After quietly serving God as missionaries in the Philippines for 17 years, a sudden turn of events catapulted Martin and Gracia Burnham into world news. In 2001, a terrorist group kidnapped the Burnhams along with several other people. In the ensuing months some of the hostages were killed and others freed. By November 2001, only the Burnhams and one other hostage remained in captivity.

For 376 days Martin and Gracia experienced frequent gun battles, near starvation, and constant exhaustion. They also experienced God’s sustaining grace.

On June 7, 2002, Gracia was wounded, but set free through a firefight between the Philippine military and the Burnham’s captors. But in the same gun battle, Martin was killed.

The world expected Gracia to be emotionally destroyed by all she suffered. Instead, she chose to trust God and forgive those who took her captive and caused the death of her husband. God has used her testimony to give hope and encouragement to many experiencing life’s difficulties.

Gracia now lives in Rose Hill, Kansas, raising her children and serving as a representative of Ethnos Canada.

An able communicator, Gracia’s passion for missions shines through each time she talks about her experiences. As a popular speaker, Gracia’s schedule is usually full a year in advance.