Transcript
Darin Tingey: All right, we are back with another episode of the Islands Podcast. Pumped about today because this this person served during my time, but I never got to meet him.
Darin Tingey: Was AP on the... in the mission, but left the marshals back to Kitabas right before I got to the mission. We've got Sonny Petey today.
Darin Tingey: Sonny, super, pump super pumped to have you, man.
LK7K6: yeah both
Darin Tingey: Again, I've I literally heard so many stories about you and the Larkins like could not stop talking about you So again, I'm really excited for this podcast.
Darin Tingey: But let's start from the beginning. You know, where where are you from? Where do you live now?
Darin Tingey: go from there.
LK7K6: Thank you, brother. i Appreciate you for having me on here. yeah, man, a quick story about me. name's Sonny Petey, I'm from New Zealand, New Zealand raised, New Zealand born and I'm i'm from at a small town called Gisborne and that's on the east coast of the North Island if if anyone else that knows that. Sister, i think Alice would know, Alice and shout out,
LK7K6: And yeah, so I grew up as a, I'm a convert to the church. And my family, even to this day, I'm still the only convert in my family.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
Darin Tingey: Hmm.
LK7K6: i've been i was I joined the church in 2013. And my story goes, bro, I had a friend. His name was Te Awe Tahuri. And he was a good friend of mine. And we used to, through primary, intermediate,
LK7K6: in high school together. I didn't know he was a member. We used to hang out all the time. We used to get up to no good. So I had no idea that he was a member of any church. Towards the last my my last year at school, so college, so that's high school for us. So my last year at high school, he had like a change of heart. He went through a change in his life because his family are all members of the church.
LK7K6: And one night, he says, me and him would always hang out. I'd stay at his place every night. And one night, we're just, you know, doing what we do is boys, play play games, hang out, and i watch a few movies, and we decided to binge watch a few YouTube videos about, it was like something to do with Christianity, and it really put me off, you know and like when I saw that, and I saw the video, it was about, oh it was something that was rather disturbing, and I told him, I bluntly said, I said, bro, I don't, that's the reason why I don't like you know Christianity, and that's the reason why i don't like
LK7K6: I don't get into this religious scheme, this religious world. And he felt, you know, impressed to have to, you know, to share his story. So he said, hey, brother, I know this may sound weird to you, but can I just share my experience about, you know, my belief in God? And I said, yeah, no, go ahead, man. Like, you know, I trust you, you're my mate.
LK7K6: And he shared his testimony. That was the first time i ever heard him talk about God. I was impressed. And, you know, that night he he he actually prayed for me and I'd never been prayed for before. So that was, it was interesting.
LK7K6: It was weird for me.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, I bet.
LK7K6: And that night, i yeah and and that night you know, and i don't sleep i and I had questions because he had he had briefly explained the plan salvation to me and you i so you know all these new things that I'd never heard in my life. and The fact that there was premortal existence, that there was, you know, we're in a mortal world and there is purpose to our lives, that there's a God, that he exists, and and there's there's like a life after death. I'd never heard these things before.
LK7K6: So that night, man, I remember just looking up in the room, just looking up at the ceiling, and I said, God, If this is real and you're real, you know i want to know.
LK7K6: So, you know, that goes down. It's Saturday night. The next day it's Sunday. And, you know he felt impressed. He felt impressed to invite me to church. And I said, no. I'll be honest with you, bro.
LK7K6: I was like, yeah, no, that's not me.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I ain't about that life. You know, I've had no experience in that in that world. So, you know, he was like, oh, good, bro. You know, didn't mean to, you know, come off like that. I just thought I'd invite you.
LK7K6: And i said, no, man, you know, no big deal. So this is what struck me. I i was about to go home. I jumped in my ute. and first time in my life I had a prompting in my head at the time I didn't know was the Holy Ghost but this is what the prompting told me it said what do you have to lose so you know and you think about it you know if I go to this church and I don't like it I can go home and go back to my life that's fine but if I do go
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: and I like it, then, you know, then what? So that was the thought that comes to my mind. And I was sitting in the truck, and it was on, I was about to go home. And I was like, you know what, just go, man, just give it a crack. So I went inside.
LK7K6: Hey, bro. Yeah, I'll come. And he was so excited. His parents were so, brother, so excited. They said, yeah, man, you know what? Son, take the keys. They gave his son the, you know, mum's keys. Take the car. Just take the van. Take it. It's all good. we'll We'll catch up. We'll come with you. They didn't want to pressure me. So they felt, you know, like just let him go with...
LK7K6: with his mate.
Darin Tingey: Right.
LK7K6: So I said, yeah, all good.
Darin Tingey: Right.
LK7K6: And I said, bro, what do got to wear? like I didn't have anything. I didn't have a suit. you know I didn't have this. He goes, oh, you do have your number ones because I'm i'm a big rugby player. So you I used to play for like like the college rugby, you know like the top team at high school.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Okay.
LK7K6: So I was like, yeah, I've got my number ones. So said, yeah, we'll go pick that up. you know Just wear that. That's good enough. I was like, sweet. when it Went to my place, picked up my my suit. So, yeah, no, that's good enough. So went to church. I got there, bro, and I said, yeah, i don't want to go inside.
LK7K6: I saw the cars. I don't like, you know, the pressure was on. i was like, oh, there's so many people, so many cars. I don't really want to, you know, be confronted by people. Anyway, I did it. i went inside, and it wasn't what I expected. I went in there. It was calm. it was peaceful. You know, people amazing, very welcoming to me. And, yeah, man, I just – That was how it all started. And met the missionaries that day.
LK7K6: They were doing the yeah the sacrament at the time. I admired them from day one. I said, oh, who are those guys? They look rather professional. And he was like, yeah, those are missionaries, man. Met them.
LK7K6: Shout out to them. And yeah, about three, four weeks after that, I was baptized.
Darin Tingey: Wow.
LK7K6: Yeah, bro. And that missionary, Outer Hoffman, he's the man from Utah. He was a good dude, bro. such a spiritual outer. he That day, he just committed me to baptism on day one.
Darin Tingey: Wow.
LK7K6: Yeah, man.
Darin Tingey: from From going, that's crazy. Like going from having no Christianity background at all to going to church, you're praying about it, going to church and baptize in three three or four weeks.
LK7K6: Yep.
LK7K6: Within, yeah, within two to four, yeah.
Darin Tingey: That's crazy. Yeah.
LK7K6: I was like, you know, I felt good. It felt good. There was no, I never had no, you know, burning in the bosom. It's true or not. It just felt good.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I wanted it. I wanted to try it out. So I said, you know what, let's do it. So, you know, that that that baptism, though, was a bit of a struggle because, you know, they said you have to ask permission. So I said, oh, yeah, okay. I asked my parents for permission.
LK7K6: My mum was definitely against it. You know, she was she felt like, to be honest with you, man, she felt like she failed as as a parent. because I was doing something completely different to what she had brought us up.
Darin Tingey: That's tough.
LK7K6: You know, she felt like as a parent she failed because, you know, that was not the life that she thought we were meant to go, head that way. It's, you know, nothing, no, no fault to hers. You know, she doesn't understand this world, guess, the gospel. So I didn't blame her, but yeah, she was, she didn't agree with it.
LK7K6: or my My brother was actually really really angry because he was pretty sad. My older brother, me and him really close. He was upset because he he he felt like the journey ends between us in terms of like you know just living life together, doing life together.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: and He was upset. you know We couldn't do what we used to do, bond, go to parties, do all this, you know do all that worldly things. So me and my family didn't like it.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: My nan also, who I... I respect a lot. She was a very religious person. She actually mentioned, I said, hey, I'm going to get baptized Mormon church. you know what are What's your opinion on this? And she said, you've already been Christians in the Church of England.
LK7K6: And I said, what? This is the first time hearing this. I knew nothing about this. So she she pretty much you know assumed told me, you know you've already been baptized. What are you talking about? i was like, well, I feel like this path is something I want to
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: She didn't agree either. So I called my dad and I thought, you know, he's probably going be the same. He was so so different. He said, hey, he did say, he goes, hey, son, like, congrats, you know, good for you. You know, is that something do you really want to do? And he also, you know, stressed, he said, hey, you know, this path isn't just like go down, you know, join and then leave whenever you want.
LK7K6: This is a lifetime commitment. You realize that? And I said, well, I think so, yeah. So he wasn't against it, but he was just kind of cautious. But, you know, he was happy for me. So regardless of all their choices, I went back to my mum and I said, hey, mum, honestly, if you don't want me to do this, I won't do it.
LK7K6: And my mum is very, you know, she's one she loves us. She supports us in everything we do. But there's one thing she didn't want to do She didn't want to take away our our freedom to choose and do what we want to do. So I respect my mum for her. huge as You know, at that time, she was very stubborn because she wanted me to not. She didn't want me to you know do this.
LK7K6: But I said, I will quit for you. And we we had a heart-to-heart talk, man. And we were both crying. And she said, son, you know don't ever you know make me stop you from doing what you want to do.
LK7K6: Even if I'm against it, I love you and i'll support you whatever you want. So i was like, damn. you know I realized, well, my really does love me. So i I chose the path anyway, even though she disagreed.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: She still supported me because it was I'm her son. the end the day, she goes, you're still my son. I love you. So I respect my mom for that. So yeah, I did that. And I said, you know what? Let's do it. got baptized, I invited my mum and my mum's mother, so my grandmother, to the baptism, and then a few of my good friends who were not members of the church, and they all came just to support.
LK7K6: So that's beginning of my story, man. Yeah.
Darin Tingey: That's, that's an incredible story. and And how cool that they all came to support you on your baptism day.
LK7K6: and
LK7K6: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: How, so how old were you at the time you were in high school or you were 16?
LK7K6: Yeah, was 16.
LK7K6: I was was year in school. I was 16 turning 17 like the next month. Yeah. And so basically I was in my last year.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, it's, I mean, I can totally empathize with your, with your mom on the sense of like, Hey, my, my son is 16, you know, like he, this is a big decision and he's, you know, he's only 16, but how, how cool that she was like, you know what?
Darin Tingey: I'll support you. I don't like it, I'll support you.
LK7K6: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: So, fast forward, right. To mission.
LK7K6: Yeah. Yeah.
Darin Tingey: When did you leave? Were you 18 or how did you how old were you when you went?
LK7K6: So I got baptized in 2013, February 2013, and I was leaving to serve on a mission. jumped on that plane 2015, 5th of May.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: So within like two years of being baptized, i was on that mission.
Darin Tingey: And how did,
Darin Tingey: yeah. How did your family respond to that?
LK7K6: Yep.
LK7K6: So honestly, me and my family were like, this is how my family took it. Okay, cool. So what is this? And I would basically explained to them what it was. Okay, so what if that doesn't work? What's your plan B? And I said, there is no plan B. It's either this or nothing.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: And they they they always said, oh, but this isn't like a career. It's not a job. It's not, you need to find something to fall back on if this doesn't work out. was like, this is all I've got. I had planned. I was at school. I left school and i I went to an army academy and I was there for a year and I was about to go straight into the army.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: But then I met the missionaries, you know, and then my whole life changed. I went from you know halfway through my academy, I decided to quit because I wanted to to serve a mission instead.
Darin Tingey: Right.
LK7K6: So then I had a gap year in 2014 and I decided to use that gap year to save up for my mission. So I saved like one and a half, like, you know, 10 grand.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: And my mom said, do you really want to do this? And I said, yes. She goes, cool. If you want to do this, I love you. I don't i don't agree with whatever you want to do, but if you... save up half, I will meet you halfway.
Darin Tingey: No
LK7K6: So, you know, i wasn't getting paid much, but I just, I was committed. I wanted this mission. So I would go to work, work five days a week, seven days a week.
LK7K6: but We lived an hour or hour and a half out of town. So we're out in the countryside and we had I had to travel every day. So I would then stay at a friend's house that was in town, sleep on his couch just so I could go back to work and just do double time over and over and over and over. And I finally reached my goal, had the 5,000, told my mom, she goes, cool.
LK7K6: She put in 5,000. I submitted that into the mission. And I was like, we're good. And then and in another crazy story, i' just come up, I thought I'd mention it. Two, I had a lot of trials before my mission. That's the crazy thing. I broke my leg.
LK7K6: So I was in a cast. I thought, okay, I'm going to go on a mission. And then i was in a car accident two weeks before getting my mission call.
Darin Tingey: Oh, gosh.
LK7K6: And it was just another day i was going on I was going to work and I come around the corner and I flip. And, you know, i remember the last thing I said when I lost control and I went off the cliff and I rolled a few times.
LK7K6: I was just calling out to Heavenly Father just said, help me. And I just closed my eyes and just braced. And then I was fine. I come out of that. You know car's totaled. It's upside.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: and it's totaled. And I get out and I've only got a few scratches on my arm. And I still have those scars today just as a testament that, you know, took care me. And I had a lot of trials leading up to our mission and I felt like, you know, those trials only strengthened me.
LK7K6: And like after that, you know, I was able to open a mission corps my My best friend who who helped me join the church, he opened his mission call at his parents. And because I didn't have much support at home, when I opened my mission call, I went to his parents' house and did the exact same thing he did.
LK7K6: And he was a year ahead of me on the mission because he left.
Darin Tingey: Cool.
LK7K6: his like, brother, I'll see you out there. as I'll see you out there too. So, you know, he left the year before me and I was determined I'm going to leave too. So, yeah, man, I opened my mission at his place. You know, his father was was was a great father figure to me and because you know I love my father, but, you know,
LK7K6: I was in a single home with my mum. Me and my three brothers just grew up in a single home, so it was really hard.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: you know and i And I think you know deep inside the young me, I was looking for that father figure, and I found one. you His dad just was it was a beast.
Darin Tingey: That's...
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Yeah, man.
Darin Tingey: Wow. What a crazy, crazy story. I mean, i just was thinking about you working so hard to save up money to pay for your mission. And like someone like me who who grew up in the church and kind of always thought I'm going to go a mission. Like I had, you know, 18 years to save up for a mission, you know, but here you are, you get baptized. You're like, I'm going to go on a mission. Your life gets totally turned around and you just work your tail off to save up money to be able to go. Like that is true dedication. And i mean, from the podcast I did with Osborne, who you trained, it sounds like you didn't waste a minute on the mission.
Darin Tingey: of like, hey, I worked my butt off to get out here and we're going to make the most use of that time.
LK7K6: Exactly man and I feel like and know a lot of people you know that I've met you know they their their mission starts when they're in the MTC and for me bro I'll be honest with you my mission started before the MTC.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I was struggling before then so that's why know when I went through all these experiences I was like if I can survive that I can survive this.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: You I mean? Like, if God's given me a second chance in life, I'm going all in. It's all in or nothing. And there's there's an awesome video. Like, everyone knows this. You know the Father Tanner? show.
LK7K6: It's a small clip and that's about Father Tanner. He's like a time of the time of Joseph Smith. And here's the beast.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: as its So anyway, long story short, there's a saying, he says, this one of his good friends of his and his friend goes, you know, why are you giving up all your life for this church? And he says, any man having him put his hand to the plough and looking back doesn't fit for the kingdom of God.
LK7K6: And that's what I did, bro. I just went, stuff it. I'm throwing everything at it. i had oh I'm a big gamer. I grabbed, I had all my PS3. I had like a shelf full of games. I grabbed all that, threw it in a duffel bag, went EB Games, which is like a like a gaming, yeah you know, company. And I just sold all my games. I just sold everything I had because I was like, I've got nothing else. It's just, it's this or nothing. So was ready. I was like, ready.
LK7K6: That's why I was just like, let's go. I've got no time to be here.
Darin Tingey: Just locked in.
LK7K6: I want to go serve.
LK7K6: I was locked in, bro. was locked in. I was like, there we know there's no turning back.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: We're going in. Yep.
Darin Tingey: Okay. Quick jump. Before we hit the mission, you're back in New Zealand, right? Do you live in the same town you grew up in or?
LK7K6: Yep.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I worked up there for a time. I thinking I spent about good six, seven years up there. i was doing a lot of work, scaffolding. And then moved here to Tauranga.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: I met my wife here in Tauranga. And now I am a self-employed. I'm self-employed and I do distribute frozen goods. So I own a lot of chiller trucks and we just deliver a lot of frozen goods.
Darin Tingey: Okay. Very cool.
LK7K6: Yeah, man.
Darin Tingey: Nice.
LK7K6: And two girls.
Darin Tingey: how long have you been doing that?
LK7K6: I've been doing that for two years now. So I've been running two years.
Darin Tingey: That's awesome.
LK7K6: Love it. I love working for myself.
Darin Tingey: Two girls. How old are they?
LK7K6: I've got two girls, three three and and next month and i one little one-year-old.
Darin Tingey: Wow. Congrats, man.
LK7K6: So, girl dad, bro.
Darin Tingey: That's so awesome.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, that's right. And sounds like you're in the bishopric.
LK7K6: I love my girls.
Darin Tingey: Is that right? So you tell me?
LK7K6: Yeah, yeah. Yeah, been in the British Brick for about a year now. Loving you know loving it, learning a lot. you know i feel like I'm in the mission again. I'm definitely leaning on my missionary background to get me through this.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. And, it, you know it's been what, 13 years since you were baptized. So, as family, you know, sounds like they, they're not, none them have converted, but have they you know softened up to you being part of the church?
LK7K6: So, yeah, no, also it's good to say that. So they, none of them have all, none of them have like even had any interest in the church, but you know, they noticed, they noticed how I live. They noticed like my style, like my example. So for example, you know, I still go to my family functions, parties, whatnot, but if there's a family member that is not a aware, they they would speak out for me and say, oh no, he doesn't drink. Like someone offers me a beer or someone offers me something. They're like, oh no, he don't drink.
LK7K6: you don't drink so they all know I don't drink I don't smoke I don't do any of these things I don't go to parties they are very aware of that which is cool you know like they respect what I do now and back back in the day I was kind of like oh yeah gonna last I what are you doing what is this like what do you think you're doing you know because that's not that was not me in in that and that you know in that sense it was a decision I made and yeah
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
Darin Tingey: And now it's been 13 years.
LK7K6: And it's been 13 years and we're still going.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, that's right.
LK7K6: I'm oh perfect though. I ain't going to say, I'm not perfect bro.
Darin Tingey: What was like the first initial reaction to you receiving your mission call?
LK7K6: who Probably like everyone else, bro. Like everyone else on your podcast. we all We opened the call. I read it. You're a court to serve in the Marshall Islands Majuro mission in the Kiribati region.
LK7K6: And the whole crowd was like, okay, where's that?
Darin Tingey: o
LK7K6: Where is that? Where even is that?
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
LK7K6: So yeah, we're all searching on Google. And yeah, that's how we know. We're searching it up and find out it's in the middle of nowhere, kind of in the Micronesian area. you know I do my background I try my best I just kind of google maps but honestly man I didn't know how to prepare for this mission I was just like what do I do like you know I leaned i was kind of like I'll lean on my on my background like my my culture like I'm Maori descent and you know let's just hope that we have cultural like you know maybe they have a similar culture to mine and I can relate to them in that sense so yeah was just kind of like you know what it is what it is let's go
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: yeah
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: Did you, did you, did you have a big intake?
LK7K6: Bro, it was just me and Sister Sua. There was only two of us.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: There was only two of us, man. Yeah, i was i was but I was the only one that made it to Kiribati.
Darin Tingey: I bet you, I bet you guys close.
LK7K6: She never made it because she lost her passport on transit from Utah, from l LA to Fiji, and she had to stay in Fiji.
Darin Tingey: Oh, no way.
LK7K6: So I was the only one to end up to arrive Kiribati. so I was a solo missionary, man.
Darin Tingey: And she know she never made it.
LK7K6: She ended up, she made it a few months later, a few months later.
Darin Tingey: Oh.
Darin Tingey: Oh, gosh.
LK7K6: Yeah, man, it was it was messy, it was messy.
Darin Tingey: her Okay, so you landed in Kitabas. Was your president, President where at the time?
LK7K6: Yes, yes, anyhow.
Darin Tingey: and Was he there on on island when you landed?
LK7K6: No. And that's, yeah, that's weird, man. Cause like i was expecting to meet my president. i was expecting to have like a bit of a rundown. No, I get there and who's there? It was Elder Price, the APs.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, Cade Price.
LK7K6: So, but it was, yeah, Price. Cause I think someone else had left and then I swapped out for him. So I was, it was just me and Elder Price. And then we go off and we go off and we're going to teach a lesson in Ape Towa somewhere, somewhere down by Bonduki.
LK7K6: And yeah, we go and teach a lesson. He takes me back to the mission home in Moroni. And then I meet up with a few of the other missionaries. Oh, Elder Open Shore.
LK7K6: Elder Openshaw and I crossed paths. I was coming from the empty sea to Fiji and he was coming from Christmas Island to Fiji. And we crossed paths on our way to Keribus.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: And I saw him, thought I was a returning missionary.
Darin Tingey: Cool.
LK7K6: i was going home. And I thought, okay, who's just like you maybe he's serving in Fiji. And and we both find out we're serving in Kerebus. He's been in the mission for a year. i've been I'm just heading to Kerebus. And yeah, like I love that dude.
LK7K6: pretty sure he's the man. And that was when he broke the news to me, kind of what happened to his family. And I was like, what?
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: So yeah, like I already had a connection with him that first day. So i it was good to meet someone in my mission already before I even got there.
Darin Tingey: Was he coming back to Tarawa like just right after finding out what happened to his family?
LK7K6: Yeah. Yep.
Darin Tingey: That's crazy. Yeah.
LK7K6: That was, that was the day.
Darin Tingey: What a, what a tough time, in his life, but he was probably so excited to see someone in the airport that he could talk to, you know?
LK7K6: know, man.
Darin Tingey: Uh, and you were, you were there for, you were there for him.
LK7K6: Yep.
LK7K6: It was nothing.
Darin Tingey: shit
LK7K6: It was pretty humble beginnings, man. I love it.
Darin Tingey: a Did they, did they take you to, to have some careve right where when you got there? I know that was a tradition back in the day.
LK7K6: Oh, yeah, nah, it was pretty, like, just because I was on my own, I felt like, you know, it was, they kind of like, it's not a big intake, so like, let's just, go let's chill out. You know, it was kind of, it wasn't serious.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I got there, there was only a few missionaries, and they're like, oh, welcome. i was oh, hey, man. It's good to be here. and i wear mur and i And they were like, yeah, oh, by the way, you're going to Makin. And I'm going, oh, dang. Okay, I don't know what that is.
Darin Tingey: No way.
LK7K6: I don't know what that where that is, but oh good. Yeah, man. and it was It was pretty brief. It wasn't like a big introduction. I remember, you know, as an AP, I'll talk about that later. But yeah, mine was just simple, humble. Didn't didn't meet the mission president until like seven, eight months into my mission.
LK7K6: You know what mean?
Darin Tingey: That's crazy. Yeah, that's that's nuts.
LK7K6: Yeah, never. and Yeah, it was it was true island mission, man. but
Darin Tingey: So let's quickly run through your areas. Just tell me what your areas were and then we'll start from the beginning.
LK7K6: right, cool. So I served, first area was in Makin, and then after that I got transferred to Christmas and where I served in Tabaki Awa. And after that and I was called to be an AP in the Marshall Islands, and I spent most of my time on my mission as an AP.
LK7K6: And then after that I got transferred to serve in Bota. And then after Bota, I finished my time in an island called Nibaina first. It was actually Nibaina where we started. And then Kainabe was the neighboring island, which would end up becoming the main island.
LK7K6: Yeah. And that's where served.
Darin Tingey: Those were North Tarawa, the last two, right?
LK7K6: Yeah, that was Tarawaita, yeah.
Darin Tingey: Tarawiyata, yeah.
LK7K6: Yep.
Darin Tingey: Okay. So Outer Island, your first first area, kind of crazy. did you
LK7K6: crazy
Darin Tingey: Was it like a day or two on Tarawa and then you were out to Makin?
LK7K6: yeah it was one that night so i get on the plane i get into kerebus we go and have dinner with the family and we sleep at the aps place with me open shore and aps wake up the next morning and i'm on the the earliest flight out so i'm still jet lagged and we're straight on the flight and i'm straight up mucking
Darin Tingey: Oh my gosh. That's actually crazy. What a what a welcome to the mission. It's just, Hey dude, you're going, you're going to book.
Darin Tingey: Who was, your trainer and, and what was, what was first impressions of my kin for you?
LK7K6: Brother, my trainer was Elder Afatasi.
Darin Tingey: Okay. I've heard, I've heard off a Tassi.
LK7K6: He's a beast. He's a man. Love that dude. Elder Afatasi. And my first, like, I guess my first thoughts of Makin was like, where is the landing strip?
LK7K6: because, you know, Tarawa was scary enough. I was like, where's the landing strip?
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: and And you know, at least they had pavement and they had like something to call it an airport, but you get to mark in, you know, those outer islands, bro, you know, they're in on the islands.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
LK7K6: So we get there and I'm like, what? And I didn't even know where we're landing. I just put my trust in these pilots. We land and it's all grass, turf, you know, hard rock and just, yeah, man, we we get there. And the first guys is I meet, I forget his name. I feel so bad. he's a ginger, ginger head glasses. I forget him. I apologize if he hears the podcast. But yeah, he gets on the flight. He looked so eager to get out of there. He just gets up to me.
LK7K6: Hey, man, all the best. Jumps on the flight.
Darin Tingey: No way.
LK7K6: He's gone. Like, good luck. He's out of here. And then I'm like, all righty. And I see Alpha Tassi and I'm like, oh, hey, man. You know, he's he's a Samoan dude.
LK7K6: You know, so it was cool to see it, you know, someone would do it. I was like, oh, cool, yo. What's funny is I met his brother in the NTC,
Darin Tingey: no way
LK7K6: His younger brother, his name's Lihai, and he is his younger brother. And he he was actually like my so like my, you know, when you're the MTC and you're in a group and then you've got like these senior missionaries that have been there longer than you.
LK7K6: And they are like your leaders, you know.
Darin Tingey: yeah yeah yeah
LK7K6: And because, you know, in the Kurtibur's guest room, but you're you're paired up with all the other island missions. Yeah. So they were going to Fiji. Anyway, he's like, hey, bro, I hear you're going to Kiribati. My brother's serving there at the moment. If you ever see him, man, you know, tell him I said hi.
LK7K6: was like, bro, he's my dad, bro.
Darin Tingey: first companion yeah
LK7K6: So that was the first thing I told Afatasi. I said, are you out of Afatasi? He goes, yeah, man. was like, bro, I was with your brother in NGC. And it was cool. There was already a connection there between us.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: So I was glad, you know, i was like, oh, man, I'm so happy to be, you know, Afatasi's kid. I can't wait to learn. I can't wait to work. So yeah, man.
Darin Tingey: That's awesome. And Makin, I mean, it's a tiny island, very Catholic. know what What was the church like when you got out there?
Darin Tingey: Were you guys running church?
Darin Tingey: Was there a branch?
LK7K6: Yeah, man. So, yeah, we would run church every Sunday. So I got there and experienced, you know, it was full on just run the church. The church wasn't that big there. Very strong Catholic presence on that island. I think you would probably say 90% of the island was Catholic or Protestant.
LK7K6: But, you know, Afatasi was just really good at talking to the people and he was good at just starting conversations, keeping people engaged. I liked his way of teaching and yeah, we'd run church.
LK7K6: There'd probably be like less than 10 people, 15, and we'd run it at our, at the missionary home, at our home, which we lived with members
Darin Tingey: Okay. okay
LK7K6: And we'd do that every Sunday and a there were people who couldn't make it, then we'd bike off and, you know, do sacrament here and there and just kind of bounce around the island. It wasn't a big island, so we could get to everybody fairly quickly.
Darin Tingey: Was it tough starting in Machin just given how how Catholic the island was and how difficult the work seemed to be there?
LK7K6: Yeah. Yeah, it was tough, man. Like, I'll be honest, it was the hardest time of my mission. First of all, I didn't know the language.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: And I struggled. Like, I got homesick straight away. i was like, what is this place? I loved the place. But the work was just difficult. And then, you know, you start questioning yourself. Why am I here? What am I doing? You know, I sit in the lesson and say,
LK7K6: I know the church is true. In Jesus' name, I mean, like, and I'm doing this every single day for, like, four months.
Darin Tingey: and
LK7K6: Like, what am I even doing? You know, and, like, you know, Afatasi, know, it's not as far as, you know, I just was just not in the right heat space.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I was, you know, it was hard, man. You know, I think we got...
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: you know But we still found success there. We met a kid named Yobi, 15 year old kid, such a good, cool dude. But he was he was a bit of a mischief kid. So you know he didn't have any parents, like his parents, he had no parents on the island.
LK7K6: So he just kind of lived anywhere. And he would always come around to us. And previous missionaries said they experienced with him jumping through there for the mission, i jumping into the their home and stealing things out of their bags.
LK7K6: And he tried to do it with us. And I kind of said, hey, he like we look yeah hear man, like, chill out. you know well You know, you can have this stuff. Just ask. And he'd become a good friend of ours.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
LK7K6: And so we taught him and eventually got to baptize him. And I think that was my first baptism. And i was I was just happy to, you know, see success in an area that was being dead and hard.
LK7K6: Because the history was, when I got there, was like, this is a very difficult area to serve. It's probably one of the hardest. You know, there's not much influence of the church here. And yeah, I saw that firsthand when I arrived. But I was grateful for the for how hard that mission was, because that would then set me up for the rest of my mission.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Set the, set the tone. yeah, it's going to be a hard mission.
LK7K6: It set the tone.
Darin Tingey: And then, I mean, Kitabas in general uh,
Darin Tingey: you know As a country, as a culture, they're very accepting of you know to typically hearing missionaries. i I'd say from what I've heard, Mak'in is probably one of those harder places in the sense that because it's so culturally Catholic, it's just difficult. And so i bet the rest of the mission felt pretty great as far as teaching because you started out at the probably the hardest place.
Darin Tingey: or one of the hardest places in Kitapas.
LK7K6: sure
Darin Tingey: what what was What was like a typical you know day in the life as as a missionary on my kin?
LK7K6: Day in the life. You know, P-Days would go to the council building because that's where the internet tower was.
Darin Tingey: Oh, they had internet. Okay, cool.
LK7K6: they had They had an internet tower there. So we're fortunate enough to be able to email our family members and parents, you know, and that was cool. We'd do that. And then, you know, majority of our days, you know, we couldn't, if we weren't getting enough lessons in, we'd just spend a lot of time with the members that do exist.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Avatasi was really good at and I heard just, we would just honestly chill out at a member's place and we'd just play card games or we'd just talk about you know life you know and and really you know try and cement those roots with these members that are currently you know still there because it was hard, like the church the Catholics were very staunch in their churches you know
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: and We would actually, with Aptasi, it was only with him, we would go to the primary school with all the other ministers and we would have like a meeting in the classroom.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, the decantiero.
LK7K6: And that, te kantiaro bro, yeah, I forgot that.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: We'd do te kantiaro and we'd do that all the time. and i and And he was like, oh, are you Māori? Are you from new Zealand? I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's like, oh, you have to do a haka for them. and I'm like, oh no, here we go.
LK7K6: I only do it on special occasions, man. It's like, you know, and he's like, yeah, this is a special occasion, you know, maybe we could win their trust, you know, maybe we could. And I was like, oh, okay, yeah, you know what? I'll do it anyway. So yeah, we did all that, you know, so that was the experience.
LK7K6: I loved Buckingham, like, i look you know, as hard as it was, like, it was my first era, so I didn't, I did't i did i couldn't compare it to anything.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: So that was just what it was. But Avetasi was the man. He made it feel good. He made it feel easy because he just was such a good missionary.
Darin Tingey: Were you out with him the whole time on Mike in?
LK7K6: No. No. yeah I was with him the whole time and then he left about, what, three, four months and he swapped out for Elder Stone.
Darin Tingey: Elema Stone?
LK7K6: And then I got Alemah Stone. He was my backup trainer, bro.
Darin Tingey: So Elder Stone and I are from the same stake. a I grew up in the same neighborhood as him in Arizona.
LK7K6: Are you serious? I think I just, I think I listened to your podcast with Tanner Risky.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, risk. Yeah, yeah, about that. hu
LK7K6: not a risk And then I just kind of, kind of yeah, gauged that. And like, oh, yeah, man, bro, he's a beast.
Darin Tingey: Was this before he went home? Because he went home because he was sick for a little bit, right?
LK7K6: Yeah, he got sick with when he was suing, when we were companions.
Darin Tingey: No way.
LK7K6: So I can tell you that's, yeah, man, yeah.
Darin Tingey: I want to hear it.
LK7K6: he was a Okay, so yeah, Ado Afetasi, man, he was he was such a good elder. And then he you know he taught me a lot about just being with the people, being with the people, how to create you know stories, games, and keep them engaged. And then Elder Stone came, and he just taught me work ethic.
LK7K6: It was just work ethic, bro. You just work, work, work, work. I liked him because we kind of had a bit in common with, he's a football player and was rugby player. So it was kind of like, oh yeah, mean, like we have something in common.
LK7K6: Just, just the Chad, you know, he's just, just the G.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: So was like, oh yeah, he's the man. And a man, a man, a few words, but just go out there and just work. You know, and I love that about him. He just knew how to just, go hard and work and he loved fishing and that so we would we would fish a lot because you know our house is right by the beach so we're quite fortunate with that and we'd fish a lot and there was one time we went fishing and we went out and he said a line out there and he had to go out and get the line and then he went out there and got you know and something happened man like it was pretty uh yeah like i was kind of concerned for him was going probably like
LK7K6: bro, you might die, man. Like, this is pretty, like, I'm concerned for you.
Darin Tingey: yeah the coral yeah
LK7K6: But he's like, it's all good, bro. I'll get out there and just retreat it. So he's going out there and I think he stuck it. He must have cut himself on one of the, on the coral. Yeah. And, you know, it didn't look like a big cut. It was just like a little, little cut on his ankle. And we didn't think much of it. You you know, I was like oh, yeah, it's just something small. That night, it swelled up so bad.
Darin Tingey: huh
LK7K6: that like it was yeah you could see it looked like it was decaying inside his leg so the next day we're like oh what do we do we oh we'll just like chill out for the day cool so we're like you know take a few i don't know if we had pills or anything but we were just trying to he thought you know he might just rest it up and then know then you had all the members coming around are you guys all good you know and then you know oh we can help out so they started doing all their little like kind of like i don't know if it's like
Darin Tingey: their local medicine or something.
LK7K6: magic or something. We had local medicines, you know, they had like a flower and a rubber around his leg and then they'll do like these little, little charms around his leg. And he was just like, bro. Bro, he goes, the next night he goes, bro, if anyone comes in and tries to help us, tell them to leave. i was like, yeah, the whole group, bro. So we had, we actually locked the door, shut it down.
LK7K6: And he said, if anyone comes, them to leave. And I was like, yeah, okay. And then all the members are coming around. Hey, we want to help. You know, we've got a friend who can help you out. And I was, I had to just tell them to go home. was like, no, we're all good. You know, we're all We're all good.
LK7K6: Because I was like, I do not want to deal with this situation.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: you know, this voodoo stuff. was like, okay, all good, bro. So he's like what do we do? was like, take a photo. Took a photo of it and and I went to the council building and then I had like, so we had like the members and I said, one of the members stay with him.
LK7K6: I go with a member. We kind of do like an exchange type of thing because it was serious. He couldn't walk. So, and I needed to get to emergency.
Darin Tingey: No way.
LK7K6: like
Darin Tingey: Okay. Wow.
LK7K6: I needed to get him back to Tarawa ASAP because like it was passing out.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: It was about to explode. And I was like, this dude can't, last another day so I book it to the council building I email the nurse at the time and APs I just hit the APs up open sure bro we need emergency evac now he gets back to me straight away to yeah but they get a evac for like get a charter straight out to us the next day pick us all up and we head straight back to Tarawa so then I think we're like five months I was like served five months on my mission and back in Makin at that time We get back and, yeah, out of stone gets sent home to get legs sorted.
Darin Tingey: Wow, all the way home. No way.
LK7K6: Yeah, man, went back to the States and, yeah, he got it. He's got surgery done and, like, he was home for a bit. I can't remember how long. But they said, you know, do you still want to serve in Kerebis or do you want to finish your time here? And he said, nah, take him back.
LK7K6: So they fixed him up and i sent him back. You know, you're out of Stoneborough.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: He's a bes a beast. Like, he's like, eh, you think I'm going just sit here? Nah, everyone's out there on the mission. Like, I've still got time. i'm I'm finishing my mission. But so he ended up leaving home a lot later than his intake because obviously with the going home, it kind of, you know, he wanted to extend his time to stay a bit longer, which he did.
Darin Tingey: Right.
LK7K6: He ended up having his time extended.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: So his foot got like infected or something bad from.
LK7K6: Yep, really infected. Yep.
Darin Tingey: That's crazy.
LK7K6: yeah and i Yeah, man, that was the first time I've ever seen that happen. and
Darin Tingey: I mean, I feel.
LK7K6: Poor dude, bro.
Darin Tingey: I feel like the cuts, you you know, you get cuts where mosquito bites, you itch them, they get worse. and They kind of you get boils or they, you know, you kind of get these little scars on your feet and stuff. You don't think anything of it, but that's crazy that just a little cut and just boom, infected.
Darin Tingey: And within a day, just blowing up.
LK7K6: Yeah, man. You definitely need to get him on this podcast. He he can tell you the full story.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, absolutely.
LK7K6: He's a beast.
Darin Tingey: I get them on. So did you end up going back out to my can ever, or was that it?
LK7K6: Bro, so I thought, okay, that's my time done. and i lost I was actually glad to get off that island, to be honest with you, man.
LK7K6: The work was yeah was hard. It was hard. And like I think I had the same experience as Adalis. I was not good at the language at the time. So I just got... mocked a lot by the by the members they're like they just tell you you're so bad you're so bad language you know and like you you know you're kind of you know you're like oh yeah now that that that sucks it gets to you right so you're kind of like yeah i don't really want to go back but i was in so i got to stay like oh while you're here you know we need to you know get you out into the mission they sent me to born riki with a kerebuse out of kaririki and i was there for two weeks i thought i'd be there for a while because i like okay like stone's gone like there's no way i'm going
Darin Tingey: interesting
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: you know, like, who am I going to go back with? Does Kiribati go? Let's do it. But anyway, I got sent to Bondiki. I was serving there and I liked it. i it was It was such a different experience. Like, wow, like, i'd like you say, you like, yeah it was such a shock, culture shock coming from an outer island back in into Tarawa then Tarawa feels so westernized.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. So advanced you're like, wow, this is crazy.
LK7K6: so advanced and I was like oh yeah man I was like man this is so nice you know you get an actual proper a proper home with a toilet and a bed and bunk bed and all that and you've got a table you've got a fridge you've got aircon I was just like yeah this what what's this life this is luxury living mate so I love that love that I was only there for two weeks two weeks after that they call me up AP say hey bro we've paired you up with an elder elder Tapuwasi from Tonga and I'm like oh yeah oh good and then he goes yeah but you guys are going back out to Makin and I'm like
Darin Tingey: yeah
Darin Tingey: No way.
LK7K6: dang was like oh i got it i haven't finished my time there right so yeah man he's like yeah we're seeing you back out there like all right let's do it so i meet up with our top wasi uh love the dude he's from new zealand we've caught up in the past just uh just a unit man you know at all when i say i'm unit but this dude was a unit i was going oh here we go it's either gonna be beef between us or we're gonna get along just fine
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
LK7K6: But this dude, was just a beast. And his his intake was out of Atasi's intake.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: So I was able to kind of relate to him just straight off the bat. We had a bit of like a like a mutual, you know, relationship there straight away. met him. We get on the plane and we're straight out to Makin.
LK7K6: We get there and, yeah, man, you know, the work wasn't progressing as much as we wanted it to. But our goal there was just to keep the members strong.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: That literally our goal was just retain what we have. We've touched every single house. and They all know who we are now. We know everyone in the island.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. And that one's so small.
LK7K6: It's not a big island.
Darin Tingey: It's like, yeah, I talked to everyone twice today. So I served on an Island and and and the marshals on lie and it was, you know, it's tiny.
LK7K6: Yeah, it's kind of like that.
LK7K6: Oh, yes.
Darin Tingey: It's just, so it's just like, yeah, I talked to everyone three times today. I know everybody.
LK7K6: exactly man so our goal was just retain what we have you know reporting back wasn't yeah it wasn't something you want you know it's not the something you want to look at as a mission president you go oh yeah it's not really much going on there but hey so not long after that yeah we we had a good time me and him actually enjoyed each other's company i enjoyed my time with ara topposi he just very down-to-earth guy he's a He's kind of like me. He's a, you know, it doesn't take any.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Doesn't complain. Very yeah aggressive. Very aggressive. But not to me.
Darin Tingey: Did you,
LK7K6: He was, me and him just so good.
Darin Tingey: did you guys at least, you know, have fun on the island? and It was hard work, but did you guys like do a lot of cultural stuff and like go fishing and,
LK7K6: Oh, man.
LK7K6: Yes. with yes that's So with the members, yes, we did a lot of fishing. like That was our main. We would help with the coconuts.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
LK7K6: We'd go down to the other side where they'd harvest the coconuts. We'd do that with them. like So with me and Tapawasi, we did more cultural things. with We actually got to and actually enjoy living the cannabis lifestyle.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: But we did do a lot of teaching. It was just like more reminding the mish the the members kind of, you know, what we, the gospel and just keeping your testimony. But most of the time, yeah, man, we were just enjoying it.
LK7K6: We would go to like, they had the, I think I was still there when the Surai happened.
Darin Tingey: Oh, nice.
LK7K6: Yeah, yeah, the Independence Day.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. That's so fun.
LK7K6: And, you know, we enjoyed that. We lapped it up. We loved it. It was awesome. So, yeah, man, I loved it. We did everything. We went to, there's another island. Someone's already mentioned it Is it Keabu? We went to that island.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
LK7K6: it's at' it's It's a smaller island and it's kind of closer to Butaritari, but it's just an outlet out of Makin.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: And we would go there all the time. You strong Protestant, strong Catholic, but we didn't care. were just like, That was something I liked about him. And he was like, would approach anyone and not fear anyone, even if you're a minister, and we're going to invite you to know about Christ.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Same with Stone. means Me, Stone, me and Tapuasi. We're just like, there was like a stigma about like, you know, don't talk to these people. Don't talk to those people. Yeah, no, we just were like, we're going to talk to everyone. They've got a problem with us.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Like, tell me. Tell it to our face. We love that. You know, I love that about those two. They taught me just, bro, don't fear them. Just go. Just go for it. So, yeah, they're awesome, man.
Darin Tingey: I mean, it's crazy. You do hear all these, like, there I remember hearing stories on the mission of Catholics, the ministers and stuff, like, being converted to the church.
Darin Tingey: And it it was always, like, shocking to me. I'm like, man, who who had the courage to go up to them and and try and teach them?
LK7K6: Wow.
LK7K6: Wow.
Darin Tingey: You know, it's just wild. But, I mean, it does it does happen all the time, you know, more more than you'd probably think.
LK7K6: Yep.
Darin Tingey: And it all, it it all starts with just but talking to them.
LK7K6: You just never know, away
Darin Tingey: so something you were mock in moin for like your first six months,
LK7K6: Yeah.
LK7K6: Yeah, six, seven months, yeah.
Darin Tingey: six, seven months. Wow.
LK7K6: Yeah, man, so...
Darin Tingey: Uh, and then from there, you got the call that you're going to Christmas.
LK7K6: No, so I get back and i was told, you're going to Apetou.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: So I was called to go to Apetaho and I was like, oh, sweet. You know, I don't know where that is. They're like, i think it's Tarawaieta. And I was like, oh, yeah, all good.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: You know, um'm I'll serve wherever want you know, wherever the Lord needs me. And then halfway through, like the next day, Open Shore comes back to me and he says, because he's AP at this time, because at that time he got transferred from, I met him, he was going to President Ware to be the AP.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: And then he goes, hey, man, just so you know, I changed your... You're transferred. You're going to Christmas Island with your dad, like with Afatasi, but you're you're taking a kid with you and Afatasi's taking a kid.
LK7K6: And I was like, oh, man, let's do this. Because I heard that everyone wanted to see him Christmas.
Darin Tingey: That's cool.
LK7K6: i was like, okay, cool. like I wasn't too fussed about it, but he said, you're going to Christmas. was like, okay, yeah, now I want this. Yeah, okay, cool.
Darin Tingey: yeah And,
LK7K6: Let's do it. So, yeah, was exciting, man. So, yeah, that's how I got the call to Christmas.
Darin Tingey: and you you go through Fiji. Do you get to stay in Fiji for a few days?
LK7K6: Yeah, we stayed for a night, just overnight. We yeah stayed at the the like the hotel across the road from the airport. And yeah, that was weird because we had, all of us, we hadn't had like, me and Afatasi especially, we hadn't had like McDonald's in over, I'd say me, almost a year.
LK7K6: Him, probably two years, year and a half. So we all lapped it up, went to McDonald's, had a big feed.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: yeah got back to the got bit to hotel and then I had a yeah it wasn't good it didn't go down well I had saw guts after that mate but I was like you know what it was worth it the body was not used to processed food after eating fish and rice all day for like six months every day but it was worth it so we transit there yeah we get from there straight to Christmas and yeah we also we we catch a van to Tāpākia and start our mission
Darin Tingey: yeah Worth it. Yeah, totally worth it.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, yeah.
Darin Tingey: And is, and is that where you were training Osborne? Did Osborne come in right then or retraining someone else?
LK7K6: Yes, yes.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: So, you know, open source, like, here, you've got a kid, you're going Tapakia. Sweet.
Darin Tingey: So he was the first one that you ever trained.
LK7K6: m Yes, Osborne was my first. there There was a couple missionary there, but they got sick and they got sent home. So there was the mission home that they were meant to be at, ended up getting replaced by Araafatasi and his kid.
LK7K6: And then the house, then we ended up moving into the house that they would stand, which was next to each other, behind the chapel.
Darin Tingey: Okay. So on Osborne's podcast that we did, for those of listening, we just barely posted it. He talks about the alarms that you set on your phone.
LK7K6: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: And he he talked a little about those, but I want to hear from the source. you know
LK7K6: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Darin Tingey: When did you start that? what was the What was the reasoning and did it actually do what it was meant to do?
LK7K6: Yeah, i I'm going to be honest with you, man. the the That was, I have forgotten a lot about my mission. So even that I forgot. So when he brought it up,
LK7K6: I just remembered that. I forgot a lot of the small things on my mission. But now you bring it up. All I can say I had alarms as a reminder for me just to...
LK7K6: it was kind of like the sayings that I had. So I had a, I had the saying in my badge. We had like the white handbook and a lady before I left on a mission, my farewell, she gave me a quote and I taped it to the back of that.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: And on that quote, it had, Reuben Clark wrote this and it said, the the challenge ahead of you or the task ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you.
LK7K6: And those alarm bells were those quotes.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: So it was just a reminder, don't forget when you're struggling, don't forget what's behind you. Don't forget who's supporting you.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Don't forget why you're here. Like, remember, because you can get carried away. You might you might get homesick. you might not you might You may have had a bad day. You know someone said something to you. You may not like your companions.
LK7K6: But those ring bells was just a reminder for me, like, remember the quote.
Darin Tingey: Hmm.
LK7K6: Remember your why. Remember everything you sacrificed to even get out here. So, yeah.
Darin Tingey: So no, really cool. Did, did you set that? Do you have that your whole mission? I guess when you, when you had control the phone.
LK7K6: No. Yeah, no, no. Not my whole mission, man. I'll be honest. like that it was It was probably around that time. And then it kind of faded off and i was because I didn't think I was ever going to go
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Marshalls anything, that was not in my mind But after that I kind of went with it It just kind of faded off, but that time i needed it, especially after that mark and Markin was definitely like needed to help me Stay in tune With myself
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, that makes sense. So going from my kin to Christmas, like, and what was the contrast of my kin to Christmas? Like, and did you enjoy Christmas more than my kin?
LK7K6: I mean, you know, you can never, you know, outer islands are always going to have that that's something in you.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Like, I was always just proud. to say, hey, I served on an outer island.
Darin Tingey: Totally.
LK7K6: you know i'm not I'm not a legend in outer islands like outer risk or anything, but you know at least you know he's a beast beast.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: Seriously. Yeah.
LK7K6: like He's the ultimate outer island dude. But you know at least I could just say, hey, i at least I did an outer island and I can appreciate how hard it was out there.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: And so serving in the outer island, especially Mark Kemp, where the work wasn't wasn't as fruitful as you would like it to be, coming to Tapakia just felt like a breeze.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Like the fact that the fact that I could have potential people, like potential referrals and investigators was already a plus for me. You know, like that was to me, we're winning, we're winning.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: So that's why, like and to know that I had a whole pool of just new investigators and we whitewashed the area. So like, you know, we, I didn't, I wasn't sopping anyone out. It was just me and Osborne fresh. Let's do this.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: You know, we don't know the area.
Darin Tingey: How was it? How was it training? How was it training Osborne and it just, or just training in general?
LK7K6: I, man, I honestly just, you know, I feel, i feel after listening to Osborne, I feel bad, man, like, I was a hard man, I was a hard man, i' so I'm sorry Osborne, man, but love you, bro, but I just didn't want to let him down,
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: You know, I didn't want him to think that I was like a Malbaka elder, that I was a lazy elder, that I was just here just to have fun, just to muck around and on holiday. i want ill like And I wasn't here for that, you know. And know coming onto my mission, I was trying to just, I was just like, you know why you're here. And now you've got this guy, this young man who wants to learn from you.
LK7K6: You know, you better don't let him down. You know, his parents have paid for his mission. he You know, i I just thought about him that. was like, his dad, his mom, they're counting on you to make sure he's a good mother. So I was like, I had all that in my mind. And I was like, i need to do my best to make sure this kid, you know, lives up to what their parents expect.
LK7K6: So, yeah, I was a hard man, but I was just trying to do what's right for me and for God and for him.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
LK7K6: You know, I was just trying to be a good missionary. And I just, as long as whatever the Lord wants you to do. I will do it. and And I didn't want to waste time. you know i I was very, very aware of time. like I love having a break, but if it's not pee day, it's not time to muck around.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Like, yep, we're thirsty. Our body needs a drink. We need to go have a drink. We can have a break we're at the member's house or at the investigator's house while we're sitting down and talking. That's a break.
Darin Tingey: Right.
LK7K6: But once it's done, let's move on.
Darin Tingey: Right.
LK7K6: We can have a break when we get home. You know, once we're at the end of our day. that That's kind of my, well, kind of like my drive.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. And Hey, you sleep better if you've worked hard all day and you're tired.
LK7K6: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: So
LK7K6: Oh, it's a good feeling to get home tired. You know what I mean?
Darin Tingey: yeah, man.
LK7K6: It's it's like, oh, yes, you feel like you feel like you've done good. You feel like you've fulfilled your day. You're not going home going, we're talking one today.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: You know what I mean
Darin Tingey: Did you guys have a lot of success on Christmas?
LK7K6: We did. We did. Yeah. I was only there for like four months and, you know, not like crazy, crazy, but it was fruitful.
Darin Tingey: Okay.
LK7K6: And I was always was just happy to see, to to to witness my my kid being able to baptize, you know, at Osborne, doing his first baptism.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: And it just it just ticked a little thing in my heart. And i was like, oh, so proud of this kid. You know, and that that's all that's all you want.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Like as as a trainer, you just want to see your your your kid your trainee happy and and enjoying the work and seeing the fruits of his labor.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: You know what I mean?
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: Like I didn't want to take, you know, like at the end of the day, just cause you're like, for me, I'm a senior companion. Cool. But it takes two to to to to win the hearts of these people. It takes a team. So I never took it like, oh it's it's all me. Nah, it was us.
Darin Tingey: and it's probably... It was probably... extra important to you that he saw that success because you started on my kin where it was really, really tough.
Darin Tingey: And you probably felt the frustration from all of that.
LK7K6: Yes.
Darin Tingey: And, and to go to Christmas and be training and be, you know, saying, Hey, I want, I want this to be an amazing experience for my son, my, you know, my elder, I'm training.
LK7K6: Yeah,
LK7K6: man.
LK7K6: and and And another thing too, like thank you for that you mentioned that. I was kind of privileged anyway because I had Auraafatasi, my trainer. right next door you know and and seeing him going to work and like it gave me inspiration like i was like oh look at him he's like he's ready he's got his really of balance ready to go with him and he was on the go he was he that out of aftasi was just a machine and missionary work he loved missionary work he was driven and his his way of teaching and just kind of his example was why i just had to keep moving oh he's moving gotta move
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: You know, he gets back late.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I've got to get back late. Like, let's do this.
LK7K6: I love the challenge, you know. and it was just good to have them there, you know.
LK7K6: It was just good. And if I needed advice, he's right there.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: You know, like I didn't feel like, you know, I still felt like, hey, I'm still, I can still ask for it for help from my trainer.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: So was awesome, man.
Darin Tingey: That's cool. That's cool to be with them. You know, the, your, your trainer and you're getting your training next to that. That's a really cool experience. Did, did you guys, you know, how was the language for you at this point in your mission?
Darin Tingey: It sounds like you were about eight months in or something like that.
LK7K6: Yeah.
LK7K6: Yeah. Eight months in. So I was, I was, I was, was finally comfortable. You know, I was at a point, I wouldn't say I was, and I never quite mastered the language, but I was comfortable.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I felt I was confident in myself to be able to just talk, teach. And yeah. So at that point, prior to that, yeah, it was, it was tough. So i was pretty confident.
LK7K6: Because especially after seeing like the success and and also the feedback from just the members, you know, like they they they their words mean a lot when you hear their feedback.
LK7K6: and you say Oh, you know, the language is picking up. You're good. that I loved criticism, though.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I enjoyed criticism because I was like, man, I love this. And it just drive drives me to want to be better.
Darin Tingey: Was where P-Day, how was P-Day? i mean, here you're on Outer Island, it's his junior companion, and then you go Christmas, it's like hanging with the boys, you know, a little bit.
LK7K6: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, man.
Darin Tingey: It's probably a little bit different from P-Day.
LK7K6: It was fun. It was fun. We would always, most of the time, we'd always get together. Avatasi had the van, so he'd always just be like, yo, let's all jump in and pick up all the elders and let's go to London or let's go to Banana or let's go to Tapakia and just play volleyball at the chapel with all the members.
LK7K6: We'd just do whatever and was fun.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: I just enjoyed having other elders and, you know, we just could just, you know, if you...
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: just wanted to hang out with everybody and just kind of on the P day, just forget about missionary work and just enjoy each other's company. And that was nice.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: And we'd go fishing and just, yeah, it was so fun, man.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I loved it.
Darin Tingey: So four months in Christmas and then, uh, president gives you the call and says, Hey, and need you to come, come be my AP. How's that?
LK7K6: No. So again, again.
Darin Tingey: No? There was no way?
LK7K6: So no, man, my, every time they would set the transfers, I, I, every time they set a transfer, they'll tell me the transfer. So president week rocked up towards the end of my time there to just be with us and witness out the work.
LK7K6: And he was, you know, he was there, he gave us an interview. He did the transfers out open. So rocked up too. And I think it was, his companion was Matt, Matty. And they were there and they did the transfers and they said, you know, we're all excited.
LK7K6: Yes, where are we going? And everyone's been going to like, you back to Tarawa, a few going to outer islands. And then they said, Sonny, you're going to Tarawaita. And was like, okay. I think it was like, apetou again.
LK7K6: Or like, okay, okay.
Darin Tingey: That's just the one they kept putting you on.
LK7K6: Yeah, I'm like, okay, finally, I'm going to this place. Cool. And the transfers are locked in. Done. Sweet. President's gone on, you know, they all head out, they go on a plane, they fly over to Marshall Islands and the transfers are going, but Afatasi's going home.
LK7K6: So he's done. He's at the end of his mission. So we're all sad. I'm leaving, but all the kids are staying. So Barons, out of Barons, out of Osborne and out of Dahm.
LK7K6: They're all staying. and then i'm And I'm leaving too because I'm going to Katarawa. But then that night, Afatasi gets a call because he's our district leader at the time and he gets a call from Outer Openshaw and Outer Openshaw goes hey man can I can i speak to Sonny Outer Petey and I'm like he's like hey calls me in I'm like what's up and he's sitting there jumping around excited and I'm going what man like what's going on like wait so he's like i take the call take the call and Outer Openshaw he's just the classic he's a G he's just like hey Outer Petey and I'm like hey what's going on man he's like how would you like to be my companion
LK7K6: That's literally what he said. I'm going, what do you mean, bro? Like, what? I'm going up at all. I know where I'm going. Like, I'm all good with this. Because i was meant to get up to train again. And he's like, no, no, change of plans. You're coming over to, you want to you want to come over to Marshall Islands? Be my companion? And I'm like, what does that mean? AP with you, bro? And he goes, yeah, bro. I say, yeah, of course. Of course, brother. You know? And he's like, yeah, man, let's do it. So he locked it in. So that all changed again.
LK7K6: And then, so then I had to break the news saw the or to Osborne and Tewanau. And they're like, oh, so you're both leaving for good. Like, oh, no, no, no.
LK7K6: And it was fun, man. It was exciting. And I wasn't expecting that. You know, i just loved to serve. and
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: But anyway, I accepted the call, man. And, yeah, I he ended up flying out with Apatasi. He here would leave from Hawaii back to America. And i would transit from Hawaii straight to the Marshall Islands.
Darin Tingey: So you went Christmas to Hawaii, Hawaii to the Marshall Islands.
LK7K6: and Hawaii to Marshall Islands. I'd never been Hawaii before in my life, this is all just, I'm a New Zealand boy, you know, I've never been America, I've never been anywhere there, so this was just such an amazing experience for me.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: Was it cool to spend the night in Hawaii and see it?
LK7K6: In Oahu, yeah man, it's beautiful.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: I get there, and there's a missionary who's just completely lost, and I'm like, you're a good bro? He's like, yeah man, I'm going to Marshall Islands. I was like, yeah, come in here, you're in this room bro, you're good.
LK7K6: Out of Mahanga.
Darin Tingey: No way of the wrong.
LK7K6: Just started his mission, bro.
LK7K6: And I go meet him.
Darin Tingey: Oh, that's so funny.
LK7K6: He's just transiting from, you know, from the MTC. And then, you know, he picks up, he calls his mum because they were concerned for him. And he's like, oh, because they're like, oh, he's on his own.
Darin Tingey: yeah
LK7K6: He was on his own. It was just him. And then he was like, yeah, I'm okay. I'm with the Elder Petty. And so, yeah, it was fun, man.
Darin Tingey: That's funny. Elder Mahoney was my first district leader. Yeah, on EBAI.
LK7K6: Oh, wow.
Darin Tingey: We served a few months together. And then he actually got transferred to Kitabas with me eventually.
LK7K6: he's He's a man.
Darin Tingey: so Okay, so you make it to Marshalls.
LK7K6: Yes.
Darin Tingey: like what yeah Coming from Kitabas, were you a little bit sad to leave Kitabas to go to Marshalls?
LK7K6: umed Yeah, man, let's be honest with you. Because, you know, I just thought ill serving Kitabas for the rest of my mission.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I'm in the Kitabas region. But i was it was like a bittersweet. I was sad, but it seemed I was excited because I got to reunite with like OpenShore in that sense, you know? it' was kind of like a full circle.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I hadn't seen him. Like I'd seen him here and there.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: was just on and off, know? He'd come, pop up, let me know what's up, and then disappear. But I was like, man, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be this guy's comp one day, thinking, you know? Just in my head, I was oh, maybe we'd like serve on an island.
Darin Tingey: crazy.
LK7K6: And then he's like, yep, you're coming over. So that was cool. Now, what was your question again? Sorry.
Darin Tingey: what what no no yeah and What were your first impressions of the Marshalls?
LK7K6: Yeah, American.
LK7K6: like a like a like It's like like a ghetto America in a way.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah.
LK7K6: I wish I would call it the ghetto America. It's like the ghetto.
Darin Tingey: Especially coming from Kiribati because Kiribati is so Australian influenced and a lot more traditional.
LK7K6: Yes.
LK7K6: It's still really nice though. Marshall Islands is still a you know very westernized world.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, no. Then you go the Marshalls. Marshalls is very influenced by America. And Maduro is definitely nicer than Tarawa. Yeah.
LK7K6: Yeah, yeah.
Darin Tingey: there's there's always that debate between the Marsh Islands missionaries and the kiddos missionaries of like who has it tougher, you know. And I'd say Outer Islands is where you can really try and make that debate.
Darin Tingey: It was funny. i I'd always tell people like, okay, so I served on an Outer Island in both countries. And as a Mayanna and Kitabas, and I went to Mayanna first before I went to lie in the marshals.
LK7K6: Nice.
Darin Tingey: And I was like, Mayanna, I was living in a stick hut and, uh,
LK7K6: ay
Darin Tingey: you know, very traditional house in Kiribati. Uh, know, the water was this gross well water, you know, all this stuff like life was tough, but everyone had like a smartphone. I could email my family and the food boat came every, every week. Obviously mine is like different than a lot of other islands in Kiribati.
Darin Tingey: but then I can contrast it to like, lie, sorry. and And the plane came three times a week to my Anna. And then I go, all right, lie.
Darin Tingey: i lived in a nicer home. but I, I didn't have internet. Uh, the phone would work for about 20 minutes. There's one phone on the Island and it worked for about 20 minutes every evening. And the food boat came once every three months and the plane came maybe twice a month. So it was like, it's like vastly different, of what the experience I had. And so I remember missionaries would always be like, you know,
Darin Tingey: our experience is tougher than yours and all that stuff. And it was like this internal debate and it's probably more so from the Marshall side, just cause we felt like the little brother of the mission.
Darin Tingey: you know, president, president always spent more time in Kitabas and all this stuff.
LK7K6: Yeah, for sure.
Darin Tingey: And so, I don't know.
LK7K6: Yeah, yeah.
Darin Tingey: Yeah. You buy have little more insight into this given that you served in both and, but more importantly, you were AP.
Darin Tingey: I want to hear it.
LK7K6: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: What are the insights?
LK7K6: The insights, I'll be honest, man, like you have a better experience than me in terms of like your take on both because you served on outer islands on both.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: And I didn't have that experience as an AP. Like I served on the main island and yes, I did go to some outer islands for transfers, you know, just what you do. But to really, yeah, like e-buy, for example, you know, that lifestyle,
LK7K6: was so different in comparison to Kerebus outer islands, or even like Mayana.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: Different contrast. Hard in their own ways.
Darin Tingey: Sure.
LK7K6: Rough in their own ways. The congestion in Ibai is insane. And then Mayana. I never served Mayana, but i I flew to these all these islands. And just the yeah just such a different contrast.
LK7K6: off
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: I don't know. i don't know what to say, man. Like, I feel like both were hard because I got to speak with a lot of the missionaries that served on all the other islands, like Aratornini when he was serving and Godin or
Darin Tingey: a
LK7K6: I can't remember. I'm not the best with them the Marshall Islands side, I'll be honest with you, man. But out of Tonini, know, his experience, who else? Yeah, out of Mahanga. My MTC companion out of Manumoa, who also served on the Outer Island.
Darin Tingey: Yeah, what a boy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
LK7K6: out of Yeah, so out of Manumoa, see, I'll be honest, like, I felt like the the the Marshall Islands was was harsher survival-wise in the sense of, like, Like, oh well, if there was a storm and the weather was real bad up there, and like, for example, many more and them got stuck on an island for months and we couldn't get them out. and And we were trying our best. We were like, when's the next flight? When's next flight? When's next flight? And they were just like, we can't, we can't, delay, delay, delay, delay. We were just praying for them. me as I was like, get them off this island. We finally get them off the island. I'm with my second AP companion at the time. They finally get off the island, get to the airport, they walk off, and these dudes look like they've they've just...
LK7K6: been in the desert for like years bro they're looking like other side of heaven manu moa's got the biggest facial beard ever and then oh who's the other guy uh here's another another islander forgot his name sorry But they both come off that island and our ask I asked them, said, you guys, what happened, man? He's like, oh man, we the boat never came.
LK7K6: The boat never came. So, you know, there was no food on the island. The planes never came. So there was no, there was nothing. So they were eating coconuts, just living off the of the land.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: that was rough rough you know they they had their clothes were drenched like brown and i was like man these boys poor boys so we got them home got them cleaned up i gave them a few more clothes just carried on so they're like it's rough
Darin Tingey: Yeah. Yeah. i feel, I mean, it's, it probably just depends on, you know, at what time you were on what's out or Island, you know?
LK7K6: Yeah, it really depends. Like, youre like yeah, Kinnabas has its hard islands, like, you know, Tab South, you know, just hearing Alice's story.
Darin Tingey: Tab south. Yeah. Yep.
LK7K6: I'm like, brother, that's rough. You know, and then, you know, even hearing, you know, yeah.
Darin Tingey: Yeah.
LK7K6: So it just depends on what island you get sent to, right?
Darin Tingey: Yeah. It's funny. I remember getting my mission call and like, there were some people that knew open Shaw and, stone and a few other people that served. They're like, wow, I heard you'd be fishing for your food every, every, you know, every day. And I'm like, I get to the mission. like, no, I'm not. And like, even on outer Island, I, i you know, could fish,
Darin Tingey: I would fish, but i wouldn't I didn't need to fish for my food, if that made sense. like i People could, they would always feed us. you know they like The members and the locals would would always give their food to the missionaries before themselves. like I never saw myself as going starving because I couldn't catch a fish.
Darin Tingey: like They were going to always take care of me, and I knew that.
