Reflection on Work Placement

By Cate O’Malley

Over the last eight months, I have gotten the opportunity to meaningfully learn and grow

through my work placement at Caterpillar Ministries. Caterpillar Ministries is a non-profit organization located in the heart of Huntington Green, a large mobile community in south Huntersville. Through crisis care, faith formation, academic enrichment, and legal advocacy, I have seen my coworkers stand in the gap with our neighbors and meet them with compassion, resiliency, and most significantly, prayer. I have loved getting to know families and children in the neighborhood and have been deeply moved by the social and economic barriers that prevent families from knowing food, housing, or job security.

When I look back on this year of work, I am reminded of Ephesians 4 and the high calling of living as a unified body. As I’ve discovered the gift of working closely on a team, I have learned about adaptability and how to rely more sincerely on my teammates. I believe it is only through God’s goodness that I might carry these skills with me into my next season, where I will begin graduate school to continue pursuing a theological understanding of the socioeconomic and cultural complexities of housing, urban development, and faith-related issues.