The mission of International Friends Incorporated is “To extend life-changing hospitality and friendship to international students out of reverence for Jesus.” This focus on service to the international community opens many doors for sharing the Gospel with young people who have never heard it before, including many Fulbright scholars who will return to their home countries and assume significant leadership roles. Most of the international students on the RIT campus are in graduate programs, so these are often young men and women in the twenties and early thirties, a different demographic than most other campus groups. The IFI program also provides support to young Christians from around the world who come to RIT to study. IFI volunteers provide hospitality in many forms: greeting new students as they arrive at the airport in Rochester for the first time, offering rides to the supermarket, helping students earn their drivers licenses, hosting them for meals. Many international students participate in small group Bible studies. Young Christians in IFI are given opportunities to serve and lead on the RIT campus.
Mason Pell (m.pell@ifiusa.org) is the IFI campus representative at RIT. He organizes the Bible studies and other IFI small groups at RIT. He also provides IFI supporters with opportunities to meet and host international students while they are studying at RIT. You can learn more about IFI by watching this video (https://youtu.be/ebIyZkToFN8?si=_XolkD3H2HYMZOAf) or visiting the IFI Partners website (https://www.ifipartners.org/).
Would you like to attend an IFI event to learn more about their activities? Would you like to host an IFI guest for a meal at Christmas or Easter? Are you interested in teaching someone how to drive? Please talk with Dave Beinetti or Paul Craig and we can help you connect with IFI.
Please continue to pray for IFI
That the IFI team, which is classified as a club at RIT, would have effective communication with the Campus Life office at RIT, and especially that they would receive prompt responses to their emails and phone calls.
That more international students would attend IFI events and desire to follow Jesus
That the international students will find companionship while they are studying at RIT, especially during the breaks and holiday times.