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Episode 25: Simone Lee - Kiribati - Tarawa & Kiritimati
47 Plays18 days ago
Simone Lee served in the Kiribati side of the mission from 2016 - 2017. After being baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was 18 years old, Simone had a burning desire to serve a mission and 5 years later she received that call to serve in the islands of Kiribati. Simone quickly fell in love with Kiribati, the culture, and the people, but got to a point in her mission where she struggled with depression and feeling like she wasn't good enough as a missionary. With some counseling and Kiritimati Island therapy, Simone found joy again in being a missionary for Christ and was able to see miracles with the families she taught.
#MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Kiritimati #Tarawa #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia
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Transcript
Introduction of Simone Lee and Podcast Setup
00:00:00
Darin Tingey
All right, we're on with another episode of the islands podcast with Simone Lee today. I'm super excited. It's been in the works for a few months now, but finally get to record a podcast. So Simone, give a quick background on you.
00:00:18
Simone
Well, first of all, Kia ora. I'm really excited to be here just really grateful for you. don't know what to call you. i was going to be like, out of tingi. Like, Darren, might just call you tingi.
00:00:27
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I'll let you see Darren, is my first name.
00:00:31
Simone
might just call you tingi.
00:00:31
Darin Tingey
It's fine.
00:00:33
Simone
Yeah, just really excited to be here, really excited to share about my mission experience, especially in Kiribati. I think for those who have served in Kiribati, it's such a special place. You don't forget it at all. And so,
00:00:45
Simone
to be able to come on a platform like this and to share is so special. I'm just so grateful. so thank you for having me.
00:00:52
Darin Tingey
Yes, absolutely. And it's fun because we... You didn't remember at first, but we did meet on the mission.
00:00:57
Simone
I'm sorry.
00:00:59
Darin Tingey
It's
Simone's Mission Call and Initial Reactions
00:00:59
Darin Tingey
okay, we met like for probably 30 minutes. um
00:01:03
Simone
love
00:01:04
Darin Tingey
When I was on Tarawa for like one of the few times i was on Tarawa, we met briefly.
00:01:06
Simone
you.
00:01:10
Simone
Yeah, because it was funny because when we were messaging and you're like, we've actually met, I was like, I feel so bad. And then I went and listened to your podcast because was like, how do I not remember him?
00:01:22
Simone
How do I not remember that he served in Kittabuz? But it makes sense because you were in Marshalls, then you come over and then you went back. Because i were you only in Kittabuz for six months? Is that right?
00:01:32
Darin Tingey
Less than that, it's like four and a half.
00:01:32
Simone
Oh, okay.
00:01:34
Darin Tingey
It was so quick.
00:01:34
Simone
Oh, right.
00:01:35
Simone
Yeah. Yeah.
00:01:35
Darin Tingey
And it was mostly on Mayana.
00:01:37
Darin Tingey
So I was on Tarawa, I think for a combined like five days total. um
00:01:42
Simone
Right. I i you remember from your episode, Atatui trained you. And I was like, oh my gosh, Atatui trained him, he's my brother.
00:01:48
Darin Tingey
That's right.
00:01:50
Simone
But i' I'll explain all of that in and the background, because I think it's really cool, my little like MTC story.
00:01:53
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:01:59
Darin Tingey
Okay. and And quickly, just like, where are you from? Where do you live now?
00:02:02
Simone
you know Yeah. So I'm from Auckland, New Zealand. I've grown up here, lived my whole life here, and I currently live here. um And yeah, Auckland, New Zealand.
00:02:14
Simone
Yeah.
00:02:15
Darin Tingey
And so, yeah, let's, I guess, let's start from the beginning, like getting your mission call. You know, what was that like going into the MTC? What was that like?
00:02:25
Simone
Oh, okay. So i I've wanted to s serve a mission for a long time. I'm a convert. So I was baptized when I was 18. I had some friends who in high school that I was friends with and they were members and I kind of was introduced to the church through them.
00:02:41
Simone
um ended up loving it, gained a testimony, um and then I had this desire to serve a mission, but it took me quite a long time. So it wasn't until I was about 23 where I was able to submit my papers, um and when i received my mission call, I was so excited. Like, mean, it
Experiences at Provo MTC and Cultural Adjustment
00:02:59
Simone
had been five years, right? Five years of me kind of working towards this goal, having it in the back of my mind with my this I can only describe it as like a burning, a burning desire to serve a mission.
00:03:12
Simone
And i really feel like it was divine. It was given by God. I had received a very strong confirmation to serve. And so I was just very, very um excited to finally receive my call and to know where I was going to be serving.
00:03:27
Simone
But I i mean, i have to say, like I never... I wanted to go to Salt Lake. you know want to go I wanted to be a temple school.
00:03:35
Darin Tingey
Temple square. Right.
00:03:37
Simone
Of course, of course. Of course I wanted to go there you know and have the American experience because in little old New Zealand, we especially within the church, America is such a a great place. We hear about it. We see the movies, this and that. And so naturally, out of curiosity, you want to experience that.
00:03:57
Darin Tingey
right
00:03:57
Simone
And so i had my call and i remember I had it at a um just one of the parks, the local parks in Auckland. And all of my friends and my family were there.
00:04:08
Simone
And I remember holding the envelope because it was an envelope.
00:04:11
Simone
It was an envelope. And I remember holding the envelope and they were waiting for me to read it. And I looked down and I think it said, like, dear, dear, I forgot where how it goes, but it said dear sister something, something, something. And I just, my eyes automatically dropped to where I was going and all I saw was Marshall Islands Maduro mission.
00:04:12
Darin Tingey
Mm-hmm.
00:04:34
Simone
And I just, I started crying because I was like, oh my goodness, like I couldn't believe it um that that was where I was going. And then I read Kitabas region.
00:04:45
Simone
And I was just kind of like, didn't know where that was, had no idea. It's in the Pacific, but had no idea. And it was just, it was unforgettable. Like I'll never forget the feelings that I felt when I opened my mission. and
Life and Challenges in Kiribati
00:04:58
Simone
the the overwhelming joying. I think for me personally, just the spirit confirmed to me, like, this is this is where God needs me to be.
00:05:07
Simone
um Especially being a sister who was a lot older. I was 23 when I was
00:05:13
Darin Tingey
Right.
00:05:14
Simone
when I, you know, got my call in January, i think I got it or February and then I served in May. So very short time, three months.
00:05:22
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:05:23
Simone
And then I was out, um but I was 23 and I was just ecstatic and super excited to serve in Kittabas and also super excited to go to Provo MTC.
00:05:35
Darin Tingey
ah Right.
00:05:35
Simone
was finally getting my American experience. So it was really cool.
00:05:40
Darin Tingey
Well, I'm sorry that Provo was your American experience. I don't think that people think of Provo when they're like, oh I'm going to go America.
00:05:48
Simone
Oh, that's so funny.
00:05:51
Darin Tingey
Um, but hopefully he loved it.
00:05:54
Simone
I loved it.
00:05:55
Simone
Well, I was very lucky because one of the elders who taught me, um he actually baptized me. There were three elders that I consider like my missionaries. He baptized me. His families live in, i want to say, Ogden.
00:05:55
Darin Tingey
Um,
00:06:10
Darin Tingey
Yeah, north north Utah or Orem, was he in Orem next to Europa?
00:06:10
Simone
Is that Ogden?
00:06:14
Simone
No, it was definitely Ogden. It was definitely Ogden. Yeah. Shout out to the Nipkos. um But I got to stay with um his mum, who I ah affectionately call my American mum. um I got to stay with her and then my American dad, Sherry and Tucker. And it was just so fun. They took me around to all the different temples. Like, it was really cool. They're just such lovely people. And I got to spend time with them before I went into the MTC.
00:06:41
Simone
So it was really cool.
00:06:42
Darin Tingey
Very cool. And what did what did your family think about you know you going on a mission, joining the church, going on a mission?
00:06:49
Simone
So my family, they've always been, I've been quite lucky because they've always kind of been like, You go do your own thing. Like in our family, when you turn 18, you're an adult, you know, because in New Zealand, 18 is the legal age um for a lot of things.
00:07:02
Simone
um So when I turned 18, they just kind of left me to go and live my life. They didn't, they were just kind like, oh, you know, that's cool. That's what you want to do. Some family members thought it was a phase joining the church.
00:07:14
Simone
um But when they saw years later, I was still going, they're like, oh, okay, like she's serious. It wasn't a big deal at all. I think they were just very excited for me because I was excited. So, yeah, very supportive. um They kept in touch all throughout my mission.
00:07:29
Simone
um But, no, they they were cool. They're a cool family.
00:07:32
Darin Tingey
yeah i mean like sending your your daughter your sister or whatever uh to the middle of the pacific you know you're like what what is she doing you know like what is this but i mean the church is pretty big in new zealand i'm sure they kind of understood you know
00:07:39
Simone
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:07:44
Simone
Yep. yeah Yeah, well they're not religious at all so I think they they've always been kind of like, well she's always done what she's wanted to do, she's always
Growth and Transfer to Christmas Island
00:07:55
Simone
made really good decisions. like Even before I joined the church, like I didn't really drink, I wasn't really like a party person.
00:08:02
Simone
I literally stayed at home and watched TV or like what did k crafts or was painting was or reading or doing something. So just it's a great fit, yeah.
00:08:11
Darin Tingey
ah Okay.
00:08:12
Darin Tingey
Okay. So get your call January, February, and then May MTC, you're going to America.
00:08:15
Simone
Yeah. yeah
00:08:19
Darin Tingey
You went there with the family, you walk into the MTC. Like what was the MTC experience for you?
00:08:26
Simone
i I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. When I arrived, I was like, I just want to go to cannabis already. Like, get me out of here. What am I doing here? But kind of loved it.
00:08:38
Simone
Oh, I have to talk about it. So that's where I met Sister Paku, right? We have to talk about Sister Paku. She's one of my best friends. So she was assigned as my MTC companion. But Sister Paku and Sister Fa'amaile, they were MTC companions and they were called to serve in the marshals.
00:08:55
Simone
um And it was just me and our intake who was going to Kiribati as a sister missionary. So I was then joined with Outer Jim and Outer Tui, who were um who were companion MTC companions and they were going to kiddos as well so it was really cool I didn't know you could do this but I could be on my own with either sister Paku and sister Whaa Maile or elder Jim or elder Tui um so in our class I could walk around with those two elders and no issues which I think was crazy didn't know you could do that but in classes it was just me as the only sister and then the two elders
00:09:26
Darin Tingey
right
00:09:30
Simone
um which I think was really cool. But basically going to the MTC was so fun. I loved the food. The food was so different. Like the bagels, we have to talk about the bagels, the MTC bagels, the blueberry ones.
00:09:45
Simone
Oh, so good. And then I think the BYU creamery ice cream was so good.
00:09:51
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:09:52
Simone
What's the one? And it's graham crackers.
00:09:55
Darin Tingey
Yeah, the Graham Canyon. Graham Canyon.
00:09:56
Simone
Oh, great. Oh, I just, oh, that was delicious. And this is coming from someone in New Zealand who's very spoiled for choice when it comes to dairy. Like, loved it.
00:10:06
Simone
um So, no i actually, I love the MTC. I love the people who were in our district. I made such amazing friends. It was cool seeing other Kiwis who were in Provo MTC. You just kind of band together. if they If you found out that you were from New Zealand or Australia even,
00:10:06
Darin Tingey
Right.
00:10:25
Simone
because with the minority at the MTC in Provo, you're just automatic friends.
00:10:25
Darin Tingey
Mm-hmm. Right.
00:10:29
Darin Tingey
right
00:10:30
Simone
Like, it was so cool. And it's funny because I have to tell you this. So one of the elders who was serving in the Philippines, I think he's Elo Elo, I don't know, I forgot.
00:10:41
Simone
Elder Simpson. I kind of loosely knew him from new Zealand, didn't really know him he's a bit younger than me, but instant friends, we went to the MTC. um And he knew Sister Hayley Maungothonga Fowler, who later
Adventures and Connections on Christmas Island
00:10:54
Simone
became my daughter in the mission, so I trained her.
00:10:57
Simone
And so they they're married, actually.
00:11:00
Simone
So was so fun to see, like, the connections throughout, right from the MTC experience, like, right from the MTC experience.
00:11:00
Darin Tingey
Oh, no way.
00:11:01
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:11:08
Simone
um So that was really cool. But no, like, MTC was great. um I did find towards the end of, I think, my six weeks there, I didn't want to leave. I was getting a bit nervous about heading out into the real world, the real mission where the real work is going to start.
00:11:25
Simone
And I remember talking to President Willis. um who was the district president my love oh the district or branch i forget what it's called branch i think um but he was just the loveliest man like so lovely amazing man um and i remember him asking me he's like how do you feel about gonna you know you you're you're almost leaving soon how do you feel and i just remember saying to him i don't like getting sweaty like don't know
00:11:25
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:11:52
Darin Tingey
ah Oh, you're in for a long mission.
00:11:56
Simone
You're telling me. was like, I don't really like being sweaty. And he just kind of laughed and he's like, oh, well, you're going to have to get over that. And I was like, hu because I didn't really like getting dirty. I hated it. I couldn't stand it. Like I was just like, oh, yuck.
00:12:11
Simone
um But it was so funny. Yeah. And then so,
00:12:14
Darin Tingey
So what year was this?
00:12:15
Simone
yes.
00:12:16
Darin Tingey
Was this 2016?
00:12:16
Simone
26th, May, 2016.
00:12:18
Darin Tingey
sixteen
00:12:19
Simone
yes twenty six may twenty sixteen Yeah.
00:12:22
Darin Tingey
Okay, because I, yeah, I remember I went into MTC September 2016. So I was, you know, just, yeah, not too far behind.
00:12:29
Simone
Oh, you're not too far behind me. that's
00:12:32
Darin Tingey
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:34
Simone
crazy. Wait, can I ask how old you are?
00:12:37
Darin Tingey
I'm 27. Yeah, almost 28.
00:12:39
Simone
eastern
00:12:39
Darin Tingey
So I grew up.
00:12:40
Simone
so but Did you go when you were 18?
00:12:43
Darin Tingey
Yeah, so I graduated high school that right when you went into MTC is when I graduated high school. And then I went in September.
00:12:48
Simone
Wow.
00:12:50
Darin Tingey
Yeah, yeah.
00:12:50
Simone
Wow, that's so cool. Okay, cool. just had to figure out the timeline a little bit.
00:12:55
Darin Tingey
Yeah, it's funny. like When you come into the mission, like you don't really know like how many transverse people are ahead of you.
00:13:00
Simone
Yeah.
00:13:01
Simone
Yeah.
00:13:01
Darin Tingey
So like i I came in thinking Paki has been there for a year, but she'd only been there for a few transverse before me.
00:13:05
Simone
Yeah. A few months.
00:13:08
Darin Tingey
Anyway, kind of fun.
00:13:09
Simone
Yeah.
00:13:10
Darin Tingey
But anyway, I cut you off.
00:13:10
Simone
Yeah.
00:13:11
Darin Tingey
so So you're you're you're worried about getting hot and dirty, egg kid of this, and it's like, oh, it's... So here we go.
00:13:21
Simone
Eww.
00:13:22
Darin Tingey
God's got a plan for you. um And so you guys head to Kitabas.
00:13:25
Simone
Are you really?
00:13:27
Darin Tingey
Like, ah what was it like for you, like, getting to Kitabas and just that first initial Kitabas experience?
00:13:27
Simone
Yes.
00:13:31
Simone
and
00:13:35
Simone
o So was a bit of a culture shock. It was really rough, if I'm being honest. like um I got to Kitabas and i was i I was hit with the heat. Like the heat is crazy, as you would know. Like it's so hot.
00:13:55
Simone
And it just kind of like hits you in the face and stays with you. Like you're constantly sweating.
00:14:00
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:14:01
Simone
you're constantly feeling like you're oppressed or something but no so I get there the thing is the plane lands then you have to they're unloading the luggage you have to like sort through everyone's luggage to like pull your bags out that's what I was kind of doing it was me and out of gym at the time because out of two he didn't come until a bit later because I think he had an injury
00:14:05
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:14:21
Simone
um So he was flying out like a month or two later. it was just us two. Then the zone leaders pick us up. My trainer picks us up. And then we all go back to the nurse's house. I forget who the nurse was at the time.
00:14:34
Simone
But we go back to her house and I'm just kind of sitting there. I'm just kind of like, okay, this is the mission. Like, okay, like, I'm here. And then I see these elders, right? I see these elders and they've got like rolled up pants.
00:14:49
Simone
They're wearing like sandals or like what you call flip-flops.
00:14:53
Simone
They look, they look hoary as heck. Like, I'm just like, wait, what's going on?
00:14:54
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:15:00
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:15:00
Simone
Like, exactly.
00:15:01
Darin Tingey
Where am I? Where? I just came from the MTC. Everyone's wearing suits. These aren't missionaries out here.
00:15:06
Simone
Exactly. And also the mission president at the time, I forgot his name, but he was literally just finishing up. He only had a week or two max left in the mission before President Larkin came in.
00:15:18
Simone
So he was kind of... I got the vibe... um, he was, in my mind at least, he was kind of already checked out, like, he was like, oh, welcome, welcome, you'll be fine, i'm I'm about to leave, kind of thing, so it was a bit overwhelming, if I'm being honest, and then we go back to the flat, and I think anyone who serves with me would know was crazy, like, I was so pedantic, and just, like, very, very, like, stickler for the rules, like, and especially in kiddo-biz culture, ah we'll get to that, we'll get to that, but yeah, like, it
00:15:26
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:15:52
Simone
It was a bit very overwhelming for me anyways. So we get to the flat and it's so disgusting. It's disgusting. Like it's so bad. And it's one of the flats that are on like the chapel grounds. It's in Bairiki.
00:16:05
Simone
That was my first area.
00:16:05
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:16:06
Darin Tingey
First everybody, Dikki. Got it.
00:16:07
Simone
it was so bad like they literally had for the rubbish bin they had an old cardboard box and they were dumping the rubbish in the cardboard box and again remember this is coming from someone who doesn't like i don't like dirt and i'm i'm like borderline ocd with cleanliness and the house and things like that um so it was a shock but i was like
00:16:29
Darin Tingey
Was your companion Islander, American?
00:16:32
Simone
She was Tongan, Sister Tuiloto Laba. She was lovely. Very, very lovely. Very patient. I feel so bad, actually.
00:16:41
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:16:42
Simone
I feel so bad. And I just want to say sorry to her because I was a bit, what's the word? like how would you say it?
00:16:54
Simone
Like, I think I just thought I knew better. Do you know what i mean?
00:16:56
Simone
Like, especially being a bit older. If I'm being honest, yeah. If I'm being honest, I think I just thought I knew better. And i I wish I had allowed her to lead more, um especially being so brand new, but I was just so overwhelmed in...
00:16:56
Darin Tingey
Sure, totally.
00:17:10
Darin Tingey
Was that hard for you being like an older, you know, than a lot of the other missionaries? Did you feel that way of like, hey, I'm older, you know, or like a you didn't, especially like a district leader who's like 18, 19, you're like, all right, you know, Elder Tingy, you know?
00:17:26
Simone
Honestly, no, it didn't bother me at all. i think what bothered me was when we didn't stick to the rules. Like, for example, if we went to a dinner appointment and we had to be in bed by 10, so you have to be home by like 9 or whatever the rules were, and if it was 9 o'clock, I would be like, um,
00:17:44
Simone
um we need to go, you know, like looking at my watch, like we need to go. And then I think sister Toulita Lava was like, no, like it's a bit rude. I'm like, I don't care. um Let's go. You know what I mean? Like just kind of that attitude, not really respecting her as the, I guess, trainer and trying to teach me about culture.
00:18:03
Simone
Because in my mind, i was like, God is number one. You know, God's going to, whatever he says goes kind of thing, which I think I could be more flexible on. But by the end of my mission, I was all good.
00:18:15
Darin Tingey
yeah Yeah, you were you were telling the train and trainee, yo hey, this is how it is.
00:18:20
Darin Tingey
Exactly.
00:18:24
Simone
yes
00:18:25
Darin Tingey
So quickly, just run me through your areas and we'll start it by new key.
00:18:28
Simone
yes so i was born in bairiki um then i think i spent about six months there so i was trained and follow-up trained there um And then I went to Arereke and I forget if it was first or second ward, I forget.
00:18:42
Simone
um I think I was only there for one and a half transfers. I trained my child there. um My beautiful daughter, love her so much. um And then I went to Christmas Island um and I think I was only there for one transfer as well.
00:19:00
Simone
And then after that, I finished in Aether. And I was there for the rest of my mission.
00:19:04
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:19:05
Simone
But I forget how long that was. Time is blurring, but yeah.
00:19:09
Darin Tingey
Yeah, that's some solid areas though.
00:19:10
Simone
Yeah.
00:19:11
Darin Tingey
That's it's a great mission.
00:19:12
Simone
I only had four areas. I didn't have that many companions in comparison to a lot of other missionaries who serve. And they kind of have either a lot of areas, a lot of different companions cycling through. But no, I really, i think I was definitely where I needed to be and served with who I needed to serve with.
00:19:29
Simone
for my own refiner's fire, I guess you could say.
00:19:33
Darin Tingey
Yeah. So, okay. I want you to give a quick background Bayadiki, what it's like, because I actually had a mom today message me that her son just is getting to Kiribati and he's going to Bayadiki and she wanted to know what the area was like.
00:19:37
Simone
Yes.
00:19:42
Simone
Oh.
00:19:47
Darin Tingey
So I was texting her about it, but I want to hear it from the source because i never really was there in Bayadiki.
00:19:52
Simone
Sure. Okay, and this information, just disclaimer, this information could be a little bit outdated. It has been
00:19:59
Darin Tingey
It's almost 10 years. Yeah.
00:20:00
Simone
We'll say nine years.
00:20:02
Darin Tingey
so
00:20:03
Simone
But yeah, it's been ah it's been a long time.
00:20:04
Darin Tingey
and
00:20:05
Simone
But I will say Pairiki, first and foremost, is the capital of Tarawa. I really loved the members. Like they were just, it was a really great place to be born.
00:20:17
Simone
It's quite a large area, in my opinion. um It's one of the more urban areas that you'd serve your mission in, in Kiribati in general. And then on Tarawa, obviously everywhere is urban except for northern Tarawa.
00:20:29
Simone
um or Bota but no I really loved it I thought the members were great you have the mall well the mall with quotation marks you have a lot of markets so on Pira you're able to access things that you need like ban bananas or donuts of course um and then they also have the sports grounds and Baireki will always be such a special area for me because that's where I met one of the closest families that I've
00:20:39
Darin Tingey
Yeah, the mall, right, right.
00:20:58
Simone
that I ended up teaching, and then um towards the end my mission, they got baptized, but we can talk about that later, it's such a special story, but um yeah, and Bairiki, sorry, they also have the wharf, so we did spend a little bit of time, um because we had some investigators near the wharf area, so it's quite a hub, I would say, Bairiki is, and it's a great area to start your mission in, a lot happened,
00:21:05
Darin Tingey
Not bad.
00:21:20
Darin Tingey
And is there just one ward there Okay.
00:21:22
Simone
Yes, sorry. Yeah, just the one ward. Well, it was.
00:21:25
Darin Tingey
Uh-huh.
00:21:25
Simone
Sorry. No. do you know what's funny? I don't know if she wants to know this, but Baeriki is also where the prison is. And the prison is right next to the chapel.
00:21:35
Simone
And on the chapel is where we stayed. So do with that what you but you will.
00:21:35
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:21:40
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:21:41
Simone
But it was safe as, I mean, we used to buy, the prisoners would make like combs. You know, the kid of his combs.
00:21:48
Darin Tingey
ah hot yeah yeah
00:21:49
Simone
They'd make those from old pipes and stuff, PVC pipes, and would buy it off them. Like, yeah.
00:21:55
Darin Tingey
But I mean, like people are in prison in Kitabas, like its it's like you got drunk or something like that.
00:21:58
Simone
It's, yeah.
00:22:02
Simone
Yeah. Well, I don't know.
00:22:02
Darin Tingey
and you Or i don't know, something crazy.
00:22:04
Darin Tingey
Every once in a while you hear of someone like killing someone, but that's kind of rare.
00:22:07
Simone
Yes. Yeah. Yeah. No, yeah, you're right, actually. That is kind of I haven't heard of any kind of serious crimes, but... um Sorry to that mum though.
00:22:17
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:22:17
Simone
don't know we're giving her more anxiety or not.
00:22:20
Darin Tingey
Hey, that's pretty funny that that's next to the prison.
00:22:21
Simone
Yeah.
00:22:23
Simone
Yeah.
00:22:23
Darin Tingey
Okay, so, so, by the age six months, that's a long time.
00:22:26
Darin Tingey
Give me give me some, give me some background on that.
00:22:26
Simone
That's a long time. Yeah. Okay, so I was with Sister Tui Lota Lava for two transfers and then she went to Beso, I think. um But yeah, it was it was a good time.
00:22:40
Simone
taught a lot of... um Now that I look back, we taught a lot of like kids and um not very many families.
00:22:46
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:22:49
Simone
It's just like people were like, yeah, teach my kid, you know, like go and teach them. And then we had like um some teenagers who I love, who I loved teaching them. They were so cool.
00:23:00
Simone
And just like we became really good friends with them. um But... After Sister Toilota Lava was transferred out, I stayed Sister, Sister Tutuila, don't know if you've met her, you have met her?
00:23:14
Darin Tingey
I don't think so. Yeah.
00:23:15
Simone
Oh, she's a vibe. She's Tongan as well, which is funny because I had a Tongan mum, a Tongan dad, and then a Tongan daughter. Like, it's so funny. um But she's from California.
00:23:26
Simone
She's from Oakland. I want to say she's from Oakland. um But she was my dad. She trained me for two two transfers as well, I'm pretty sure. And it was just, it was fun. It was a fun time. That's all I remember it just having a lot of fun.
00:23:44
Simone
Like we'll obviously do the work, but I think you can make it fun as well. Like and enjoy kind of joking around with the members or the people that you're teaching um or just if you have to go tracking, like I hated tracking. I hated it so much.
00:23:44
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:23:58
Simone
But um let's be real. No one likes tracking. Like it's the worst like task that you have to do.
00:24:03
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:24:05
Simone
And you only do it if you've got no other appointments or if they fell through, you know. But we made it fun and would just kind of be like, you know what, we'll do it Heavenly Father is going to bless us. And he really did.
00:24:16
Simone
The next day after we went tracting, like we'd find people. Just somehow it would just happen, um which I thought was one of the ah very special memories. But can I talk to you about a family that we met in Bairiki?
00:24:29
Darin Tingey
Absolutely.
00:24:30
Simone
Okay, so we had we first met, when I first went to Bairiki, and I was with my trainer. She was already teaching um one of the girls um that, I think her name was Kaya. my memory's so bad.
00:24:44
Simone
Oh my gosh, Don't be like me. Don't be like me, our sisters. um should he um So we were teaching her, ora, Kia ora, Kia ora, Kia ora.
00:24:55
Darin Tingey
There we go.
00:24:55
Simone
That's her name. Yeah, got it. So we were teaching her And then she was lovely. Her family weren't kind of interested in the lessons, but they were like, no, teach our daughter. And then we taught her, her brother was ah of two years younger, Aki Sino.
00:25:09
Simone
um So we're teaching them. They ended up getting baptized. And then they had a cousin. So I think they were family friends who lived on the other side of where they lived. So they lived quite close to the ah shore and we were kind of to the left of them.
00:25:25
Simone
And then their cousins lived on the other side of the chapel, like a little bit far away. um So Imakurite was their their cousin um and we started teaching her.
00:25:36
Simone
And then we'd always kind of invite... um na double and gidipa um sorry that one gettdiba would invite them to participate less but they're like no no no and he smoked as well so smoking if you don't know is a very common um like thing in cannabis everyone smokes
00:25:54
Simone
um as they would always kind of deny our lessons and so that was okay. Imaakurite ended up getting baptised and so did Keowa and Aukisino. They all got baptised and then I left the area.
00:25:54
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:26:06
Simone
But it was so cool because right throughout my mission I would always get updates from the sisters because they're predominantly sisters serving in Bairiki. I'd always get updates from the sisters about Taubo and Geriba because they eventually started taking lessons from the missionaries.
00:26:22
Simone
um and then it was really cool because at the end of my mission, um President Larkin let me attend their baptism, so they ended up getting baptized, and it was it was so cool to be a part of their story, and I had always felt like before I served my mission and while i was on my mission that I was planting seeds and I know a lot of people, some people have different philosophies about how you serve and how your mission goes. But my personally for me, I knew i was just planting a lot of seeds. And so it was really cool to see kind of the seed that I had planted during my first area.
00:27:00
Simone
sprouted and blossomed and bloomed into something really beautiful and wonderful for that family in the end. um So that was really, really cool to see and why Bayeriki has such a special place in my heart.
00:27:12
Simone
um
00:27:13
Darin Tingey
Those are my favorite stories, especially when you get to see it on your mission at the end, right?
00:27:14
Simone
Yeah.
00:27:17
Simone
Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:19
Darin Tingey
ah and And also to think like your first area where you probably didn't know the language very well, but but they probably felt that your love, right?
00:27:23
Simone
money Not at all.
00:27:30
Darin Tingey
And that you cared genuinely about them.
00:27:30
Simone
Yeah.
00:27:31
Darin Tingey
It's like, here's this girl from New Zealand who's come across the Pacific and is...
00:27:32
Simone
Yeah.
00:27:36
Simone
Yeah. Nature.
00:27:37
Darin Tingey
Yeah, need my tongue, come teach my kids and spend time with my kids every day.
00:27:39
Simone
a
00:27:42
Darin Tingey
And that probably was just like a thought in their head that probably softened their heart to eventually lead them to accept the gospel in Christ.
00:27:45
Simone
man
00:27:48
Simone
yeah
00:27:51
Darin Tingey
and And I'm so glad you got to see that. Like, those are just the coolest things.
00:27:53
Simone
need to
00:27:55
Darin Tingey
You're like, this is why I'm a missionary.
00:27:57
Simone
hey No, really, like it was the most beautiful way to finish my mission and to wrap up my time in Kiribati and to go home knowing that at least at least I had this, you know, because we had a lot of baptisms, but the retention is so difficult.
00:28:13
Simone
don't know about you guys, retention is hard.
00:28:14
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:28:15
Simone
It's really hard. But I will say, just going back to that experience I just shared, it's also a testament to me about the power of I guess, um like collaboration within your mission with other missionaries and continuing on their work. It's all part of this bigger picture, this bigger cycle. Because I think when you're in your area, you can get quite...
00:28:38
Simone
um like isolated or like like have tunnel vision in terms of it's your mission, what you're supposed to achieve to have a good mission, quotation marks, good mission.
00:28:50
Simone
um But really you're you're part of a bigger picture. You're contributing to the work. You're contributing to the efforts of the missionaries that have come before you. and the And you're contributing to the success of the missionaries who come after you.
00:29:03
Simone
So everyone's part of this bigger picture and everyone um has an impact. of the, in the area.
00:29:10
Darin Tingey
Absolutely. Absolutely. I, as you said that I'm thinking about this guy that I saw get baptized recently, uh, in the islands and I had taught him, I had taught him a lesson like 10 years ago and it was such a powerful lesson, but nothing ever came of it.
00:29:17
Simone
Wow.
00:29:23
Simone
Yeah.
00:29:26
Simone
Yeah.
00:29:26
Darin Tingey
And i was kind of bumped, but then here I see 10 years later, him getting baptized.
00:29:30
Darin Tingey
And i was like, boom, that's awesome. Uh, I got to be a part of that.
00:29:32
Simone
the
00:29:34
Darin Tingey
And that is the beautiful thing.
00:29:34
Simone
yes And then so who's to say that your one lesson didn't stay with him?
00:29:36
Darin Tingey
Um,
00:29:40
Simone
You know, that your one lesson didn't impact him in some way. um I think and it's like what you were talking about before. It's all about making and having a meaningful connection or experience with the people that you're interacting with and or teaching.
00:29:54
Darin Tingey
here Absolutely. and And luckily the Kiribus people are so easy to love, you know, ah so fun.
00:29:58
Simone
Lovely. Yeah. Yeah.
00:30:01
Darin Tingey
Like you said, you have so much, you think of Ayurik, you think of fun.
00:30:02
Simone
yeah
00:30:04
Darin Tingey
When I think of Kiribus, I think of fun.
00:30:05
Simone
yeah
00:30:07
Darin Tingey
So...
00:30:08
Simone
ah
00:30:08
Simone
Your you a little holiday from the marshals.
00:30:09
Darin Tingey
okay
00:30:11
Darin Tingey
Exactly, exactly. And I hit it perfect timing too. I got this, the suit, I i got everything.
00:30:14
Simone
um
00:30:16
Darin Tingey
So it was awesome.
00:30:16
Simone
Yeah. but
00:30:18
Darin Tingey
um So if you were in Baideki for six months, let's see, were you there during Christmas?
00:30:22
Simone
Yeah.
00:30:25
Simone
Oh my gosh. No, I had just been transferred to the Aureike. I just been transferred.
00:30:30
Darin Tingey
Should we talk about this?
00:30:31
Simone
Let's talk about Christmas.
00:30:34
Simone
absolutely not christmas i've been i've been who did you have on out of weaning and he did not talk about it that much i know i could hear it yeah
00:30:34
Darin Tingey
ah
00:30:42
Darin Tingey
I know I tried to bait him a little bit. I tried to bait him to try and get some details about Christmas. And then you messaged me and I was like, we're for sure talking about this.
00:30:51
Simone
yeah okay let's talk about christmas right so christmas 2016
00:31:00
Simone
coincided with um the mission, what do they call it, like a massive mission conference.
00:31:05
Darin Tingey
Tour, mission tour.
00:31:06
Simone
Yeah, yeah, mission tour and President Hallock was coming to visit the mission. um so President Luckin pulled all the missionaries from all the different islands off their islands and put them on to Tarawa, right?
00:31:21
Simone
Like, so you have however many missionaries, what, like a hundred and something on this tiny, me tiny island.
00:31:26
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:31:29
Simone
Now, at this point I had just moved to Te Aure Reke. I was very depressed to leave Bairiki and to leave my nice clean house. um we Not only that, we moved to Te Aure Reke and there are like seven sisters, like something crazy, like six or seven sisters living in this tiny flat. Have you been to the chapel flats?
00:31:53
Simone
chapel flat
00:31:55
Darin Tingey
and not the i Not the one in Saturday, I don't think. But yes, in general, I've seen them. They're they're tiny. They're small.
00:32:00
Simone
They're tiny. They're tiny.
00:32:01
Simone
I don't know what you'd kind of convert the ratio is, but it's like this, not even, you couldn't even call it one bedroom. i don't think a bed could fit in there. Like, it's not even a single bed.
00:32:01
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:32:13
Simone
You know what i mean? We were sleeping on the floor um on a mattress.
00:32:15
Darin Tingey
Okay, yeah.
00:32:16
Simone
So it's small. So you have six sisters in there, our six or seven sisters. um We're supposed to be, like, kind of covering this area. And wait, how honest do you want me to be?
00:32:26
Simone
Do want be, like, honest or, like?
00:32:28
Darin Tingey
Yes, yes, i want to hear it all
00:32:29
Simone
Oh, okay. Okay. Well, I was a little bit trunky. Okay. track I I was very depressed about leaving the area.
00:32:34
Darin Tingey
it all.
00:32:36
Simone
I was like, oh my gosh, like this house is a mess. It's crazy. I can't clean it the way I want to clean it because there are all these sisters here. I was a little bit, I was little bit trunky and I just did not have, if I'm being honest.
00:32:49
Simone
I didn't have the motivation to leave. This is over the course of a week.
00:32:54
Simone
But I'd force myself out every day, me and Sister Henny, because Henny was a bit trunky as well. Shout out to Henny. and We would go and we'd just kind of do some tracking or whatever, because all the sisters in the area got split up and we'd take different areas. And i don't know what was happening, but...
00:32:54
Darin Tingey
Okay.
00:33:07
Simone
Um, that's at the same time as well, a new arrival of missionaries came and I was getting a child. So I was training. So she comes in here and this is Sister Mongatonga Fowler who married out of Simpson.
00:33:20
Simone
So just connecting the dots. So she comes in, she's like, oh my gosh, I've got the worst trainer. She told me this stuff. She's like, oh my gosh, got the worst trainer. She's trunky. Like, cause everyone had told her, oh my gosh, going to be, going to see Sister Lee. Sister Lee's great. Blah, blah, blah. She's like, what the heck? Where am I?
00:33:37
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:33:37
Simone
um So she arrives and I'm like, oh, don't worry, it's just for a week. I'll be good after this week. I just need, like, I'm just a bit overwhelmed, but just a bit trunky, okay? Just this week, give me one week. So she's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, sure.
00:33:49
Simone
um So anyways, and all the missionaries are on, so we get to see our friends. Like, you'd never get to do that in this type of mission because you literally arrive to Kiribati and you don't know if you're ever going to see these people again, like the elders in particular who serve on the outer islands because you could you're like ships in the night passing each other throughout your mission.
00:33:57
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:34:10
Simone
Sometimes you don't see each other. So it was so exciting for me, at least, to see my brothers out Jim and out of Tui
00:34:12
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:34:15
Simone
to see um some of the other friends I made, like Sister Baldwin was coming off from Christmas Island. I was really good friends with her. Elder Behrens was another great friend. Just all the missionaries, all them the New Zealand missionaries as well, like Sister Mawai, Elder and to Alice, Elder Petey,
00:34:36
Simone
um um I can only think of his, Jaden. Jaden, what's his surname?
00:34:41
Darin Tingey
McCartney, McCartney.
00:34:41
Simone
Yes, McCarthy. Yes, I forgot his surname.
00:34:43
Darin Tingey
McCarthy, yeah, McCarthy.
00:34:44
Simone
Yeah, to see him, like all of our friends. And it was, and out of Sakea, he'll be like, hey, you don't message me. Mention me. um And to see them. So it was really, really cool. And I was so excited. But this is during the week of Christmas, right? So then,
00:34:58
Simone
we also, apart from the mission tour, we also get invited to the mission president's home. And I think this was for New Year's. This was for New Year's if I'm...
00:35:07
Darin Tingey
ah Mission president the Kitabas president?
00:35:08
Simone
Was it... The kid of his present.
00:35:11
Simone
Was that New Year's? Oh, sorry, sorry.
00:35:11
Darin Tingey
Yeah, yeah, you said the man.
00:35:14
Darin Tingey
I don't know, i wasn't there.
00:35:16
Simone
um life I'm like, tell me.
00:35:16
Darin Tingey
I was on the Marshall side.
00:35:19
Simone
Okay, was either for New Year's or Christmas. Oh, no, I'm pretty sure it was for New Year's. We get invited to the president of Kittabas' home. And he invites all the missionaries. And they have, like, their formality their formal welcoming. And we're all sitting down behind President Larkin.
00:35:35
Simone
And all can remember is this lady is kind of talking. And then I think he talks. And then all you hear is like, okay we're going to dance now. We're going to dance. And like no one moves. Literally, we're kind of like looking around like, um what do we do?
00:35:50
Simone
And then President Larkin stands up and he looks behind him ah looks behind him at us. And he's like, all right, come on, stand up. So like, oh, okay, like we can dance. Like this kind of cool.
00:36:02
Simone
But mind you, I had been on my mission at six months by then. So i didn't know how to dance. I forgot how to dance. Like I'm not even trying to be like cute and funny. Like I'm not, I literally don't know how to dance. um So they're playing the music and I'm just with the sisters and I'm just kind of like clapping along like this is actually kind of fun, but you don't also don't know how far to take it, right?
00:36:21
Simone
Like you're still a missionary, you still need to be appropriate, well at least for me, um but i everyone was kind of like recording. Everyone was like secretly recording, like, because it's just such a fun memory, taking photos, recording.
00:36:21
Darin Tingey
Right.
00:36:36
Simone
um And then all of a sudden the APs go around and they're telling us, hey, President Larkin said, do not send these photos home. Like, don't send any of that stuff. Don't say anything about what's happening here, okay?
00:36:49
Simone
And I get it because... who At first glance, you'll see this and you'll think, what disobedient missionaries on this mission? of But they don't understand that culturally, like it was very appropriate to accept this invitation to dance.
00:37:03
Simone
um But honestly,
00:37:06
Darin Tingey
was How was Larkin's moves? wait Were they are they great?
00:37:09
Simone
oh I want to say they're great. ah To be honest, I can't remember, but I want to say that they're great. But I love the Larkins. They're an amazing, amazing couple.
00:37:20
Darin Tingey
So did you, did you know, they had all the missionaries dance, you know, presidents dancing, all the missionaries dancing.
00:37:23
Simone
Yeah. Yeah. yeah
00:37:26
Darin Tingey
Did they have a bunch of kiddos people there dancing? Were there government officials there that also were like dancing with you guys or no?
00:37:30
Simone
not Not that i can remember. Nah, I don't remember dancing with anyone. um I mean, even if they tried to dance with me, I'm really awkward anyways. I'd probably just, like, be like, hu and then, like, because I'm just an awkward person in general.
00:37:43
Simone
um I just remember dancing with my friends, like, the sisters, and just, like, loving it and just feeling like, I think I can only remember the feeling at the time was more like, this is one of the best nights of my life, like, because it's,
00:37:57
Simone
one ah One is like you're with people that you never thought you'd see again. And two, like what an experience on your mission. You're invited to the president's house. Then you get to do like dance and have fun and just forget that you're a missionary. Well, not Philippa, you know what i mean?
00:38:14
Simone
but Like forget a little bit that you're a missionary and just like enjoy yourself for once instead of like thinking about your your investigators. And I think it was just a break.
00:38:23
Darin Tingey
Right.
00:38:24
Simone
It was just a break that needed.
00:38:27
Darin Tingey
Yeah, and and tell me this, did you guys get home before 10?
00:38:32
Simone
Oh, I don't think so. yeah i don't think so.
00:38:35
Darin Tingey
ah
00:38:36
Simone
I can guarantee that we didn't. But we had the time of our lives. And remember, it by this stage, I didn't really care. I think I gave up on that.
00:38:43
Darin Tingey
Yeah, but I'm just laughing because I know, I'm sure Larkin was probably like, we got to stay here for the party, for the time.
00:38:50
Simone
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:53
Simone
And especially because she... yeah Well, and especially for him as a new mission president as well, I think he did such an amazing job at balancing that culture and also fulfilling his responsibility as a mission president, right?
00:38:53
Darin Tingey
But that's probably good for him to to learn the culture a little bit there.
00:39:14
Simone
Yeah.
00:39:16
Darin Tingey
Oh man, I wish I was there for Christmas. Us on the Marshall side, I actually didn't, I kind of heard about it, but i really heard about it when I got transferred to Kitabas and then everyone told me, you know, we have.
00:39:22
Simone
yeah
00:39:26
Simone
Well, isn't that like a testament to everyone keeping it like quite quiet, you know, like no scandals?
00:39:35
Darin Tingey
Yeah, but that's why it was like such an interesting topic when I got to Kitabas because it was like, we had this party, we weren't supposed to tell anybody.
00:39:38
Simone
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah? Yeah.
00:39:43
Darin Tingey
I was like, what? yeah
00:39:44
Simone
Like, what do you mean? That's literally the first thing I tell people when they ask me about my mission.
00:39:47
Darin Tingey
and
00:39:49
Simone
I was like, oh, my gosh, let me tell you. Like, it's just such a – I wish I could remember the details. It's just so long ago that I've forgotten a little bit about the finer details.
00:40:01
Simone
But it was fun. it was a fun night.
00:40:05
Darin Tingey
i I didn't get to go to that, but I did get to meet the president of Kitabas. He came to Mayanna when I was there, him and his wife.
00:40:11
Simone
Oh, wow.
00:40:11
Darin Tingey
It was really fun. I got to meet them, and and they came to a big Mayanna party, so it was super fun.
00:40:18
Simone
Were
00:40:19
Darin Tingey
I got my fill. I wasn't at the party, but i got I got that fill, so I felt good.
00:40:23
Simone
you home by 10?
00:40:25
Darin Tingey
and No, no, most the time not.
00:40:26
Simone
Yeah.
00:40:28
Simone
Especially on outer islands. I think i think on outer islands you would have to very much go with the flow because I've heard some crazy stories about kind of culture on outer islands and it being very strong. And if you a offend the community, there's serious consequences.
00:40:28
Darin Tingey
but
00:40:47
Darin Tingey
Yeah, yeah, like, you need to attend parties, and you need to be there basically till the end.
00:40:50
Simone
Yeah.
00:40:55
Darin Tingey
They, yeah like you said, the culture is very strong. And if you want to be able to teach in that village, you got to earn the respect of the village.
00:41:00
Simone
yeah yeah Yeah.
00:41:03
Simone
yeah
00:41:03
Darin Tingey
um
00:41:04
Darin Tingey
That was a little bit different, a little bit more leaning on that.
00:41:06
Simone
yeah Yeah.
00:41:07
Darin Tingey
But anyway, so
00:41:09
Simone
That's probably that's probably why I never got caught to an out island because I'd get us banned.
00:41:10
Darin Tingey
ah guess so yeah
00:41:14
Simone
Yeah.
00:41:17
Darin Tingey
That's good. Okay, so you trained, right? As that was happening, I'm sure that girl was like, wow, we're having parties.
00:41:19
Simone
yep yeah exactly yeah
00:41:22
Darin Tingey
This is awesome. um ah How was training? How was chatereke?
00:41:28
Simone
loved my time in Te Aurereke and I loved being a trainer I was very fortunate to be with who I was with I think it's just like I said I was already trunky I think I was a bit homesick as well like I had never kind of spent time away from home um And I mean, at 23, you'd be like, huh?
00:41:48
Simone
But yeah, it was very I was quite sheltered. Like I had quite a sheltered early 20s, I must say. um But she was she was a blessing. She was a big blessing for me.
00:41:59
Simone
i mean, she was she was from New Zealand as well. We had similar humor. she would She was so cool. She would tell me stories every night. Like, she'd tell me a bedtime story.
00:42:10
Simone
But she'd kakarak or, like, um kind of explain movies that I had missed. So she'd tell me the plot of a movie, and it was so fun to listen to.
00:42:17
Darin Tingey
All right, cool.
00:42:21
Simone
and she's such a great storyteller as well. So she'd tell me those. um And then training her was really cool. I felt like I was – I tried really hard to be, in my mind – a good trainer, to teach her what I could, to give her best practices.
00:42:39
Simone
um Our lessons were always amazing. like I was really able to step into my role as a trainer and kind of structure our lessons um so that we were obviously teaching the points of the lesson, but that we but she had an opportunity to um teach and to have what I would call like a flow in our lesson, like a natural, as much as you can make it a natural flow.
00:43:03
Simone
um But I really took pride in in in my in teaching my daughter, yeah. I really loved it. And Te Aure Reku was a fun place to teach. We had really interesting investigators.
00:43:15
Simone
um I can remember, i talked to her the other day and I was like, man, I wonder what Richard, one of the investigators we had, I wonder what he's up to now, because he was a constant headache. but he was the sweetest dude. I think he was about 20 at the time, but he would teach him about like swanthi sakhal or the law of chastity. He'd be like, okay, Richard, like your commitment is please keep the law of chastity, okay? And he's like, yes, sisters.
00:43:41
Simone
Yes, yes, yes. I'll keep it. See him the next lesson. Richard, how did it go? Oh, I broke it. Sorry.
00:43:48
Simone
I'm like, Richard, you're supposed to get baptized next week. Like, what are you doing?
00:43:49
Darin Tingey
you
00:43:55
Simone
But exactly.
00:43:55
Darin Tingey
and At least he was honest.
00:43:56
Darin Tingey
At least he was honest about it.
00:43:58
Simone
I mean, you can't fault him, right? He was honest with us at least. But just him. And we made really good friends with one of the members, Nghebi.
00:44:08
Simone
Nghebi Simon and his mom and his beautiful nephew. He must be old now. He must be at least 10 or 13, I think. But he was about three at the time. And he's just like the cutest little boy. But made really good friends with them. And that's where I tried turtle.
00:44:25
Simone
That was my first time trying turtle. So Nabi had gone out to like fishing or something. He was like, sisters, like, hey, I got like a turtle for you. Come have a look. so Because i literally live right next to the chapel. So would go and like, I was so sad when I saw saw the turtle. Like, I was like, oh, my gosh, Nabi, what going to do with it?
00:44:44
Simone
Because it's like lying there like this. You know, like.
00:44:46
Darin Tingey
Yeah, on its back, yeah, yeah.
00:44:47
Simone
yeah it's not dead like it's like literally just waiting to die and I was like Nabi what are you goingnna do with it and he's like he's like oh we're just gonna leave it here till we're ready to eat it and I was like Nabi that's so sad like and he's like oh you know like this this email thang what does she know this is our way of life you know so we go home and then I think a few hours later knocks on the door and he's like, sisters, here, here's the turtle. And he had like, his mom had killed, they'd killed it and his mom had made, like cooked it.
00:45:16
Simone
And I was literally crying. i was like, so sad. but I mean, that didn't last long. Of course I needed to try the turtle. So I tried it and it was the most delicious meat I've ever tasted. The way she cooked it was amazing.
00:45:30
Simone
Like really deliciously cooked. I loved it
00:45:32
Darin Tingey
Yes, sea turtle's so good. It's so good.
00:45:34
Simone
It's so good. But in saying that though, because I did, and we're jumping a little bit, but when I was in Christmas Island, one of the other members made it and it wasn't that nice.
00:45:45
Simone
i was like, oh, it's not as nice as Nghiebi's mum's turtle. But yeah.
00:45:50
Darin Tingey
Did she like boil it or fry it or how?
00:45:51
Simone
I think she tried to make a curry or something, like the lady on Christmas, but Nghiebi's mum must have fried it because it was so good.
00:45:55
Darin Tingey
Oh.
00:45:59
Simone
It was so good.
00:45:59
Darin Tingey
Yeah, it's when you when it's done right, you can't beat sea turtle and you feel so guilty, you know, being a Westerner, like, I'm not supposed to eat this and I'm not supposed to like it, but I do.
00:46:01
Simone
Yeah.
00:46:04
Simone
Yeah.
00:46:08
Simone
Yeah. Yeah.
00:46:12
Darin Tingey
ah
00:46:12
Simone
yeah Like all the animal rights people will be appalled. But, you know, it's survival. Like at the end of the day, you you eat this or you go hungry. like And I'm sure you can attest there were many days of being hungry on the mission, especially in these islands. Like they're not they're not Western islands. They're very um third world. It's very poor.
00:46:36
Simone
You know, and you eat what you can eat and that's just, it is what it is.
00:46:36
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:46:39
Simone
And you, you, you just got to take what you, you, sorry. You've just got to take what you can get.
00:46:45
Darin Tingey
Yeah. And I mean, Darroa is not like a super luscious island either. You know, it's pretty dusty and also super just jam-packed people.
00:46:52
Simone
Exactly.
00:46:56
Darin Tingey
So it's not like a lot of stuff growing there.
00:46:56
Simone
Yeah. Yeah.
00:46:59
Simone
exactly
00:46:59
Darin Tingey
It's not like, oh we're having pineapples and mangoes every day.
00:47:02
Simone
yeah
00:47:03
Darin Tingey
know, I wish. That would have been so awesome.
00:47:04
Simone
yeah I don't think I ever, I only ever had like fresh fruit, I think on Christmas Island. And that was like once, like the whole mission.
00:47:15
Simone
i was like, my body, my hair was so brittle. My skin was really bad. I had like yellow eyes from like lack of nutrients. Like it was just a very, very bad. And I think people need to remember when you go to these islands, like it's rough, even on Tarawa.
00:47:35
Simone
Like even on Tarawa where it's more urban, um it's it's very, you're just surviving on like the worst foods possible.
00:47:44
Simone
like Yeah. Yeah.
00:47:44
Darin Tingey
Yeah, lots of ramen, lots of rice, canned meat that's very salty.
00:47:50
Simone
Yes.
00:47:51
Darin Tingey
ah And then, you know, the fish, ah which is great.
00:47:53
Simone
No.
00:47:55
Darin Tingey
ah But yeah, you don't have a wide variety of food.
00:47:56
Simone
No. Yeah. Yeah.
00:47:59
Darin Tingey
Although I will say, like, I did enjoy in Kitabas that when you go to dinner, they would have a bunch of different bowls of food, different types of food, which was amazing because me coming from the Marshall side, they handed you a plate and it was usually just like,
00:48:08
Simone
Oh my gosh, yes, yes, yeah.
00:48:14
Simone
Yeah.
00:48:18
Darin Tingey
a couple things. Usually just like lot of just like rice and meat or maybe there would be some breadfruit as well. But like there wouldn't be several different bowls of different things to pick and choose from.
00:48:31
Darin Tingey
So Kiribus, I really appreciated that. And I know that wasn't every house in Kiribus, but they really tried, at least they tried to like make it that way.
00:48:34
Simone
yeah in i
00:48:39
Simone
I will say that sisters were very, very blessed um on Tarawa. And just in general, the mission, we i don't think i ever i don't think there it was ever a day where we didn't have a dinner appointment.
00:48:54
Simone
like everyone they really looked after us and like you said you'd go to their home and just for context for the people listening if they haven't surfed in Kitabas um like it's so poor it's incredibly poor like people are living in like tin like tin shacks basically or like wooden ah open wooden you couldn't even call it a home it's just the open wooden shack like it's very poor um
00:49:19
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah.
00:49:21
Simone
But they just, they gave everything, you know, they gave everything to feed the missionaries. And like you said, there'd be at least three to four to five dishes of different things. so Soy chicken or um like breadfruit. love the breadfruit.
00:49:37
Simone
Breadfruit or like chicken.
00:49:38
Darin Tingey
good
00:49:39
Simone
Like they would spend their money on chicken. You know what i mean? Like that's a luxury food for them. And they would spend it on on the missionaries. Like just very generous people.
00:49:47
Darin Tingey
you know
00:49:49
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Yeah. They did just just give everything and they were happy too.
00:49:52
Simone
I did.
00:49:53
Darin Tingey
You know, they didn't think twice.
00:49:53
Simone
Yeah.
00:49:54
Simone
No.
00:49:55
Darin Tingey
It was just, it was just who they are and, and life was simple and, and happy.
00:50:01
Darin Tingey
And they, they value that and recognize that a lot more than, than probably we do.
00:50:05
Simone
Yeah.
00:50:08
Simone
Yeah, for sure.
00:50:09
Darin Tingey
I miss that. I miss the simple life a little bit.
00:50:10
Simone
Yeah. No, I...
00:50:12
Simone
Yeah.
00:50:13
Darin Tingey
It's harder.
00:50:13
Darin Tingey
We don't really, can't really, I shouldn't say we can't, but like, It's different living on an island, living the simple life than it is here.
00:50:19
Simone
yeah
00:50:20
Darin Tingey
Like, I can't just go outside my house and catch a fish on the street, but they can there.
00:50:23
Simone
yeah yeah yeah i i also think just to add on to what you were saying i also think it's it's more accepted to live a simple life there where i think if you try to live a simple life here i i don't know if you could because like you said like culturally it's just very different but i totally agree with you like i i got home from my mission thinking i hate it here
00:50:25
Darin Tingey
Anyway, but they are very poor. We're, you know...
00:50:49
Simone
Like, I hate it.
00:50:50
Darin Tingey
Yeah, right.
00:50:51
Simone
Get me out of here. Everyone's so superficial.
00:50:54
Darin Tingey
Yeah, no, exactly, exactly.
00:50:55
Simone
digress. We digress.
00:50:58
Darin Tingey
um Okay, so, Chattahake to Christmas?
00:51:01
Simone
Yes, I do want to touch, and I think this is important um for my time in Te Arereke.
00:51:03
Darin Tingey
Yeah?
00:51:06
Simone
I did develop depression during during my time in Te Arereke. um I had experienced depression before, but um So I kind of knew the signs a little bit. But i have we had a zone conference. And then i President Larkin and Sister Larkin had come over.
00:51:22
Simone
And Sister Larkin gave me a letter from Sister Paku. And I remember, I was so excited. And I remember reading it, sitting at the back of the chapel, waiting for all the mission, the zone conference start.
00:51:34
Simone
And I was reading it. And Sister Paku was talking about just her, I could feel her joy through the letter that she had written me. And she was talking about um kind of her successes and just, I read it and I was like, I went to the bathroom. I took my companion to the bathroom and I just started crying. And I was like, I don't feel like that.
00:51:57
Simone
You know, I don't feel that joy. I feel like I'm not good enough. I feel like I'm not doing enough. We're not meeting our numbers. And I've always been a very harsh critic of myself and always had very high standards. And when I don't achieve them,
00:52:11
Simone
I can get very critical of myself. So that of that leads into depression. So President Larkin being a counsellor, like ah that by profession, by trade, he really guided me through this kind of the next couple weeks of that time.
00:52:27
Simone
um And he was talking to me. He put me with a the Pacific area counsellor. They helped me through it. They helped me understand that i had depression And he asked me, he's like, do you want to take some medication? And I was like, oh, I don't know. and And then the other option was, do you want to go home?
00:52:44
Simone
And then I was like, I don't, I don't want to go home, but I don't know if I can stay. um So it was a ah little bit of work to work through. This happened in the space of about two weeks. um
00:52:55
Darin Tingey
Not bad.
00:52:55
Simone
But I think I had prayed about it and I just felt like, I don't want to leave. I want to try and finish. I was just wanted to finish my mission. So I remember meeting with President, because this leads into Christmas. I remember meeting with President and he's like, okay, how are you?
00:53:10
Simone
Went through that and I was like, I'm okay. I felt like I could do I felt like I could finish my mission. Like I was very lucky that I had the support and that I wanted to stay and they were very supportive of that.
00:53:22
Simone
And it wasn't bad enough yet where I needed to go home.
00:53:26
Simone
um So President's like, well, what what's the next steps for you? And I said, because at this stage, um Sister Mangatonga had gone to Tarawaieta. She had been transferred out. And so I was with someone else for a little bit until they could figure out what to do with me.
00:53:26
Darin Tingey
Mm-hmm.
00:53:39
Simone
um And then President Larkin's like, well, what do you want to do And you know, for those who don't know, Christmas Island, it's like the dream destination.
00:53:51
Simone
Everyone who serves in cannabis, they just want to go to Christmas. So throughout my whole mission at this stage, seven and a half months at this point, all I've heard about was stories of Christmas Island and how magical it was and how amazing it was.
00:54:06
Simone
So I cheekily said to President Larkin, oh, like, oh, can, you know, maybe you can send me to Christmas.
00:54:09
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:54:12
Simone
And he's like, He like looks at me he's like, Christmas. He's like, oh, didn't know you wanted to go there. And was like, oh, didn't know was an option. And he's like, oh, i was thinking about putting you as STL. And it's such a compliment, you know, like when you even thought of for leadership roles, it's it's a compliment, you know, like it's it really is. But at that point, I was like, I have no desire to be in that role. I want to go to Christmas.
00:54:43
Darin Tingey
and yeah That's awesome.
00:54:43
Simone
Oh my gosh.
00:54:46
Darin Tingey
That is awesome.
00:54:47
Simone
I was like on cloud nine. I was like, yes, cool. And so I think flew by myself. I have to tell you about my time flying. So I'm the only one going to Christmas Island.
00:54:58
Simone
They took me on the plane, right? I'm traveling through Fiji because you have to go from Darawa to Fiji. um And then from Fiji to Christmas Island. So I'm in Fiji overnight.
00:55:11
Simone
I'm in Fiji overnight by myself in the hotel. I was so exhausted and the food was amazing. But I was in this hotel and I was really lonely. i was like, this is so weird not having a companion.
00:55:25
Simone
I just can't sleep. Like there's there's no, this like I need some company. So I did turn on the TV. I didn't watch it. I just turned it on for the, company will think what you will about me but i don't care like i was so lonely so i chucked it on and i think the next day i um the next day i was like oh my gosh i'm gonna go to like the town center you know like i'm gonna have go to the towns to look at the market oh my gosh i jump on this one dollar bus that takes you to the market to the center of the town from the airport
00:55:38
Darin Tingey
That's awesome. That's awesome.
00:55:58
Simone
And um that was fine. And then I get to the market and like little sheltered 23 year old sister lee doesn't, has only two brain cells. I'm looking around the market, they're haggling hard. And I'm like, I have no money. I'm a missionary. Like I literally am here to buy something that cost $2 to take as a souvenir.
00:56:16
Simone
um So they're haggling me. And then like this man comes up to me and he's like, hey, hey, hey, come here, come with me. I'll take you to the store. And I'm like, ah and then luckily one of the members was there who must have seen me. And he's like, hey, come like leave her alone kind of thing.
00:56:16
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:56:33
Simone
I don't know where he was going to tag me. i don't know what was going to happen, but
00:56:36
Darin Tingey
Gosh.
00:56:37
Simone
let that member saved me. i was like, oh my gosh, thank you so much. She's like, that's fine, sister, like, just be safe, blah, blah, blah. I don't know what he was thinking, but um he kind of let me go my way. I went straight back to the hotel. I was too scared after that. i was like, you silly little girl, get back to the hotel and stay there.
00:56:53
Simone
um But that's kind of my my little story to any kind of missionaries who are thinking of being disobedient in any way.
00:56:55
Darin Tingey
um
00:57:01
Simone
Don't do it you don't know You don't know what's around the corner. um but
00:57:05
Darin Tingey
I feel like that would be so hard for me as far as like leaving Kiribati to go to Fiji and you're like laying down in and the nice hotel and you're like,
00:57:11
Simone
Yeah.
00:57:14
Simone
Yeah.
00:57:17
Darin Tingey
man
00:57:17
Simone
Yeah.
00:57:18
Darin Tingey
Like I love Kiribati, but like, this is nice. Like, do I have to go back? You know, like, do I have to go back? I think that'd be kind of hard for me.
00:57:25
Simone
Mm.
00:57:27
Darin Tingey
um Just like, I love Kiribati.
00:57:27
Simone
Mm.
00:57:30
Darin Tingey
I love the Marsh Islands. It was just like, the mission is difficult. Like, and and to just quickly touch on the depression part, like Joey Powell talked about this on his podcast as well, that he experienced depression as well.
00:57:32
Simone
Mm.
00:57:41
Darin Tingey
Especially being on the islands, and any mission in general, but like on the islands, you can feel very lonely.
00:57:47
Simone
Yeah.
00:57:48
Darin Tingey
As a missionary, you feel lonely. You're also overwhelmed, like thinking about your investigators constantly and their progression, and you feel the weight of that on you.
00:57:54
Simone
Yeah.
00:58:00
Darin Tingey
And you knowt you're not with your family. we couldn't call our families every week like they can do now.
00:58:03
Simone
Yeah.
00:58:05
Darin Tingey
like just so much. And I feel like a lot of missionaries experience it at one point in their mission, whether it's talked about or not.
00:58:12
Simone
yeah
00:58:13
Darin Tingey
um But I think it's, it's, it is a, it's a big deal, but it don't feel alone in it too, you know?
00:58:20
Simone
That's
00:58:22
Darin Tingey
But I just remember being like, especially on Outer Islands for me, I would just sit and talk to my family via, like, I'd talk to the sun setting. Like I would sit there on the beach I'd just be like, Hey mom, like, how are you?
00:58:33
Simone
yeah
00:58:34
Darin Tingey
You know, like just, it is, it's so crazy.
00:58:34
Simone
a little bit crazy, Anna Tiggie. Yeah. oh
00:58:40
Darin Tingey
It's so crazy. I know I was going insane. i was going insane, but that's what I would do. And it was just like, I was lonely and was hard.
00:58:46
Simone
help
00:58:48
Simone
no lonely
00:58:53
Darin Tingey
Anyway, so I would, if I was going to Fiji, man, i would have been like, Ooh, this is kind of nice.
00:58:57
Simone
yeah
00:58:59
Simone
The real question for you though is did the sunset talk back? Because if it did, we would have got
00:59:04
Darin Tingey
No.
00:59:07
Darin Tingey
No comment. No comment.
00:59:08
Simone
issues.
00:59:09
Darin Tingey
yeah
00:59:10
Simone
Can neither confirm nor deny.
00:59:13
Darin Tingey
Exactly. Exactly. Yeah.
00:59:15
Simone
oh No, honestly, being in Fiji, it was, I think, because i always knew it was only temporary. i Obviously, part of me did want, I just wanted the food. I was just so hungry.
00:59:25
Darin Tingey
Yeah. well
00:59:26
Simone
Just so hungry. But it was also lonely in the sense where that you're with a companion 24-7. All of a sudden, you don't have a companion. It was the weirdest feeling, and I just wanted someone with me.
00:59:37
Simone
And I think that was probably the hardest thing.
00:59:38
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
00:59:40
Simone
Yeah. Yeah.
00:59:42
Darin Tingey
um So then you get to then you get to Christmas Island.
00:59:42
Simone
yeah
00:59:45
Simone
Yes.
00:59:45
Darin Tingey
Was it everything you had dreamed of, at least initially?
00:59:50
Simone
Honestly, absolutely, yes. Like, it's it's magical for a reason. I don't know what it is about that island, but it's special. Like, first of all, it's this massive island. Like, hardly anyone lives there. I think, what, 2,000 people? I'm making numbers up. Don't quote me. I'm fact check this, but it's a huge island, way bigger than Darawa. Like,
01:00:12
Simone
I don't know however many times bigger than Tarawa, but it's huge.
01:00:15
Darin Tingey
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
01:00:15
Simone
And it's, like, very, very sparsely populated. um To get from the airport to where I was in Daba Kea, that's my, that's my, where I served, it took, like, what, like, an hour maybe?
01:00:30
Simone
Like, it was, it was a long ways away, but,
01:00:32
Darin Tingey
here
01:00:36
Simone
eight And island at that point, eight missionaries, six or eight missionaries and one senior couple. And we lived, the sisters, I was with Sister Boss um and we, yeah, do you have you met Sister Boss?
01:00:47
Darin Tingey
Nice.
01:00:50
Darin Tingey
Yeah, Haley Boss, right?
01:00:50
Simone
Oh, yeah. Yes, yes. So we were together. It was so fun. Like our bikes, we're trying ride our bikes, right? And that break almost every single day.
01:01:04
Simone
And at that point, I had never changed a tire. Like it was just this funny thing that I had kept up. Like I never changed a tire because the elders always did it for us. They spoiled us, right?
01:01:13
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:01:15
Simone
And then so my tire breaks and sister box's boss is like, are you going to fix it? And I was like, I actually don't know how, like I've never changed a tire. And she's like, what? You need to change it. You to learn.
01:01:25
Simone
I was like, oh, I'd really rather not. Like rather not.
01:01:28
Darin Tingey
Thank you.
01:01:28
Simone
So then, you know, we can continue this thing. So She changes the tire for me almost every day. And then, but it just keeps breaking. So obviously we go out, we literally, the tire breaks, we have to walk at home.
01:01:39
Simone
Then we have to walk like 40 minutes to our appointment, right? We only ended up really having like one appointment a day because after you study, you go out, you try to find people. If you do have an appointment, you have to walk there, walk back.
01:01:51
Simone
There's no one around, like no one to teach, no one around. Like it's so different to that hour. But, I, um, there was one lady that do want to mention, like, she's, like, my heart, um, Nei Aris, she's from Kitabas, oh, no, sorry, Christmas Island, um, and she was the sweetest lady, like, so crack up, so unhinged, this lady, um but she was just so kind to us, like, she'd weave, um, mats for us, and just always talked to us, always gave us her time, like, she was very, very lovely, so i feel like
01:02:29
Simone
That was part of the magic of Christmas. um And also we, like just the missionaries that were there, because there were only eight of us, you just, you have no one else, you know, you have to have to kind of band together.
01:02:40
Darin Tingey
Yeah, you bond.
01:02:41
Simone
Yeah, you do, you bond. P-Day, we spend it all together. There's nothing to do there apart from maybe driving out to different parts of the island to see like, The bush or like, for example, I'll tell you what we did.
01:02:54
Simone
One P-Day and shout out to Adalat as well. um Adalat was zone leader. One P-Day he took us. this is He was so fun. He's like, guys, I've got an activity for you. He literally drives us to this abandoned like water tower or something dangerous.
01:03:10
Simone
And he's like, let's climb it.
01:03:13
Simone
So we all climb this freaking rickety tower that looks like it's going to break at any point. We're climbing up this. And then he's like, he looks at us. He's like, see, I'm a good zone leader, eh?
01:03:24
Simone
And we're like, oh, my gosh.
01:03:25
Darin Tingey
ah
01:03:28
Simone
He was hilarious. He was hilarious.
01:03:29
Darin Tingey
his He's a crack up.
01:03:29
Simone
um
01:03:31
Darin Tingey
I really liked him.
01:03:31
Simone
Yeah.
01:03:32
Darin Tingey
He's a good dude.
01:03:32
Simone
um
01:03:33
Simone
Yeah.
01:03:33
Darin Tingey
is this the same Is this the same story of the picture you had sent me?
01:03:37
Simone
no No, it's not. I'm getting there. um
01:03:44
Simone
So one P-Day, this was kind of close to before I got transferred off off the island, but one P-Day, the Pilkingtons, and I love the Pilkingtons. They came to my wedding, but they're so lovely. But um they they were like, okay, we're almost like a lot of us are going leave this island, so let's do something together.
01:04:03
Simone
So they drove us. They took their four-wheel drive truck. And then we had the van, the Zone Leaders van. So all of us are going and into this, um on this little road trip.
01:04:15
Simone
So they take us to different spots around the island. Like there was like a shipwrecked ship. There was like this, supposed to be this really beautiful beach. And it was, it was so beautiful, like picturesque.
01:04:28
Simone
Think like sandy white beaches, beautiful blue water. and like we're on the beach and like, As you know, 18, 19 year olds do. They're creeping their way towards the shore of the edge of the water.
01:04:40
Darin Tingey
That's right.
Beach Adventure and Challenges
01:04:42
Simone
And they're like, we're up to our knees at this point. And Outer Pilkington's like, whatever you do, don't fall in. Okay, just do not fall in. And Outer Pilkington's from Australia. Yeah.
01:04:53
Simone
so of course who falls in outer lutz he falls quotation marks in um but it was just so fun because but they're also in saying that that beach was the tide was so strong like it was pulling us out like it was very actually quite a dangerous beach um so they took us there and then they took us to like the shipwreck and we like took photos and stuff it was so fun and they also had like
01:04:57
Darin Tingey
yeah ra
01:05:00
Darin Tingey
and's right
01:05:20
Simone
like the salt flats. It's like, I don't know what they did, but they like collected salt or something.
01:05:23
Darin Tingey
yeah
01:05:26
Simone
There like a bunch of salt in this like shed thing. um But there was like rocks and we like stacked the rocks and oh, it's just so many memories. But then they take us to this one place and to get there, you have to kind of cross at low tide.
01:05:42
Simone
So you have to cross at low tide and then we're like, it's going to be all good because we're going to come back in time. The tide won't be an issue. So we go over it
01:05:49
Darin Tingey
That's just, oh, we'll be back in time.
01:05:52
Simone
Yeah, yeah, it'll be fine. Don't worry, there's heaps of time. No, it was not fine. It was not fine at all. We come back and then out of Pilkington's car ends up getting like stuck in the sand because at this point the tie had the tide had already come in.
01:06:08
Simone
And so the thing is, it's not it's not that deep, right? The tide wasn't that deep. The issue was you going at low tide, you could see which road to take.
01:06:19
Simone
But obviously with the water on the ground already, you can't see where to go. So ends up going into like a soft part of the beach or the sand area, which is why he got stuck. Um, and like the vans tried to pull it out. It couldn't, nothing's working.
01:06:34
Simone
actually don't remember how he got out. I think one of the, one of the members must have come and helped from somewhere. i think someone had like had to walk down the road or something like, like walk like to the nearest whatever house or whatever and ask them for help. And I think that's where they brought their like truck and help to get it out.
01:06:53
Simone
um but it was so funny like just the context of that photo was so funny and because we're sitting there for a good hour hour and a half at least just kind of like twiddling our thumbs we're at least at least an hour and a half maybe two hours maybe an hour and a half away from our home like no way to get back home it's getting cold like it's a this island has no shelter like it's ah totally open no kind of the forests are like coconut tree forests that are like miles away it's we're out in the open so it was like a little bit dangerous you know like um you
01:07:12
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:07:28
Darin Tingey
Yeah, I'm looking at the photo and I'm like, ooh, I'm looking at it right now.
01:07:29
Simone
evening
01:07:32
Darin Tingey
like, that yeah, that truck is in deep. And like you said, like wherever you are on Christmas, like Christmas is huge. So like getting around the island is not easy.
01:07:41
Simone
yeah
01:07:45
Simone
no no
01:07:47
Darin Tingey
It wasn't like you were just, oh, well, just walk home.
01:07:50
Simone
Exactly, exactly. And like no food at this stage, no food, like no, no warmth. Cause we're dressed in like t-shirts and shorts for the hot weather, you know, like it was, it was hectic, but I think, and of all things for that to happen, you know what mean?
01:08:01
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:08:07
Simone
Like on this remote Island where there's no such thing as like a digger to dig you out of like any kind of situation. But that was one of the best stories I think from, from my time on Christmas Island.
01:08:19
Darin Tingey
So, and and you only stayed there for like a transfer, you said?
01:08:22
Simone
Yeah, I wasn't there for long. It was just a transfer, unfortunately. I wanted to die there. I wanted to i was hoping President would let me die, but didn't. He brought me back and I was gutted.
01:08:35
Darin Tingey
It's hope you had fun. Hope you had fun with your answer.
01:08:36
Simone
yeah Yeah, yeah, like, okay, back work.
01:08:40
Simone
Back to reality now, sis.
01:08:42
Darin Tingey
Exactly. But you guys you get to Ata, right?
01:08:43
Simone
Hmm.
01:08:47
Simone
Yes.
01:08:47
Darin Tingey
I mean, Ata is a great area.
01:08:49
Simone
Oh, it's a fantastic area. Like, it's such a great area. I think I was just, at this point, I didn't have long line mission. I would say, what, four months? Something like that.
01:09:01
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:09:01
Simone
but wasn't long. And i if I'm being honest, I was starting to get tired. Like, I was starting to get really tired. i had followed I had follow-up trained Sister Lutui.
01:09:12
Simone
I um was just getting really, really tired. And I i don't know if
Mission Fatigue and Personal Growth
01:09:17
Simone
anyone else can relate, but... I think when you give when ye give your all, like the way I was trying to, you you burn out, you know? Like you just, by the end of my mission, I wanted to go home so bad. Like I was just exhausted and was like, you know what? I've had a great time, but I'm also just, I just want to go to sleep, okay?
01:09:37
Simone
Like, please, please.
01:09:38
Darin Tingey
Yeah, this has been fun. This has been great.
01:09:40
Simone
Yeah, this has been fun.
01:09:42
Darin Tingey
so
01:09:42
Simone
It's been real and it's been fun, but get me off now. But no, so Aether was great. Again, like powerhouses of wards. Like they're so strong because you have Moroni, then you have like Aether, forget if they're first or second. I'm so sad.
01:09:58
Simone
But you have like these great leaders, strong membership as well. Very, very strong membership. The members are fantastic. We got to work with a lot of the students as well.
01:10:09
Simone
And they're such a great time. I think young people and youth, they're fantastic. They're so vibrant and very kind and very happy and joyful. Like they were awesome to work with. And yeah, I did i did have some struggles in terms of um my companionships. and I don't know anyone talks about this, but that was probably one of my hardest, harder companionships that I was experiencing.
01:10:35
Simone
um But I think I think it really taught me a lot, um I guess, about myself and about, like, how people are different. And this is where I think companionship inventory really helps you.
01:10:49
Simone
And, of course, and, I mean, I'm saying this, and I know that I was likely a difficult companion for some people. You know, let's be honest.
01:10:57
Darin Tingey
Sure.
01:10:58
Simone
yeah well not everyone's cup tea you know and I was very a certain type way but so I say that you know and I do recognize I'm not perfect I have lots of weaknesses and character defects but yeah that was where I experienced one of my harder companionships and it took a lot out of me and I think towards the end of my mission was like I'm just done like I just I'm so tired I'm done done with this companionship I'm done just want to get out of here
01:11:00
Darin Tingey
right
01:11:25
Darin Tingey
And that was that your last companion?
Inspirational Missionaries and Service Values
01:11:27
Simone
yeah that was my last companion yeah that was me yeah yeah yeah
01:11:30
Darin Tingey
No way. what What a companionship to end on. were like, see ya, I'm outta here.
01:11:37
Simone
yeah and she you know you know i don't want to talk i don't want to talk badly because it wasn't her i think it's it's me and how i chose to deal with certain behaviors right
01:11:47
Darin Tingey
Sure, it's a companionship. It's two ways there.
01:11:49
Simone
Yeah, yes, sure, yeah, but it was, it and I don't know, think for me, we were just very different, and I didn't know how to handle that difference, because I didn't say this, but up until then, I liked all of my companions, you know, like, I really liked all of my companions, and I thought, oh, this is, like, easy, you know, everyone has kind of companion horror stories, I i didn't, like,
01:12:13
Simone
I had really good companions.
01:12:14
Darin Tingey
Thank
01:12:15
Simone
I got along with them well. We had fun. So this was kind of like my time to really have to learn how to communicate, learn how to resolve conflict, learn what what I should let go and what I should do.
01:12:30
Simone
you know, like, kind of have to sort out in terms of our companionship. But, yeah. We were also living in a house of four sisters as well. So, eighth house has four sisters. So, it was a a lot of us. And then, um yeah.
01:12:45
Darin Tingey
The Ada house was Oceanside, right? Where the waves were crashing. I think this is the house that I met you at.
01:12:52
Simone
I think...
01:12:55
Darin Tingey
it was Because I had come off in August of
01:12:59
Simone
online
01:13:01
Darin Tingey
from Mayana. So I think that's where I had met you.
01:13:04
Simone
oh right right right and if you would yes yeah oh i i have to talk about arda peterson now that you mentioned because he was the loveliest missionary like like always smiling always smiling and i was a bit cheeky i like like to play this game of guessing like everyone's first names
01:13:06
Darin Tingey
thirty eight Peterson was in Ada at that time. Yeah.
01:13:22
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:13:28
Simone
um As you do, because you have to make your own fun. Oh my gosh, you can't do anything. This is like what I did for fun, you know, like sue me. um So we'd like, once I found out his name, I be like, Caleb. And he's like, Sister Lee.
01:13:42
Darin Tingey
ah
01:13:42
Simone
He was so funny. But he, I know you talked to him in his episode, but I have to, I have to attest and testify. His baking was amazing.
01:13:53
Simone
I don't know how he baked what he did from the little ingredients available on the island. Like, oh, my gosh. Incredible baker.
01:14:01
Darin Tingey
I know he, uh, I got to be in one area with him for a transfer.
01:14:06
Simone
Yeah.
01:14:07
Darin Tingey
and weren't companions, but we lived together for a little bit and it was awesome.
01:14:09
Simone
anne
01:14:11
Simone
Yeah.
01:14:11
Darin Tingey
It was so great.
01:14:12
Darin Tingey
I ate so well and he's just the nicest guy. ah
01:14:17
Simone
Genuinely so nice. Genuinely so nice.
01:14:20
Darin Tingey
Yeah, ah he's he's the man. I mean, him and Wannick.
01:14:22
Simone
Mmm.
01:14:24
Darin Tingey
Wannick is also similar. you know I don't know how much interaction you had with him.
01:14:25
Simone
Mmm.
01:14:27
Darin Tingey
Those two guys were awesome.
01:14:28
Simone
Mmm.
01:14:29
Darin Tingey
I mean, there's so many great missionaries in our mission.
01:14:30
Simone
Yes, yes, yes.
01:14:31
Darin Tingey
ah So many awesome ones.
01:14:33
Simone
i I did want to, there was, I wanted to talk a little bit about, um if I can, you're like, um and if I can, there was, I just wanted to mention some of the missionaries who I really admired, like I thought they were really, like didn't get called to high positions of leadership, and I think sometimes, especially in the minds of 18, 19 year olds, leadership is everything, and it can seem like it's everything, but
01:14:40
Darin Tingey
Yeah, please.
01:15:00
Simone
Like there were missionaries that I served with, particularly elders who gave everything and they were never in high positions of leadership, but you could see how much they loved the people, how much they loved the work just by the way they carried themselves, by the way they interacted with others.
01:15:18
Simone
And I think Elder Osborne, don't, have you met Elder Osborne?
01:15:22
Darin Tingey
Yeah, he's the man.
01:15:22
Simone
He was, he was one of those, one of those missionaries, like and incredible, incredible, and incredible missionary. Um,
Humorous Mission Stories
01:15:30
Simone
And also, i think I don't know if you ever met Outer Grant. I don't think you would have met Outer Grant. He finished before.
01:15:36
Simone
Outer Grant, he's from Australia and also Outer Barons. He was one of my good friends. They just worked so hard and I always admired them and their work ethic and their genuine love for what they were doing.
01:15:49
Simone
um And that's not to say there wasn't anyone else. It was just the missionaries that I had interacted with and that I was close with. Yeah. So I guess I just wanted to bring it up just to highlight to ennie anyone serving any mission that it's not about numbers. It's not about like what position of leadership you may serve. And it's it's definitely to it's definitely about like how you serve, how you choose to serve, what you choose to do with the time that you've been given as a missionary and what you're going to make of it.
01:16:20
Simone
Yeah.
01:16:21
Darin Tingey
Yeah, and they obviously made ah and impact on you, you know, not just the kiddos people, but on you.
01:16:26
Simone
Yeah. Like, ten years later, I still think of them as, like, incredible missionaries, you know?
01:16:28
Darin Tingey
ah
01:16:33
Darin Tingey
Yeah, no, absolutely. And that's, um, and that's the fun part about this podcast is you get to hear everyone's story and get a little bit more insight into each person's mission and how it shaped them, how it shaped, uh, know, the people of Kiribati and the mission in general.
01:16:37
Simone
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
01:16:44
Simone
Mm.
01:16:52
Darin Tingey
So, um, I guess coming up on the end here, feel free if you have any other stories to butt in, but you know the the typical questions that I ask everybody, right?
01:17:03
Simone
yeah
01:17:04
Simone
Wait, but before you ask the questions, do you want to hear about, I shared about our success story, but do you want to hear about our failure story?
01:17:04
Darin Tingey
It's your favorite.
01:17:06
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:17:11
Darin Tingey
Let's hear it. Let's hear it
01:17:12
Simone
look I don't know if you can edit this or circle back, however, but, so do you remember my first area of Paireki?
01:17:19
Simone
So when I was talking about that my very first investigator that I met, her name was Keowa, and she got baptized.
01:17:26
Simone
So she got baptized and then we asked her to help us teach another um another teenage boy. And she was like, yeah, yeah. I forgot his name, but she helped us teach him, right? We'd take her to his house.
01:17:39
Simone
And then you're laughing already. I feel like you can see where this is going.
01:17:46
Simone
So we end up taking her to be our fellow shabba. I think she fellowshiped too hard and she like ended up having a baby together.
01:17:52
Darin Tingey
right yeah
01:18:00
Simone
ended up having a baby together and then I think I had left the area by the time she got pregnant, but So she gets pregnant and she has a baby. So we go to see her in the hospital in Bikini Bill.
01:18:11
Simone
And this is a note. You don't ever want to end up in that hospital. Like you do not. It's not what you'd think of, especially if you're in the Western world. It's not a place you ever want to end up. It's like the last place you want to go, basically.
01:18:25
Simone
um It's very, look like something out of like a World War Two movie. Like it's
01:18:29
Darin Tingey
Yeah.
01:18:30
Simone
It's so old, run down, paint's peeling from the walls, there's like half broken beds that the patients are on, it's crazy. So we go to visit her and it's really nice but normally try to visit her dad like a few months later when I was in the area, he was not happy, a like he was just not happy with us, which was such a shame.
01:18:50
Simone
Because we had built this great relationship. And it wasn't our fault she slept with him and had a kid, you know. but also and from a parent's perspective, I can see how that may have appeared and how he could have chosen to blame us.
01:19:04
Simone
But um yeah, so not every story has a heavy ending as a missionary, but that's okay. That's
Conclusion and Reflections on Mission Impact
01:19:13
Darin Tingey
that is so funny uh
01:19:13
Simone
okay.
01:19:15
Simone
I have to share it because there'll be highs and there'll be lows.
01:19:19
Darin Tingey
fellowshipping little too much that is so good yeah
01:19:20
Simone
too hard and in one ear and out the other with these kids my goodness
01:19:31
Darin Tingey
That's right.