Challenged And Changed - Gracia Burnham

1959–

You never know when you might make history. Sometimes history just happens to you. Such was the case with Gracia Burnham and her husband, Martin.

They had been serving in the Philippines as missionaries with New Tribes Mission since 1986. Martin was a jungle pilot, flying into remote areas with supplies and ferrying sick folks to medical centers. Gracia worked in a number of support roles and also homeschooled their three kids. In 2001, they were celebrating their eighteenth wedding anniversary, splurging on a trip to a resort hotel. That’s when everything changed.

A militant group of Muslims stormed the complex and captured a number of guests, including the Burnhams. Some of the captives were released when their families or companies paid ransoms; others were killed. The kidnappers demanded a payment of about $1 million (US) for the Burnhams. This was not paid.

The couple was held for just over a year. According to Gracia’s website, they faced “near starvation, constant exhaustion, frequent gun battles, coldhearted murder—and intense soul-searching about a God who sometimes seemed to have forgotten them.” Then the Philippine military stormed in. Martin was caught in the crossfire and died, along with another hostage. Gracia was freed.

In the years since then, Gracia has candidly told her story in books and interviews. “I speak my mind,” she told one journalist, joking that “everyone is entitled to my opinion.” Gracia often gave her captors an earful, and after her release she openly wondered about the handling of the matter. Yet the ordeal changed her. “I think I saw my heart for what it is,” she told Christianity Today, “the selfishness of my heart and always wanting my own way. I’d like to think that my heart has changed a bit. A lot of my self-will and my drive and always having to be right—I think that’s what changed.”

Jesus promised his disciples that trouble would come—especially when they were representing him to the world. Elsewhere, Scripture reminds us that our difficulties help to hone our character (see Romans 5:3-4). We get changed by our challenges.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

John 16:33