MY ACCOUNT
On Sunday morning, January 18, 2026, the upswing of worship turned to terror in the small village of Kurmin Wali in Kaduna state, Nigeria.
Armed men ambushed three churches in the remote village of Kurmin Wali during church services. Within moments, more than 170 worshippers – the elderly, young children, parents, and teenagers – were forced into the bush at gunpoint.
During the first critical hours for rescue, the government didn't acknowledge the incident. After mounting pressure from community leaders and international attention, they finally confirmed the kidnapping was real.
This pattern of violence and government indifference is all too familiar for Christians in Nigeria. Christian communities have lost confidence in government protection.
Yet the Church can take a different approach. We didn't wait for government rescue. We rallied around our brothers and sisters and prayed over every precious name so carefully collected by hand.
Handwritten names of every believer who was kidnapped
When the Church Prayed, God Moved
Within days of the news and sending a prayer alert to supporters around the world, a remarkable shift happened and all 177 kidnapped believers were freed.
Eighty had managed to escape. The rest were released.
God's strength proved mightier than the captors'.
The prayers of our global Church family had been answered. Proof that when the Church stands together in prayer, heaven moves.
However, the story doesn't end with their release.
The Invisible Wounds That Linger
When our field team visited the released believers in Kaduna a few days ago, they were met with a sobering scene: returning home is not the same as being safe.
Yes, the believers were free. But they weren't safe – not in the way that matters.
When our field team went to visit them, the fear and uncertainty were palpable as they approached.
"What we saw was not mere jittering, but trauma on its feet," our partner reported.
The government had promised to send security upon the villagers' return home. It never came. So the community lives on edge, knowing they could be in danger at any moment.
Our brothers and sisters are left to carry the invisible wounds of trauma, fear, grief, and spiritual disorientation. The kind that take time and care to heal.
The Healing That Still Needs Support
The healing journey for these 177 believers is only just beginning.
This is the part of faith that isn't seen or celebrated with the same vigor as miraculous rescue: The slow, steady, sometimes painful work of restoration. The steady obedience. The wrapping of a Church family around the wounded that says, "We're staying with you."
When you stand with these believers through their healing – with your prayers, your gifts, your presence – you're saying something powerful: You are not forgotten. You are not alone. Your faith, your suffering, and your recovery matter to me.
You're standing with family – not just in their darkest hour, but in their healing. A testament to God's faithfulness.
That's where the real power is.
How you can help Support Healing Believers in Kurmin Wali
We’re working with partners in the field to cover basic needs and trauma care for our Christian brothers and sisters. Any amount you can give will go toward their most urgent needs:
- $382 provides one family with an emergency food pack with 3 months’ worth of meals
- $326 covers one believer’s entire stay for a 5-day trauma care program
