Dear Friends and Prayer Partners:

We returned from our travels to visit family in the USA four weeks ago, and somehow the days have filled up and flown by. Perhaps it is just part of our getting older, but it appears to be happening in the world around us too. There are so many things going on, surely we are living in unprecedented times.

The field above our chapel has a fast-growing new crop coming up, already taller than the fence by the lane. During all these years it has been wheat or barley, oats or rapeseed. But this corn is a total change and adds a lush green radiance to the surroundings. It seems to speak of other changes as well.

One of those changes is that our pastor of more than twenty years will be retiring at the end of the year, though he will still take the monthly services most of the year. This is a bit unsettling for our small congregation and we trust the Lord will use this for his purposes. We know He has a plan so just try to be faithful to what we were called to do here, and expect the harvest just the like the farmer awaits his incoming crop.

We have also found ourselves in the middle of a string of some very "out of the blue" visitors who've been led to come and pray for Wales. These folks from the U.S. were with us briefly last week and had been directed very clearly to come and intercede for specific needs and follow God's guidance day by day. They got in touch through a "chance" encounter with a mutual friend and had a very full and fruitful two days here. For example, when we took them to visit and pray here at the very old chapel in Mwnt we asked some ladies to please take our picture. They turned out to be Christians too and were encouraged and blessed by our brief encounter!

It was no coincidence that just two days before this visit, I got a message from some English friends who had just returned from a time in America where they received a strategic direction for prayer between both nations. We hope to meet up with them soon to pray together and seek the Lord as to how they can follow through with this. There are lots of activities going on across the UK—prayer networks operating, summer evangelistic outreaches going on, and more we don't know about yet—all flowing together from the Lord's master plan.

It is our joy and privilege to discover each new activity and connection with admiration at His workings among us, not unlike finding a tiny flower or fruit that we've never seen before. Also last week we heard from a dear old Gospel Outreach friend of 50 years that she was in Israel and had met a sister from Hong Kong who God had called to come and set up a prayer house in London. Hours later she got in touch and asked if we could we meet with her on the weekend. We weren't able to coordinate it, but when we spoke briefly, she told us she recognized us from photos on our web page and that we had actually prayed for her two years ago for the Lord to confirm His direction for her in a prayer mission! It seems that this divinely orchestrated networking is happening around the nations and the pace is picking up. It brings to mind the first verse of Psalm 133, "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

Just one more example is a meeting that we had in New York, once again through an old G.O. friend, with his friends who have created a musical drama based on the Welsh and Asbury Revivals. Their goal is to bring this to Wales and the UK next year to encourage the Body of Christ both corporately and individually to spend time in God's presence and be empowered for the work to which they have been called. Each and every one of us has an important part to play.

When we met, they asked us to do a spontaneous interview on the street so I thought we'd share it with here at this link. We hope it encourages you as it encourages and reminds us of what we're up to here. As Paul exhorts in 2 Timothy:6-7, "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Together with you in His hands,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends and prayers,

It's hard to believe that Gladys and I have been in the USA for three weeks now, and it has been a fuller than full and wonderful time with family and friends. We landed in New York City on June 1st., and then Monday flew with our daughter Grace to Savannah, Georgia, where we met our youngest son Richard and his wife Emily and our first grandchild Sylvie Grace. We settled into our rambling 5-bedroom house at the beach on nearby Tybee Island, and then the following day we were joined by our middle son Michael and his wife Lauren who drove from Louisiana.

We were together for 5 days and it was a celebration of Sylvie Grace's 1st birthday, Gladys's 70th birthday, Grace's umpteenth birthday, and our 46th wedding anniversary all rolled into one. None of the dates were exact but shortly before and after our time together. What made it most special for us all was that it was the first time that our two daughters-in-law actually met face-to-face rather than an online group call, and it was precious to see. Add to the mix everyone's fascination with baby Sylvie and watching her adorable antics, we were all pretty much overhelmed by so much love and jollity. And of course I can't fail to mention the super-abundance of great home-made food by all and snacks and goodies from many places.

After our special time with our kids, Gladys and I took a week off for some extra beach time to ourselves in Florida, we jetted back to New York.An overnight train-trip to Noank, Connecticut, to visit my older sister Nora, her husband Bill, who are just between their 83rd birthdays and 60th wedding anniversary! Their daughter Meredith (with her very busy 11-year-old twins (absence explained!) lives just around the corner, and it was so nice to catch up. The very short but sweet visit was the icing on the cake.

We have just been in the sweet flow of God's tender goodness, and are extremely thankful for such an opportunity. There are so many stories left out of divine encounters along the way, but they will have to wait till heaven!

God bless you and your loved ones, and may His fullness surround, uplift, and empower you always,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Praying Friends:

Going through some old photos recently, Gladys showed my this picture of our cat, Misty, sound asleep with her head on the New King James Bible. One of our kids had made a line of strawberry candies along her body just for fun, and to see what she would do when she woke up. As I looked at the picture the words from Psalm 119:103 came to mind, "How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" And of course Psalm 34:8 was right behind with, "Oh,taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

It isn't always easy to trust in the Lord, but He enables us to do so and His blessing follows closely. Yesterday marked 19 years ago that we arrived in Wales trusting in the Lord, and we have been constantly amazed at how He has taken care of us all this time. We rejoice in the testimonies of His grace and goodness, not only in our own lives and expeirence but in countless others who also savor the sweetness and solid foundation of His word.

Two weeks ago we went with friends to a night of worship and prayer for the town and area around Lampeter, about 20 miles to the north of us. There was a powerful spirit of intercession interspersed thoughout times of extended worship, and there was a sense that some terrotory was being reclaimed in this place that has traditionally been hard towards the Gospel.

At one point as I was praying while gazing out a window, my attention was drawn to this car. It was a very classy BMW parked in a not-so-classy neighborhood, and written in clean cursive font was, "My life... My rules..." What an impact that had on me! Here we were crying out for the people of this place to come to know the blessedness of trusting in God's authority and goodness, and the exact opposite was a stark contrast indeed.

It's wonderful to see how prayer is being stirred up in so many areas. In mid-April Gladys and I were invited to a prayer retreat in England with a small international group. And then just last Sunday evening there was a multi-church gathering to pray for Cardigan and our local area here. After a time of worship, we were given information about particular areas of needs, and then we divided up into small groups and prayed for them. Then in our groups we asked to Lord to show us other needs of the community, and share and pray for those as well. We covered a lot of ground, and it was refreshing to have such varied sources of input. This was the second of what will be monthly gatherings, and are a very welcome and positive contribution towards our shared goal of reaching our area with the Good News of the Gospel.

As we look at the world around us, it seems things are quickly growing more unstable by the day. There are heart-breaking situations in so many fronts—I don't need elaborate here. And it seems like people are looking harder for answers to life's challenges than previously. The pandemic was just the beginning.

We were thrilled two days ago to read an article by Pete Grieg titled, "Something wonderful seems to be stirring..."
He cites many things going on around the globe that point to God's intervention. Here are a few bright spots from just this past weekend.
"In Hackney, East London hundreds of young people from three local churches stay up all night to pray and seek God...
In Trafalgar Square thousands gather to hear the gospel. Many healed and saved...
St Aldates, Oxford where George Whitfield gave his life to Christ, is overflowing. So many young people give their lives to Christ they lose count..."

We'd like to encourage you to be encouraged by reading the whole article at this link.

Looking forward with you to trusting him more, day by day, breath by breath, and blink by blink,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends and Intercessors:

This NASA photo of the April 8th total solar eclipse paints an extraordinary picture of an extraordinary event. It won't be repeated in such entirety for another 250 years or so it and drew sightseers from around the world. The 4 minutes and 25 seconds of the blocking of the sun's direct rays along its northeasterly path across North America was made much of as a "once in a lifetime" opportunity.

There have been countless eclipses over the centuries and they all capture human attention where they have been observed, but there was one in particular that changed everything forever. When Jesus was crucified Matthew 27:45 says, "Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land." When He said, "It is finished" and gave up the ghost—the price was paid in full for the sins of all mankind. That was really just the beginning.

Having just come through the Easter season, the scenes are fresh in the mind. The culmination of God's majestic plan of salvation has once again been made clear. It started off with Jesus at the last supper with his disciples, known as Maunday Thursday. Maunday, coming from the word commandment, referred to when Jesus instructed his disciples the 'new commandment" to love one another as He has loved them, that the world might know that He came into the world to bring salvation to lost souls.

Pilate's wife had an ominous dream about Jesus and expressed her concern to Pilate about his innocence. You can see that detail in this amazing scene, painted by Antonio Ciseri in 1871. John 19:5 explains, "Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, 'Behold the Man!'" His declaration had a far greater significance than he could possibly have known. The events of that day began the fulfillment of God's words in Genesis 1:3, "Let there be light."

When Jesus gave up His spirit, the whole of the universe took on new shades of glory, and a new dimension of light was birthed. Those hours of darkness were setting the stage for much more than the payment in full for our sin. Through His resurrection, He became the living proof of eternal life to all those who believe. As it says in Colossians 1:13-14, "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

The floodgates of God's mercy have been opened wide, and whosoever will may now come to Him freely. The desire of all nations—God's living temple—is established! The Body of Christ lives in His Kingdom today, and He lives in and through us to reach others with His gifts of love and salvation.

Romans 8:26 elaborates further, "...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans." And then follows vs.29, "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God."

In the completeness of God's plan for us, He says in John 8:12, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, 'I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.'" And we are instructed in 1 John 1:7, "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

As the darkness increases in the world around us, people are seeking the light. We are seeing the fulfillment of Amos 8:11. "'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord God, 'That I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.'" We have been entrusted with the words of light and life for such a time as this.

May these words in Colossians 3:14-16 encourage us all "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another..."

God bless you and your nearest and dearest, and those who don't even know they're looking for you yet,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends of Wales Awakening,

The last 10 days have been a whirlwind of activity leading up to a series of surprises! Several weeks ago, Gladys began to mention that she would really like to go to her big sister's 80th birthday, which took place this past Tuesday. Current circumstances didn't permit it so we  just left it at that. When she mentioned it again, two weeks ago, I didn't say anything, but I actually looked up prices to see if it were at all possible and was surprised that the cost wasn't as much as expected, but we were already committed to other travel we have planned in June.

The first big surprise happened Monday morning. When Gladys mentioned again how much she would love to go, I knew it was the right thing to do because it is a big occasion for her sister to have made it to 80 after some health issues over the past couple of years. Also, over the weekend we had gotten some good news that released us from a difficult situation, making the trip possible. When I told her, "You can go!", we both burst into tears of joy and gratitude for God's faithfulness! By the evening, travel arrangements were finished, and then began days of frenzied packing and arrangements for all the many details. 

Surprise number two: I left Gladys at Heathrow Airport at 7 AM Monday and she got to her sister's house in Guatemala City very late Monday night after her sister was asleep. Early next morning they stumbled into each other in the dark hallway and had an incredible and joyful surprise encounter with intermittent tears and wonderful laughter. Gladys's niece and two children were just getting up to get ready for school, and festivities were already underway! And then her sister's friends from the ladies' group at her church came for a celebratory breakfast and things went on from there. The happiness among all the family has been contagious and on each of our many calls, all we can do is smile and be thankful for God's love and goodness.

The third surprise: On my way home from London I was able to arrange very spontaneously an overnight stay at the Bible College of Wales. We have a dear friend who had signed up for the course of study there, and I was looking forward to paying a visit to say hello and surprise her. I had wanted to do so with Gladys but due to the circumstances, this just seemed a great way to break up my drive back home. The campus administrator very graciously made a room available for the night with only one hour's notice, and I got there in time to greet dear friends at that Tuesday night prayer meeting! It was a real delight to be on those hallowed grounds again, where we made our temporary home for a month when we were moving house in 2021.

This has all been a sweet reminder of what God's word says in 1 Corinthians 2:9, "...Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him."

May we all continually be expectant for the far greater things the Lord has in store, not only for us but the needy world around us that has yet to discover His goodness and eternal plans for whosoever will come,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends:

On our way south through Pembrokeshire to the Welsh Prayer Breakfast early last Saturday morning, this brilliant rainbow highlighted our drive. The supposed "pot of gold" was actually the wealth of fellowship at the event itself. I was reminded of it again by this morning's reading in Exodus 18:12. "Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God."

When we sit down with other believers to share physical bread and spiritual bread there is always something special and joyous about it. Acts 2:46-47 tells this story of glory. "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Although we might not yet be seeing people be added daily, that is where we're headed as revival draws closer, and that comprises an important dimension of how we should be praying.

We see this other amazing scene which takes place a little later in chapter 28 of Exodus story. God calls Moses to come up with Aaron and his sons and seventy of the elders of Israel. Then in verses 10-11 we read, "and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank." Wow, talk about stories of glory!

After breakfast was served, we enjoyed a wonderful spirit-led time of worship by our friends from the Sound of Wales. It very much set the stage for the message following, encouraging us to press in for "more" we're looking for. And then afterward, there was another and very creative segment of worship, stories, and poetry.

Something we especially enjoy is meeting new people, trying our best with what Welsh we can manage, and discovering other parts of the Lord's church. It was a particular privilege to meet some who had only recently discovered the rich history of powerful revivals that have touched Wales over the last three centuries. It is not called "The Land of Revivals" for nothing! There is a short and powerful overview of Welsh Revival history on our Revival History page.

The following day we visited a congregation in a town about 20 miles to the north and there met several people who have felt a definite call to here for what they feel the Lord is preparing to do Over the years we have met countless people who have been called by God to places all over Wales and they are praying and simply making themselves available to share His love with those around them.

After what has been one of the wettest winters in about a decade, we are beginning to see a very welcome change. We've had some glorious sunny days and the wind is helping to dry out a very waterlogged countryside at last. This clear view of the distant snow-capped Brecon Beacons to the southeast was a heartwarming sight with the abundance of early spring flowers and trees and hedges putting out their first leaves to declare that spring is in the air!

As the freshness of change into this new season lifts of spirits, it seems to clearly demonstrate the longing for that something far greater that we pray for. Romans 8:19 says, "For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God."

Together we join our hearts to the cry of Isaiah 64:1-2. "Oh, that You would rend the heavens! That You would come down! That the mountains might shake at Your presence... To make Your name known to Your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Your presence!"

Dick & Gladys