It was 10 p.m. on Oct. 31, 2021, and Gabriel Ulloa knew something was very wrong.
“It was horrible,” he said. “I couldn’t feel my right side.”
Gabriel rushed to a Tucson, Arizona, hospital and was suffering from two mini-strokes. But the pain, the numbness, everything was so awful, he wondered if this nightmare was going to be the end for him.
“I thought I was going to pass away,” said the husband and father of three daughters—ages 7, 5, and 1 at the time.
But God spared his life that night. And the next day, he walked to the end of the hall and looked out the hospital window.
There he saw it. To some, it may have been just a minor league baseball stadium—but not to Gabriel. This was going to be big. He put his right hand on the glass, and with a renewed passion for sharing Jesus, Gabriel prayed a rather specific prayer.
“I was praying for God to bring a big event to this stadium,” he said, “where people could come and meet Jesus.”
That prayer was answered Tuesday night.
‘Un Gran Momentum’
The stream of people coming forward at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium seemed never-ending. Just when you thought it was about to let up, another wave came through. The Holy Spirit was clearly moving.
“Wow!” one wide-eyed prayer counselor exclaimed, in awe at what God was doing.
Preaching from a stage just a few steps behind the pitcher’s mound, Franklin Graham had just delivered a powerful and compassionate Gospel message from Luke 17 at the eighth stop of the 10-city God Loves You Frontera Tour.
“Jesus is not dead,” Franklin Graham told a packed crowd of 11,600. “He’s here in Tucson tonight.”
The declaration prompted a huge applause.
But the loudest response of the evening came after more than 700 people prayed with Franklin Graham—some in English, others in Spanish—to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior in their native language.
“Tonight, you can have a relationship with God,” Franklin Graham told the massive crowd. “And by coming tonight, you’re saying,
‘God, I’m a sinner, I’m sorry for my sins, and I want to turn from my sins.’”
Gabriel was overwhelmed at what his eyes had seen. God had used him—and his simple prayer—in His great plan to reach Tucson, Arizona, for Jesus.
Proficient in both English and Spanish, Gabriel worked tirelessly with 235 churches in the lead-up to Tuesday’s event, to get many others around the city involved. Through his efforts and those of many others, more than 1,300 believers completed the Christian Life and Witness Course, learning how to live out their faith and share it with others.
Gabriel paused to find just the right words to describe the importance and impact of this Frontera Tour stop for his city.
“Un Gran Momentum,” he said. “A great moment for Tucson.”
‘Electrifying’
As the music played and Franklin Graham invited people forward to respond to the Gospel, personal space quickly became limited. “Everyone take a half step forward,” Franklin Graham requested at one point.
Prayer counselor Susan Anderson was thrilled by the onslaught of new believers. And she was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure every person understood the decision they were making—and received discipleship materials.
“It was absolutely life-changing,” Susan explained.
“To hear this many people together, in one place, praising God. It was electrifying.”
Susan personally prayed with three different teenagers, including two bilingual sisters—14-year-old Anna* and 16-year-old Luisa*—both who came forward with their mother, a Christian.
“I was inspired by the message,” said Luisa, who along with Anna made commitments to follow Jesus Christ as their Savior.
“I could really feel the Holy Spirit surrounding us,” Susan said. “And it was great to see teenagers excited about something. But to be excited about God … that was just wonderful.”
Not far across the stadium’s infield, Tom* had also sensed the Spirit’s leading. “When I was hearing Franklin speak, I just knew it was that time … to get right with the Lord,” he said, and then shared what God had told him: “‘Son, it is time. Come forward.’”
Tom obeyed and walked on to the field to pray with a volunteer and surrender his life to Jesus Christ. Choking back tears, he described his new passion for reaching others with the same freedom he found. “My life isn’t mine to waste anymore. There’s a higher calling,” he said. “‘Lord, I’m Your servant!’”
Please pray for the many new believers along the border.
