As the minutes waned before the start of the second night of the Festival of Hope, a hush fell over the 15,000-person crowd in Minsk. Many Belarusians came out of curiosity—what was this Festival of Hope drawing record-breaking crowds to the hockey arena? What was this Gospel message everyone was talking about?
In the darkness, Maxim Bukatin, a local pastor, asked the audience to shine their flashlights. What started as small points bloomed into a burst of light.
“This event is about the One who became a great light for us,” Bukatin reminded the audience.
The excitement was obvious. In a country where Evangelical Christians make up less than 2% of the population, Vlada, a volunteer at the event, said it’s easy for them to feel “marginal,” like those small phone flashlights. But their faith was strengthened as they united across miles and denominational divides for the largest evangelical gathering in the country’s history.
“I realized God is spreading the Gospel all over the country,” she said. “I see how God will do something in Belarus.”
For more stories from this historic outreach, read Many Find Christ’s Fulfillment in Minsk.
Alexandra, a young woman who lives in Minsk, experienced that firsthand when God began working in her heart on the way to the Festival. Only months earlier, she was driving past the venue when she felt a panic attack coming on—fear stole her breath. The sickening feeling of anxiety was back, so she called her mom.
“She told me many times during this year the same phrase, ‘You need to go to God,’ but I never [really] heard her,” Alexandra remembers. At the time, she agreed with her: “Yes, let’s go to God,” she said.
Remembering that conversation, she felt God’s pull as she approached the arena. She knew who to turn to, but she didn’t know how. The Gospel message was still unfamiliar, like a language she was just beginning to learn. But Franklin Graham shared how she could find freedom, not just from fear, but also from sin.
“Tonight, you have an opportunity to make sure your soul is safe and secure in the hands of God,” Graham said. “He sent His Son from Heaven to this earth to take your sins. Tonight, you can be forgiven.”
This type of message was nothing new for another woman in the crowd. Irina had seen dozens of Gospel sermons, and even watched others repent and turn from their sins. But despite her family’s faith, it never felt like the right time.
“[God] was never the center of my life,” she said. “I felt like I was never ready—maybe when I become a better person. I always had this feeling like you had to be a total unbeliever to come and repent.”
Graham had also grown up in a Christian home with his famous father, Billy Graham, and he shared a similar experience as Irina’s.
“I didn’t want Jesus taking control of my life,” Graham told the crowd. “My parents could not choose Jesus Christ for me. You have to confess your sin, turn, and repent!”
It brought to mind a conversation Irina had with her dad. He explained God doesn’t have any spiritual “grandchildren”—you can’t just depend on the faith of your family.
“Will you come to Christ tonight? Will you follow Him? Will you trust Him tonight?” Graham asked the crowd.
His urgency reminded Irina that she couldn’t just wait around until the next chance; today was the day. As the Lord touched her heart, tears began to stream down her face.
When Graham invited the audience to approach the stage and pray to receive salvation, both Alexandra and Irina made their way to the front, along with hundreds of others. There were people of all ages—wearing head scarves and hearing aids to ball caps and bows.
Graham smiled at the crowd and checked his watch. “It’s 7:04. Write that time down. God heard your prayer today. He forgave you.”
It was a moment they will never forget.
Now, Alexandra could truly say she could “go to God,” acknowledging that she fully trusts Him with her life. “Now, I’m excited,” she beamed.
Irina’s tears finally turned to joy, anticipating the moment she would tell her dad about her decision to surrender to her Saviour.
“This is not just going to be a spark,” Irina said. “It’s going to be a seed like a plant that is going to grow.”
Join us in praising God for the more than 2,000 Belarusians who responded to the Gospel invitation over the two-night event. As each one received a Bible, ask the Lord to guide these new believers through His Word. And pray that local churches will be encouraged as they disciple these new believers—and reach out to many more.
