A Random Friend Request
Everything changed for 18-year-old, Tryel Wolfe one day when he got a random friend request on Facebook. This isn’t really an uncommon occurrence. Many people get random Facebook friend requests all the time. When Tryel got his, he didn’t recognize the name. When he clicked on the user’s profile, he didn’t recognize her name. What made him even more curious was that the girl who sent it had never been to the United States. And that person is a Filipino girl.
Joana Marchan
The friend request came from a girl named Joana Marchan, a Filipino girl. She was from the Philippines, where Tyler had never been before. Although he noticed that she had never been to his hometown in Idaho or even the United States for that matter, something stood out. He knew something looked familiar about her profile, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it.
Moving On
Tyrel decided to put the whole thing out of his head. He figured that she sent the friend request to the wrong Tyrel Wolfe, or that maybe she was an internet scammer. He decided to ignore the request and go on with his life. As time went by, he started to wonder if maybe he should have accepted the request just to see what she wanted. The question lingered in his mind from time to time for two years, and he got another Facebook request from Joana.
Why?
When Tyrel got the second friend request from Joana in two years, he wondered why this Filipino girl kept reaching out to him. He wasn’t sure why she was so persistent. Since they had no friends in common on Facebook, he couldn’t figure out why she was reaching out to him. Finally, after getting advice from friends and family, he decided to reach out to the mysterious woman and find out why she was trying to get in touch with him. When he finally decided to find out who she was, he sent her a message. It was simple and to the point. It read, “How do you know me?”
Samaritan’s Purse
Tyler got a response sooner than he expected. Her response was also simple. She asked if he knew about Samaritan’s Purse. He knew that the name sounded familiar, but he wasn’t sure where he had heard it. Finally, he remembered. When he was 7-years-old, he took part in a program called Operation Christmas Child. It was an organization created by a non-profit called Samaritan’s Purse. Each year, the organization packs shoeboxes full of gifts for less fortunate children around the world for Christmas. In the boxes, they would put toys, toiletries, and even school supplies. Even though Tyrel remembered helping the organization, he didn’t understand why Joana was asking him about it.
She Received His Box
When Joana told Tyrel that she received his box, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was surprised that this girl remembered his name after all these years. Although Tyrel thought it was great that this girl reached out to him, the people in his life were worried. They feared that this girl was reaching out to Tyrel to prey on the innocent. They were worried that she was trying to gain his trust online for the wrong reasons. His parents were the most worried. The feared that once she gained their son’s trust that he would start asking him for money.
Proof
Tyrel understood his family’s concern, so he decided to get the proof that they needed that she was genuine. He reached out to her and asked her what was in the shoe box. She said that she didn’t remember everything that was in the shoebox, but she did remember one crucial detail. She said that he included a photo of himself in the shoebox and that he looked like a cute cowboy, with a wooden background. Tyrel knew that photo well, and he remembered putting it in the shoe box. She held onto the picture for all these years. Now, Tyrel was sure that she was telling the truth. His parents believed that she was telling the truth, but why? Did she just want to thank a stranger who sent her something nice all those years ago, or did she have other intentions? She told Tyrel that she wanted to get to know the mystery man from the other side of the world who sent her an incredible gift one Christmas.
Getting Close
It wasn’t long before the two were talking every day. They learned that they had a lot in common, including their love for Christian music. Each day that Tyrel and Joana got closer, he wanted to see her more and more. Shortly after the two started becoming friends, Tyrel began saving for a plane ticket. He wanted to meet Joana in person. Finally, when he graduated from high school, he made his plan a reality. When he had enough money, he asked Joana if he could come and visit her. She was thrilled that he wanted to come, and she quickly said yes. For Tyrel, it was the trip of a lifetime. For Joana, it was incredible. He stayed in the Philippines for several weeks and didn’t want to leave. While he was there, the two fell in love.
A Proposal
After his first visit, Tyrel went back to the Philippines two more times. On his third visit, Tyrel proposed. Joana’s mother wasn’t happy about it, thinking that the couple was rushing things. Tyler asked his father to help convince her that the wedding would be a good idea. After speaking with Tyrel’s father, Joana’s mother gave her blessing.
The Rest Of Their Lives
The couple was married at Tyrel’s parents’ ranch. Joana wore a wedding gown that she purchased at a thrift store for $5. Instead of traditional gifts, the couple asked their guests to bring shoeboxes full of small gifts to be donated to the same organization that brought them together in the first place. The pair are planning to spend a long and happy life together. A Filipino girl receives shoebox from American boy. She opens it and it changes everything. It brought the two together.
