Equipped by Faith
You may have heard the saying, “God doesn’t call the equipped— he equips the called.” What does this mean? It means that no matter how equipped someone might feel, God calls his people, ordinary as they may be, to faithfully serve and lead in extraordinary ways– just as He did with Paul*, an IFI volunteer […]
From 1 Student to 50: God’s Faithfulness in Lancaster
It can be scary to establish an IFI location from scratch. “Where does one even begin?” That’s what Kasey Smith, now IFI Lancaster Ministry Leader, was asking himself once he moved from Guatemala to Pennsylvania in January of 2023. Launching the location was little more than a dream– a hopeful prayer for a community that […]
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, […]
How to Plan a Trip with International Students
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5 Benefits of Traveling with International Students (+Tips!)
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Heart for the Nations in the Sunshine State: Florida Location Update
On a small island far, far away, an unlikely partnership was soon to be born between two individuals with hearts for the nations. “I met him this summer and he invited us over and their church members hosted us for one night,” shared Craig Olive, Director of IFI Florida in an IFI staff meeting “They […]
Volunteers Share Maple Syrup Making with Students
Nine years ago, Tom and Jody Slemmer didn’t know how to make the maple syrup that now attracts groups of international students out to their farm. Originally, Tom and Jody lived in the suburbs, but they both loved the outdoors and wanted a place where they could watch things grow. With no “real” farm experience, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]