Bonus: Plane Hijacked in Africa – Pilot’s Story (Part 1) | On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse

·27 min·2 clips

A hijacker counts to three with a gun to a passenger's head, demanding to be flown to Chad.

The episode is introduced by Kelly from Your Daily Prayer as a special bonus from the Samaritan's Purse podcast, On the Ground with Samaritan's Purse, hosted by Christy Graham. It features part one of a story about pilot Jim Streit, who was hijacked in Africa. Christy Graham hosts and shares Jim's background as a missionary pilot for decades with Africa Inland Mission and Samaritan's Purse. Jim recounts the events of December 2nd, starting with a routine flight from Juba, South Sudan, after discovering a break-in on the plane. He loaded cargo and one passenger, Ben, a Samaritan's Purse employee. During the flight, Jim heard a shout and turned to find a masked hijacker in a yellow vest with a gun. The hijacker demanded to be flown to Chad, threatening to kill Ben. Jim communicated the hijacking to another plane via radio while pretending to comply. Ground teams, led by Matt Olson, Director of Mission Aviation Services Africa, mobilized upon receiving the news. Jim made S-turns to delay and aimed for an airstrip called Wow for potential rescue. The hijacker grew angry when he realized Jim was not flying directly to Chad, threatening to kill everyone. Jim recalled a spiritual experience a week prior where he felt God say 'I've got this' for something bigger, which he interpreted as preparation for this event. He engaged the hijacker in conversation about family and Jesus, preaching and praying with Ben. The episode highlights themes of faith, prayer, and God's presence in crisis. It ends with the team praying intensely and the outcome uncertain, prompting listeners to find part two on Samaritan's Purse's website or podcast platforms.

As heard by us

A hijacking story that keeps its attention on fear, faith, and Jim Streit’s choice under pressure.

This bonus episode presents a plane hijacking in Africa as a tight account of fear, faith, and the split-second choice Jim Streit faced with a gun to his head.

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Why you'd press play

Press play if you want a faith story from a plane hijacking in Africa, with a gun to his head and no easy exit.

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