Women of Faith: Gladys Aylward

by Trisha Smith

Name: Gladys Aylward (1902-1970)

Quote:
The world may only see our weaknesses, but God sees our potential.

Family:
Daughter of Thomas Aylward and Rosina Florence, one  of three children. She never married or had children of her own, though she did fall in love with a Chinese man.

Job:
Missionary to China

Nickname:
Ai-weh-deh – translated “The Virtuous One

Introduction:
When we hear about missionaries, it is almost always in the service of a church or organization. Rarely do we hear about individuals striking out on their own to do mission work. But Gladys Aylward is a different story. Her dependence upon God is commendable and we can learn much from her life and service.

Lesson:

Gladys was the daughter of hard working Christian, English citizens. She was not a very good student, dropping out of school at age fourteen to begin working as a parlour maid instead. In her mid-twenties she attended a revival meeting where she accepted Christ as her Savior.

Gladys left her home in London to serve as a missionary in China with the China Inland Mission. The organization had strict learning requirements, though, and Gladys was unable to meet them. She failed the required classwork, struggling to learn the language, and was asked to leave. But Gladys had gone to China to serve and was not ready to return to full time life in London. Instead, she worked hard as a maid until she earned enough money to afford the return trip to China. She set out on her own, boarding a train by herself and trusting God to meet all of her needs. She worked with an elderly missionary, soon taking over the job of running an inn where she would tell Bible stories each evening. She learned the language and began to build trust with the women, soon winning them over by her care for children and her provision of medical treatment.

She also worked for the Chinese government for a short period of time. She would travel through the area inspecting feet. Foot binding had been outlawed and she traveled the area inspecting the feet of young Chinese girls to enforce the new law. It was through this work that she was able to enter the homes of the various Chinese families and share the Gospel with them.

Gladys became a Chinese citizen in 1936.  She continued her mission work by caring for orphans, adopting many herself. She became respected and admired for her efforts. She also intervened in a prison riot and continued to risk her life many times in service.

In 1938 war broke out in China.  When the Japanese invaded, Gladys took action. With little help, she transported hundreds of orphans by foot through the mountains of China to a river where boats were used to transport the children to safety.  The journey took twelve days, many of the orphans being infants and young children. This inspired a 1958 film – The Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

She returned to England for a short time, during which her mother passed. She had fled China due to the fact that the Communists were actively seeking out missionaries. But she had a great desire to go back and eventually made it happen. She founded the Gladys Aylward Orphanage in Taiwan.  She lived out her final days in the orphange, continuing to work with the needy until her death in 1970. The ministry she founded continues to this day, now known as Bethany Children’s Home.

Numerous books, short stories, and films have been developed about her life and work.

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