The sun may have been shining, but Pembroke was soaked in prayer last week when a group of South Korean Christians spent time with the members and friends of Westgate and the Haven Churches. The team of 11, led by translator James Lee, pastor of Bristol International Church, were part of a much larger group of some 500 'prayer missionaries' who had made their way to the UK in an earnest desire to pray for the land which had given them the Christian message. "The South Korean Church has an amazing history," said Rob James, Pastor, of Westgate Pembroke. "Many of them trace it back to the arrival and martyrdom of a Welshman called Robert Jermain Thomas. "Thomas's father was a minister near Abergavenny and Robert followed in his footsteps by joining the London Mission Society. In 1866, he joined an armed US trading boat bound for the Korean city of Pyongyang, intending to spread the gospel in a country with little contact with the outside world." When the ship ran aground on a sandbank, Thomas began to throw his consignment of Bibles onto the shore. As uninvited trading boats were forbidden in Korea, Thomas was executed along with members of the crew as the country's first Protestant martyr. However, the Bibles he threw overboard were picked up by locals and are credited with fuelling a revival of Christianity in Korea in the years that followed" "The group spent most of their time in prayer both day and night," Rob James explained, "which is typical of their zeal and enthusiasm. It was a privilege to have them spend time with us. As you might guess, our Sunday worship was very different. It even included a traditional worship fan dance." Speaking on behalf of the Haven Church, Pembroke, Nick Beard said: "Imagine my surprise when I heard that a country that we once sent missionaries to wanted to return the blessing and send missionaries to the UK. South Korea looks to the UK for its spiritual heritage and wished to express its gratitude. When we look at the UK in the last 50 years, we have seen a decay in our stance as a Christian nation, with many choosing not to follow Christ. The decay of our society has followed like falling dominoes. This last week we at the Haven Church in Pembroke have seen first-hand the South Korean Church's response to the state of our nation. "It has been an amazing, albeit brief time, but I have been so encouraged by what I have seen. Their dedication and commitment to prayer both during the day and night was remarkable, not to mention their obvious love for the people in Pembrokeshire. To watch someone weeping in prayer for the state of our country and its people is not often seen in this country... maybe it should be. "To all of our new-found friends who came to stay with us at the Haven Church in Pembroke, we thank you with all of our hearts for love that you have shown us and the sacrifice you have given by coming all the way to our country to show us how much you love us." Reflecting on their time in Pembroke, Pastor James Lee added: "It has been a great privilege to be part of the Mission Prayer 2014 Pembroke team. I have been greatly impressed by their enthusiasm and passion of the prayer plans such as pulpit sacrifice prayer from midnight to 5 am. I pray that their sacrifice may set a fire burning in the churches in the UK and that we may see the renewal and revival of declining churches. I hope that our prayer support connection may continue so that the churches of South Korea may continue to be of help to each other."