A Tapestry of Trust: 45 Years of Obedience
World Partners missionary Janet Nickel felt the call to missions from her childhood in Indiana—a conviction she carried with certainty, even when it "made no sense." While preparing for a life overseas, her wise father offered essential guidance as she began her college career: "You need to have some sort of vocation." Following his advice, she majored in Elementary Education, Bible, and Theology, unknowingly equipping herself with the primary tools that would launch her remarkable 45-year career.
From Yankee Teacher to African Principal
Janet began her journey with five and a half years of teaching in the States, viewing her relocation to Arkansas as a necessary "cross-cultural experience" that prepared her for the adjustment of international service. In 1980, she arrived in Sierra Leone to teach missionaries' children at the Kabala Rupp Memorial School. She quickly found her niche, even becoming the school Principal in her second year simply by having more seniority than the rapidly changing staff. She felt settled: "This is where I’m supposed to be."
This comfortable period of ministry ended abruptly in 1992 due to the Civil War, leading to an evacuation and eventual mission closure. Her departure in 1995 was traumatic, leaving her emotionally drained and unsure of the future.
Embracing the Unplanned Route
From that point forward, her ministry became a profound lesson in surrendered flexibility, leading her to the following roles she never could have anticipated:
Russia (1996-1997): Despite having "no call" and a different culture from Africa, she followed a temporary assignment to Russia, training teachers to use the Jesus Film and Christian ethics curriculum.
Nigeria (1997-1999): A two-year teaching assignment at the larger Hillcrest missionary school in Jos.
Guinea (2000-2003): Her next, and hardest, assignment was working with Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees who had fled the war. Her team assisted a church, provided material aid, and conducted stress and trauma healing workshops for people who had lost everything.
It was during this challenging work that the Lord wove an extraordinary, personal thread into her story through interactions with her friend ‘Ruth.’
The Disciple and the Tapestry
Ruth, a refugee and housekeeper with a Muslim background, had come to faith and was discipled by Janet. A highlight of their discipling was reading the entire Bible chronologically out loud together over one year. Ruth's hunger for truth was evident when she memorized the entire chapter of John 14 in just ten days. The reading illuminated scripture in unexpected ways, such as Ruth’s profound reaction to the story of the flood where she grieved, "Everyone died... I and everyone I know, everybody in my family, we all would have died."
As Janet’s ministry in Guinea came to an end, Ruth was commissioned to return to Sierra Leone to share the Gospel with her large, expecting family. Then, a year later in 2004, Janet herself unexpectedly returned to Sierra Leone to coordinate an Anti-Human Trafficking project, a role she "never, never would have thought" she’d be in. Through the anti-trafficking work, Ruth was eventually hired to work with Janet. While working together, Ruth shared with Janet and confessed to her that she had been a survivor of trafficking herself. She became a powerful witness, sharing her story to help other survivors—the ultimate fulfillment of a divine appointment.
He Is Faithful
After 45 years in missions that included a winding path from teacher to principal, from Russia to refugee camps, and from elementary education to anti-trafficking advocacy—World Partners missionary Janet Nickel has concluded her service as a career missionary. We honor and celebrate her many years of faithful ministry, and the countless lives impacted through her obedience to God’s call.
Janet’s career is a colorful tapestry, with threads of teaching, trauma healing, and anti-slavery work woven together in ways she never could have imagined. The most enduring lesson came not through her biggest success, but through the painful reality that disciples sometimes struggle. Yet, God is faithful in it all.
Janet’s life embodies a single, powerful truth for every person called to ministry: You cannot plan the journey, but you must trust the Planner. She encourages every disciple maker to resist the urge to force the path ahead of them. Instead, be available, surrender your vocation as a tool, and embrace the difficult, unplanned detours. Your commitment to humble obedience will position you for the divine appointments God has already set up.
Trust in His faithfulness, remain in Him, and rest in the assurance that He will complete the good work, both in you and in the lives of the disciples you are called to love.
“…He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” –Philippians 1:6 NIV