EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1900; GLADYS AYLWARD P/6

                                                                                                                                                                           

In this post I will continue to focus on a woman named Gladys Aylward. She lived from 1902 - 1970. Gladys became a national of the Republic of China in 1936 and was a revered figure among the people, taking in orphans and adopting several herself, intervening in a volatile prison riot and advocating prison reform, risking her life many times to help those in need. 

In 1938, the region was invaded by the Japanese forces and Gladys led more than 100 orphans to safety over the mountains, despite being wounded and sick, personally caring for them (and converting many to Christianity).

Gladys did not return to England until 1949, when her life in China was thought to be in great danger from the Communists - the army was actively seeking out missionaries. 

After her mother died, Gladys sought a return to China. After rejection by the Communist Government and a stay in Hong Kong, she finally settled in Taiwan in 1958. There she founded the Gladys Aylward Orphanage, where she worked until her death in 1970. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1900; GLADYS AYLWARD P/5

                                                                                                                                                                         

In this story I will continue to focus on a woman named Gladys Aylward. She lived from 1902 - 1970. Upon arriving in Yangcheng County, Gladys worked with an older missionary, Jeannie Lawson, to help manage the Inn of the Eight Happinesses, a name based on the eight virtues of Love, Virtue, Gentleness, Tolerance, Loyalty, Truth, Beauty and Devotion.

There, Gladys and Mrs Lawson not only provided hospitality for travellers but would also share stories about Jesus, in hopes of spreading the gospel. 

For a time she served as an assistant to the Government of the Republic of China as a"foot inspector" by touring the countryside to enforce the new law against foot binding of young Chinese girls. Gladys met with much success in a field that had produced much resistance and even violence at times against the inspectors. 

Gladys became a national of the Republic of China in 1936 and was a revered figure among the people, taking in orphans and adopting several herself, intervening in  a volatile prison riot and advocating prison reform, risking her life many times to help those in need. 

 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1900; GLADYS AYLWARD P/4

 

In this story I will focus on woman named Gladys Aylward. She lived from 1902 - 1970. Her parents were Thomas John Aylward and Rosina Florence Aylward. They lived in Edmonton, North London, England. 

From her early teens, Gladys worked as a housemaid. Following a calling to go overseas as a Christian missionary, she was accepted by the China Inland Mission to study in a preparatory three-months course for aspiring missionaries. Because of her lack of progress in learning the Chinese language, she was not offered further training.

On 15 October 1930, having worked for Sir Francis Younghusband, Gladys spent her life savings on a train passage to Yangcheng, Shanxi Province, China. The dangerous trip took her across Siberia on the Trans-Siberian Railway at a time when the Soviet Union and China were in an undeclared war. She was detained by the Russians, but managed to evade them with local help and a lift from a Japanese ship. She then travelled across Japan with the help of the British Consul, and took another ship to China. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN WHO LIVED IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1900; LILLIAN RUTH LEVESCONTE DICKSONP/3

  

In this post I will continue to focus on a woman named Lillian Ruth LeVesconte Dickson. She lived from 1901 - 1983. During her time in Taiwan, Lillian developed a Boy's Home for young boys who were caught in committing petty crimes.She also helped parents who had children out of wedlock which was marked on their certificates of identification. Due to the social stigma against these kind of families, children were considered illegitimate and denied access to school and the parents had difficulty finding work.Lillian helped the parents find work and the children gain access to school

Lillian also founded the interdenominational Mustard See International and the Mustard See Mission to support her missionary work. She helped establish kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools. Furthermore, her work has led to Bible College and Seminary training for pastors, lay leaders and church planting teams.

Lillian died in 1983. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1900; LILLIAN RUTH LEVESCONTE DICKSON P/2

 

In this post I will continue to share the story of a woman named Lillian Ruth Levesconte Dickson. She lived from 1901 - 1983. Upon Lillian's return to Taiwan, her intent was to evangelise the Taiwanese children. However, it was her medical missions that attracted her American donors. That work started with her focus on the leper patients and their children in leper hospitals.

When the children remained with their parents who were affected by leprosy, it was evident that the children were at high risk of contracting the disease. Lillian, consequently, established an An-Lok Babies Home to house the newborn babies with parents who had leprosy.

From then, Lilian went to create expansive leper colonies. In 1955, the leprosarium Lillian served had over 800 patients alone. 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1900; LILIAN RUTH LEVESCONTE DICKSON 1901 -1983 P/1

 

In  this story I will focus on a woman named Lillian Ruth LeVesconte Dickson. She lived from 1901 - 1983. Her parents were John and Lillie Belle LeVesconte. In 1924, Lillian received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Macalester College in St Paul, Minnesota. She met her husband, James Ira Dickson during her time at the College They married in 1927. Both were members of the Canadian Presbyterian Church.

In 1925, Lilly attended a Biblical Seminary in New York City for two years to prepare for missionary work. She and her husband arrived in Taiwan in 1927 as missionaries under the Canadian Presbyterian Church. Her husband served as deputy principal of Tamsui Middle School and then president of Taipei Theological school while Lilly served as a missionary wife hosting guests in their home. They left Taiwan during World War II but returned at the end of the war. 

 

EVANGELICAL WOMEN IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1800: CORRIE TEN BOOM P/102

In this post I will continue to share the story of a woman named Corrie Ten Boom. She lived from1892 - 1983. At the Ravensbruck concentration camp, Corrie and her sister held worship services after the hard days at work by using a Bible that they had managed to smuggle in. Through the two sisters' teachings and examples of unfailing charity, many of the prisoners there converted to Christianity. 

While Corrie and her sister were at the camp, they began to discuss plans for founding a place of healing after the war. Sadly Betsy died on 16 December 1944. Twelve days later, Corrie was released. Afterwards she was told that her release was because of a clerical error and a week later all the women in her age group were sent to the gas chambers.

After the war. Corrie returned to the Netherlands to set up a rehabilitation centre in Bloemendaal, the Netherlands.She returned to Germany in 1946 and met with and forgave two Germans who had been employed at Ravensbruck. Corrie then went on to travel to world as a public speaker, appearing in more than 60 countries. She wrote many books during that period. Her best selling book is "The Hiding Place."

Corrie migrated to Placentia, California, in 1977. She died in 1983. 

P.S. This is my last post in the series on Evangelical women who were born in the second half of 1800. In my next post I will begin sharing stories on Evangelical women who were born in the first half of 1900.