{"id":22285,"date":"2026-03-11T09:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=22285"},"modified":"2026-03-11T09:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:38:11","slug":"missionary-pilot-shares-gospel-after-armed-hijacker-points-gun-at-his-face-mid-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2026\/03\/missionary-pilot-shares-gospel-after-armed-hijacker-points-gun-at-his-face-mid-flight.html","title":{"rendered":"Missionary Pilot Shares Gospel After Armed Hijacker Points Gun at His Face Mid-Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"
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InsectWorld \/ Shutterstock.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A missionary pilot delivering humanitarian aid in South Sudan is sharing how faith guided him through a terrifying midair hijacking \u2014 and how he used the moment to share the Gospel with the man pointing a loaded gun at him.<\/p>\n

Jim Streit, a veteran missionary pilot serving with Africa Inland Mission and frequently flying missions for Samaritan’s Purse, recently recounted<\/a> the December 2025 incident during the ministry’s “On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse” podcast.<\/p>\n

What began as a routine humanitarian flight carrying medicine to a remote medical unit in northeastern South Sudan quickly turned into a life-threatening situation when a stowaway suddenly appeared in the cockpit.<\/p>\n

Streit said he and another worker, identified as Ben, had about 40 minutes left in their flight to the remote town of Maiwut when they heard shouting from the back of the plane. A man who had secretly boarded the aircraft before takeoff emerged and demanded that the plane be diverted to neighboring Chad.<\/p>\n

“He lifts up a gun, shows me the magazine is full of 13 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, puts it into the gun, cocks the gun \u2026 and points it right at my face,” Streit recalled.<\/p>\n

The man grew increasingly agitated, even threatening to kill himself as well as the two men aboard. As the tension escalated, Streit slowed the aircraft and began flying wide loops, hoping to buy time and reach a nearby airport where authorities could intervene.<\/p>\n

But even in the middle of the frightening encounter, Streit said his faith shaped his response.<\/p>\n

“I’m reminded from Scripture that we wrestle not against flesh and blood,” he said, referencing the biblical passage in the Epistle to the Ephesians. “And we’re told that the Holy Spirit will bring things to remembrance.”<\/p>\n

With the gun still pointed at him, Streit began sharing the Gospel with the hijacker and recited the Gospel of John 3:16, explaining that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world and that those who believe in Him can receive eternal life.<\/p>\n

At one point during the flight, Streit asked the man about his family. The hijacker responded that his family members had died, then removed his mask and began to cry.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, staff with Samaritan’s Purse were scrambling to respond to the unfolding crisis. Matt Olson, director of Mission Aviation Services Africa, said the ministry quickly set up a makeshift command center and began praying intensely for the safety of everyone aboard.<\/p>\n

“We were hanging on by our fingernails that this was going to resolve well,” Olson said.<\/p>\n

Eventually, after several tense minutes and continued prayer in the cockpit, Streit told the hijacker he would be protected if he allowed the aircraft to land.<\/p>\n

The man lowered his weapon and gave the signal to descend.<\/p>\n

The plane landed safely in the South Sudanese city of Wau, where security forces took the suspect into custody. Authorities later identified him as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf.<\/p>\n

Remarkably, the story did not end there. Later that evening, after the hijacker had been detained, Streit and his colleague asked if they could pray with him.<\/p>\n

“We sat down next to him with the soldiers around us,” Streit said. “And Ben prayed a wonderful prayer for salvation for this guy.”<\/p>\n

For Streit, the encounter was a powerful reminder that even in the most dangerous moments, faith can open the door to grace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A missionary pilot delivering humanitarian aid in South Sudan is sharing how faith guided him through a terrifying midair hijacking \u2014 and how he used the moment to share the Gospel with the man pointing a loaded gun at him. Jim Streit, a veteran missionary pilot serving with Africa Inland Mission and frequently flying missions…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":22288,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-inspiring-messages"],"yoast_head":"\nMissionary Pilot Shares Gospel After Armed Hijacker Points Gun at His Face Mid-Flight<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Missionary pilot Jim Streit shares how he preached the Gospel to an armed hijacker mid-flight during a Samaritan\u2019s Purse mission.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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