Five on Friday

Featuring Nancy Dodd, assistant to the chaplain

1. The chaplain's office plays a vital role in the spiritual atmosphere of the campus. How have your experiences within the ministry - as a leader, teacher and pastor's wife - helped prepare you to minister to students as assistant to the chaplain?

I definitely know that God has place me here in the Office of the Chaplain. My past ministry experience, through the local church and district level, have prepared me for the ministry opportunities here at Olivet. My entire adult life has been centered around my walk with the Lord and ministering to teens, women and children in various capacities.

Most of my ministry has been with teens. My husband and I were in youth ministry for many years, and for a period of time during his senior pastor career, I served as a youth pastor separately. I am passionate about learning and growing spiritually, but also about building relationships with students and helping them realize their unique gifts and ways they can be used in the kingdom of God. One of the best ways for this to happen is through the experience of mission trips and Bible studies with peers.

It is a privilege to serve the Lord and Olivet in the area of spiritual development for our undergraduates. I enjoy seeking out speakers who will engage the students and nurture their spiritual growth. The position in which I serve is actually a culmination of my life experiences and abilities. It is a blessing to serve in this way.

2. You're enrolled in Olivet's School of Graduate and Continuing Studies. What are you studying?
I'm currently working on a degree in business administration, and I'm really enjoying it! I graduated from Trevecca Nazarene University many years ago and have been a teacher for my sons. It is a switch to be the student instead of the teacher again, but I'm loving it! I am a life-long learner and am taking advantage of the opportunity to expand my horizons. It is my plan to work on a master's degree in either organizational leadership or ministry next.

3. You home schooled both of your sons. What did you enjoy most about that experience?
The Lord definitely called me to home school my two sons. Originally, I approached it as a "one-year-at-a-time" project ... but it became evident that this was the path for our family. As a parent, I have always taken seriously the idea that God entrusted me with children and have recognized this as the priority in my life. I value the character-building and spiritual influence I was privileged to have by engaging in their lives 24/7.

Academically, I as able to provide a learning environment that was suited to each child's temperament and learning style. The freedom to direct their education was a unique opportunity. Through one-on-one tutorial education, co-operative learning groups, video curriculum and involvement in athletic programs and the local symphony, my sons experienced a lot.

We recognized the world as our classroom and realized that everything is an opportunity to learn. Unit studies followed up with field trips both domestically and internationally.

Now, Tyler will be graduating in May from Trevecca with a degree in business administration. He is currently doing an internship with the North American International Office for Nissan. Tyson is a sophomore music major at Olivet. He currently travels with Olivet's praise band, Before Tomorrow, and is involved in many other music groups as well.

4. You recently traveled to Guyana with 29 Olivetians. Tell us about that experience.
Over spring break, my husband and I traveled with 29 students through Missions in Action to Georgetown, Guyana, South America. It was absolutely incredible - just ask one of the 29 students!

Our host, Rev. Alfonso Porter, the district superintendent for the Church of the Nazarene in Guyana, arranged the ministry site visits. There was such a variety of ministry opportunities. We ministered a few times in the daycare center at the location where we stayed, conducted a training session for the daycare workers from two schools, conducted a single-parent seminar, visited a nursing home to conduct a service, tutored high school students in an after school program, visited an orphanage and ministered to AIDS patients and children in a hospital.

Our first adventure the day after we arrived was a trip to an indigenous church. We had to travel by boat up a river for about 45 minutes to get to the church that was located up a hill. The people were wonderful and we praised the Lord together with them.

We had the opportunity to fly by small chartered planes into the interior of Guyana to visit the Kaieteur Falls, one of the tallest single-drop waterfalls in the world). It was beautiful to hike around in this Amazon basin and be reminded of the power and majesty of our Lord.

Thirty-one virtual strangers left together for 10 days in Guyana. I am happy to report that we returned as life-long friends, bonded in a unique way, fully realizing the changes that God made in each of us as we minstered - and were ministered to - in the beautiful country of Guyana.

5. Why do you enjoy traveling so much?
I have always loved traveling! Even as a child, my family would travel across the U.S. from California and Florida, where we lived, back to visit relatives in West Virginia.

I first became involved at a professional level in the travel industry when my husband and I were planning a trip for our youth group to go to Haiti. The agent I worked with was just opening her own agency and hired me to join in the venture. When I made the decision to stay at home with my sons, instead of leaving the travel business, I brought the business home. I have operated as an independent travel consultant for more than 20 years. The focus of my work has been geared around helping churches, youth groups and districts with their travel plans to go on mission trips. This is one of the reasons my position here at the University is a perfect match for my past experience - I currently make the travel arrangements for our Mission in Action team.

In addition to the ministry opportunities that travel allows, I love to learn about other cultures and see the beauty God created in different countries.