A Modern Day Love Story - Eva Marie & Moyo

As I continue to seek God’s heart for marriage, I recently took the time to interview a godly couple (and two close friends) to ask about the story God has written in their lives. Eva Marie & Moyo have been married for a little over a year now. Their relationship is far from ordinary, as their relationship has spanned across two continents, two years, and vast cultural differences. Yet, their story is one that has the unique fingerprints of God, as He continues to draw them closer to Him and to each other. Below are some reflections from our conversation.

Single & Free - Life Before
For Moyo, singleness was not bad. He was relatively content being single, and while he desired to have a family, marriage was not always on his mind. As an introvert, he enjoys his own company and wasn’t sure if there was anyone for whom he would be a good fit. He knew he wanted someone heading in the same direction, pursuing God first.

For Eva Marie, singleness had its ups and downs. She loved the freedom of being single but craved the love & respect of a godly man. She attached singleness as not being good enough and struggled with insecurities of thinking anyone could love her and value her. Eventually, she felt God leading her to stop focusing on what she didn’t have (a husband) and to pursue Him wholehearted. From the time she was a teenager, she had kept a journal to her future husband reflecting on the things God had laid on her heart. Not knowing when or if God would bring someone that could meet those preferences, she learned to trust God to provide. She didn’t want to settle for anyone less than a man who deeply loved God and loved family.

For both of them, eHarmony was a way to be open to relationship and to seek out possibilities while continuing to pursue God in their singleness and wait on His timing. They eventually were matched together, and thus began the next chapter in their story.

Singled Out - Dating
Both Eva Marie & Moyo were prayerful each step during their relationship. Eva Marie describes Moyo as gently but intentionally pursuing her. He didn’t mince words and was very upfront about his faith, seeking to discover if Eva Marie was likeminded.

Communication seemed casual, as Eva Marie remained guarded but open. Eventually, she gave Moyo an extensive questionnaire, seeking out his heart for God and family and the things that were important to her. She admits through this process and his response that her heart began to change. “I felt like God was turning my heart toward him.” Her skepticism was beginning to move to a new level of trust and openness to what God may have in store for them.

Another turning point came when Moyo talked to her father to ask for his blessing & permission to date his daughter. The conversation won over Eva Marie’s dad, and more of Eva Marie’s heart. When Moyo was able to win her father’s approval, Eva Marie sensed again that this was from God and that God was in this relationship.

Months later, Moyo would propose to Eva Marie, and she would say yes. That night, Eva Marie remembers waking up in tears, overwhelmed with God’s love and Moyo’s. She was led to a special time of worship, praising God and thanking Him for providing a godly man and a loving husband for her, a long-awaited answer to her teenage prayers.

Single No More - Marriage & Growth
Eva Marie & Moyo recently celebrated a year of marriage. They have many stories to tell of their joys & challenges together. Most important, though, is their commitment to making God the foundation of their marriage – praying, going to church together, worshipping together. They say at times it seems like “it was meant to be” but they quickly set aside that romantic notion to say that they know it has been God that has brought them together. Their future is guaranteed, not because they have it figured out or because they are perfect; their future is guaranteed because they know God is present and at work in their relationship.

Eva Marie tells the story of one particularly bad day when they were hardly speaking to each other. They went out to eat anyway but remained aloof and distant. That day, they were recipients of a random act of kindness, as another couple they didn’t know in the restaurant paid for their meal commenting that God had led them specifically to bless Eva Marie & Moyo. Here was this couple that was hardly speaking, and God had reached out to them in a special way, getting their attention and challenging the way they were treating each other.

Eva Marie says it was a necessary adjustment for her. As the emotional one in the relationship, she said God began to change her heart to recognize the importance of treating each other well, even when they disagreed. For her, she wanted Moyo to know how much she valued him and his worth, well beyond the things & issues that sometimes get in the way. She says now she responds differently, learning that she doesn’t always have to like Moyo or agree with him. Even in those moments, though, she can choose to love him and honor him. “It’s not that I am a different person, but rather a better version of myself.”

During those tough moments, they have found it freeing to know they don’t have to like each other all the time or that every day doesn’t have to be all roses. Even in those moments, they are called to love and respect and honor each other. When those tough patches come, she remains committed to him, and he remains committed to her. They have found both the good and the bad draw them closer to God and to each other as they learn how to love each other more deeply.

The moral of their story for others is simply that God is faithful. God is faithful to honor the godly desires of a teenage girl and to overcome the fears of a self-acclaimed introvert. He is faithful and has been through their dating relationship and now through their marriage.

Eva Marie captures this theme beautifully in this song she wrote for Moyo:


How does Eva Marie & Moyo's story encourage you? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Want to share your story? Let me know. I would love to capture the story God is writing in your life, single or married.