When a seven-year-old boy responded to Christian project sending Christmas gifts to children around the world, he had no idea it would transform his life years later.
Many believers have stuffed a shoebox full of goodies for Operation Christmas Child, run by Samaritan’s Purse.
Tyrel Wolfe sent his shoebox through his church in Idaho in the US in 2000, adding a photo of himself dressed as a cowboy.
He gave little thought to the girl receiving it 7,000 miles away in Manila, the Philippines.
Recipient Joana Marchan received the box at a Bible school and wrote a thank you letter, which got lost in the mail.
Eleven years later Joana decided to use Facebook to see if she could find the boy in the photo. She searched for his name and got one hit in Idaho. She took a chance and submitted a friend request. But Tyrel had never heard of Joana Marchan, so ignored it.
Two years later, Joana sent another friend request. This time, Tyrel sent Joana a message asking how she knew him. She replied, telling him he sent her a shoebox in 2000.
As the two got to know each other online, they discovered they shared a common faith in Christ and even enjoyed some of the same music.
Tyrel decided he wanted to meet Joana.
“When I finally got there and saw her, I had to punch myself a couple times because I thought it was a dream,” he told People Magazine. “I was immediately attracted to her.”
Tyrel instantly noticed a gap between his way of life and the more modest lifestyle of Joana’s family in the Philippines. All eight members of her family slept on the floor of their small house.
Prior to the trip, they had agreed not to officially date until Tyrel had asked her father’s permission in person. Midway through his visit he asked her dad, who happened to be a pastor. He quickly agreed.
“I wanted to spend every moment I could with Joana while I was there, because once I left I didn’t know what would happen next,” Tyrel said.
He sensed Joana was the one for him. After he got back to Idaho, he began to work and save so he could go back to visit.
They stayed in touch via Facebook, and Skyped often before Tyrel returned to the Philippines, staying for a month.
On his second trip, he asked her father for permission to marry Joana.
The couple held an engagement party in the Philippines and obtained a fiancée visa for Joana.
In 2014 they got married at Tyrel’s parents’ 400-acre cattle ranch in Midvale, Idaho (the couple are pictured above on their wedding day, inset, along with Tyrel in his cowboy outfit and, main picture, Joana receiving the shoebox). The groom wore a traditional shirt often worn by Filipino grooms.
As a special touch, wedding guests were asked if they would pack an Operation Christmas Child shoebox and take it to the wedding.
The couple decided to live full-time in the US, because the job prospects were better for Tyrel.
“It was a big change and adjustment for me,” Joana said. “I was raised in the city and now I’m living in the country with much less people and more space, but it’s a beautiful place.”
Christmas Child shoeboxes in the UK are organised by Operation Christmas Child at www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/
