Hello readers! Tony here again. Welcome to Ohio’s early summer with an unusual heatwave. It’s warm and nice out! This month I had an opportunity to go to the Niagara Falls trip with IFI on May 27thto 30th. It was fourteen people going together in one van and one car. This trip makes me feel joy; I got new friends from this trip and the trip also strengthening friendship with my old friends too, in both physical and spiritual way. We all played games together in the van, also talking and sharing stories together along the way to Buffalo. We stopped for taking pictures at Presque isle state park in Erie, Pennsylvania. It was a very warm day at the beaches and we walked on the sand with bare foot, roasting out feet!
When we arrived to Buffalo, New York, the group is split to meet with the arranged host families. Fei, Ryan, and I stayed at Bill & Jamie’s house, our host family. They welcomed us with the famous domestic food of Buffalo area: The pizza and the Buffalo wings. The taste of these foods are unique and very delicious to me. Our host family provides a ride for us to the Buffalo International Conference “Life’s Ultimate Destiny”, which was held at Amherst Baptist Church. Students can choose to attend two workshops that they are interested in. I attended the workshop about believing the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ life and Finding God’s Purpose for your life. After the workshop the group travelled to Niagara Falls. As I mentioned, it was an unusual heatwaves so we are under a strong sunny day that the temperature is raised up to 90 degrees. We had to wait in the line under the bright sun while buying tickets & to get slippers and a poncho. It took three and a half hour to get to the waterfall, but it was worthwhile. We spent the time talking with friends and sharing the word of God. The moment when we reach the waterfall when the splashes soaked us and cooled us down was priceless! On Sunday, our host family took us to the church they are attended and they held a lunch picnic after that. We had a great time talking with the guests. On Sunday evening, the IFI group had a talent show at church and we chose to perform as a group singing the song “How Great is Our God” in four different languages: English, Hindi, Chinese, and Thai. It was awkwardly fun to sing the song in four languages that shares the same rhythm. On Monday, we went to Niagara Falls again and ride on the boat to see the bottom of the waterfall. Of course, we get soaked again but we were overwhelmed with joy! After that we drove back to Columbus.
Besides the joyful moments at the falls. I feel happy to get to know one of the guy in the group, Jiawei, he is a generous guy who offers foods to the group and he is very friendly. He told me he is a very new Christian but I can feel that God is transforming him and using him in his mission. Someone told me that he has changed a lot after he has accepted Christ as a savior. I believe that! With my group (Fei and Ryan), I interviewed both of them about how they connected to IFI and it came from the IFI airport pickup program that build up the connections between them and IFI. They both said it’s very fortunate for them to know the IFI community!
It was a joy and privilege for me to see God’s creations, the Niagara Falls and God’s work though the people, who put him, and live their lives for God and to God’s grace such as our host family and my new friend Jiawei. Praise the Lord for all things he have done!
