STEWARD by Dorothy-Jean (Dody) Christian Chapman Our early conversations revolved around coursework and life work, our

hopes to change the world. Then Ray revealed his plan to study at seminary. He would complete his undergraduate studies in agriculture sciences and pursue a graduate divinity degree. This sensitive man realized a deep connection between humankind and this gift-of-God, the earth. During the first summer of our acquaintance, Ray announced he would be taking "soul" surveys. I asked how he would do this. He said he would be scooping up samples from the farmers' fields, filling the baggies, and sending them in to the Virginia Tech soil service for evaluation.