My Son, Chu En Part 2

By Mary Vee

Gladys Aylward's Journal

photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

To read part one of this story, click here.
Chu En returned home for a visit one year later. He had grown tall and still loved the Bible stories. He pulled me aside and said, "Ai-weh-dah, I want to go back to Yang Cheng to help the people."

 I shook my head. "Oh, no, you mustn't. Yang Cheng isn't the same. You'd be in great danger there."


He tipped his head, placed his hands on my shoulders, and smiled. "Now, Mother, you didn't let anyone stop you from coming to China."


He had a good argument, but--I couldn't say yes. "No, the town has been destroyed, most of the people you knew have left, and Japanese soldiers have occupied many of the homes--no."


He sighed and returned to his training with Dr. Tsung. A few months later I heard a noise in the kitchen. "Who's there?"


Chu En poked his head out from another room. "It's me, Mother."


He shouldn't be home yet. There must have been a problem. "Are you sick. You didn't run away, did you?"


"No." He smiled. "I came home to tell you I must go to Yang Cheng. I can't wait any longer. God is telling me to go." He came close, gave me a hug then look straight into my eyes. "Will you ask God to give me a stethoscope to use there?"


He'd made up his mind. I couldn't stop him any longer. At least I could ask God to give him new pants and shoes which he truly needed along with my prayer for the stethoscope.


Two weeks later God had not yet provided new shoes or pants for him. I thought about this as I walked down the village street. On my walk I saw a women. I greeted her. "Good morning, how are you?" She invited me to her hut. As we talked I looked around at the few things she had. On a shelf I saw a box. "What's in the box?"


She shrugged. "I don't know. It belonged to a lady who visited my village long ago. She told us about Jesus. Days later Japanese soldiers came. Some villagers rushed her to a cave to hide from the soldiers. She never returned to my home for her box."


Yes, I was curious about the contents, very curious. "May I open the box?" She took the box down from her shelf and handed it to me. Inside I found clothes, books, old food and a small case. 


What could possibly be in such a strange looking case? I opened the latch, lifted the lid and gasped. A stethoscope! A gift from God! He sent it through a missionary who left it in this village woman's home months ago and brought it here, not knowing--not knowing it was needed.


"Would you like me to care for these things?"


"Well, you do look like her, and you tell Bible stories like she did, so I guess that would be good." 


I ran as fast as I could back to the house. "Chu En! Chu En! Look what God has given!!"


His eyes grew wider than a saucer. "Really?" He took the stethoscope and rubbed his hand along every inch. Only God could have sent such a gift to a small village in the mountains. Chu En reached down and hugged me. "Now, Mother, do you believe God wants me to go to Yang Cheng?"


What could I say? "Yes, Chu En. I believe you must go." 


Two years later I met a man who spoke like someone from Yang Cheng. "Can you tell me about Jesus?" he said.


Not many people walk up to me and ask that question. "Why do you ask?"


In my village of Yang Cheng there is a young man who has a strange instrument that lets him listen and know what is happening to a heart. He says there is a way to know peace and joy in our heart with Jesus."


Firework happiness popped in my heart. This man spoke to Chu En!


I have more to tell you next week. God continues to bless in China.


Gladys Aylward




photo courtesy of Biblevisualimages.com

My Son, Chu En Part 1

By Mary Vee

Gladys Aylward's Journal

photo courtesy of visualbiblealive.com

Two years before I helped one hundred children escape from enemy territory, Japanese soldiers killed a local Chinese pastor. That same day, his wife packed a few things and whisked her children away to save their lives. Along the way she died from sickness.

Villagers adopted four of the children. I adopted young Chu En. He played with the other children who also came to live with me in the inn. He loved to hear the Bible stories and songs. Like the other 99 children traveling with me, he hiked mountain paths with threadbare shoes and survived hunger to escape Japanese soldiers.  

When we arrived in Fu Feng, Chu En and my other adopted children stayed at the orphanage while I layed in a hospital bed, too sick to care for them.  He attended school and slept in a warm bed and had all he needed for months while I received therapy and medicines at a missionary's home. God took care of all the children for me.

Chu En taught new friends the Bible stories and songs he'd learned at the inn, did well in his school work, and helped where needed.

When I became healthy enough to walk, I returned to Fu Feng. The children hugged and begged me to stay. "Yes, children. I think I will stay this time. I would like to rest here at the orphanage and spend time with all of you."

At the end of the school year, Chu En and the other children asked, "Ai-weh-deh, could we live together as a family? We've lived in different homes for at least three years. Couldn't we be a family like we were at the inn?"


Before you think I'm crazy, I didn't adopt all 100 children, only 14 of them. The other children also found loving families to adopt them.

I liked the idea of living as one family, but found no available housing in Fu Feng. I travelled to Siam and found an abandoned warehouse with living quarters in the back. I found the owner close by. "Could I rent this space?" 

The man didn't even think before answering, "Sure!" He seemed to be happy to have our few coins for rent rather than nothing.

Chu En and the other children age twelve or older did what they could to help earn money. Their coins plus the money given to me as I preached in villages paid our rent and bought food.

One day Dr. Tsung came to Siam. He heard Chu En had done well in school. He visited with Chu En for the afternoon, asked many questions and chatted. Before Dr. Tsung left he asked if Chu En could train with him. He wanted to take Chu En to his home and teach him how to be a doctor.

What a great opportunity! Chu En hugged and thanked me, packed his belongings. His smile never left except when he said good bye. But then he looked at the doctor's medical bag and smiled again. "I can be a doctor, Mother!"


My son would be a doctor. I felt proud. "Yes, Chu En. You will be a wonderful doctor." 


He walked away with Dr. Tsung. Soon he will help the Chinese people with his medical skills.


But I didn't know God's bigger plan for Chu En. A Much bigger plan. 


Come back next week to read what God did for Chu En when he came back to visit me.


Gladys Aylward




picture courtesy of Biblevisualimages.com