HOW WE MET with CHRISTINE CHISHA, Mazabuka
THEY say anything is possible when it comes to love and this is probably why Fred Kamera and wife Juliet ‘found each other’ in a church choir at Pentecostal Assemblies of God in Mazabuka.
Little did they ever imagine they would end up as husband and wife.

When Juliet’s family was transferred to Mazabuka from Ndola, she joined the choir and it was her beauty that caught the attention of Fred, who was also a choir member.
Fred befriended Juliet and one evening while coming from a choir practice, Fred proposed to Juliet. “It was not a special date with an expensive ring but just an ordinary date.”
Fred was the happiest man when Juliet agreed to his proposal and that was the beginning of a love relationship. The two dated for two years before getting married.
This year they will be celebrating 19 years of marriage bliss.
“Loving someone and being loved brings happiness. To us, it is not a ‘falling in love’ as much as it is a growing in love. It is not impossible but it is truly a rare thing for someone to love a person at first sight.  It is hard to look into the heart and know what they are like. The only way you can really know what type of person they are is to spend time with them,” said Fred.
He described his marriage to Juliet as a special gift from God because the Lord has given them grace to know each other’s strength and weaknesses and have been able to hold each other’s hand.
“This means spending times that are good and times that are bad, times of good health and times of sickness, times of enduring patience and times of outbursts of anger,” Fred said.
However for Fred, he has chosen to dwell on Juliet’s strength, who has been a source of encouragement even when he is facing pressure from his business.
He said his wife has also played a bigger role for them to put God at the centre of their marriage.
“Marriage is an institution started by God and anyone who wants to get married should put God at the centre. The only third person to be entertained in a marriage is God.”
The couple has also learnt from their 19 years of marriage never to take their challenges to outsiders but ask for wisdom from God to solve them.
For Juliet, who described her husband as a humble, loving, and caring man, who loves the Lord, said throughout their 19 years of marriage, they have been looking to God.
She said tolerance for each other has also been one of the strategies they use in their marriage after realising that no one is perfect in this world.
The couple urged young people intending to get married never to stop serving God after they get married.
“We have continued serving God. I am an elder, worship leader and administrator at church and still in charge of the praise team,” Fred said.
Fred, who is a sugarcane grower, and his wife Juliet, who runs a hair salon, said they always find time for God and for their children.
And since getting married, Fred and Juliet have agreed never to bring the word divorce in any of their conversations.
“Divorce is out of our conversation in our home because of the consequence it has on the family. It divides the family and children suffer more. We do not want our children to be stigmatised and above all, the Bible says God hates divorce, according to Malachi 2:16.
The couple say their marriage is inspired by Mr and Mrs Sinyama, a couple based in Mazabuka, whom they described as an example of a Godly marriage.
“They are friends. They plan their home and have brought up their children in the fear of God. Even when they are rebuking their children they speak in a calm voice, we have learnt from them”.
Fred and Juliet say their role models have a brilliant love story based on a Christian foundation and they do not hesitate to expose their weaknesses to them and they have played a big role to help cement their relationship.
The two said they have kept their love burning by going out on holidays, dinner or lunch dates and that they let God and the love they have for each other lead them.