The Dogs Were Possessed
Gladys Aylward was a British missionary to China who became legendary for leading 100 orphans across the mountains to escape the Japanese invasion. But before that famous journey came a lesser-known story about the dogs of Yangcheng.
When Gladys arrived in Yangcheng in the 1930s, the local mandarin asked her for help with an impossible task. The town had a pack of feral dogs that had become increasingly aggressive, attacking and killing people.
The mandarin believed the dogs were possessed by demons. Previous attempts to kill them had failed - the dogs seemed supernaturally protected. Would this foreign Christian woman try?
Prayer Over the Streets
Gladys agreed to pray. She and Chinese believers began walking through the town, praying over the streets and alleys where the dogs roamed. They asked God to remove the evil presence.
Within weeks, the dog attacks stopped completely. Many dogs left the area. Those that remained became docile. The mandarin was astonished.
Doors Opened
This event opened doors for the gospel in Yangcheng. People who had been skeptical of Christianity began listening. The mandarin himself became an ally, eventually appointing Gladys as a "foot inspector" to help end the practice of foot-binding.
What began with prayer over aggressive animals led to transformed lives and an entire region opened to the gospel. God demonstrated His authority over all creation.
