February 14, 2005
In her memoir In the Presence of My Enemies
, Burnham shared the details of her and husband Martin's year-long captivity at the hands of the rebel Abu Sayyaf Group in the Philippines. In this second book, Burnham shares 21 spiritual lessons she learned during this time and the months that followed Martin's death and her release. Burnham, who now lives with her three children in Kansas, recalls the simple yet profound truths she has gleaned from events such as learning to forgive her captors, ministering to the rebel called "57," worrying about having enough water, receiving a hammock and hearing a hymn. She uses her captivity and her captors as springboards for helping readers understand such issues as anger, forgiveness, kindness, heaven and faithfulness. Her main mission is to encourage readers as they face events and challenges beyond their control. Her gentle teaching through stories of her captivity and life afterward may seem lightweight and a bit simple, but the biblical truths she explores are not. This is no exegetical study of the Bible, but an honest, heartfelt look at how one woman deals with her past and her present. Burnham isn't letting herself or her readers quit: "That is where I stand today: trusting God to make something of me... to grace me again."