Baby Shower for Baby Elizabeth

A week ago yesterday a couple of girls from our church threw a baby shower for Natasha, our friend from Tsurupinsk, and her baby. We had our first baby shower last December for a lady from our church. This time I wanted to train girls from our church to do it. We had a great time planning a devotional, food, games and transportation to and from the shower (we hired a van to take us there).

Natasha and Elizabeth

There is a big superstition in this culture that you do not celebrate an occasion before the date, otherwise something bad will happen. Therefore, it's considered bad luck to give presents before the date. Last time we had a baby shower, we decided to go counter-cultural and to have the baby shower despite the superstition. Some people asked me at the shower if it is OK to do it, which led to a discussion about the sovereignty of God. As we discovered, the ladies thoroughly enjoyed the shower, and once we got the air cleared about God being in control, everybody relaxed and had a great time. They commented afterwards that it does make sense to give presents before the baby is born, so that the mother has everything she needs.

Elizabeth, 6 weeks old

March was a busy month and we were not able to have the baby shower before Natasha gave birth plus Natasha was supposed to be on bed rest for the last few weeks. However, the doctors required her to go to the hospital twice a day to get a shot to slow down the contractions. She said it took her 25 minutes to walk one way. It's hard to understand what those doctors were thinking. She made it to her due date and had a healthy baby girl.

Ladies formed two teams to participate in the "Diaper the Baby" relay

The shower turned out well and everybody had a good time. I was most thankful for the ladies from our church, who stepped right in and coordinated food, a devotional and games. I helped them with leading and one game, but I am confident of their ability to do it on their own next time.

Natasha opening the presents