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That frustration was amplified by conflicting reports about the captives' whereabouts and health. "One week someone gave a report that they saw Martin in a stretcher, and another someone said they saw Martin playing basketball," Doug Burnham recounts. "Dad said, 'I heard of people playing basketball in a wheelchair, but never in a stretcher.' "

Burnham supporters said they are drawing comfort from hearing that Martin had patiently explained the gospel to his captors and challenged their Muslim beliefs. None of the rebels wanted to chain Martin up, and it was rare that the same person did it two nights in a row. Martin always thanked his captors, which reportedly made them feel guilty.

The mission and family had been examining their efforts to free the Burnhams since the May 27 anniversary date. "We realized that the options were running out," says Dan Germann, vice chairman of the New Tribes Mission executive committee. "We had no idea, of course, that we were very close to a closure."

It is unknown who fired the bullets that killed Martin Burnham and Ediborah Yap. Doug Burnham says the family is not looking to point fingers. "As far as we're concerned, the crime was committed when Abu Sayyaf took them hostage," he said. "For that crime, I think justice needs to be served."

Gracia continues to recover, but no one thinks it will be easy. "We're trying to just look at what the immediate issues are and assuring her that, in time, [the other issues] will be easier to face," says Germann. "I have no doubt that this is a woman who's going to be sensitive to the Spirit of God, and step by step, he's going to direct her."

Meanwhile, residents of Rose Hill and others are already comparing Martin to missionary martyrs Jim Elliot and Nate Saint. "These are people that loved God and didn't reluctantly move toward a mission field," Germann says. "They did it gladly, because their eyes were fixed on him. In that sense, these are our modern-day heroes."

Ted Olsen is online managing editor of Christianity Today

Copyright © 2002 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Extensive articles and coverage on the Burnhams are available at Yahoo's full coverage, The Philippine Inquirer, The Daily Tribune, ABS-CBN, The Wichita Eagle and The Orlando Sentinel.

New Tribes Mission has maintained a special Burnham report on its website with frequent updates on the situation and a chronology of their captivity.

Previous Christianity Today articles on the Burnhams includes:

Hostage Homecoming | "This must be one of the happiest moments of my whole life," says widowed missionary Gracia Burnham. (June 11, 2002)

'God Was Good to Us Every Single Day of Our Captivity' | Gracia Burnham speaks after being reunited with her family in Kansas. (June 10, 2002)

Martin Burnham Went Out Serving With Gladness | Families, church eager for reunion with Gracia today. (June 10, 2002)

Free the Burnhams | A year after the missionaries' abduction, it's time to bring them home. (May 24, 2002)

Families of Hostage Couple Wait | Men's prayer group for Burnhams perseveres six days a week. (Feb. 26, 2002)

Agency Disputes Rumors about Burnhams | All indications say the hostages are still being held captive in the jungles of Basilan Island. (Feb. 26, 2002)

Missionary Couple Remains in Limbo | The apparently poor condition of the Burnhams has given the case a new urgency. (Jan. 17, 2002)

Kidnapped Missionaries Reported Safe | But danger increasing for Burnhams—and for workers around the world. (June 26, 2001)

New Tribes Missionaries Kidnapped | Muslim rebels in Philippines threaten to kill Martin and Gracia Burnham and 18 others if military intervenes. (May 29, 2001)

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June (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46