Mary is a Baby Boutique volunteer and also volunteers at Northside Gwinnett. Before beginning as a volunteer at Obria, she had new neighbors move into her neighborhood. Being the sweet and considerate person that she is, Mary took her new neighbors a plate of homemade cookies to introduce herself and learned that they were a Pakistani couple (Muslim) expecting their first baby.
The wife, Carah*, had limited English and didn’t have a car so she was stuck at home alone all day. Mary began working with Carah on her English and their friendship blossomed. Shortly after coming on as a volunteer at Obria, Mary approached Angela about Carah joining the Thrive program. Angela was hesitant at first, but thought outside of the box and found a way to make it work.
Mary and Carah began watching Bright Course videos together which allowed Carah to gain information about pregnancy, birth, and parenting; these videos also gave them the springboard for their English sessions. Mary would ask Carah the questions, and then she would answer as Mary guided her when she would become stuck or lacked the vocabulary.
Through the course of this, Mary has had beautiful opportunities to gently share her faith with Carah. On the day that Carah gave birth, as God would have it, Mary happened to be volunteering at the hospital. After her volunteer shift ended, she went to check on Carah and her husband. Carah was struggling with the pain of labor and was progressing slowly. Mary asked Carah’s husband if she could pray with them for strength and comfort. He welcomed the prayer, and Mary prayed with this young Muslim couple in Jesus’s name. Ultimately, Mary was invited to participate in the actual birth, helping as Carah pushed her little boy into this world.
Since the birth, Mary has become a surrogate grandma. Carah has no one here to ask all those first-time mom questions. Mary has become her lifeline. One person with a servant’s heart, looking for a way to touch the life of her young neighbor, is building a friendship that will not be forgotten by either woman. Obria is blessed to be a part of their story!
*The name of this patient has been changed to protect her identity.