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Episode 33: Glen Monson - Kiribati - Marakei, Tarawa, Onotoa
115 Plays1 month ago
Chased by a man with an axe.
That’s not exactly how most missionary stories begin… but for Glen Monson, it was just another day on Onotoa — a remote outer island of Kiribati that had never been opened to LDS missionaries.
Cut off from the world, Glen bribed the island council just to borrow their WiFi long enough to send one unforgettable email to his mom:
“I’m alive. You need to repent for your lack of faith… and please stop emailing the mission president before I get transferred off the island.”
#MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Marakei #Onotoa #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia
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Transcript
Introduction of Glenn Monson
00:00:01
Darin Tingey
All right, we are on with another episode of the Islands Podcast. We've got a guest, Glenn Monson, on with us tonight.
Glenn's Background and Mission Call
00:00:11
Darin Tingey
Glenn, give a quick background on you.
00:00:14
GlenMonson
Yeah, so a quick background on me. um i was born and raised in Idaho. um I've been a member of the church my whole life, but um that doesn't necessarily you know mean that you're converted your whole life. So um I feel like from a young age, though, I felt the spirit and felt like I wanted to serve the Lord.
00:00:36
GlenMonson
And so it was always in my cards to serve a mission. And that came to fruition around 2012, got my call to Qiribis. So, the age change happened while I was in my first area and i was on an outer island.
00:00:45
Darin Tingey
And, um, okay. So 2012, were you one of the age change or right before the age change missionaries?
Mission Age Change and Influx of Missionaries
00:01:00
GlenMonson
And so we thought the zone leaders were joking and like I I thought that they were joking until we got conference like two months later and we listened to it and I was like wait what the heck like for reals so yeah it was yeah then we got a bunch of sisters
00:01:14
Darin Tingey
And then the huge influx came in. Yeah, yeah, i bet.
Current Life and Podcast Details
00:01:20
Darin Tingey
um Okay, so before we get to the mission, um where do you live back in Idaho now as well?
00:01:26
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:01:27
GlenMonson
yeah so I I live in Idaho um Blackfoot Idaho right now um Just loving it. We actually just finished renovating a house out here and I got two kids that we adopted and my wife.
00:01:41
GlenMonson
We've been married about 10 years now. So 10 years in July or sorry, 10 years in June.
00:01:44
Darin Tingey
Okay, that's awesome.
00:01:47
Darin Tingey
Wow, let's go. That's a big year for you.
00:01:50
Darin Tingey
ah That's awesome. and And Glenn, you are the first podcast of 2026. And I know i I haven't posted in a while, so those that are listening, this will be the second one that I post recently. We've got President Larkin right before you that I'll be posting this week, and this one will be on
00:01:50
GlenMonson
Yeah.
Experiences on Outer Islands
00:02:11
Darin Tingey
next week. um But i'm I'm super pumped to have you on, Glenn, because you you had some cool experiences, especially on Outer Islands. I know Onotoa is a big one you want to talk about.
00:02:22
Darin Tingey
So quickly... um Like, give me the the rundown at the beginning, of like getting your call to Kitabes. Like, did you have any idea where that was?
00:02:31
Darin Tingey
Did you know anything about it?
00:02:33
GlenMonson
Yeah, so so i I did a year of college before my mission because I i graduated. I was actually 17 when I graduated, turned 18 shortly after. so i had a whole year because I was 19 back then, right?
00:02:45
GlenMonson
um
00:02:45
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:02:46
GlenMonson
So I was at college, got my call, my family had come up, and I i was like a jokester growing up. So like when I opened my call, everybody was just like,
00:02:58
GlenMonson
whatever like you you you just looked up some like the craziest mission to like tell us you know and i was like no like 100 like and the funny thing is when i read it i was like i was i was thinking about maybe i should trick them if it's like texas or something like maybe i'll say something crazy like you know like philippines or whatever japan and then like i read it and i was just like like breathtaking away know just like what so yeah
00:03:00
Darin Tingey
Making up some.
00:03:18
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
Missionary Preparation and Travel
00:03:26
GlenMonson
yeah it was it was pretty cool my yeah
00:03:26
Darin Tingey
Yeah. i
00:03:29
Darin Tingey
and And everyone was, I'm assuming, like immediately they started looking up where the heck the Marshall Islands were where Kitabas was.
00:03:37
GlenMonson
Yeah, there's some debates. They're like, it's it's by Hawaii. And they're like, no, it's not. It's like over by Fiji. And it's like, oh, no, it's like all of it. So.
00:03:45
Darin Tingey
Yeah, just a circle, the middle of the Pacific. That's my mission.
00:03:48
GlenMonson
Yeah. Yeah. So.
00:03:50
Darin Tingey
um Okay, so and and how long from getting your call to going into the MTC was it?
00:03:57
GlenMonson
um Yeah, so I got my call around February. And i was supposed to leave, want to say in... april and then they changed it to i was going to speak marsh so it said i was going to speak english in the marshall islands marjaro mission and then they changed it to speaking marshallese in the marshall islands marjaro mission and i was going to leave in may and then i got another call from my stake president and i was like don't tell me they're like like is it changing again he's like yeah it's changing again he's like now you're gonna be going to
00:04:14
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:04:31
Darin Tingey
ah
00:04:33
GlenMonson
Kira Badi, you know, Kitty Vis.
00:04:34
Darin Tingey
Yeah, right, right, right.
00:04:35
GlenMonson
And I left in July.
00:04:38
Darin Tingey
Okay, so you were originally going to the Marshall Island side.
00:04:43
GlenMonson
Well, I don't know. Because we were the first intake.
00:04:45
Darin Tingey
or maybe they got it wrong.
00:04:46
GlenMonson
Yeah, we were the first intake in the MTC that did Kitty Vis.
00:04:50
Darin Tingey
Okay. Very first ones to have the language taught to them in MTC.
00:04:51
GlenMonson
So.
00:04:55
GlenMonson
Yep.
00:04:55
Darin Tingey
So how how big, sure.
00:04:56
GlenMonson
That I'm aware of.
00:04:58
Darin Tingey
How big was your intake?
00:05:00
GlenMonson
We had three of us. So there's me, there was Elder Porra, and there was Elder Burrell. And then Elder Decker actually came, i think, four or five weeks into the MTC.
00:05:12
Darin Tingey
That's right.
00:05:13
GlenMonson
Because he went home and then he came back out with us, yeah.
00:05:13
Darin Tingey
Were you kind of like this, right? Were you kind of confused of like when he came in
Cultural Shocks in Kiribati
00:05:18
Darin Tingey
halfway? Like what the?
00:05:19
GlenMonson
Yeah, it was is' kind of strange, but I mean, it was whatever. he He's a cool guy. We're like best friends now, so.
00:05:27
Darin Tingey
Yeah, he's the man. if If people haven't listened to his podcast, I forget what number it is, but Austin Decker, we did a podcast. Awesome story.
00:05:37
GlenMonson
Yeah, it it was kind of funny too, because so we're in the MTC and I had a bunch of brothers that went stateside.
00:05:37
Darin Tingey
Um,
00:05:44
GlenMonson
And so I was kind of concerned about gaining a bunch of weight because I'd heard, oh, you're going to the island, you're going to gain so much weight and get fat. And so I had exercised a ton of MTC and i actually lost like probably like five pounds or so.
00:05:57
GlenMonson
And i actually got like my fastest mile I'd ever ran in MTC. I was like working out like crazy.
00:06:01
Darin Tingey
Let's Yeah.
00:06:03
GlenMonson
And a Austin comes in, Decker, and he's like, what are you doing? Like, dude, you're going to get tapeworms and lose like 30 pounds.
00:06:12
Darin Tingey
ah
00:06:12
GlenMonson
And so after that, yeah, I just pigged out and we just had a great time. So he saved me the from starving myself.
00:06:18
Darin Tingey
yeah He's like, listen, dude, I got there and I was sick for a week. So you're going to experience the same thing.
00:06:25
GlenMonson
Yeah, yeah.
00:06:25
Darin Tingey
um Which I'm always surprised when the the elders that tell me they're like, yeah, like i actually didn't get sick. And I'm like, what? Like I got so sick when I went to Qtivest and the Marshall Islands, just like so sick.
00:06:35
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:06:39
Darin Tingey
I don't know how anyone's body it can just be fine with it for two years.
00:06:44
GlenMonson
Yeah, I don't know.
00:06:46
Darin Tingey
um
00:06:47
GlenMonson
That wasn't mine, for sure.
00:06:49
Darin Tingey
So you make it to Kitabas. First impression for you.
00:06:55
GlenMonson
Yeah, it was, I mean, it's probably the same for everyone, just surreal. You know, like, you land, and it's like hot, and it's muggy. and just everything's like just dirty and there's like no buildings hardly and the road sucks and so so i got there and the zone leaders picked me up uh it was mickelson and whippy and we were driving to moroni and they're telling everybody where they're gonna go and so
00:07:12
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
Outer Island Assignments and Lifestyle
00:07:25
GlenMonson
you know, they're like, oh, you're going to Basso you're going to go to, you know, to Maiku. And then they're like, oh, and Monson, you're going to go Medicaid. And I'm, and then they, you know, go on the next person. And, and Decker's like, dude, dude, you're going to an outer island. And I was like, what?
00:07:42
GlenMonson
Like worse than this? like
00:07:44
Darin Tingey
ah You're like, what's that?
00:07:47
GlenMonson
So yeah, exactly. It was like, oh man. So, so I was only on Todwell for, I think like, I think like a day or two before I went to Medicaid.
00:07:58
Darin Tingey
Did you at least have like a little intro in the mission, meet the mission president, or was it just APs, zone leaders?
00:08:03
GlenMonson
So I had President Shaw.
00:08:06
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:08:06
GlenMonson
i don't think that I actually met ah President Shaw in person until until was eight months on the mission.
00:08:12
Darin Tingey
Yeah, this sounds pretty typical.
00:08:13
GlenMonson
So yeah, because it was like I got back from Medicaid after four months and then
00:08:16
Darin Tingey
If you, if you were to out around.
00:08:21
GlenMonson
Yeah, it was like another months after that till he came down, i think.
00:08:27
Darin Tingey
So you have like 48 hours to maybe not even 48 hours to ah digest tarawa and the culture shock that with that is.
00:08:38
Darin Tingey
And then you're flying on, low did you fly on a dinky plane or did you take the boat to Medicaid?
00:08:42
GlenMonson
I flew on a plane. So it was just up and down, you know, but oh man.
00:08:45
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:08:46
GlenMonson
So the one, this is, this was like the scariest. Cause the one that goes to Medicaid, they're like, so it stops on Abbey Young as well. And they're like, we're not sure which one it's going to first.
00:08:55
Darin Tingey
Uh-huh.
00:08:57
GlenMonson
Like they switch it up. So it could be Abbey Young, it could be Medicaid. And so just ask the people on the plane, like if it's Medicaid, if you should get off. And i was like, ask them and he's like dude just look at somebody and say Medicaid and like nod your head you know and and i was like oh man I was so scared and they're like well if there's elders at the airport get off if there's not then hopefully they didn't miss a bus or something before i was like great touch so
00:09:29
Darin Tingey
yeah So did you what happened?
00:09:31
GlenMonson
so So thankfully, the first island was Medicaid and the elders were at the airport waiting for me. So yeah.
00:09:38
Darin Tingey
Clutch, clutch.
00:09:38
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:09:42
Darin Tingey
That's funny. You're like, Oh, no, I might get stuck on an island that I'm not supposed to be on.
00:09:46
GlenMonson
Yeah, i get off and they're like, wrong island. And I don't think that there's even any missionaries on Abbey Young at that point. Like, they've like been taken off for some reason. I can't remember.
00:09:56
Darin Tingey
Oh, that's so good.
00:09:57
GlenMonson
So anyways, yeah.
00:09:58
Darin Tingey
Blessings, you landed on Medicaid. So flying into Medicaid, were you able to kind of like see down and be like, all right, like it's kind of circular and
00:10:08
GlenMonson
Yeah, I was very surprised because I was like, how do people even live here? It's just trees.
00:10:14
Darin Tingey
yeah.
00:10:14
GlenMonson
You know, like you couldn't really even see huts. And then, you know, they're like landing the plane and it's water and it's water and it's water. And you're like, oh, man, we're going die. and then you see ground and they just like hit the brakes and like flip it in a reverse and just and then you see the other side of the island coming and you're like, oh, crap, we're going crash in the ocean.
00:10:28
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:10:33
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:10:33
GlenMonson
Anyways, those runways, they're kind of crazy. so
00:10:38
Darin Tingey
Remind me was is Medicaid ah greener than that? Oh, like, does it get more rain?
00:10:45
GlenMonson
um you know I remember it being greener, but it may just be because there's not as many coconut trees on Taodawa. And I can't remember Medicaid that much just because it was so long ago. but
00:10:55
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:10:59
GlenMonson
I would compare it to like Tomaiku on Taodawa.
00:11:01
Darin Tingey
ah Okay. I just remember like,
Health Challenges and Adjustments
00:11:04
Darin Tingey
and I also was coming from the marshals to Kitabas. So I just remember being like, wow, like Kitabas is so dry. It's just dirt everywhere, you know?
00:11:12
GlenMonson
Yeah. So, yeah. So I guess I'll talk later about Onotoa, but there's the south end of Onotoa is actually pretty green. I was super surprised.
00:11:23
GlenMonson
Like I remember going down there and it was like, whoa, like this is not like Kitabas.
00:11:23
Darin Tingey
Interesting.
00:11:27
Darin Tingey
Yeah, so interesting how that is, how it can, it can feel desert-y in your like, this is supposed to be like an island paradise a little bit, you know.
00:11:37
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:11:37
Darin Tingey
um So before before i jump further into Medicaid, just quickly remind me what your areas were.
00:11:45
GlenMonson
Yeah, so my areas were my first day was Medicaid and I was there for about four months and then I came back from Medicaid and I went to buy de he on Ottawa and that was for three to four months.
00:11:59
GlenMonson
Got emergency transferred to base to help out in this situation. was there for like a week or two-ish. um Then I went down to Tomaiku. I was down there for about four months-ish.
00:12:13
GlenMonson
then I was in Ambo for about four months. and then I was on Onotoa for six months-ish. And then I came home from Onotoa and was on Ottawa for a week until I went home.
00:12:23
Darin Tingey
Okay, so Bayeriki, Bezo, Tomayku.
00:12:27
Darin Tingey
One other one before, right?
00:12:28
GlenMonson
Yeah, merkei bairgi peso kind of temaiku ambo onotoa.
00:12:34
Darin Tingey
Oh, that's right, that's right, that's right. Okay, so i mean, I feel like most missionaries start on the main island, right? i would say there's a few that start on outer islands, but majority start on the main island, at least for their first transfer. You were the the lucky one to...
00:12:55
Darin Tingey
to get sent to an outer island first, which I think is really cool. And it probably really shapes your view of Kiribati and culture and language. So give me kind of, again, that first like few few days of experiencing Medicaid and what it was like as a brand new missionary with brand new missionary eyes. Yeah.
00:13:18
GlenMonson
Yeah, so it was it was definitely an experience, that's for sure. I had Elder Hossler. He was very stringent with the rules, which I was glad for. He was an American Elder. um And so he really drove home the importance of making rules.
00:13:36
GlenMonson
And I kind of already, I don't been in that boat. I mean, you're probably aware, you know, there's some rule-breaking combination, but I'm sure that's in every mission you know. So I kind of
00:13:45
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:13:47
GlenMonson
got to the point where I made like three goals for my mission, which kind of, I feel like set me apart, or not like set me apart, but just like set the tone for the rest of my mission and helped me out not to break rules.
00:13:57
GlenMonson
It was like, I'm going to watch any movies. so I'm not going to swimming and I'm going wake up on time every single day. Those are like my three rules I wasn't goingnna break no matter what, you
00:14:04
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:14:05
GlenMonson
And so, um so yeah, like that was good. Um, Like teaching was rough, man, like, um I'm just glad that like, i was with somebody that could speak English because if not, it would have been terrible.
00:14:17
GlenMonson
Like, like, yeah, you just get thrown in. And I mean, i would have some people make fun of me sometimes, you know, and I mean, even now, I don't feel like I i ever got super great at the language.
00:14:30
GlenMonson
Like I was definitely competent. But anyways, um,
00:14:32
Darin Tingey
Sure.
00:14:34
GlenMonson
But that was good. i definitely, I did get really sick though. So I was like 155 when I i got Kitabas and within two weeks I was down to 125.
00:14:46
Darin Tingey
Oh my gosh.
00:14:48
GlenMonson
So yeah, i was like, I could not eat anything and I was just like throwing up And
00:14:48
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Hmm.
00:14:55
GlenMonson
I just remember like they ate so much flying fish and it was the worst thing ever because there's so many bones and I just be like choking all the time. It sucks so bad.
00:15:06
Darin Tingey
Did you ever learn how to eat it? Like, yeah.
00:15:09
GlenMonson
Like after like two months or so probably. Yeah. Like I was a lot better at it, you know, to, You'd be able to peel the meat off without getting a bunch of bones. and Anyways. But yeah, the the people would just sit there and they'd just like shove it down, you know?
00:15:18
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:15:21
GlenMonson
And I'm sitting here like trying to pick out all little bones and like, ah, it sucks.
00:15:26
Darin Tingey
Take you an hour to eat one little piece of fish.
00:15:29
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:15:29
Darin Tingey
and that So you were like puking up everything. i mean, 30 pounds is a lot.
00:15:35
GlenMonson
Yes.
00:15:35
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:15:36
GlenMonson
So there was one point where I just, I think I just got super dehydrated and we're coming home. i passed out on the bike and like crashed into the bush and like, we finally like got home and I just like laid on the floor and I was like puking and it was coming out both ends.
00:15:53
GlenMonson
And like, i was laying on the floor and like my arms started going numb, like tingly.
00:15:53
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:15:57
GlenMonson
And like, i was just like in and out of it. And so hostler, he goes and calls the, uh, mission nurse. Um, And it's like like, what do I do, you know? And he didn't tell me this until later.
00:16:10
GlenMonson
um and and I don't know how how true it is. This is what he told me um But I don't know, maybe he's pulling my chain. I need to reach out to him and see if it was true. So he told me that she was like, go inside and give him a blessing.
00:16:22
GlenMonson
Try to have him drink some water. And he's like, well, he's tried drinking water and he threw it up. And she's like, okay, well, give him a blessing. And if he doesn't get better, we'll try to get a plane out there.
00:16:34
GlenMonson
If he dies, do you know where the ice place on the island is? Because you need to get his body on ice so they can get it back to America.
00:16:43
Darin Tingey
You got healthy real quick, didn't you? That's
00:16:45
GlenMonson
yeah yeah so anyways he didn't tell me that till like after like he was getting ready to leave medicaid though so but uh anyways so i i did get better like by the next day and so started feeling somewhat better at least so
00:16:52
Darin Tingey
wild.
00:16:55
Darin Tingey
that's wild
00:17:01
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I mean, I had a stint on my end.
00:17:01
GlenMonson
yeah
00:17:04
Darin Tingey
I was like that. Just coming out both ends. is just like sick for days. Couldn't move around. I'm surprised you were out working still. like I remember just being so sick and just being like, companion.
00:17:18
GlenMonson
yeah
00:17:19
Darin Tingey
I'm sorry, dude, but can't go out.
00:17:22
GlenMonson
yeah sometimes i don't know i i probably push myself like i i did stupid stuff you know like as a missionary sometimes you're like oh god's with me and so i can do stupid stuff you know and it's like yeah you still have to be smart though you know but anyways yeah yeah but at the time they didn't have like a pump working
00:17:35
Darin Tingey
Yeah. and you And you guys lived in the chapel house on Medicaid, right? Okay.
00:17:44
GlenMonson
And, and so we had to pump all of our own water and i think we did have some electricity though, cause they had like a solar panel with a battery.
00:17:53
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:17:54
GlenMonson
So
00:17:55
Darin Tingey
Pump it, and then did you have like a ah filter that you pumped it through, or did you have to boil it?
00:17:58
GlenMonson
yeah, no, we had a filter.
00:17:59
Darin Tingey
Yeah, okay. Okay. Yeah. Those filters were like a bike pump.
00:18:05
GlenMonson
yeah Yep.
00:18:06
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:18:06
GlenMonson
Yep.
00:18:07
Darin Tingey
Those things were genius.
00:18:08
GlenMonson
Oh, I forgot about that.
00:18:09
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:18:09
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:18:10
Darin Tingey
i i I always remember mine because I broke it on my end.
00:18:10
GlenMonson
It's awesome.
00:18:14
Darin Tingey
And I was like, dang it.
00:18:14
GlenMonson
oh
00:18:16
Darin Tingey
And so we had to boil water for ah weeks before the elders could send us another one, which may be the reason I got really sick.
00:18:22
GlenMonson
Did you guys, did you always boil your water did sometimes you just say screw it?
00:18:28
Darin Tingey
Um, no, we, we boiled it. Um, yeah, probably cause like it kind of smelled bad too, you know?
00:18:31
GlenMonson
Okay.
00:18:36
GlenMonson
Oh, okay.
00:18:37
Darin Tingey
And was just like, we need to boil this and mix it with something.
00:18:38
GlenMonson
Cause, cause Yeah, like later when I was on Onothoa, like we didn't boil our water, but it was because like, dude, I'm drinking water all day from all these other members.
00:18:50
GlenMonson
Like
00:18:51
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
Missionary Work and Community Integration
00:18:52
Darin Tingey
You don't think they boiled it though?
00:18:52
GlenMonson
if I'm going to get sick, some of them didn't.
00:18:55
Darin Tingey
yeah ah Yeah. Yeah, it's probably true.
00:18:59
GlenMonson
When you see like all the mosquito floaties in there and you're like, yeah, this is going to make me sick.
00:19:04
Darin Tingey
Here goes nothing.
00:19:07
GlenMonson
yeah
00:19:08
Darin Tingey
Man. Okay. So, so Medicaid for for four months, is that you said?
00:19:14
GlenMonson
Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:16
Darin Tingey
So like what other things?
00:19:16
GlenMonson
So, ah well, i was there for three months and then, uh, they brought us in for Christmas.
00:19:17
Darin Tingey
Okay. Okay.
00:19:20
GlenMonson
They did a transfer and i got put with Felder Palaku. I went back out and kind of just showed him the ropes for about a month. And then I came back in. So,
00:19:29
Darin Tingey
And and like what when you think about Medicaid, like what memories what memories like are the ones that pop up every time?
00:19:36
GlenMonson
um,
00:19:37
GlenMonson
So they have like, you have to go around the island and they have like the statues that you're supposed to go like put candy in and stuff and do the whole thing. You ride around the whole island.
00:19:48
Darin Tingey
just Such a scam, such a scam for the little kids.
00:19:50
GlenMonson
Well, so Elder Hossler actually told me, he's like, we don't do that because we're missionaries and we don't worship idols. him And so I think that the islanders, so they, I think they had some trouble with Elder Hossler sometimes because he was a little brash like that.
00:19:57
Darin Tingey
Uh-huh.
00:20:07
GlenMonson
And it was like, when Elder Plaku came, out I was like, eh, like, whatever. It's just like a harmless, like, thing, you know? So we put some candy in there, and and the kids came and got it, and I just thought it was like a donation to the kids, you know?
00:20:12
Darin Tingey
Yeah. It's part of the culture.
00:20:18
GlenMonson
So, whatever.
00:20:18
Darin Tingey
Yeah. And it's a fun thing to do, but it is just like a funny thing. Like, you have to do it in the first 24 hours that you're on this island.
00:20:24
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:20:25
Darin Tingey
Yeah. or you'll die or something, you know, maybe that's why you got sick elder.
00:20:26
GlenMonson
Yeah. Yeah. You'd be cursed.
00:20:32
GlenMonson
It probably was.
00:20:32
Darin Tingey
ah
00:20:33
GlenMonson
that Those are dang spirits, man. They came and got me. if That's...
00:20:36
Darin Tingey
yeah Did you guys, uh, what was P day? Like, did you guys do any fishing or, uh, volleyball, basketball?
00:20:44
GlenMonson
um yeah so elder hostler and me we would go explore a lot go fishing just walk beaches and find shells and stuff and just kind of ride around do whatever uh me and elder playku we would definitely be more involved with like members and people we'd go play know soccer and whatever else and just go hang out and play cards dude we would play a lot of cards with playku so that's what he loved doing
00:21:03
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:21:09
Darin Tingey
Yeah. You put lot of sorry with the kids, with these people or no?
00:21:11
GlenMonson
Yeah, I didn't play too much SARS and Medicaid, but we played a lot of like 1-2-5 and I'm trying to think of the other one anyways.
00:21:19
Darin Tingey
Dude, these games are throwbacks.
00:21:21
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:21:22
Darin Tingey
ah man, that's so good. And and how is church and the work on the island?
00:21:27
GlenMonson
it was It was pretty good. um They had a branch and the branch presidency, they did pretty much everything except sometimes, you know, like du they, i don't know.
00:21:40
GlenMonson
it's hard because sometimes they don't do things the correct way, you know? And so there's some judgment there, but ah one thing that was definitely not correct was we actually, the first counselor, his daughter, and I think it was his son too, got baptized at six and seven.
00:21:44
Darin Tingey
Sure.
00:21:58
Darin Tingey
Nice. Solid.
00:21:59
GlenMonson
Yeah. And so like, like Todd would like, he'd called us and we're like, Hey, we have these like records and like,
00:22:00
Darin Tingey
ah
00:22:06
GlenMonson
these kids got baptized before they're eight. And so when I was out there, they were actually turning like nine or something like that. And so then i think that we had to actually teach him the lessons and then he just had us baptize them.
00:22:21
Darin Tingey
That's so good. That's so good.
00:22:23
GlenMonson
Yeah, so it's just like one of those things. and and And he was super nice about it. He was just like, well, I mean, I just thought they were like close enough, you know. i second Like the missionaries were baptizing some people.
00:22:34
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:22:36
GlenMonson
And so I was like, just throw my kids in there too. You know, they're they're they're close enough.
00:22:41
Darin Tingey
That's awesome. I will say, i feel like people didn't always know their birthday.
00:22:46
GlenMonson
Right. And I'm not blaming Kim because, yeah it's just whatever.
00:22:50
Darin Tingey
oh yeah, totally. But, like, i I, you know, we taught and baptized this girl, and they told us she was nine, and then ah i later I was like, I... I think she's actually eight, you know, and she's a member.
00:23:02
Darin Tingey
I don't think she needed us to teach her, but they I don't think they really know they're about their' their birthdays all that well sometimes. Gets a little lost.
00:23:11
GlenMonson
Yeah, that is true.
00:23:14
Darin Tingey
um That's good, though. So were you were you sad when you left Medicaid or were you happy to go back to Ottawa? Yeah.
00:23:23
GlenMonson
A little bit of both. I was probably more on the happy side, though, just because I was happy to get back and, like, you know, see other elders and be able to, I don't know, I kind of just felt like needed to, like,
00:23:34
GlenMonson
actually have a start to my mission. Like, not that I hadn't started, but it was just kind of like, it was just weird, you know, because I hadn't ever met any other missionaries or had any experiences that way.
00:23:36
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:23:44
GlenMonson
um So yeah, it was good.
00:23:47
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:23:47
GlenMonson
It was good to get back.
00:23:49
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:23:49
GlenMonson
Medicaid was definitely like my refiner's fire, and it was very good because it very much tested my testimony and made me like do I really want to be here? Like, why the heck am I here dying on a freaking island? Like, is this really true? You know, and I really had to do like some soul searching and like, it so it really strengthened my testimony. I feel like, and, you know, changed me.
00:24:12
Darin Tingey
Yeah, no, especially when you're, when you can't keep anything down, like you said, you're on, you're like, I'm going to die on this island and hopefully it's worth it. Um, so going back to Tarawa, you, you go back to Tarawa and, uh, you're, are you, are you kind of like, well, this is awesome.
00:24:34
Darin Tingey
This is great to be back. this is a cool area or what were your thoughts there?
00:24:38
GlenMonson
Yeah, so I feel like after Medicaid, it was like, Tadawa was like, oh, dude, Tadawa's so nice. Like, it wasn't even, like, a third world country anymore, you know? was like, dude, we go to the restaurant.
00:24:50
GlenMonson
Like, can actually eat food. Like, this is great, you know?
00:24:52
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:24:52
GlenMonson
They have Coke and Mountain Dew, you know? Like, awesome. One funny story, though, is so I got back, and Elder Mickelson and Elder Whippy was,
00:25:04
GlenMonson
Well, this was actually during Christmas, but it's it still shows like how how they were. um They picked me up, and I had like seven packages from my family.
00:25:15
GlenMonson
and and from Well, like four from my family and then like some from some other people.
00:25:15
Darin Tingey
Wow.
00:25:19
GlenMonson
you know and And so the Bushes, who were the senior couple over the packages and stuff, they had a rule that they didn't do it unless it was a P-Day.
00:25:20
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:25:28
GlenMonson
They want hand them out. And so I got in on like, it was like a Tuesday or Wednesday, like right after P day. And they're like, no, sorry, you can't have your packages. And I remember like Elder Whippy, like calling up Sister Bonamort, who was the nurse.
00:25:42
GlenMonson
And he's like, don't worry Monson, like I'll get this handled, you know? He's like, Sister Bonamort, like I'm super worried about Elder Monson. He lost a lot of weight. And like, like, is there anything that we can do to get him to gain some weight?
00:25:54
GlenMonson
she's like, ah, I mean, just try to get him to eat something. And he's like, well, he did mention he had these packages. Like, do you think that we could get those so that like he can start gaining some weight before he goes back out to Medicaid? and And she's like, that's a great idea.
00:26:07
GlenMonson
Like, I'll call the Bushes right now. And so then the Bushes, you know, were like, OK, I guess you can have the packages since the nurse nurse said so.
00:26:13
Darin Tingey
ah
00:26:14
GlenMonson
And so I just brought him in. and Oh, man, we had such a heyday with him, you know, and just everybody was like eating and it was great.
00:26:23
Darin Tingey
That's so good. i thought it was so annoying. You can't be packaged till P day. You're like, come on, I just got off an outer island. Like, please just give me my packages.
00:26:31
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:26:33
Darin Tingey
I'm homesick. I need something. ah So um what was the what was your area like being back in Tarawa?
00:26:36
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:26:43
GlenMonson
Yeah, so Bayeriki was good. um it was a kind of like where the government mostly is, like a lot of um buildings. That's like where the big stadium is as well on Ottawa for like independence and stuff. That's where they do all the activities. um I wasn't in Bayadiki for independence though.
00:27:01
GlenMonson
I left right before independence. So I was like ah, dang it.
00:27:06
Darin Tingey
No.
00:27:06
GlenMonson
But ah that was okay. um Yeah. My, my first companion back was Elder Saksak and he was from Vanuatu. He was interesting. Loved working with him though.
Training and Transfers
00:27:17
GlenMonson
Hard worker and,
00:27:19
GlenMonson
It was definitely a lot different just because like how it's kind of like Baso, but like not so much Baso.
00:27:24
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:27:25
GlenMonson
It was like a nicer Baso if I would don't have to characterize it.
00:27:30
Darin Tingey
Sure. Which is so funny coming from Outer Island to Bayeriki. It's like, oh, like this is like vastly different. ah Outer Island to like city, like like downtown of Tarawa.
00:27:37
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:27:41
Darin Tingey
I mean, city in quotes, but yeah.
00:27:41
GlenMonson
Yeah. Yeah, there's like definitely parts of Bayeriki where you're like walking through like you know you're just like houses. It's like walking through Basel. You have a house here and house here and a house here. and You're walking between them all and just trying to find people. and so
00:27:56
Darin Tingey
Uh-huh. And, uh, so how long were you and in, in Bayeriki for before you were transferred?
00:28:02
GlenMonson
So I in Bayeriki for about four months. After Elder Saksak, I had elder uh, Masare and I trained him. He was a kid of this elder. He helped a lot with my language. Um, and, and so that was great.
00:28:17
GlenMonson
Um, and then go ahead.
00:28:19
Darin Tingey
Kind of fun to to to train a kid up a seltzer because it's like, I don't have to teach, you don't have teach them the language, but you can just teach him how to be a missionary and he can help you with language, you know?
00:28:24
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:28:29
GlenMonson
Yeah, it was it was definitely good. And he didn't speak a lot of English, and so it was mostly Kitabas. And so that helped me out a lot. Because with like Elder Hossler, Puleku, even Saksak, it was all kind of mostly English.
00:28:40
GlenMonson
We'd talk, and then it was Kitabas just for the lessons. Whereas like once you get that Kitabas, Elder, it's like, oh, this is the real deal.
00:28:43
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:28:48
GlenMonson
like I have to talk Kitabas. Crap, I'm i'm you know in the bathroom. I need toilet paper or something. like How do you say that in Kitabas? Yeah.
00:28:58
Darin Tingey
The paper, I don't know, i don't remember.
00:28:59
GlenMonson
yeah exactly it's just like taoka the paper yeah probably it's like just yeah oh yeah so so after that it was like man it was like 10 o'clock at night or something and
00:29:04
Darin Tingey
probably like, just use your hand, dude. Come on, what's wrong with that?
00:29:14
Darin Tingey
That's good. And then, so you got emergency transfer after that, is that right?
00:29:24
GlenMonson
I get a call from the zone leaders they're like, hey, Elder Monson, like, you're going to base. So, like, pack a suitcase. I don't know how long you'll be there. And so I was like, okay, sweet. So I, like, packed some stuff.
00:29:34
GlenMonson
And we're, like, driving up to base. So in they're like, hey, so you're going to go with Elder to follow you. And he's, just like, this, like, 200, I don't know, like, 260-pound, six-foot Tongan Elder jacked.
00:29:48
GlenMonson
Like, he's jacked, too. Like,
00:29:50
Darin Tingey
Huh?
00:29:51
GlenMonson
And he here was with Felder Maddy and he threw him up against a wall and they had some issues, you know. and And I was like, sweet, bring it on, you know. Like, this is awesome, you know. Like, I always got along with, like, Islanders pretty well. Like, I don't know. Like, I never had a problem with any. And most of my companions, yeah, most of my companions were Islanders. So it it was good. um I feel like a lot of times people had problems because they're Taos.
00:30:17
GlenMonson
They were, what's the word, English word, like selfish, you know, like they wouldn't share stuff and whatever.
00:30:20
Darin Tingey
yeah uh-huh
00:30:21
GlenMonson
and Definitely not the Islander way, you know, so it was like, whatever. I never had that problem with them. So anyways, but yeah, yeah.
00:30:26
Darin Tingey
yeah sharing your package or something like that yeah totally
00:30:30
GlenMonson
So yeah, my thing was like, dude, you're going to get home and be able to eat all this stuff. Like they're never going to be able to eat you know, so might as well just share. So, but anyway, so I go up there with Felderfallu and, uh,
00:30:42
GlenMonson
we get up there and they just like drop me off, you know, and other fall, you he just gone to bed because he was like ticked off, you know, and they had AC in their one room, but like the rest of the house didn't have AC, you know, and so I like get in there and I hadn't had AC on my entire mission till this point, you know, so, so I like go in and like, there's no blankets, there's no nothing, like not even a pillow, there's just a bed, and I was like, what the crap and so i like lay down for like five seconds and i'm like dude it's freezing in here like i cannot do this so i like just go back out in the living room and i'm getting like attacked by mosquitoes like terrible and there's like rats too like climbing on me there's rats so bad and in that apartment and so i'm like crap like i can't do this and so i sent you i have one of the pictures but i just put on every single piece of clothing that i had
00:30:55
Darin Tingey
right.
00:31:13
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:31:33
GlenMonson
so I have like four pairs of pants on and like six shirts and I'm just like I found like some like anyways just like crap laying around I just kept throwing stuff on me and I just finally like tried to sleep you know on the AC and anyways so that was my night it was terrible
00:31:36
Darin Tingey
Thank you.
00:31:49
Darin Tingey
That's so good. i was I was wondering what that photo was. i was like, why does he have on so many pairs of clothing? yeah But yeah, if you don't have AC and then you have it, it's like, holy crap, I'm freezing.
00:32:01
Darin Tingey
and
00:32:01
GlenMonson
yeah
00:32:02
Darin Tingey
And you know you don't need a blanket anywhere else in the mission. you know You usually just maybe a light sheet or something like that you're sleeping with.
00:32:12
Darin Tingey
But even then, in most the time, it's super hot.
00:32:13
GlenMonson
Yeah. Yeah, i just used a like a a one of those like bed sheets, like the toppers. you know that It's just the thin sheet. That's all I ever really used.
00:32:21
Darin Tingey
Yeah, yeah. And the AC probably helps with the mosquitoes, like blowing them off off or something.
00:32:27
GlenMonson
Yeah, I was just too cold. They wouldn't be in there. Because they would crank it down to 65, 70 degrees. freezing
00:32:36
Darin Tingey
did you Did you come to enjoy the AC though?
00:32:39
GlenMonson
Yeah, definitely. Like once I got a blanket and like a pillow and stuff and it was, it was definitely nice to have it So,
00:32:47
Darin Tingey
Did you ever get thrown against the wall with that elder?
00:32:50
GlenMonson
Oh no, dude, he loved me. Like I loved Zelda for all you. was great. So he actually, he thought he was going to go home for doing that. And so he went out and bought like, he like went and just like almost wasted like all of his money buying like candy and ice cream and stuff.
00:33:04
GlenMonson
So it was great. It was a great week for me.
00:33:07
Darin Tingey
You're lucky you guys didn't run out money though.
00:33:10
GlenMonson
Yeah, I mean, I helped him out later. We just made do, you know, so.
00:33:14
Darin Tingey
That was my first companion. He'd get his cash first of the month and go buy clothes and whatever the crap. And then he's just like, Hey, I'm out. I'm like, dude, like and we,
00:33:23
GlenMonson
Yeah. Like, i never i never really worried in cannabis, because you could always find food somewhere. Like, you just go to Number, and they'd feed you there. Chris There's like times when like we would stop at like a random house and it turns out to be like the Catholic father's house and he's just like come on in i'll give you some food and some water, you know like they're just so nice, you know I yeah great people.
00:33:41
Darin Tingey
Yeah, totally, totally. So did so you ended up staying in BESO for a while, though.
00:33:48
GlenMonson
I was like a week and a half, I think.
00:33:51
Darin Tingey
Oh, really? And then then they and then transfers happened?
00:33:52
GlenMonson
Chris Wacker, yeah that was let's see May 21 to June 12 so like two and a half weeks.
00:33:59
Darin Tingey
Oh, yeah. So it was quick. and then And then transfers happened right after that?
00:34:04
GlenMonson
Yeah, then I went down to Tomaiku. was a district leader down there.
00:34:10
GlenMonson
and I would got put with Elder Tui, and he was from l LA, but he was Tongan. I think LA, California somewhere. um
00:34:19
Darin Tingey
Tui Kolovatu? No.
00:34:21
GlenMonson
a Tui Alangini.
00:34:23
Darin Tingey
i was going to say the timeline wouldn't timeline wouldn't match up, but...
00:34:25
GlenMonson
I probably butchered that. Yeah, I actually sent him home. Well, I didn't send him home. Like, he went home while i was with him.
00:34:32
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:34:35
Darin Tingey
I sent that guy home. Get him out of here.
00:34:37
GlenMonson
He was terrible. No, he was a good guy.
00:34:41
Darin Tingey
so he he he he finished his mission with you.
00:34:42
GlenMonson
But,
00:34:45
GlenMonson
yeah, yep, he did.
00:34:46
Darin Tingey
It's funny that you had a guy, an elder Tui, you know he said he was Tongan, but from LA.
00:34:52
GlenMonson
Yeah, yeah.
00:34:53
Darin Tingey
Because I also had companion in Kiribati named Elder Tui from California, but Tongan.
00:35:00
GlenMonson
Oh, that's funny.
00:35:02
Darin Tingey
Yeah, Tui Golovacu. I was like, the timeline wouldn't match up there. But anyway, that's funny.
00:35:05
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:35:07
Darin Tingey
Okay, so Tamayaku district leader, I mean, by this time, you've been Tarawa for...
00:35:14
Darin Tingey
Jeff Ph.D.: Eight months nine months.
00:35:14
GlenMonson
Just, yeah, i was on my mission for about a year-ish at that point, including the MTC, so.
00:35:18
Darin Tingey
Jeff Lerner, Lerner, Ph.D.: so like a get a good chunk on that away, you probably got to like see a bunch of missionaries and and had President we're coming at that time or right,
Leadership and Mission Challenges
00:35:30
Darin Tingey
is that right when is that happening.
00:35:31
GlenMonson
um Yeah, President Weir came in like right before Elder Thuy went home. So, yeah.
00:35:38
Darin Tingey
Okay, so you were hitting your year mark roughly when new president, mission president came in.
00:35:45
GlenMonson
Yep. Yep, that is right.
00:35:48
Darin Tingey
And so there probably wasn't very many Outer Islands open at the time, right? Because Shaw didn't have a bunch of them open.
00:35:53
GlenMonson
Nope, yeah, just your, like the main ones, you know, Medicaid, I think, put that body and, know, that but the way... a
00:36:02
GlenMonson
trying to remember. Anyways, you know the typical ones, so...
00:36:04
Darin Tingey
Yeah. um Okay. And so you then you go to Ambo after that after.
00:36:10
GlenMonson
Yeah, so so funny funny story in Tomaiku first.
00:36:13
Darin Tingey
Yeah, yeah, please.
00:36:13
GlenMonson
Some people will appreciate this one. So ah Elder Tui, he was here's a funny guy, man. like we went to the house and they had like some fish that they're eating.
00:36:24
GlenMonson
And so they're like offering us lunch. And so we're eating and elder two, he's like, Oh, el monster and like you have to try this fish. It's so good. And mike i like, Oh yeah, sure.
00:36:34
GlenMonson
So like try it. And it was probably the, like one of the best fishes that I had on my mission. it was so good.
00:36:40
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:36:40
GlenMonson
And so like, I'm just down in it, like eating a ton of it. And elder two, he's like not eating any of it And I'm like, what the heck? Like, and so I was like, dude, two, you like, you can have some too. Like,
00:36:50
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:36:50
GlenMonson
it's It's, you know, whatever. He's like, oh, no, I don't like the Ikani Becca.
00:36:54
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:36:54
GlenMonson
And was like, what? what? like ah like what like So I guess people who don't speak kid of this, Ikani Becca is like the fish of pooping, like the fish of poop.
00:36:56
Darin Tingey
e
00:37:06
GlenMonson
And so and it's called that because it's super greasy. And it just, man, I was out for probably at least the rest of that day, if not a little bit the next day to just you like couldn't even walk without like just like
00:37:16
Darin Tingey
No way.
00:37:21
GlenMonson
having problems so yeah it was terrible he he had a great time though he was just laughing his head off like
00:37:27
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I, as soon as you started telling that story, I was like, I feel like I know where this is going. Because every, I feel like every missionary, or not every missionary, but every missionary knows at least about the Ikenibaka. At some point, they learn about it. I never had it.
00:37:44
Darin Tingey
I always just heard stories. How quickly from when you ate it to when you started having problems? Like, what was the time frame in between that?
00:37:53
GlenMonson
Oh, probably like half an hour to an hour. Just enough time for me to get home.
00:37:57
Darin Tingey
That's crazy. That is so fast.
00:38:01
GlenMonson
Yeah, it was, it was pretty quick. Like, and apparently like, I guess if you drink a lot of water while you eat it, it's not as big of a problem. But yeah, I just, I ate way too much.
00:38:12
GlenMonson
Like I ate so much. And the people too, they're kind of just like looking at me like, dude, what's this guy doing? Like, why didn't anybody tell me? Like, come on. they probably They probably wanted to see it too, though.
00:38:20
Darin Tingey
Yeah. did the hey
00:38:22
GlenMonson
They're like, oh, this is going to be good The White Elder's eating the fish.
00:38:22
Darin Tingey
ah
00:38:25
GlenMonson
Like, this great.
00:38:27
Darin Tingey
So do they not eat it? Like, like what do the Kiddos people do?
00:38:30
GlenMonson
No, they eat it. They just eat it with a lot of, like, drink a lot of water. And maybe they're more, like, immune to it I don't know. Or maybe they just don't care. I don't know.
00:38:39
Darin Tingey
That's so good. They're like watch this guy. He's going to poop his pants as he's walking away.
00:38:44
GlenMonson
I wouldn't put it past Elder Tui to like tell them as well, like, hey, you should serve this to Elder Monson.
00:38:50
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:51
GlenMonson
Can you guys go catch some and like get it get it give to him? Because he'd pull stuff like that all all the time. like I'd have to be like going, and he'd like, oh, like I'll give the like testimony like for the lesson, you know and he'd just go forever. And I'm sitting there like, dude, I gotta go so bad. And he'd just keep going and going. And was like, did I hate you?
00:39:13
Darin Tingey
a
00:39:15
GlenMonson
So, oh yeah.
00:39:15
Darin Tingey
that's how he know That's how you know he loved you. they able if He's able to tease you like that. That's so good. what ah did Do we know what that fish is called in English? like
00:39:28
GlenMonson
Dude, I have no idea. I've tried like looking it up, but I can't find anything that's like fish that makes you poop.
00:39:31
Darin Tingey
Try looking it up. Nothing.
00:39:35
GlenMonson
Like, I don't know. like
00:39:39
Darin Tingey
That's so good. oh man. Yeah, i heard I heard one story. It was like an elder had the Iconibeca, and as he was hopping on his bike to go home, just just started crapping his pants, you know?
00:39:54
GlenMonson
Yeah, I mean, if you don't crap your pants at least like two or three times on Kitibus, then did you really serve there?
00:39:54
Darin Tingey
Yeah. a
00:40:00
Darin Tingey
That's so true. That's so true. good missionary poop stories.
00:40:05
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:40:06
Darin Tingey
ah That's so good.
00:40:07
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:40:09
Darin Tingey
um Any other Tomayaku stories that you wanted to share?
00:40:12
GlenMonson
and that's that's it for Tomaiku.
00:40:14
Darin Tingey
yeah Good. I love that. That's that that that's the one Tomayaku story. That's so good. And then, okay, so Ambo after Tomayaku. Ambo for a while or again for kind of just like a few months and then
00:40:28
GlenMonson
Yeah, it was it was about four months, which like each of my areas is about four months, except for Onoto was like six.
00:40:33
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:40:35
GlenMonson
So um yeah, Ambo was good.
00:40:35
Darin Tingey
Okay. ah
00:40:38
GlenMonson
um i was a zone leader there. um And so it's hard doing like leadership because you just like don't teach like hardly as much, you know, and maybe it's different.
00:40:51
GlenMonson
for different people, but I know that we had a lot of responsibility with missionaries. And so I just felt like we were constantly driving up and down the island, like taking baptismal clothes to people or like solving problems or like whatever it was, you know, so going to meetings.
00:41:07
Darin Tingey
What did um President Weir still have the APs and the Marshals at this time? Or had they?
00:41:13
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:41:14
Darin Tingey
Okay. Because there was a point where the APs did come to Kitabas for a while. ah Elder Price and...
00:41:19
GlenMonson
Yeah, so I think that it was Elder Decker was in Marshalls at that point.
00:41:25
Darin Tingey
Okay. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So he was AP. So I mean, like, which basically what I'm getting at is as zone leader, you were kind of like an AP in Kitabas.
00:41:35
GlenMonson
ah Yeah, yeah. But I mean, yeah, I mean, we still taught some lessons and We still met with a bunch of families and I actually liked Ambo a lot. There was a lot of good members in Ambo and like, we didn't have to do like hardly any, like, I mean, you don't really do too much tracking in Kitabas as it is, but they're definitely not like, it was just members always trying to help with lessons and they're really good. So
00:42:01
Darin Tingey
And was trying to think about like how easy we had it as missionaries, like like how hard some of it was, but also how easy a lot of it was, which is...
00:42:07
GlenMonson
yeah. Yeah, I mean, you just walk down the street and be like, hey, you want to get baptized? Somebody be like, sure like, I guess.
00:42:13
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:42:14
GlenMonson
Like, I'll just do it to be nice to you, you know? Like, they wouldn't be converted. But if you wanted to get baptisms, you could definitely get baptisms, like.
00:42:19
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:42:22
Darin Tingey
Yeah, but you always had someone to talk to. You always had a mission like members saying, hey, teach my friend, and they would like truly fellowship them, which you don't get in a lot of the world, even in here in America.
00:42:25
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:42:29
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:42:34
Darin Tingey
you know like It's a hard. Culturally, we're not as like comfortable with with that, I'd say.
00:42:39
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:42:40
Darin Tingey
i know I'm making broad strokes, but I'd say that it's a fair assumption. um So I don't know. I just think we're... we were blessed.
00:42:51
Darin Tingey
I remember doing summer sales for two months after my mission. Everyone's like, oh yeah, you know, missionaries get rejected. I'm like, bro, I didn't get rejected once on my mission.
00:43:01
GlenMonson
Yeah,
00:43:01
Darin Tingey
I didn't knock on a single door. i didn't get rejected. Like, I didn't have to do that.
00:43:07
GlenMonson
dude.
00:43:07
Darin Tingey
Everyone's just hanging.
00:43:07
GlenMonson
Sell pest control and cannabis.
00:43:08
Darin Tingey
I'm
00:43:09
Darin Tingey
him
00:43:09
GlenMonson
They'd all
00:43:10
GlenMonson
do it like just to be nice to you like I guess yeah you can come in
00:43:11
Darin Tingey
i like, that's, yeah, exactly, exactly. Everyone's just always hanging out outside. didn't have to like, approach someone, get them to come outside ever. Like, anyway, it was it was ah not for me. So I'm glad I went to the islands.
00:43:29
Darin Tingey
But remind me where Ambo is.
00:43:29
GlenMonson
yeah for sure so
00:43:33
Darin Tingey
i always, my Tarawa geography is pretty bad just because I didn't spend much time on Tarawa.
00:43:37
GlenMonson
so So you have like Beiso, Bayeriki, and then um like kind of like a couple smaller villages. And then Ambo is like the very next one.
00:43:48
Darin Tingey
ah Okay.
00:43:48
GlenMonson
um And then you kind of get to Eta.
00:43:52
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:43:54
GlenMonson
And then after that, you kind of get down like to the Tamaiku. And then like the airport's in Boneriki, right?
00:44:00
Darin Tingey
Yep, yep, yep, okay.
00:44:01
GlenMonson
so
00:44:02
Darin Tingey
Okay, so yeah, further west of Atha, yeah, further west of Atha, but not not quite too bitey yet.
00:44:04
GlenMonson
So it was like the north zone or the west zone, I think is what it's called.
00:44:12
Darin Tingey
Got it, okay. um Zone leader for another four months, and then were you like, please get me out of here and send me to an outer island, or what?
00:44:22
GlenMonson
Yeah, I mean, I guess I shouldn't trash on too much. Like being zone leader was kind of fun. You know, you get to be with a lot of missionaries and build relationships that way. And um I mean, it was kind of cool because the van they have is like a it's like the weirdest car. It was like a stick shift minivan and it was diesel. You know, it was like, what the heck?
00:44:41
Darin Tingey
Ha, ha, ha.
00:44:42
GlenMonson
It's like crazy stuff. So I mean, it was fun driving. My companions during that time were good. I had Elder Maddy and Elder Copeland after that. We, you know, you had to deal with a lot of weird stuff too like there's we had to deal with like black magic sometimes with missionaries have no problems with like investigators and you know so like there's definitely like some interesting stuff that happened as well so.
00:45:09
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I love how you say that so casually. Like, yeah, just like some black magic stuff.
00:45:13
GlenMonson
Yeah, I mean, i went into a lesson this because the sisters didn't want to teach him.
00:45:13
Darin Tingey
Yeah. hey
00:45:19
GlenMonson
And so we went and taught him and he pulls out this oil and like the entire room, like you just felt
Unique Cultural Beliefs and Health Issues
00:45:25
GlenMonson
Satan. And it was like absolutely the worst feeling I've ever felt my entire life. So it's just that, you know, whatever.
00:45:29
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:45:30
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:45:32
Darin Tingey
There's another day for a zone leader. just dealing with some black magic that we had to go take care of.
00:45:36
GlenMonson
yeah
00:45:38
Darin Tingey
ha ah Oh, that's good. That's good. Yeah. No, I mean, i you say it casually because in Kittabas and the Marshall Islands, like black magic just like a thing, you know, they talk about it. It's just a a thing you hear about. Not many people would say like necessarily deal with it, but if you get like a boil on your head, they're like, oh, someone did black magic on you.
00:46:01
Darin Tingey
And you're like,
00:46:01
GlenMonson
Yeah, they would would they would blame black magic for a lot of stuff, but there there was some legitimate black magic that happened too, was like...
00:46:03
Darin Tingey
yeah you're like, really? Yeah.
00:46:08
Darin Tingey
Sure, sure. i I totally agree with you on that. I totally agree that. I i have had a situation like that.
00:46:12
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:46:14
Darin Tingey
Actually, not my mission, but similar where you could just feel it. You know you walk in and you're like, oh, yeah, I don't feel good here at all. It feels dark. and
00:46:23
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:46:24
Darin Tingey
But, you know, just another casual day on the mish.
00:46:27
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:46:27
Darin Tingey
Just...
00:46:27
GlenMonson
And then ah probably my most exciting story in Amba would be, so Dengue Fever was going around. And so me and Elder Copeland, we both got Dengue Fever, but it was like somebody still had to do stuff. And so luckily we didn't get it at the same time. And so it'd be like, he just lay in the back of the van and I drive. And then like, when I got it, I'd lay in the back of the van and he'd drive, you know, and just carry me around.
00:46:52
GlenMonson
And then we had to go to Taroyeta too. And And they're like oh, we'll just send somebody else. And I was like, that was one of those like stupid things I did. I was like, no, like I want to go to Taroyeta because, you know, like, dude, you only get to go to so many outer islands, you know, and Elder Decker was actually on Taroyeta at the time, now that I say it.
00:47:04
Darin Tingey
It's cool. Yeah.
00:47:11
GlenMonson
and And so, yeah, we rode this boat for like, I can't remember how long the boat ride is, Taroyeta, it's at least a couple hours. And I was so sick by the end because i was just like hot in like the salt water.
00:47:17
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:47:22
GlenMonson
And I broke out in this like rash, it was so terrible.
00:47:27
Darin Tingey
I gotta see the island. i gotta.
00:47:30
GlenMonson
I think I got out and walked around for like 10 minutes and then went and laid back down in the boat. It's not a good decision.
00:47:37
Darin Tingey
Oh, that's so good. would have done the same thing. you know Like you said, there's only there's only so many opportunities to see other places in Kitabas, especially because you know getting back to Kitabas is extremely hard.
00:47:50
Darin Tingey
And even if you get back to Kitabas, the odds of you going to Tarawayeta are like so small. The odds of you going into XYZ Outer Island, really small chance just because the planes are not always...
00:48:04
Darin Tingey
you know, reliable or whatnot. So it's just like, this is like your once in a lifetime chance to go see it. ah
00:48:11
GlenMonson
Yeah, for sure.
00:48:12
Darin Tingey
So I don't blame you. I would've done the same thing.
00:48:14
GlenMonson
Well, good. I'm justified then.
00:48:16
Darin Tingey
ah Okay. So then,
00:48:18
GlenMonson
It's all the stories you don't tell your mom, right?
00:48:21
Darin Tingey
That's right. that That's exactly right. or Or the nurse. um you know They don't need to know that you're sick and that you can't go to to an outer island.
00:48:26
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:48:32
Darin Tingey
ah So Onotoa, when they told you, i don't know, APs or president told you, like hey, we're sending you to Onotoa. What was that like?
Missionary Adventures on Onotoa
00:48:45
GlenMonson
Yeah, so so I'm pretty sure it was Elder Decker that told me. And um I remember that, like, me and Elder Decker, we'd always just, like like, make plans. Like, just, like, hypothetical plans, you know?
00:48:55
GlenMonson
And we're like, oh like, dude, when you get done being an AP, like, you can come and I'll stop being a zone leader and we'll go out and, like, open Bonne Bay or something, you know? Like, he's like, yeah, like, let's do it.
00:49:04
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:49:05
GlenMonson
I'm going to talk to President. We'll we'll make it happen, you know? And anyways, it was like, yeah, that never happened. But, uh... he did call me and he's like, Hey, I got good news and bad news. And I was like, like, I'm pretty sure was him that called me.
00:49:17
GlenMonson
And he's like, we're not going to Bonaville. And I'm like, Oh dang it. But you're going to go to Onothoa. And I'm like, Oh yeah. Like i was stoked. So yeah, that was, that was awesome.
00:49:25
Darin Tingey
go.
00:49:27
GlenMonson
So ah yeah.
00:49:28
Darin Tingey
Any missionaries on Anatoa?
00:49:28
GlenMonson
And so then i so as far as I know, And I mean, I could be wrong because I mean, there's been missionaries in Kitabas since what, like the 80s, 90s, maybe.
00:49:41
Darin Tingey
Yeah, yeah, at least at least the 80s. Okay.
00:49:44
GlenMonson
And so as far as I know, there has never been missionaries or church on Onotoa before us.
00:49:51
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:49:51
GlenMonson
So that's what I was told, at least. And that's what some people on Onotoa had told us.
00:49:57
Darin Tingey
If anyone's listening and that's not true, let us know and we'll come find you.
00:49:57
GlenMonson
So it was kind of.
00:50:01
Darin Tingey
But it don't tell Elder Monson because that is his claim to fame.
00:50:01
GlenMonson
don't tell me you'll crush my... and by You'll crush me. Just kidding.
00:50:09
GlenMonson
Yeah, that's my claim to fame, so don't don't ruin it.
00:50:10
Darin Tingey
um
00:50:13
GlenMonson
No, for reals.
00:50:13
Darin Tingey
Which I mean is honestly a pretty cool claim to fame. if that If that is true that you were the first missionary on it, like so cool. So cool.
00:50:21
GlenMonson
Yeah, so, I mean, could be wrong. If any if if it is, let me know. but So yeah, so we were like the first ones. I think um there's... couple elders that like went out just to kind of arrange housing was like the APs but it was like they had like traveling APs at that point for some reason and they like went out there and um don't know who came up with who who came up with that president I have this amazing idea you need APs that can go to all the outer islands and it should be me
00:50:41
Darin Tingey
The most genius thing, traveling APs. President, we need traveling APs.
00:50:55
Darin Tingey
Seriously, I'm like, man, dude, that guy had some major persuasion, whoever told president that.
00:51:01
GlenMonson
yeah i
00:51:02
Darin Tingey
Oh,
00:51:02
GlenMonson
Yeah, I think it might have been Elder Hossler who was my trainer.
00:51:08
Darin Tingey
that's so good.
00:51:08
GlenMonson
But ah anyway, so I think they went out and just like arranged housing at least for us. But yeah, like we went out and I mean, it was like just nothing, you know, like I think we had like like two leads maybe that they had given us.
00:51:25
GlenMonson
Like, hey, we were getting housing and like there's a couple people that are from Moroni or something that aren't active anymore.
00:51:30
Darin Tingey
Uh-huh.
00:51:31
GlenMonson
Just something like that So.
00:51:34
Darin Tingey
So did you... ah who Who was your companion? Was it like a ah newer elder or...
00:51:40
GlenMonson
It was Elder Bontemann. He was Kitabas and he'd been out for probably a year-ish, I would imagine.
00:51:47
Darin Tingey
Okay, so kind of nice having a Kiribati elder with you.
00:51:49
GlenMonson
Yeah, so that was good. um you know, somebody that knows the culture a lot better and somebody that can speak a lot better than me and all that. So, um but
00:51:59
Darin Tingey
I mean, like going to an outer island and having a Kiribati companion probably like like helped your language so much.
00:52:05
GlenMonson
yeah, yeah, dude it was like the dream.
00:52:05
Darin Tingey
I'm so jealous of you. I wish I got that.
00:52:10
GlenMonson
And then, a yeah, so, so we get to Onotoa and like, I just remember like we had to like walk down to our house and like, cause we didn't have bikes or anything. And so we walked down there, we meet with like the guy that we're staying at and it was Tomenna's dad.
00:52:26
GlenMonson
Tomenna is a guy in Tomaiku. So he actually owns the house or he did at least the house of the missionary staying in Tomaiku on Tarawa. And so we went and ate lunch with, or dinner and lunch and stuff with him all the time.
00:52:35
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:52:39
GlenMonson
And so i actually knew Tomenna really well. So it was kind of nice. Like, oh, you know, Tamena, like you're his dad. Like, and so we would talk all the time and, um, his, his dad wasn't a member, but, uh, he actually did get baptized after I left, which was awesome.
00:52:46
Darin Tingey
Uh-huh.
00:52:52
GlenMonson
So, uh, anyways, but, uh, so yeah, so we started and we just walked around like that village and tried talking to some of the people.
00:52:53
Darin Tingey
That's so cool.
00:53:02
GlenMonson
i think only one of the people they gave us actually panned out and it was, uh,
00:53:07
GlenMonson
a guy that was already a member, but we ended up baptizing his kid. Um, Um, but I think that he left after a month to go back to Ottawa because his wife got work in Ottawa or something.
00:53:19
GlenMonson
So it was kind of, you know, it it started out.
00:53:21
Darin Tingey
Dang it.
00:53:22
GlenMonson
Yeah. Like we we didn't have like anything. So,
00:53:25
Darin Tingey
What, um so quickly, what was your, what was your house like? don't want to throw.
00:53:30
GlenMonson
So it was like ah it was a concrete building with like glass windows that could open, you know?
00:53:36
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:53:36
GlenMonson
um But we never slept in it because it was so hot.
00:53:39
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I mean, that sounds really hot. I feel like all the brick houses were abandoned on Myana for that reason.
00:53:42
GlenMonson
yeah
00:53:45
GlenMonson
Yeah. And so, yeah, we just slept on, he had a booyah out on the beach kind of.
00:53:50
Darin Tingey
Nice.
00:53:51
GlenMonson
And so we just slept on that, which was like, dude, like, That was so perfect. Like sleeping on pretty much the beach and just falling asleep to like the waves sit in the beach. And like we set up a hammock on the beach that we just sit there and do scripture study. Like, oh, talk about paradise. Like it was, it was great.
00:54:07
Darin Tingey
Yeah, that's the coolest thing ever. I i i remember the same thing, just in a little stick hut right on the beach, just listening to the waves.
00:54:17
Darin Tingey
And there's just never a time in your life ever again that that'll happen. And that is just like a special cool thing.
00:54:23
GlenMonson
Yeah.
00:54:25
Darin Tingey
And you're like, I'm on this tiny island, remote island in the middle of the Pacific. And I'm just a missionary here. Like, this is crazy.
00:54:35
GlenMonson
Yeah. Yeah. So, um so then we get our bikes and so we can actually do a little more traveling. I think the next week our bikes came or something. um And we start going and teaching a guy that we gotten a referral from the guys that had come out to get housing and they talked to this guy about getting housing and they ended up going with the other guy and so we ended up talking to him and doing some lessons and he just kept asking about like if the church was going to buy his land or buy his house you know like and so it's kind of awkward because it's like yeah sorry like do you still want lessons you know and one time we were actually so the last time we taught him we were talking to him and we were teaching a lesson and then
00:55:08
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:55:21
GlenMonson
we like ended it and we're like, would you like to, you know, give the closing prayer? And he just was like,
00:55:26
GlenMonson
no i don't want to pray and so was kind of like struck by i o okay i i guess i'll say the prayer you know and like so i like start saying the prayer but like i don't realize like elder bonthaman he's already getting off of the booyah and like going to his bike and i'm like dude like it's so i'm kind of like having like one eye open like dude ponthaman like what are you doing like you can't just get off like let's at least leave him in prayer, you know? And then I realized like why he got off the booyah was because the guy we're teaching got off the booyah as well.
00:56:01
GlenMonson
And he grabbed an ax.
00:56:03
Darin Tingey
No way.
00:56:05
GlenMonson
And so I like see him and I'm like, oh fetch. So i I jump off the booyah and I start just booking it to my bike and I jump on and the guy's running after us, like just screaming at us like, you liars and cheats and like, like you're supposed to like buy my stuff and like, you're all going to go to hell.
00:56:23
GlenMonson
And like, you know, just scream at us, you know, like, and as we like ride away and yeah, it was one of the crazier because kiddos people don't do that.
00:56:26
Darin Tingey
No way.
00:56:31
GlenMonson
Like, but
00:56:32
Darin Tingey
No, they're the nicest people ever.
00:56:35
GlenMonson
Yeah. Like that's, I was so surprised. i was like the first time I'd ever really had anybody be like mean to me, you know? and
00:56:41
Darin Tingey
And grab an ax.
00:56:42
GlenMonson
So anyways, like, well,
00:56:43
Darin Tingey
Like, I don't know what I'm just mean, but grab an ax.
00:56:46
GlenMonson
yeah. So the, the funny thing is, is he was actually the police chief as well.
00:56:53
Darin Tingey
Solid.
00:56:54
GlenMonson
Solid. Yep. And so we told them, can't remember who we told. I think we might have told the guy we were getting the house from. And he's like, oh, if you guys need to go tell the the council building about this.
00:57:08
GlenMonson
Because they'll fire him. And it's super kate blanca against the culture to like do that, especially the outsiders.
00:57:14
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:57:18
GlenMonson
And like he was telling me that like people will, but if if they hear about this, like they could go like burn his house down or something. like
00:57:26
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:57:26
GlenMonson
so And so, no.
00:57:28
Darin Tingey
So what did you guys go tell? i mean, that's kind of scary. Like, I don't want to ruin this guy's life even more.
00:57:32
GlenMonson
Yeah, so so we didn't tell him. And you know it's kind of one of those things like turn leather cheek. you know And so we're like, we're not going to do that.
00:57:37
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:57:38
GlenMonson
But every time we'd ride past his house or like pass him on a scooter or something, he'd always kind of look at us like, uh we good you know and and we'd look at him like we're good you know like so we never really talked to him again but we'd always wave at him and we're trying to be nice so anyways
00:57:57
Darin Tingey
What a, dude, what a story. Not many people can say they were chased with an ax on their mission. ah
00:58:03
GlenMonson
yeah it's better than a gun at least i can run away like
00:58:04
Darin Tingey
I mean, yeah. I mean, I'm just like picturing you sitting on his booyah, like praying while both of your companion and him are like not even close to you. And then you like open your eye like, oh crap, this guy's going to kill me if I don't run right now.
00:58:24
GlenMonson
Yeah, it was kind of nuts. I know,
00:58:28
Darin Tingey
We need to leave him with prayer, Elder. Sit down. going to pray.
00:58:31
GlenMonson
and I was just like, dude, Bontham, I'm the one that knows the culture better than you, apparently. like You don't just leave.
00:58:38
Darin Tingey
That's so good. That's so good.
00:58:40
GlenMonson
yeah
00:58:41
Darin Tingey
oh I mean, i I get it, though. Like, when people, I mean, not that he had an excuse to chase you with an axe, but... You know, when people are looking for, when the church is looking for housing, a lot of people are like, oh, rent my house.
00:58:54
Darin Tingey
You know, they want that money.
00:58:55
GlenMonson
Yeah, like, they can make hundreds of dollars a month.
00:58:55
Darin Tingey
They become very wealthy.
00:58:58
GlenMonson
And i mean, when I talked to a couple people, and they would make like maybe $1,000 $2,000 a year.
00:59:05
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Oh,
00:59:06
GlenMonson
So it's like, if you're making three 400 bucks a month, like, dude, you're super well off, you know?
00:59:10
Darin Tingey
oh yeah. Yeah.
00:59:12
Darin Tingey
Yeah, and and I bet you any of them would be happy to give their current house to you and go build a new one, you know, or sleep at their family member's house.
00:59:20
GlenMonson
Oh, yeah.
00:59:22
Darin Tingey
Like, that money means so much to them. So, I mean, I can see why he was pissed, but...
00:59:28
GlenMonson
Yeah, for sure. i don't I don't blame him. He didn't know, you know.
00:59:33
Darin Tingey
Oh, that's so good. Okay, so... So church isn't there. did you guys still, I mean, I'm assuming you guys still held a service on Sunday, even if no one came or.
00:59:43
GlenMonson
Yeah, so so our first Sunday, i think we had like six people. So there's two guys up north that were going, they had gone to Moroni.
00:59:49
Darin Tingey
Yeah,
00:59:54
GlenMonson
They actually had the Melchizedek Priesthood,