When Craig Joseph told his parents he wanted to invite Nelson Mandela to his bar mitzvah, they laughed at him.

But the young South African wasn鈥檛 going to let those chuckles thwart his plan.

It was 1996, Joseph was just 12, and Mandela was two years into his presidency.

鈥淲hat I did was I phoned my grandmother and late grandfather and said, 鈥楳y parents won鈥檛 take me to drop off the invitation at the president鈥檚 house, will you come and fetch me,鈥欌�� Joseph told CTV鈥檚 Chief Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme in Johannesburg.

Joseph鈥檚 grandparents took him to Mandela鈥檚 house where he gave a note to a security guard.

Today, near that very house, thousands of handwritten notes cover the curb, messages to South Africa鈥檚 greatest son.

After delivering the invitation, Joseph received a stern warning from his grandmother, Shirley Lewis.

鈥淒on't you tell anybody that we took an invitation to the president,,鈥� Lewis recalls telling her grandson. 鈥淏ecause I thought people would think we were crazy. How could we assume the president would come to his bar mitzvah?鈥�

Just days before the big celebration, the family got a call.

鈥淭he president will be arriving at 7 o'clock and he will be leaving at 7:45,鈥� Joseph remembers somebody on the other end of the phone telling him.

The family kept it a secret.

And when Mandela showed up at the bar mitzvah on that August evening, Joseph says his guests went into a bit of a frenzy.

鈥淗e was ushered into the hall and as he walked in, there was just like a scream,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he whole hall gasped and a shriek let out by all the kids.鈥�

Lewis remembers getting emotional when she got the chance to meet Mandela.

鈥淚 got up and wanted to shake his hand and he looked in my eyes and I can't even explain what it was, it was just a feeling, a connection,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y eyes just filled up with tears and I couldn鈥檛 say a word. I just wanted to thank him for making this day so special.鈥�

It was a grand gesture by the country鈥檚 most prominent citizen, and one that Joseph says taught him an important lesson.

鈥淚t's proven to me and what he's proven to so many people is that any dream can become possible,鈥� he said.

With a report by CTV鈥檚 Anchor and Senior Editor Lisa LaFlamme