Ira Girl

In my last entry for today, I wanted to take a moment and introduce you to Ira...
'Ira' is her Russian name. 'Hye Reen' is her Korean name. And to me, she is affectionately known as 'Ira Girl.'
Ira is a missionary kid who has grown up in both South Korea and Tajikistan. Her parents are currently in South Korea for their home assignment (a brief time of rest) before returning to their outreach with the Tajik people as professors at a university.
Ira has an incredible gift for languages. She speaks Korean, Russian, and English fluently and she can write proficiently in each language. On a daily basis, she journals about her thoughts in Russian, attends classes at BFA in English, and speaks with the other Korean students in our house in her native tongue. During dorm devotionals on Sunday nights, we invite our students to pray in whatever tongue they wish, so it has been so beautiful to hear her pray in Korean and Russian. She speaks so softly and sweetly.

Ira is extraordinarly creative. She has recently picked up crocheting and starts and finishes new projects...daily :)--headbands, bags, coin purses, scarves, MP3 holders, etc. She also has a gift for drawing--her work is displayed all over her room. She especially loves to draw people and faces. This reminds me of a funny story at the beginning of the year...Ira was decorating her room and using glue to attach her drawings to the wall and ceiling. She didn't think it was that sticky while it was wet! haha. I found Ira doing this and I had to explain that as the glue dries it hardens and adheres to surfaces. She was so apologetic and understanding. Together, we took down the pictures and scrubbed down the walls/ceilings from the residue of dried paper and glue. It was a sweet moment of seeing her innocence in a new culture.

Ira has really blessed me by her servant heart. She chastens me when she notices that my hands are dry and cracking. She will then take the initiative to go retrieve her lotion and come bak to me ready to massage my hands. I love this about her! She is so tender and so caring. When her roommate, Kate (pictured above on the left), is sick she will go out of her way to help her feel better with a special hot drink or snack.

She loves to be asked about her family, her home, and her experiences growing up. It has been so neat hearing her describe her Korean family and the Tajik people, as well as the relations between North and South Korea. She is so intelligent.

Ira is also incredibly affectionate--she loves to be tucked in and hugged before bed. Last night, as I walked into her room, she said, "What's up, babe?" in her sweet little Ira voice. And this just made me smile :)

Please join me in praying for Ira. She especially needs prayer for fellowship--she has so much to offer in a friendship, but in this new place, it can be so hard to make yourself open and vulnerable. Pray that God would raise up a friend for her.