“Everything he wrote made me want to know more about him” – Rob & Urenna’s Christian Connection story

Christian Connection blogger Urenna regularly shares thoughtful advice and wisdom, but until now hasn’t shared the story of how met her husband Rob on the site! “I joined CC because I wanted to meet a fellow Christian to date and hopefully get married. A couple of friends had met their spouses online and urged me to give it a try, so I prayed and took the leap and I’m glad I did!”

Meeting online

“It was pretty easy to join. I initially went for the free version but soon realised it would make sense to pay, to weed out unserious people, but also show that I was committed to it! My first impressions were that it was good, but I must say, I was hesitant to contact anyone as I hadn’t done anything like that before, and I didn’t really trust people. The one or two guys I waved at ignored me, which didn’t help. But I didn’t give up!

I remember putting down my hobbies (I was into the ‘Great British Bake Off’ and ‘Strictly come dancing’ at the time), what part of the world I was from, the type of church I attended, and how committed I was to my faith. I also put how many children I wanted, which I think is very important to know about someone.

I noticed that Rob took time to complete the details in his profile. He wrote very well, in clear, well-structured sentences, and came across as genuine and honest (which he is, in real life). This drew me in, because I had come across a few profiles that had very little information, or one-word answers, which I found to be off-putting. Everything he wrote made me want to know more about him.

Rob waved first. I remember being on the phone to a friend and I saw the notification that he waved. I mentioned it to my friend and said I would leave it for a few days before waving back, and she told me to do it straightaway if I was interested (she’s not one for playing games!) I decided to take her advice and wave back and we started chatting from there.”

Making a connection

Rob and Urenna on holiday - Christian Connection blog — Rob and Urenna on holiday

“We chatted online for a little while and I looked forward to reading his messages. He would message me every day no matter how late it was to respond to my questions or thoughts and / or let me know how his day had gone, and I thought it was really sweet. After a couple of weeks, I eventually told him that it was about time he asked for my number! We spoke on the phone first to chat and then we decided to meet up in person.

We had a lunch date. It was a memorable one because Rob ordered a hot dog that he found very hard to eat without making a mess and he later told me that he was embarrassed! I didn’t mind or notice, though!

I can’t say exactly when I knew, but it was pretty early on. He ticked most of my ‘boxes’- he was a Christian, was kind and gentle, made me laugh, and we had a similar outlook on life. There were no red flags, and when I prayed about him, I didn’t sense anything holding me back. It was green flags all around and if anything, I was the one fighting it because over the years I’d been sold the idea of ‘love at first sight’ and ‘butterflies in your tummy’, which wasn’t my experience.”

We went for a meal at one of our favourite Thai restaurants, which we had visited on our first dinner date. Rob proposed outside Regent’s Park station, which holds a special place in both our hearts because he had walked me back to that station after that first date.

Two weddings – and married life

Rob and Urenna's traditional wedding - Christian Connection blog — Rob and Urenna’s traditional wedding

“We had two weddings: a Nigerian traditional wedding in Nigeria (where I’m from) and a Church wedding in the UK. The Nigerian wedding was huge and colourful but very enjoyable, especially for Rob who hadn’t been to Nigeria before. The Church wedding was held at Rob’s home church in London. with lots of family and friends based in the UK.

One of the things we love to do is go on walks together. We’ve done a few treks and seen some amazing views across the country. We also love just spending time together, going out for meals, baking, or watching our favourite TV shows (Rob won’t watch Bake off or Strictly since we got married though!)

Rob is very kind and thoughtful. I knew this about him when I started getting to know him, but I also see it in the way that he parents our daughter; he’s a hands-on dad and I’m glad to be doing life together with him. He’s introduced me to different cultures and has helped draw me out of my comfort zone in many ways, and I appreciate him for this.

We’ll be married 9 years by the end of this year and it’s been amazing, with ups and downs. One of our biggest challenges in our marriage was a delay in having children. But God answered our prayers and we welcomed our beautiful daughter in 2023. She’s brought even more joy to our lives. I think the time we spent waiting for a child helped to strengthen our marriage and our relationship with God.”

Advice for single Christians

“I would advise single Christians who want to meet someone to not give up or lose hope. It can happen when you least expect it, but you also have to put in some effort. In my case, I didn’t want to join an online dating site, but I don’t know if I would be married now if I hadn’t. Sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zones and try something new.

It’s also important to know what you want in a life partner, and what is non-negotiable for you, so that you recognise it when you see it. There is nothing wrong with having standards, but ask yourself if your standards are realistic, or even godly, or if they’re superficial.

Being honest with yourself can help you know what is genuinely non-negotiable. And pray. Ask God to order your footsteps and trust that He will lead you to the right person in His own perfect time.”