A couple that grew up thousands of miles apart reunited and recently wed thanks to international humanitarian organization Samaritan's Purse.
Tyrel and Joana Wolfe initially connected when they were seven and eight years old, respectively, after Tyrel sent a Christmas shoebox to Joana in the Philippines.
Tyrel's family was participating in the Samaritan's Purse initiative Operation Christmas Child, which provides toys, mementos, and other items for children in selected countries.
Joana received Tyrel's shoebox when she graduated from Vacation Bible School in Quezon City, Philippines in 2000, and said the message of Christ that she received changed her life.
Joana's father also received Christ shortly after the shoebox presentation, and felt led to become a pastor.
Although Joana wrote Tyrel a thank you note 14 years ago, he never received it at his home in Idaho. In 2011, Joana decided to try to find Tyrel on Facebook.
"I still wanted to thank the person who gave me the box that had meant so much to me," she recounted.
Joana and Tyrel corresponded via Facebook for one year, exchanging updates and photos between Idaho and the Philippines.
Eventually Tyrel saved enough money to visit Joana and her family overseas, and they immediately fell in love.
"Once I saw his face, an amazing feeling came over me," Joana shared. "I was so happy I cried."
"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 told Samaritan's Purse. "All I knew was Joana was the one."
The couple married on October 5, 2014, and asked their guests to help pack Operation Christmas Child boxes to send to children overseas.
"My mom is the one who originally came up with the suggestion," Tyrel admitted.
"Operation Christmas Child is what brought Joana and me together, so we wanted to somehow make the project a part of our celebration."
