Gladys Aylward: An Ambassador for Christ

Gladys Aylward: An Ambassador for Christ 

By 

Philip Cooper

Gladys Aylward was a missionary whose story really inspires me. Since it will take a big book to tell you all of how God used her (I definitely don’t know everything), I will tell you one story that really shows God’s power.

Gladys was in Bei Chai Chuang. This was because there was a three-way war between the Japanese, Nationalist Chinese, and Communist Chinese. They were all trying to be the leaders of China. The Nationalists were good and the other two were bad. Gladys really lived in Yangcheng and Gladys with the rest of the people that had to leave were hoping that the Japanese would leave. The people of Yangcheng had scattered after the Japanese had dropped bombs on them and were sending more soldiers. The people of Bei Chai Chuang promised to take frequent spy trips to Yangcheng to see whether or not the Japanese had left. One farmer reported seeing the Japanese March through the east gate. A week later, another farmer reported seeing the Japanese March out the west gate. The Japanese had marched gone right through Yangcheng, just as everybody had hoped! Since everybody was anxious to see if their homes were all right, Gladys volunteered to go to Yangcheng to make sure that it was safe to go back. 

It took Gladys most of the day to reach Yangcheng. She didn’t see any soldiers. Gladys quickly made her way to  The Inn of Eight Happiness, the inn that she had started with an older woman and was a wonderful tool for sharing the gospel. The inn was a damaged from the airplane attack. Gladys thought of all the wonderful moments in the inn. Now there was no laughter or anything like it. Gladys picked up a card that she had given to Mrs. Lawson, the older woman, when she was in her last days. On it was “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Gladys put the card in her pocket.

Just then, she heard gunfire and yelling in Japanese! Either the Japanese had come back, or not all of them had left in the first place! Gladys immediately made her way to the east gate since that was closer to the inn and away from the yelling and gunfire, which was at the west gate. The only problem was that the east gate was bolted shut. The only way out of Yangcheng was through the west gate. Gladys decided against creeping along in the shadows. Instead, she ran down the streets of Yangcheng as fast as she could. She was out of breath when the west gate came in to view. Even though the gate was still open, Gladys knew she should stay in the shadows. Gunfire was exploding really close to her. To her surprise, Nationalist soldiers were on top of the wall. Gladys peered through the crack between the gate and the wall. To the left were  the Japanese soldiers. To the right was a field of wheat. All Gladys needed was a distraction so she could dash into the field of wheat. As soon as she saw a hand grenade flying toward the Japanese, she was off! She dashed into the field of wheat and pulled herself along by her elbows.

After she felt safe enough to stand up, she found the trail and followed it to a fork in the road. One way was steep and very dangerous to travel at night. It was getting dark since it had taken Gladys most of the day to get to Yangcheng. The other path was a dry stream bed. In the rainy season it would be overflowed with water, but it was spring and the stream bed was dry.Since it was safer, Gladys started to go on the stream bed path, but then a horrible thought occurred to her. If more Japanese soldiers were coming, this was the path they would take. Gladys knew that she would have to take the other path. She felt in her pocket and squeezed the card. Then, Gladys started to scramble up the steep path. After while, Gladys heard marching below her. She peeked over the ridge and saw soldiers marching on the safer path below. They were definitely Japanese. If she had gone on the safer path, she would of been killed. 

Gladys spent the night on the trail and completed her journey in the morning. Gladys told the people that they couldn’t go home for awhile. Regardless, this is one of the many stories of how God protected her so she could bring the gospel to the Chinese. 

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If you are between the ages of 4-14,(or know someone who likes to write stories)I would like to post your story here. Send me an email. I'd love to read your story! Signed,

Wiggles the Polliwog