28. Jul 2025

Barry - Peterstone Wentlooge

Video: "Song of Welsh Revival"

This is an amazing story. Last night I looked up on the internet information about the Ty Coch Campground in Peterstone where I planned to stay this evening. On the webpage it stated that it was very necessary to make an advance reservation. "Oh no", I thought. "I do not have one and there is no other option for a place to stay in the area." It would be 36 km from Barry to the campground, and the next city, Newport, would be another 10+ kilometers. I needed very much a yes answer when I called the campground early this morning. What I got, was a no. I pleaded my case and said that all I need would be 2 m², that I was walking and needed to cover the distance to the campground today and had no other options. Maria was the person I talked to, and she said she would get back to me in a few minutes. After a half hour I sent a WhatsApp with a link to the Snail-Trail webpage to verify my story that I was walking from Scotland to Germany. Shortly thereafter I got a response explaining that some electric work was being done today and that they needed some downtime, but they would do something for me... when did I plan to arrive? A bit later I got a WhatsApp call from Maria asking how it would be if she invited some friends over to hear my story. I could have dinner with them. I certainly agreed to that! It turns out that Maria and her husband Nigel, who own and operate the campground, also lead a house church in their home. They have been active in ministry in Wales for many years. Their good friends and ministry partners for thirty years, Andrew and Deb, came over for the evening.

How can I say this? I was so disappointed that I could not connect with a church anywhere on my way through Wales. Now I was part of an impromptu home meeting. I shared my story of how God enabled me to overcome a speach impediment and healed my soul of the fear of speaking when he filled me with the Holy Spirit. Without that, I never would have become a pastor, never would have come to Europe and certainly would never had walked a Snail-Trail. Singing was a vital part of the Welsh revival a little over a century ago. They shared with me the Welsh Song of Revival, the melody of which comes from the national anthem. Listen to the passion and faith in their singing. I recipocated by singing my pilgrim song and then praying for Wales. Spontaneous worship followed, and then Maria had a prophetic impulse about a blue pilot flame sparking a wildfire of spiritual renewal in Wales. Apparently Evan Roberts, the central figure in the 1904 revival in Wales, had a similar vision at the start of his ministry. May that blue fire of enpowerment from heaven burn again! This was just simply a great way to end my prayer walk through Wales.

Photo 1: "Trees formed by the wind"
In the forefront you see a smaller tree that no longer lives. It had been bent by the force of the wind through the years. Behind it you see a larger tree that is alive which had also been shaped by the wind. I would like to see this as a prophetic picture for Wales... that the winds of the Holy Spirit which had once blown through the country and shaped its spiritual expression of Christianity, will do their redeeming, renewing and enpowering work once again.

Photo 2: It is interesting how God-appointments sometimes just seem to happen. Early in my walk today I saw a man, Gareth, doing partial push-ups on the back of a park bench. Without thinking anything I said that push-ups are good for you and that I did 100 a day in preparation for carrying the backpack on the Snail-Trail. He answered that he had once done 1000 a day, but a serious infection set him back, and he was now trying to slowly build back up. We had a God-talk. After I prayed for him, I encouraged him to get to know Jesus, to go to the source and read his biography - the first four books of the New Testament. He said he had recently been thinking about doing exactly that and was so grateful for the nudge in that direction.

After an apple break, Kevin and David (see photo) came around the corner. They are hiking buddies, and today was their day for a walk. Kevin is a follower of Jesus, but David is not quite their yet. We were going the same direction, so we walked the next few kilometers together. I think God used that encounter to encourage us all in the conversations that we had and the time of prayer before we parted ways... just what I needed before going through a very unpleasant industrial area.

Photo 3: "Part of the journey..."
It was loud, dusty and not very safe. The Wales Coastal Path was blocked at one point and the only option was this. Shortly after I took this picture, the narrow sidewalk ended. I decided to cut through a field to make my way to a residential area and hopefully reconnect to the coastal path. I had to climb over three fences to do so, but I made it.

Photo 4: "Cows grazing in the flood zone"

The beautiful cliffs are gone, but it is still aways nice to walk along the coast. In the background you can already see England.

Photo 5: "The Shepherd's Hut"

Maria and Nigel were so nice to me. They allowed me to stay in their Shepherd's Hut at their campgroup, a wooden wagen remade into a cottage. I slept so well and was so blessed. Thanks Maria and Nigel!!! The day started off with a "No-go" and ended with a warm welcome. This is Jesus. This is God's people. This is another one of those miracles that happen on the Snail-Trail.