An amazing thing happened to everybody in the congregation. Those respectable people in their Sunday best suits began to weep openly; some began to sob uncontrollably. Others rejoiced and wept simultaneously as they praised God for his mercy and salvation extended to them. Some fell to the floor. Sins were confessed.  Relationships were healed. Two farmers who had not spoken for 20 years, because of some money that was said to be owed, threw their arms around each other, forgave each other, and renewed their friendship.

When the closing hymn was announced there was such a sense of seriousness and godly fear that no-one sang and the service ended quietly. People were reluctant to leave Hafod-y-Llan that day. It was as if they couldn’t move, or speak. There wasn’t any of the usual chatter or laughter. Nobody seemed to really understand what had happened. They were awestruck. But they wanted to be there; they wanted to be with God.

Eventually, in silence, they made their way home. Wil knew he had been changed. He knew his life would never be the same. He knew that he wanted to serve God at all costs.  He realised too that God had a sense of humour.  All those people going to Porthmadog to get a blessing, and here was God pouring out the blessing in Nant Gwynant!

‘Oh, the goodness and mercies of God!’ he sang all the way home. He just had to tell somebody what had happened, and in the absence of people, he shared it with the sheep, who listened politely enough.

When the family came home, he couldn’t wait to say what had happened, And as he told them it happened again – right there and then in their kitchen. And he was part of it. God was speaking through him.

He later found out that the same scene was played out in many other homes in the valley that night. And so it was that, a few days later, well over a hundred people, some of whom had not darkened the Chapel doors for many years, were crowded into the building in Beddgelert for the weekly Fellowship Meeting.  It was like the Sunday all over again. That meeting went on and on. People didn’t get home until the early hours of the morning even though they had to be up at 5.30 for work.

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