Terrorist case against missionary pilot helping orphans in Mozambique dropped after 2 years

Persecution and imprisonment in a faraway land gave Ryan Koher fresh appreciation for the apostle Paul’s letters in the New Testament.

“Paul wrote a lot of these letters from jail, and it’s something that’s easy to take for granted until you’re actually in jail,” said the 33-year-old U.S. missionary pilot, who spent four months in Machava High Security Prison in southern Mozambique.

“Paul is writing from jail to other Christians who are being persecuted [and telling them] to stay strong, keep praising, keep praying, have joy, and keep following God’s commands, even when unjust things are happening.” 

The nation closed its investigation against Koher on Nov. 8, after his arrest in November 2022 “on suspicions of supporting insurgents” while transporting supplies to an orphanage, according to Christianity Today. 

“While going through the normal security scan at the airport, police took an interest in some vitamins, over-the-counter medications, and food preservative supplies,” explained the Mission Aviation Fellowship in a news release. 

“They confiscated the entire load and detained Koher and (accompanying) South Africans. None of the confiscated material belonged to Koher nor had it been loaded onto the airplane, which was secured by police.” 

‘A situation where faith becomes real’ 

Koher’s wife, Annabel, recalled thinking the detainment was only a temporary setback. 

However, Koher and his companions were later transferred to a high-security prison as the investigation against them continued. 

“This is a situation where faith becomes real,” Annabel told Christianity Today. “Are we going to trust that God’s plans for us are good – regardless of what’s going on?” 

All three men suffered from intense itching at the prison, where they were kept in solitary confinement for nearly two months. They learned afterwards they had contracted scabies, a parasitic infestation caused by mites. 

While prison officials and guards treated Koher well, he acknowledged “feelings of apprehension and bitterness” toward his captors at first. 

“We need to love and pray for everyone, including the people who are seemingly wronging us,” he said. “That really hit me like a ton of bricks, that I need to forgive them. So I forgave them, [and] I prayed and asked for forgiveness for not loving them.” 

Mozambique released the prisoners March 14, 2023, but required them to remain in the country for a time while the investigation continued. 

“Koher’s passport was finally returned to him in late September that year, but the investigation remained open,” wrote James Thompson for Christianity Today. “Koher was able to successfully renew his visa and work permit, meaning that he was technically allowed to live and work in Mozambique; however, MAF staff wanted Koher and his family to return to the United States as a precaution until his case was officially resolved.” 

Now Koher plans to resume his overseas ministry in 2025 with Annabel and his children: Elias, Hezekiah and a yet-to-be-born daughter, Abigail. 

“It was kind of unreal,” Koher said of hearing the news. “We’re really excited, and the main reason we’re excited is that this allows us to go back to Mozambique.” 

Image: Courtesy MAF