Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    In the Presence of My Enemies
    In the Presence of My Enemies
    In the Presence of My Enemies
    Audiobook (abridged)4 hours

    In the Presence of My Enemies

    Written by Gracia Burnham and Dean Merrill

    Narrated by Aimee Lilly

    4.5/5

    ()

    Switch to ebook

    About this audiobook

    2004 ECPA Gold Medallion winner!

    Soon after September 11, the news media stepped up its coverage of Martin and Gracia Burnham, the missionary couple held hostage in the Philippine jungle by terrorists with ties to Osama bin Laden. After a year of captivity and a violent rescue that resulted in Martin's death, the world watched Gracia Burnham return home in June 2002.

    In this riveting personal account, Burnham tells for the very first time the real story behind the news-about their harrowing ordeal, about how it affected their relationship with each other and with God, about the terrorists who held them, about the actions of the U.S. and Philippine governments, and about how they were affected by the prayers of thousands of Christians throughout the world.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTyndale House Publishers
    Release dateApr 10, 2003
    ISBN9781414326221

    Related to In the Presence of My Enemies

    Related audiobooks

    Religious Biographies For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    Related categories

    Reviews for In the Presence of My Enemies

    4.5/5

    217 ratings17 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Incredible story! Everyone should read this. What amazing strength and faith. What compassion for tormentors! I would like to think that I might come close to the strength and compassion of Gracie Burnham. Close would be about it I fear.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Everyone should read this book, I appreciate so much that Mrs. Burnham wrote about their terrible kidnapping. I love hearing about their faith and the faithfulness of our God. The reader of this book did an excellent job!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      This is a book I will NEVER forget. I`ve heard of the story for years and now have so enjoyed your sharing this very difficult part of your life. God is so honored in what you have said. I`m sure only heaven will really show you what a huge impact this has made on so many people. Well written, well read, God honoring, love story. I wish you would write more books.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Incredible story! Everyone should read this. What amazing strength and faith. What compassion for tormentors! I would like to think that I might come close to the strength and compassion of Gracie Burnham. Close would be about it I fear.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      It was heart wrenching and yet God is still good.
    • 5/5
      Oh, wow. I'm left speechless, my heart pumping, and longing for more! I will never forget this, and plan to recommend it to many.

      This is an incredible true story (that I simply couldn't put down) about some true heroes of the Christian faith.

      Very VERY moving. Too moving for me to write more right now, but I plan to spend the rest of the night researching!

      Absolutely, completely, thoroughly, totally FIVE stars!!! (With outstanding narration as well)
    • 5/5
      General: Most edifying book among all I have listened to among over a dozen so far. This is despite my being a secular non-Christian, not American and Philippines being my least favourite country in Southeast Asia. I surprised myself how much I enjoyed this book.

      Narration: 5/5 -- This is the biggest reason why. Exceptionally engaging narration, because she was there and speaks plainly. A narrator who is paid and has a mere intellectual interest in the subject and is repeating clever wordsmithing cannot be as genuine. Also, the emotional quality of her voice at certain moments is extraordinary. I rarely, almost never in fact enjoy books narrated by women unless they have a gritty voice.

      Writing: 4.5/5 -- Straightforward and evocative, less of the location and 'religious' context (neither the Protestant missionary couple or the devout Muslims sincerely taking the message of their respective messengers to heart) than of her own feelings and her challenges experiencing the tribulations, fears and hopes of the situation.

      Content: 4/5 -- No complaints. A real world retelling of the highlights (mostly lows) of being held hostage by jihadis. She doesn't romanticize the terrorists but she also doesn't demonize them either.
    • 1/5
      I wanted to hear more of when Gracia got home and was reunited with her children ? what a terrible ending.
    • 5/5
      Excellent book I listened to the entire book in one night without a break!
    • 5/5
      Great brave true story wonderfully told & well read .
    • 5/5
      This is a moving tale of a missionary couple who were taken hostage in the Phillipines by Islamic radicals. Only the wife, Gracia Burnham came out alive.Gracia does a wonderful job of telling her experience and relating it to others, giving a very personal and informative recollection of this tramatic event. As the only survivor of the group she was with, she obviously has a lot to say and a lot of tramatic experiences to share.This book is eye-opening and probably should be mandatory reading for anyone who has an overly romatic view of what life as a missionary is like.
    • 3/5
      There are some incredibly sad moments. Additionally, there are some hard to digest situations. I am familiar with this type of enemy. And I still am having a difficult time with how the kidnappers were spoken to as relayed in this book.
    • 3/5
      Satisfactory read about a missionary couple kidnapped and held for ransom in the Philippines for over a year. The flashbacks were distracting from the survival story, which was actually interesting.
    • 4/5
      The strength that Gracia & Martin drew from their love for each other & God is certainly inspiring. No way would I have lasted more than 48 hours in their situation. No way.
    • 3/5
      Overall this was a good read. Tells of the harrowing story of Martin and Gracia Burnham's kidnapping in the jungles of The Philippines by the Abu Sayaaf, an al Quaeda terrorist cell. Told from the perspective of Gracia Burnham who survived the hostage-for-ransom ordeal. Through all the tough times the Burnhams kept their faith and relied on God's daily provisions. On numerous occasions their lives were in limbo in firefights between the Abu Sayaaf and the Philippine Army. Gracia tells of her many emotional struggles and lack of privacy and inconveniences. She relied heavily on her husbands strength to get her through this ordeal. And, eventually she did make it, while her husband did not.Although the story is intriguing, the story seemed to run on at many times. A lot of repetitive narrative that could have been easily compressed by at least 60-75 pages. Nevertheless, this a great story of persistence and faith with a joyful reunion in the end. If you liked, "Through Gates of Splendor" by Elisabeth Elliot you will also like this one. The stories are eerily similar in many ways.
    • 3/5
      Toward the end of the book, the author made excuses for God, explaining why He was unable to save her husband instead of allowing a biblical perspective to influence her thinking. God saved Peter from Herod's sword, but did not save Stephen from being stoned. She missed an opportunity to declare that the Gospel is so glorious and our God so great that people will risk their lives to tell others so that they too may know the one true God.
    • 5/5
      A fascinating look at a couple dedicated to spreading the gospel, taken hostage in the Philippines by Muslim terrorists. Since the Burnhams were from Kansas where I live, this was a more meaningful story to me perhaps. I was especially touched by her heartfelt pleas for her captors, forgiveness and compassion!