Franklin Graham recently took the Gospel to one of the farthest reaches of the South America, preaching the Good News at the “end of the earth.” Thousands turned out in Ushuaia, Argentina, located at the southern tip of Patagonia and often described as one of the most beautiful locations in the world..
During Graham’s evangelistic event called Esperanza Ushuaia (which means “hope for Ushuaia”), the indoor stadium was packed to standing-room-only with every seat in the arena was taken and individuals lining the nose bleed sections. Observers say the overflow space was so full that people gathered outside the arena in the cold to watch the festival on a screen.
“If you don’t remember anything else tonight, remember this — God loves you,” Graham told the energized crowd. “God sent his son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sins. He came to save sinners. He didn’t come to condemn you. He came to save you. The Bible says that God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life.”
Interviewed by local media, Graham shared part of his message. “I asked the crowd what the most valuable thing they have is. Is it their house, their car, or other possessions? The Bible says, ‘What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?’”
When Graham invited people to come forward and give their lives to Christ, hundreds of people responded. The first person to step out from the crowd was a man named Walter who had suffered from years of addiction and homelessness.
“I just knew I needed to repent of my sins,” he said. “God has been so good to me. I know it’s because of him that I’m not suffering cold or hunger. I know it’s time to give him everything.”
More than 65 churches partnered with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association for the two-night festival, and dozens of buses brought people to the event from across the southern Argentine province of Tierra del Fuego. Some people drove for two days from provinces as far as Rio Negro, Chubut and Neuquen, which is more than 1,500 miles away. This was the first time in history that a large-scale evangelistic event has been held in Ushuaia, which is known for its socially progressive culture.
Graham was invited to preach in Ushuaia in November when church leaders from the city heard him share the gospel in Buenos Aires, where he preached to nearly 75,000 people. In addition to a message of hope from Graham, Esperanza Ushuaia also featured live music from Rescate, an award-winning Argentinian Christian band, and Evangelina Crubinca, an Argentine Christian singer.
Ushuaia Mayor Walter Vuoto responded enthusiastically to the results of the two-night event. “Ushuaia once again showed that when we are called together by values such as hope and unity, we respond together.”
–Dwight Widaman
