Although Franklin Graham preached in English alongside a Hungarian interpreter this weekend in Budapest, the 36,175 who attended over three nights understood him in the language of the Spirit.
“You may not know his English words,” said emcee Gergo Suveges, “but you can see Franklin Graham’s sincerity. You can see his passion for Jesus, and more important than the translation, you can hear him—and the Lord—in the language of your heart if you let Him in.”
One counselor named Balázs experienced first-hand how God can transcend language barriers. He struggled at first while praying with a mentally ill 31-year-old man who came forward. But Balázs soon realized that this man was really moved by the Spirit.
“I didn’t think he understood what was happening,” said Balázs. “Then I saw the tears in his eyes, a change in his countenance. God can speak in simple ways too and I know He wants all people to come to Him.”
On Friday night, Balázs had a much different counseling experience. “This 36-year-old was very skeptical and intelligent,” explained Balázs. “In his case, he had to overcome years of preconceived ideas from religion and just read the Bible for himself.”
The man’s daughter began to go to church this past Christmas and he attended Sunday School classes with her. But it was really the quiet moments of soaking in God’s Word that changed his heart.
“It was a slow, deliberate process for this man to accept Jesus tonight,” said Balázs. “It is interesting to see how no one could have designed this but God. He works differently in each heart.”
Another counselor—Sárpi—watched as one teen shared Christ with a 16-year old on a bus travelling to the Festival. “That boy got saved before he even walked in the door of the arena!” Sárpi exclaimed with a smile.
At the end of the night, he and a female counselor prayed with a young woman who was the ex-girlfriend of a boy in his youth group. “While they were a couple,” Sárpi explained, “we prayed that she would come to know Christ as her Savior. They broke up and we lost track of her.”
Sárpi couldn’t believe it when he saw her walking forward to accept Jesus all these months later. “I guess our prayers were heard and we didn’t even know it.”
These are just a few stories from the 2,727 who gave their hearts to Jesus this weekend. The local committee members, who have prayed and labored over the Festival for years, said they were overjoyed.
“We think the three days passed too quickly,” said Rev. Janos Papp. “It was amazing. We prayed for so long but I didn’t even comprehend what God would do here. I cannot begin to express my gratitude and joy.”
Rev. Papp said his heart was especially full on Saturday as he watched scores of youth from Hungary and beyond come forward to begin a new life with Christ.
“I saw families and young children from own church accept Christ,” said Papp. “But it is most exciting to see the youth meet Jesus. They are the future of this country and they are the ones who can bring lasting change to Hungary. Now they have direction and Budapest has new hope.”
Other Articles about this Festival
The Angels are Back in Budapest
Budapest Festival Proves to be Family Affair
Franklin Graham Greets Budapest Media
The Herald of Hope: Day One
Building Blocks in Budapest
Countdown to Festival of Hope in Hungary
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