Caring Through Cars
About 30 international students gathered at the Car Care Workshop hosted by Hope Church and IFI Cincy. This wasn’t your typical IFI life group or sharing a meal… but teaching and helping students to change a tire and all things car-related. Mike Millard, IFI donor and volunteer, set a specific goal when he retired: to be […]
Roots of Faith: The Birth & Growth of IFI Grand Rapids
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility” background_position=”center center” background_repeat=”no-repeat” fade=”no” background_parallax=”none” parallax_speed=”0.3″ video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_loop=”yes” video_mute=”yes” border_style=”solid” flex_column_spacing=”0px” type=”legacy”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ 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” last=”true” min_height=”” hover_type=”none” link=”” first=”true”][fusion_text] Seven years ago, Rich Mendola, IFI’s Global Ambassador, presented […]
God of Many Chances
Mark’s* first time in the United States was in 2014 when he received an opportunity to do a one-year transfer program. He was the first in his family and small village in Asia to attend university. Not only that, but he was the first to encounter the love of God, to attend church, and to […]
Where to Begin: The Story of Two Strategic Location Start-Ups
Since IFI’s mission is to provide hospitality and friendship to international students out of reverence for Jesus, it would make sense to base ourselves in the areas with the most international students, don’t you think? For this reason, IFI has focused on 10 strategic locations– influential areas in the country where international students thrive and […]
One Year Later: A Student’s Journey to Finding Purpose
It was January of 2022 when Varun* left his home in South Asia to pursue his Master’s in the US. He was oblivious to the culture shock he would experience. The overall American lifestyle confused him. “It was not at all easy,” Varun* said. Above all else, he didn’t have a good community of friends […]
Cultural Humility (pt. 2)
Cultural Humility In Personal Interactions & Spiritual Conversations Last post, we learned about cultural humility – what it is and how to develop it through the cultural humility wheel. This month, we want to give you some practical tips on how to make use of cultural humility in your personal interactions and in spiritual conversations. […]
Cultural Humility (pt. 1)
IFI works directly with internationals, whether they’re staff or students. We deal with people from different cultures daily, sometimes facing tricky situations we’re unsure of how to handle. These could be related to language barriers, cultural barriers, or even spiritual barriers in regard to sharing our faith. Before moving on to the topic of cultural […]
Visiting Students on Their Own Turf
Raise your hand if you like traveling! ? We wrote two articles in March about the benefits of traveling with students, as well as some tips for when you do travel with them. This article’s a little different, a reversal of sorts. Taking students on trips within the United States is great, as we’ve learned, […]