Learning from other faith communities

Caitlin Gallagher, a Young Adult Volunteer based in New Orleans, reflects on the experience.

NEW Orleans is a great city to live in!

There is a more relaxed, neighbourhood feel than the image a lot of us have of American cities being skyscrapers and shopping malls.

I have experienced a full month of traditional New Orleans Mardi Gras culture and it was fabulous! Part of the programme is to experience cross-cultural mission so I got very involved. I spoke with so many people about what Mardi Gras means to them and watched so many parades. You see a lot of purple, green and gold during Mardi Gras, signifying justice, faith and power!

A joy of mine is wandering around the French Quarter, where the European influence on architecture presents a familiar flair. A sorrow I have is noticing how and why houses are built differently here.

As a result of many hurricanes, including the disasters of Hurricane Katrina, many houses in Louisiana are built off the ground on stilts to help avoid flooding.

One of the issues in New Orleans is that there are so many homeless people, some of whom were displaced after Katrina and have not gotten back on their feet. I have been volunteering in a homeless shelter that provides shelter for women, children, transgender and gender non-conforming people. Serving this community, I have learned many reasons why people find themselves homeless. I am often supporting them to find jobs and housing as well as being a listening ear when things are tough.

Answering calls for people seeking shelter is also a big part of my role. Although I can’t always do something to help, I do my best to offer resources. I also get to see how this community can support and lift each other up while living together, which is heartwarming. It has been emotionally challenging at times to work in the shelter, and also the most beautiful and rewarding work I have ever been a part of!

Throughout this year, I notice progressive changes in myself. Understanding to give grace to everyone, and also taking a step back if something is more damaging than beneficial for me has been an important step in establishing personal boundaries for me this year. I have also found myself speaking up more in situations where I may have let others take the lead. I am generally not a quiet person, and still this is a big step for me. I am learning a lot about myself and what my faith journey looks like the longer I am here.

One of the many amazing things about the YAV programme (and there are MANY!) is that it is ecumenical. It’s great to see how differently things can be done elsewhere and learn more about other faith communities. Many church services have been super enthusiastic and over the top whereas others have been very similar to what I am used to with the Church of Scotland. One thing that gets me is the lack of singing from the congregation. In my experience most churches have a choir, and so my guess is that the church members prefer to listen to the choir than to sing themselves – which makes it difficult for my not-so-perfect voice to blend in with the stunning choir.

I am so grateful for the experiences I’ve had here, I’m also excited to visit other denominations and to see where the next six months will take me in my faith journey.