RCWC Welcomes Gracia Burnham on January 22nd!!
Gracia was born in Cairo, IL, the fifth child of six, born to Norvin and Betty Jo Jones. Her father was a minister and, consequently, they moved from Illinois to pastor a church in Ripley, Tennessee a few years after Gracia was born. In 1962 her father was asked to help start a Bible college in Woodstock, Ontario. That is where her childhood memories began. She grew up in a home that put the Lord and his Word at the center of their lives. She could sing hymns from memory even before she could read! When she was seven or eight, a caring Sunday school teacher explained to her the importance of committing her life to Christ. Not long after that she begged for the opportunity to be baptized.
By the time she was in fifth grade, her family had moved to Olney, Illinois where her father accepted a pastorate. And at the age of fifteen, the family moved once again to Kansas City, MO where her Dad became a professor of Bible and theology at Calvary Bible College. Upon graduation from high school she applied to and was accepted by several colleges but she chose Calvary because of their music program. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree majoring in Christian education and the offer of a job as a secretary to the student services group consisting of the dean of students, the dean of men, the dean of women and the chaplain.
It was in this office that her friendship flourished with a young dormitory resident assistant by the name of Martin as he would bring his rowdy charges before the dean. Gracia learned that Martin was the son of missionaries, Paul & Oreta Burnham, who were serving in the Philippines. Martin’s primary interest was aviation....and Gracia!
She and Martin were married in Kansas City in 1983. In 1984 they moved to Durant, Mississippi for a year of training with New Tribes Mission called “boot camp”...an exercise in primitive living and demanding study. Following that, they headed for the Philippines where Martin would serve with New Tribes Mission as a pilot. For seventeen years Martin was a jungle pilot delivering mail, supplies and encouragement to other missionaries and transporting sick and injured patients to medical facilities. Gracia supported him whenever he was in the air by maintaining radio contact.
Their three children, Jeffrey Paul, Melinda Joy and Zachary Scott were born in the Philippines and home-schooled by their mother.
On May 27, 2001, while celebrating their 18th wedding anniversary at Dos Palmas Resort off Palawan Island, rebels from the Abu Sayyaf Group seized the Burnhams and several other guests of the resort and took them as hostages to Basilan Island. In the ensuing 376 days of captivity they endured incredible hardship and emotional fatigue. On June 7, 2002, Martin was killed in a firefight between the Philippine military and the Abu Sayyaf Group. Gracia was wounded in the leg but was freed.
Gracia now resides in a new home in Rose Hill, Kansas built with donated labor and materials from the Wichita/Rose Hill community and others across the country who heard her story and wanted to give. She enjoys her role as a mother. For fun she likes to cook...especially homemade pizza and pies of all varieties!
Gracia is the author of the book In the Presence of My Enemies, which gives a gripping account of their year of terror in the Philippine jungle. In her second book, To Fly Again, Gracia reflects on the lessons and spiritual truths learned while in the jungle. She is in much demand as a speaker at churches, colleges and conferences. She is also the Founder and Director of The Martin & Gracia Burnham Foundation.
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