For this chilly, windswept town at the southern tip of South America, everything seemed to fall right into place over the weekend. God aligned every detail for Esperanza Ushuaia, and it’s clear that He’s doing something extraordinary in Argentina’s Patagonia region.
After a powerful gathering on Saturday night where hundreds prayed to receive Jesus Christ, mild weather welcomed people as they entered the stadium Sunday evening.
Reading from the Bible, Franklin Graham urged the crowd to consider their eternal destiny.
“I want you to know that the most valuable possession you own is your soul,” said Graham. “Your soul is valuable because God created you in His image.”
Graham explained that we are separated from God because of our sins, but He loves us so much that He has provided a way of salvation.
“He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to save you, to die on the cross for you. If you are willing to accept that by faith and to invite Jesus into your heart tonight, God will forgive you. You can be sure tonight that your soul is safe and secure in the hands of God.”
Salvation in His Timing
Gustavo started praying six years ago that his friend, Víctor, would come to faith in Christ. But with both of them busy leading families, their paths rarely crossed.
Four months ago, they ran into each other, and Gustavo found out that Víctor had been diagnosed with cancer. He took the opportunity to tell Víctor about the Gospel, sharing how God had saved him from a history of addiction.
Víctor was open to spiritual conversations, but he refused to attend any kind of Christian gathering. Yet Gustavo was not discouraged—he continued to visit his friend and to check on him every day through text messages.
“He’s been sending me the Word of God on my phone faithfully, every day, for four months!” Víctor said with a smile. “One day it was already 9 o’clock and he hadn’t sent it, so I asked him, ‘Where is my word for today?’”
Gustavo knows it was providential that a couple of months after he began praying more fervently for Víctor’s salvation, he learned of Esperanza Ushuaia with Franklin Graham.
“I was astonished. … I knew that this was from God, so I invited [Víctor],” Gustavo said. “And I just kept praying.”
As his friend prayed for him, Víctor began to sense God moving in his life. He even felt God’s presence strengthening him as he underwent painful medical treatments.
From the stage on Sunday evening, Graham described how our souls are different from our bodies.
“The soul is not the same as the body; the body is made of the dust of the earth. The body is not the real you,” he said. “You have a soul, you have a spirit.”
Graham invited those in the crowd to repent of their sins and return to God, the only One who can save their souls for eternity. From Scripture, he read: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36, NKJV).
These words pierced Víctor’s heart. He knew that his body could go back to dust any day, but this was his opportunity to secure his soul in God’s hands.
From his seat in an overflow area, he got up and walked forward, surrounded by many others who also wanted to accept Jesus as their personal Savior.
“The message was very special to me. I just know that God is calling me,” he shared with tears in his eyes. “I am willing to follow Him.”
Víctor stood beside Gustavo who was serving as a prayer counselor for the Festival. Gustavo said it was an honor and privilege to pray with his friend.
“Just as God moved everything to reach out to me and save me years ago,” said Gustavo, “now He is doing it to save my friend.”
Will you pray for new believers in Ushuaia to continue seeking God’s will in their lives? And ask God to equip local churches as they come alongside them and help them grow in their faith.
