Learning to Cross Cultures at Home
Lea is a second-year student at Corban University studying intercultural education. She is originally from Washington State, grew up in a military family, and has already lived more cross-culturally than most people twice her age: a gap year in Papua New Guinea, coasts crossed, cultures navigated. When Dawnita, IFI Salem leader, came to speak at […]
15 Fun & Frugal Ways to Spend Time with Your International Friends
Have you felt stuck in your ministry to international students due to the lack of resources and/or ideas? Our friend and IFI staff member in Muskingum, Katie Pozzuoli, shared this fun article with us to help our trusty volunteer community. Continue reading for some inspiration! At Muskingum University, the bread and butter of our ministry […]
Creating Home Away from Home: Living in an International Community
When Simon* moved from South Asia to the U.S. in the summer of 2022, he expected academic challenges. What he didn’t expect was how much living in a cross-cultural community would shape him. Back home, life was naturally communal; the majority of his family lived nearby, friends and neighbors were always dropping in, and shared […]
Just the Beginning
When Nat arrived in Ohio from Thailand as an international student, he held excitement and nerves in both hands. Like many students new to the U.S., he wondered how he would adjust to life in a new country. “I was nervous about making friends and finding my way,” Nat remembered. Those worries began to ease […]
Leaning on Love
Priscilla* arrived in Cleveland from South Asia in August of 2024 to begin her master’s degree in Information Systems. While she had traveled internationally before, this move felt different. Those first days were hard. Most students hadn’t arrived yet, classes hadn’t started, and the loneliness set in quickly. “I remember calling my dad and crying,” […]
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 […]
An Impact Beyond Academics
[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” […]
Step by Step Transformation
[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” […]
Encountering the God of Love
[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” […]
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 […]