How Covid Started A Virtual Bible Discussion that Never Stopped
“Mike is my Bible teacher,” says Allen. “I’ve learned a lot in his class and grown up quickly.” This alone is notable, but what’s more interesting is that Mike and Allen have never met in person. Although Allen knew about Jesus through his grandmother, he didn’t originally believe in him. He thought even if Jesus […]
A Beautiful Experience
When asked what life is like in Italy, Ilaria says, “Beautiful, it’s my birthplace and home of all my family and friends.” This contrasts sharply with her first experiences in America. Ilaria came as an exchange student pursuing her PhD late in 2021. “At first only bad things happened,” she said. “It was a shock, […]
How God Drew One Couple Closer to Him through ISEED
Ricardo and Mariana came to the US from Brazil in March 2021 with much anticipation: Ricardo was excited to pursue his Soil Science PhD and Mariana looked forward to advancing her career with an abundance of American opportunities. Soon after arrival, they got involved with a Brazilian bible discussion led by Mark and Sally, volunteers […]
Isolation Ignites Curiosity about God
After arriving in the US from Colombia, Maribel experienced several years of typical struggles as a newcomer. “The simple fact that everything was so new and different made the experience scary,” she shares. “I felt alone and missed my family.” Maribel’s father told her to read Psalm 91. “Every time I read it, I felt […]
How Jesus Became More Than Just a “Good Guy”
Growing up in India, Mohit’s parents never talked about religion but emphasized doing good deeds and avoiding immoral acts. Mohit saw Jesus as just a “good guy” similar to Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Theresa. Coming to the US in 2017 for his masters in Computer Science and Engineering, Mohit had two goals: to receive a […]
Years of Volunteering has not Cooled His Commitment
Eric has been involved in serving international students with his wife, Kristin, for over 25 years and has yet to exhaust his capacity to marvel at how God is working in it! He highlights how God uses it to bring about growth not only in the lives of the students he and Kristin work with […]
7 Steps for Navigating Different Points of View
We’ve all dealt with people who have a different perspective on how the world works than we do. Perhaps they are from another culture or ethnicity than our own, resulting in their own unique experiences, viewpoints, and assumptions. Having a different perspective does not mean we are unable to enjoy spending time together or even […]
The Traveling Wedding Dress
In August of 2019, Ida stepped off the airplane into a country where she knew no one. She came from a middle-class Indian family; they were followers of Jesus and ran an orphanage. They thought they didn’t have the means to send her to school in America, but miraculously, God allowed her to pursue her […]
A Mysterious Peace Healed Her Depression
Wendy* arrived in the U.S. in the summer of 2017 to pursue a degree in accounting at The Ohio State University. Raised in China, she found her new life in America quite disorienting. On top of being immersed in a completely different language and culture, Wendy felt surprised at how difficult it was to navigate […]
Innovative Hospitality During a Unique Time
Reflecting on the year 2020, it is safe to say that everyone experienced significant and unexpected change to their lives. Nowadays, wearing a mask is the norm. Large group gatherings are out of the question. Zoom is now a primary medium for communication. Yet even in the midst of all these changes, IFI is still […]