Life Action

Kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf in May 2001, Martin and Gracia Burnham spent 376 perilous days of captivity in the Philippine jungle. Facing near starvation, constant exhaustion, frequent gun battles, and coldhearted murder, they endured the ultimate test of faith in the face of fear. On June 7, 2002, in a firefight between their captors and the Philippine military, Martin was killed; Gracia was wounded but freed.

Revive speaks with Gracia Burnham about being a hostage, the fears she felt, and her advice to fearful hearts.

In the initial moments when the kidnapping occurred, what fears were running through your mind?

Gracia: Well, when you are first taken hostage, you don't do a lot of thinking. You go into survival mode. I was doing exactly what I was told. I knew we were in big trouble. But the specific fears hadn't set in. I was just trying to stay alive.

As the days wore on, what worries did you face?

Gracia: I started wondering how long this would last, and whether or not these people were as bad as the media portrayed them. We had heard that they beheaded people and raped women. There were certain things I didn't allow myself to worry about, like our career, our ministry, our children; I knew God would have to take care of those things.

Were there any particular Scriptures that God used to calm and comfort you?

Gracia: Every once in a while, a Scripture would just pop into my mind at an opportune time. I remember one day I was mad at Musab. He was the religious leader of the group, and he forced us to carry extra stuff. Martin had to carry extra rice, and I had to carry two mortars, one in each hand, as we climbed straight up a mountain. I was angry.

That's when the verse came to mind, "Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, and let us fix our eyes on Jesus." [1] In that moment I was weighed down—that's why I was mad; but the real weight was my anger. I had to lay it aside and run the race with patience to get to the top of the mountain. I had to look toward Jesus in the midst of my problems. It was the perfect verse for that moment.

What was your prayer life like?

Gracia: When you have nothing, you have nothing. Everything you need, you have to ask God for. If we needed a drink of water, we had to ask God. We prayed for the next thing that was going to help us survive. Here in America, if I need water, I go to the tap. I don't ask God for it, because I've already got it. In the jungle, we brought every care to God.

Do you still struggle with any worries?

Gracia: I would love to say that I don't fear a lot of things because of what I've been through. But honestly, some mornings I lie in bed thinking, "I need courage and strength to get through today. Can I make it?" I realize that makes no sense. The same God who got me through the jungle is going to get me through a day in Rose Hill, Kansas!

What differences do you see in the lives of Christians in the West versus those believers who live under threats or persecution?

Gracia: For me to address this question is difficult because I've never suffered. Even in the jungle, I knew that if and when I got out, people would be very nice to me, and I would go back to my middle-class lifestyle in America. Christians suffering in closed countries are being persecuted for their faith, and they don't have that hope of rescue at all. Their only hope is eternity.

I've noticed in America that we're really happy to fight for our rights. If someone tries to limit our freedom, we'll stand up and fight. But persecuted Christians don't have that option. They are more focused on loving their enemies.

What would you tell someone today who is facing a frightening situation? What principles should guide them?

Gracia: Keep your eyes on Jesus. Read all the Scriptures on fear. You can choose to not be fearful; that choice is based on God and His faithfulness. Don't look at your circumstances; look at God. If the mountain you've got to climb is right in front of you, turn around and look at how big God is in comparison to the mountain.

How about for someone who is living a relatively safe and comfortable life today? Is there anything they should be doing to ready their hearts for certain difficulties in the future?

Gracia: I wasn't ready for what happened to us. But I knew the Lord, and I knew the Scriptures.

Although, sometimes the Scriptures weren't comforting. I would think about verses like, "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it." [2] I asked Martin one day, "Why is that in the Bible?" It wasn't happening for us. I thought of the psalm where David wrote, "I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." [3] And yet, here we were begging for food, starving, and feeling forsaken.

The key word in your question is certain—difficulties are bound to happen. We have been told that in this life we will have problems. [4]

If you want your "emergency procedure" so that you're armed with the right verses and can do all the right things in order that you won't have to suffer as much or it won't last as long, I think that's the wrong motivation. You're just wanting a "cushion" that will make the problem smaller.

But if you want to be prepared for suffering so that God can get the maximum amount of glory from the situation, that's the right motive. The worst thing that can happen is that God doesn't get the glory.

If we can arm ourselves with an attitude that says, "Lord, I want You to be glorified, and I want Your will to be done," then maybe we'll be ready for whatever comes around the corner.


[1] Hebrews 12:1-2
[2] John 14:14
[3] Psalm 37:25
[4] John 16:33



Gracia has written two books about her experiences and the lessons she learned: In the Presence of My Enemies and To Fly Again. Visit www.GraciaBurnham.org to learn more about her family and ministry today.