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

Damon Swain served in the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission from 2012-2014. When Damon received his mission call it said he was going to be speaking English, but boy was that wrong. Damon served his entire mission in the Marshall Islands side of the mission, serving on the islands of Majuro, Ebeye, a quick jambo to Arno, and then finishing on  the outer island of Ailinglaplap where he spent over 151 days. When there is demand for the class, Damon teaches a Marshallese culture and language class at BYU.

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

Episode 7: Damon Swain - Marshall Islands - Ailinglaplap, Ebeye, Majuro, Arno (jambo)

Tate Dale served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2016-2018. Tate is our first guest that served his entire mission in Kiribati. Tate served on Kiritimati, Abemama, Tabiteuea (Tab South), and Tarawa. After a few curve balls in the beginning of his mission Tate finally reached the islands of Kiribati and spent the first 18 months away from the main island of Tarawa. Tate has a deep love for Kiribati and is beyond stoked that his area in Tarawa is where the new LDS temple is being built!

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Kiritimati #Abemama #Tabiteuea #Tarawa #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands

Episode 6: Tate Dale - Kiribati - Kiritimati, Abemama, Tabiteuea, Tarawa

Matthew Thiel served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2016-2018. Matt served on Ebeye, Majuro, and the outer island of Mili. After spending the majority of his mission in leadership and eventually AP, Matt had the once in a lifetime opportunity to reopen an outer island that hadn't had missionaries on it for years, Mili Atoll! Matt had crazy success of bringing the people of Mili unto Christ and spent most of his P-Days (preparation days) constructing a small church building for the group of saints to meet and worship every Sunday. Listen to the end to hear the amazing full circle experience of building Zion on Mili Atoll!

#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Mili #Ebeye #Majuro #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands

Episode 5: Matthew Thiel - Marshall Islands - Ebeye, Majuro, Mili

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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