West Virginia Volunteers-in-Mission
2009 Volunteer of the Year
Janet Lucas!
A West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers-In-Mission Proclamation
Given by Tom Clark
Janet Lucas Day
Saturday, June 13, 2009
West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, West Virginia
In his final discourse with his disciples, Jesus challenged them to proclaim the gospel of his life and death, beginning in Jerusalem, moving to Judea, then, to Samaria, and finally to all the ends of the earth. Janet Lucas of Charleston, West Virginia understands the call of Jesus to go into the world. A faithful servant of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, she understands the power of Christ at work in her church and other denominations and travels the world through West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers In Mission to do so.
She loves the West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers In Mission program. She has traveled to Moscow, Russia; New Plymouth, New Zealand; Dombovar, Hungary; Africa University in Zimbabwe; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Bethlehem, the Holy Lands and is going this year to Amelia Trust Farm near Cardiff, Wales and to Johannesburg, South Africa. God must have had a reason to open her heart to ecumenical ministries for she has surely been a great addition to our ministry. We respect her commitment to mission and ministry so much that we have asked her to be a member of the West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers In Mission Advisory Board. She is a faithful member of our team.
Janet will be working hard to prepare for her trips in 2009. She is doing all she can to learn the skills required to practice animal husbandry for the team to the Amelia Trust Farm in Wales. She has found it difficult to find any books to help her learn so I sent her the only information that I have on the subject. One was a picture of a shovel. The other was a catalogue to help her buy what is lovingly known as “mucking out boots”. I told her that they will need to be “way high” to her knees. She is also getting ready for the trip to Johannesburg where she will rediscover her expertise in working with HIV/Aids victims in programs sponsored by the Methodist Church in South Africa. While in Zimbabwe a few years ago, she and others on the team worked with women and children in some nearby villages to help with HIV/Aids awareness and Aids support groups.
Janet is also a vital part of the West Virginia Volunteers In Mission Advisory Board where she faithfully attends meetings, sharing her insights and visions for WV UMVIM.
Several times over the last few years I have called Janet to ask her if she would be willing to go to some United Methodist Churches in her area to give a presentation and speak about her experiences around the world working with WV UMVIM. She has always said yes, adding “as long as they don’t mind hearing it from a Catholic, I’ll be glad to go”. She has been warmly received every time she has gone. I will not hesitate to turn to Janet for she brings enthusiasm and joy to our mission and ministry.
Therefore, I proclaim this day that Janet Lucas is the 2009 Volunteer of the Year of the West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers In Mission ministry.
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