Remember the Nigerian man who proposed to his white girlfriend on top of Olumo Rock? Here is their story!
Few
weeks ago, a Nigerian man proposed to his girlfriend ontop Olumo Rock
in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The photos quickly went viral.
The
couple was interviewed by BYU-Idaho Scroll, student news source of
Brigham Young University, Idaho, U.S. where they are both studying. When
Shila Tietjen, a sophomore studying Spanish education decided to visit
Nigeria, a proposal was the last thing she expected.
Egunjobi said the way they met was a long story and that it was not planned at all.
After dating for a period of time, Egunjobi said he wanted to take her to his hometown in Nigeria.
While in Nigeria, on Sept. 13, 2016, on Tietjen’s
birthday, Egunjobi said he surprised her by asking her on Olumo Rock to
marry him after they had toured the Kings Palace and the first church in
Nigeria.
"I was totally surprised," Tietjen said. "I had no idea it
would happen that day. Before we left, I thought he would propose to me
on my birthday because he likes to do exciting and big things, but then
while we were there, I totally forgot. I even forgot it was my birthday
when I woke up."
Tietjen said she was really excited to go to Nigeria to meet his family and that they showed so much love for her.
"They
treated me like a princess," she said. Tietjen said they did not expect
the media attention that they received from the African news and that it caught them both by surprise.
"I bet there was someone there who took pictures of us
thinking it was cool and put it out there, and a lot of newspapers and
websites took it," Egunjobi said. "They didn’t even know our names. We
weren’t expecting it, I was just there in the living room and I started
receiving calls. We went viral in two days."
Egunjobi said their relationship had not always been easy.
"We both had opposition from family and friends about
marrying into a different race and culture," Tietjen said, "Luckily,
though, our immediate families are both really cool with it."
Egunjobi
said his family has not always been members of the Church and he
converted when he was 11 years old. Tietjen said she comes from a long
history of members of the Church.
"The gospel is really cool," Egunjobi said. "Without the
gospel, I do not see how this would be happening. I am from a different
culture, she is from a different culture, and the gospel is uniting us
together."
Tietjen said she encourages people to be open to different things and to the many different cultures on campus.
"There’s a lot of cultures on campus," Tietjen said. “We
shouldn’t be afraid to experience them we should be willing to open up
to them, because when we are not open, that is when we have so many
problems in the world."
The two said they have both received some discouraging remarks from people, but that their love remains strong.
"If the love is there, the color shouldn’t be a barrier,” Egunjobi said. “In the end, we are all human beings."
Tietjen said they both have grown together through this process, and they look forward to the eternities that are ahead of them.
"After a week of learning new customs, traditions and ways
of life, I understood Olu better," Tietjen said. "I knew for sure that I
wanted to be with him forever, no matter what forever would consist of.
On the Rock, I had no doubts. I will take my children and grandchildren
there to show them how two opposite people with lots of opposition
decided to make the climb, face the heights and then stand at the top,
strong and firm in their love and dedication."
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