Freed missionary pilot Kevin Rideout and his wife, Krista, expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump and Christians who prayed for his release as the family visited the White House on Friday, roughly 10 months after Rideout was abducted in Niger.
Trump highlighted Rideout’s case in a statement issued Saturday, one day after meeting with the missionary, his family and senior administration officials. “Kevin Rideout, a brave Christian missionary, was held hostage by ISIS Jihadists for ten months! We never leave Americans behind, unlike Sleepy Joe and Obama, because we are America First,” Trump said.
“Today I invited Kevin, his lovely wife, father, and beautiful children, to the White House to see the Oval Office, and meet our dedicated hostage recovery team. Welcome back home Kevin — It was an Honor to help you!”
Rideout and his wife also publicly thanked U.S. officials and Christians around the world who supported them and prayed during the months he was held captive.
“We are grateful to be together again as a family. After these many months apart, there are few words adequate to express what it means simply to be reunited,” they said in a statement released by Serving In Mission (SIM), where Rideout has worked for 20 years.
“We are profoundly thankful to the United States government and to all those who worked tirelessly for Kevin’s safe release, and to SIM for its steadfast care and support throughout this long season. We are also grateful for our SIM family around the world, and for the countless friends, churches, and brothers and sisters in Christ who faithfully petitioned the Lord for Kevin’s protection and release,” they added.
The couple also credited their relatives for continuing to pray and said they drew strength from Scripture, especially Deuteronomy 31:6, throughout the ordeal. “To our own family, who never stopped praying, hoping, and believing, we are more grateful than we can say,” they said.
“Throughout this experience, we have held closely to the promise of Scripture: ‘The LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31:6),” the couple continued.
“We have known the truth of that promise in very real ways. Even in the hardest and most uncertain moments, the Lord was present and faithful. Our joy in being reunited is also accompanied by grief.”
Rideout, 50, a father of four, was abducted last October near his home in the Château 1 neighborhood of Niamey, the capital of Niger. Three men reportedly seized him near the Bravia Hotel in the city center, only a short distance from the presidential palace.
His release came nearly three months after U.S. forces killed Abu Bilal al-Minuki, who was believed to have been the Islamic State’s second-highest-ranking global leader.
