Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman with a Great God Part 2 Arrived in China She arrived in China and since she was not supported by any sending body, Gladys had to work with another missionary, Mrs Lawson. Mrs Lawson built and ran an Inn, providing, food, beds, and Bible lessons to travellers! Hollywood actually produced a movie based on her life called �The Inn of the Sixth Happiness�. Soon after Gladys arrived, a government official informed her that a law forbidding the binding of women�s feet had been passed During the Qing dynasty women were supposed to bind their feet, but since 1912 times had been different. And the government needed a woman whose feet were not bound to go about the country inspecting women�s feet to see that they were not bound. She accepted, realizing this would give her a wonderful opportunity to spread God�s Word. Gladys took every opportunity in her life as a chance to evangelize to the lost. Do you take every opportunity to evangelize to your friends? Gladys eventually became a Chinese citizen in 1936. The Chinese were much more willing to listen to her because not only did she look like them, but she lived like them too as far as physical conditions are concerned! She lived in a small room with just two planks for a bed, two stools, two cups and a basin. A card hung on her wall saying �God hath chosen the weak things � I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.� Starting an Orphanage Sometime between 1936 and 1940, Gladys noticed a beggar with a very sickly child. She discovered that the beggar had kidnapped the girl to help bring in more money. She bought the girl for nine-pence. Not long after, Nine-pence (for that was the girl�s name) brought in a little boy, and said she would eat less so they could feed him. The little boy, was the second individual added to a quickly growing orphanage. In 1940, shortly after being severely beaten by Japanese soldiers, Gladys Aylward walked with 100 children from the ages of 5 to 15 over mountains and other rough terrain into Xi�an. It took 12 days. Once she arrived, she collapsed from exhaustion, malnutrition, pneumonia and typhoid fever. At first, she wasn�t going to leave, stating that �Christians never retreat!� When the Japanese offered a reward for several important people, including Gladys, she decided to make that trip with the children to safety. Her Sacrifice While she was recovering, the man she loved, Colonel Linnan, came to visit her. He proposed, but she turned him down. She wanted to get married, but knew that she could not marry him and continue the work God had for her. Denying her fleshly desires, she said good-bye to him and never looked back. Gladys definitely loved the man, but she loved the Chinese people even more. She wanted to remain single so that she could do more for China. That was Gladys. Now, most of us perhaps have not had to sacrifice anything in life so far and everything is taken care of. But think of what our LORD has given us just to save us! He has given up His Glory in Heaven and came to down die for us on the cross! Should not we sacrifice our time and effort to serve Him? Hear what Gladys said: \"My heart is full of praise that one so insignificant, uneducated, and ordinary in every way could be used to His glory for the blessing of His people in poor persecuted China.\" After living in England for 10 years, in 1958 she moved to Taiwan and started another orphanage. She remained there single until she died on January 3, 1970. Conclusion: Do you have a burden for the lost or desire to serve in a particular ministry yet find yourself small and inadequate? Take heart my brethren, for we have a great God! Would you be willing to accept the challenge as Gladys and trust the Lord to grant you the grace to start serving the King who has redeemed us with His blood and has called us to be His priests? If we are indebted to our LORD as much as Gladys, what would be your response if God has challenged you to do what seems to be humanly impossible? Remember, we might be small like Gladys, but we surely have a Great God who is able to do great things in and through us! May God help us! Pastor Weng

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