As a child, Janet saw something in both her grandmothers that she wanted. “Their lives were the best translation of the Bible that I ever read,” she said.

Janet decided to follow Jesus at age eight and from then on, she had two passions in life: to know Jesus more and to make Him known.

“When you know the love, the grace, the forgiveness, the kindness, the gentleness in your own life—you want to share that with others.”

Still, Janet might have been content to share God’s love in her own small British village forever if a group of servicemen from the Arabian Peninsula hadn’t shown up. At that time, she’d never heard the words ‘Islam’ or ‘Muslim’.

Several of the men came to Janet, a hairdresser, for regular trims. Those encounters were a turning point in her life. “The Lord gave me a real love for and interest in the Muslim world,” she said.

In the years that followed Janet began to wonder whether God wanted her to do more with the Muslim world. This was confirmed when she first heard about the work of OM. “I thought my heart was going to burst” she shared.

For the next three weeks, Janet prayed that God would take away her urge to get involved in missions if it wasn’t from Him. Instead, it got stronger.

Janet’s first visit to the Arabian Peninsula on a short missions trip was a challenging experience for her. “I just felt unusable, and it was a really difficult time,” she shared. But as she persevered and began to engage with the local community, Janet found her heart was changing.

“God showed me that it doesn’t matter who we are; as long as we’re open and available, He can use us.”

After a few more short-term trips, Janet learnt about an opportunity to serve long-term in the Arabian Peninsula by working part-time in a bookshop. “As soon as I came here, I felt like I’d come home,” she said.
As Janet interacted with people—women, students, migrant workers, professionals, retirees—through the bookshop, she realised that God was bringing her those He was already drawing to Himself. In the first six months, three migrant workers who spent time talking to her at the bookshop came to faith and were baptised.

The one-on-one interactions at the bookshop suited Janet, who described herself as an introvert.

“I was never brave; I was never adventurous, in fact, quite the opposite. I would say I was very fearful, I felt very inadequate and very weak,” she shared. “I’m amazed that God can even use someone like me.”

“It’s His love that compels me; it’s His compassion that drives me. Just the fact that many here are going to be lost for eternity, having never heard, that’s what propels me,” she summarised. “Even at 52, it’s worth it, just to embark on this journey with Him.”

Hear from Janet

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