Nationwide — Jeff Mugongo, who married in November, never expected one final guest to arrive from the other side of the world. His 93-year-old grandfather, Gatera, secretly traveled nearly 40 hours from Rwanda to Phoenix, Arizona, to surprise him on his wedding day.
Jeff had no idea his grandfather would be there. According to People, family members and close friends planned the surprise and kept it quiet until just before the ceremony, allowing the moment to unfold naturally.
Jeff later shared the emotional reunion on Instagram, where the video quickly went viral and garnered over 1.5 million views. In the clip, Jeff spots his grandfather moments before the ceremony, breaks down in tears, and pulls him into a long hug as family members watch.
The two then laugh, hug again, and speak to each other in their native language. “Grandpa flew 40 hours all the way from Rwanda to Phoenix to surprise me,” Jeff wrote on the video.
The ceremony took place more than 9,000 miles from Gatera’s home, making his appearance even more unexpected. Jeff said his grandfather played a major role in his life, especially since he lacked strong relationships with other male figures in his family. He also believed Gatera would miss the wedding after recovering from a stroke and dealing with visa delays, which Gatera had shared as reasons he could not attend.
With support from family, Gatera pushed through missed flights, long layovers, and hotel stays to arrive on time. Jeff said his grandfather completed the journey without speaking any English.
“I couldn’t control the tears that [were] coming out of my eyes. And he was like, ‘Don’t cry,’ ” Jeff said. “It’s just incredible to witness that, through all the odds, that he would show up for my special day.”
The celebration continued on the dance floor, where Jeff and his grandfather danced together to “Proud Mary.” Jeff later wrote that the long flights did nothing to slow his grandfather down.
“Jeff, me and you need to be grateful and joyful!” Gatera told him during the ceremony, a message Jeff said he will carry with him.