribati, and then went back to the Marshall Islands. Mason's areas in order: Ebeye, Wotje, Abemama, Majuro, Jaluit, Majuro. 

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Kiribati #Ebeye #Wotje #Abemama #Majuro #Jaluit #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Episode 8: Mason Ross - Marshall Islands & Kiribati - Ebeye, Wotje, Abemama, Majuro, Jaluit

Iakwe & Mauri! I, Darin Tingey, served a two year religious mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Marshall Islands and Kiribati which are two islands countries in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. These are two of the most remote countries on earth and boast beautiful oceans and rich cultures. In this show I sit down with other former missionaries like myself that served in the Marshall Islands / Kiribati mission and we discuss the islands, missionary life, food, culture shocks, conversion stories, living in huts on the beach and much more. Welcome to The Islands!

Darin Tingey

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