Pilot Shares the Gospel With Armed Hijacker at 10,000 Feet and the Man Breaks Down Crying

Samaritan's Purse Missionary Pilot Shares the Gospel With Armed Hijacker at Gunpoint in South Sudan

On December 2, 2025, missionary pilot Jim Streit was flying a Samaritan's Purse Cessna 208B Grand Caravan from Juba to Maiwut in South Sudan, carrying medicine for a mobile medical unit, when a stowaway emerged from the rear cabin wielding a loaded 9mm handgun.

The armed man, later identified as Yasir Mohammed Yusuf from the disputed Abyei Administrative Area, pointed the weapon directly at Streit's face and demanded the plane be diverted to Chad. Streit recalled the terrifying moment vividly.

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, ratchets a round into the chamber with the hammer back, his finger on the trigger and holds the gun up and points it right at my face.

Rather than attempting a physical confrontation, Streit chose a radically different approach. He began sharing the Gospel with the hijacker. Referencing Scripture, Streit told the man, "we wrestle not against flesh and blood," recited John 3:16, and told him that God loved him despite what he was doing.

When Streit asked about his family, the hijacker replied that they were all dead. The man then removed his mask and began to weep. Matt Olson, director of Mission Aviation Services Africa, coordinated crisis response from a makeshift command center while Samaritan's Purse staff prayed throughout the ordeal.

After approximately 40 minutes, Streit convinced the hijacker the plane needed to refuel. He landed safely at Wau Airport, about 400 miles from the intended destination, where South Sudan's National Security Service took Yusuf into custody. No one was seriously injured.

After landing, staff member Ben asked for and received permission to pray with the hijacker for his spiritual salvation, even as soldiers moved in to secure the suspect.

Missionary Pilot Jim Streit Recites John 3:16 to Hijacker Who Pointed a Gun at His Face

Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse, praised God that no one was seriously hurt and commended Streit's extraordinary faith under pressure. The incident has drawn worldwide attention to the courage of missionary pilots who serve in some of the most dangerous regions on earth, delivering life saving medicine and supplies to those in desperate need.

The Crusader's Opinion

This is what real Christianity looks like. Not comfortable Sunday sermons in air conditioned buildings, but a man staring down the barrel of a loaded gun and choosing to share the eternal truth of Jesus Christ with the person holding it. Jim Streit did what most of us only talk about. He loved his enemy in the most literal, dangerous way imaginable. He told a man who could have killed him that God still loved him. And that man wept. That is the power of the Gospel. The same Christ who forgave from the Cross was alive in that cockpit over South Sudan. While the rest of the world debates whether Christianity is still relevant, a missionary pilot just proved it is the most powerful force on this planet.

Take Action

• Pray specifically for Jim Streit, Ben, and all Samaritan's Purse mission aviation staff serving in conflict zones across Africa.
• Support Samaritan's Purse mission aviation work at www.samaritanspurse.org so pilots like Streit can continue delivering medicine and hope to the most remote and dangerous places on earth.
• Support persecuted Christians worldwide through www.TheShepherdsShield.org, which provides direct aid to believers facing danger for their faith.
• Share this story with your church, Bible study group, or family and discuss: What does it truly mean to love your enemies? Would you share the Gospel if a gun was pointed at your face?
• Pray for Yasir Mohammed Yusuf, who heard the Gospel in the most unlikely circumstances. Pray that the seed planted in that cockpit takes root and transforms his life.