Grandfather’s 40-hour journey becomes viral wedding miracle

AZ groom’s emotional wedding surprise goes viral

A Valley man is going viral after his 93-year-old grandfather flew 40 hours from Rwanda to surprise him at his wedding on Nov. 21. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz has the details.

PHOENIX - A Valley man is going viral after his 93-year-old grandfather flew 40 hours from Rwanda to surprise him at his wedding on Nov. 21.

What we know:

Jeff Mugongo is detailing the moment, which is now making waves on social media.

His grandfather, Gatera, lives in a small Rwandan village, speaks no English, and does not own a cellphone. Mugongo grew up with a distant relationship with Gatera, or "Papa," having lived in a refugee camp for seven years before moving to America.

"I didn't have, like, strong relationships with the male figures in my family. I grew up with a single mom," Mugongo said. "But my grandfather was the one who always made an effort to just communicate with us and get to know him."

Gatera, who has been recovering from a stroke, was initially unable to attend.

Mugongo said he was told, "'I don’t know, the visa is taking too long, I don’t have a lot of money right now.'"

However, through a family effort, Gatera endured a 40-hour solo journey, including "layovers, missing flights, staying at hotels, literally 40 hours," Mugongo said. As Mugongo prepared to head to the church, he found his grandfather waiting outside.

Jeff Mugongo and his grandfather Gatera

"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."

Once he arrived, Gatera was "the star of the show," spending the entire time on the dance floor. "He didn't speak English, but he connected with everyone at my wedding," Mugongo said, noting that Gatera even tossed aside his cane. "He was like, I don't need this. He gave it to somebody else. He just went on the dance floor."

‘You have to show up for your family’

Mugongo posted a video of the surprise on Instagram, which quickly went viral with more than 1.3 million views. He hopes the story reminds people of the importance of family.

"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 is staying in the U.S. through the new year, and Mugongo plans to post more content when they are reunited. Click here for Mugongo's social media account.