MEET IRA

After finishing her training as a medical assistant, Ira was happy to find a job in Poltava, two hours from her home.  Like many other young Ukrainians, Ira moved into dormitory-style housing to help keep her costs affordable.  She shares a bedroom with her roommate, Tanya, and they share kitchen space with others in the building.

Ivan also lives in the “dormitory.”  He works at the evangelical church one block away and invited Ira and Tanya to a computer outreach at the church.  Eager to increase her computer skills and meet the Americans coming to conduct the outreach, Ira attended the week of classes.  She enjoyed her discussions with Sue, one of our eDOT missionaries, as well as other team members who had many opportunities during the week to share their testimonies with Ira and answer questions such as What does God mean to you in your daily life?  At the end of the week, Ira attended the closing ceremony, her first time in an evangelical church service.  There again, she heard the gospel.

After the team left Poltava, Ivan continued to share God’s truth with Ira.  Two months later Ivan wrote Sue to let her know that Ira had decided to follow Christ!  Several weeks later Ira made a public profession of faith at the Franklin Graham Crusade in Kiev.  Since then Ira has written to Sue to say that she is attending church every Sunday.

Ivan gave Ira a Bible which she calls the “interesting, instructive” book.  Sometimes what she reads is hard to understand, but three new friends are helping her grow in her faith and grasp what she is reading and what the pastor is saying during the sermons.  One thing Ira says she knows for sure though, “I understand that life is better and quieter when you are near to God.”

When someone becomes a child of God, usually many have had a part in the process.  Ivan invited Ira; the team from the U.S. came to Ukraine for the computer outreach, and friends supported them in prayer and financially; Sue shared her testimony; Ivan followed up with Ira; and now Ira’s friends at church are discipling her.  Praise to God who is the One who bears the fruit.  And may we each be faithful in planting, watering, and harvesting fruit for the furthering of His kingdom.