An out of the blue call at the new OMF UK Manchester office. It was Sarah. She and her sisters were in the midst of sorting and readying their mother’s house before a move. Among the precious things their mother owned were items that belonged to her great-grandfather, Joshua Vale, one of the earliest CIM (later named OMF) missionaries to leave for China. Could OMF help to sort through the items that had once belonged to Joshua?

Well, this is just the kind of request that makes being OMF UK’s part-time archivist very exciting! It’s a great example of how archiving gives one a rich taste of the much bigger, grand story of what God is doing among East Asian people, and my own small, and yet significant, place in that.

I travelled down to London to meet Sarah and her sisters, and to look through the material. As we stood around Sarah’s kitchen table and reverently handled each item that had been carefully kept since the early days of the CIM, it was special indeed. A richly designed, Chinese-language, four-panel hand-painted poster illustrating the foolishness of sin and the wise way of the cross. An impeccably drawn map, hand-designed on canvas, scientifically documenting China’s population by province. Scrupulously composed sepia photos of serious-minded men in Chinese dress, patiently posing for a rare photograph. Beautifully handwritten letters and documentation. We were touching history.

On the drive back up to Manchester I remained in awe at what I was transporting in the car. I was so thankful for the ‘cloud of witnesses’, including Joshua Vale, who have heard and joyfully obeyed God’s call to take his gospel to the precious people of East Asia, and for those who came after and recognised the significance of this and preserved a truly amazing heritage. This is not only to be stored but also shared with everyone as a memorial of God’s faithfulness and encouragement to continue looking to and following him in all he has for us.

Tim Walker

Comms, Archive and Returnee Prayer Facilitator