Russian Escape--Gladys Aylward

By Mary Vee

Gladys Aylward's thoughts..

I can't help but think of songs that praises God. Every time I have a problem, He has taken care of me in ways I'd never imagine. 

photo courtesy of dantada morguefile.com

If you recall my story from last week, Thrown off the Train I barely escaped the hotel with my passport. The Russian investigator would have forced me to work as a machinist in Siberia. There was no way I'd let that happen. God called me to be a missionary in China.

Down by the shipyard, a man and his daughter must have noticed my panicked behavior.  He spoke with a kind voice. "Can I help you?"

In truth I didn't know if he should be trusted. Since he had a kind voice and a daughter by his side, I took a chance. "I need to get to China. A Russian investigator came to my hotel room and stole my passport. He said I had to work in Russia. I escaped but don't how to leave the country before they find me."

The man looked around as though searching for spies. His daughter held out her hand and smiled. Could they be the ones God sent me?  The man lowered his head and whispered, "Follow me. I can get you on a Japanese freighter tonight. From there you can sail to China."

We hurried through the shipyard maze.  His daughter followed his instructions and kept silent. I wondered if they helped others escape Russia.  A few minutes later we stood before a freighter. The man glanced to his left and right, "Hurry on board before you're seen." He and his daughter smiled then disappeared behind a building. I wish I could have thanked them.  

The boat sailed for two days in the Sea of Japan before docking. The British Consulate helped me get on a ship bound for China. A little more than two days later the wonderful shores of China greeted me. Thousands of people moved about the shipping area.

When I was a child, the kids at my school made fun of my black hair. All the popular girls had blonde hair. They bullied me and called me names. I never thought I'd thank God for black hair. But today, I stepped off the boat dock onto Chinese soil where people crowded the streets near the ship yard. Guess what I saw--every person had black hair!  My heart leaped. I ran my fingers through my hair and said, "Thank you, God, for my black hair."

My journey wasn't over, yet.  Mrs. Lawson made arrangements for me to ride a train, a bus, and finally a mule to my new home in Yangchen. I couldn't wait to meet her.

Next week I'll tell you about Jeannie.

Gladys