Gracia Burnham

Along with her jungle-pilot husband Martin, Gracia Burnham served for 17 years with New Tribes Mission in the Philippines. Martin was responsible for delivering mail, supplies and encouragement to other missionaries and transporting sick and injured patients to medical facilities. Gracia served in a variety of roles within the ministry as well as home-schooling their 3 children.

On May 27, 2001, while celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary at Dos Palmas Resort off Palawan Island, Gracia and Martin were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), a militant group of Muslims. They were taken to Basilan Island, an ASG stronghold. Remaining in captivity for 376 days, the Burnhams faced near starvation, constant exhaustion, frequent gun battles, coldhearted murder and intense soul-searching about a God who sometimes seemed to have forgotten them.

On June 7, 2002, in a firefight between the Philippine military and the Abu Sayyaf Group, Martin was killed and Gracia, although wounded, was rescued.

Since that time Gracia has become a popular speaker at churches, conferences and schools. Traveling across the country, Gracia shares her unique story of faith, forgiveness, and surviving captivity. Gracia has also launched the Martin & Gracia Burnham Foundation, which will support mission aviation and tribal mission work around the world.

Gracia has authored two books. In The Presence Of My Enemies , details their captivity experience. In her follow-up book, To Fly Again , Gracia reflects on the lessons and spiritual truths she learned in the jungle and how they apply to anyone's life.

Gracia now lives with her three children in Rose Hill, Kansas.

Gracia Burnham “Unplugged”

Our team spent some time at Gracia’s home working with her on a ministry project. During the project, we asked her a few questions about her experiences in captivity and what the Lord taught her through them. You can hear more of Gracia’s thoughts by watching one of the video resources on the right.

A year in captivity with terrorists is hard to fathom, what was it like?

Gracia Burnham: I’d say time really flew. There were times when we thought we were kind of safe…and we’d spend a few weeks in one place and that’s when the time just drug by. You wished for dawn because the night was so long and you weren’t sleeping well. In the day you just longed for night time so you could lie down. It was a vicious cycle.

How were you able to stay faithful to God during your captivity?

Gracia Burnham: We encouraged each other in the Lord, we went over and over what we believed and what is true and we would remind ourselves of the promises of God and the scripture that we knew. And hymns, we would sing hymns.

What was it like the day you were rescued and Martin was killed?

Gracia Burnham: I was so happy to be out of there. I had said goodbye to Martin so many times…every time (the military came to rescue us) those guns went off and we said goodbye again. When (the day we were rescued) it finally happened the Lord just gave me a peace to just put that behind me and go on…all that I remember at the embassy, is being really happy. They used to chain Martin at night and that first night at the embassy when I got in bed, I thought, ‘Martin’s not chained tonight.’ I was happy for him because he was out of there. We had gotten to the point where we were just asking God to get us out of there and we didn’t really care how…so God got us out of there.

What is your plan now that you are a single parent and living back in the states?

Gracia Burnham: I really think God wanted me to write that book and I wrote it and now I don’t know what I‘m supposed to do. I am going to take care of my kids, I’m going to stay close to Him and He’s going to lead me…just like He led me in the jungle. He didn’t bring me back to Rosehill, Kansas to leave me stranded. He’s going to show me…I just choose to believe that He does all things well.