Gracia Burnham

Most people would not think of their captors who held them hostage for a year as family. However, Gracia Burnham is not most people. Remembering the experience, she says of her captors, "They were the enemy and we never forgot that they were the bad guys. But on the other hand, they were our family; they were the people we lived with for a year."

While celebrating their wedding anniversary, missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham, along with several others, were kidnapped by Rebels from the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and taken to Basilan Island. They were held captive for over a year until a rescue mission occurred. During the mission, Gracia was wounded, and her husband, Martin was killed. Since she has returned, Gracia has written a book about her trying experience that gives the story as it happened—details beyond what was reported in the news. She recounts how the experience affected her and Martin’s relationship both with each other and with God, about the terrorists, the actions of the U.S. and Philippine governments and how she and Martin were affected by the prayers of Christians around the globe.

Of why she chose to write In the Presence of My Enemies, Gracia said, "I found out what a wonderful person Martin was in the jungle, and now he's gone and nobody else will know if I don't write it down...So that was my goal — to tell Martin's story."

Gracia is the founder of The Martin & Gracia Burnham Foundation, an organization which seeks to support the advance of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through world missions. She is also the mother of 3 children.

Information from Tyndale House Publishers, cbn.org, graciaburnham.org, and ntm.org.