It was January of 2022 when Varun* left his home in South Asia to pursue his Master’s in the US.
He was oblivious to the culture shock he would experience. The overall American lifestyle confused him. “It was not at all easy,” Varun* said.
Above all else, he didn’t have a good community of friends and mentors to support him. He yearned for spiritual growth, accountability, and a safe space to process his questions.
A year passed by before his roommate told him about IFI. One month later, he found himself going to an IFI conference geared towards equipping students.
To his delight, he found out that one of the conference speakers spoke his language; they were able to connect, and soon enough, the speaker was praying for Varun’s* struggles. This connection was the light he needed at the end of the tunnel. He felt clean and reborn.
The conference and ensuing IFI gatherings completely transformed him. Through Bible discussions and genuine acts of hospitality, he finally felt like he found the community he was searching for, plus was discovering his true identity.
What’s more is that he ended up moving into the Dayton Lighthouse, a home for international students to rent and to extend friendship, plus enrolled in IFI’s mentorship program called ISEED.
“IFI is helping all the time, and not just in basic needs, but teaching me more about God,” Varun* mentioned. “I was asking God why he brought me here and what plans he had for me, and now I can see him working.”
*student name and photo changed to protect privacy