Back from a Welsh revival tour (May 2014)

For years, I have loved the story of Evan Roberts, the young Welsh coal miner who famously prayed, "God, bend me". The accounts of the 1904-1905 Welsh revival have also gripped my heart. But it feels God prepared me on my recent journey to Wales, first by planting these seeds of fascination, then watering them.

A few years ago, a few friends and I were preparing to go for a silent retreat in the Korean prayer mountains when North Korea (Pyongyang) threatened to go to war with South Korea. As our day of departure drew closer, the sabre rattling and war rhetoric got increasingly more intense. The US even moved a warship into the neighbouring waters. Family and friends advised me against going, and for the first time, I bought travel insurance which covered the possibility of war. In the end, the Lord gave a clear word that gave us assurance we could go. Whilst in Seoul, I wondered why South Korea seemed to have been evangelised ahead of many of us elsewhere in Asia. In Singapore, many of us are just first or second-generation Christians. It struck me that Korea was Christianised way before many of the Asian nations. So I asked a Korean missionary friend how Korea got Christianised. Her answer shocked me when she said, "Pyongyang 1907". I was floored! This rogue nation which almost caused me to cancel my trip was the birthplace of Korean revival, and as I did my research, I realised it was once called "Jerusalem of the East".

Last year, the Lord took this nugget of history and exploded it further in my heart. At a gathering of 16,000 believers in Hong Kong, a mainland Chinese pastor shared that some years back, as a theology student, she lived in the household of a Korean family. Now, the Koreans are well-known for their early morning prayers. Since she was living under their roof, she, too, had to wake up in the wee hours of the morning for prayer. At one of these meetings, a Korean man expressed great joy at meeting a mainland Chinese believer for the first time. "For years," he said, "I have been praying for the Chinese church to arise." This sharing brought all of us, including myself, to tears. Our salvation - the salvation of the Chinese church - has been prayed in by those in other nations, including the Koreans, who had come to the Lord ahead of us.

Two weeks later, I met David and Jan Holdaway in Singapore. The Holdaways are a lovely Welsh couple who long for revival in their nation. David has been a pastor for many years, and today, this couple continue to minister in their land and in the nations. At this meeting, they shared about Robert Jermain Thomas, born in South Wales in 1839, who was the first Protestant martyr in Korea. He was killed by the natives as he handed out bibles while reaching the shores of Pyongyang. His death planted the seed for the Pyongyang 1907 revival.

How this gripped me. So if I were to trace the debt we Chinese owe to the nations, it leads back to Korea and back still further to Wales. And so I was really excited to learn that David and Jan run revival tours in Wales that take visitors to significant sites at the centre of Welsh revival history. For me, this was all about understanding my Christian heritage, and blessing the land that had blessed the Chinese bloodline.

We went to Moriah Chapel, where Robert Evans conducted revival meetings, and Llanover, Robert Jermain Thomas' home church.

Moriah Chapel, with a memorial of Evan Roberts in front

We also spent two nights at Ffald-dy-Brenin (Sheepfold of the King), the prettiest secluded retreat centre I know. It was so tranquil, so breathtakingly beautiful - indeed, a gem of a place to spend quiet time with the Lord.

The beautiful pathway to the cross.

One of the buildings at Ffald-dy-Brenin. The views are breathtaking.

The cross on a hill at Ffald-dy-Brenin.

Of course we had to go to the Bible College of Wales in Swansea, since Singapore is now linked to it. (To read how our church in Singapore bought the Bible College of Wales, click here). We were there for Sunday service and a Tuesday morning prayer meeting, and it was awesome. I really feel like there are some deep wells there. My traveling mate felt like we had to attend a prophetic art exhibition while there, and so we did!!

The wonder of the entire trip was that we had sites and places worked into the itinerary, but as would happen in Wales and when one is walking with the Spirit, God would surprise us with good things and we would shift our plan around. As an example, although rooms in Ffald-dy-Brenin are usually booked  12-18 months in advance, we were so blessed to be able to stay one night due to a last minute cancellation. And we got the most beautiful lodging of all, a two-storey lodge! The next day, as we were checking out, the receptionist asked where we were from. We said Singapore! And then he asked if we wanted to stay another night because the guests they were expecting wouldn't come in for another day. We jumped right at it. Yeah!!!! God is good. 

At Moriah Chapel, we didn't plan for this, but we were joined by members of an Australian church, who had travelled the distance to pray for revival in Wales. There were also two Malaysians, one Indonesian and a Kargyz. Wow. The atmosphere was dynamite when we prayed together, and the Australians invited our little party to join them in taking communion. Another unexpected blessing! 

Before my trip, The Lord told me I would meet a Korean in Wales. True enough, I met a Korean pastor and his wife at Llanover. They are now pastoring the chapel where Robert Jermain Thomas worshipped growing up. 

My big takeaway from this trip is God's covenantal love. As the Welsh people blessed the nations in a big way so many years ago, so He remembers them in his great love. Today, many of the nations Wales has blessed in times past are returning there to pray and serve. My heart is that this nation of revivals will experience a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit yet again. 

Throughout the trip, I could think of no better people to lead us than David and Jan. It is sometimes really difficult to find Christian leaders and bible teachers who are both sharp in both word and Spirit, but they carry both in depth, which is so precious. So even while we were on the road, or sitting in Starbucks chatting, they had so much to offer. Their passion for the Lord, for Welsh history and revival, and for people shine through, and we were truly blessed in our time there. 

For more information about the Welsh revival tour and to get in touch with David and Jan for an experience to remember, click here.