Baby Name Game: 2-2

Another Baby Darbi has been born in Zambia, bringing the score to 2-2 for babies Blu and I have named after us. (Everything is a competition when you're a Tidwell!)

A few weeks ago, Oshinaty, a young girl from Mapanza Baptist Church, came to visit me. She was about 8 1/2 months pregnant and already had a 3 year old daughter. She told me that the father of her baby was in Lusaka. Apparently he came to Mapanza and began negotiations with her parents to marry her. At that point in Zambia, it is like you are married, so they were living together as husband and wife. After awhile, he returned to Lusaka with promises to return, only he never returned. Oshinaty called and called, especially when she found out she was pregnant, only to be told finally that he was already married and she was wasting her time. I wondered if this story was true, but the pastor at Mapanza Baptist confirmed all of this to Blu.

So Oshinaty was now 8 1/2 months pregnant and needed help. She went to the doctor and they told her that she needed to begin preparing to give birth and to bring all of the baby clothes, cloth diapers, etc. to her next appointment. She had nothing, so she prayed about what to do. She told me that she dreamed that she came and asked me for help, so the next day she did. Again, I was skeptical of her story, but I know that the baby certainly isn't at fault, so I was more than happy to help. Ok, so maybe I went a little overboard buying baby things.. :)

Last week, her sister came to visit us in Mapanza to bring me a note and say that Baby Darbi had been born. Oshinaty wrote me a letter saying that she named her baby Darbi hoping that her baby would have a kind heart like me. Awwww.... :) Made my day...my week!

Oshinaty is having problems with her family. After the birth of her baby, her mother brought traditional medicine from the witch doctor that she wanted to give the baby. Oshinaty refused due to her belief in Jesus, and the family all kinda went crazy. The pastor, Maxwell, was brought in to try to alleviate the tension in the situation and explain Christian beliefs. He asked if the baby was sick that she would need this medicine and the mother explained, "No, but this is what we do. It is our tradition."

I am so proud of Oshinaty for standing up for her beliefs and I only pray that she will raise Baby Darbi to know Jesus and not the traditional beliefs of generations before her.