Helping International Students Navigate Halloween
Every October, international students encounter one of the most visually striking and sometimes confusing cultural celebrations in the States: Halloween. Pumpkins appear on doorsteps, skeletons hang in windows, and people of all ages dress up as everything from superheroes to zombies. For many students, this season raises a lot of questions: “Why do Americans celebrate […]
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 […]
Helping as She’d Been Helped
In 2024, Trazzy, originally from Kenya, moved from her university in Turkey to attend Purdue. As she tried settling in, she was quickly faced with challenges. “As an international student, it takes time to find your place,” Trazzy explained. “Housing was an issue and I also struggled with the individualism.” Researching options, Trazzy remembered she’d […]
From Arizona to Home to Cali to Christ
[fusion_builder_container type=”flex” hundred_percent=”no” hundred_percent_height=”no” min_height=”” hundred_percent_height_scroll=”no” align_content=”stretch” flex_align_items=”flex-start” flex_justify_content=”flex-start” flex_column_spacing=”” hundred_percent_height_center_content=”yes” equal_height_columns=”no” container_tag=”div” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” status=”published” publish_date=”” class=”” id=”” link_color=”” link_hover_color=”” border_sizes=”” border_sizes_top=”” border_sizes_right=”” border_sizes_bottom=”” border_sizes_left=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing_medium=”” margin_top_medium=”” margin_bottom_medium=”” spacing_small=”” margin_top_small=”” margin_bottom_small=”” margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” padding_dimensions_medium=”” padding_top_medium=”” padding_right_medium=”” padding_bottom_medium=”” padding_left_medium=”” padding_dimensions_small=”” padding_top_small=”” padding_right_small=”” padding_bottom_small=”” padding_left_small=”” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” box_shadow=”no” box_shadow_vertical=”” box_shadow_horizontal=”” box_shadow_blur=”0″ box_shadow_spread=”0″ […]
Beyond the Bike Trail
When Luke, an enthusiastic IFI volunteer from Columbus, proposed a bike trip to three international students in the summer of 2023—Shane, Brandon, and Aaron*—it seemed like the perfect opportunity for adventure. “The plan was simple,” Luke said. “We’d ride from London to Loveland, Ohio, and back, covering about 150 miles over two days.” Each of […]
From Loneliness to Leadership
In 2019, Joy left her home in Zambia to pursue social work in Michigan. It was a huge shock for her, as she felt American culture clash with her Zambian culture. She felt alone and pleaded with God to give her a community where she could be loved and could give love. Weeks passed and […]