Martin and Gracia Burnham lived and served as missionaries in the Philippines for fifteen years. Martin flew a red and white Cessna into the jungle to bring supplies to their New Tribes Mission colleagues and transport tribal people to medical appointments. Gracia (pronounced “gray-sha”) homeschooled their three children, took care of their home, cared for missionary guests, and manned the flight radio.
The couple arrived at Dos Palmas Resort on the 26th of May, 2001. They planned a one night stay to celebrate their eighteenth anniversary, which Gracia almost cancelled because she questioned the $200 “extravagance.”
On May 27, in the dark early morning hours, three Abu Syyaf terrorists banged on the door of their beach cabin. Martin and Gracia were abducted at gunpoint.
The Burnhams, along with eighteen other guests and employees of Dos Palmas Resort, were dragged from their rooms and loaded into a drug-running type of boat. All but three hostages were Philippine citizens.
The boat, filled beyond its capacity with twenty hostages and about fifteen Abu Sayyaf, raced across the open water of the Sulu Sea. At sundown they were transferred to a seventy-five foot hijacked fishing boat, where the fishermen and ten to twenty Abu Sayyaf were waiting.
After five days on the water, they landed on Basilan. The Abu Sayyaf had established their stronghold on this small heavily wooded island in the 1990s.
The hostages knew a ransom would be required for their freedom. Many began discussing how much money their families or business associates could raise. Some were allowed to go home to raise money, while their spouses remained in captivity. But Martin and Gracia were missionaries. They weren’t business people whose companies would be willing to pay terrorists to free them. And their families were not rich in worldly goods.
The Abu Sayyaf wanted one million dollars for the Burnhams, which neither their mission organization nor government was willing to pay. They would need to be rescued.
For over a year, the Burnhams had no hot water, no electricity, no bed, no bathroom, no Bible. They had none of the basic things needed to live with any semblance of comfort or privacy. They slept on the jungle floor, with no pillow or blanket. Martin slept handcuffed to a tree; his captors feared he might try to escape during the night.
Gunfights between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), who were trying to rescue the hostages, and the Abu Sayyaf were a constant threat. After the first of seventeen gunfights, the hostages knew the possibility of being killed by the AFP during a rescue attempt was greater than the hope of being rescued by them. Unfortunately, the Armed Forces of the Philippines were not trained for the type of rescue mission that would be required.
Many days were spent hiking through the jungle in an effort to stay undetected by the AFP. That meant long hours of making trails through thick underbrush, uphill and downhill, sometimes barefoot, until they were exhausted.
In the final days of their captivity, Martin and Gracia focused on this Psalm, “Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.” Martin said, “We might not leave this jungle alive, but at least we can leave this world serving the Lord with gladness.” Which is exactly what he did.
On June 7, 2002, in a rescue attempt by Philippine soldiers, Gracia was injured and rescued. Martin was killed by three gunshots.
You can read more about the Burnham’s experience in Gracia’s book, “In the Presence of My Enemies,” or by visiting www.GraciaBurnham.org. Their story encourages me to know, without a doubt, by life or by death, God will see his children through every trial.
