The children had never seen anything quite like it.
Standing inside Beverly Catoe’s home on Christmas Day, two young children from India gazed in wonder at the decorated Christmas tree. They had never seen one inside someone’s home before. In fact, they had never been inside an American home at all.
Just a few weeks earlier, Beverly had met their family for the first time at our annual International Thanksgiving Dinner. Now, here they were, celebrating Christmas together.
For Beverly, who had no family plans that Christmas, the invitation had seemed like a natural thing to do. She had enjoyed getting to know the family during the Thanksgiving dinner a month earlier, especially their young daughter, with whom she had spent time coloring. Before the evening was over, she had invited the family to her home for Christmas.
The family, who were Christians, shared how they celebrated Christmas differently. Beverly, in turn, welcomed them into her own Christmas traditions. They exchanged gifts, shared food, and spent the afternoon enjoying one another’s company.
“We just all sat and talked and smiled, and just enjoyed being together,” Beverly recalled.
But perhaps the greatest gift Beverly received that Christmas was a new perspective on something she had celebrated her entire life.
“That was the first time ever that I haven’t been with family on Christmas,” she said. “But you don’t have to be with family necessarily; you can be with other family.”
Have you ever traveled to another country and felt completely out of your element? Perhaps you struggled to communicate with the people around you, navigate unfamiliar streets, or figure out which places were safe to visit. Even the simplest tasks suddenly required extra thought and effort.
Now imagine that instead of staying for a week or two, you’re staying for a year or longer. You’re no longer just visiting. You’re building a life in a place where the language, customs, and everyday routines are unfamiliar. You’re learning how to get around, adjusting to a different culture, and trying to find your place in a community where you may not know a single person.
And somewhere along the way, you’re hoping to make a friend.
Someone who takes a genuine interest in you. Someone who can answer your questions, introduce you to new experiences, or simply make you feel a little less like a stranger. Wouldn’t that make all the difference?
For many internationals living and studying in Columbia, these are the challenges that come with being far from home. And for members of our church, the International Thanksgiving Dinner offers a simple but meaningful opportunity to be that welcoming presence in someone’s life, even if just for one evening.
But what makes the experience so special is that the blessing often goes both ways. As international guests discover friendship and hospitality, their hosts discover new perspectives, unfamiliar cultures, and stories that broaden their understanding of the world.
Nancy Rollinson, who has helped coordinate the dinner’s table hosts for approximately five years, has experienced firsthand how these encounters can grow into something much more meaningful.
“We get to meet people from all over the world and just share the love of Christ with them through hospitality and good food,” she explained.
For Nancy, the opportunity to serve internationals isn’t simply about welcoming someone to America. It’s about building genuine relationships that reflect the love of Christ, sometimes opening doors to friendships that continue long after the dinner is over.
Nancy recalled how Beth and Walt Kelly developed such a close relationship with an international couple that they were eventually asked to become godparents to their child. What began as an opportunity to welcome someone from another country became a lasting friendship.
This year, table hosts will play an especially important role in the Thanksgiving celebration. Rather than centering the evening around a traditional presentation from the stage, organizers are placing greater emphasis on conversations happening around individual tables.
Each table host will help welcome guests, encourage conversation, and guide a discussion about Thanksgiving, gratitude, and the traditions surrounding the holiday. Hosts will receive prepared materials to help guide those conversations, so there’s no need to be an expert on American history or an experienced public speaker. Instead, the most important qualification is a willingness to make someone feel welcome.
Nancy hopes the conversations will move beyond introductions and small talk into opportunities for guests and hosts to learn more about one another. For example, when someone shares that they’re thankful for their mother, a host might simply ask what makes their mother so special. A question like that can open the door to stories about family, childhood, traditions, and the people who have shaped our lives.
In those conversations, strangers begin to discover what they have in common. Even cultural differences become opportunities for learning rather than barriers to friendship, and people who might never have crossed paths otherwise begin to see one another as individuals with stories.
For Beverly, that’s one of the greatest joys of participating.
“It’s like a way to travel without traveling,” she said, describing the experience of meeting people from countries she may never have the opportunity to visit. But she quickly added something even more meaningful: “To me, it’s more important to know the people than the place.”
That perspective gets to the heart of what makes this ministry so special.
Building friendships with people from other cultures doesn’t just change the experience of those being welcomed. It can change the eyes of those doing the welcoming, too.
Beverly has seen this firsthand through her years of serving with internationals. Whether sharing a meal with university students from China, getting to know guests from Ukraine, or welcoming a family from India into her home, each encounter has given her a greater appreciation for the world beyond her own experiences.
Nancy believes these relationships can also help change the way others see Americans and, more importantly, Christians. For someone who has never had a meaningful relationship with a Christian, an evening of genuine kindness and hospitality may leave a lasting impression.
“This is not technically an evangelistic outreach,” Nancy explained, “but we are hoping to reach hearts and help them to be comfortable around Christians. I think evangelism is best done through relationships.”
Not every conversation around the Thanksgiving table will lead to a discussion about faith, and not every guest will become a lifelong friend. But every guest can experience kindness, respect, and the sincere love of someone who follows Christ. Sometimes, that first positive encounter opens the door to conversations that would never have happened otherwise.
For someone who has never served as a table host, the idea of sitting down with strangers from another country might feel a little intimidating. What if there’s a language barrier? What if the conversation becomes awkward? What if you don’t know what to say?
Beverly understands those concerns, but she encourages people not to let them stand in the way.
“There’s a lot of support there all around, and you don’t have to do it at the table by yourself,” she explained.
Hosts can serve alongside a spouse, friend, or another church member, and the prepared discussion materials will provide helpful guidance throughout the evening.
Beverly also offers a reminder that can help put those fears into perspective. “They’re going into an unknown more than we are,” she said of the international guests. “They don’t know us at all.”
For someone living far from home, entering an unfamiliar church and sitting down with people they’ve never met can require courage. A warm greeting and a genuine interest in their story can make all the difference.
“You’re contributing by being there and smiling and letting them know that they’re welcome,” Beverly said.
Peggy Fitts, who has served as a table host for the past two years, agrees that the experience is well worth trying.
“The past two years as table host have been lots of fun and educational as well. The guests are friendly and entertaining and some even come in their national dress. Sharing a meal with folks from other countries is a chance to show Christ’s love.”
As Nancy considers what she hopes will come from this year’s gathering, her vision extends far beyond a successful event. She hopes hosts will pray for the people they will meet, listen with genuine curiosity, and remain open to the possibility that God might use a simple conversation to begin something lasting.
Perhaps that means exchanging phone numbers, inviting someone to church, sharing another meal, or simply being available when a new friend needs encouragement. Or perhaps it means offering a warm welcome to someone who needed to know that they mattered.
The outcome isn’t something a table host can control. But the willingness to be present, to listen, and to love is something every one of us can offer.
Nancy put the importance of that purpose into perspective when discussing why the church continues to host this gathering.
“There’s no reason to have it if there is not that focus,” she said, referring to the desire to build relationships that might ultimately point people toward Christ. “Otherwise it’s just a party.”
And while there’s certainly nothing wrong with a good Thanksgiving party, this gathering has the potential to become something greater.
For Beverly, it became a Christmas celebration with a family from India. For other volunteers, it has meant lasting friendships, new perspectives, and opportunities to share their faith through everyday relationships.
For this year’s guests, the story has yet to be written. And perhaps God is inviting you to be part of it.
First International Ministry is seeking table hosts for the International Thanksgiving Dinner on Friday, November 20. Dinner begins at 5:15 PM, followed by the evening’s program at 6:30 PM.
You don’t need to speak another language, have experience in international ministry, or know exactly what to say. You simply need a welcoming heart and a willingness to share a meal, listen to someone’s story, and extend the love of Christ.
If you’ve ever wanted to participate in international missions but haven’t had the opportunity to travel overseas, this is a wonderful place to begin.
The world is coming to our doorstep. Will you help us make them feel at home?
Special thanks to FBC members Nancy Rollinson, Beverly Catoe, and Peggy Fitts for sharing their personal experiences and perspectives on the International Thanksgiving Dinner. Their stories and reflections helped bring to life the heart of this ministry and the meaningful relationships that can begin with a simple act of hospitality.
We are also grateful for the many volunteers who faithfully serve in our First International Ministry, extending friendship, hospitality, and the love of Christ to internationals in our community.
