A seminar with the theme "Cross-Cultural Mission Study" was held to mark the 120th birthday of a female British-born missionary named Gladys Aylward, with a senior cross-cultural evangelist talking about her preaching experience in Turkey.
On August 11, 25, and September 25, the seminar was hosted by the Chinese Servant Leadership Center, an overseas Chinese non-profit organization in Canada.
Called "Small Women", Gladys May Aylward came to Yangcheng County in China’s northern Shanxi Province in 1930 to preach the gospel and carry out charitable activities. Becoming a national of the Republic of China in 1936, she led more than 100 orphans in transferring to safe places during the War of Resistance against the Japanese Aggression. She died in Taiwan in 1970, with her missionary experience in China being made into the film "The Inn of the Six Happiness", which is widely known in the West.
During the seminar, a missionary named Isabelle introduced the situation of Turkey, where the Gospel once flourished, but it is an Islamic country now. She prayed to God to serve there as she was shocked when hearing that the thriving Christianity from the past had almost disappeared due to religious policies and the expansion of Islam. In recent years, she has seen the revival of Christianity in the local area. "When I went there, there were only a few hundred believers, but now there are four or five thousand," she added.
She also stated that with a rich history and culture, Turkey is the country in which located the Antioch Church and the ancient city Haran where Abraham had lived for a long time. Originally a nomadic people, Turks are particularly fond of picnics and cooking food in traditional ways in some families. Having a much lower living standard than rich people, many poor people often only eat cheap food.
Sharing her personal experience of service in Turkey, she said she first attended an intensive foreign language course after arriving in Turkey. Conducting daily communication with Turks after three to four months, she mainly focused on building good friendships with the locals.
Arriving in Turkey, lsabelle found that Chinese believers there didn’t have their own Chinese-language fellowship which they hoped to establish. Receiving such a request, together with three other believers, she formed a Chinese ministry, also involved in a refugee ministry.
Receiving abundant supplies from God during her service in Turkey, she did not feel homesick at all, though facing some cultural shocks. She was blessed beyond her expectations, she concluded.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
为纪念艾伟德Gladys Aylward诞辰120周年，北美的华人机构华仆领导力中心组织举办了“跨文化宣教研习”主题讲座，并邀请了资深跨文化宣教士lsabelle老师分享了她在土耳其传道的经历和恩典。
讲座在8月11日，25日，9月1日举行，
艾伟德被称为“小妇人”。她1930年来到中国山西阳城传教并从事慈善活动，后加入中国籍。在中国经历了抗战，带领100余名孤儿转移。1970年病逝于台湾，她在中国传教的经历被改编成电影《六福客栈》，在西方广为人知。
lsabelle老师首先介绍了土耳其的情况。她说到，虽然现在的土耳其是一个伊斯兰教国家，但是历史上的土耳其曾经是一个福音盛行的地方。因为宗教政策、伊斯兰的扩张等原因，曾经繁荣的基督教几乎消失无踪。lsabelle老师听说以后很震撼，向神祷告希望到这里服事，而近年间她看到基督教在当地重新复兴起来，“我去的时候只有几百信徒，现在有四五千了。”
她还介绍说，土耳其拥有丰富的历史和文化，比如亚伯拉罕曾经长期居住过的哈兰以及安提阿。土耳其原本是游牧民族，因此当地人特别喜欢野餐，一些家庭喜欢用传统的方式做食物。土耳其的贫富差距很大，很多穷人常常只吃廉价的食物。
之后，lsabelle老师就她个人在土耳其的服事经历进行了一些分享。她在到达土耳其之后首先进行了高强度的语言学习。在三到四个月之后，就可以和土耳其人进行日常交流。随后她主要焦点是和当地人先建立良好的友谊关系。
她参与当地教会服事。刚到土耳其时，她发现那里虽然有华人信徒，但是没有华语崇拜，有一些信徒希望华语崇拜建立起来。听到这样的呼告之后，她就和其他三个弟兄姐妹组成了华人事工，进行服事。除此之外，她还参与了难民事工。
lsabelle老师见证在土耳其服事的时间里一直都得到了上帝丰富的供应，以至于在土耳其的几年里，她虽然感受到一些文化的冲击，但是完全没有思乡的情绪，主的预备完全超出了她的所想所求。
纪念来华女宣教士艾伟德诞辰120周年 一华人姊妹谈土耳其服事感受
A seminar with the theme "Cross-Cultural Mission Study" was held to mark the 120th birthday of a female British-born missionary named Gladys Aylward, with a senior cross-cultural evangelist talking about her preaching experience in Turkey.
On August 11, 25, and September 25, the seminar was hosted by the Chinese Servant Leadership Center, an overseas Chinese non-profit organization in Canada.
Called "Small Women", Gladys May Aylward came to Yangcheng County in China’s northern Shanxi Province in 1930 to preach the gospel and carry out charitable activities. Becoming a national of the Republic of China in 1936, she led more than 100 orphans in transferring to safe places during the War of Resistance against the Japanese Aggression. She died in Taiwan in 1970, with her missionary experience in China being made into the film "The Inn of the Six Happiness", which is widely known in the West.
During the seminar, a missionary named Isabelle introduced the situation of Turkey, where the Gospel once flourished, but it is an Islamic country now. She prayed to God to serve there as she was shocked when hearing that the thriving Christianity from the past had almost disappeared due to religious policies and the expansion of Islam. In recent years, she has seen the revival of Christianity in the local area. "When I went there, there were only a few hundred believers, but now there are four or five thousand," she added.
She also stated that with a rich history and culture, Turkey is the country in which located the Antioch Church and the ancient city Haran where Abraham had lived for a long time. Originally a nomadic people, Turks are particularly fond of picnics and cooking food in traditional ways in some families. Having a much lower living standard than rich people, many poor people often only eat cheap food.
Sharing her personal experience of service in Turkey, she said she first attended an intensive foreign language course after arriving in Turkey. Conducting daily communication with Turks after three to four months, she mainly focused on building good friendships with the locals.
Arriving in Turkey, lsabelle found that Chinese believers there didn’t have their own Chinese-language fellowship which they hoped to establish. Receiving such a request, together with three other believers, she formed a Chinese ministry, also involved in a refugee ministry.
Receiving abundant supplies from God during her service in Turkey, she did not feel homesick at all, though facing some cultural shocks. She was blessed beyond her expectations, she concluded.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
In Memory of the 120th Birthday of British Missionary Gladys Aylward, Evangelist Shares Her Mission in Turkey
