My name is Owen.

I am a retired chef. Cooking is my passion. I love cooking and serving a variety of meals for my church whanau. I love connecting with people in the kitchen!! I consider this passion to be a ministry of service.

I am a father of two adult daughters and have 13 grandkids and 3 great grandkids. Their ages range from 6 months to 34 years. None of my family live in Rotorua where I live, so I enjoy travelling to see them every three months. Most of them live in Northland.

I have a passion for riding Harley-Davidson motorbikes which take me on many travels around New Zealand. This gives me opportunities to share my faith as people are very curious and always want to talk when I pull up at a gas station and coffee shop. They automatically see my vest which has JFFJ (Jesus Forever Forever Jesus) and Atomic Church Riders written on it. This ignites a discussion where I can share about God’s love with other bikies.

In my spare time I love to encourage those who are struggling with their faith in Jesus. My heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart. In my travels in day to day life I come across many people who are lonely, depressed, isolated and without hope. I have lived through similar experiences in my lifetime so I understand their situation and offer them the gift of God’s mercy, hope and love.

In February 2020 I was fortunate enough to go on a mission trip to India. This changed my life. My relationship with Jesus grew as He enabled me to share my testimony to large crowds, pray for people, see miracles, love people with Christ’s love and practically care for people. I saw Jesus change peoples’ lives, including my own. I returned home a different person.

My reason for going to the Philippines in 2023 is to stretch my faith yet again and do what Jesus asks me too.