‘God is good’: Mother and son reunite after 20 years at surprise birthday party

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB/Gray News) – A surprise birthday party in Louisiana turned into a reunion when a mother and her son were brought back together after spending nearly two decades apart.

Nerry Aspuria says that about 20 years ago, a decision was made for her son, Ian Aspuria, to move and live with his father in the U.S. while she stayed in the Philippines to help raise the family’s other children.

The mother said she would pray every day that they could be together again, and with the help of loved ones, that day would arrive.

“As I grew older, I realized that there was a missing piece of our family,” Annette Mendoza, Nerry Aspuria’s daughter, said. “And that was having my mother and my brother reunite again. So, my brother and I planned to have them reunite on her 60th birthday.”

A few years ago, Nerry Aspuria was able to migrate to the U.S., setting the table for the family reunion plans to become a reality.

“Very blessed. Very thankful to have a sister like her to make everything happen,” Ian Aspuria. “So, it wouldn’t be possible without her making it happen. I was very nervous at the time, but it was just a lot of emotions. Very grateful.”

The family agreed to throw a surprise birthday party for their mother’s 60th birthday, and her son flew in from Florida to surprise her.

“God is good. We got to keep God in the center of everything,” Ian Aspuria said. “All the times that we were disconnected, you know, she kept searching. She kept searching and searching until God was ready to have us together again.”

The family said it was a birthday surprise and a long-time reunion that their mother and they would not forget.

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