“I think it’s important tonight that we pray for the government officials,” Franklin Graham told the crowd at Saturday’s Spring Love Festival. “Pray that God will bless them, guide, and direct them.”
It was government officials who granted permission for this weekend’s two-day evangelistic outreach at the Phú Th Sports Stadium.
During the two-day Spring Love Festival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Graham shared the Gospel through his interpreter, Pastor Lam Thien Loc, with tens of thousands of people gathered at Phú Tho Sports Stadium. At the end of each night, Graham led a prayer for all those who decided to begin a new life with Christ.
He was accompanied by Christian artist Michael W. Smith.
When she first arrived at the Phú Th Sports Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Janet got goosebumps.
“I never thought I’d see the day,” she said, having grown up in Vietnam.
“Now people have choices in my country [about faith]. There are millions here who have never heard the Name of Jesus.”
“There’s only one road to God,” said Graham. “It is through Jesus Christ. No one else has paid the debt of your sins. Jesus Christ, He came to save you.”
With the Festival coming to a close, local churches will walk alongside those who chose to accept Christ over the weekend, helping them study God’s Word and grow in their faith.
“We have to do our part for new believers—disciple and build them up in Christ,” said Janet, who’s passionate about sharing the hope of eternal life in her homeland. “There are already many young Christians and God wants to use them.
It’s an incredible triumph for Ho Chi Minh City, said Festival Co-Chair Rev. Nguyen Vo Khanh Giam. He said everyone is grateful for the government’s permission to hold the event.
“When we look back at the history of … our city, it is amazing to have Franklin Graham, government leaders, and Vietnamese people together,” he said. “We can talk about truth. It is beyond our wildest dreams to see the Gospel preached among our people in this city.
Long before Festival weekend, God was stirring the heart of a 23-year-old college graduate named Kim. She quit her job in hopes of finding more meaningful employment and ministry opportunities.
With her free time, the spunky public relations grad focused on telling others about the Spring Love Festival and the opportunities to reach friends for Christ. Sharing the event on social media, Kim wrote, “It’s very special, a one-time event and it can change your life.”
While meeting friends for coffee, Kim shared her faith and invited them to the Festival. “God gave me the courage,” she said.
