“If God has called you to China or any other place and you are sure in your own heart, let nothing deter you. Remember, it is God who has called you and it is the same as when He called Moses or Samuel.” —Gladys Aylward
At Esther Press, we empower and equip women to courageously stand strong in the truth of who God made them to be. Let us do that for you today by sharing the story of Gladys Aylward.
Have you ever been told you couldn’t do something because you were unqualified or maybe because you lacked the finances? Sometimes life’s challenges are outside our control. But with God’s strength and guidance, we can fulfill His plans for us. Gladys Aylward knew this truth firsthand.
Courageous Preparation
Gladys Aylward was born on February 24, 1902, in Edmonton, England, to a working class family. When she was fourteen, Gladys left school to work as a parlor maid. She loved to vicariously live the high life through her work.
Even though the Aylwards attended church regularly, Gladys didn’t truly come to know Jesus until she was a young woman. One evening, at a revival meeting, she heard the gospel in a way that completely changed her life. From then on, she was determined to share the gospel with those who had never heard.
The Call to China
After reading about the people of China, many of whom had never heard of Jesus, she joined the China Inland Mission’s training program, even though she was older than most missionary candidates and didn’t have much formal education. After three months she hadn’t made progress in learning the language, so the CIM let her go, but her determination to answer God’s call was undimmed.
She began saving for a train ticket to China. Friends provided for her in unexpected ways, and in just a year she had saved enough to buy her ticket. When she learned of a missionary in China named Jeannie Lawson who needed a young woman to help at her mission, Gladys volunteered.
The train trip took her through Europe and Asia, and it was nothing short of dangerous. China and Russia were at war, and Gladys traveled right through one country to get to the other. Despite being detained and questioned by Russian officials, she was released and, with help from some local people, made it to China on a ship originally bound for Japan.
Ministry and Legacy
The mission was an inn for muleteers. There, the women shared the gospel through Bible stories. Gladys was able to learn Chinese through necessity, and when Jeannie died, Gladys took over the mission. Through her ministry, even the mandarin of the town became a Christian. He sent Gladys to villages to ensure traditional foot binding, which had been outlawed, was no longer being practiced. Gladys shared Jesus with the people she met.
By 1938, when war began between China and Japan, the mission was an orphanage with one hundred children. The fighting came nearer to her village, so Gladys led the children across the mountains in search of safety. When they came to a river, all the boats had left, and Gladys broke down in tears, but the children reminded her of God’s power to part the sea. She and the children prayed and sang hymns, and a Chinese officer heard them and recalled a boat to bring them to the other side of the river.
In 1949 the Communists drove her out of the country, and she settled in Taiwan, where she opened the Gladys Aylward Orphanage. Even though she was rejected by people at the beginning of her missionary career, through courageous faith she persevered, and God used her in a mighty way to save countless Chinese children and lead people to Himself.
What is God calling you to do that you’ve been tempted to believe is beyond your ability, resources, or circumstances? Like Gladys Aylward, choose courage over fear and trust the Lord who calls you.
