Accepting Being Chosen
In her final days in the U.S., international student Janet*, originally from a closed country, joined IFI staff members in the fall of 2025 to watch a showing of The Chosen: The Last Supper. But her questions about faith had actually begun long before that night. For months, she had been attending a small-group Bible […]
Step by Step Transformation
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Encountering the God of Love
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Equipped by Faith
You may have heard the saying, “God doesn’t call the equipped— he equips the called.” What does this mean? It means that no matter how equipped someone might feel, God calls his people, ordinary as they may be, to faithfully serve and lead in extraordinary ways– just as He did with Paul*, an IFI volunteer […]
The Family He Didn’t Know He Needed
When Thomas* arrived in South Korea in August of 2023 from West Asia, the country felt like a complete mystery. Adjusting to the culture was hard. A once outgoing and community-oriented person, Thomas now struggled to connect. The isolation became a daily burden, as he cycled between the lab and his dorm. “I felt excluded,” […]
Finding Peace and Purpose in a New Land
Sara moved from Indonesia to Oregon in the fall of 2022, blessed to receive a government scholarship to pursue her bachelor’s. She was excited to live her American dreams, and did once she landed in the San Francisco and later Portland airports. However, she quickly woke up from her dream once she arrived in her […]
Guided by Friendship, Grounded in Faith
When Zac arrived in the U.S. in 2022 to pursue a marketing degree, he was immediately overwhelmed. Coming from England, he was struck by how vast everything seemed and how far apart places were. “I thought, what have I come to?” he recalled. Adjusting to life on his own proved difficult, and he deeply missed […]
From 1 Student to 50: God’s Faithfulness in Lancaster
It can be scary to establish an IFI location from scratch. “Where does one even begin?” That’s what Kasey Smith, now IFI Lancaster Ministry Leader, was asking himself once he moved from Guatemala to Pennsylvania in January of 2023. Launching the location was little more than a dream– a hopeful prayer for a community that […]
From Isolation to Inspiration
Johnny left his home in Asia in 2022 to pursue his master’s in electrical engineering at the University of Dayton. It was his first time flying by himself and his first time going to the US; he was nervous but eager. Once he landed, he took an Uber to the university. While driving along the […]
Growing in Grace
Kakeru’s journey from Japan to the U.S. began in August of 2023, as he’d decided on a study abroad program in Oregon. His dream of living in the States trumped his anxiety; but when the realities of moving sank in, Kakeru’s confidence quickly faded. “Things weren’t going well,” Kakeru shared. “I was filled with so […]