Ira Desire was a “lanky” ten-year-old kid with a quick tongue
when he first crossed the threshold at Granny’s House, an after school program that had
become a “Pied Piper” of sorts in the
projects - a gathering place for kids who’d come from
all over the world: Rwanda, Afghanistan, Liberia, Russia, Thailand, Congo,
Yemen, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Tanzania. “Desiree”
(pronounced “Duh-zeer-ray”) as he
was called back then, had just arrived from Tanzania with his family and the English language along with American, mid-western culture was all new to him. Some of the first
words he learned to speak well were the same words that kids sprawled across
the bricks at Granny’s House after hours. He was smart, sometimes angry, witty,
sometimes melancholy, creative, sometimes lawless, and you never knew which
version you’d encounter on any give day. He was, indeed, a challenge for
Granny’s House staff and volunteers as they endeavored to carry out their mission
of mirroring God’s unconditional love to the kids who hung out on Trinity Place
after school.
We first began to see little glimpses of his creativity when
he’d bring in little minute-long movies he’d videoed and edited on a cell
phone. We’d always pepper him with questions after watching one of his movies: “How’d you do that? How’d you catch that
scene? How’d you get that shot from inside of a microwave?” There was no
doubt that this kid had a creative “eye!”
As the years passed, Ira got better and more sophisticated cell
phones and then better and more sophisticated cameras. He took classes at CATV
(Columbia Access Television), did job shadows with Steve Twitchell at Steve
Twitchell Production Studio and with Blake Godwin and Brett Manie at the Missouri
School Board Association’s Media Center. He has been the photographer and videographer
for quite a few Granny’s House projects, often makes movies featuring soccer players and rap artists, and is frequently asked to take senior
pictures for classmates. He takes advantage of every opportunity to learn and
expand his skill set to become a successful professional photographer.
And, all while developing his photographic skills, he’s been
honed into what my dad would have called a “fine
young man” i.e. kind, courteous, and a keeper-of-his-word type of guy. I
often find myself saying, “Ira, you always make me think… you force me to
study! You ask the most difficult questions about the Bible!” He’s never
satisfied with pat answers or even a hint of religiosity! He insists on
hearing the raw TRUTH!! We proudly call
him one of our “Sons.”
We were thrilled when he agreed to do a family photo shoot
for us when our son come home for a visit from Germany – the very first photos
we’d taken with all four of our kids and
the grandchildren! Believe me, it was not easy photographing fourteen people
outside on a hot summer evening – a large group that included three busy-bodied
little boys!
Yes, Ira Desire is now a “Professional” photographer and we
couldn’t be more excited to show him off on our Facebook pages and soon on all of our
fireplace mantles!! -Granny Pam
Ira Desire doing a family photo shoot at Shelter Gardens.
