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Episode 6: Tate Dale - Kiribati - Kiritimati, Abemama, Tabiteuea, Tarawa
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Tate Dale served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2016-2018. Tate is our first guest that served his entire mission in Kiribati. Tate served on Kiritimati, Abemama, Tabiteuea (Tab South), and Tarawa. After a few curve balls in the beginning of his mission Tate finally reached the islands of Kiribati and spent the first 18 months away from the main island of Tarawa. Tate has a deep love for Kiribati and is beyond stoked that his area in Tarawa is where the new LDS temple is being built!
#MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Kiritimati #Abemama #Tabiteuea #Tarawa #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands
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Transcript
00:00:01
Darin Tingey
All right.
Introducing Tate Dale
00:00:02
Darin Tingey
Another episode of the Islands Podcast. We got Tate Dale, another Mesa, Arizona boy on the pod. And first, first, Kiribati's only missionary.
00:00:14
Tate Dale
Yeah, yeah. um've I've enjoyed listening to the other guys talk. It's been so good. I mentioned to you just before we jumped on that I'm so stoked to be able to talk about it and to just kind of remember the the old days,
Tate's Background and Connections
00:00:28
Tate Dale
the good old days.
00:00:28
Tate Dale
you know it was
00:00:29
Darin Tingey
Yeah, gosh. So fun. Give give ah give a quick background on yourself.
00:00:36
Tate Dale
Yeah, I'm Tate Dale. You mentioned I'm from Mesa, Arizona, as well as you. um Funny little story. You and I didn't know each other until we graduated the night of graduation.
00:00:47
Tate Dale
So that was we had mutual friends and just kind of were told about each other and crossed paths.
00:00:48
Darin Tingey
Yep.
00:00:53
Tate Dale
and We're so stoked for one another. And that was amazing. That wass kind of it for us, but yeah, we were super, super excited to be able to get to know each other, and and we had that experience.
00:01:04
Tate Dale
I happened to enter the MTC before you, but then we'll talk about it a little more in a little bit, but then I had the chance to be with you in the MTC as well, so yeah.
00:01:10
Darin Tingey
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
00:01:16
Tate Dale
kind of a cool story that we'll get to, but yeah. Um, Tate Dale, Mesa, Arizona. Um, I'm living in Arizona still Mesa, you know, not far from the old stopping grands married, two kids, um, working in accounting, uh, you know, never thought i'd be an accountant.
00:01:27
Darin Tingey
Married.
00:01:31
Darin Tingey
That's awesome.
00:01:36
Tate Dale
And then it just happened. It just happened.
00:01:40
Darin Tingey
Where'd you go to school, ASU?
00:01:41
Tate Dale
Um,
00:01:42
Darin Tingey
Nice.
00:01:42
Tate Dale
ah Yeah, I graduated from Arizona State with a bachelor's and master's degrees. So, yeah.
00:01:47
Darin Tingey
And we're recording this on tax day. So Tate is feeling good because tax day is done.
00:01:55
Tate Dale
Yeah, it's a it's ah it's funny. i you know i spent my first two years in accounting really... In personal tax, small business tax. And then just this last year, I've gone to corporate.
00:02:08
Tate Dale
um This year, I've been more in financial audits. So it's kind of been a different realm for me. But it's been been cool. you know The career field's new and different, but just totally a ah cool experience to to continue life.
00:02:16
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:02:23
Tate Dale
And life just keeps rolling, man. It's been awesome.
00:02:25
Darin Tingey
Yeah. yeah And as you mentioned, it's crazy. We're already at basically almost at our 10 year mark from graduating high school and going on the mission.
Mission Call and Pre-Mission Challenges
00:02:34
Darin Tingey
And you mentioned that we met graduation night at like midnight at a, at a breakfast at midnight or something like that.
00:02:43
Tate Dale
Yeah, yeah.
00:02:44
Darin Tingey
And I had gotten my mission call that day. And like, it's crazy that I met someone who had the same mission calls me. I mean, kind of same mission calls me.
00:02:55
Darin Tingey
That day I met you and you're telling me you're like, there's two parts of the mission. Like you're going to go to the Marshall Islands. I'm going to Kitabas. Like you taught me how to pronounce it. And I was like, man, this guy knows everything.
00:03:07
Darin Tingey
I don't even know how you knew all that.
00:03:08
Tate Dale
Yeah, I had a relative of a relative that just happened to have served in Kitabas. And so I had met with him, I think probably a week or two before I met you. And, you know, so it was fresh. I felt like the cool guy knowing everything.
00:03:24
Tate Dale
Still knew absolutely nothing.
00:03:25
Darin Tingey
ah
00:03:26
Tate Dale
but But yeah, did it's ah it it was – I totally forgot that you got your call that day when we met each other.
00:03:33
Darin Tingey
Yeah, it is so fresh, man.
00:03:34
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:03:35
Darin Tingey
It was crazy. And like, I, you know, still like shocked, like I didn't know where it was, right. And I'm sure like, when did you get your call? Was it like a few weeks before or a couple months before?
00:03:45
Tate Dale
I got my call March of 2016.
00:03:48
Darin Tingey
Dang.
00:03:49
Tate Dale
So March of 2016, I got my call.
00:03:50
Darin Tingey
Wow.
00:03:54
Tate Dale
And I kind of had this like inkling that I was going to go like somewhere kind of cool, kind of crazy. um And then, you know, right before I opened I'm like, I'm going to the heart of Africa, you know, crazy, cool, opposite side of the world, totally different kind of crazy, cool.
00:04:13
Tate Dale
But totally ah the place that I needed to be just a remarkable, remarkable place. um And it's something I think about and talk to people about every single day.
00:04:24
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:04:28
Tate Dale
So
00:04:30
Darin Tingey
Let's see. And then, so got your call March, go to the MTC July.
00:04:36
Tate Dale
I went to the MTC in June.
00:04:38
Darin Tingey
Jim.
00:04:39
Tate Dale
So June of June of 2016, entered the MTC. I was the same intake as Peterson.
00:04:45
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:04:46
Tate Dale
So we were in the MTC together. i had to have surgery while I was in the MTC.
00:04:52
Darin Tingey
That's right.
00:04:52
Tate Dale
So I had surgery and I stayed an extra week after my intake left the MTC. And then I served six weeks in Provo. And then I came back to the MTC and that's when you were there.
00:05:05
Darin Tingey
Oh my gosh.
00:05:06
Tate Dale
So we got to spend a little time together there.
00:05:08
Darin Tingey
I forgot you served in Provo. Man, six weeks in Provo.
00:05:14
Tate Dale
Yeah, it was you know opposite end of the spectrum from what we had.
00:05:19
Darin Tingey
Was that mentally like tough? And since like you're like, man, I should be out there in Kitabas right now, but I'm in Provo. Yeah.
00:05:26
Tate Dale
first couple of weeks it was really rough on me. My trainer there was good guy, a little older, good intentions, wanted to be there. um We were in an area that was just, it was kind of makeshift of an area for me to be able to be there for six weeks.
00:05:44
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:05:45
Tate Dale
And so I remember I i covered a stake and there were there was a ward that had three houses in the entire ward boundaries that weren't members. like that's That's the kind of place it was, right? And so it was it was hard um for different reasons, obviously.
00:06:00
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:06:01
Tate Dale
but then But then going back to the MTC and getting ready to go back to, you know, go out to Kitabas, that's what it had me fired up. It was a cool,
Journey to Kiribati and Medical Emergency
00:06:13
Tate Dale
you know, a little preview into the field, but not but not too deep.
00:06:16
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Well, just a little taste. So did they have you come back to the MTC? And again, I was there. so And I was like kind of shocked because I don't i don't know if i kept emailing or not. i was like, what? Like you're you're here? Like, okay, this is like super cool. I get to see you because I didn't think I'd ever see you on the mission.
00:06:36
Darin Tingey
ah Get to see an MTC. Did they have you come back just to be like that last little week with the other kid of this group and then you went with them?
00:06:44
Tate Dale
Uh, it just the way that transfers and everything lined up. Um, so when I left the em MTC, they weren't actually bringing in a new intake because they were offsetting the marshals and the kid of his elders. So that president could be there for the income for each intake.
00:06:57
Darin Tingey
that's right
00:06:58
Tate Dale
Right. Um, and so that was during our offset. So then it was a three week offset. And so I went out Provo and then,
00:07:10
Tate Dale
when I came back there were two weeks before that intake went to Kitabus. So I just, the timing of it is why I was there for two more weeks.
00:07:19
Darin Tingey
Gotcha. So you went like, you went with like, um, Trebek and, um
00:07:28
Darin Tingey
Barker. Is that who you went to Kitabas with?
00:07:29
Tate Dale
No, before that, that was the group for that.
00:07:32
Darin Tingey
The group of four?
00:07:33
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:07:34
Darin Tingey
That's right.
00:07:34
Tate Dale
So that was your, that was the other group you overlapped with.
00:07:34
Darin Tingey
That's right. Okay. Yeah,
00:07:37
Tate Dale
I was with like, uh,
00:07:41
Tate Dale
Elder Murray, Elder Herr, Elder Mofonios.
00:07:42
Darin Tingey
that's right. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I got you.
00:07:47
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:07:47
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:07:47
Darin Tingey
Okay. I remember. Yeah. I remember those guys.
00:07:50
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:07:50
Darin Tingey
Good time. Okay.
00:07:52
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:07:52
Darin Tingey
So you can get
00:07:52
Tate Dale
So.
Life and Missionary Work on Christmas Island
00:07:54
Darin Tingey
to Kitabas.
00:07:54
Darin Tingey
To get to Kitabas, you have to fly to Fiji. Is that right?
00:07:57
Tate Dale
Right. And I kind of had another. I feel like the Lord was testing me to get out there, man. It was on our flight to Fiji. Somebody had a stroke. And so we had to turn back to l L.A.
00:08:09
Darin Tingey
No way.
00:08:11
Tate Dale
And so we had to spend the day in LA. And then when we got to Fiji, there's only two days a week that they fly up to Kitabas. And so we had missed the flight. And so we had a couple more days and then whoever from the church was there helping us out, you know, we had called the church and kind of let them know what happened and whoever was there, they let me and two other elders know that we were going to Christmas Island.
00:08:41
Tate Dale
So we weren't going to go to Tarawa with the rest of them.
00:08:44
Darin Tingey
No way.
00:08:44
Tate Dale
And so we just stayed in Fiji, the three of us. And then, and then the other two that were going over there came. And so it was really interesting. I got to spend like five, six days in Fiji, just hanging out.
00:08:56
Darin Tingey
What'd you do? did you guys just go explore?
00:08:59
Tate Dale
Yeah. We'd get on the bus. It costs like a dollar to go downtown from where we were staying. And we'd just go walk around. guess see I remember we walked out we found a private island and the owner was there and they let us like walk out by the private island.
00:09:11
Tate Dale
It was super cool, like random.
00:09:12
Darin Tingey
No way.
00:09:14
Tate Dale
you know The Fiji mission president at the time didn't want us doing anything, right?
00:09:19
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:09:19
Tate Dale
Because it'd be too hard to...
00:09:20
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:09:22
Tate Dale
And so, yeah, they said they just kind of had us tour around and see cool things and
00:09:29
Darin Tingey
That's so cool. So you're like, man, I'm supposed to be in Tarawa, but now I'm like in Fiji and I'm actually going to go to Christmas. And you're like, you probably didn't even know where Christmas was.
00:09:42
Darin Tingey
And... And then you find what air feet Fiji airways to Christmas or what airline.
00:09:48
Tate Dale
Yeah. Yeah. Fiji, Fiji Airways to Christmas. They have a flight a week that goes from, I think it's Honolulu, Christmas, Fiji, Fiji, Christmas, Honolulu kind of,
00:10:01
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:10:01
Tate Dale
but once a week, they just kind of do that little route. Um, and it was a really cool experience to be able to go out there.
00:10:14
Tate Dale
Christmas Island is totally different from the rest of the mission. Um, but the same at the same time. So, and it's crazy cause you're, you're 2,000, 2,500 miles away from the mission home.
00:10:21
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:10:25
Tate Dale
Right. So I didn't meet, I, you know, I didn't have an interview with the mission president for like
00:10:26
Darin Tingey
but
00:10:32
Tate Dale
six months, nine months into my mission before I finally had an interview. Right. So it was cool.
00:10:39
Darin Tingey
Yeah, that's that's incredible.
00:10:39
Tate Dale
But
00:10:40
Darin Tingey
i mean, Christmas Island is like one that every missionary that serves in Kiribati dreams of going to, right? Especially because you get to you get to do that stop in Fiji, or at least previously.
00:10:51
Darin Tingey
I think they actually now have a flight from Tarawa to Christmas Island, I think, on Air Nauru now. Yeah.
00:10:59
Tate Dale
Yeah, it was always rumored and never happened in the two years that I was there. But yeah, I think they do. I think you're right about that.
00:11:09
Darin Tingey
Because remember everyone always like, yeah, if you get to go to Christmas Island, you get to go to Fiji for like two days and like just hang. Yeah.
00:11:17
Tate Dale
how
00:11:17
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:11:17
Tate Dale
Hot water, shower, real food, you know, and I didn't get to appreciate that aspect of it.
00:11:19
Darin Tingey
Yeah, right.
00:11:25
Tate Dale
Right. But it was
00:11:27
Darin Tingey
yeah right
00:11:30
Tate Dale
it was really, i mean, I did a little bit. So we got to go to Christmas and then from Christmas, during Christmas time, we had a mission conference on Tarawa.
00:11:42
Tate Dale
And so we went from Christmas to Fiji to Tarawa, then Tarawa back to Fiji and then back to Christmas. So yeah, I kind of I got the experience after.
00:11:47
Darin Tingey
ah Man, you went to Fiji like four times.
00:11:53
Tate Dale
I think I spent close to two weeks, like 14 days almost there for the for my mission, which is,
00:11:56
Darin Tingey
Wow.
00:12:00
Tate Dale
yeah it Not heard of at all.
00:12:04
Darin Tingey
a That's incredible. Okay, so before we talk about Christmas more, let's just quickly go through you your area. So start on Christmas, how long were you there for? And then next area was what?
00:12:15
Tate Dale
Christmas, I was there for three transfers.
00:12:20
Tate Dale
And then I went to Abamehmeh and I was there for
00:12:23
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:12:27
Tate Dale
I don't remember five transfers, four five transfers. Um, and then from Abamehameh, I went to Tab South, uh, and that, that was five months, another three transfers.
00:12:31
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:12:36
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:12:42
Tate Dale
And then i was on Tarawa for the rest of my mission after that. So six months, i thought yeah.
00:12:46
Darin Tingey
Wow. So you spent like the first year and a half not on Tarawa. That's crazy.
00:12:54
Tate Dale
I, I, I had been to Tarawa like for a total of one night until I so went back to to be there.
00:13:02
Darin Tingey
That's crazy. That's crazy.
00:13:04
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:13:05
Darin Tingey
That is super rare, I feel like. And... And you you didn't meet a lot of missionaries that served during your time because you didn't get to be on Tarawa.
00:13:16
Darin Tingey
Like you probably met them once at the mission tour and that was it.
00:13:16
Tate Dale
No.
00:13:19
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:13:19
Tate Dale
Yeah. Yeah. No, seriously. There were, there were some that I really wish I could have got to know, you know, that, that I had met and I'm like, man, this dude's awesome. Or this sister's really cool, you know?
00:13:31
Tate Dale
And that was the only time I ever met him, you know, they're from New Zealand or they're from Samoa or they're from, you know, wherever.
00:13:32
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:13:36
Tate Dale
And it's like, I met him one time in my life and I might not ever see him again. Right.
00:13:42
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:13:43
Tate Dale
So interesting, crazy, crazy way to,
00:13:43
Darin Tingey
Crazy.
00:13:47
Tate Dale
But i then ah at the end of my mission, I got to meet a lot of missionaries, which is really cool too.
00:13:51
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. so you're on Christmas Island during Christmas time, which is really cool because if like it was named Christmas Island because it was discovered, I think, on Christmas Eve.
00:14:06
Tate Dale
Yeah. And yeah.
00:14:07
Darin Tingey
It's what the research shows. Yeah.
00:14:09
Tate Dale
And, and it's, it's really cool. Christmas Island's massive, right? They, they, military, you know, there's a bunch of stuff that history with that.
00:14:20
Tate Dale
um but the people only live on like a tiny little section of the Island. Like you have this huge Island compared to all the other islands and they live in three villages over the course of, you know, a few miles and that's, that's like it.
00:14:25
Darin Tingey
Really? Okay.
00:14:36
Darin Tingey
Wow.
00:14:37
Tate Dale
So, uh,
00:14:38
Darin Tingey
A lot of people or not so much?
00:14:42
Tate Dale
yeah, a good number of people. Um, I don't know exactly how many I'd probably guess to mate like 7,500 ish people if I had to guess.
00:14:52
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:14:52
Tate Dale
Um, yeah, especially for out there, maybe even more, maybe 10,000.
00:14:52
Darin Tingey
Wow. That's a lot.
00:14:57
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:14:59
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Okay. you're you're You're right on your first guess. Set 7,369 is the census so
00:15:06
Tate Dale
Yeah. yeah So, and I only served in one area there. Um, So i got I got to know a good group of people out there.
00:15:16
Tate Dale
And was my first area, so I didn't get to know you know people very well. I didn't have that you know the the chance to really understand the language.
00:15:23
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:15:26
Tate Dale
By the time I felt like I was getting it, i you know get kicked out and you get got to find a new home. ah And so...
00:15:34
Darin Tingey
How many, how many areas were on Christmas and how many companionships typically were there?
00:15:40
Tate Dale
So while I was there, there were four areas on Christmas Island.
00:15:46
Tate Dale
There was one in London, there were two in Tabaquea, and then there was one in Banana.
00:15:51
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:15:51
Tate Dale
ah And so we had a set of sisters that lived in the chapel house, lived in a little stick hut behind the chapel house. um And then there, you know, a set of elders lived down the road and another set of elders lived the other way.
00:16:07
Darin Tingey
Any senior companions?
00:16:08
Tate Dale
And so There was a senior couple there from Australia. They lived in another chapel house. There were two chapel houses there. um
00:16:18
Darin Tingey
One chapel total on the whole island?
00:16:20
Tate Dale
ah Yes. Yeah. Well, i was there.
00:16:24
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:16:24
Tate Dale
There was one chapel. the The church didn't have a massive maniebe, but but that was that was it for the other chapel out there.
00:16:30
Darin Tingey
Nice.
00:16:33
Tate Dale
So it was interesting. Interesting. Kind of a little bit of culture shock, but but like I had said, I had talked to somebody who had been there, i saw a thousand pictures, you know, was so curious.
00:16:46
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:16:46
Tate Dale
I was texting him all the time, wanting him to know more, you know, just to, and so I expected the worst and it was better than the worst. And so, you know, when it's better than what you're expecting, it's pleasant surprise, right?
00:16:54
Darin Tingey
Oh, good.
00:17:01
Tate Dale
So, yeah.
00:17:03
Darin Tingey
So lived in a stick hut. And then Kiribati, and specifically Christmas Island, is known for its bonefish, right? Like people come from all over the world to fish on Christmas Island.
00:17:11
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:17:16
Tate Dale
Yeah. Like while i was there, there was a, this old couple from Yuma, Arizona.
00:17:20
Darin Tingey
ah
00:17:20
Tate Dale
Um, and I was like, Hey, I'm from Arizona, you know? And they just kind of laughed at me. Like, what are you doing here?
00:17:27
Darin Tingey
All right.
00:17:28
Tate Dale
You know? But yeah, people come from all over the world and they had to fly fish out there. Um, And bonefish is good.
00:17:38
Tate Dale
and there was a There was a family there that would, he was like the fisherman of Christmas Island. And so they'd feed us every single day. And he would go out and catch fish. And then he had a little radio that he'd call into his wife on when he was getting close.
00:17:54
Tate Dale
And then we would go out and help him load up the fish and bring back to the house. And then he'd sell all the fish to all the neighbors, right? So...
00:18:04
Darin Tingey
That's awesome.
00:18:04
Tate Dale
It was a lot of fun. He taught us how to fish, you know, you know it took us out fishing and all that fun, the the the fun that we got to do.
00:18:10
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:18:15
Darin Tingey
Did you do a lot of fishing?
00:18:17
Tate Dale
um Christmas Island, not a ton. If we ever wanted to, we'd just go with him. His name was Seem. um And he'd just take us. He had a ton of rod and reels and And he'd take us out and we'd go before sunrise and before the sun rose, we'd get, you know, five, 10 fish.
00:18:38
Tate Dale
And as soon as the sun cracked the horizon, no fish. Like that was it. Like he was, he would tell us that now and he was right every time it was super cool.
00:18:42
Darin Tingey
No way.
00:18:49
Darin Tingey
did did you guys, um did you do like any net fishing and like run in and try and scare the fish into the net?
00:18:57
Tate Dale
I did it there, no. i did on Abamame I did,
Cultural Adaptation and Challenges
00:19:03
Tate Dale
but not not there.
00:19:03
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:19:06
Tate Dale
And it's...
00:19:06
Darin Tingey
I remember the first time eating bonefish. Man. It was exhausting. i was trying to pick out all the bones.
00:19:13
Tate Dale
yeah
00:19:15
Darin Tingey
I mean, like it's bone fish, dude. It's like got a million bones in it.
00:19:19
Tate Dale
And they're like clear and tiny and poke you and...
00:19:19
Darin Tingey
I was,
00:19:24
Darin Tingey
oh, it's a mess. Like i I think I finally got good at eating it. towards the end of my stay on Mayana. and But I was really only good at eating the bigger bonefish where like there weren't, you know, I kind of knew where to eat, but like the smaller ones, the bones are just like everywhere and you end up chowing down on a bunch of bones.
00:19:44
Tate Dale
Yeah. Yeah, seriously.
00:19:48
Tate Dale
And that was, it was, mean, it tasted good, but it was the most exhausting eating experience that I had on my mission for sure.
00:19:53
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:19:57
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:19:59
Tate Dale
But, oh.
00:20:01
Darin Tingey
How else would you describe Christmas? Like if someone's going there, like how would you, what would you, what would you say to them? how would you describe it?
00:20:09
Tate Dale
Yeah, i I kind of say this about all the islands, but Christmas particularly was in a drought while I was there. The islands, Kitabas especially, like it is a desert in the middle of the ocean.
00:20:20
Tate Dale
Like you got coconut trees, you're on the beach, but there is no, people are like, oh islands, you had like fruit.
00:20:21
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:20:26
Tate Dale
and No, like we didn't get that. Like that was not what we had.
00:20:32
Tate Dale
They had a, you know, I think papaya and coconut and that was really like all the, yeah, breadfruit, which is like a potato.
00:20:42
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:20:45
Tate Dale
So you're not really, I wouldn't call that fruit.
00:20:46
Darin Tingey
yeah ah
00:20:50
Tate Dale
But yeah, it, it desert in the middle of the ocean and greatest fishing I've ever done in my whole life. um Super neat place.
00:21:01
Tate Dale
ah But be prepared to be there for a week because you got to be there for so seven whole days. You know, there's no option of any of any less time. So.
00:21:10
Darin Tingey
yeah Yeah, you're there for a good amount. And would would elders typically, elders and sisters typically stay on Christmas for at least like three transfers?
00:21:21
Tate Dale
Yeah, I feel like that was very, very normal. Three to five, you know.
00:21:26
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:21:27
Tate Dale
I mean, i I don't know exactly how much it costs off the top of my head, but I've looked at going back to Kitabas and I can only imagine how much that flight from Fiji to Christmas is. And even from Donovo to Fiji over to Christmas, like ah just financially, it would make more sense to have somebody out there longer, you know.
00:21:46
Darin Tingey
Yeah. And I feel like if you went to Christmas, like there was a good chance you were going to either go to like Fanning or Washington. So that way.
00:21:54
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:21:55
Darin Tingey
Yeah. And like spend some time out there because again, like that's, it's so expensive and just to send you to the go for that for a little bit doesn't make sense. Um, so any favorite memories or last things you want to say about Christmas before we go to Abumeme?
00:22:07
Tate Dale
Yeah. I know, Christmas was my, i was I was riddled with boils when I was on Christmas.
00:22:14
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:22:20
Tate Dale
That was what I remember most about Christmas Island. ah i I kid you not, I had boils everywhere except on my hands and and on my face. that were Those were the two places I didn't get boils, around the palms of my hands on my face.
00:22:36
Tate Dale
And so, you know, that's what I remember most. And so i have memories, you know, going into people's houses and like it take me 15 minutes to sit down because I couldn't sit down, you know, boils or but but it was, you know,
00:22:48
Darin Tingey
yeah ah
00:22:53
Tate Dale
it really taught me the culture. it was kind of a blend of cultures. You know, it's not really the South. It's not really the North.
00:22:59
Darin Tingey
her
00:22:59
Tate Dale
It's kind of like that where you get a little bit of everything and people don't really claim being from Christmas. Like they claim being from all the other outer islands. So yeah, I don't know.
00:23:08
Darin Tingey
Interesting. Why is that?
00:23:11
Tate Dale
Everybody on Christmas would always be like, Oh yeah, I'm from, you know, have a man man no notes. And you're like, you were born and raised here. What do you mean you're from
00:23:21
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:23:33
Darin Tingey
Yeah. That's funky.
00:23:41
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah, there's little more pride there for some reason. um and did Did the Islanders have any like remedies for the boils at all?
00:23:52
Darin Tingey
Did they?
00:23:52
Tate Dale
they tried to get They tried to get me to eat the nun, the white fruit with all the black seeds.
00:23:56
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:57
Tate Dale
I don't i can't remember what it's called in English.
00:23:58
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:24:02
Tate Dale
I try and find it all the time, and I can't ever remember what is.
00:24:04
Darin Tingey
it's like no It's like Noni or something like that.
00:24:05
Tate Dale
It's the nastiest.
00:24:07
Tate Dale
Yeah, yeah, yeah, That's exactly what it is.
00:24:08
Darin Tingey
Yeah, i know.
00:24:09
Tate Dale
The nastiest thing I've ever eaten in my entire life.
00:24:10
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:24:12
Tate Dale
like Like, people ask what I didn't like to eat on the mission. That was the one thing that, like, I would never put that in my mouth again. It was horrid.
00:24:22
Darin Tingey
I didn't ever eat it. i mean, they just put that to the pigs, right? Like they just let the pigs eat it.
00:24:26
Tate Dale
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah, that or medicine. Those were the two things that it was.
00:24:33
Darin Tingey
Yeah, gosh.
00:24:34
Tate Dale
Yeah. oh
00:24:35
Darin Tingey
I remember like my stomach, I had like, oh, I had like bad diarrhea for like three weeks. But I was like, I am, this why I'm on my end. I'm like, I am not going off this island. I'm not telling Mission Home nothing.
00:24:47
Darin Tingey
Like I am staying here. And, but like my stomach was so bad. And remember our host was like, hey, Den Monibong, that was his name. Then Monibong, like he's the best belly rubber in the village.
00:25:02
Darin Tingey
Like, do you want him to come rub your belly?
00:25:03
Tate Dale
yeah yeah
00:25:07
Darin Tingey
And I'm like, I don't think it's going to do anything. Like, I think I'm good. i look back and I'm like, I should had that money bone come over and rub my belly. Yeah.
00:25:16
Tate Dale
yeah you should have absolutely you should have i also remember christmas not only for the boils that's where i actually gained weight on my mission right so i left on my mission like 145 pounds i was a small guy still am um
00:25:30
Darin Tingey
Wow.
00:25:31
Tate Dale
I left of one mission like 145 pounds and I was eating a ton in the MTC trying to gain weight. I could not gain weight. I'm eating like two, three plates a meal trying to just put on weight, nothing.
00:25:43
Tate Dale
I get to Christmas Island, I get up to 170 pounds.
00:25:47
Darin Tingey
wow
00:25:47
Tate Dale
and And just, I think my body was used to eating that much and now I'm eating that much in rice. Right. And so it's just going straight to the gut, straight to the gut.
00:25:55
Darin Tingey
just pound and got the rice belly first five months of your mission.
00:25:58
Tate Dale
That's right.
00:26:00
Darin Tingey
That's crazy.
00:26:00
Tate Dale
That's right. And then, but I mean, I came home at 120 pounds. So that tells you what the rest of the mission did to me. But, but, uh.
00:26:06
Darin Tingey
Yeah, gosh, I think every outer island, like, before I'd go, I'd take a picture. And then after i got off, take the picture. And it's just like, you could see how much weight I lost after every outer island.
00:26:17
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:26:19
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:26:20
Darin Tingey
It's crazy how much you fluctuate.
00:26:23
Tate Dale
Yeah. But, but from, but from Christmas, I went to have a man.
00:26:23
Darin Tingey
um
00:26:27
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:26:28
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:26:29
Tate Dale
Abamembe was super cool. I was opening. So me and Elder Jubek, I believe, we went there about the same time and they were splitting the north and south of Abamembe to be two different
Experiences on Abemama and Community Engagement
00:26:43
Tate Dale
areas. There were going to be four elders there.
00:26:45
Darin Tingey
okay
00:26:47
Tate Dale
And I was super, I was stoked. I was working the north half. and Super fun. Met some incredible people. um i was reading just a couple of weeks ago, I read all through all my mission emails.
00:27:00
Tate Dale
Um, and I like, I love that place. I finally learned the language I could understand for the most part.
00:27:04
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:27:08
Tate Dale
Um, and now I'm, you know, able to communicate what I want to communicate. and so then I was made senior companion. Um, my,
00:27:17
Darin Tingey
this Is this when Elder Ross came in?
00:27:20
Tate Dale
No. So he came in a little later, same Island, but I, so I went to, uh, I had other wedding and he had only been out like six weeks at the time.
00:27:23
Darin Tingey
Okay, okay.
00:27:30
Darin Tingey
Yeah, the winning is awesome.
00:27:31
Tate Dale
Um, good dude.
00:27:32
Darin Tingey
Good guy.
00:27:33
Tate Dale
But so we were only together for like two and a half weeks. And then one of the other elders had to get ET'd. Um, he had some health issues and so he got transferred off and instead of bringing somebody else in, they took winning off and put me and Jubek together.
00:27:51
Darin Tingey
When it got screwed, man, he got screwed there.
00:27:51
Tate Dale
And
00:27:53
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:27:55
Tate Dale
yeah, but but I loved Elder Jubek, the kids from Florida. Funniest person I've ever met, nicest kid. um i loved all my companions for different reasons.
00:28:06
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:28:09
Tate Dale
I don't i don't feel like that happens to everybody, but yeah. I really feel like I got lucky. And me and other Jubek loved that place. And that place was, it was a big island for for being there by yourself, right?
00:28:23
Tate Dale
Like it'd take us two and a half hours to bike to, we lived in the middle and it'd take us two and a half hours to bike to like the very north village and like two hours to bike to the very south.
00:28:24
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:28:32
Darin Tingey
Dude.
00:28:32
Tate Dale
And so like you just, like you'd spend one day in a village because that's, you didn't have time to to go elsewhere.
00:28:37
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Well, it's like it's like you only have so many days in the week, and so you're like, let's focus on these...
00:28:39
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:28:46
Darin Tingey
four or five villages probably because you can't do, you there's too many villages on the island.
00:28:50
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:28:53
Darin Tingey
You can't hit them all and be doing church in every village.
00:28:55
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:28:59
Tate Dale
Yeah. No, it was, and we would hold church Sunday morning. We'd have to get up at like 5 AM and first church was at 7 AM in the very North village. Right. And so you got to get up, get ready and go.
00:29:13
Tate Dale
And then the way we do church is you had to go to every house and like,
00:29:18
Darin Tingey
Yep.
00:29:19
Tate Dale
tell them like, Hey, we're ready for church now, you know, cause they didn't know, uh, they knew generally when we'd be around, but
00:29:22
Darin Tingey
ah Yeah. there
00:29:26
Darin Tingey
Other churches had the bell, but like for us, we just had to be like hey, we're going to start church in 10 minutes. Come over. Like, okay. You know?
00:29:35
Tate Dale
yeah, let me, let me grab my shirt real quick, you know, uh, And so that it was a blast, man. That place was crazy. Um, I remember when Elder Jubak was getting transferred off, we were working in the very South village and there was, the airport was at the very North village and we get a call from the senior couple and they're like, Hey, other Jubak needs to confirm his ticket with the flight agent.
00:30:03
Tate Dale
Um, please go take care of that right now. And so we're talking like a four and a half, five hour bike ride. all the way to the airport. And so we go all the way up there and, know, we took care of whatever we we found her.
00:30:17
Tate Dale
She wasn't where she was supposed to be. We found her at her house, even a little further.
00:30:20
Darin Tingey
Right.
00:30:22
Tate Dale
um She needed something. We needed to go back to the house. So we had to go back to the house and back to the airport for something.
00:30:27
Darin Tingey
Oh.
00:30:29
Tate Dale
And then we had dinner with a this family that hadn't been active at church in a long time. They wanted us to come over and we're like, we have to go. like we have to go, you know?
00:30:40
Darin Tingey
Dang.
00:30:41
Tate Dale
And so we had to bike all the way back down. And yeah, it did. It was the most exhausting day of my mission by, by far.
00:30:52
Darin Tingey
Did you ever consider renting a motorcycle that day?
00:30:57
Tate Dale
Uh, yes, yes, I, I did.
00:31:00
Darin Tingey
i would have been like, would have been like, elder we're we're getting a freaking motorcycle and we're doing this.
00:31:05
Tate Dale
I think, so I think we stopped by, There was a family that lived really close to us. They were members. um They owned a little store next door to our house.
00:31:15
Tate Dale
Super nice family. I love them. I still talk to them to this day. um And hilarious, outgoing, you know, and I stopped by their house when we stopped by our house. i was like, hey, you guys have your motorcycle? They're like, oh no somebody has it I was like, oh crap.
00:31:31
Tate Dale
You know, like, yeah, yeah.
00:31:31
Darin Tingey
ah
00:31:34
Tate Dale
I was like, ah well, all right, you know, so.
00:31:39
Darin Tingey
And some of those long bike rides, you're like praying your bike just stays together.
00:31:39
Tate Dale
the
00:31:43
Darin Tingey
You're like, please have the chain stay on and the tire not to pop.
00:31:47
Tate Dale
Or the seat to break.
00:31:47
Darin Tingey
And like, dude, the seat breaking was the worst.
00:31:49
Tate Dale
and then you get there
00:31:54
Tate Dale
it pinches you It pinches your thighs.
00:31:54
Darin Tingey
Oh.
00:31:57
Tate Dale
we We gave it another name. The snapper. Yeah. The snapper. If you had a snapper, dude, that was game over. like You were in pain for...
00:32:09
Tate Dale
It was miserable.
00:32:11
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I had literally every single thing wrong, like to go wrong on a bike that could like happen to our bikes on Mayanna. And and Elder Tui, lovely guy to death, he's getting transferred off and both of our bikes Yeah.
00:32:30
Darin Tingey
Like they both break and he gets transferred off and he takes the phone with him. And I'm like, dude, like we don't have bikes and bite and we're go have a phone.
00:32:41
Darin Tingey
Oh, it was crazy.
00:32:43
Tate Dale
Oh, that's funny. Yeah. And so after all the Jubek left, that's when Ross came in. Ross is a good dude. i haven't talked to him in a long time. I talked to him a couple of years ago.
00:32:57
Tate Dale
um Good guy.
00:32:58
Darin Tingey
So did you know he was did you know he was coming from the Marshals?
00:33:02
Tate Dale
No idea. I had no idea.
00:33:04
Darin Tingey
They're just like, hey, getting a new companion, Elder Ross.
00:33:06
Tate Dale
Yeah. Yeah. Right. And so I had no idea. I didn't know. I think I knew he was from the marshals only because I knew he wasn't in kid of this. Right. Like I was like, either he's brand new, but they didn't say was training or he's from the marshals.
00:33:16
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:33:20
Tate Dale
Right. Like I, I kind of figured out missionary names by then, but not, didn't know anybody.
00:33:26
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:33:26
Tate Dale
And so as soon as he got there, He was like, oh yeah, other teas on my Anna. And I was like, oh, no way. I was like, I have to call it. And so I think like your first night or like one of your very first nights on my Anna, I called you from, from Abomin and we talked for a while and it was just like a dude, I never, never, ever thought you'd be down here.
00:33:36
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:33:43
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:33:48
Tate Dale
And I don't think correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think we ever actually got to see each other in Kitabas.
00:33:50
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:33:54
Darin Tingey
No, we didn't. It was such a bummer, dude. I was so sad about it. But like I remember you calling me and dude, it was like so fun.
00:33:58
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:34:02
Darin Tingey
I was like sitting in my, you know, the stick hut and I'm just like pumped because I get to talk to you and like hear about Kid Abyss and you're with Elder Ross, who I had spent a lot of time with in the Marshalls too.
00:34:15
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:34:15
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:34:15
Darin Tingey
So I was like, dude, you going have so much fun and it's just fun to hear another familiar voice in Kitabus because like I didn't know anybody coming in besides you and the MTC guys.
00:34:25
Tate Dale
Yeah, no, for sure. the The familiarity, like it felt like a piece of home, right? Like a little pick me up, like, all right, like, yeah, but home's not too far away, right?
00:34:33
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:34:36
Darin Tingey
Yeah, here I am restarting my mission and I get a, I get a, basically a call from home, which felt nice.
00:34:37
Tate Dale
he
00:34:41
Darin Tingey
So I appreciate that. I appreciated that.
00:34:43
Tate Dale
You're welcome. I won't take credit for it, but you're welcome.
00:34:44
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:34:47
Tate Dale
ah Yeah, I mean, that that was a crazy time. Elder Ross, I felt terrible. I felt terrible for you guys that were just finally getting Marshallese and then got sent down to to be with us. like I just can't imagine how hard that must have been for you guys.
00:35:05
Darin Tingey
Well, it was especially tough because like, here I am now used to talking to these Islanders in Marshallese, right? Like I see a shorter brown person who's Islander and I want to, and naturally I want to speak Marshallese to them.
00:35:22
Darin Tingey
But now I've got to figure out how to communicate with them in totally different languages. And I remember, I'm sure I said so many Marshallese words to get with people and they're probably like, what the heck are you saying, dude?
00:35:35
Tate Dale
Yeah. No, I mean, that seemed like at the time I was like, oh, that's pretty sick. But like looking back on it, I'm like, that's pretty brutal. Like, like you spend a lot of time, a lot of effort, a lot of energy into learning a language and to to do it twice.
00:35:46
Darin Tingey
um
00:35:52
Tate Dale
i I couldn't imagine. And being with Elder Ross, man, i I felt for him. um You know, I just remember spending hours trying to trying to help him, trying to help him get it And we spent a lot of time with the non-member family that lived next to us and, you know, they were comfortable joking with him and he was comfortable, you know, being himself around them. And that, you know, I, I don't know.
00:36:18
Tate Dale
i haven't, you know, I didn't talk to him much after that, so I didn't know how well he, he took on the language. I was only with him for six weeks and, and, and so, yeah, like I, I didn't get a whole lot of time with him.
00:36:27
Darin Tingey
Wow.
00:36:32
Darin Tingey
No, he did not.
00:36:33
Tate Dale
Um, But it was a blast.
00:36:35
Darin Tingey
So, yeah, I mean, i and I'm sure he was like so happy he had you to help train him because it is a difficult time.
00:36:47
Darin Tingey
But I remember you guys having a lot of fun because you guys were covering Abba Mamet, which is an awesome island, and then you would go to a different, you'd take a boat to a different island like once a week or once a month, right?
Island Hopping and Community Interactions
00:37:03
Darin Tingey
Tell me about that.
00:37:03
Tate Dale
Yes. yeah So there was a little Island called that bicycle there. Um, and that Island probably had maybe a hundred people if that probably not, um, that lived, it took two hours to get across the lagoon on a good day. Right.
00:37:18
Tate Dale
Um, I remember one time when we were going across, it was pretty crappy weather and it took like five hours to get across this freaking lagoon. Like you could see it from one side to the other, but you know,
00:37:29
Tate Dale
the the weather starts picking up and you get in like six foot swells and like a tiny little rowboat with a five horsepower engine on the back of that thing. And you are just at the mercy.
00:37:37
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:37:37
Tate Dale
Like I've never prayed so hard in my life, dude.
00:37:37
Darin Tingey
Yeah. ah
00:37:40
Tate Dale
Like, and but it was, it was so fun. That place was a cool, it felt like vacation, right? Like you get to go out there and totally different, uh, get to be with people and, and see things and do things that,
00:37:48
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:37:56
Tate Dale
you know, there were only so many people. So we talked to everybody on the Island in a day and then somebody would volunteer to take us out fishing and we go, we catch some shark and we cook shark up for dinner.
00:38:00
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:38:06
Tate Dale
And, you know, was, it was super fun, but man, was it, it was a a ride to get there for sure. Uh,
00:38:15
Darin Tingey
How long would you spend out there?
00:38:18
Tate Dale
we'd sleep at the member's house and we'd usually spend four days, three, four days over there. Um,
00:38:26
Darin Tingey
Would you ever spend Sunday over there or no because you had to do church on mainland?
00:38:31
Tate Dale
Yeah, we had to do church.
00:38:31
Darin Tingey
ah me
00:38:32
Tate Dale
Um, there was a branch president out there, but you know, super awesome guy. I love him, him and his wife. I still talk to his wife. Um, and in fact, I talked to her yesterday, uh, and great people, but you know, you know how it is trying to tell them, Hey, you got to hold sacrament six times.
00:38:53
Tate Dale
Like that's not happening, man.
00:38:55
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:38:56
Tate Dale
Not happening.
00:38:58
Darin Tingey
So was was there an official branch?
00:38:58
Tate Dale
Um,
00:39:00
Darin Tingey
Was AbbaMama an official branch?
00:39:03
Tate Dale
It was, it was an official branch.
00:39:04
Darin Tingey
Wow.
00:39:05
Tate Dale
Yeah. And that was cool. You know, got to help out and and teach them, you know, really like how, how the function of the church works, right?
00:39:16
Tate Dale
Like sacrament meeting and, you know, second hour.
00:39:19
Darin Tingey
Mm-hmm.
00:39:20
Tate Dale
And at the time we still had third hour. And so we're, yeah.
00:39:23
Darin Tingey
Gosh, yeah. yeah
00:39:25
Tate Dale
Yeah. I remember that.
00:39:26
Darin Tingey
Trying to like, guys, don't worry. It's just one more hour. It's only one more hour. Like, please let us go home.
00:39:34
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:39:34
Darin Tingey
ah How many members were on Avid Man Man?
00:39:38
Tate Dale
I say there were like, I think on record there were like 250, right? Maybe 300.
00:39:43
Darin Tingey
Wow. Wow.
00:39:45
Tate Dale
and But active members, like we hold church up in the North village and we'd have like eight people show up. Right. And then a little further South and we'd have 10 people show up.
00:39:53
Darin Tingey
Right, right.
00:39:57
Tate Dale
And then the main village, we'd have like 30 to 50 people show up. So decent, you know, a decent meeting there.
00:40:05
Darin Tingey
Yeah, that is good one.
00:40:05
Tate Dale
Um, that's where the branch president would go. He'd try and go with us at other places, but that's where he'd go. Um, and then the next place was, you know, another five to 10 people. And then the last village is like 15 to 20 people.
00:40:19
Tate Dale
Um, so, so decent numbers, but, but, um, at the time we were told that we couldn't use our mission funds to rent a truck to go
00:40:20
Darin Tingey
ah Those are good numbers. Yeah.
00:40:31
Tate Dale
pick people up for church, which was, which was very what we were accustomed to, you know, and we got a call from the assistants like, Hey, no more using your mission funds to, in my mind, I was like, why?
00:40:33
Darin Tingey
Really?
00:40:37
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:40:45
Tate Dale
Like, it doesn't make it different.
00:40:46
Darin Tingey
Yeah. That's right.
00:40:47
Tate Dale
I'm on an outer island. I don't have any money. i don't have anything to spend my money on. Like, seriously, I, we'll get to that when we get back to Tarawa, but I, yeah, I did not have anything to spend my money on.
00:40:51
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:40:59
Darin Tingey
Right.
00:40:59
Tate Dale
Um, And so he it was a bummer. um We try to get people to get to church or do our best to, to find a way to get a truck to them.
00:41:14
Darin Tingey
I think we did that like one time on Mayanna, like maybe twice, rented a truck.
00:41:14
Tate Dale
But, but
00:41:18
Tate Dale
but it took, it took like two hours to get the, you know, truck would start up North and then it'd ride all the way down. and then those people would have to sit for like an hour while they're waiting for us to go all the way South and collect everybody for church. And then,
00:41:29
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:41:30
Tate Dale
and then have a three hour church meeting and then to drive everybody home. Like it just took forever.
00:41:35
Darin Tingey
Yeah, logistical nightmare for sure.
00:41:38
Tate Dale
But I mean, it was, it was incredible.
00:41:38
Darin Tingey
and
00:41:41
Tate Dale
Like it was where I, it was where I really took hold of the language and could communicate and, you know, I could joke with people and have a good time. And, and Abba M is known for having like potty mouse and and frogs, right? Those are the two things that they're really known for.
00:41:59
Darin Tingey
ha ha.
00:41:59
Tate Dale
And, uh,
00:41:59
Darin Tingey
ha. ha ha ha ha.
00:42:00
Tate Dale
The joke out there is that there's a USP University the South Pacific and they call it USP of Amendment, which is like anybody that's from there, that's like their joke. Like, oh, you know how to talk bad because you're from there.
00:42:11
Darin Tingey
ha ha ha. ha.
00:42:12
Tate Dale
And so all the locals, all the locals started calling me the principal.
00:42:12
Darin Tingey
ha. Ha ha. Ha Ha ha ha ha
00:42:16
Darin Tingey
Ha ha
00:42:16
Tate Dale
They're like Elder Dale, you want to be the principal?
00:42:19
Darin Tingey
Ha ha
00:42:19
Tate Dale
as
00:42:19
Darin Tingey
Ha ha ha. Ha Ha ha ha ha.
00:42:20
Tate Dale
I just laugh.
00:42:20
Darin Tingey
Ha ha ha. ha
00:42:20
Tate Dale
Right.
00:42:20
Darin Tingey
Ha Ha ha ha.
00:42:21
Tate Dale
And so then I just go along with like, yeah, I'm the principal, you know.
00:42:22
Darin Tingey
ha Ha ha ha
00:42:26
Tate Dale
And it was, it was funny. Cause I actually like, you know I learned all the bad phrases. um
00:42:31
Darin Tingey
Right.
00:42:32
Tate Dale
And so like, I'd hear people ask other missionaries throughout the rest of my mission, you know, they'd say something that vulgar or something and they, they didn't know what they were saying. They be like, Oh yeah. Yeah.
00:42:42
Tate Dale
You know, like agree with them afterwards.
00:42:44
Darin Tingey
a
00:42:46
Tate Dale
I'd be like, Hey man, that's not what you think it means. Like, it's totally, totally different, you know?
00:42:55
Darin Tingey
That's, that's, that's, that's probably, yeah, those are like phrases that a typical missionary doesn't learn, right?
00:42:55
Tate Dale
but that
00:43:01
Darin Tingey
Because like, no, no one teaches it to them necessarily, or you don't try to learn it.
00:43:02
Tate Dale
Right.
00:43:07
Darin Tingey
Any, go ahead.
00:43:08
Tate Dale
Right. Right. And so it was it was an incredible place.
00:43:16
Tate Dale
I would just describe it as what?
00:43:17
Darin Tingey
and a ahead
00:43:20
Tate Dale
Oh, I would just describe it as the, you know, the most down to earth, um, physically exhausting time of my mission by far, right? Like biking that much.
00:43:34
Tate Dale
And there were, you know, as there is with the work, there's days where it's good and times where it's good and you can fill up a day with lessons. And then there's other days where you can't go in and work a village that you don't have any real lessons set up and you got to go two hours to get there. You're like, man, do I, is it worth it? You know?
00:43:55
Tate Dale
Um, and it was, I remember the North village for a while, we were struggling to find anybody to teach.
00:43:55
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:44:01
Tate Dale
Um, and there's this one girl, her name's Deniko Boos, uh, incredible. Her name translate to the coconut tree you drive. That's the, absolutely
00:44:13
Darin Tingey
Technical boost. That's pretty good. I didn't even pick up on that.
00:44:16
Tate Dale
so
00:44:16
Darin Tingey
That's pretty good.
00:44:17
Tate Dale
yeah. so we So we joke about it with her. Um, And she'd laugh. She, you know, she, she knew it too. um And, you know, we taught her, we baptized her incredible lady. She was probably in her early twenties, late, late teens.
00:44:32
Tate Dale
um And while we were kind of finishing her recent convert lessons and, and helping her out. she had an aunt come from another Island. Um, and she sat in on a lesson with us. And after like the first, it was like the very end, you know, like, do you have any questions? Like, how's your testimony?
00:44:50
Tate Dale
And her aunt was like, I've got questions.
00:44:50
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:44:52
Tate Dale
And it was like, it made it worth it. You know, like we made the two hour drive for that.
00:44:57
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:44:57
Tate Dale
Right.
00:44:58
Darin Tingey
Right.
00:44:58
Tate Dale
And so we got to teach her and and yeah, it was exhausting, but those are the moments that it's easy to go. If you have a, if you've got time to, or a purpose to be there.
00:45:11
Tate Dale
Right. So that was, that was really what, what made it really good.
00:45:13
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:45:17
Darin Tingey
Yeah, it's and it's like crazy because, you know, the scriptures talk about God not forgetting the isles of the sea. and Like you really see it in our mission because like you like these tiny islands, like how does God even remember these people who are on these specks of dust in the ocean?
00:45:36
Darin Tingey
But he does. He remembers every single one of them, which is which is really cool. And you get to see it as a missionary there.
00:45:41
Tate Dale
Yeah. Yeah, it was. You really do. And then I went, but but from Abba Man, I went to Tab South and Tab South was a different beast in and of itself. Right.
Missionary Work and Cultural Integration on Tab South
00:45:52
Tate Dale
Like.
00:45:53
Darin Tingey
One last question, have a moment.
00:45:55
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:45:55
Darin Tingey
I have one last question got to ask.
00:45:57
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:45:58
Darin Tingey
Did you guys have ice cream? I remember talking to you and Ross and you guys were like, we have ice cream, bro. And I was like, what?
00:46:06
Tate Dale
So there was a store down the road from our house and they had a deep freeze. Right. And they had their own generator and they were trying to build a hotel. And they, I think they, I think it's there. I think it's called the echo lodge abamem. Like you can find it on Google maps.
00:46:21
Darin Tingey
Let's go.
00:46:22
Tate Dale
It was like four doors down from our house. And I remember they got the deep freeze. um And the cargo ship came in and they got like three tubs of ice cream.
00:46:33
Tate Dale
And so we went, and I kid you not, I think we spent like 50 bucks on a tub of ice cream there.
00:46:37
Darin Tingey
right
00:46:39
Tate Dale
And we bought ah ah bought a pack of cookies for like four or five bucks. And we bought this tub of ice cream and we ate the whole thing. Cause we didn't have anything where to put it.
00:46:51
Darin Tingey
right
00:46:51
Tate Dale
We ate the whole thing and I've never felt more sick in my life than after eating that ice cream. It was, it was awesome. I loved it, but yeah, we did.
00:47:03
Tate Dale
We had ice cream.
00:47:03
Darin Tingey
That's hilarious. Yeah, I remember that. was like, no way. They got ice cream on Abbott and Mayman, dude. They're living good. you know, that sounds awesome.
00:47:10
Tate Dale
we were, lived large.
00:47:11
Darin Tingey
And
00:47:12
Tate Dale
That was, you know, we lived, we were bougie yeah to say the least. We had, we had the nice.
00:47:17
Darin Tingey
and you go from Busy to then Tab South.
00:47:17
Tate Dale
Yeah. Tab South was, it was ah totally different, it, it, it changed me for the better.
00:47:30
Tate Dale
Right. It was one of those places that like you hate it while there. Um, And I didn't hate it. I had been on my mission long enough that I i had already kind of accepted the the heart of the mission.
00:47:41
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:47:43
Tate Dale
And so I didn't hate it. There were times I was very frustrated with it.
00:47:49
Tate Dale
But it was, there there were a couple elders there before i was there. they didn't, they didn't like to, they didn't,
00:48:01
Tate Dale
They were remote, right? No com, no communication with anybody off the island.
00:48:06
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:48:06
Tate Dale
It was, it was you and your comp, right? Like you maybe got a call once a month from, from thought about, like there was no cell service. So like, it was just like a super crazy radio.
00:48:16
Darin Tingey
Radio.
00:48:17
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:48:17
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yep.
00:48:18
Tate Dale
And it didn't work 80% of the time. Right. So we'd go to the radio spot and we try and connect and we'd be there for an hour. And if it didn't connect, it didn't connect. Like that was, that was the way was. Um,
00:48:31
Tate Dale
So there were some elders who, you know, chose to, but they weren't bad, right? But they just chose to kind of live life a little relaxed and and have a little more fun.
00:48:40
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:48:43
Tate Dale
um And then I was actually with Elder Wenig again on on Tap South. and And Elder Wenig is a hard work. That kid works very, very hard.
00:48:56
Tate Dale
And so that's what he wanted to do. You know, he he told me kind of what had been going on and he's like, I want i want to change it. I said, I'm all for it. You know, let's do this. um And so we tried. We tried our best.
00:49:08
Tate Dale
And people didn't want anything to do with us. They did not like the missionaries.
00:49:12
Darin Tingey
Really?
00:49:13
Tate Dale
There were only like 600 to 1,000 people at most. think I think 600 to 700 was probably the sweet spot of how many people were there.
00:49:23
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:49:23
Tate Dale
Um, they didn't like us. They don't like us at all. So I spent nine weeks with other wedding out there. Um, and then
00:49:32
Darin Tingey
Culturally, what's what's Tab South like?
00:49:37
Tate Dale
very, uh, stoic, right? Like people there are very, they're not as big of jokesters there. And maybe that's just because of the situation we were in.
00:49:47
Tate Dale
Right.
00:49:48
Darin Tingey
Sure.
00:49:48
Tate Dale
Um,
00:49:50
Tate Dale
but loud outgoing at the same time. Like we'd go to we'd get invited to both parties and it was like nutso, right?
00:50:01
Tate Dale
Like just absolutely crazy.
00:50:02
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:50:03
Tate Dale
And it was, it was a blast. But with Elder Wenning, we put in a lot of hours and didn't get very much for it. Taught maybe a couple of lessons are a week
00:50:13
Darin Tingey
Hmm.
00:50:19
Tate Dale
And nothing seemed to stick. Right. And so you're just putting in a lot of hours driving up and down the island every day, trying to talk to every single person.
00:50:29
Tate Dale
Everybody's already heard you. You've talked to them five or six times in the last week. Like, no, they don't want you. Right. Like, and so it was, it was hard from that aspect of things. Right.
00:50:42
Tate Dale
And, and I remember I had been out there for a while and then it we got called back to Tarawa. Um, there was a new intake coming in. Elder Winnick had was, I don't know, maybe going to be his own leader or something.
00:50:55
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:50:55
Tate Dale
Um, and was going to be a trainer and I actually got train other Udall, um, another Mesa boy.
00:51:01
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:51:03
Tate Dale
So that was, that was a good refresher for me because I had, I was kind of down, right? Like having a hard time with the work.
00:51:09
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:51:11
Tate Dale
Um, so I got a, you know, little pick me up from home. And then we got out there and the reality hit me like, he doesn't know anything. And this isn't what Kitabas is to me, right? Like this island does not represent what this place is.
00:51:26
Tate Dale
<unk> I've always said as a missionary, for the most part, generally speaking, you can either live well and teach a little bit or live pretty crappy and teach a lot.
00:51:39
Tate Dale
Right. I think that's a kind of general sense of how missions go.
00:51:40
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:51:42
Tate Dale
And I think that, you know, in, in third world countries, people are a little more humble, a little more receptive, willing to talk to you.
00:51:48
Darin Tingey
Yeah, definitely.
00:51:50
Tate Dale
And so, and so there's that difference. Right. And so I remember being there with other Udall and we're in a place that's been touched by not even a thousand people, right? Like we'd go find beaches.
00:52:02
Tate Dale
Um, and to do studies on and i kid you not like incredible beautiful like never been seen before kind of places right like it was the best from that aspect of it and then i would go home and i there were nights where i literally cried myself to sleep like i feel terrible for this kid right like nobody's talking to us so he doesn't have the opportunity to really hear and be engaged in the language and
00:52:13
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:52:31
Tate Dale
it was just rough from being a missionary standpoint. And so I wrote a letter to my dad while I was out there. and And I was like, knowing that it would take ages to get to him and even longer for me to get one back from him.
00:52:48
Tate Dale
I think they said it would take like three weeks for them to get my letters or something like that. But then it'd take me like nine weeks to get a letter back from them.
00:52:55
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:52:57
Tate Dale
And so i I got a letter and I wrote to my dad, i was like, I don't know what to do. Like I'm in this situation. ah feel terrible for him. work sucks. Like what, you know, like what do I do?
00:53:09
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:53:11
Tate Dale
I didn't want to give up. I didn't want to go home. That wasn't what I was thinking, but just more like I felt the weight of training him on my shoulders more because I wanted kid of this to be to him what it is to me.
00:53:26
Tate Dale
Right. Um, And then I had this prompting just to just be friends, go talk to a thousand people, everybody on the island.
00:53:37
Tate Dale
And the first time you talk to them, don't say anything about Jesus. And I was like, a missionary.
00:53:43
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:53:43
Tate Dale
Like that's opposite of what I do. Um, and, but I, I did it and we started getting led into people's houses. Um, some of those people,
00:53:55
Tate Dale
never were willing to listen to it our message about Jesus Christ ever. But they were more than willing to have us in their home. And I know that being in their homes was important, right? That was that was super important.
00:54:09
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:54:10
Tate Dale
We did get involved. we They started inviting us to more things. They invited us to to participate at their junior high graduation. Um, and they had us do a dance and to, and they choreographed this dance for us.
00:54:23
Tate Dale
And they were all so excited that we were doing right. Like it was, it was so awesome.
00:54:29
Darin Tingey
you Yeah.
00:54:31
Tate Dale
And culturally it was so cool. Cause that's what I got to be involved in more so.
00:54:36
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:54:36
Tate Dale
Um, and at, by the end of it, we ended up getting a couple of baptisms out of the whole thing. Um, And not a ton of people wanted to listen to us, but a ton of people who respected us by the end of that, um, which was really good.
00:54:53
Tate Dale
Right. It changed it to just be people's friends. Right. And it changed the work for me. Um, But it really helped me embrace the culture and, and to be with the people and to experience a part of the world that I can honestly say I've, I've stepped on beaches that I'm probably one of five people that's ever stepped foot in that spot.
00:55:15
Tate Dale
Right. which is rare.
00:55:16
Darin Tingey
Right. It's crazy.
00:55:19
Tate Dale
so
00:55:19
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I think, um, The approach of like really embracing the kid of his culture is super special for the kid of his people.
00:55:31
Darin Tingey
They absolutely love it when you're doing a dance, when you're singing with them, when you get up in the botaki and the manyebe and you give a speech and like at the end of the speech, you're like saying all the classic phrases that they use.
00:55:46
Darin Tingey
You try and use some like
00:55:47
Tate Dale
Old school. Yeah.
00:55:49
Darin Tingey
see these some old language that they, that they um speak and they're like, Oh my gosh, this white guy knows like the old kid of this language.
00:55:58
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:55:58
Darin Tingey
And they're like, like the respect level goes from like down here. Like who are these guys? Like, Oh my gosh, they like, they're basically white kid of this boys. Or, you know, if they're Islanders from Tonga, like there's just Tongan kid of this guy and they just like absolutely love it.
00:56:15
Darin Tingey
And I feel like that was the right approach. This is like, got embrace their culture. I would go to the pool. just This is so bad. You know, the pool tables that they'd have sometimes.
00:56:26
Tate Dale
Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
00:56:27
Darin Tingey
and the And then, which is crazy. You're like riding your bike and you're like, what the heck? There's like all these stick cuts. and then there's like a nice pool table.
00:56:36
Tate Dale
the The first time you see one, it's the most shocking thing you've ever seen in your whole life. like, ah am I in the matrix right now? Like what, where's the glitch at? There's something going on here.
00:56:46
Darin Tingey
How did they get a pool table out to Tab South? like This is like middle of nowhere and we got a pool table and if you bring them two coconuts, you can play pool with them.
00:56:51
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:56:57
Darin Tingey
you know and like I would go do that and they're like they just thought it was so funny that I would play pool with them. at Nights, you know those are where they do the kava and whatever. but
00:57:07
Tate Dale
Yeah.
00:57:08
Darin Tingey
During the day, it's fun. They just love that. I feel like kids will love when you just do what they do.
00:57:16
Tate Dale
Yeah. Yeah. During another cool thing they do is like during testing week at school, they all go down to the school and everybody sleeps at the school, right?
00:57:27
Tate Dale
Like everybody abandons their house and goes and sleeps on the school property during finals week, essentially.
00:57:32
Darin Tingey
Yep. but
00:57:34
Tate Dale
And I remember, um, Teacantearo, which is like a seminary, you know, you go show up and you can teach seminary at the schools.
00:57:41
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:57:42
Tate Dale
um And then they do a lunch for all the ministers that come to each and it was fun. um And so we did, that we tried to do that at, at the school, but during testing week, they wouldn't do it.
00:57:57
Tate Dale
And there were some kids that were really struggling with math, like whole bunch of them just did not understand math. And, Granted, like their eighth grade education is probably the equivalent of like an American fourth or fifth grade education, like at best, maybe little less, um which is not a knock on them at all.
00:58:14
Darin Tingey
Yeah, right.
00:58:19
Tate Dale
It's just what it is. Right. Um, and so I'd go out and I'd help teach math class and I literally had a classroom full of students and me and my companion are out there like helping them learn math.
00:58:34
Tate Dale
Um, and these kids are like excited that they're learning math from the white kid. And that was like the highlight of their day, you know? And, and it was fun. It was, it was a blast, like something I didn't get to do a whole lot. And, hit and I enjoyed math before my mission and,
00:58:49
Tate Dale
you know basic algebra was pretty easy but but to teach them and to to see their excitement that they were learning and like they they love to learn they love to read they love to do all those things that we just take advantage of here every single day um and we complain about right like i cannot count how many times i would complain about going to school growing up right like that every day you know i have to go to school right and then like
00:59:05
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:59:18
Tate Dale
They hated summer. They hated summer vacation.
00:59:20
Darin Tingey
ask
00:59:20
Tate Dale
they did not want They did not want to be out of school, um which I loved. I did love that about them. They just wanted to know everybody and everything.
00:59:27
Darin Tingey
Man, teach...
00:59:30
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I'm thinking in teaching math and kiddo, it's got to be a little tough too, especially because counting, you know, you have your normal counting. And then it's like, it's a little bit different when you're counting sticks and leaves and people.
00:59:44
Darin Tingey
And you're like, i remember learning that first time I was like, mean, it's essentially the same, like but you figure it out. But I was like, what? Like, why is the counting different?
00:59:52
Tate Dale
But that's that's like the tell if somebody really speaks the language or not, right? Like if they can count every, like all these different objects, like they're able to talk about it in a conversation, like that was the tell if a missionary could actually like speak the language.
01:00:04
Tate Dale
and when Like when you got a deck of cards and they'd just be like the one or what, where you're like, no, like that's that's wrong.
01:00:05
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:00:10
Darin Tingey
It's not it, Elder.
01:00:10
Tate Dale
like Close, close, yeah. Yeah. And so that was, that was like the, the tell of, of a missionary, right? Like once, once you really learned how to count, that was like a big thing to, to be able to be like, yeah, i I know the language now.
01:00:28
Darin Tingey
Yeah. And let's see. um Deb with the way like any interesting cultural things there as well. And I know they're known for like killing is that that's what the that the thing is.
01:00:40
Tate Dale
Yeah. Yeah. Murders is what they're quote unquote known for, but yeah,
01:00:44
Darin Tingey
Right.
01:00:46
Tate Dale
Yeah, I think they're also yes nice.
01:00:47
Darin Tingey
And like knives, like everyone carries a knife, right?
01:00:50
Tate Dale
Everybody has like a massive machete that they carry down there, which is hilarious, but it's just really what it was. I remember culturally, I got to experience the outer island culture of like the old men run the island.
01:01:06
Tate Dale
Like even though there's government, the government didn't run the island.
01:01:09
Darin Tingey
Hmm.
01:01:12
Tate Dale
it was the old men of the island, like Unimane, like they are the ones that they are the, they are the the people.
01:01:12
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:01:15
Darin Tingey
The Unimane's the village. Yeah.
01:01:19
Tate Dale
Um, I had like 500 bucks stolen from me out there. Um, in our house, somebody broke in, i broke in they like climbed over the wall that was like four feet tall that didn't get touched the roof. Right.
01:01:34
Tate Dale
Climbed into our house, went through my stuff, took all my cash. That was all I took. Um, And so we went to this member's house and I was telling him about it. and He's like, he sat up. He's like, who was it? i was like, I don't know.
01:01:49
Tate Dale
was like, i don't I don't want to cause any trouble. Like, that's not what I'm trying to do, you know?
01:01:52
Darin Tingey
No way.
01:01:53
Tate Dale
And he's he's like, nope. He's like, and then he like literally stands up he like blows his conch shell. And we like walk over.
01:01:59
Darin Tingey
No way.
01:02:01
Tate Dale
Yeah.
01:02:01
Darin Tingey
no way
01:02:01
Tate Dale
We like, dead serious. We like walk over to the, to the man. Yeah. And then like somebody else comes and they blow it again. and so then like all the old men of the village come and like sit around, they like tell us what happened.
01:02:16
Tate Dale
So i was like, okay. So I can explain to them and they're like, okay, we'll take care of this. And I was like, okay, like I didn't really care.
01:02:24
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:02:26
Tate Dale
i cared, but I didn't care at all. And so we went off and did our thing that day and we came back that night and there was more money than what was taken from me in my house. Like they had they had, i don't know if they got the money back from somebody, if they just all pooled money together.
01:02:37
Darin Tingey
No way.
01:02:43
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Someone had paid it up. Yeah.
01:02:46
Tate Dale
and And I tried to tell him, i was like, look, like it's fine. Like I don't care. And he was like, no, you have to take this. And I was like, okay, like that's fine. And so then i think that later that week I went to a charity auction and I bought a really nice wolf and mat.
01:03:02
Tate Dale
and I think I paid like a hundred bucks for it or something like that. Just cause I, you know,
01:03:06
Darin Tingey
Nice.
01:03:06
Tate Dale
it it was It was fun. But yeah, it was yeah nothing culturally. They speak of slightly different. They have a slightly different accent. But nothing nothing too crazy down It was very, very culturally strong, though.
01:03:16
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:03:22
Tate Dale
Like, Tarawa, if you sat in somebody's house and your feet were like pointing at a direction to somebody, like it wouldn't really say much. But like there, it was like you'd get kicked out of the house kind of thing. like It was a big deal.
01:03:32
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:03:35
Darin Tingey
you know I wonder if they found the person that that stole your cash and like beat the crap out of them because I feel like that's what happened if anyone did anything bad or like got drunk.
01:03:35
Tate Dale
So...
01:03:44
Tate Dale
Yeah.
01:03:44
Darin Tingey
Because you're not allowed to drink on the Outer Islands.
01:03:45
Tate Dale
Right. yeah
01:03:48
Darin Tingey
so like I remember this one girl got drunk
01:03:49
Tate Dale
right
01:03:52
Darin Tingey
And she was actually our investigator and like her dad found out and he was there to beat her up that next morning. And like, you can't do anything about it.
01:04:03
Darin Tingey
Like the whole village kind of like comes and stands around the house and he just like, he just freaking beat the crap out her. And he's like super sad, right? But like, that's their culture. It's like, you just did the wrong.
01:04:15
Darin Tingey
Like I'm going to beat the crap out of you. And then it's super sad to watch, but like, that's just how they roll.
01:04:17
Tate Dale
Yeah.
01:04:20
Tate Dale
Well, I remember while i was out there, there was a guy that was just a, he was just an alcoholic. And I think they had tried that a few times and eventually they just exiled him off the island. Like, Hey, you're not allowed back here. They put him on the plane when it got there and they sent him to the Tarawa and they're like, you're not allowed back.
01:04:36
Darin Tingey
No way.
01:04:37
Tate Dale
And like, that's just the way it was. It'd be crazy.
01:04:41
Darin Tingey
That is crazy. um
01:04:44
Tate Dale
Yeah.
01:04:45
Darin Tingey
Man, so that's crazy. You spent like your first half of your the first three quarters of your mission doing Christmas and two Outer Islands. Like such an incredible experience, especially because like that's the Outer Islands is where you learn the language, like learn the culture.
01:05:02
Darin Tingey
you're not... you're it's not that a while like you're not seeing a bunch of other missionaries it's just youtube you two are just grinding learning the language like that's special experience and then from there you went to we won't ah we don't have time to talk about that a while but like you eventually been where's ap did you travel to a bunch of outer islands as ap or no
01:05:10
Tate Dale
Yeah.
Reflections on Mission and Cultural Insights
01:05:22
Tate Dale
No, we were supposed to go to Abbey Young for something, but then the plane got canceled. And then we went back to Abamehameh. I got lucky and got to go back to Abamehameh at the end of my mission because we had to go visit elders out there.
01:05:35
Tate Dale
And I was like, I won't say no to that president. Like, absolutely.
01:05:37
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:05:38
Tate Dale
like I'd be happy to. So that was really fun. But yeah, I mean, thought it was a cool place in and of itself. It's something like 66,000 people living on an island that's smaller than, you know, anything that you can even imagine.
01:05:54
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:05:57
Tate Dale
So just.
01:05:59
Darin Tingey
Yeah, thought it was crazy. Like, yeah, if you come from the States, I thought all your life. And then you go to our island and you're like, like, mind blown again, you know?
01:06:07
Tate Dale
Yeah. Yeah, no, for sure. And, and ah the, the one thing I'll say about that was it's like, there's so much history there. Um, <unk>d I'd have people like come up and kiss me and be like, you're American.
01:06:21
Tate Dale
Thank you. And I'd be like, I didn't do anything like that, but like, you know, world war II, know, we were part of the ones that freed them from the Japanese ah military.
01:06:24
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:06:30
Tate Dale
And that, that was just like, they just loved us there and just a super neat, interesting place. People literally living on top of each other everywhere. And it was just, the work was amazing.
01:06:43
Tate Dale
insanely awesome there. The temple's actually getting built in my area.
01:06:49
Darin Tingey
yeah
01:06:50
Tate Dale
And so that's that's super, super exciting for me. It's not like one of those places like, oh yeah, Kitabas is getting a temple.
01:06:55
Darin Tingey
That's cool.
01:06:57
Tate Dale
like No, I have spent hours, countless hours right there um in the heart of it. And so that's something truly special to me.
01:07:08
Darin Tingey
Yeah, that's that is really cool to say like, i I know that area, like the back of my hand, like I know exactly what that temple is gonna be like, I lived there.
01:07:17
Tate Dale
yeah
01:07:18
Darin Tingey
um Last three questions for you. David Price- favorite area favorite food and favorite cultural thing could have this.
01:07:28
Tate Dale
Favorite area? Golly.
01:07:34
Tate Dale
That's hard. That's a really hard question. That's like a loaded question. I'd probably say Abaman
01:07:43
Tate Dale
the work, the people, it was kind of when I really, you know, got in the swing of it. Um, that was, that's my mission kind of took off.
01:07:51
Darin Tingey
yeah.
01:07:53
Tate Dale
Um, but then, you know, you, you love all of them for so many different reasons. You had the same experience.
01:07:59
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:07:59
Tate Dale
Um, and, and so I, I'd probably just say that just because that's really where it took off. Um, favorite food. Um, I was a yellowfin tuna guy.
01:08:13
Tate Dale
That was one that I really got, like, really, really love that.
01:08:14
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:08:19
Tate Dale
And it's not the same here. It's not the same.
01:08:21
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:08:21
Tate Dale
Like, whenever I eat it here, it's like, people are like, you're a fish snob. I'm like, yeah, I know I am. Like, I'm allowed to be.
01:08:29
Tate Dale
But, yeah, yellowfin tuna is definitely up there for for top foods for me.
01:08:35
Darin Tingey
yeah
01:08:35
Tate Dale
um Definitely ate some cool other things, but that that was up there. Um, and then favorite cultural thing.
01:08:47
Tate Dale
um
01:08:50
Tate Dale
I just love saying the the kindness and generosity towards everybody, right? Like I I'll do some things to this day that I don't, I still subconsciously do.
01:09:02
Tate Dale
Um, for example, like people having a conversation and you have to walk through them cause there's not really a way to walk around them. I'll still like duck my head and say, excuse me.
01:09:10
Darin Tingey
Yeah, me too.
01:09:12
Tate Dale
I'll still dive my head and say, excuse me.
01:09:13
Darin Tingey
Right.
01:09:14
Tate Dale
And and that, i I feel like that's just polite, right? Like people will say, oh no, you're fine.
01:09:17
Darin Tingey
Right.
01:09:20
Tate Dale
Like, and, and it's just who I am now. Like, I'm sorry. Like, excuse me.
01:09:26
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
01:09:27
Tate Dale
ah Yeah, exactly. um Or just like saying hi to everybody. I wish we would do that more. I wish I did it more myself.
01:09:35
Darin Tingey
yeah
01:09:36
Tate Dale
ah Literally everybody, like you pass them, you're like, hey, where you going? Hey, what's up? are you doing? Like every single person, there was no, there was no like awkward getting the elevator moment of sitting there waiting to go up and nobody says anything for 10 floors, right? Like
01:09:51
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
01:09:52
Tate Dale
It was just icebreakers, super easy to talk to people. and then just the love of handing out food and drink every house, right? Like people literally had nothing.
01:10:04
Darin Tingey
here
01:10:04
Tate Dale
Um, and I felt so guilty a lot of the time, like they'd run to the store and buy like a ah Coke or something. And. they'd be like elders here. I'm like, please like, don't spend your $2 that you made today on me.
01:10:18
Tate Dale
Like I don't need that, but they wanted to, that's all they wanted to do. Um, and so that, I think that they, the kindness, generosity, and the manners that those people have, um, and, and if they're being mean, it's either well-deserved or it's a good joke, right?
01:10:32
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:10:36
Tate Dale
Like those are the two reasons that you, they'd be mean to you.
01:10:36
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:10:40
Tate Dale
Um, Nobody, even if somebody's having a bad day, they're like, they're not, it's just, I don't know of anybody that had bad days there. and That just wasn't super common.
01:10:49
Darin Tingey
yeah
01:10:53
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I'd agree.
01:10:54
Tate Dale
So, yeah.
01:10:54
Darin Tingey
Like, they're, they're some of the happiest people and Kiribus especially, they love to make jokes and laugh like no other like I like the Marsh Islands, same thing, like happiest down to earth people.
01:11:09
Darin Tingey
But Kiribus especially love to tease and they love to laugh. And I love that about them.
Generosity and Lasting Impressions
01:11:16
Darin Tingey
And And the generosity thing is is huge too.
01:11:20
Darin Tingey
yeah every Every house you go to, let me get you a drink or they'd always offer a smoke to the other people that would come. Like that was the two things, you know, you get a drink and and ah and a rolled up cigarette.
01:11:29
Tate Dale
Right. Yeah.
01:11:36
Darin Tingey
um And then i think you know the generosity thing definitely rubbed off on you because I remember being towards the end of our missions and being like, hey, I got sent...
01:11:48
Darin Tingey
I got taken off of Kitabas so fast, that sent back to the Marshall Islands so fast, I didn't have any time to like get some souvenirs from Kitabas. And I remember, I'm pretty sure I asked you, i was like, could you, like if I gave you some, I don't know if i sent you money or you just use your own or whatever, but you're like, I got you, bro. I will send some Kitabas stuff with President and Sister Larkin to you.
01:12:11
Darin Tingey
You did that for me and I was like so pumped, dude. So that's the generosity rubbing off on you.
01:12:17
Tate Dale
what What did I send you? That's that's my question to you.
01:12:20
Darin Tingey
ah You sent me like a a little bag like on a little bag that like a lady would have and it was full of stuff like necklaces for say Kitabas on them and a bunch of stuff.
01:12:32
Darin Tingey
and You might even even send me a Kia. I can't remember if you did or not. I ended up coming home with like four. I think I had two from Kitabas and two from the Marshals that I took home. I think you sent me one.
01:12:44
Tate Dale
Yeah, i'll ah I'll look through my stuff and see. i remember which ones I had. I'll see if I am missing one. I'm just kidding.
01:12:51
Darin Tingey
ah
01:12:51
Tate Dale
No. but But yeah, I am so glad that you started this passion project. it's It's something that I want to talk about every day and I talk about it a lot. And people i work with, people that I come in contact with, you know.
01:13:09
Tate Dale
It's super easy to talk about, you know, oh, what language do you speak?
01:13:11
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:13:12
Tate Dale
You're like, I speak a language called Kitabas. And they're like, oh, and then like that immediately kicks off the whole conversation. So I love to talk about it, but to be able to, you know reminisce with you and and to remember memories with somebody who's been through it with me.
01:13:19
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:13:29
Tate Dale
even though we never did it together, ah truly, like that that feeling comes back. That's like, it was a great time.
Mission's Value and Conclusion
01:13:38
Tate Dale
and And it was what we made it right.
01:13:40
Tate Dale
I know plenty of missionaries that hated it.
01:13:41
Darin Tingey
Yep.
01:13:42
Tate Dale
I do know a lot of people that did not like it.
01:13:47
Tate Dale
And it's third world.
01:13:47
Darin Tingey
It's tough in the time. It's tough. Yeah. It's a tough mission.
01:13:50
Tate Dale
But I think, you know, I think you appreciate it and love it as much as I do. um And that's, you know, it's something that I couldn't trade the world for and wouldn't want to. That that that experience was unbelievable.
01:14:07
Tate Dale
So thank you for for allowing me to be with you and and talk through this again, man.
01:14:10
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:14:13
Tate Dale
That was so fun.
01:14:16
Darin Tingey
Of course. And i I'm happy you came on. We did late night. So hopefully everyone loves the episode. We're reminiscing late into the evening. now I'm just going to be dreaming about, hopefully go dream in Kitabas right now and just relive it.
01:14:28
Darin Tingey
But Tate, thanks for coming again on the Islands Podcast. It was a great episode, especially for the first one that was served this whole time in Kitabas. It was awesome.
01:14:38
Tate Dale
Awesome. Thanks again, Darren.
01:14:40
Darin Tingey
Thanks, Tate.