Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

Sure, a pat on the back or a simple “thank you” is usually the standard for a job well done, but what if a single compassionate act could change your life along with someone else’s? Doing good for others is often a reward in and of itself, but sometimes our generosity comes back to us in ways we never imagined.

When an Idaho teenager remembered an act of kindness from his childhood, it turned his life upside down. See, the young man learned that not only had he changed another’s life with that small act, but his own was about to change in a big way, too…

Social media is an essential part of modern communication. But when 18-year-old Tyrel Wolfe received an unusual friend request on Facebook one afternoon, he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years LaterTy Wolfe / Facebook

The request was from a young Filipino woman named Joana Marchan, and Tyrel was certain that they’d never met, let alone even been in the same country. Believing it to be just another scam, Tyrel declined the invitation.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

Several years passed, and the strange friend request became a distant memory. He wasn’t much for Facebook anymore, but while casually checking his profile one day he noticed a new request in his inbox. The sender? Joana Marchan.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

Tyrel’s interest was piqued, but his parents, wary of the type of people you find online, were understandably worried about this interest in their son. Still, Tyrel couldn’t resist getting to the bottom of this mystery. He opened the request and clicked “Confirm.”

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

Tyrel messaged the young woman, whose response only made things even more unclear: “you know about the Samaritan’s purse?” Tyrel was dumbfounded. What could this possibly mean? Was it some sort of code? Then, all at once, it hit him.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

Samaritan’s Purse was a non-profit through which a seven-year-old Tyrel had donated a shoebox full of gifts as part of a charity program called Operation Christmas Child. But why, 11 years later, was this stranger from the Philippines contacting him about Christmas presents? And, most importantly, how did she know about his donation? 

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

Then, Joana came clean: it was she that had received Tyrel’s shoebox all those years ago! Tyrel was blown away by the news, but even so, he was still skeptical of the young woman’s motivations. After all, how was he to know if “Joana” was really who she said she was? He needed proof.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years LaterFaithit

Tyrel questioned Joana about the contents of his gift, but she was unable to recall anything specific about the shoebox. He was ready to write her off, but at the last minute, Joana brought up one key item that proved she was telling the truth.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

In the original shoebox, Tyrel had included a picture of himself at the time of the donation. Joana recalled the photo in perfect detail, describing his “cute cowboy” outfit and the “wooden background” of the image. Without a doubt, Joana was exactly who she said she was — and the story of she and Tyrel was only just beginning.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years LaterTy Wolfe / Facebook

Though most would go their separate ways after a one-off encounter like this, Tyrel and Joana stayed in touch and soon discovered they shared many of the same interests. Eventually, the pair was talking every day, and their Facebook chats soon blossomed into a fully-fledged friendship.

Over the next year and a half, Tyrel began saving up in the hope of visiting Joana after he graduated high school. As soon as he’d met his goal, he messaged Joana and immediately booked the next flight to the Philippines.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years LaterBusiness Traveler

Long plane rides are rough on everyone, but being that Tyrel had never left the country alone before, the 14-hour trip from Idaho to the Philippines was especially tough. But no matter how difficult the journey, it was all worth it for Tyrel when he arrived to find Joana and her family waiting at the airport to welcome him.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

What was meant to be a short visit for Tyrel became a month-long stay as he and Joana discovered that their connection was deeper and more real than they could’ve ever imagined. It was clear that the Facebook friends were becoming something much more.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years LaterTy Wolfe / Facebook

Unfortunately, Tyrel had to say goodbye to Joana, but he knew in his heart that he couldn’t stay away for long. Putting in extra hours of part-time work between his college classes, Tyrel scrounged up enough money to make another trip back to the Philippines.

His second trip to see Joana was even better than the first, and it wasn’t long before the two had fallen in love. After learning a good amount of Tagalog – the native language of the Philippines – Tyrel approached Joana’s father to ask for one very important thing: his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

Joana’s father agreed in a heartbeat, but her mother, fearing the couple was moving fast, was hesitant to give her blessing. Tyrel was heartbroken, but the young man was unwilling to leave the Philippines without the woman he loved by his side.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

In a last-ditch effort, Tyrel convinced his father to fly in from Idaho to meet Joana and hopefully ease the tensions between him and her family. After several weeks of discussions, Tyrel and his father finally persuaded Joana’s mother to agree to the proposal. 

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later

In October of 2014, just five months after their engagement, the couple wed in a simple ceremony at Tyrel’s parents’ ranch. In lieu of wedding gifts, the newlyweds made an unusual request that brought their unconventional love story full circle.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years LaterTyrel Wolfe / Facebook

Tyrel and Joana asked that each guest bring a shoebox of gifts to be donated to none other than Samaritan’s Purse! They also asked their guests to include a note about Tyrel and Joana’s story in each box to show how one small act of kindness can completely change someone’s life.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years LaterSan Ynez Valley Star

After their wedding, Joana agreed to leave her home in the Philippines behind in favor of small-town life with Tyrel in Idaho. Their quiet country home was soon filled with the pitter patter of tiny feet, as not long after Joana gave birth to their first child, a baby boy named Harlann Jun Wolfe.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years LaterMarvin Quemado / Facebook

Even with lives made busy by work and parenting, Tyrel and Joana still make it a tradition to deliver shoe boxes every year. It might not seem like much, but as the unlikely couple can attest to: you never know what kind of good can come from a shoe box.

Boy’s Small Act Of Kindness That He Forgot All About Is Repaid In Dramatic Fashion Years Later