Gladys Aylward
Gladys Aylward’s life is a testament to the power of faith, courage and a deep love for Jesus Christ. Gladys often spoke of how God’s presence sustained her through trials.
Born in 1902 in Edmonton, North London, Gladys came from a working-class family and left school at the age of fourteen to work as a parlour maid. Her early life was unremarkable by worldly standards, but a revival meeting in her mid-twenties changed everything. That night, she encountered the gospel and gave her life to Christ. From that moment, her heart burned with a desire to serve him, especially among the unreached in China.
Despite her limited education and lack of formal qualifications, Gladys felt a strong calling to missionary work. She applied to the China Inland Mission in 1929 and was accepted into their training program. However, after three months, she was dismissed due to her struggles with classroom learning. Many would have given up, but Gladys was undeterred. She returned to domestic work, saving every penny to fund her own journey to China. Her faith was unwavering:
“I said simply, ‘O God, here’s the Bible about which I long to tell others, here’s my Daily Light that every day will give me a new promise, and here is 2½d (a sixpence). If you want me, I am going to China with these.’”
In 1932, she embarked on a perilous journey across Europe and Asia, traveling alone through war-torn regions. She was arrested in Russia, narrowly escaped danger, and eventually made her way to China via Japan. Her destination was Yangcheng, where she joined missionary Jeannie Lawson. Together, they ran an inn for mule drivers, offering hospitality and sharing Bible stories with travelers. It was called ‘The Inn of the Eight Happinesses’ based on the eight virtues of love, virtue, gentleness, tolerance, loyalty, truth, beauty and devotion. After Jeannie’s death, Gladys took over the mission, learning the local dialect and gaining the trust of the community.
Her ministry expanded when she was appointed as a foot inspector by the Chinese government, tasked with enforcing the ban on foot-binding. This role gave her access to remote villages, where she shared the gospel with countless families. Her courage and compassion earned her the respect of local officials, including the town’s mandarin, who eventually became a Christian after witnessing her selfless service.
Gladys’ love for Jesus was evident in every aspect of her life. She took in abandoned children, offered medical care, and even intervened in a prison riot, advocating for better conditions and meaningful work for inmates. Her most heroic act came during the Japanese invasion in 1938. With bombs falling and roads closed, she led over 100 orphaned children on a twelve-day journey through the mountains to safety. When they reached the Yellow River and found no boats, the children asked her to pray for a miracle. She did, and God answered - an officer heard their singing and arranged for boats to carry them across.
Reflecting on her journey, Gladys once said, “Here I was worrying, while God was helping me all the way. It made me realise that I am very weak; my courage is only borrowed from him, but, oh, the peace that flooded my soul.” Her humility and dependence on Christ were the foundation of her strength.
After recovering from illness from the mountain expedition, Gladys returned to England in 1949 but found herself out of place in Western culture. Although she wanted to go back to China, the new communist government was opposed to Christianity, making the return impossible. Gladys was an evening speaker at the Bangor Worldwide Missionary Convention in September 1954 and also led one of the prayer mornings there.
She eventually settled in Taiwan, where she founded the Gladys Aylward Orphanage and continued her work among the poor and abandoned. She died in 1970, leaving behind a legacy of faith and service.
Gladys Aylward’s story is not one of ease or comfort, but of sacrifice and unwavering devotion. She once said, “Life is pitiful, death so familiar, suffering and pain so common, yet I would not be anywhere else. Do not wish me out of this or in any way seek to get me out, for I will not be got out while this trial is on. These are my people, God has given them to me, and I will live or die with them for him and his glory.”
Her life challenges us to consider what it means to truly follow Christ. She gave up everything - comfort, safety, even her homeland - to serve Jesus and share his love with others. Gladys often spoke of how God’s presence sustained her through trials. Even in uncertainty, God was actively guiding and strengthening her.
I wasn’t God’s first choice for what I’ve done in China... I don’t know who it was... it must have been a man... a well-educated man. I don’t know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn’t willing... and God looked down... and saw Gladys Aylward... and God said, ‘Well, she’s willing.’
Further Study
The Inn Of The Sixth Happiness is a Hollywood movie based on the novel The Small Woman by Alan Burgess and presented by Twentieth Century-Fox and available to watch for free on You Tube. Gladys is portrayed in the film by Ingrid Bergman.