Dear Praying Friends:

A ramble through the woods of a friends' farm nearby brought us to this place overlooking the joining of two streams. It made such a wonderful sound, and the words of Jesus in John 4:14 spring to mind, "but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Abundance of life is ours because He went to the cross and paid the price for our redemption. It was just His grace that called us and set us free. And His call to the lost still rings out across the nations. He invites to take the narrow path to Himself and His kingdom.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem the crowds were going wild with praises and "Hosannas." Then when the Pharisees told Him to quiet His followers,  He said that if they were to be silent, then the stones would cry out His glory!

Speaking of stones, I'd like to tell you something I just learned. A friend here in Wales was called to a new pastorate recently. A couple years ago his brother and a cousin had done some family research and found out about an old long abandoned farm which had belonged their ancestors in the 1700's. They went out to see what was left of it, and he brought back a white quartz stone that had once been set into the fallen down walls as a memento.

He had the intention of including it in a garden wall, but had not gotten around to doing it before they were called to their new place of ministry. As he unloaded the last trailerload of their belongings, there were the garden tools and the old stone at the very back. He picked it up and spied a place to for on the ground in the corner where the chimney is joined to the wall. As he leaned over to put it down, he suddenly and clearly heard, "The prayers of your ancestors are about to be answered."

He was totally surprised because he never had experienced anything like that before. Nor had he ever given a second thought to the stone other than it just being sort of a family keepsake. But he told me he was quite sure it had to have been the Lord that spoke this to his heart. He is quite sure, but I am positive it was the Lord!

It is a part of Wales which, like so many others that in past centuries, have experienced the sweeping moves of the Holy Spirit in times of revival. What would have been the greatest cry of believers' hearts back in those days? What other than that family, friends and neighbors woud come to know the saving grace of Jesus as Lord and Redeemer!

Last week we attended a prayer group that has been going for a while now in a nearby village. This was the first meeting they have held in a large chapel there, and we were delighted to find the pastor of our chapel there welcoming the group into the very chapel where he also is pastor and was himself baptised there fifty years ago!

As we see that prayers and praying people continue to be brought together and empowered to pray for this "land of revivals", we are greatly encouraged. And now having heard about our friend's revelation about the prayers of his ancestors soon to be answered, along with countless others who have prayed for this nation over the years, we know there are great things just ahead!

We pray that you be encouraged in your prayers too, and that God bless you with more of His amazing grace,

Dick and Gladys Funnell 

Yesterday morning's eclipse made for some very unusual lighting everywhere. It also created a curious aura like a dome of light over Cilfowyr Chapel and the immediate area, including the baptistry that is in the little glen just down below the chapel to the left. Seems to be yet another reminder that something is going on here.

There was something about the symbolism of the eclipse that got my attention. It was a reminder that although the kingdom of darkness rages and flies in our face in today's defiantly ungodly world, it is just a passing phase. In the big picture of eternity it is barely the blink of an eye!

I was reminded of the verse in Isaiah 60:2 that says, "For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the Lord will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." What a great word of encouragement for the body of Christ in these days when things can seem pretty grim in the world around us. And God's promises are always good fuel for prayer.

Today is the first day of spring, and that is always a very welcome time. We now are back to 12 hours of daylight, which is wonderful after less than 8 hours in early January. The bursting forth of new life is everywhere now, and birds are singing everywhere like a non-stop chorus.

This is also the time of year when we start to receive more visitors, and that is always a blessing. The Gent family are old friends from back in the early days of the Jesus Movement, and have come for a few days to stay with our friends the Elsaessers. We enjoyed an excellent time of prayer together up at the chapel with our local friend Marc, and had some good fellowship over some nice Chinese takeaway food at our home. The Lord has made us all part of such an awesome family.

We wish you every blessing in this "coming alive" time of year. May it be especially so in your daily walk with Jesus too!

Dick & Gladys

Dear Praying Friends:

We just said goodbye this morning to our friend Aurora who has been involved in missions work in two African nations for the past thirteen years. She is originally from Guatemala like Gladys but grew up in New Orleans. It was great fun to discover that we have so many common friends and connections. It is just funny how the Lord makes the world so small sometimes!

One of the things the Lord has told us several times through others was that our home would be a place of rest and blessing for those that He would bring to us. It has been a real joy to see this happen time and again over the years. What a privilege we've had to meet so many wonderful people from all around the world!

Unusual for this time of year, we had cold but mostly clear weather all week. Last Tuesday we took her to Ffald-y-Brenin for prayer day where she was greatly blessed and prayed for by the whole group present.

The next day we went to Soar y Mynydd, an old chapel literally in the middle of nowhere! This beautiful little chapel has a fascinating history, and we spent precious time just sitting and praying in the presence of the Lord. There seems to be a residue of past stirrings that still lingers there and Aurora received a special "download" while we prayed.

This is the place from where Daniel Rowlands  took the fire of God back to his own church in Llangeitho in 1779 and a mighty revival spread like a heath fire across much of Wales from there. During the 1700's and 1800's there were a great many revivals in Wales, and Llangeitho saw many wonderful seasons of blessing during those years. There was an amazing prayer meeting held there one morning in 1859 with 20,000 in attendance!

Here's an excerpt describing the meeting. "With bowed heads and streaming eyes the thousands responded... David Morgan again offered prayer... beseeching especially that the North Wales brethren should be baptized with the Revival fire and carry it home. The throng seethed meanwhile like boiling oil." I'm sure you will be extremely blessed to read the account of that event, Daniel Rowlands' experience mentioned above, plus many others in a brief but powerful overview of God's movings in Wales. You can read the article at this link.

We had two other guests with us during the week, and it is always a great pleasure for us to introduce people to one another and appreciate together this wonderful Body of Christ to which we belong. There is such variety

and creativity in the giftings and callings among God's people. And the more we learn of our amazing family of God, the more we see and understand of His greatness and love. Ephesians 3:18-19 says, "[that you] may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge..."

After a great time together, especially for Gladys and Aurora who come from the same nation and find themselves in places they never would have dreamed of being, we sent her on her way. She has some challenges in the work before her, but great is our God, and faithful to complete the work that he has started in each of us. Please do pray for her in the days ahead. And thank you also for prayers for us and this special nation the Lord has made our home.

Dick & Gladys