Festival of Joy Leaves Lasting Impact on Ulaanbaatar

By T.J. Petrino & Logan Ryan   •   September 11, 2022

Franklin Graham, with the help of his Mongolian interpreter, told another packed crowd at Steppe Arena: “You are important to God. God loves you.”
For the second consecutive night, more than 1,000 Mongolians responded to Franklin Graham's invitation to follow Jesus Christ. Christianity is a newcomer to Mongolia since the fall of communism just over 30 years ago, but God is moving in this Asian nation located between Russia and China. See highlights from the first night of the Festival and get a glimpse of life in Ulaanbaatar.
Nearly half of the Mongolians making a decision to follow Christ at the Festival of Joy were age 25 and under.
"Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp." —Psalm 149:3
A man who is both deaf and blind responded to Franklin Graham’s invitation to receive Christ. To communicate, the man signed into an interpreters hand.
Romans 10:13 says, for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Counselors made sure those coming forward understood what it meant to commit their life to Jesus Christ.
“We love your country and we love you," Franklin Graham said before leaving the stage. "We praise God for what He’s done here tonight.”
Josh Havens of the Afters brought plenty of energy—and welcomed some kids on stage—to help prepare the audience for the Good News that Franklin Graham would soon share.
Franklin Graham prays backstage with some of the Festival of Joy leadership team on Sunday night.
The Tommy Coomes Band has traveled the world with Franklin Graham for more than three decades, leading crowds in worship before the preaching of the Gospel.
Dennis Agajanian revved up the Mongolian crowd with his fast-picking worship music early on.
Bands from the U.S. and all over the world came together to praise the Lord.
Enhbold rode the bus to the Festival at the invitation of a friend who knew he was struggling. "Things are getting difficult in my life," Enhbold said. "I need some light and positive people surrounding me. That’s why I came to the Festival." Churches across Ulaanbaatar and the surrounding areas invited those who didn't know Jesus to come find out more.
An interpreter for the deaf helps spread the Good News in Ulaanbaatar.
Josh Havens and his new Mongolian friends praised God for how He moved in Ulaanbaatar. More than 17,000 heard the Gospel, and over 2,000 responded by receiving Christ as Savior and Lord. Please pray for all the new believers in Mongolia.