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 […]
Isolation Ignites Curiosity about God
After arriving in the US from Colombia, Maribel experienced several years of typical struggles as a newcomer. “The simple fact that everything was so new and different made the experience scary,” she shares. “I felt alone and missed my family.” Maribel’s father told her to read Psalm 91. “Every time I read it, I felt […]
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 […]
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 […]
7 Steps for Navigating Different Points of View
We’ve all dealt with people who have a different perspective on how the world works than we do. Perhaps they are from another culture or ethnicity than our own, resulting in their own unique experiences, viewpoints, and assumptions. Having a different perspective does not mean we are unable to enjoy spending time together or even […]
Sharing Your Story with International Students
Some of us might feel that sharing about Jesus is hard or intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! If Jesus is a part of your story (or more accurately, the Author of it) sharing about him comes naturally because you’re just sharing about your life. Facts and information are all well and good, but […]
Innovative Hospitality During a Unique Time
Reflecting on the year 2020, it is safe to say that everyone experienced significant and unexpected change to their lives. Nowadays, wearing a mask is the norm. Large group gatherings are out of the question. Zoom is now a primary medium for communication. Yet even in the midst of all these changes, IFI is still […]
A Gatherer of Others
Coming to America from Japan in fall 2019, Nozomu found it difficult to connect with English speakers in large groups. “I had so many times where I did not want to go to events and meetings because I knew I was not going to be able to understand them.” Then he met Pat Durst, an […]
Separation from Her Son Led Her to Seek Hope
As the young wife of a visiting scholar from China, D. gave birth to their first son in the United States. Early in 2020, during the Chinese New Year, she and her husband arranged for their son to meet his family and experience Chinese culture back home. Little did they know COVID-19 would keep them […]
Baptized in a Love Like She’s Never Known
Jesus was an abstract concept for Mandy when she met Xia, a staff member at IFI. Lonely and anxious after her arrival from China in August of 2019, the economics major accepted Xia’s invitation to church and Friday night Bible discussion. “My initial Bible discussion gave me an interest in learning more about Jesus,” says […]