Have you heard of the Samaritan’s Purse? It is a box of goodies filled by kids in America to send to less fortunate kids in countries such as the Philippines. One of these boxes paved the way to a love story that would seem like it’s the plot of a movie…

It all started in year 2000 when a young Tyrel Wolfe from Idaho filled a box for the Samaritan’s Purse with some goodies. He also placed a photo of himself with his name and address at the back.

Photo credit: Tyrel Wolfe / Facebook

This particular box made it to the Philippines where it was received by a young Joana.

Photo credit: Tyrel Wolfe / Facebook

Sometime later, Joana Marchan tried to send Tyrel a letter to thank him for the box but it did not reach him for unknown reasons. Perhaps it was lost along the way as snail mails sometimes do?

After many years, a grownup Joana searched for Tyrel on Facebook – and found him! But he ignored her friend request for months. He eventually accepted it and the two became friends.

But what started as a chat between chance acquaintances would bloom into friendship that would later grow into romance. Tyrel decided to visit the Philippines and it was then that the two would truly fall in love.

Joana admitted that when they met, she cried because she was overcome by an ‘amazing feeling’ when she finally saw his face in person.

Photo credit: Tyrel Wolfe / Facebook

But they don’t think about their love story as just another penpal story of two people who met on the internet. Tyrel believes that it was destiny, that God made Joana find a way for them to connect because they were destined to be together.

Watch this heartwarming video: