Lu Piper, a Uniting Church volunteer in Papua New Guinea, has been awarded a Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia for service to the international community through educational, health and pastoral roles.

The Medal, awarded on Australia Day, recognises Lu’s extensive work in PNG as well as her contribution to indigenous education in Australia and her work as a parish minister in the Anglican Church. Lu, a trained teacher, worked in PNG in this capacity from 1968 – 1972. She then was seconded to the Melanesian Council of Churches to work on a Christian education syllabus for Primary school students. She spent several years teaching in a remote indigenous community in Australia before returning to work at Gaulim Teacher’s College in PNG.

Since 2004 Lu has worked with the United Church of Papua New Guinea (UCPNG) in Salamo, a remote area in the Papuan Islands region. As one of UnitingWorld’s Experience Volunteers, Lu, alongside local church leaders, supports the construction and renewal of Health Clinics and remote Health outposts. These clinics and outposts are vital in PNG, where many communities live on isolated islands or in remote areas and access to clinics and healthcare can be limited.

Regarding her work in PNG, Lu says,

“I have come to the point where I understand ministry is washing feet, and that alone. All else is peripheral, it seems to me, and hopefully, with God’s help, it is eventually possible to let all else go.”

The United Church in Papua New Guinea has long been a partner of the United Church in Australia. They play an important role in service provision in PNG, particularly in relation to primary and secondary education. The Development Unit of the UCPNG has been active in community development initiatives, particularly focusing on ensuring access to safe water, sanitation and health services in remote areas. UnitingWorld, the agency of the National Assembly of the United Church in Australia that relates to our overseas partners, works with the UCPNG to run these programs. Find out more about UnitingWorld’s work in PNG here.

To find out more about how you can volunteer with UnitingWorld, visit the UnitingWorld Experience website.