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What do you do when you meet your future husband on an interview panel? Nothing. You do nothing. You go away like the good Christian girl that you are and date a disaster—all the while obliviously sitting next to the father of your future three sons.
If I got a penny for every failed marriage story out here, I could buy myself a whole new hairline! But I tell you these stories because although we often hear about the planes that crash, many flights are flying and landing safely—we just don’t hear about them.
Are marriages crumbling? Sadly, everywhere. Are marriages thriving? Absolutely!
Here comes Purity and Tim, a couple whose love story proves that God’s timing is perfect, and marriage—though challenging—is a beautiful journey worth taking.
1. How did you two meet?
Purity: We met at work. Tim was on the interview panel for a job I applied for. I remember seeing him in jeans, a rugby shirt, and Timberland boots, with a chain peeking from his collar. I thought, wueh, this must be one of those cool guys popular among the ladies! During the interview, he asked if I would go for coffee with a colleague to connect. I looked at him and asked if he was asking me out! 😁 He says that’s when his interest was piqued.
Tim: We met in a work environment. I was working at Youth Alive! Kenya, and Purity was coming in for an interview. I had just returned from my lunch break when I saw her waiting at the reception. We exchanged pleasantries, then met again in the interview room. I asked her an off-the-script question about going for coffee with a colleague, and she boldly asked if I was asking her out. I was tongue-tied!
2. What was the funniest, weirdest, or craziest part of your meeting and early dating?
Purity: The craziest part was that right after the interview in November 2008, I met and started dating someone else in December. When I started the job in January 2009, I wasn’t single—Tim was. Our desks were adjacent, and we talked a lot. We had coffee together, but since I was unavailable, Tim moved on and started dating someone else. By April, my relationship had ended, but Tim was now taken. Eventually, his relationship also ended, and by December 2009, we were officially an item.
Tim: Definitely that interview moment when she turned my question back on me! But also, the whole dynamic of how we started as friends and eventually found our way to each other despite dating other people in between.
3. When did you get married?
Purity: July 2011.
Tim: July 30, 2011.
4. What’s been the happiest part of your marriage?
Purity: Our early years! I remember fondly Sunday afternoons when we’d grab fries and chicken at Altonas after church, then binge-watch movies or series all day. Our first house in Kinoo was a great place to create memories.
Tim: The birth of our three sons and our fifth-year anniversary getaway.
5. What has been the hardest part of your marriage?
Purity: Creating the “our way” from “my way” and “your way.” Our personalities are different—I’m melancholic and tend to mull over things (read: silent treatment 😅), while Tim is a “let’s get it done” type of guy. Over time, we’ve found some balance.
Tim: Overcoming selfish interests and working to be on the same page for big decisions.
6. Can you remember one event that stood out the most in your marriage?
Purity: Buying our first car. We were so united in that goal, saving up for it despite a slight detour when I had to clear my HELB loan. God blessed that unity—we got a really good car in great condition through a friend of a friend.
Tim: Our fifth-year anniversary and our move from Nairobi to Mombasa.
7. What’s one myth about marriage that you have busted?
Purity: That being deeply in love and having God’s confirmation means marriage will be easy. It’s still a lot of work!
Tim: That marriage is bliss and you’ll always be happy. Marriage is hard work. The day you stop working on it, it begins to die.
8. If you were to give one piece of advice to single people, what would it be?
Purity: I have a lot of advice! 😂 But mainly, know that even if you’re deeply in love and everything aligns, marriage still takes work.
Tim: Take time to know the person. Don’t rush in. Getting in is easy, but getting out is difficult and painful.
9. And to married people?
Purity: I have zero blanket advice, but I will say—bila Yesu, itakuwa ngori! 😂
Tim: Invest time and effort in building the marriage you want. Overcome selfish interests and live for the other person.
10. Anything else you’d love to say?
Purity: Marriage is beautiful but requires intentional effort.
Tim: Marriage is a God-ordained institution. For it to succeed, both partners need to walk with God. Without Him, the challenges might become insurmountable.
