Jared Whippy, the BYU Women's Rugby Head Coach, served in Kiribati from 2011 - 2013. Jared and his twin brother, Josh, did everything together while growing up in Fiji and New Zealand where they dominated in basketball and dabbled in rugby. After Jared received his mission call to the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission (Kiribati Region), the Lord decided that the brothers should continue to dominate together as missionaries and called Jared's twin to the same mission! Not only did they serve in the same mission, but were also companions at one point. 

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

Episode 20: Jared Whippy - Kiribati - Tarawa & Marakei

First sister back to the Marshall Islands post COVID! 

Ellery Miller's missionary journey to the Marshall Islands was a unique one. Starting in 2022, she was first reassigned to Tacoma, Washington, for a year. Her prayers were finally answered when she became part of the first group of international missionaries to return to the Marshall Islands after the COVID lockdown.

Throughout her time there, she was a member of the only companionship of sister missionaries on the islands. Today, Ellery continues to serve the Marshallese people by teaching at the MTC and studying mental health in the islands.

#MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Kiribati #Majuro #Tarawa #Mili #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Episode 19: Ellery Miller - Marshall Islands & Tacoma, Washington - Majuro, Tarawa, Mili

Cody Sias served in the islands from 2012-2014 and started his mission on the Kiribati side of the mission. After only 36 days on the main island of Tarawa, Cody was transferred to Kiritimati Island where his stay was so long that he was lucky enough to catch a ship to Tabuaeran (Fanning Island) not only once, but twice! One of those trips almost ended badly for a senior missionary, but prayers were answered and miracles were beheld once again in the middle of nowhere in the Pacific Ocean. 

After a year and a half in Kiribati, Cody was transferred to the Marshall Islands where he would finish his last 7 months as AP. Lucky for him, he and his companion convinced the mission president there were some adventures to be had in the outer islands of Kiribati. 

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Kiritimati #Tabuaeran #Fanning #Majuro #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Episode 18: Cody Sias - Kiribati & Marshall Islands - Tarawa, Kiritimati, Fanning, Majuro, Outer Islands as AP

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

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

Shows