While the world watched the royal wedding, many in the small gold mining town of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, came to Centennial Park seeking something worth far more than crown jewels.
Under the stars that filled the brisk night sky, some 1,200 people listened intently as Will Graham preached wearing the West Coast Eagles jacket gifted to him by the local committee.
“It’s a happy day for the royal family,” Will said during the Celebration’s second night. “We rejoice with them, but we’re excited for what God’s doing here in Western Australia.”
Estian Meyer sat in the crowd. He, too, was excited to see how God’s Spirit would move in the next few minutes.
As a teenager, he attended a Will Graham Celebration with his family while living in Canada. He remembers speed walking to the front to receive Christ; his 8-year-old brother at the time joined him.
It’s been eight years since that day. Estian has since moved across the world to Kalgoorlie, where he’s now a youth pastor.
During the Goldfields Celebration, he’s serving as a prayer volunteer—once again crossing paths with Will Graham to see lives changed by the Gospel.
“I know the impact BGEA has had on my life,” Estian said. “There may be some youth in Kalgoorlie that God has a divine appointment with.”
Sure enough, people of all ages and colors came forward in response to the invitation to accept Christ on Saturday night, including three Filipino teenagers.
Jerlynn Mary and two of her friends rededicated their lives to Christ after hearing Will’s message about not wasting the time God gives us.
The girls nodded along as Will explained, “Time is the greatest natural resource you and I have. … It’s the most precious commodity in the whole world.”
Across the park, many could breathe out and see a cloud form in the cold air. Will compared the cloud’s short appearance to the brevity of one’s life.
The message resonated with Jerlynn. She’s about to start working toward her college diploma in the next few months, but reflected on how she’s spent her time in the past.
“My mom would always remind me there’s other things you can spend your time on instead of lying in bed or being on your phone, but I never really understood it until Will [said] … in just a minute, or in just that second it could just go away,” 18-year-old Jerilynn said.
“I realize I need to find purpose in life and find better things to do than just what my life so far has been.”
At the front, the girls met with a prayer volunteer—ironically one of their former high school teachers.
The group hugged, cherishing the moment in time and eagerly anticipating this new chapter of their lives.
