Marriage is for the selfless: LINAH AND STEVE KIMANI

“If you want a girl, tell her on the face, don’t keep her guessing.” Stephen Kimani

Linah Njeri and Stephen Kimani, both 28, were married in April this year. The couple live in Mombasa where Linah is a teacher and Stephen works as a business advisor.

They met while students at Kenyatta University. They not only share the beautiful memories of their wedding day, but also their love story.

Steve’s story…

“I made several moves to win Linah way back in 2004 but my advances were not welcome since she was in another relationship. When it became evident she was not available, I moved on but we remained friends. I got into a relationship with someone else in 2008 but it was not fulfilling. While praying for guidance and direction in this relationship at some point towards the end of 2008, Linah’s image kept coming into my thoughts and prayers. It was God’s way of pointing me to the woman He wanted me to be with,” says Stephen.

By this time Linah had travelled to the US and rumours beating the rounds were that she was planning for her wedding.

“I didn’t give up and trusted God to do His will. And He did because when Linah returned from the US, she sent me a text message to let me know she was back and had a gift for me. I was working in Eldoret at the time. When we met we shared our experiences of our past partners and it was obvious we both had not found love. I also told her what God had revealed to me in prayer. Surprisingly, she had a similar experience where God had pointed her to my direction. It was apparent we were destined for a life together. There was no turning back. We started dating and our love culminated in a beautiful wedding on April 16, 2011 at Nairobi’sMoi Education Centre.”

Linah speaks…

“When Steve approached me in 2004, I was touched by his bravado and forthrightness but unfortunately I was in another relationship. Although I liked Steve I was confused, as I did not want to hurt the person I was dating. However, this relationship ended and I got involved in two others but was not fulfilled. It was while in the US on a one-year work tour programme that I started reflecting on my life and Steve’s image would not leave me. He would appear in my dreams severally. I went into deep prayer asking God to give me an interpretation of my dreams. All this time, I thought Steve had moved on and I therefore did not keep my hopes high. I was so happy when Steve responded to my message and after a lot of catching up, I had no doubt in my mind that we were both waiting for each other.”

Steve proposed to Linah in February 2010 and soon after wedding arrangements went into full swing. They had a lot of support from their family and friends. The couple says they had a perfect wedding day and the bridal party looked gorgeous. Linah revealed that she bought her wedding dress while in the US, even though she was not in any relationship.

Choice of best couple…

“Our best couple, Anne and Eric Odoyo, were our friends at university. I was a maid at their wedding in 2007. We thought they were best suited for this role because they had been married for some time and we hoped to benefit from their experience. We made the right choice because not only were they very supportive in all arrangements leading to the wedding, but have remained our mentors.”

Word from Anne Odoyo…

“My husband and I were surprised when Steve and Linah approached us to be their best couple, but we accepted the role wholeheartedly. Our greatest desire is to develop a life long relationship with them. I organised a successful bridal shower for Linah while Eric, my husband, had a group of married men counsel Steve. Linah and Steve have been open with us and we are enjoying an excellent relationship with them. We have pledged all our support to them and we have no doubt our friendship is mutual.”

Some wedding tips from the couple…

 Get a best couple that shares your values and whom you are free with.
You should be able to connect spiritually and emotionally with your best couple.
Plan your wedding together.
Plan your wedding in advance and don’t rush things.
Ensure you have some savings to give you a head start in setting up your new home.
Choose your honeymoon destination in good time and make early bookings.

Parents wish the couple a blessed marriage.

Published in July 2011 issue