Yelling Turned to Rejoicing: A Family’s Healing
Emily* grew up listening to a lot of yelling in her family, mainly due to her brother’s gambling addiction. Even though Emily’s family loved each other, she could sense the division among them. After immigrating from Asia to the US with her parents, Emily developed severe depression and ended up moving to the Midwest for […]
A Family Welcome
“I really felt like I was another member of the family.” Leah, a Ph.D. Aerospace Engineering scholar from China, said this after staying with an IFI host family. Leah arrived in the US in August 2019, and although she lived with Chinese roommates, she felt increasingly lonely. This drove her to seek friends by joining […]
From a Thanksgiving Celebration to Giving Thanks
When Frank arrived in the US to pursue his masters in Public Administration and Politics, he immediately noticed cultural differences from his home in Ghana. “I saw the US was more individualistic and that one could be in an apartment and not know who their neighbors were,” he recalls. Besides his roommate, he really didn’t […]
The Power of “With”
Do you want to build friendships with international students but find your busy schedule, existing commitments, and life routines often prevent you from having enough time? What if these are the very things you can invite international friends into? Here are 3 tips and stories from IFI staff and volunteers who have discovered the power […]
Perspectives from a Young Volunteer
We recently caught up with Sarah, one of our most active and passionate participants, to learn from her what being a young volunteer with IFI looks like and why it’s important to her. We love her challenge to all volunteers to think rightly about our relationships with international friends and to learn from them as […]
Lasting Relationships Formed in DC
Harshad arrived in the US from India in August of 2019 to pursue a PhD in Chemistry. When asked what he thought of the US at first, he recalls, “I like to visit new places and start new things so I was looking forward to the new experience.” Harshad was able to make friends quickly […]
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 […]
2020 Was Hard, But Would She Take It Back?
Cindy arrived in the US in 2019 to pursue her PhD in Material Science and Engineering. At that time she had no suspicion of the struggle that lay ahead. “2020 was a very hard time for me,” Cindy says, explaining how she was plagued by roommate conflicts, anxiety from the news, depression, and fear of rejection […]
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 […]
Rethinking Retirement
When deciding how to spend time after retiring from a career or working life, what comes to mind? There are expressions commonly shared with retirees, such as “You deserve to relax and enjoy life.” “You can enjoy more time with family, be your own boss, travel, and do what you’ve always wanted to do.” These […]