Friday, June 6, 2008 – 6:54 p.m. The Festival de Esperanza (Festival of Hope) has started, and already, tens of thousands of people are here, clapping to Sergio Moreno’s song, “Jesus Christ Is Captain of My Life”!
Now the Dios Es Amor Church worship team is rocking the stage in front of Tabasco Park with Mexican trumpet music and bongo drums.
8:15 p.m. Out of nowhere, fireworks are going off, and the crowd is yelling. Glittery sparks are streaming from the sky above the stage.
7:23 p.m. David Ruiz, the master of ceremonies, has just announced a singer who has a “heart passionate for God;” it’s Jaime Morrell, who is from Panama.
He’s singing, “I want to be living in Your presence and every day be more like You. I surrender to You, only to You, all that I am, my Lord; all that I have is Yours.”
Every hand in the front of the crowd is lifted to the sky.
7:35 p.m. Dennis Agajanian and the Gutierrez brothers are strumming their guitars faster than our eyes can follow; it’s a Latin rhythm, and the crowds are up on their feet.
These are the words: “With my guitar in my hand, I am singing to the glory of God, and I’ll be singing until He calls me home to heaven.”
The Gutierrez brothers wrote this song for Dennis Agajanian: they know him well. And the crowds hope that Dennis will keep strumming all night. This song makes you want to DANCE.
We are feeling some drops of rain, but praying that it will hold off so that the festivities can continue umbrella-free.
7:50 p.m. Maria Del Sol, a pop singer from Mexico shares her testimony from the stage: “Twelve years ago I received Jesus Christ in my heart, and since then He has been transforming me.”
Now she sings, “Who is Jesus? He is One who saved my life, who loved us so much that He gave Himself for us on the cross.”
8:00 p.m. Lilly Goodman has the entire crowd clapping and singing with her funky, pop song, “I Have a Free Soul.” She’s from the Dominican Republic.
Her second song says, “Tell your friends that Jesus Christ is here to give you all His love. He offered His life to take away your suffering.”
8:17 p.m. The 1,300-voice local choir, dressed entirely in black and white, is singing “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus,” or “Solo la Sangre de Cristo.”
The translator interprets the light rain as “joyful tears from heaven,” and that’s exactly what it is. God is honored here.
8:35 p.m. The emcee says that 27 years ago, Billy Graham was here, and thousands of lives were transformed. That was 1981, here in Tabasco.
Now a refreshing wind is blowing across the entire parking lot. And it’s not a piece of pavement anymore; it’s a place of worship with tens of thousands in chairs, on bleachers, and standing in the aisles.
Flat screens two stories tall are positioned all around so that people can see exactly what’s happening onstage: The Tommy Coomes Band is singing “My Hope Is in the Lord” in Spanish.
We’ve just learned that more than 22,000 people are here tonight.
8:45 p.m. Franklin Graham and his interpreter Galo Vasquez, who is also the director of the Festival, have just stepped up to the podium.
“Tonight I have a message for you from Almighty God,” Franklin Graham says.
“Tonight your life can be changed, you can have your sins forgiven; you can be set free from the guilt and the shame of your sins. … If you’ve never asked God to forgive you of your sins, I’m going to give you that opportunity tonight. …
“This is my first time to Tabasco. Last October we all were watching and praying as the floods came. Today I had a chance to visit some people who are still living in tents, whose homes were lost and have not been rebuilt. We are praying for the government of Mexico.
“I want you to know that God loves you. He loves you and He loves Tabasco. He loves Mexico. Christ died for all of Mexico.
“He was buried for your sins, but He was raised on the third day. Jesus Christ is alive, He is here tonight, and He will come into your heart and into your life if you’ll invite Him.
“Maybe you feel tonight that God doesn’t love you, that you’re little in God’s eyes. I’m here tonight to tell you that you’re important to God.”
9:09 p.m. Lightning behind the stage illumines the black clouds. It’s silent, but powerful.
Franklin Graham says, “Do you want to have peace in your heart? The Bible says that through faith, we can have peace with God.”
9:13 p.m. Franklin Graham gives the invitation: “Come to Jesus tonight. If you’ve come with friends, they’ll wait on you. Come quickly.”
The Tommy Coomes band sings, “Come just as you are. Hear the Spirit call. Taste the living water, and never thirst again.”
This is the most beautiful and most important moment in the world: People of all ages are walking forward to surrender their lives to Christ, to receive God’s forgiveness and His gift of the Holy Spirit.
9:22 p.m. A massive crowd is standing in front of the stage. Many have arms around each other’s shoulders.
It’s not hot anymore; it’s not raining. The night is peaceful, and thousands of people now have the peace of Christ in their hearts for the first time.
More than 1,180 people made commitments to Jesus Christ tonight at the Franklin Graham Festival de Esperanza Villahermosa.
