Winston Farley served in Kiribati from 2013 - 2015 and continued on his involvement in the mission by teaching Kiribati in the MTC after his mission. Winston served on 4 outer islands in Kiribati - Abaiang, Onotoa, Nikunau, and Beru. Towards the back half of his mission, Winston was asked to go open the outer island of Nikunau. With no plan for housing and no connections on the island, Winston and his companion flew to Nikunau for the wild ride of establishing Zion on a remote outer island.  #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Abaiang #Onotoa #Nikunau #Beru #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Josh Sherman served in the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission from 2012 - 2014 and primarily served in the Marshall Islands side of the mission until he was called to serve his last 6.5 transfers as the AP to President Weir. Josh grew a deep love for the Marshallese people and was diligent in his efforts to master their language during his time as a missionary. Although Josh never served full-time on an outer island he was blessed to visit a handful of outer islands in Kiribati, along with Ebeye, Kiritimati, and Tarawa multiple times. #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Kiribati #Majuro #Ebeye #Tarawa #Kiritmati #Abaiang #Maiana #Butaritari #Makin #Nonouti #Onotoa #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

FIRST SENIOR COUPLE ON THE PODCAST!!! Joanne and Jared Williams served for two years as a senior couple in the Marshall Islands / Kiribati Mission from 2023 -2025. Post Covid lockdowns, the Marshall Islands side of the mission did not reopen until March of 2023, and the Williams were the first senior couple to arrive in the Marshall Islands just a few months later. Joanne and Jared saw miracle after miracle as they raced to get the mission ready for a large wave of missionaries as the mission was reopening, with one of those miracles involving an Amazon loophole. Hear their story of dedication, including their efforts to visit and support the Saints on the outer islands across both sides of the mission. If you know anyone that's willing, able, and healthy to serve in the Marshall Islands / Kiribati Mission we need more senior couples! #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Kiribati #Majuro #Ebeye #Tarawa #Marakei #Lae #Mili #Wotje #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #SeniorCouples

Will Arnett served in the Marshall Islands side of the Marshall Islands / Kiribati Mission from 2023 - 2025. Will was part of the first big intake back in the Marshall Islands post covid, which meant he had 6 weeks of training from an older missionary and that was it. Will's mission did not only include preaching the good word of God, but also judging the swim competitions at the Micronesian Olympic Games. #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Majuro #Ebeye #Lae #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

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

David Boaden served in the Marshall Islands from 2013 - 2015 and was blessed to serve on two outer islands, Ebon and Jaluit, as well as the main island of Majuro. During his time as a missionary, David was able to help many of the Marshallese people come unto Christ and find joy. One of those amazing conversion stories involved a very well known pilot in the Marshall Islands who remains strong and is currently serving as the Bishop of the Long Island, Majuro Ward. David was able to find the love of his life in the last area of his mission. After being married and sealed in Australia, they now live back in the Marshall Islands with their son. #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Majuro #Ebon #Jaluit #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Reid Wiberg served in the Micronesian Guam Mission from 1982 - 1983 and served in both Kiribati and Guam during his 18 months as a missionary. The Micronesian Guam Mission covered a handful of island countries in the Pacific and Reid was sent out to serve about half of his time on the island of Tarawa in Kiribati where there were few missionaries, only one small branch of saints, and Moroni was only a junior high.  #MicronesianGuamMission #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Guam #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Tanner Risk served in Kiribati from 2013 - 2015 and was a part of the missionary age change flood of missionaries world wide. After serving just a few months on Tarawa, Tanner was sent to the outer island of Butaritari where he would begin his life as the "outer islands elder." Almost his whole two years as a missionary in Kiribati, Tanner would be serving the people of the outer islands: Butaritari, Makin, Marakei, Maiana, and Tabiteuea. Everywhere Tanner went the church grew and near death encounters occurred, but that's what we call a mission in the islands of the Pacific.  #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Butaritari #Makin #Marakei #Maiana #Tabiteuea #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Austin Decker served in Kiribati & the Marshall Islands from 2011 - 2014. Before the mission, Austin was a highly touted soccer recruit (#42 in the country) playing on both the U.S. Soccer Youth National Team and the U.S. Region 2 Olympic Development Program. Austin went on to play collegiate soccer at Lehigh University and after his sophomore season was influenced by his younger brother to put his dreams of soccer on hold and serve a mission. Austin was called to serve in Kiribati not once, but twice, and became a true believer in Jesus Christ's atonement during that special time of his life. Austin served in Tarawa, North Tarawa, Abemama, Majuro, and was lucky enough to visit some other islands as AP. #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Tarawaieta #Abemama #MarshallIslands #Majuro #Kiritimati #Maiana #Abaiang #Butaritari #Beru #Ebeye #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Jared Whippy, the BYU Women's Rugby Head Coach, served in Kiribati from 2011 - 2013. Jared and his twin brother, Josh, did everything together while growing up in Fiji and New Zealand where they dominated in basketball and dabbled in rugby. After Jared received his mission call to the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission (Kiribati Region), the Lord decided that the brothers should continue to dominate together as missionaries and called Jared's twin to the same mission! Not only did they serve in the same mission, but were also companions at one point.  #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Marakei #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

First sister back to the Marshall Islands post COVID!  Ellery Miller's missionary journey to the Marshall Islands was a unique one. Starting in 2022, she was first reassigned to Tacoma, Washington, for a year. Her prayers were finally answered when she became part of the first group of international missionaries to return to the Marshall Islands after the COVID lockdown. Throughout her time there, she was a member of the only companionship of sister missionaries on the islands. Today, Ellery continues to serve the Marshallese people by teaching at the MTC and studying mental health in the islands. #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Kiribati #Majuro #Tarawa #Mili #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Cody Sias served in the islands from 2012-2014 and started his mission on the Kiribati side of the mission. After only 36 days on the main island of Tarawa, Cody was transferred to Kiritimati Island where his stay was so long that he was lucky enough to catch a ship to Tabuaeran (Fanning Island) not only once, but twice! One of those trips almost ended badly for a senior missionary, but prayers were answered and miracles were beheld once again in the middle of nowhere in the Pacific Ocean.  After a year and a half in Kiribati, Cody was transferred to the Marshall Islands where he would finish his last 7 months as AP. Lucky for him, he and his companion convinced the mission president there were some adventures to be had in the outer islands of Kiribati.  #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Kiritimati #Tabuaeran #Fanning #Majuro #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Maddie Greenburg Dixon (Sister Greenburg) served in the Marshall Islands from 2016 - 2018. She was "blessed" to be the only sister missionary in her MTC group of 14 missionaries, but really it just prepared her for an elder dominated, tiny island mission in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Maddie served on almost every area on the main island of Majuro as well as the blessed island of Ebeye.  #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Ebeye #Majuro #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Ezrym Ellis was originally called to serve in the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission from 2015–2017. However, about halfway through his time in the MTC, he learned that he wouldn't actually be serving in the Marshall Islands at all—instead, he was headed to the other country in the mission: Kiribati. During his service, Ezrym served on Tabiteuea (first in Tab South, then Tab North), Kiritimati, and Tarawa, and was blessed with opportunities to visit several outer islands while serving as AP. I still remember being personally welcomed by Ezrym's crossover at Moroni High School on my very first P-day in Kiribati—and legend has it, I wasn't the first, nor the last, to receive such a welcome. #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Tabiteuea #Kiritimati #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

FIRST SISTER MISSIONARY ON THE POD!!! Nakitta Faupula Ellis served in Kiribati from November 2014 - May 2016. Nakitta had a rare experience to serve on the outer island of Marakei! Not often do you hear of sisters serving on outer islands, but for Nakitta, it was her "refiner's fire" moment after telling her mission president that outer islands were not for her. Nakitta knew she was headed to a third-world country, but always thought her living conditions would be a bit better than the elders'... she just didn't know that it meant being blessed with more pet rats to keep her company at night. #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Marakei #Tarawaeita #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Joey Powell served in Kiribati from 2015-2017 and he spent 9 months of those two years just on the outer island of Nonouti! Joey served on Tarawa, and the outer islands of Tabiteuea (Tab South), Nonouti, and Abaiang. After a tough start to the mission and dealing with some difficult circumstances on his first outer island, Joey fell in love with Kiribati on the island of Nonouti. Did the mission president forget that he was on Nonouti for so long, or was it meant to be? Probably a little bit of both... #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Tarawa #Tabiteuea #Nonouti #Abaiang #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Tereua Oliphant is our first guest that was not a full-time missionary in the mission, but an even better guest because she is from Kiribati! To be exact, Tereua is Banaban/Fijian/Kiribati and was born on Rabi Island in Fiji where the Banaban people were displaced while the British mined for phosphate on Banaba Island (250 miles west of the nearest Gilbert Islands). After a long and faith-led journey, Tereua lives in Utah with her family and leads a Kiribati language and culture class at BYU in Provo, UT. Listen to the end to hear about Tereua's impact in helping the people of Kiribati receive a temple!  Help Preserve the Wisdom of Kiribati Women - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-preserve-the-wisdom-of-kiribati-women-liz-tereua Learn the Kiribati language with Tereua: https://www.instagram.com/langslaykiriway?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=OHQ3bG50aW44YzN5 #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Banaba #Rabi #Tarawa #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture #BYUHawaii #BYU

Hayden Weenig served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2016-2018 and might have been the most well liked elder in the mission. Hayden served on 3 outer islands, Abemama, Tabiteuea (Tab South), Abaiang along with serving on Tarawa. During his time on Tarawa Hayden was able to see some full circle conversions as well as serve as AP. If you haven't tried sea worms yet, Hayden has a recipe for you! #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #Kiribati #Abemama #Tabiteuea #Tarawa #Abaiang #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia #islandculture

Christian Mcalister served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2016 - 2018. Christian was adopted from the Marshall Islands when he was an infant and was able to return to his home country and people as a missionary of Christ. When he landed in the islands he felt as if he was home with his people. Learning his language and culture was very special to Christian, but most of all was finding and meeting his family members in the Marshall Islands. Christian served on Ebeye, Wotje, Majuro, & Ailinglaplap. Besides meeting his family in the islands, Christian also met his future wife, Polly Marie, who was a Fijian sister in his MTC group. #MarshallIslandsMajuroMission #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Ebeye #Wotje #Majuro #Ailinglaplap #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia

Hands down the coolest mission! Canon Weaver served in the Marshall Islands Kiribati Mission from 2022 - 2024 and was one of the very first missionaries back to the Marshall Islands post covid. Building a mission from the ground up as part of the "pioneer group" had its ups and downs, but the biggest bonus of it all was Canon's special assignment. For 3 months Canon was told to visit all the outer islands in the Marshall Islands, scope them out, find housing for missionaries, and report his findings. If that's not the dream, then I don't know what is! After serving in Majuro, Ebeye, and his outer island jambo assignment, Canon continued on the dream mission as ZL/AP where he got to travel to more outer islands, Kiribati a few times, and even the forgotten (and forbidden) country in our mission, Nauru!   Bonus - Canon was a referee during the Micronesian Olympic Games in the Marshall Islands.  Best Book about life in the Marshall Islands: "Surviving Paradise: One Year on a Disappearing Islands" https://a.co/d/aZIKlcm            https://www.peterrg.com/book.html #MarshallIslandsKiribatiMission #MarshallIslands #Kiribati #Nauru #Ebeye #Majuro #Tarawa #NorthTarawa #Ailinglaplap #Wotje #Ujae #Jaluit #Lae #Mili #Arno #outerislands #TheIslandsPodcast #theislands #PacificIslands #PacificIslanders #Micronesia