“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~ Philippians 3:10
At 4’10”, Gladys was determined. Once she felt the call of
mission work, nothing would deter her from reaching that goal. God affirmed His
calling by helping her overcome mind-bending obstacles.
Born in 1902, Gladys
grew up in a churchgoing, working-class family. At 14, she left school to work
as a parlor maid for Britain’s upper crust. The work was demanding, but she
enjoyed vicariously living their affluent lives.
After attending a revival
meeting in her early twenties, Gladys found herself conflicted by the Gospel.
She enrolled in a three-month Chinese prep course for aspiring missionaries.
Sadly, her inability to grasp the Mandarin language ended any further study.
When she learned of an
aging Chinese missionary needing personal care, Gladys offered to help. In
October 1930, Gladys packed two suitcases—one for clothing and the other for
biscuits, tea, and hard-boiled eggs. With a proud smile, she boarded the train
for the treacherous trip across Siberia. Her months-long journey involved
trains, hunger, and violent Russian soldiers.
Her customers taught
her the language. She shared the Gospel with them. Her evangelism also sparked keen
interest from villagers, where large crowds gathered to hear the tiny woman
speak.
Having gained the
trust of the locals, Gladys served as a "foot inspector," touring the
region to enforce a new law against footbinding (tightly binding young girls’
feet to ‘enhance their beauty’). The work afforded her another opportunity to
visit homes and spread Jesus’ good news.
In 1938, Japanese
forces invaded central China. Because Gladys cared for wounded soldiers, the enemy
offered a reward for her capture, and she was forced to escape. Despite being
wounded and deathly ill with typhus, Aylward led more than 100 orphans to
safety over the mountains.
During the twelve-day passage, food was scarce and rugged
paths hampered the children. But God provided help along the way from Buddhist
priests and Chinese soldiers. Finally arriving at Fefung, the children were
placed with loving foster parents.
Gladys was immediately hospitalized, a recovery that took
months. Once recovered, she opened an orphanage for nearly 200 homeless children.
When life again became
too dangerous, she returned to England in 1949, still retaining an unquenchable
hunger to lead others to Jesus. So, in 1960 at the age of 58, she opened an
orphanage in Taiwan where she worked until she died from pneumonia nine years
later.
Her story inspires us
to seek God’s purpose for our lives. Like Gladys, even when almost impossible situations
discourage us, we should pray and boldly answer His call. She didn’t let her size,
lack of education, or others’ opinions prevent her from realizing her God-sized
dreams.
Father God, thank You for Gladys’ example of
faith to the hesitant, conviction that motivated her to face challenges and
overcome obstacles. We desperately need people with her passion for spreading
the Gospel. Amen
