Meet Jannel Rap

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jannel Rap a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jannel, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

When I was three years old I thought I knew my purpose. My first performance introduced me to the love of sharing music with a knowing that my share had to align with making a difference. In my search for that combination, I connected with causes, wrote lyrics that I hope lifted and pledged to be generous with my love. Yet, the purpose that seemed so easy to define at three, evaded me for many years. Then, purpose appeared with the vengeance when my sister, Gina Bos disappeared. Purpose hit me with such sad irony that it was difficult to verbalize. How do you say that your sister disappeared, so you could find your purpose? You don’t.

Gina disappeared on October 17, 2000. After 6 months of searching and media…Gina was still very missing. I ran out of ideas to find her. I fell asleep in a state of depression. I woke up in the middle of the night and sat up in bed with the thought “just do what you already do”. What I already did was write, record, book tours and book my own media. I couldn’t find my own sister, but I knew that I could get local media to feature the local events that feature missing people. Since there were 876,213 missing persons reports in 2000 it would not be difficult to find people who needed help, I asked 13 musicians from L.A. to NYC to give away a CD with the stories of 13 missing people. They asked their audiences to look, listen and pass it on. I received a call, three days after our NYC event that someone was found because of that CD. I had to sit down. I couldn’t find my own sister, so I really couldn’t allow myself to imagine finding someone else. I was in shock. I was simply trying to ease the pain of families who didn’t know how to get the word out. This was the moment I knew my purpose. This was something that needed to be repeated over and over. I founded a nonprofit, GINA for Missing Persons, Inc. Since 2001, we have highlighted the stories of missing people in 14 different countries through The Squeaky Wheel Tour, contests, CD giveaways, GINA Concerts, our website, TV Show and social media and 1000’s have been FOUND.

It took me years to realize that GINA for Missing Persons, Inc was just a fraction of my purpose. It took varied life experiences breaking me down and building me back up to finally comprehend what life was trying to tell me all along. My purpose is to practice being available for all the moments of my life. Not occupied with mental anguish and the war in my head, but being available to truly live in the moment.. It is a simple concept, but easier said than done. Many people write and speak of being in the present moment, but it takes constant committment to redirect our thoughts and practice to get there. Still, I just wasn’t there enough until the word “purpose” showed up, yet again, to guide me. Once I started asking myself, “What is my purpose in this moment?”, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Purpose is always found in the present moment…whatever that moment brings with it. Nothing more, nothing less. Easy, effortless and right in front of my eyes.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

Currently, I have launched a podcast called “America Lost and FOUND”. The lessons I learned from Gina’s disappearance guide my approach to this series. Gina taught me to not miss out on my own life because I am missing her. So, I choose to feature guests who have learned to use their loss and refuse to let their loss use them. Though the show was inspired by the stories of the missing it is not our only focus. Tales of comebacks, turn arounds and focusing on what they have found, what they have left is key. Our goal is to inspire people to find their purpose even in difficult circumstances.

October 17, 2024, I will be in Lincoln, NE to be present for the 1st annual “Nebraska Missing Persons Day” The Nebraska state legislatures placed Gina’s disappearance date on their official calendar. I don’t want to get to carried away with purpose this and purpose that, but giving her disappearance date purpose is a very special gift to our family. Our hope is that this day will continue to help the families of the missing in Nebraska for years to come.

I am currently recording new songs, performing, speaking, teaching private music students.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

My parents taught me that if I see a mess,,,clean it up. Even if it is not my mess. If I have the time and the ability to clean it up, then it is my job. This practice opened the door of my three year old mind to want to help others. This has opened my mind to everything that I have talked about so far.

Don’t give up. Even when you think you have no more ideas, options or hope…there is something around the corner. When I had no more ideas of where to look for my sister, an idea showed up that found someone. When I was feeling as if there was more for me to do than missing persons work that brought me to the ease of the purpose in each moment.

My purpose in the moment is not always about cleaning up a mess or waiting for the next idea. In fact, there are many easy, joyful and fun moments everyday. You see it is easier to get to everything that is possible when I ask myself what is my purpose in this moment? Today, I found purpose in the beauty of purple flowers, seeing the joy on an 11 year old boys face when we found a place he could fish, in catching up with my long time friend, finding out what a teenager was so angry about and, and, and…It is that simple. It may be a big thing in one moment, but most moments are seemingly small. Nothing anyone would want to read about or celebrate. You may even wonder why I am mentioning some of these common occurances. Nothing has fulfilled me more than the practice of asking, what is my purpose in this moment? I am asking myself that very question, right now.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I am looking for guests for my podcast who have inspiring stories to share. My goal is to consistently inspire people to show up more and more as the unique person they were meant to be. I believe that if when we truly understand that there is no one like us then there is no competition for anything. Nothing to prove, nothing to lose. Just learn how to creatively use all life offers us for the better.

I always need more volunteers to share missing persons flyers on social media.

If you would like to see if your story is a good fit for “America Lost and FOUND” podcast or would like to help get the word out about missing people contact me: 411Gina.org

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www411GINA.org
• Instagram: America Lost and Found
• Facebook: Jannel Rap
• Youtube: America Lost and Found Podcast
• Other: Americalostandfound.org
  JannelRap.com

Image Credits

Shantih Haast
Cindy Stelzl