The impact of war on a nation and its people is farreaching. Families are displaced, homes are destroyed, and many innocent lives are lost. Local monuments and hundreds of years worth of history can be eradicated overnight, sometimes by the country’s own military. Conflict can be cruel, and we are currently living in times where violence is breaking out all over the world. Families can be most impacted by war.
Many times, parents and children are separated as they flee their wartorn nation, never to be reunited again. Wives lose their husbands due to improper paperwork and relocation, leaving families broken and lives destroyed. Also, if you have not done so already, please subscribe to our channel and click that notification bell to get inspired by these real life stories every day. Now back to the story war.
It never changes, and it’s always the innocent who pay the price. The conflict in South Sudan has been a particularly horrible time for the country. The country has been caught up in civil war since 2013 between the government and civilian opposition. This has resulted in many civilians fleeing the country as refugees hoping to be relocated to safer areas. Unfortunately, relocation and keeping families together is easier said than done.
With the country in turmoil, a Leakandean chose to flee with her family from the country in order to escape the violence. Sadly, things wouldn’t go according to plan, resulting in a Leak and her two sons to be separated from DM. To make matters worse, Alike was pregnant with her third child. For those fleeing to Dan, families were given top priority when it came to relocation to the United States. Sadly, Alike and Diane’s marriage papers were destroyed when they fled their home during the outbreak of violence across South Sudan.
Therefore, Dean was classified as a single male and put at the back of the relocation list. However, with Alike being a mother with two children, she was immediately relocated to Fort Worth, Texas. Leaving her husband behind was one of the toughest decisions Alike had ever been faced with. However, she knew she had to do what was best for her children. There was no guarantee she would ever see Deen again, but Alike chose to shoulder on facing an uncertain future.
Thankfully, Alike didn’t have to face her new life in a strange country alone. Local moms Molly Jameson and Marie Hall were part of a refugee resettlement program. Together, they helped Alike and her children settle into their new home, and eventually, they became good friends as well. Thankfully, the entire church community was a huge support system for the newly relocated refugees. They provided food, housing, and plenty of love and care for being so unsettled. Having a community to fall back on was comforting for Alike.
Alike soon joined a support group that united refugees from other African countries like Chad, Ethiopia and Liberia. Other women from Russia and Burma joined as well. These monthly meetings allowed the women to come together at their church and support one another during the tougher times for a leak. It helped her realize she was not alone when it came to missing her husband. As time went on, Holland Jameson continued to visit the residential complex and built relationships with all of the refugees living there.
Their selflessness and kindness meant so much to the children, who began to look up to them as part of the family. A lake found her strength, thanks to the support of the local church and the community that came with it. They held holiday parties, community potlucks, and made sure the children were clothed and had presents for Christmas. As time went on, Alike began to enjoy life, but the absence of her husband still weighed heavily on her heart.
Meanwhile, Dean found himself trapped in a refugee camp in Egypt, and at the end of the resettlement list, with his marriage papers destroyed and his status officially labeled as a single man, there was no way for him to get back to his family in a timely manner. In fact, he wasn’t sure he would ever see his wife and sons again. The thought of living out the rest of his days without them was almost too much for Dean to bear. Dean would spend every day pleading his case at the embassy in Cairo, trying to explain he had been separated from his wife and children. Unfortunately, the answer was always the same single men are not eligible for relocation to the United States.
After four years as a refugee, dion was beginning to lose hope of ever getting to his family. Even worse, Dean hadn’t even met his youngest son, who Alike had been pregnant with when they separated. Knowing he was growing up without a father was devastating to Dean, and he prayed every day to God that a miracle would reunite them. Back in the United States, elite, colin Jameson tried everything they could think of to get Dan to the United States. They met with social workers, immigration attorneys, and even local politicians.
Unfortunately, no one had hoped that Dean could make it to the country due to his classification. The only thing Alike could do was wait and see at this point. Then one night, when Alike and her children were dressed and ready for church, hall and Jameson arrived with amazing news. They weren’t going to church that night. They were heading to the airport. At first, Alike was confused, but after the family piled into the van of the refugee resettlement program, the truth was revealed. Dean was arriving on a flight that evening. After four long years, the family was finally going to be reunited. To say Alike and her children were excited when they arrived at the airport would be an understatement.
They quickly passed through the ticket area and into the baggage claim, looking for the perfect spot to greet Dean when he arrived. The arrivals board revealed the flight was only 35 minutes away. Now they simply had to wait. Those final minutes felt like an eternity for a lake and her sons. Soon the plane landed and fear soon began to take hold. Passengers began to flood into the baggage claim, but not Dean. They knew he had a connecting flight in Houston. Could he have missed it? Then something amazing happened.
A sharp tap on the glass got a leak in her son’s attention. It was Dean smiling from ear to ear. He was finally in the United States and only a thin pane of glass separated him from the family he’d waited so many years to see. It was that moment he never imagined would come, but was so thankful it had. The two older sons couldn’t wait any longer. They dodged past security and into the widestretched arms of their father. The hugs and tears were filled with raw love and emotion. Dean couldn’t believe how much his sons had grown during the time they were apart.
However, there was one more person he was dying to meet. Walking up to Dean was his three year old son that he had yet to meet. The little boy grinned running up to the father he had heard stories about but had never met. Dean picked him up and hugged him close. It was a moment he would cherish forever. From a distance, Alike watched her sons embrace their father as tears streamed down her face. Although she wanted to run to her husband, she knew how important it was for her children to have those first moments with him.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, alike and Dean made a slow walk to one another. Dean wanted to run, but allowed himself time to fully look upon the beautiful wife he’d been so viciously separated from years prior. When they finally reached one another, he pulled her into his arms as family and friends tried to hold back tears. It was a beautiful moment filled with love and joy. After what seemed like an eternity, dean broke the embrace with his wife and began to hug the volunteers who had been so good to his family while he was away. He thanked them for their love and generosity. It had taken a village to get him to his family and he was more than grateful.
During the reunion, a small crowd began to gather around the family. Some filled it with their phones while others were overcome with emotions. Seeing Dean’s raw reaction to reuniting with his family. At one point, Dean fell to his knees and praised God for finally bringing him home to his family. As they walked to the van, Dean continued to weep from the joy of being with his family. It didn’t seem real to him. Total strangers were also compelled to embrace Dean. They were moved by his raw emotion and wanted to welcome him to the United States. It was truly a beautiful reunion.
Dean had suffered through so much pain. His life in the refugee camp had been filled with strife and uncertainty. Now that anguish had turned to pure joy. He couldn’t wait to return to the housing complex and take in his new home. After three years apart and a cross country journey alike, and Dean could finally return home together with their children. For Dean, it was a happy ending to what had been an uncertain future. Now he could watch his three sons grow up, and together they could forge a new life away from the chaos and violence of South Sudan.