This man collapsed at an airport when he saw who was waiting for him over the past few decades the country of sudan has been at war plagued by turmoil and bloodshed south sudan was finally able to break away from the rest of country in 2011 but unfortunately it’s been embroiled in a civil war since 2013. despite the trials and tribulations one woman named alick made the brave
Decision to flee from it all beginning a journey that would take her across the world into the unknown venturing from south sudan with nothing to her name olik’s journey would take her to fort worth texas a place completely unknown to her her situation was made even more complicated due to the fact she had her two children with her and was pregnant with another child separated from her husband diane alec
Had no idea if she or her children would ever see him again so what happened well in the years leading up to elix ordeal the marriage papers for her and diane had been lost when the resettlement program documented the couple alick was designated as a single mother while diane was labeled a single man while a lick was moved to the front of the line in terms of resettlement her
Husband wasn’t considered a top priority terrified and alone malik arrived in fort worth uncertain of her future with the war in sudan raging on going back was not an option therefore she would have to make the best of her current situation thankfully two kind women molly and mary who worked with the refugee resettlement organization catholic charities were there to be the support elic needed in her time of need
Molly and mary worked hard to make a lick’s transition into american culture and easy one they threw the mother-to-be a baby shower and were even at her bedside when she gave birth to her third child working with the local church the women helped purchase christmas presents for elix children and help them transition into their new way of life as a lic settled into her new life she met other refugees from ethiopia chad
And liberia there were also mothers from nepal russia and burma together they all formed a home group through their local church and began to plan monthly gatherings to eat and fellowship molly and mary found their experience with a lick to be inspirational as well as moving they would visit her and the kids at their apartment regularly and extended
Their kindness to the other refugees as well they knew the best thing they could offer was companionship and reassurance the cookouts at the complex became a fun tradition for a lick and her fellow refugees molly and mary decided to get their church involved and extend the kindness beyond cookouts in fact they had christmas present drives summer camps and even
Thanksgiving food donations during this time elix’s husband was also trying to find a way back to his family stranded at a refugee camp in egypt he received very depressing news according to his case worker he wasn’t selected for resettlement because of his status as a single man things would have been different had he been married she also informed him that he most likely would never be reunited with his family
Over the next four years diane would find himself separated from all he knew and loved he had never met his son who was now a toddler and his other two children had grown up to the point where he wouldn’t even recognize them would he ever see his family again aware of the situation with a lick and diane both molly and mary tried everything they could to reunite the couple
They held meetings with social workers and even contacted their local immigration officials and politicians unfortunately no matter what they tried they always received the same answer it would be a miracle if diane ever saw his family again however sometimes miracles do happen on one normal evening molly and mary picked up a lick and her children for what they thought would be church h however the ladies had another plan in
Mind and it involved driving to the airport why well alic would finally be reunited with her husband after four long years a lick was beyond consolable when she realized where they were going after arriving at the airport the children made homemade signs for their father and walked to the terminal where he would arrive beyond excited they would now have wait 35 minutes until his flight arrived
After a wait that seemed like an eternity diane’s plane finally landed as the passengers began to appear in the terminal alic began to grow nervous where was her husband could it be possible he missed his connecting flight in houston thankfully their fears were for nothing and dyan appeared tapping on the glass between them the reunion for years in the making was finally taking place
Rushing past the security officer both of diane’s sons embraced their father even his three-year-old that he had never met ran towards him after hugging his children diane finally made the walk to his wife according to diane the moment was an emotional rollercoaster at times he didn’t even know how to react after reconnecting with his wife he got to meet molly and mary as well as the
Other volunteers who made the reunion possible the reunion was a lot of love tears and hugs despite the long journey he was finally where he belonged overcome with emotion diane fell to his knees and praised god for reuniting him with his family tears in his eyes and hands in the air he had never felt so much relief and joy all at once
However there was one small problem at the airport only one of diane’s bags arrived from houston the family waited another hour for the second bag to arrive but what was one hour compared to the four years they had waited to finally be together again in addition to those close to a lick there had been several people filming the moment in the airport robert fuqua had this to say about the
Reunion a piece of the video that remains in my mind’s eye yet in the interest of time lies on the cutting room floor is a moment when this algerian mom in the hijab goes over to diane’s wife and embraces her greeting each of her children with encouraging words offered in a mutual tongue they share but which i didn’t recognize what i did recognize however was a shared joy emerging from a shared pain
And anguish the drive home to the apartment complex was quiet both a lick and diane spoke very little as her husband took in his new situation and thanked god for delivering him to his family upon arriving at his new home diane only had one thing to say it is good.