Okay, here's the mind-blowing part: Mariam wanted me to choose her baby's name! She'd sent word shortly after the baby was born. What an honor! At first I didn't respond directly to the news, not wanting to seem presumptuous. When they confirmed that it really was their wish, I had some serious thinking to do! I haven't even named a child of my own, let alone a friend's. What if they don't like the name?
I decided to look for a name from the Bible. Biblical names are common around here, even obscure ones. Perhaps Mariam, a sincere Christian, would appreciate a name with a godly heritage. Some names I rejected because they would be difficult to pronounce in local languages. Finally I settled on Joanna, who supported Jesus during his ministry and was one of the first to see the empty tomb and hear of Jesus' resurrection. I had a name... Would Mariam like it? I was nervous.
Mariam graciously came to my house today, since I was packing most of the day. (Tomorrow I leave for our annual conference and then to Houston for a visit.) Between our respective travels, this would be our only chance for a while! Poor baby needs an official name!
During the course of the visit, I told Mariam about the name I'd chosen and showed her the verses in my Swahili Bible where Joanna is mentioned. She really did seem to like the name! (Whew!) I explained, "Joanna was one of Jesus' friends, and I pray that this little girl will also become a friend of Jesus." I really didn't know how these occasions are supposed to work, if I was meeting expectations, so I just expressed what was on my heart to the best of my ability.
 |
| Joanna and me |
I have now named a baby! It's the strangest thing. I think that this may also give me some sort of godmother-type role in Joanna's life. Guess I'll find out!
You can see more pictures on facebook. Mariam was amused by how many photos I could take. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment