The killing of a youth pastor is a loss so great it stretches from the deserts of Africa to South Florida.
Now, on the eve of celebrating Mike Riddering's life, his widow and older brother spoke with NBC 6 about the faith that carries them through the pain.
"His message of his life and his testimony and love is able to make a difference to many many people, this story that's being told, that is what gives me comfort," widow Amy Riddering said.
"When I think of Mike I think about joy and it makes it easy for me to speak in public," brother Jeff Riddering said.
Mike Riddering, a missionary in the landlocked country of Burkina Faso, was one of two dozen people killed on Jan. 15 when Al-Qaeda linked militants attacked the nation's capital.
Riddering was inside a cafe waiting for other missionaries to arrive from South Florida when the gunmen entered and opened fire.
"It was probably 20 hours of misery of trying to figure out where is he, what is happening, not knowing much," Amy Riddering said.
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The couple had moved to Africa four years ago to serve the locals as part of a service group called Sheltering Wings. The group runs a women's center, medical clinic and an orphanage, all of which are now in mourning.
"He was a father figure for a lot of kids who never had the love of a father, so they lost their dad," Amy Riddering said.
Mike's life and love for God will be celebrated at Hollywood Community Church Saturday afternoon. He has already been buried where Amy said he truly belonged.
"Every single time he would say, 'I'm going to be buried on African soil, this is where I will be for the rest of my life' so of course that's where he was going to be buried," she said.
The couple adopted two children in Africa and they also have two daughters in South Florida.
