Story by Emily Davies, Photos by Lewis and Judy Young
MAF - THE LIFELINE TO MISSIONARIES AT OWENA “MAF is still our main lifeline connection and continues to service the community through medevacs, bringing in medical supplies, taking out coffee etc.” These are the words of Judy Young, a missionary, after her fourth return to Papua New Guinea to serve the people of Owena through a new missionary training school.
Back then there was no airstrip at Owena and the Youngs either hiked six hours over the mountain from the nearest airstrip or, on occasion, came in by helicopter. After being in the United States for four years they came back to PNG for another ten years before they went home in 1996 because of serious health problems in their family.
our place”. Meanwhile, the Lord was working in Lewis’s heart about coming back to PNG to help train those who had a burden for reaching other areas with the gospel.
Judy and Lewis Young returned to Owena in January 2019. It was not until they started settling in that they realised that there were some serious problems within the local church they attended and where they planned to In 2008 they came back a third start the training. Despite the time for another seven years. challenges they continued to “When we returned to the US make preparations for a training near the end of 2015, we did programme while at the same Owena is a village situated believe that we would not return time addressing the problems around a steep airstrip on a to PNG”, she says. in the church. mountain range in the Eastern Highlands of PNG with no road But in 2017 Lewis went back to PRAYERS FOR THE access. The people often walk Owena for a visit to challenge TROUBLED YOUTH between one and one and a the Owena believers to take the half days to the nearest road gospel to other places. He got Education in Owena is also still and catch a minibus from there some positive responses to that a challenge. During Judy and to Goroka, a ride of about four ministry, but the people wanted Lewis’s absence, the community hours. someone to train them for that school had added grades seven and eight, but when the schools work. 50 YEARS OF CALLING closed due to COVID-19 and the TO SERVE IN PNG “When Lewis returned home government measures were put from the meetings, we began in place, teachers left the village The Young family came to PNG to pray together for the Lord to and went back to their own for the first time in January raise up a young couple or family homes since there was nothing 1972 and stayed for ten years. to come and serve in Owena in for them to do there. 16
