Dear Friends,
Last week we went for an afternoon and evening of prayer at
Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales. For me, Gladys, this experience
was fruit that God had prepared for us. When we got to the venue
just before noon, it was a very old building with advertisements
for a cinema outside but the original stone title across the front
said, "County Police Buildings".
We climbed some old steep wooden steps and when I opened the door
I greeted a girl with a Welsh "Sut Mae" which means, "How's it
going? Instantly it was like turning on the water tap and I was
delightfully surprised by the Welsh language. On previous visits
to the north in years gone by, people had made fun of my greeting
because "Sut mae" is pronounced totally differently in the south,
and here a different Welsh is spoken. But this time it was
different because there were people from all over Wales with a
single purpose!
I felt very honored to be able to speak a few words in Cymraeg,
"Welsh", since I can only manage a few phrases to break the ice...
When I entered the large meeting room it was a great surprise and
delight for me—it was like hearing little bells when I heard that
everyone was speaking mosty 
Welsh!
It felt like arriving at my own home in an atmosphere of family
and love!
It was wonderful to greet whoever could between hugs and cries of
amazement and love for old friends we prayed with over 10 years
ago when we saw each other again. And how great a contrast to see
that the majority were young people and families. Here in South
and West Wales where we live the meetings are predominantly older
adults and more senior citizens.
We were very surprised that from the beginning of the meetings,
they were all led by young people. The building we were in had
sofas in the front and there were chairs in the back section. The
middle was left open and there were many people and couples with
children and babies sitting on rugs on the floor. Everything was
very comfortable and pleasant, and they encouraged us at the
beginning to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit, and if God were to
give us something for the gathering we should share it in the
times provided. And that was the case ... especially when they
asked us that those of us who wanted to could call out the Names
of God. Of course, I was not going to stay silent and I said,
"Alpha and Omega", and "El Principio y El Fin."
Another one of the surprises that God had prepared for me was a
Welsh couple that I met here in our own Cilfowyr Chapel nearly
five years ago. Tina had learned Spanish at university, with
Tina we hugged and kissed like two sisters who had not seen
since we met and started chatting away in Spanish, "guiri,
guiri", as we say in my country, Guatemala!
With Tina next to me I was able to ask the words of the hymns
and their meaning in Spanish of the songs we were singing in
Welsh. All the songs were on the screen in both Welsh and
English. In some songs like Great is Your Faithfulness I sang
the Spanish words of this song into Tina's ear. Since she had
never heard them in Spanish, she was amazed by the new sounds
and the meaning they brought to her ears, and we ended up
hugging each other with the joy of sharing something so simple
but very true and powerful.
At the evening meeting, I noticed a difference
when I entered because the open space in the center was now
filled with chairs. The whole place was filled with people both
young and old people, and the praises were only sung in Welsh
with the translation below for those of us who didn't know Welsh
that well.
In the middle of one of the worship songs, I was singing with
my hands raised when I had a vision...
"Suspended from the sky I could see a white mantle and suddenly
it was being sliced open from top to bottom in several places,
and where the whiteness was split open, I could see the darkness
in the background through the openings."
I kept thinking about what might be its
interpretation... and in my mind, I heard the word,
"Breakthrough". A breakthrough is here.
Now at home again, I feel very encouraged when I remember being
at this meeting. It brings tears of gratitude for having been
able to be there "For such a time as this" …and seeing the
greatness of my God among the young people who are especially
thirsty for Him and praising Him with everything.
Knowing that for years so many of us have prayed for Blaenau
Ffestiniog, it was truly glorious to see these lives surrendered
to the Holy Spirit and His guidance. And now we begin to enjoy
the fruits of the harvest that God has prepared for us and will
continue to prepare for us.
What a mighty God we serve!
Gladys & Dick
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