Valley resident Jeff Mugongo received a touching surprise at his wedding on November 21st when his 93-year-old grandfather arrived after a 40-hour exhausting flight from Rwanda. The emotional reunion has since captivated social media, thanks to Mugongo’s widespread sharing of the moment.
Gatera, the groom’s grandfather, lives in a remote Rwandan village. He doesn’t own a cellphone and speaks only his native language. The groom, Mugongo, had a distant relationship with Gatera, whom he calls “Papa,” because Mugongo spent seven years in a refugee camp before relocating to America.
Mugongo told Fox10 Phoenix, “I didn’t have, like, strong relationships with the male figures in my family. I grew up with a single mom. But my grandfather was the one who always made an effort to just communicate with us and get to know him.”
Initially, Gatera was unable to attend due to his ongoing recovery from a stroke. Mugongo recounted that he was told, “‘I don’t know, the visa is taking too long, I don’t have a lot of money right now.'”
Despite the long and challenging journey, which included “layovers, missing flights, staying at hotels, literally 40 hours,” Gatera successfully completed the 40-hour solo trip thanks to a collective family effort, according to Mugongo. Just as Mugongo was leaving for the church, he discovered his grandfather waiting outside.
“I couldn’t control the tears that was coming out of my eyes. And he was like, ‘Don’t cry,'” Mugongo recalled. “It’s just incredible to witness that, through all the odds, that he would show up for my special day.”
Upon arrival, Gatera immediately became the “star of the show,” spending his entire time celebrating on the dance floor. Mugongo recalled that even without speaking English, Gatera “connected with everyone at my wedding.”
Gatera even cast aside his cane, telling someone, “I don’t need this,” before giving it away and dedicating himself completely to the dance floor.
Mugongo wrote on Instagram, “You asked for it…Grandpa danced the night away! The layovers, tiredness and long hour flights didn’t stop grandpa’s dance moves! HE STOLE the whole show!! Haha.”
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He continued, “At the ceremony Grandpa told me ‘Jeff, me and you need to be grateful and joyful!’ My two broken and recovering legs didn’t stop me from enjoying this moment with my grandpa and my bride! Everyone had an amazing time and excited to share more meaning moments!”
The video of the surprise, which Mugongo posted on Instagram, quickly went viral, racking up over 1.3 million views. Mugongo’s goal in sharing this story is to emphasize the long-term value of family connections.
“He showed me that no matter what, you have to show up for your family,” Mugongo said. “It made people appreciate grandparents and their love and strength that they have.”
Gatera, the beloved 93-year-old grandfather, is set to continue his visit in the United States, staying with his grandson well into the new year.
