Our relationship started as office romance, we kept it coded till wedding invitation went out – Christian Couple

WiGRadioTeam: can we meet you ma/sir? 

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: My name is Favour Winner-Okere. I work with a FinTech and sing gospel music.

Mr. Winner Okere: My name is Winner Okere. I am a Product Manager in a financial institution. I enjoy good music and sports.

WiGRadioTeam: Nice to meet you both. Now that we’ve met you both, so, how did you both meet yourselves? 

Mr. Winner Okere: We met in our previous workplace. While working diligently, I was also watching.I sat beside her on the staff bus and engaged her in a brief conversation.After some weeks, I again met her at the canteen and from there, we got talking. Though we started off slowly, God gave us speed and helped us.

Mrs Favour Winner-Okere: We met at our former workplace, we were in different departments. I would usually go catch a glimpse of him during my breaktime to receive doses of love, motivation, and inspirational especially during my last days as I was starting to get disgruntled with the job.

WiGRadioTeam: Was it love at first sight or something in your spirit? 

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: Lolz… none of the above. As a matter of fact I was not attracted to him at all. 

WiGRadioT eam: So, how did he break the ice and eventually get to your heart?

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: It was the lord. So, as we became friends I saw that he wasn’t bad at all. My heart started to click you know, it was more of my heart resonating and following God’s leading.

WiGRadio Team: Were you in any relationship at this time?

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: I was actually in a relationship when we first met so i never paid attention to him initially till my ex showed me shege banza. 

WiGRadio Team: If you don’t mind, please share with us the Shege experience with your ex. Was he a believer? And was the decision to go separate ways yours or a mutual one?

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: As a matter of fact, he is an associate pastor in his local church. He stopped being the person I knew and it became really tough to accept doing life with him. I was the one facing the consequences of his bitter past. The relationship became too toxic for the daughter of Zion biko. So, yeah, I took a walk…He never agreed but at least it’s my life.

WiGRadio Team: So what about the doses of love you were going to catch?

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: This was after we had gotten close and knew that it was more than the friendship…I usually would go and rant to him about work and he’ll calm me down and hug me. 

WiGRadio Team: Sir, what made you pick interest in your wife? 

Mr. Winner Okere: She is very intelligent, lively and understanding. I also felt her passion for God. 

WiGRadio Team: After you both decided you were right for each other, how was it meeting your families? 

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: Hmmm wasn’t really a big deal although his dad kinda had a picture of what his daughter-in-law should look like. It took a little while but then he adjusted really fine, now I’m his favorite Favour. 

Mr. Winner Okere: I had the conversation with my family over and over again.I marketed her to them strategical and I used to chip her name in mother/son interactions.More like I made them anticipate meeting her.After a few months, and she coming over a few times to meet my parents and me, hers, we took it the next step further by formal introductions between families and the rest is history. God helped us. 

WiGRadio Team: How were you both able to keep yourselves and one another in check during the courting period?

Mr. Winner Okere: We kept reminding each other that we would be roommates for life.

WiGRadio Team: How was it like a having a relationship at work because obviously most Bosses don’t usually accept that, how were you guys able to fare. Did you keep it as a secret?. 

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: Omo nobody knew except for two of my close friends. Every other person saw us as siblings because we look alike. They all just assumed we were siblings and in my heart I felt good about it. 

Mr. Winner-Okere: We were coded.When my wife resigned and we had sent invites for the wedding, they all were astonished.

WiGRadio Team: What would you say has been the key to your marital success?Obviously you must have had misunderstandings on issues and different views about certain matters. How did you handle them?

Mr. Winner-Okere: Hmm…God’s wisdom has been very key.Times to speak, what to say, how to say it, time to be quiet, etc. We confront issues as soon as they arise.

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: By God’s help we are growing to understand each other the more. I’d say it’s really been by the help of God. I don’t think we’ve had an argument where we raised our voices at each other because of our unity. We’d rather talk things through and always try to reach a compromise to the benefit of the other first.

WiGRadio Team: How do you both stay connected in these busy times when everyone has to hustle? Do you have things you love to do together?

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: It has not been an easy one, but we keep trying.I think it’s a little easier cos I work from home. We see movies together, pray and worship together, share God’s word, go for studio sessions together, sometimes, he hangs around in church till rehearsal is done. 

Mr. Winner Okere: E no easy oo… My job is time consuming, Lagos traffic can be ruthless, She works shifts and some days, they can be odd. We try to squeeze out ‘we’ time regardless. We eat together, see movies, sometime take walks, and when we are both free, go have fun outdoor. We hope for more time as we have loads of activities to do together.

WiGRadio Team: It seems like you both have a very strong understanding of each other.During your courtship period, was there anytime you had a misunderstanding that you have made you go separate ways? If yes, how were you able to resolve with the issue?

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere:  There was an issue one time, the early days, where I almost told him I was done. There was one of his lady friend that liked him and thought in her head that they were dating. Baba, cleared her, but she came at me thinking she could get me out that way. I felt really embarrassed and already even told him I couldn’t take it but, he reassured me that he was going to take care of it that I should please give him some time. Las las, i am Mrs Winner-Okere now.

WiGRadio Team: Do you both have a favourite Bible verse or book that you’d like to share? And why? 

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: Hmm… we have some scriptures we recited and made as audio, we call them our winning confessions.We also use sticky notes to paste them around the house. 

Mr. Winner Okere: We have some favourite verses o. We even made a ‘confessions audio’ with them. Here are a few: Deut. 33:24, Numbers 6:24-26, Isaiah 60. 

WiGRadio Team: Ma/sir,please share with us some red flags that sisters/brothers should really watch out for in the brother/sister they are in relationship with.and also any advice for intending couples.

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: There are quite a number. Of course, if he’s not a believer it’s a no no from the start.Quick to anger and/or easily talks down on the sister at the slightest misunderstanding. A brother who just want to be a background Christian, doesn’t like the idea of praying long or going for evangelism or even serving in church. Please be careful. A proud/arrogant person…some even blame it on their temperament, abeg run.A non caring brother or a non giver….abeg!!!. 

Intending couples, it’s going to be you and your partner together forever.So, get your heart and soul ready for it. Start to practice inclusivity even before marriage, anything you do, you are doing for two. It’s no longer me, myself and I. Things will definitely change, your priorities, every single thing. Let the love of God always lead you. Start being accommodating and patient now. Be friendly and kind too. All of these virtues will be needed in marriage. Most of all, do not loose faith in God for any reason at all. Hold hands together and agree towards anything, you’ll get it except it’s not God’s plan for you.

Mr. Winner Okere: Well, it depends on the person.For me, a few red flags are:

Her choice of friends, if bad. Her interaction with people, does she look down on people? Does she love GOD? Does she love money ostentatiously? My advise is to depend on GOD for help in all your ways acknowledge him. Have each other’s back, plan realistically, don’t try to impress a few people at your own detriment. 

WiGRadio Team: How easy was it for you to decide to move on from your first relationship?

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: It wasn’t easy at all, cos I received him in both the vision of the night and day.I even got a scripture that I thought confirmed it was him. So, it was so shocking to me.I couldn’t let go initially, we broke up and and made up twice till I decided I couldn’t continue toying with my heart.

WiGRadio Team: But how far had you gone with the relationship? Done any official introduction to both families? (Just to let our readers know that it is never too late to break up a relationship that is not giving peace and GOD).

Mrs. Favour Winner-Okere: We hadn’t done anything official, but we were planning to. We were already making plans, searching for accommodation and all. Lol.

WiGRadioTeam: Learnt so much from this short session with you. We appreciate you and pray that the Lord will keep you both together in love and unity till the end. 

Mr. & Mrs. Winner-Okere: Thank you for having us.