Pray, Serve, Give! (Dec 2020)

PRAY

Praise God that 120+ people prayed during the 24 hours of prayer for international students and IFI on 11/17.
Please pray for safety of students and staff and volunteers who are interacting with them.
Please pray for safe travels for students who participated in the return home over the holiday break.
Praise God for the 130+ volunteers and students who meet weekly as (virtual) and in-person conversation partners!

SERVE

Meet weekly online with an international as a virtual conversation partner.
Invite a few Internationals to enjoy a Christmas Meal in your home on 12/24, 12/25 or 12/26.
Save the Date! Saturday, Jan. 30th from 2-4pm for an online volunteer training event: "Creativity, Compassion & COVID: Caring for internationals during a pandemic." Enjoy international worship, hear from students about their needs and get ideas from other volunteers about how they have maintained friendships with students during this time.

GIVE

Donate to IFI Columbus Designated Projects. Set up a monthly (or one-time) donation to help grow our ministry impact!
Do your Christmas shopping and give to IFI at the same time through Amazon Smile and Kroger Community Rewards programs.

Recent Posts

Seeds & Signs
*Paul, an Argentinian Ph.D. student, worked hard to make his way to the States. He battled through international entrance exams, strained finances, and an inhibited social life just to get the chance to study in a place far away. Thankfully, he doesn’t have any regrets. “I am in love with …More »
Raising the Flag
It’s your first day on campus. Everything is so big, new and mysterious. You’re in a new country. You’re awestruck at how different everything and everyone is from you and where you grew up. All day, it seems like you’re constantly reminded: ”I’m not home anymore.” Then, surprisingly, as your …More »
Journal of a Campus Minister: Jesus & Culture
“You’re more Indian than I am.” A misconception of many Indians who are not from Christian backgrounds is that to be Christian, one must be westernized and give up their Indian cultural roots. When I accepted Jesus as my Savior and Lord, I had the same misunderstanding. I thought to …More »
Facing Challenges
*Jane, a Chinese graduate of the Ohio State University, was often away from home as she grew up. “When I went to middle school, I was in a boarding school: you can go back home every week. In my high school, I went to Shanghai and I went back home …More »
This Gospel
Volunteer loves sharing Jesus with internationals “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes…” (Romans 1:16) There's a dream that we’ve all had before: the fence surrounding the yard, the kids playing with the …More »

Columbus, Ohio – International Friendships, Inc. (IFI)

Making the World Feel at Home

Pray, Serve, Give! (Dec 2020)