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Full Service H
e paces as he speaks. He tells terrible jokes. He makes up outrageous songs - and then tries to sing them. John Oliva does everything he can to engage volunteers when he emcees the morning and evening gatherings during WorkFest. He is committed to the experience.
volunteering through his Jesuit high school, joining his sister on service trips, and his love of teaching all contributed to his decision to take part as a mentor.
“In the nine years that I’ve been coming down to WorkFest, my role has evolved,” Oliva said. “Early on, I would have viewed my participation as accompanying “WorkFest itself has a lot of traditions, both those that the students for that one week that we are at CAP. As the are weird for an outside observer, but also traditions that years have gone on, I have taken a more active role. I’ve are very serious and cut to the heart,” Oliva said. gotten more involved.” Oliva has also started attending seminary so that he can become an ordained deacon at His own experience at Christian Appalachian Project his church. “That wouldn’t have happened had it not (CAP) began nine years ago at the age of 33. He was been for WorkFest and alternative spring break.” working as a parish mentor in Michigan for his church’s alternative spring break program, a position that he still Harold Underwood, senior director of the Volunteer holds, when he first visited Appalachia. Oliva had just Program, explained that “John is a likable guy and has finished his doctoral degree and was actively looking for been an exceptional volunteer and host, but what he a meaningful way to get involved in the church after does best is bring stories of transformation back home graduation. It was then that he saw a message in the par- after his work trips.” Those stories have inspired nuish bulletin looking for mentors for WorkFest, CAP’s al- merous groups, including a new group of adults from ternative spring break program. Oliva’s early experiences Oliva’s parish, to serve at CAP. It’s estimated that Oliva has brought more than 150 volunteers to Kentucky over the last nine years. “I have a big place in my heart
for people who know when to be serious and when to have fun, who can be both professional and silly, and know the boundaries between the two.” HEDLUN WALTON
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christianapp.org/MtSpiritGive | FALL / WINTER 2019
According to Oliva, being able to cultivate transformational experiences for other people is essential. “I’ve said all along that if I was going down for a week of good times, there are plenty of other places in the world that I could go and do a better job of that, if that were my only objective. If I wanted to go somewhere to do a week of construction work, I could find another avenue for that. If I wanted to spend a week in contemplative prayer, I
