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Franklin Graham Shares Christ with Thousands in Mongolia's First-Ever Festival of Joy: 'Lives Changed for Eternity'

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In a first-ever event, evangelist Franklin Graham preached a message on God's love Saturday night to thousands of people in Mongolia. 

More than 17,300 people attended the "Festival of Joy" in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, and hundreds of people made decisions to follow Jesus Christ.

"Are you broken in your spirit? Are you spiritually empty? Have you wasted your life? Will you come to Him?" Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) told the crowd. "You need Jesus Christ— He is the only way to God. 

The idea for the outreach began 20 years ago when Mongolian church leaders started praying the BGEA would hold an evangelistic event in the country. 

More than 260 Mongolian local churches worked together to make it an unforgettable weekend and it marks the first time in history the local church has held an event like this. 

"We have seen people in many other countries come to these outreaches and put their faith and trust in God's Son Jesus Christ. This is a blessing, and as Christians in Mongolia, we want to bless the people of our own country by being a part of this opportunity to tell them about God's great love for them," said Bayasgalan Lkhagva, pastor of Blessing Rain Church and chairman of the festival.

"Evangelist Franklin Graham has been sharing the Gospel in many parts of the world, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to Ulaanbaatar and seeing how God changes lives through the Festival of Joy," he told BGEA.  

More than three million people live in Mongolia and half reside in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. As CBN News has reported, Christian evangelists have also been working for years to reach remote Mongolian provinces.

Franklin Graham's free two-night event showcased Mongolian culture through music and the arts. 

"What makes Mongolia special is the people, and I have loved being here again," Graham wrote on Facebook.

 

"So many people are searching and have an emptiness that they can't find a way to fill—they don't even know what they're searching for. But God loves us and wants a relationship with us. He's the only one who can fill that void in our lives," he added. 

"It was thrilling to see hundreds of people of all ages respond to God's invitation to repent of their sins and put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ," Graham shared. "Our deep gratitude to the churches, the pastors, the general committee, the executive leadership, and all of the many volunteers who have prayed and helped make this evangelistic Crusade possible."

In 2018, Graham met with dozens of pastors and visited some of the 450 Mongolian children who have received life-saving heart surgeries from Samaritan's Purse.

At that time, he said he believed God was opening the door for the ministry to share the Gospel. 

"I am grateful we have been able to care for so many precious Mongolian children. While physical needs are important and I want to do everything I can to meet those needs, I believe the greatest needs of the human heart are spiritual," he said.

Graham's message about the Good News this weekend led hundreds of people to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior.

"Their lives are changed for eternity—and we give God the glory," Graham wrote. 

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About The Author

Talia
Wise

Talia Wise has served as a multi-media producer for CBNNews.com, CBN Newswatch, The Prayer Link, and CBN News social media outlets. Prior to joining CBN News she worked for Fox Sports Florida producing and reporting. Talia earned a master’s degree in journalism from Regent University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia.