Rose Hill ? Her face expressionless, Oreta Burnham silently reads the eight pages of letters sent from her son and his wife, held captive for more than eight months by Muslim extremists in the Philippines.

Oreta sneers when she comes to a page with the word “confidential” neatly written across the top. Since the letters first surfaced at a Philippine television station a day earlier, much of their contents has been broadcast and reprinted in media outlets across the globe.

But Thursday was the first time anyone in the family had actually seen a copy of the handwritten letters, obtained for them by The Associated Press. The last letter they got from Martin and Gracia Burnham was in November, when a group of hostages was released.

Sniffling occasionally, Oreta Burnham hands the letters to her husband, Paul.

“It hurts us they are still held captive  yet we are glad they are able to write, and their hand is steady,” Paul Burnham said after reading the letters.

He does not know his daughter-in-law’s handwriting well  but his wife quickly assures him that it certainly looks like her writing. And there’s little doubt, they say, that the blocky print at the end of one letter comes from their son.

Still, they are hesitant to pronounce the letters authentic until a State Department source tells them they are real  and U.S. officials had not seen a copy of the letters, Paul Burnham said.

One letter asks for a secure satellite phone, and money to buy some personal items. It gives the names of two men who may contact them from the Abu Sayyaf and the name of another man who has agreed to act as go-between for them. The couple says they have not been contacted by anyone.

“This could be a code they are sending out to somebody  we don’t know any of those people,” he said.

Caution first

In the more than eight months since Martin and Gracia Burnham were taken hostage in the Philippines, his parents have learned to be cautious about reports and rumors from the Philippines. And they even are more careful that something they say would end up hurting the hostages.

And so they refuse to comment on specifics of the letters, such as the rebels’ request for the $40,000 satellite phone so they could communicate with the outside world.

In her Jan. 28 message to the Abu Sayyaf over Radio Mindanao Network, Gracia’s sister, Mary Jones said, “We have no money for ransom.”

“We are not a threat to anyone. Harming them will not solve anything and only deprive their children,” she said.

But Gracia asks in the letters if the radio broadcast by her sister, Mary Jones, in which Jones gave telephone numbers for the rebels to call, meant that someone was willing to negotiate for their release.

“The group wants you to know that we will never be released without some concession,” she writes. “Their losses have been great and they will never just ‘give us up.’ They are asking for the return of their homeland, but since that seems impossible just now, they are willing to take a ransom … they need to arm themselves for this fight.”

Anxious for freedom

Martin’s parents said from the day of the abduction that no ransom should be paid because it would only encourage more kidnappings. Now, they are anxious to see them get out as soon as possible.

“Martin and Gracia have been in there for a long time, and the Philippine government should listen to them to see if something can be worked out,” Paul Burnham said.

Paul Burnham said it is good that the United States is sending troops to train and equip Philippine troops.

“We want a safe release for Martin and Gracia  it would be a failure if they get killed in the process,” he said.

Prayers for children

The hostages also addressed their children  Jeff, 15; Mindy, 12; and Zach, 11  in the letters, saying they prayed to be home soon.

“Jeff,” Martin Burnham wrote, “I wanted to watch the World Series then the Super Bowl with you … but I don’t even know who played. Isn’t that funny?”

Martin Burnham wrote to Mindy that he was looking forward to taking her out.

He wrote to Zach that he just wanted to be with him: “I was gone way too much before this even happened. I’m praying that God will still give us some more good times together.”