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Mission Lessons from the life of Gladys Aylward

Mission Lessons from the life of Gladys Aylward. Family. Born on 24 th February 1902 in London Had a sister and brother From a working class family (Dad was a mailman). Background. Became a maid at 14

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Mission Lessons from the life of Gladys Aylward

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  1. Mission Lessons from the life of Gladys Aylward

  2. Family Born on 24th February 1902 in London Had a sister and brother From a working class family (Dad was a mailman)

  3. Background • Became a maid at 14 • Her call to missions came about when she attended a revival meeting at 18 years where the preacher expounded on giving one’s life over to the service of the Lord • In her mid 20s she applied to China Inland Mission Centre in London

  4. This ended in failure at 26 when she failed her exams and was rejected for service as a missionary (they also told her she was too old and unfit to learn the difficult language of China). • She decided if she wouldn’t go to China with CIM she would go on her own. She went back to work as a maid and started saving up for the trip

  5. Four years later, at 30, she heard of an aging missionary in China, Mrs. Lawson who was looking for someone to take over after her. • Wrote to Mrs. Lawson and was accepted,if she could get herself to China • With passport, Bible, train tickets and 2 pounds 9 pence she boarded a train and set off for China (couldn’t afford to travel by ship)

  6. She bought a one way ticket and in October 1930 she set off to China by the Trans-Siberian Railway, despite the fact that China and the Soviet Union were engaged in an undeclared war. • At one point on her journey she was asked to get off the train as it was being used to carry only Russian soldiers. She insisted on staying and was dropped off later in the middle of nowhere to eventually retrace her steps on foot and take another train through Siberia.

  7. Her journey was far from interesting as she was illegally detained in Siberia and was going to be used as labour in the factories. She said she was a missionary and they said they needed machinists. • She travelled by train, ship, bus, mule and finally got to Yangchen in the mountaneous province of Shansi in China where she met Mrs. Lawson.

  8. The residents had never seen foreigners before and distrusted them, calling them ‘white devils’. • Yangchen was an overnight stop for mule caravans that carried coal, raw cotton, pots, and iron goods on six-week or three-month journeys. It occurred to the two women that their most effective way of preaching would be to set up an inn.

  9. Titles • The small woman • Ai-wei-dei (The Virtuous One)

  10. Quotes • “I wasn’t first choice for what I’ve done in China” Humble in spirit, Gladys once made this comment to a friend, "I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done for China. There was somebody else. I don't know who it was --- God's first choice. It must have been a man --- a wonderful 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.“ • ‘Oh, God, here’s me, here’s my Bible, here’s my money. Use us, please, use us.‘

  11. Lessons • God uses ordinary faithful people • In many ways Gladys Aylward was ordinary.  She had a simple education, a low paying job, few possessions, and was rejected by a missionary school.   • Gladys’ life shows that despite personal flaws, God can use a willing faithful person. • Gladys once wrote: “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”

  12. “… think of what you were when you were called, Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. v27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  v28 God chose the lowly things of the world and the despised things – and the things that are not – to nullify the things that are, v29 so that no one may boast before Him”" (1 Cor 1:26-29)

  13. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished …” (Acts 4:13) • “..without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6a) • Question to ponder: Is God more impressed by your talents or your faithfulness?

  14. 2. Desire to be used by God to achieve His purposes • “Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor 15v58) • “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful servants of God’s grace in various ways” (1 Peter 4v10) • Gladys Aylward had a burning desire to be used by God.  She would pray: “Oh, God, here’s me, here’s my Bible, here’s my money. Use us, please, use us” and God certainly answered her prayer.

  15. Resilience (and that it is by God’s grace and strength) • Love for the people we’re reaching out to • Selflessness

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