A homeless mother of three attempted to message a friend on Facebook for assistance but instead received a message from a stranger. She had no idea that chatting with the wrong person on Facebook would change her life.

Amy Rickel and her three children relocated to Green Bay, Wisconsin, in order to be closer to their father. She expected that moving there would make her life easier, but that was not the case.

Her car broke down, and she and her children were staying in a hotel because she didn’t have enough money to pay the hotel bills. She even lost her job and ended up on the streets.

It was not in her plans to be without a place to sleep with three children.
She didn’t know what to do, so she decided to message a friend on Facebook.

Rickel typed a message from the bottom of his heart, pleading for prayers and assistance during his most difficult time. But she didn’t realize she was typing the message into the wrong chat box until she pressed the button to send it.

She looked at the name of the person who would receive her message after she sent it and saw that it wasn’t her friend. Instead, she sent a help request to Brian Van Boxtel, whose name was similar to her friend’s.

“Oh, no! The message is incorrect! Rickel informed the stranger. He had no idea that his mistake would change the course of his life. Boxtel sent her a message while she was crying her eyes out and trying to figure out what to do.

Rickel checked her messages because she was desperate and discovered that Boxtel was willing to help her despite not knowing who she was.
He believed that God had sent her message to him to assist him.

After reading Rickel’s message, Boxtel decided to pay for his hotel stay right away.
What would Jesus do? Boxtel paused for a moment before telling the homeless mother that he would bring her money.

Rickel had no idea that a stranger would assist her on a cold December day in 2016.
She was surprised by his response, but she was grateful for his support.

Boxtel was responsible for more than just paying the hotel bills. He also persuaded Rickel to create an online fundraiser on GoFundMe so that others could assist him in getting his life back on track.

Rickel had no idea how the GoFundMe page would turn out, but she followed Boxtel’s advice and told the truth about her situation on the popular website. She wrote:

«We stayed in a hotel that we can’t afford anymore, and all the shelters that take children have long waiting lists.

The mother was helpless and needed assistance to keep her children safe. She thanked people ahead of time for their assistance, but she had no idea her plea would quickly go viral.

Kathy Schumann saw Rickel’s fundraising page for her family and felt sorry for the mother and her children. Schumann immediately gave Rickel his van, then cleaned out a room in his house and invited the four people to move in.

Chad Morack, another generous individual, discovered the GoFundMe page and decided to assist Rickel.
When he discovered she was a registered nurse, he used his network to put her in touch with Alexandria Witkowski, a recruiter.

Witkowski thought Rickel had a strong resume and worked hard to help him find work.
Soon after, the mother of three was invited in for an interview, and on January 3, 2017, she was hired. Rickel stated:

«I am taken aback. It’s still hard for me to believe.

The GoFundMe page has raised over $4,000, which Rickel intends to use to provide a better life for his children. A bad message improved Rickel’s life and brought him, close friends.