Dear Friend,
I just returned from southwest Florida, and what I saw was truly heartbreaking. Hurricane Ian left a wide path of destruction and pain.
With reports still coming in, it looks as if Ian could be the deadliest hurricane to hit the state since the 1930s. Thousands have been left homeless, and many more are picking up the pieces of what’s left of their lives after the storm. I was grateful for the opportunity to pray with some of these individuals, including several men and women who lost nearly everything they have worked for. No matter how many times I see the aftermath of natural disasters, it is always gut-wrenching to witness family homes reduced to rubble.
>>Ministering to Floridians Facing ‘Hopelessness and Despair’
In the coming weeks, Samaritan’s Purse volunteers and Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) chaplains will be there to minister in these hurting communities. As I talked to people personally affected, it became clear that the damage from Ian will be long lasting—but I pray that the effects of the Gospel message our team shares will be eternal as individuals surrender their lives to the Lord.
Sean* was among those who lost so much to the storm. The roof had been ripped off his house and many of his family’s possessions were destroyed by the floodwaters. When a chaplain asked him if he knew the Lord, Sean admitted he knew about Jesus, but he didn’t have a relationship with Him. Sean, his wife, and his two sons all listened as the chaplain shared the Gospel—and then all four of them prayed to surrender their lives to Christ. We praise God for drawing this entire family to Himself.
Will you pray for the thousands of people affected by Ian? Please also lift up our BG-RRT chaplains to the Lord as they minister in the days ahead.
Remembering a Faithful Life
Like billions of others, I watched the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. It was a moving ceremony and a fitting tribute for this beloved follower of Jesus Christ.
As I watched, my heart was filled with gratitude to God for her steadfast service and for her unshakable faith—and I was reminded of Jesus’ powerful words to Martha as she mourned the death of her brother Lazarus. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live” (John 11:25–26, ESV).
When my father passed away four years ago, Her Majesty sent a kind condolence letter that meant so much to our family. They had an unlikely friendship—the sovereign of the United Kingdom and a farmer’s son from North Carolina—but their relationship showed the bond that all believers have in the Lord Jesus Christ.
>>Queen Elizabeth: A Friend of the Faith and a Friend to My Father, Billy Graham
As millions across the United Kingdom came together to mourn the great loss of Her Majesty, we sent BG-RRT chaplains to offer comfort to the grieving. One chaplain met Ahmad, who said he was a Muslim. As the chaplain shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with him, Ahmad listened closely.
“For us to be in Heaven with God—as the queen is—we have to accept Jesus as our personal Savior,” the chaplain told him. When the chaplain asked if he’d like to accept Jesus Christ into his life, Ahmad excitedly said yes!
Throughout the nearly two-week deployment across the U.K., chaplains were able to pray with more than 700 people, and they witnessed numerous decisions for Christ. We are grateful for how the Lord has used this ministry to shine the light of Christ during this time of mourning.
Celebrating New Life in Jesus Christ
Here at home, we recently finished the God Loves You Tour, with stops in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. By the end of the tour, over 50,000 people had heard the Gospel during these events, and by the last stop, thousands told us they had made life-changing decisions for Him.
>>Photos from the God Loves You Tour, which wrapped in up Rochester, Minnesota, Oct. 2
God alone gets the glory for these changed lives.
Maria is a longtime believer who invited her friend Marcos to the event in York, Pennsylvania. She had long prayed for Marcos’ salvation, and after he heard the Gospel message that night, the Lord answered. Marcos prayed to receive Christ in repentance and faith.
In Youngstown, Ohio—a city in the heart of a region filled with Amish communities—two former Amish parents brought their teenage son Ben to the tour. Paul, the father, had been saved years earlier after hearing one of my father’s sermons on TV one night. Ben was struggling, and both of his parents were thrilled for the chance to bring him to the event. I praise God for their faithfulness—and that Ben prayed to surrender his life to the Lord at the end of the evening.
Over and over, we heard testimonies of how God used believers to reach those around them with the Gospel through the tour—even within marriages.
Rebecca has been a Christian for a few years, and she brought her husband, Jose, to the event in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She insisted he come with her, but he had no idea how much the evening would come to mean for him. Jose listened intently to the message of repentance I shared before he humbly bowed his head and prayed his own prayer of surrender to the Lord. Rebecca was overjoyed, and our prayer volunteers celebrated with the couple as they thanked God for Jose’s newfound faith in Christ.
God Loves New Zealand
In the coming weeks, I’m preparing to preach in New Zealand during God Loves You Tour events in Christchurch, Wellington, and Auckland. This country is one of the most progressive nations on Earth, and the number of people who don’t affiliate with any religion whatsoever has skyrocketed in the last decade. Mixing Christianity with the indigenous polytheistic religion is also popular, and countless thousands in this island nation desperately need to hear the message of “repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 2:25, ESV).
Will you pray that the Lord will open hearts during the tour?
>>Gen Zers Share Passion for Evangelism in Auckland
Please also continue to pray for the survivors of Hurricane Ian. They have a long road to recovery ahead, and many need the hope that only Jesus Christ can provide.
Thank you for your heart to reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
May God richly bless you,
Franklin Graham
President
*Name changed to protect privacy
