The biography of Gladys by Phyllis Thompson is called, “A London Sparrow”. It complements Burgess’s book, The Small Woman” by giving the insights of a former missionary knowing the “China field”. It also appears to contain personal knowledge of and contact with Gladys after the children were rescued, but Phyllis does not confirm this outright.

There is dispute as to whether Gladys went to China in 1930 or 1932. I’m interested as my mother (now deceased) went to China with the China Inland Mission in 1930 and later met Gladys probably in the hospital in Sian late 1941 and maintained contact with her in later life. I remember meeting Gladys with my Mum at a meeting (I think) in Collins Street Baptist in the 1960’s. If Gladys went out in 1930 their paths would almost certainly have crossed in England. Unfortunately I never checked this before my mother died.

Their stories provide an interesting contrast. My mother came from a devout Methodist home in Sussex and became a Christian as she grew up in the Church. She heard a call to China in her teenage years. Like Gladys an early job was “in service”. She wanted to become a nurse but as she was poorly educated this looked to be impossible. She was advised to try to save enough to begin a Bible College course at the Mount Hermon Bible College in South London. She completed a two year course and was able to prove to St. Giles Hospital in South London that she was capable of studying, and so she was accepted for general nurse training and later midwifery training. She went to China, met and married my Australian Father and served there mainly in Shensi province for fifteen years.

The interesting contrast is in the very different ways that their calls eventually led them to their mission in China. Gladys pursued her call relentlessly despite having little apparent qualification, whereas Mum was able to pursue formal Bible training and nursing skills to support her vocation. Mum and Dad had their share of adventures including being captured and held for six weeks by a group of communists involved in the Long March in 1935. One of the English tabloid newspapers printed graphic descriptions of how they’d both been murdered – not much fun for their parents, but news of their release eventually came through and memorial services planned were changed to thanksgiving services! One interesting sidelight of those times was that my parents first met each other in hospital recuperating from appendectomy operations, before going into the north-west to Shensi province. Because they would be stationed possibly weeks away from a hospital the Mission decided to be proactive and remove their appendixes in advance!

Rob Frencham Perth WA (I Formerly attended the Hawthorn West Baptist Church) Keep up the good work with your web site.

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