Gladys Aylward
Gladys Aylward (1902–1970) was an unlikely hero—an uneducated British maid who became one of the most beloved missionaries to China. Her story is one of courage, faith, and determination, proving that God can use anyone, no matter how ordinary, to accomplish extraordinary things.
Gladys was born in Edmonton, London, to a working-class family. She left school at fourteen to work as a domestic servant, never imagining she would one day cross the world. Yet as a young woman, she felt an unmistakable call from God to share the gospel in China. When she applied to a missionary training school, she failed the entrance exam—the instructors said she wasn’t smart enough to learn the language. Heartbroken but not defeated, Gladys began saving every penny from her small wages, determined to go on her own.
In 1930, at age twenty-eight, she bought a one-way ticket to China. Her journey was perilous: traveling alone by train through Europe and Russia during a time of political unrest, she faced suspicion, near arrest, and hunger before finally reaching her destination in northern China. There she joined an elderly missionary, Jeannie Lawson, in the mountain town of Yangcheng. Together they opened an inn called The Inn of the Eight Happinesses, named after the eight virtues of Chinese culture. The inn became a resting place for mule drivers traveling through the region, and Gladys used it as an opportunity to share Bible stories with them at night.
When Mrs. Lawson died, Gladys took full responsibility for the inn and the mission work. Despite limited resources, she immersed herself in Chinese life, wearing local clothing, speaking the language fluently, and winning the people’s trust. Her compassion and boldness caught the attention of local officials, who asked her to serve as a government “foot inspector” to help end the ancient practice of binding young girls’ feet. Traveling from village to village, she combined her government work with evangelism, spreading both the love of Christ and the message of human dignity.
Gladys became known for her fearlessness. She stopped prison riots, adopted orphans, and mediated conflicts between warring factions. But her most famous act of heroism came during the Sino-Japanese War in 1938. As Japanese forces advanced through the countryside, Gladys led more than 100 orphaned children on a treacherous 100-mile journey over the mountains to safety. Weakened and exhausted, she finally collapsed at their destination—but all the children survived.
Her incredible story spread throughout the world, and later inspired the 1958 film The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, starring Ingrid Bergman. Though Hollywood took liberties with her story, it captured the heart of her mission: one woman, armed only with faith, love, and determination, changing countless lives.
After the war, Gladys continued her ministry in China until Communist rule forced her to flee to Taiwan. There, she founded an orphanage and continued caring for children until her death in 1970.
Gladys Aylward’s life reminds us that obedience is greater than ability. She once said, “I wasn’t God’s first choice for what I’ve done for China. I don’t know who it was… but it must have been a man—and he didn’t go. So God looked down and saw Gladys Aylward.”