My prayer for Wales on St David’s Day

Our family moved to Mid Wales, where my husband now leads and pastors a local church. In our first call with our senior pastor, he said that no one wanted to move there. I was shocked because I have always believed that every single community should have a life-giving church that people can be part of, a church which is actively involved in their community. This has been the greatest ​‘why’ for me to make the hardest move of my life. I was willing to go and live in a rural community so that they would continue to have a life-giving church, reaching out to those who don’t yet know Jesus. So, after a culmination of nearly a year of prayer, trusting God and seeing His incredible hand of blessing, as well as a mountain of paperwork, we arrived to the place we now call home.

Settling into life in the UK, and specifically in rural Wales, while navigating a world in flux (we arrived between the lockdowns of 2020) was incredibly difficult. While the language is the same, nothing else was the same, and I still have regular moments where I get things wrong – usually to the amusement of those around me, and myself. The first time I ordered a coke at a restaurant, the waiter asked me if I’d like a pint or a half and I sat there bewildered, trying to do a mathematical equation because I didn’t know how much a pint was, only that I regularly buy six pints of milk. I went with the safe bet of a half. But I’ve enjoyed settling into a new culture and learning so much about the incredible nation of Wales. Here are some of the things I love about Wales.

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Once we were finally allowed to start exploring in 2021, I have repeatedly been blown away by the natural beauty of Wales. The rolling hills, mighty mountains, castles, caves, beaches of every sort, wonderous waterfalls and many other little gems hidden away that the locals tell you about.

I have enjoyed how the seasons transform Wales every few months. The daffodils announcing spring is here and the lambs that bounce around no matter the weather. Summer will be green and lush because it does rain a lot in Wales. The trees will be painted with the yellows, reds and oranges of my favourite season before the winter creeps in and I enjoy the cosy fires, muddy walks and hot chocolates. 

I have loved meeting people in Wales. They are so warm and welcoming to visitors. Many will stop and have a chat. I’ve found making friends in Wales has been remarkable as people do really care for one another and look out for one another much of the time.

Moving away from family often means that you have no support structures – no family to spoil my children – but I’ve made incredible friends who will fetch my children from school if I get stuck because of road closures or slow moving trucks on rural roads. People who my children have grown to love so much that they cry leaving their homes. Friends who will spoil my children at Christmas and give them more chocolate at Easter than any child should consume. But I’ve also realised I can’t pop into a shop quickly because I will most probably see someone and have a nice long chat. 

Living in Wales immerses you in a strong Welsh culture. You can drive past two-millennia-old Roman forges, castles that have stood for hundreds of years, learning of generations old wars. I love how annually the whole of Wales remembers St David’s Day. St David is the patron saint of Wales and it’s a celebration of Welsh culture. The Welsh food of bara brith, Welsh cakes and cawl are staples on every menu. 

The only thing that is difficult is when South Africa plays Wales in the rugby…

As a Christian, moving to Wales and learning about the Welsh revivals of the past has filled me with faith that God wants to move and draw people close to Himself. Wales is known as the nation of revivals and I know that every single day people across Wales pray that God would once again move across the nation and into the whole world, and that we would see many people come to faith in Jesus. 

Will you join me now as I pray: