Tyrel recalled being part of a special program back when he was just seven years old. The program was called Operation Christmas Child, and it took up the charitable mission of sending shoeboxes full of gifts to kids who were less fortunate. The operation was run by a non-profit called Samaritan’s Purse.
Tyrel began smiling when fond memories of packing shoeboxes with various amenities began flooding his mind. The kids put everything from small toys to toiletries and even school supplies in these boxes. Still, it wasn’t clear to him why Joana contacted him about something he did as a child.
Replying to the Mystery Woman
It was clear to Tyrel that there was a certain risk in responding to a stranger online. It could be a man hiding behind a fake Facebook account, or a hacker trying to get a hold of his personal information. Still, curiosity got the best of him and he simply had to know who Joana was.
Tyrel didn’t mince words and got straight to the point. In his message to Joana, he typed: “How do you know me?” and hit send. Tyrel refreshed his feed every few minutes before finally receiving a reply. But nothing could prepare him for what the Filipina girl told him.
Samaritan’s Purse
Joanna was quick to respond to Tyrel and asked him a question which definitely got him more confused than before. He expected her to either ignore his message or just reply with an awkward excuse. In both cases, he would feel comfortable enough to move on, but this was not the case.
Instead of replying to his question, Joana asked Tyrel if he knew about an organization called Samaritan’s Purse. The teenager had a feeling that the name was very familiar, and thought into his past. After a few moments, many of his childhood memories suddenly came rushing back to him.
A Surprising Gift
Tyrel was curious and asked Joana how she knew him from Operation Christmas Child since the kids who volunteered there were all from the United States. Joana then explained that she was the recipient of one of the shoeboxes made by Tyrel more than a decade before. Sure enough, this blew Tyrel's mind.
At first, Tyrel was completely shocked at the idea that this Filipina woman would remember him after more than a decade. For him, this was just a fun activity at the time and didn’t mean very much. While Tyrel was pleasantly surprised by the idea, his family felt otherwise.
Family Concerns
Tyrel’s parents, being much older and wiser than the impressionable teenager, warned him that this might very well be a scam. There have been many online predators who connect with people and gain their trust, before deceiving and hurting them in various evil ways. He wouldn’t be the first to fall for such a scam.
Usually, the scammer would wait until their target is in complete trust with them, before asking them for money or important personal information and details. They would then use that information to steal his identity, or much worse. Tyrel’s parents implored their son to test Joana’s claim before proceeding with their exchanges.