Where the World Comes to the Table: IFI Cleveland Update
For over 15 years, IFI Cleveland has been waiting at the door when international college students step off the plane, often disoriented, jet-lagged, and without so much as a meal plan or a city bus pass. That initial welcome has quietly become the heartbeat of everything the ministry does. DJ Bradley, IFI staff member who […]
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 […]
From Strangers, to Neighbors, to Family: Opportunities & Challenges for IFI South Korea
IFI began in the United States, but its mission and vision have never been bound by geography. As IFI expands beyond the U.S., it remains the same: to welcome international students, befriend them, and show them God’s love. Lindsey, serving in Daejeon, is living out that vision as the leader of IFI’s very first location […]
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 […]
Quality Over Quantity
It all started when Henri and his wife Marguerite heard about IFI through connections at their congregation in Columbus. “This couple was picking up people from around the world,” Henri said. “We got interested because we thought what a good thing for our kids to be exposed to the nations like that!” They signed up […]
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 […]
Simply IFI: Three Defining Words
As members of the modern world, an abundance of needs and service opportunities are constantly pulling at our attention. Help here! Give there! Join this or that cause! In this cloud of requests, why choose International Friendships? What sets us apart? At International Friendships, Inc. (IFI), we’re constantly reminded of the profound simplicity of God’s […]
Campus Moms to the Rescue!
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Beyond the Bike Trail
When Luke, an enthusiastic IFI volunteer from Columbus, proposed a bike trip to three international students in the summer of 2023—Shane, Brandon, and Aaron*—it seemed like the perfect opportunity for adventure. “The plan was simple,” Luke said. “We’d ride from London to Loveland, Ohio, and back, covering about 150 miles over two days.” Each of […]
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 […]