A wife has revealed she met her husband by 'texting the wrong number' - and now they've been married for 12 years and have six kids. Brenda Rivera Stearns, 35, says she was trying to send a friend an excerpt from the Bible one evening back in October 2009 but accidentally sent it to her now-husband Isaiah Stearns, 40.
The stay at home mum believes the mistaken text was 'an act of fate', as he almost never received it - as she originally went to send it in the morning but held off until later, and Isaiah received the message only half an hour after he got a new phone number. What started out as a friendship soon blossomed into romance after Brenda's mum, Rossy Rivera, 60, met Isaiah one day for dinner and afterwards told her over the phone 'you're going to marry this guy' - despite being 800 miles apart.
The 'meant to be' couple got engaged just four months after the mistaken text, and were married later that year. They now have six children together and love their story, which they believe was all God's plan.
Brenda, who works as a content creator, posted the video online which has now racked up more than two million views and hopes their love story will 'inspire' others to 'not give up on love'.
Brenda, from Ohio, US, said: "I was trying to text an old friend.
"I sent a Bible scripture message to all of my contacts, which at the time I didn't have many. Maybe only like ten people.
"A few minutes later, the phone number which I thought belonged to a friend replied saying 'Amen to that, who is this?'.
"I said 'Hey! It's Brenda, you know my sister. You were my mum's neighbour.'
"The number replied and said 'No, we've never met, my name's Isaiah Stearns.' So that's how it started.
"I was meant to send that text in the morning, but I was busy at work so didn't get round to it until later that evening.
"Isaiah had just got a new phone with a new company. That morning, the number wasn't working, so he had to go to the phone company and get a new number.
"Only 30 minutes after he got a new number, he received my text.
"If the phone company hadn't made a mistake, and if I'd have sent that text in the morning, he would have never gotten my text.
"It was so weirdly orchestrated."
As the pair began texting often between Georgia and Ohio, Isaiah asked Brenda if she'd like to call on the phone, and despite being initially hesitant after she heard his voice she knew he was 'authentic'.
Their friendship soon began to blossom into romance, but as it was only a month after the initial text, Brenda was still hesitant to meet up, so her mum offered to see him instead as she happened to also live in Ohio like Isaiah.
When her mum returned from dinner, she confirmed all of Brenda's hopes and dreams to be true, even telling her 'you're going to marry this guy'.
Brenda said: "After he received my text, he said was really impressed by my scripture and he could tell I loved God.
"We started texting back and forth. There were no intentions or anything.
"One day, he said he'd like to call. But I thought it was really weird, I didn't want him to be a creep because I didn't know him.
"The following day he called me and I didn't answer on purpose so I could hear what he sounded like on voicemail.
"But I heard his voice and he sounded genuine and authentic.
"I gave him a call back and we talked for a bit. We spoke about how funny it was that I accidentally texted him, what we had in common, and a little bit about where we were from.
"I realised he lived near my mum and sister in Ohio, and said we could hang out when I visited.
"It started as a friendship. But then I started to think, 'maybe I like him?'
"I was so excited about liking him, I did romanticise it, and fantasised a lot but I was hesitant about how I was feeling.
"I think I was scared to open up my heart. I thought 'what if he's lying, what if he's someone else?'.
"I told my mum about him and because she lived in Ohio she said, 'why don't I meet him for you?'.
"They ended up going out to eat at a restaurant. It was him, my mum and younger sister.
"They had dinner, a nice conversation, and then on the phone that night I said to my mum, 'what did you rate the conversation out of 10?'.
"She said to me, '11, you're going to marry this guy'.
"It took me by surprise, this was so out of character for my mum to say something like this. I knew he must really be something special.
"Underneath, I think I'd already known and agreed with her before she said it. But after she said it, I let my guard down.
"It feels like fate. God's finger was orchestrating every step of our relationship, for sure."
Not long after, the pair went on their first date and decided to pursue a relationship.
Just a couple of months later, they were engaged and this June, they will have been married 13 years.
Brenda sees their romantic love story as like something out of a movie and hopes it inspires others that there's no 'right or wrong way to meet somebody'.
Brenda said: "I came to Ohio and we decided to pursue something more than a friendship.
"I was so nervous going to meet him, but because we'd talked so many times on the phone, I felt like I already knew him.
"For our first date, we took a walk between Cincinnati and Kentucky. It was by this river and over a bridge. He made some gifts for me. It was really sweet.
"It was beautiful. It was such a confirmation that it was the right choice.
"The whole time, it was like we were meant to be together and by February, he proposed. We got married in June.
"This year it will be 13 years together.
"We balance each other out so well and I'm just so proud of the life we're leading together and everything we've created - our six children. I love our story so much.
"When other people hear about it, they're always so surprised. They think we should be in a Hallmark movie.
"I've always felt our story was special. It's so nice to see it inspiring other people to really find love.
"There isn't one right or wrong way to meet somebody. I think it's inspiring to others, and to not give up on love."
Brenda's video was posted online captioned: "13 years ago I sent that text by accident never expecting him to keep my number and call me back! I’m so glad he did."
One person commented: "The Hallmark Channel needs to make this love story into a movie called Wrong Number Right Person."
Another said: "I think you sent that text to the *right* number. Beautiful story!"
A third user said: "This is everything."
A final said: "Six beautiful lives from just one mistaken text! Beautiful family!"
Do you have a story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
