Tyrel
and Joana Wolfe-SamaritansPurse-shoeboxes When a young Filipino girl received a
Christmas gift-filled shoebox in 2000, she couldn’t have imagined that one day
she would meet the 7-year-old boy from Idaho who packed the box in a small town
7000 miles away. And, she never dreamed that she would marry the American boy,
now grown up, 14 years later. This month Joana and her new husband Tyrel Wolfe
dropped off their own gift shoeboxes at Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in North
Carolina, where Operation Christmas Child is run, and told their remarkable
story.
A Lost Letter Joana received the shoebox at a vacation bible school in
Quezon City, a suburb of Manila. Included in the box was a small photo of a
little boy in a cowboy shirt holding a lariat. The boy had included his name
and address. She wanted to write and tell him how the box had impacted her.
Although Joana mailed the young blonde boy a letter, he never received it.
ElSamaritans Purse -Philipines- shoebox- girl -gifteven years later Joana
decided to use Face book to see if she could find the person who packed her
box: “I still wanted to thank the person who gave me the box that had meant so
much to me.” The only information she had to go on was a name: Tyrel Wolfe.
Numerous options appeared when she did a search. One name popped up from Idaho.
The child in the photo was dressed in cowboy-type attire with a rustic mountain
background. She had never been to the United States, but she knew that Idaho
had mountains. Was this Tyrel Wolfe the one? She clicked on the link and
submitted a friend request. In the rural community of Midvale, Idaho (pop.
160), Tyrel was intrigued by a message from “a random girl in the Philippines.”
Thus began their Facebook friendship and an exchange of letters and pictures
over the next year. The more they corresponded, the more Tyrel and Joana found
they had in common. They were both passionate about music—albeit different
styles—and both sing and play at least one musical instrument. And Joana had
always dreamed of a quiet life in the country. Despite the 15-hour time
difference, they set aside time in the morning and again at night for daily
Facebook visits. But if their relationship was to progress, they needed to see
each other in person. Journey to the Philippines In June 2013, after saving up
money for a plane ticket and receiving cautionary blessings from his parents,
Tyrel flew to Manila. He had been on an overseas Christian missions before, but
had never been to Asia, and had never traveled alone. “Once I saw his face, an
amazing feeling came over me,” Joana said. “I was so happy I cried.” Tyrel
stayed for 10 days and got to know Joana in her home environs. Prior to the
trip, they had agreed not to officially date until Tyrel asked her father’s
permission in person. Midway through his visit he finally gathered up enough
courage to ask the protective dad and pastor. Joana’s father gave his approval
without hesitation.
“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. “All I knew was Joana was the one.” To Have and to Hold Tyrel and Joana
wolfe wedding-smTyrel returned to Idaho fully determined to go back to the
Philippines. He took on extra hours as a trails- and bridge-builder at area
state parks, saving every dollar he could in order to visit Joana during the
holiday season. This time he stayed for a month. At last he was ready to pop
the big question. Speaking in the Tagalog language, he asked her dad for
permission to marry the girl of his dreams. The couple held an engagement party
in the Philippines and obtained a fiancée visa for Joana. On October 5 they got
married in an outdoor ceremony on Tyrel’s parents’ 400-acre cattle ranch. Tyrel
wore a barong, the traditional embroidered shirt worn by Filipino grooms.
Wedding Guests Donate Shoeboxes “My mom is the one who originally came up with
the suggestion,” Tyrel said about the idea to ask invited guests to bring
gift-filled shoeboxes for donation. “Operation Christmas Child is what brought
Joana and me together, so we wanted to somehow make the project a part of our
celebration.” Joana loved the idea and included “Pack a Shoebox” brochures with
every wedding invitation. Some guests brought boxes; others gave a donation.
shoebox-gifts-smRather than leaving the shoeboxes at one of the many
Samaritan’s Purse drop-off location in Idaho, the Wolfes agreed it would be
more meaningful if they delivered the boxes to the Christian aid group’s
headquarters, bringing their own shoebox journey full circle. Now six weeks
into married life, Tyrel and Joana are looking forward to their first Christmas
together in the United States. They have started a tradition that they hope to
continue every year for the rest of their lives—packing shoeboxes for Operation
Christmas Child. “And when we start having children, we want to involve them in
packing boxes too,” said a smiling Tyrel as he held his wife’s hand. “I remember
as a little boy, I was so excited to know the toys and other items I put in the
box would bring joy to another child somewhere else in the world. “I just didn’t know the joy it would bring
back to me one day.”
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