"My husband, Precious Ubaka Spik, and I often laugh that the very people who were the most opposed to our unconventional, whirlwind romance have become our greatest supporters. Nearly every member of my American family and community was shocked in 2021 when I started direct messaging Precious, a complete stranger, on Facebook that May. I became engaged in July, met him in Dubai for the first time in November, and got married a week later in his native country, Nigeria."
"They were skeptical when I went to live with him in Astana, Kazakhstan, where he taught English to children and adults, as a newlywed, to carve out a life more than 6,000 miles from the US. Now, nearly four years later, in April 2025, close relatives, including my mom, dad, and siblings, joined my church family in welcoming Precious to our home city of New Haven, Connecticut."
"Gone are the days when they thought he was a scammer - my pastor had warned me about about a love-struck woman being conned by a guy on the internet, which has been replaced by trust and warmth. Precious, 35, who plays the piano in church, has a green card and has already worked several jobs stateside. Best of all, he's the father of our three beautiful kids: Amaya, 3, Adrian, 2, both born in Kasakshtan, and Ameeyah, born this July in Connecticut."
Shalonda Trent began messaging Precious Ubaka Spik on Facebook in May 2021, became engaged in July, met him in Dubai in November and married him a week later in Nigeria. She moved to Astana, Kazakhstan as a newlywed while her husband taught English, despite family skepticism and warnings about online scams. The couple had two children in Kazakhstan, later welcomed a third child in Connecticut after returning to the US. Precious received a green card in March 2024 after three and a half years, a process that cost around $1,500. Family and church eventually embraced Precious and supported the reunited family in New Haven.
Read at Business Insider
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