Joe and Janet Campbell's home over the past four years has been in Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, where they have been working with the United Mission to Nepal (UMN).
Some 13,000 people were killed, 100,000 displaced and over 1,000 people are still missing following the 10-year Maoist insurgency which ended in November 2006. As a result of these years of conflict, there remains in Nepal a legacy of much pain and anger; but UMN is strongly committed to supporting the church and Nepali NGOs as they seek to help bring healing and reconciliation to the people of Nepal.
As UMN’s Peace & Conflict Transformation Advisor, Joe has worked with UMN’s Nepali partners and the Nepali Church in the development of peace and conflict transformation skills and vision. He’s also been involved in supporting the development of a national peace infrastructure in the country.
Janet has provided Pastoral Care to UMN’s 30+ international (expatriate) staff and their families, and has also contributed to peace and healing through the delivery of trauma awareness training. In addition, she has worked as a volunteer with a YWCA project supporting women rescued from trafficking in India.
Before going to Nepal, Joe worked in teaching, then in the leadership of a city-based youth organisation in Belfast, and finally as Assistant Director of Mediation Northern Ireland. Janet’s background is in nursing and midwifery. In the 1970s she attended Bible College, studied language in Costa Rica, and spent two years in Peru with Latin Link.
Joe and Janet spent a year together at the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, in the USA, where they undertook counselling, mediation, peace, justice and trauma studies.
The Campbells arrived in Nepal in September 2006, undertaking six months' language study and orientation before beginning their current roles with UMN.
Their work has involved extensive travel by bus, plane or on foot to some very remote areas of Nepal, so safety in all travel has been a continual concern.
Joe, who was brought up in Holywood (Co Down), and Janet, originally from London, have been actively involved in First Holywood congregation over several decades, where Joe is an elder. Joe and Janet have three adult children and are grandparents.
Joe and Janet returned home at the beginning of August 2010, having completed their 'fulltime service' with UMN in Nepal. However, they continue to keep in contact with their former colleagues and key Nepali contacts and, with the suppport of Presbyterian Mission Overseas, have committed to a number of short return visits to Nepal to help encourage and mentor those they formally worked with.
General Prayer Points
Our weekly Overseas Prayerline bulletin contains up-to-date information and prayer requests from our mission personnel and partners overseas.
Events | News & Information | Give | Go | Pray | Deputation
