An Idaho boy sent a shoebox to a ‘Christmas Child’ in the Philippines, 14 years later they wed!
Many believers have stuffed a shoebox full of goodies for Operation Christmas Child, a project to bless children around the world run by Samaritan’s Purse. But for one seven-year-old boy in Idaho, it led to a surprising outcome many years later.
In 2000, Tyrel Wolfe packed a shoebox for a young girl his age and added a photo of himself wearing cowboy attire, holding a lariat.
After he turned in his shoebox at church he never gave much thought to the girl who received it 7,000 miles away.
Joana Marchan received the shoebox at a vacation bible school in a suburb of Manila. Not only was a photo of Tyrel included, but also his address.
Eleven years later Joana decided to use Facebook to see if she could find the boy who packed her box. She searched for his name and got one hit in Idaho. She took a chance and submitted a friend request.
Tyrel sent Joana a message asking how she knew him. She replied, telling him that he was the one who 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 also made some extended trips to the Philipines.
In 2014, the couple married. They now have a baby boy.