Home, Sweet Home at the Lighthouse: Dayton IFI Location Update
Who would have known that running late to a church service could end up paving the way for the accomplishment of a God-sized dream? Esther Chan, Campus Minister in Dayton, OH, certainly did not know when she first moved to the area in March of last year. Moving meant finding a new church. As she […]
I Think or We Think?: Individualistic vs. Group-Oriented Cultures
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” […]
Me or We?: A Closer Look at Private Cultures vs Inclusive Cultures
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” menu_anchor=”” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” class=”” id=”” background_color=”” background_image=”” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_mp4=”” video_webm=”” video_ogv=”” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” overlay_color=”” video_preview_image=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” padding_top=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” padding_right=”” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ layout=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” border_position=”all” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding_top=”” padding_right=”” padding_bottom=”” padding_left=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” center_content=”no” […]
Hospitality Adds a New Family Member
Eric and Rebecca Vaas had entered a season of life that many empty nesters find themselves in. Recently retired with their children grown and moved out, they were looking for ways to steward their time and resources well. This led them to get involved with IFI. “We enjoy meeting new people,” the Vaases explain, “and […]
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, […]
Structured VS Spontaneous Hosts: Understanding Hospitality in Different Cultures
Based on Sarah A. Lanier’s book Foreign to Familiar, McDougal Publishing: 2000. “One of the shocks a foreigner encounters the moment he arrives in some direct countries is that he needs money to survive…Many travelers from indirect countries, if they happen to be limited in funds, have saved, sacrificed, and received gifts from family and friends […]
Reflections on Decades of Serving International Students
Bob Tanquist and his wife, Marilyn, began volunteering with IFI before it had a name! The church they joined after moving to Columbus in 1979 connected them to IFI founders Phil and Ruth Saksa and Mabel Bahler. Bob and Marilyn enjoyed helping at IFI dinner meetings, bringing food, and gathering with students until about 2005 […]
The Vibrancy of Volunteering
Kayla and Fatoumata became friends through IFI and both shared their side of the story with us. To read Fatoumata’s perspective, click here. Kayla, an IFI volunteer, and Fatoumata, an international student, crossed paths about 3 years ago in August of 2019. They both had signed up to help out at IFI’s annual furniture sale […]
Two Sides of Time: Task-oriented Cultures vs Event-oriented Cultures
Based on: Sarah A. Lanier’s book Foreign to Familiar. McDougal Publishing: 2000. “When living in Europe, I carried a day-timer divided into half-hour blocks from 7 am to 7 pm. There was a page for each day. If a meeting came up, I would check my day-timer. It would tell me whether or not […]
A Stranger Became the Maid of Honor
Even though Fatoumata’s brother already lived in the U.S. before she joined him from Mali, she still faced many challenges, including language barriers and finding community. She arrived in July 2015 to study Business at Cincinnati State, excited to learn how American people lived. Fatoumata first heard about IFI events from a coworker and began […]