Oscar Machado and Kayla Wilcox - Married October 2012
Kayla: We met March 13, 2011 while Oscar was visiting the Phoenix (AZ) church from El Paso (TX). He had come to Phoenix once before but didn’t like the city and went as far to say that he would never move here. Little did he know that in a few months all that would change.
When we met it was casual, a short introduction and invitation to sit with the singles ministry. Oscar felt the connection instantly and told one of the brothers, “I’d like to date that girl.”
The next day I opened my Facebook and saw a message from Oscar wishing me a happy birthday. I thought, “Wow he is such a thoughtful guy; he doesn’t even know me.” That week Oscar and I began talking on Facebook. It was also during that week that I signed up for DT Heart & Soul. In a few days my matches on the website came back and I was amazed to see that the brother I met the week before was one of my top matches. It was Oscar!
Oscar: I had signed up for the website about two months before and my membership was about to expire. I still wasn’t sure how to use the website. It was actually through Facebook that we ended up talking about how we were both on DT Heart & Soul and how we were matched up. From there we decided it would be best if we started emailing each other.
We emailed for a couple months and in that time I had asked her for her phone number. She politely said “not yet.” A couple weeks later she did give me her number and a few weeks after that I went to Phoenix to visit her.
The visit was nerve-wracking. We felt like we knew each other well but did not yet really know how to interact together in person. We broke the ice quickly and that weekend we had our first date. Even though we didn’t talk about it at the time, we both know we had an interest.
The next time I came to visit was July 4th weekend and a bunch of friends from the singles ministry went to Pine, AZ for the holiday. One of the nights we were there, Kayla taught me how to play “Go Fish” (in Spanish). I think we played “Go Fish” for over an hour.
Kayla: When I got back from the trip to Pine I remember sitting down with my roommates and nervously telling them that I loved this brother and thought that we would be engaged within the next year (remember we weren’t even dating yet – but God was moving powerfully in our lives and in our hearts). I just knew the Spirit was telling me there was something really special about Oscar.
At the end of July 2011, God provided the opportunity for Oscar to move to Phoenix with a job transfer. Several months went by and we continued to talk and grow in our friendship.
On October 16, 2011 Oscar asked me to be his girlfriend. I said, “Of course!”
Nine months later, after countless dates, co-leading a Bible discussion together, getting advice, and meeting each other’s families, Oscar asked me to be his wife. He asked me under a tree in the middle of an olive grove. I flipped through the pages of a notebook that we had passed love letters back and forth in over the course of our relationship, until I came to a two-page spread that said, “Will you marry me?” I said, “¡Por supuesto!” (Of course!)
Oscar: I was blessed to have great disciples advising me on how to pursue Kayla. I was in constant communication with her discipler, roommates and friends close to her in Arizona. We also sought the advice from disciples close to us in our respective churches – those who knew us best and those who had dated in the Kingdom and are now married. They encouraged us to trust in God and place every conversation, every email, and every visit in his hands and surrender to his will for our lives. We were, and still are, really fortunate to have disciples from Arizona and Texas advising us both on how to pursue a godly relationship and marriage.
Both of us know that only God could have orchestrated such a creative and surprising love story that could bring our two cultures together (Kayla being from the suburbs of Rhode Island and me from Juarez, Mexico). We smile looking back on how it all began and have continued to pray throughout our relationship that God would always be the author of our story.
The DTHS matching profile first gave us awareness about ourselves and then how we as a couple might interact, including what challenges and strengths we could have together. Having these insights from the beginning helped us to see each other and our potential relationship with a sober mind. Not everything was spot on, but I don’t think we can really expect that from a computer-generated report. It was a jumping off point that initially spiked our curiosity in each other and led us to be thoughtful and not overrun with emotions. Doing this led us to respect and accept each other for the ways we are similar and the ways we are different as well.
While we didn’t use all the services the website offered, we consider DT Heart & Soul to be a big part of our story and how God brought us together.
Kayla: We married on October 26, 2012 at the Phoenix Children’s Museum amongst close friends and family. From playing Go Fish to coloring and having playful dates we definitely bring out each other’s inner child. We wanted to showcase this aspect of our relationship on our wedding day, so guests sat beneath streamer chandeliers, enjoyed play hour with the museum exhibits instead of cocktail hour, and sent us off with toy musical instruments!
It’s almost a year later now and the fun continues as we build our home, go on adventures together, and create deeper connections with other married couples.
Update: since we first published their story, Oscar and Kayla have welcomed two beautiful babies, Lucas and Javier, into their family. Congratulations!
