Blog Posts for Volunteers

Honest tips and insights about serving International students

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Equipped by Faith
Equipped by Faith
August 1, 2025

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 who found his purpose working with international students...

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The Family He Didn’t Know He Needed
July 9, 2025

When Thomas* arrived in South Korea in August of 2023 from West Asia, the country felt like a complete mystery. 

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Finding Peace and Purpose in a New Land
July 9, 2025

Sara moved from Indonesia to Oregon in the fall of 2022, blessed to receive a government scholarship to pursue her bachelor’s. She was excited to live her American dreams, and did once she landed in the San Francisco and later Portland airports. 

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Podcast Episodes

Check out our podcast The World at Home to hear real stories of International students finding community

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The World at Home Ep. 1: A Great Return

Welcome to The World At Home, a podcast where we will explore the incredible journeys of international students who’ve come to the U.S. to study, learn, and grow. In each episode, we’ll hear first hand stories from people who have left their home countries to the United States, now navigating new academic and/or professional, cultural, and personal landscapes.In this Episode we interview Carol from Brazil on her experience visiting home after many years.

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The World at Home Ep. 2: To Say Goodbye

Episode 2 of The World at Home podcast we interview IFI Staff member and former international student from Rwanda, Viviane about her experiences with saying goodbye and grief.

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The World at Home Ep 3: Cross-Cultural Friendships

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you put two natural introverts on a podcast? For Episode 3 of The World at Home podcast we interview Sonia, a college student from Indonesia, who shares how she has learned to grow cross-cultural friendships in the US. Naturally an introvert, Sonia has had to grow her confidence to go outside of her comfort zone- to make others feel more at home, just like others did for her.

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