West Virginia Volunteers-in-Mission 2008 Volunteer of the Year Chris Arveson! A West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers-In-Mission Proclamation Given by Tom Clark Chris Arveson Day Saturday, June 7, 2008 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. Rev. Chris Arveson, from the Bramwell-Brushfork United Methodist Charge understands the call of Jesus to go into the world. Leaving his native Northwest, he stopping briefly at Yale Divinity School, has now settled in West Virginia. He loves the West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers-In-Mission program. He has traveled to Moscow, Russia five times now, dragging his suitcases of puppets and stage equipment with him. Chris loves to share his puppet ministry with the orphans in Russia. God must have had a reason to lead him to study the Russian language many years earlier. Now, he is a fixture on the Russian Orphans Christmas Party trips. He plans on making his sixth trip, with puppets in hand (or his hand in a puppet, as the case may be) this coming December. He teaches volunteer team members to help with the shows. Chris will be working hard between now and December to prepare another unique puppet show for the children in the orphanages in Moscow. Each year he has prepared a new and different show that features puppets that reflect Russian language, Russian tradition and Russian fairytale. Chris brings many gifts to the West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers-In-Mission program. He has worked hard to produce a webpage for us that features details on the trips we offer, team pictures, PowerPoint presentations and videos. As recently as Monday, June 2nd, 2008, I received an email affirming the work that Chris has done on our webpage. Chris is also a vital part of the West Virginia Volunteers-In-Mission Advisory Board where he faithfully attends every meeting, sharing his insights and visions for WV UMVIM. Therefore, I proclaim this day that Rev. Chris Arveson is the volunteer of the year of the West Virginia United Methodist Volunteers-In-Mission ministry.
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