Gracia Burnham

Martin Burnham

Gracia displays Muslim underpants and the malong, a useful piece of cloth natives use for clothing, a backpack, or cover.

Gracia in hijab, the Muslim head covering

Gracia Burnham was a missionary in the Philippines for fifteen years, working as a wife and assistant to her beloved husband Martin, who was a missionary aviator. The Burnhams were affiliated with New Tribes Mission, and they spent their days serving the native people up in the mountains; taking them food and medical supplies. Gracia was also a homeschooling mom for her own three children. Gracia Burnham couldn’t have been happier.

In 2001, while enjoying a special weekend anniversary outing, Martin and Gracia Burnham were kidnapped by the radical Muslim group Abu Sayaf. Martin and Gracia spent one year as hostages, tramping through the jungle, sleeping on the ground and cramped together in the same hammock. Martin was killed in an ill-conceived rescue attempt by the Philippine government.

Listen to this podcast with Gracia Burnham, and hear what she has to say about finding out who you really are in times of crisis, getting mad at God, life as a widow, and more.

Gracia now heads the Martin and Gracia Burnham Foundation whose mission is to pursue missionary aviation causes, tribal missions, aid the persecuted church and Muslim Ministries.

Picture of Patty coming soon!

Patty Ridenour is a wife and mother. She has been married to Craig for almost 40 years. Patty is a fomer staff member of Campus Crusade For Christ and was on staff with SCOPE ministries for twenty years. Patty shares some of her life struggles and how God brought her through being molested as a child, marital difficulty, strains of motherhood and now challenges of being a grandmother. Patty shares how God worked through her children’s problems to show her that He wanted her to worship Him. After we hung up Patty said,” I wish I had told the listeners that even though I’ve had a lot of struggles in my life, I wouldn’t change any of them, because that is what has made me who I am.” And why is it that we have to go through hard times to learn anything? I love the poem that Patty shared on the podcast!