After more than nine months of fear, prayer and uncertainty, American missionary pilot Kevin Rideout is finally free.
President Donald Trump and evangelical missions organization SIM International confirmed Friday that the 48-year-old missionary has been released after being kidnapped in Niger last October - bringing a dramatic end to an ordeal that began just outside his own home.
"Kevin Rideout, a wonderful Christian Missionary, is back in United States Custody," Trump announced on Truth Social.
The president said Rideout had been kidnapped by "Jihadi terrorists in West Africa" before adding a message directly to the missionary: "The United States of America looks forward to welcoming you HOME."
But perhaps the most emotional reaction came from Rideout's missionary family.
SIM International confirmed that its "good friend and brother in Christ" had been released following more than nine months in captivity.
Even better: the organization says Rideout is in good health.
"Kevin is in good health in the care of US officials," SIM said, adding that he will soon be reunited with his wife, Krista, their children and extended family.
For the Rideout family, that reunion has been a long time coming.
Rideout was kidnapped outside his home in Niamey, Niger, on Oct. 21, 2025. His disappearance immediately raised fears for his safety in a region struggling with extremist violence and kidnapping threats.
The situation was considered serious enough that the U.S. Embassy in Niger subsequently warned Americans that they remained at heightened risk of kidnapping throughout the country - including inside the capital.
Behind the headlines, however, Rideout's family and supporters were praying.
SIM said Krista and the family are "profoundly grateful" for prayers offered from around the world during Rideout's captivity, singling out the support received from within the SIM community.
Now, after months without the ending they desperately wanted, those prayers have turned into thanksgiving.
SIM invited Christians to "join us in giving thanks to the Lord for this incredibly good news," while also asking the public to respect the family's privacy as Rideout reconnects with his wife and children.
Exactly how Rideout secured his freedom remains unclear. U.S. officials had reportedly confirmed Thursday that he had been released and was heading toward the United States, but details surrounding the negotiations or circumstances of his release have not been publicly disclosed.
His freedom also comes during a remarkable week for Americans detained overseas.
Just days earlier, former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman returned home after spending four years imprisoned in Russia. Trump said Russia released Gilman on humanitarian grounds.
According to U.S. State Department statistics cited by The Christian Post, 109 Americans held overseas as hostages, wrongful detainees or under other concerning circumstances had been returned home since Trump began his second term on Jan. 20, 2025. Rideout had not yet been added to that tally when his release was announced Friday.
But for Rideout's family, the statistic that matters most is much simpler.
After nine months in captivity, Kevin is coming home.
