Boy Sends Shoebox Overseas & Receives Awesome Message 11 Years Later

When Tyrel Wolfe was just seven years old, he packed a shoebox and hoped that it would be sent to a child who lived on the other side of the world. Tyrel was a happy, kind child who just wanted to help others. Over a decade later, the boy had become a man and it appeared that he would once again be reminded of that time that he chose to take part in Operation Christmas Child. Join us as we explore this profound story about a young man whose one small act of kindness as a child had a longlasting effect on his life.

All It Took Was One Photo

When Tyrel Wolfe was a young boy, he sent a shoebox overseas. All he was hoping for was to make the recipient’s life a little better. Over a decade later though, that same boy has become a man, and it seems that he has once again been reminded of that shoebox he made all those years ago.

Wolfe was just seven years old back in 2000. The Idaho-born boy took part in Operation Christmas Child and quickly put together a shoebox full of gifts. However, he included a photo of himself. This is what truly put this story into motion…

Humble Boy

Despite coming from humble beginnings and not having the most financially stable upbringing, young Tyrel was aware of the importance of helping others. His parents taught him that valuable lesson from day one: if you have something to give, then do everything in your power to give it to somebody who needs it more.

This is where the shoebox came into play. Being regular attendees of their local church, the Wolfes were made aware of an initiative that the Christian institution had set up.

Operation Christmas Child

At just seven years of age, Tyrel took part in his church’s Operation Christmas Child. Samaritan’s Purse had set up the initiative, which had been popular amongst many Christian communities around the world.

The task was simple: take a shoebox, decorate it and fill it with basic essentials and toys. Then, you take the shoebox, deliver to the church, and it will send each shoebox to a child who came from less fortunate circumstances. This is exactly what Tyrel did.

A Time For Giving

There was no denying that Tyrel was a boy who was pure of heart. He didn’t have the faintest of ideas as to where his charitable shoebox would end up going.

All he knew was that it was Christmas time; a time when giving came with a capital “G.” He believed that the prospect of helping somewhere in need would make both his Christmas, and theirs, much more meaningful. But maybe there was something more to it…