On this episode of the “Prison Pulpit” on the China Compass podcast I dive into what missionary pilot Kevin Rideout might be experiencing in Niger (or Timbuktu) after being kidnapped by Islamic extremists (but I repeat myself) last month, in the hopes that we will take time to “remember his chains” and intercede for him as Hebrews 13:3 teaches us to do….

I’m your China travel guide, Missionary Ben, back home in Malaysia. Follow me on Twitter/X (@chinaadventures) where I share daily reminders to pray for China.You an email me anytime @ bfwesten at gmail dot com and learn more about our strategic prayer and missions projects @ PrayGiveGo.us!

American Missionary Pilot Kidnapped in Niger (Oct 22)

https://christianchronicle.org/missionarypilot/

https://www.christianpost.com/news/american-missionary-pilot-kevin-rideout-is-abducted-in-niger.html

First, a couple of facts about where Kevin lived, and where Niger is located…

• He was in an upscale neighborhood of Niamey, the capital of Niger
• The US Embassy of Niger was just 2 miles away (8 minute drive)
• The Niger Natl Guard and Presidential Palace were just a mile away
• Niamey is located 125 miles west of NW Nigeria, and 125 south of Mali’s southern border
• Kevin was reportedly taken north towards Mali, home to the infamous city of Timbuktu.
• Niamey is 500 miles north of the Atlantic Ocean (leap-frogging Benin)
• Niamey is in the south Sahara, 1500 miles from the Mediterranean and 2100 miles from Cairo
• Niger is about twice the size of Texas, 3x the size of California, and virtually the same as Peru
• Niamey has about a million people, and Niger as a whole 25 million
• Niger has both the highest birthrate in the world at 6.5, but also the highest infant mortality rate
• The child mortality rate (child deaths before age 5) is between 80 and 250 per 1,000 (1 in 4)
• Niger is such a basketcase that even China has trouble getting them to cooperate, despite throwing hundreds of millions (billions, really) of dollars their way!

China and Niger:

https://northafricapost.com/88430-chinas-costly-gamble-niger-exposes-risks-of-regime-agnostic-diplomacy-in-africa.html

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3313824/china-niger-ties-challenge-beijings-cornerstone-non-interference-policy

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