In 1962, Billy Graham spent nine weeks taking the Gospel across South America. The evangelistic tour was broken into two parts: five weeks in January and February, and four weeks in September and October.
These extensive tours were the result of letters from South American pastors who urged the evangelist to visit as soon as possible. Here, Billy Graham is greeted warmly in São Paulo, Brazil—where the second stretch of the Crusades began.
“I’ve reached the age where it is no longer easy to leave my family for weeks at a time,” a 43-year-old Billy Graham said before making the journey across the ocean. “We believe that the Lord has mysteriously and wondrously led us to South America at this time.”
By the end of the year, more than 820,000 people heard the Gospel across the continent. Here, Argentinians pack Estadio Luna Park, a multipurpose arena in Buenos Aires.
“Everywhere we went, we sensed a deep spiritual hunger and a yearning for a personal relationship with Christ. We came away committed to further ministry there,” Billy Graham wrote in his autobiography, Just As I Am.
The evangelist met with everyday people and world leaders, including Alfredo Stroessner, who served as president of Paraguay from 1954–1989.
