NEED TO KNOW
- Groom Jeff Mugongo’s grandfather from Rwanda flew more than 40 hours just to be there to see him say “I do” at his Arizona wedding in November
- Jeff revealed that his grandfather was able to make it on time despite “layovers, missing flights [and] staying at hotels”
- He also shared a video of his grandfather busting a move on the dance floor and said that “tiredness and long-hour flights” couldn’t stop “grandpa’s dance moves”
Nothing was going to keep one devoted grandfather from his grandson’s wedding — not even a 40-hour flight.
Jeff Mugongo got the surprise of his life at his November wedding when his 93-year-old grandfather, Gatera, showed up at the ceremony in Phoenix, Arizona, which is more than 9,000 miles away from his home in Rwanda.
Jeff shared the special moment in an Instagram video, which has garnered more than 1.3 million views. The groom could be seen getting emotional as he spotted his grandfather on the porch and gave him a hug. The pair shared a laugh — and then another hug — before Gatera spoke to his grandson in his native language.
“Grandpa flew 40 hours all the way from Rwanda to Phoenix to surprise me,” Jeff wrote over the video, before explaining in the caption how the emotional surprise unfolded.
He shared that his family and friends “knew” about the surprise, but he was left in the dark until the final moment. “They definitely got me with this amazing gift and surprise!” he wrote.
Jeff told Fox 10 Phoenix that he didn’t have “strong relationships with the male figures” in his family, and that his grandfather “was the one who always made an effort to just communicate with us and get to know him.”
However, Jeff told the outlet that he didn’t think Gatera would show up to his wedding as he had been recovering from a stroke, and his grandfather gave him multiple reasons why he couldn’t attend, including that his visa was “taking too long” to get greenlit.
But thanks to a push from his family, Gatera was able to make it to the wedding on time despite “layovers, missing flights [and] staying at hotels,” per Fox 10. On top of that, he did it without knowing a single word of English, Jeff said on Instagram.
“I couldn’t control the tears that [were] coming out of my eyes. And he was like, ‘Don’t cry,’ ” he recalled of the reunion to Fox 10. “It’s just incredible to witness that, through all the odds, that he would show up for my special day.”
“Moments that only happen once are gifts and grace we never deserve,” Jeff wrote on Instagram of the surprise. “I thank God for this moment and my family and friends who prayed for this moment to happen.”
In a second Instagram post, Jeff and his grandfather showed off their moves on the dance floor to “Proud Mary.” Jeff shared in the caption that the pair danced the night away” at the wedding.
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“The layovers, tiredness and long-hour flights didn’t stop grandpa’s dance moves!” he wrote. “HE STOLE the whole show!!”
“At the ceremony Grandpa told me, ‘Jeff, me and you need to be grateful and joyful!’ ” he continued.
Jeff told Fox 10 that his grandfather making such an effort to be by his side at his wedding taught him an important lesson. “He showed me that no matter what, you have to show up for your family,” he said. “It made people appreciate grandparents and their love and the strength they have.”
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