Many looked on Gladys Aylward's expedition to mainland China as foolhardy and dangerous. It was. On her own, as a single female she carried her passport and other documents along with the only money and belongings that she in a small briefcase with a teapot and a saucepan tied to the handle. After having purchased her one-way ticket to China she left the United Kingdom with a single-minded determination to do what God had commanded her to. She knew she was meant to go to China - even if no mission was prepared to support her. Unconventional is the only way to describe this journey to the country that would eventually become her home. A theme that would continue throughout her mission work in China where she thwarted authorities became involved in the Chinese resistance and rescued over 100 children from the invading Japanese army.