This website presents a remarkable collection of family letters written by Canadian missionaries Homer and Muriel Brown during their years in West China, from 1912 to 1942. Set against profound social and political change, the letters offer a deeply personal view of education, faith, family, and cross-cultural life.
Original handwritten and typewritten pages, with full transcripts — spanning Canada and West China, and the everyday lives of one missionary family.
Begin with the Curator — your guide to the letters. Ask in your own words, follow citations into original scans and transcripts, and explore missionary life, family history, and West China through guided conversation.
Background reading and photographs, if you prefer to browse before asking the Curator.
A short biography of their years in West China — the Canadian mission in Chengdu, education and church work, and family life from 1912 to 1942.
Photographs from the Brown family years in China. (Gallery is still being built out.)