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Summary: Why two versions?
Review: I bought my book in the Philippines where it has caused quite a stir amomg local [] politicians in on the scam. Mine is softbound and has a disclaimer on the upper-right hand corner "PHILIPPINES EXCLUSIVE EDITION. Sale in any other country is prohibited." Was this book censored in anyway to protect the powers that be that will blow your head off once they are found out? Or is it the same everywhere? Would like to know before I start reading it. I do not want to read censored material.
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Summary: fascinating to read
Review: I had forgotten about this event until I saw Gracia Burnham interviewed by Katie Couric--and then rushed out to buy the book (which I just finished this afternoon). It is a gripping, close up look at what life as a hostage of the Abu Sayyaf was really like. And like the reviewer above, I had to marvel at the matter of fact way she describes her ordeal, and how transparent she is about her own thoughts and feelings toward her captors. That she comes out of it with such graciousness and concern for them is remarkable. I don't think she knows how remarkable, really. The only fault that I could find with the book is some of the unanswered questions that I had; for instance, she never explains why, considering their Christian faith, they never requested, or were sent, a Bible. Even though there are some very plausible explanations that the reader could make on their own, it would have been helpful if she had explained that. Other than that, I found this book to be well worth the money and highly recommend it to everyone.
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Summary: Could Not Put It Down
Review: I haven't read through an entire book for quite a while, so when I started this book, I expected the same. However, I found it to be extremely interesting and exciting and found myself making time to continue my reading. It occupied my vacation travel and I didn't even think about getting motion sick, which is what usually happens! The book is written from a woman's perspective, and Gracia comes across in all her humanity--not pious--in the midst of a very difficult situation. She takes the reader through some excruciating details. But her faith, though strained at times, was lifted by her loving husband and sustained by a God who chose her to share this turbulent time of her life with others. She did a wonderful job and I highly recommend this book.
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Summary: This is a great book!
Review: I love this book! I read this book in 2 days. It is extreamly
well written. It is very detailed about Gracia and her husband and how God and her faith got her through the most trying time of her life. Gracia and her husband are symbols of courage. They were kidnapped for over a year in the jungles of the phillipines, and when most of us would give up, she didn't. It is extreamly real for the fact that she tells of the fact that does not like what she is becoming, and woman angry and bitter and her captives, but her husband kept her on track and she turned herself around and continued to pray for release and for God to keep them safe. I recommended it to anyone who wants a good read.
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Summary: A good read!
Review: I really liked this book. The author, Gracia, was very honest in what day-to-day life in the jungle was like, traipsing thru the woods with her captors day and night with little to eat. She and her husband had a few chances to escape but chose to stay together and wait it out. They were in the jungle for over a year! Very interesting story.
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Summary: Excellent Background Reading on Terrorism in the Philippines
Review: In addition to a moving account of the Burnhams and Sobero's struggle in the southern Philippines, the book provides good insight into the workings of the Abu Sayyaf Group and motivations for terrorism in the Philippines.
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Summary: An Unforgettable Story Full of Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness
Review: IN THE PRESENCE OF MY ENEMIES is the true account of the horrendous ordeal that missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham endured after they were kidnapped by terrorists while celebrating their anniversary in May 2001. Held captive for a full year, the couple were within minutes of rescue when Martin was killed by "friendly fire" --- gunshots from their rescuers, who were soldiers in the Philippine army. The skeletal story of the Burnhams' captivity and mistreatment at the hands of Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group active in the Philippines, is well-known to American audiences given the understandable media attention Gracia Burnham's release and homecoming generated. That story pales in comparison to the compelling account Burnham and veteran Christian author Dean Merrill provide in this book. Whether due to Merrill's deft touch or Burnham's natural instincts, the two skillfully manage to avoid turning the memoir into a sensationalistic politic diatribe or melodramatic evangelistic treatise. The contributing elements were there: tireless workers on the foreign mission field enjoying one night of extravagance during their first real vacation in years, yanked from their cabin at gunpoint, subjected to horrific circumstances and conditions, with only one missionary left alive to tell the story. But Burnham and Merrill realized that the drama was inherent in the facts of the story, and any attempt to overdo it would have diluted the impact of Gracia's straightforward narrative. The horror of what she experienced and witnessed during her year of captivity is difficult to fathom: beheadings, near-starvation, day-long marches that ended exactly where they began, forced "marriages" between captors and captives, even the fear that the Philippine army would make a rescue attempt --- a fear that proved to be well-founded with Martin Burnham's unnecessary death. And yet, Gracia relates the events of the year with such grace and skill that her story maintains a steady forward movement; she never stops the momentum by expressing outrage or analyzing the reasons why certain incidents occurred. What happened to the hostages on Sept. 11, 2001, for example, would have compelled a lesser person to rail against God and reject him completely, but Burnham --- who must still wonder about the timing of the events of that day --- seems to have come to terms with every aspect of her ordeal. Perhaps the most surprising element of her story is the relationships that developed between the terrorists and the hostages. Their conversations were often friendly, and at times, the hostages realized that, in a sense, they were all on the same side, trying to avoid a deadly confrontation with the soldiers who were tracking them. In a particularly enlightening section, Gracia takes the reader into the mind of a terrorist who expressed genuine shock that the hostages thought they were being mistreated. Similarly, she recounts a conversation about the Koran in which her captor maintained that a verse condemning killing did not apply to him. Neither did an admonition against stealing. Most of all, Burnham's account comes across as honest. She openly writes about those times when her faith in God vacillated, when her hope would turn to despair, and when the sheer boredom of the daily routine began to get to her. In short, her story rings true. Burnham and Merrill deserve whatever honors and attention this book gets, because this is far more than a dramatic account of a momentous event --- it's an unforgettable story saturated with grace, mercy and forgiveness. --- Reviewed by Marcia Ford
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Summary: In the Presents of My Enemies
Review: Is was a wonderful book which filled in the spaces that the news reports didn't. Well written and easy to read but not suger coated. It was very hard to put down. Since so many of us prayed for their safety, when I finished it I just felt like I had known all of them and had lose a dear friend. It helped me appreciate just what our missionaries go through to spread the word of our Lord.
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Summary: A story of a courageous woman and her heroic husband
Review: Martin and Gracia Burnham lived a year of hell with an integrity that I would hope I would have if, God forbid, I ever had to go through a similar circumstance. This book is an encouragement to persevere regardless of the circumstances put in our paths. While I do not know Gracia and never met Martin, I did spend a week with Martin's parents in the Ibaloi tribe (Philippines) back in 1983. Based on my short time with Martin's parents, I can see why Martin was as strong of a person as his wife portrays him as being. I also was part of a work team that helped in the construction of a two-story school building at Aritao, a small missionary village/air base located on the main Philippine island of Luzon that was often mentioned throughout the book because it was home to the Burnhams and their children. I also want to commend Dean Merrill for helping make this a book that even a 4th grader could understand and follow. I appreciate the "rosters" of the three dozen characters in the front of the book. This is the map for the reader to understand the personalities and backgrounds of the Abu Sayyaf and the hostages. Without this, the book would have been utterly confusing. The reader ought to keep his finger there for quick reference. Finally, I was tickled to see where Gracia dedicated "In the Presence" to those who prayed for her and Martin during their year-long ordeal. I was one who tried to pray regularly from the time I first heard about the kidnapping. It was ironic for me when I read how Gracia believed that her prayers were almost for naught late in the ordeal. This was probably around the same time (early 2002) that I questioned God about "how much longer do I have to pray" before He would have something happen. The more time that elapsed after the initial kidnapping, the more I began to doubt that either of them would survive, especially because I remembered praying for the three NTM missionaries in South America through many years before finding out that they had been killed. Thanks, Gracia, for sharing your story and being an encouragement for many Christians. My feeling is, if this humble servant can make it through her ordeal and retain her faith, I can make it through whatever the Lord puts my way!
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Summary: Amazing Story
Review: Reading this book, the reader continually finds himself wondering why the Burnhams had to go through this. Why would God let this happen to them? So much pain, suffering, hardship, and heartache put on two people who had already given so much for his service. I think this book is the answer though. This story is why they had to endure so much. Gracia's testimony is unlike anything I have ever read or heard in my life. Even having heard her story before, and being a Christian myself, this story moved me in a way I did not expect at all. The final chapter of the book almost brought me to tears several times (something that rarely happens to me). Gracia's mood is perfectly balanced for telling the story--she is neither perfectly pious, nor condemming of her enemies. Her and Martin's faith and love are an amazing testament to their conviction, and they demostrate such spiritual strength! I think the book is both wonderful in it's capacity as telling as story, and as delivering a lesson on Christian love. It is a wonderfully fitting tribute, also, to Martin's life as a spiritual leader both before and after his capture. I'll finish with Gracia's own words, about Martin's death, as I think they wonderfully sum up the general mood of the book:
"I reminded myself that just like the other good-byes in my lifetime, this was temporary. I can't wait to see Martin again--and I will."
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