Last week, word was out in Quang’s* neighbourhood in Tien Giang, Vietnam, about a free event with music and a special message. And the excitement was growing.
At the invitation of local churches, Franklin Graham returned to Vietnam a third time to spread Good News—this time during the Season of Love Festival in Can Tho Dec. 3–4.
A 78-year-old retired fruit farmer, Quang—along with his wife, Anh*—made the two-hour drive to the Festival on Wednesday on a bus provided by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Local church members asked friends and family to ride with them to the event, filling up more than 250 buses.
With worship from Charity Gayle, The Afters, Vietnamese artists, and more, Graham preached the Gospel message in the midst of a downpour.
He spoke of Zacchaeus, a man in the Bible who was too short to see Jesus over a crowd, so he climbed a tree.
“Maybe you feel like you are little in the eyes of God,” Graham said, explaining that Jesus Christ came to Zacchaeus despite the barrier between them.
“He loves you,” Graham assured the crowd of over 10,000. “You are important to God. Will you put your faith and trust in Him?”
Among the thousands of poncho-clad people in the stadium, Quang and Anh listened carefully as Graham spoke about a God who loves them.
As the evangelist invited the crowd to come forward and receive new life in Jesus Christ, the rain didn’t stop the elderly couple from joining hundreds of others at the front of the stadium.
“I invite Jesus to come into my heart to take control of my life,” the two repeated as Graham led them in prayer.
“I never heard this message before,” Quang said later, sharing that he’s practiced ancestor worship his whole life—a common ritual in Buddhism. “I love God, and that’s why I received Him.”
Did you miss the livestream? Watch a replay.
Read more personal testimonies from day one of the Festival.
*Names changed for privacy