Dear Praying Friends:

What a privilege to belong to the eternal Kingdom of God and have Jesus, the Prince of Peace, as our CEO! Meanwhile, here we are just five days after the UK voted to separate itself from the European Union after 43 years, and peace has become a very rare commodity in political circles here. And the rest of the Europe and the business world are still reacting.

A very respectable 72% of the electorate took part in EU Referendum last Thursday, and the "Leave" campaign won with 52% against "Remain"'s 48%.  Suddenly it seemed like everything had gotten turned upside down and not left quite as neat and tidy as these rows of hay. It is reminiscent of the hotly disputed U.S. Bush vs. Gore election in 2000.

It is not pleasant to see the nation in such a state, but hopefully things will settle down before too long, and hindsight will show it to have been the right choice. Meanwhile, it serves to highlight that the true welfare we all seek is not to be found in earthly alliances and kingdoms.

Hebrews 11:8-9 and 16 very clearly lays out the correct long-term perspective. "By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God... But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them."

Our prayer is that throughout whatever unrest and instability that is still to come, many people's hearts will be turned to seek deeper meaning to their existence than security and comfort in this transitory earthly life. 1 Timothy 2:1-4 is a good guide for our prayers. "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

We also have a special request for prayer for our landlord and his family. You may recall that last fall he was diagnosed with cancer, and underwent extensive surgery in December. After what seemed at first a positive outcome, the tumor has reappeared and his condition has deteriorated severely. Both he and his wife prayed with us and accepted Jesus as Lord, but it hasn't gotten any farther than that. Now it seems his days are numbered, unless God intervenes with an absolute miraculous healing. Would you please pray for them, and also that we would now have an open door to minister God's words of life and hope to them?

Thank you very much. May God bless you and your loved ones,

Dick and Gladys

Dear Friends of Wales Awakening:

My readings yesterday included this encouraging portion from Isaiah 52:8-10,
  Listen! Your watchmen lift up their
  voices, they shout joyfully together;
  For they will see with their own eyes
  When the Lord restores Zion.
  Break forth, shout joyfully together,
  You waste places of Jerusalem;
  For the Lord has comforted His people,
  He has redeemed Jerusalem.
  The Lord has bared His holy arm
  In the sight of all the nations,
  That all the ends of the earth may see
  The salvation of our God.

This is just plain outstanding news for us believers in today's world. If we look around with our natural eyes, we see this temporal world with a certain heaviness. But as we let this amazing declaration from God's word settle into our spirit, a much different picture emerges.

As I reflected on the first phrase about the watchmen lifting up their voices with joy, the Lord brought to mind the many prophetic words that have been spoken over Wales throughout the years. And there are a few recent ones that I want to highlight a few portions of here. It would be well worth your time to read them in their entirety on this linked page, Words About Wales. There are many listed there, and they all seem to point to the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy - REVIVAL!

A word was given in February by our friend Steve at the Ffald-y-Brenin prayer day which said, "I saw the land of Wales being broken open... I saw was a very big angel blowing like a trumpet... I saw this word, the word was "intercession"... God is requiring people in intercession..."

Another very recent word from our friend Elaine says, "I see a picture of Wales and below the surface of the land into the earth. It is rich soil but the unusual thing about it is that it contains multitudes of seeds in the earth below... These seeds are of the people involved with the Revival’s of the past in Wales... There are many, many seeds in the ground – dormant... Pray for these seeds to grow. It’s our prayers they are waiting for..."

Yesterday we had a visit from a group of saints from Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Their church has been connected to Wales for many years, and they came with a team to pray and worship and do evangelism in the streets while they are here. It was our privilege to spend time with them both at nearby Blaenannerch and also in our Cilfowyr Chapel.

These are now regular places we take visitors that come to make a connection the past places of revival, and to pray for the next one that is coming ever closer. As we look back over the years, there are so very many people that have come from all over the world with hunger in their hearts for God's outpouring. They have come to answer this call for prayer.

Those prayers are building up and up, and the time is ever closer for God's answer to released in the land, and touch the nations of the world with His grace and power.

A final note: Please remember to pray this Thursday, June 23rd, for the important UK vote about staying in or leaving the EU! Thank you, and God bless,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends:

No matter how much we explore and how long we live, we simply can never discover all the beauty in the natural world that surrounds us. In the very same way, we can never plumb the depths of the word of God. There is always something new at each turn, always greater revelation and realization of His eternal realm that nourishes our soul and spirit. What a treasure!

This morning reading in Isaiah 45 I found verse 8 to be a great stimulus and guide for prayer.
"Rain down, you heavens, from above,
And let the skies pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation,
And let righteousness spring up together.
I, the Lord, have created it."

What a powerful plea for a world that becomes more needy with each passing day. How desperately do we need an outpouring of God's intervention in the affairs of men. Nationally and internationally we see the ugly fruit of an increasingly Godless world. Isaiah continues in verse 9, "Woe to him who strives with his Maker!" We see "woes" all around us these days.

The Lord is our only safe haven, and our prayers are that people will continue to turn to Him in increasing numbers. We just heard of a church in Reading in the last couple of weeks have brought over 700 people to Christ by taking the gospel to the streets and asking people where they are going if they die. So let's just ask the Lord for more!

In just 10 days, June 23rd, the citizens of the United Kingdom - England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - will be going to the polls to vote on the referendum of whether they should remain a part of the European Union or withdraw. There is a lot of politicking on both sides, and it is all over the news and social media.

The EU is totally godless, if not even anti-God and anti-Israel. It seems most Christians are leaning towards getting out from under that influence, but you won't see anything about that in the main news. If you search "Brexit + Christians" online you'll find plenty!

Please make a note in your calendars and join in prayer with us and many thousands of believers for God's will for Great Britain and Europe. Please pray every day about this, and especially on the 23rd. We really do want to see "salvation and righteousness spring up together." We know that this can only come from God, not a vote. But in my mind a government historically favorable to His ways would seem the better option.

Thank you for your prayers for Wales and the rest of the UK,

Dick & Gladys

Dear Friends and Prayers:

On our drive home from North Wales last Sunday, it was such a beautiful day we decided to take a smaller road and enjoy some new scenery. You can imagine our delight to find this amazing view on the way. The promises God's word and the power of cross are magnificent indeed!

  Mercy and truth have met together;
  Righteousness and peace have kissed.
  Truth shall spring out of the earth,
  And righteousness shall look down
  from heaven.
  Yes, the Lord will give what is good;
  And our land will yield its increase.
  Righteousness will go before Him,
  And shall make His footsteps our pathway.
                                     Psalm 85:10-13

This place is called "Bwlch y Groes", "The Gap of the Cross", near Bala Lake. It was the pilgrim's route from north Wales to St. David's in the south west. A cross was placed a little way down the southern side of the pass as a symbol of faith and strength, and has comforted lonely travelers since medievel times. It was most recently replaced in 1989, but surely several have stood there down the centuries.

As I read about the significance of this place on the information board at the top of the pass, I was reminded yet again how our prayers for this nation are connected those of many saints in years gone by. And these words from Psalm 85 above clearly reflect the objective and the strength of those prayers. They are a recipe for revival!

We were invited to spend Gladys' birthday with friends on a narrow boat on the Llangollen Canal. We crossed two aquaducts and went through two tunnels - all floating on water! It was our first experience doing this and quite an adventure.

It was fascinating to get a taste of what travel must have been like back in the days before steam-powered trains took over as the predominant system of commercial transportation. These boats were pulled along by horses, and the pace of life was far slower than what we are accustomed to.

The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and we are thankful for such an opportunity to enjoy a totally different perspective on the world around us. It was a good reminder to intentionally slow ourselves down, disconnect from the business of life, and "Taste and see that the Lord is good."

Dick & Gladys