One TV show I like to watch is the program “Locked up Abroad” on the National Geographic Channel. It usually involves some unsaved person, who thinks they can get away with some crime overseas, getting caught and learning they were way better off than they thought they were before they made a bad decision for some quick cash. And usually you can see as they lead up to committing the crime, how the person even in common grace was getting plenty of hints they should not commit the crime, but they do it anyway. Often it ends sadly, because usually the person profiled gets out of prison eventually, so they feel that all is well, but they usually never come to know saving grace, they never come to know Jesus as Lord. So for me it’s a sad ending, to see many endure such and still not knowing they need a savior for more than their body. The Lord’s will be done, who He grants repentance to is of His perfect will. Still I like watching the show, because I find it has plenty of educational value about criminal justice around the world. But I just watched an episode the other day, that involved some Christian missionaries, that were “Locked up Abroad”.

Here’s the program’s description of their story and it is supposed to air again on August 2nd at 9PM.

What is not mentioned in that description, is that although Martin and Gracia were not initially kidnapped because of their faith, their captors kept them so long because of their faith and nationality. Their being both Christian and American was like the worst thing one could be to the Abu Sayyaf and also a reason for the Abu Sayyaf to just keep them around holding out for a greater ransom. Because you know Christian missionaries don’t work for anybody that has money to pay a ransom quick, so the Abu Sayyaf just held on to them waiting for somebody to pay just because they had some Christian White Americans on their hands. Martin and Gracia were with the captors before, on and after 9/11/2001. So they got to see what the Abu Sayyaf, who are also known as the “sons of Osama bin Laden”, were doing up close. They learned who Osama bin Laden was some months before most Americans knew his name well.

Well in all this, they held fast to the Lord Jesus. And that’s the real victory of it all. Martin didn’t survive (in the physical sense), but of course he’s doing even better at home with the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:8. While his wife Gracia was rescued by the area military and now runs The Martin & Gracia Burnham Foundation. You can see the various focus areas of the foundation here. Basically the foundation works to share the message of Christ and help persecuted saints.

I just think it was a powerful story and a wonderful testimony of 2 people who kept faith in Christ in the face of persecution.

If you get the opportunity, I think theirs is a story worth watching.