Making room at the table
Andrew Bodden reflects on his faith journey supporting immigrants
“I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.” Matthew 25:35 (ESV)
These words of Jesus have shaped my life not only as a follower of Christ but as an immigrant, a husband, a father, friend and a servant in God’s mission through my role as Program Director for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) East Coast.
When my family and I moved to the United States from Honduras, I experienced what it meant to be a stranger in a foreign land. I felt the isolation of a new culture, the confusion of language and the fear of being overlooked. But I also experienced welcome through the church, through small acts of kindness, and through people who saw me not as a problem, but as a neighbor.
For me, hospitality is more than opening your home. It is paying attention, respecting others, listening well and reflecting the image of Christ in our actions. It means extending a hand of support, walking with those who are different and making space at the table for everyone.
Sadly, I also know by experience what it’s like when our faith communities fail to be welcoming.
At times, it felt like walking in a desert with no food, no water, no shoes on your feet, no shelter, no hope. But even in those moments, God was present. Sometimes a simple act of kindness, a smile, a meal, a greeting, a handshake or a word of encouragement, was the drop of water I needed to keep going. Those small acts of kindness can restore dignity, bring hope and change lives.
When God opened the door for my family and me to serve with MCC, I knew it was more than a job, it was a calling to live out the biblical command: “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt...” Leviticus 19:34 (NIV)
Beginning to address a broken system
In 2005, through MCC East Coast we officially launched immigration work in South Florida. Two years earlier, we had placed a church community worker to connect with immigrant communities, but progress was slow. We didn’t start with a budget, we started with a burden. The broken immigration system had real human consequences. Families were being separated, young people lived in fear and churches felt overwhelmed and helpless.
Some questioned why MCC was involved in immigration. For us, it wasn’t political - it was personal. More importantly, it was biblical obedience. As Hebrews 13:2 (NIV) says, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”
We began small. We hosted legal clinics in church halls, brought in an attorney to offer low-cost consultations and helped families fill out paperwork. We prayed with them, stood with them in court and explained their rights.
But hospitality had to go further. We partnered with churches to offer shelter to newly arrived immigrants. We offer training to pastors and leaders to accompany undocumented members, advocate without fear and help build churches that were genuinely welcoming.
Responding with biblical hospitality
One moment I’ll never forget happened during a church service in Miami. A young man from Central America shared how he had arrived in the U.S. with nothing but a backpack and a prayer. Thanks to a church family connected to MCC, he found housing, food, legal help and a spiritual home. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I thought I had lost everything but here I found Christ again.”
That is biblical hospitality. It’s not just about meals or shelter - it’s about recognizing the image of God in each person and responding with compassion instead of fear.
Hospitality is not rooted in comfort. It is rooted in the cross. Christ welcomed us when we were lost. He made room for us when we had no place at the table. Now, as his disciples, we are called to do the same.
Immigration laws may change, but the need to welcome remains. MCC East Coast’s commitment to immigrants and refugees endures because our foundation is not in policy but in Scripture, in Christ, and in the belief that true peace includes belonging.
I was once welcomed. That welcome changed my life. Now I live to extend it.
Welcoming the stranger
In the East Coast and across the U.S., MCC is joining churches in responding to Christ's call to welcome the stranger. To find out how you can help, visit mcc.org/immigrant-neighbors or contact MCC East Coast at EastCoast@mcc.org or (215)535-3624.
Caption for top photo: Andrew Bodden praises God atop Machu Picchu in Peru during a visit in January 2025. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Bodden)
Immigration-related resources
Whether you're an immigrant or an ally, MCC has an ever-growing list of resources to aid in the struggle for immigration justice.
Migrant ally resources
Immigrant resources
