DJ’s Role with IFI

Once fully funded, DJ will be serving as the Campus Minister to the international students at Cleveland State University (Go Vikings!) DJ’s major focuses will be:

• Hospitality: Leading day trips and other activities to help build community and get to know students on a personal level, offering rides to students and sharing meals with students, either home cooked or going out for a special occasion.
• Teaching: through helping lead weekly Family Groups by providing out lines for the Bible discussions and facilitating one of the groups as well.

The Vision:

DJ’s vision is to serve God wherever He calls and to utilize the training and experiences God has given him to contribute and strengthen cross-cultural efforts in each location. After talking and praying with the leadership team of IFI, it became clear that DJ’s giftings and experience fit perfectly with the needs of the outreach team in Cleveland and DJ has embraced this opportunity as God’s calling.

At the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester, DJ had the opportunity to be a “house dad” at a ministry house that was offered by a local church to use as temporary housing IFI offered for new students when they first arrived. He, along with other volunteers, hosted over 60 new students in the house during the first month of the semester. This sparked a God-given dream to start a ministry house where students could live throughout the year to experience life changing hospitality, friendship and community.

DJ’s Background:

Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, DJ accepted Christ at a young age while doing a devotional with his mother. He has always been around people from the nations, growing up in the diverse Seattle Public School system, he made many friends from other countries. DJ was very active in his youth group and continued after graduation as one of the adult leaders. In 2009, the opportunity came to teach English overseas. Originally going for one year, he fell in love with the Middle East and the many friends that he made, and extended his time for another year. He loved getting to know the people, their culture, and sharing about his. He next moved to India for three months where he worked with a local Indian non-profit providing photography and videography services. Upon his return, he felt called to serve cross-culturally and decided to go back to school and graduated from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago in 2016.

Fast forward a couple years, DJ found himself in Cleveland, Ohio for an internship with the CMA. During this internship he partnered with other ministries in Cleveland, one of them being IFI. He loved his time with students in the Small Groups where they would discuss Bible passages, and enjoyed the multiple day trips throughout the year and a summer road trip to Florida. He loved his role as “house dad” for international students while offering temporary housing.

Prayer Requests:

• • Pray for DJ as he is starting on his MPD process and fundraising.
    • Pray for the right prayer and financial supporters
    • That the process would go quickly so that he can be fully funded by the beginning of the Fall 2022 semester
  • Pray for all the details and timing of going back to Seattle to fully move to Cleveland
    • Pray for the right house/area to move into
    • That the house/property would fit the needs of a ministry house
  • Pray for confidence, boldness, wisdom, and love in interacting with students
  • For his parents who are back in Seattle
    • While they are grateful that Cleveland is closer than the Middle East, it is still hard for them.