Mike and Kay Owen had been missionaries to Guatemala for about 25 years, working among the Kekchi and Spanish people.
But in 1999, they visited their daughter, Katrina, who was a journeyman in Morocco, and felt the Lord was moving them in a different direction. When they first arrived in Guatemala more than two decades ago, there were about 23 churches. They got to see that number grow to more than 350 by March 2001.
Churches dotted the landscape in Guatemala; Kekchi missionaries were being called out to do the Lord’s work. In the Owens’ own words, the couple saw “the lights coming on” in Guatemala. However, in the region of Morocco, that wasn’t so. They saw spiritual darkness.
When they returned to Guatemala, “the Lord spoke, saying darkness is a terrible thing,” Owen said. He explained that he was driving along at the time. He stopped the car, turned off the headlights and realized how paralyzing darkness truly is.
Though they didn’t have long before retirement, the couple felt the prodding of the Holy Spirit to transfer to the North Africa-Middle East region, where there were no
churches, Mrs. Owen said.
The Lord, her husband said, chose to move the couple out of their comfort zone, and they know they’re right where the Lord wants them.
Owen said they’ve been in the North Africa-Middle East region for about a year now, spreading the gospel to a difficult group to reach.
“It’s slow, but we’re seeing people come to the Lord,” he reported. “The young adults are asking questions,” his wife added.
The Owens were back in the United States in midsummer for the wedding of Katrina, who is now Katrina Chilton of Jacksonville. The Owens’ other four children are Kathryn Gifford of Texas; Michael Owen Jr. of Tennessee; John Mark Owen, who is youth minister at Central Park Baptist Church in Birmingham and Kristina Mazariegos of Birmingham. The couple also has six grandsons.
Though the Owens’ stateside stay was short, they did have opportunities to speak at Mount Hebron West Baptist in Elmore, Shades Mountain Baptist in Vestavia Hills and Twelfth Street Baptist in Gadsden, which is their home church.
Currently in the North Africa-Middle East region, they’re studying the language of those they’re trying to reach. And though Christianity isn’t widespread there, Mrs. Owen noted they have met some believers.
They were also eager to emphasize the way the Lord has pulled together circumstances to open doors for spreading the gospel.
“We are seeing Him give us opportunity after opportunity … to give witness,” Owen said.
Although retirement may be on the horizon for the couple, they say there is much work to be done in their region. They plan to stay as long as the Lord wants them to.
“I never tried to put a time limit on the Lord,” Owen stated. And he says he won’t start now.
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