A Stronghold in the Day of Trouble
Dear Friend,
I recently had the opportunity to visit eastern Kentucky and pray with grieving residents. A devastating storm in late July dumped nearly a foot of water in a short period of time, sweeping some homes off their foundation and claiming the lives of more than three dozen people.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains deployed to help meet survivors’ emotional and spiritual needs. In the midst of a very difficult situation, they’re seeing the light of Christ pierce the darkness.
One of those Kentuckians our team met was a woman named Janet,* who was driving 90 minutes each way to help her twin sons recover from the storm. She would park her mud-caked van on their washed out lot and dig through the scattered and water-soaked remains of her sons’ houses, searching for trinkets or mementos they could salvage.
When our crisis-trained chaplains arrived, she took a moment to share about her own challenges, including drug addiction, and marveled that she was even still alive. The chaplains had a chance to gently share the hope of Jesus. With tears in her eyes, a smile on her face, and mud on her worn-out clothes, Janet humbly cried out to Jesus for salvation.
Nahum 1:7 says, “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and He knows those who trust in Him” (NKJV). We want these folks to know that God hasn’t forgotten about them and that He is with them in and through the storm. Even in their worst days, we’re seeing many come to know Jesus as Savior.
Chaplains are continuing to minister to people in Kentucky in response to deadly flooding.
Encouraging Those Who Serve and Protect
While the people of Kentucky have gone through a literal storm, our nation’s law enforcement officers are encountering figurative storms every day as they serve and protect their communities. In the face of constant second-guessing and negative publicity, they show up and put their lives on the line for you and me. All too often, their service puts them in harm’s way and leaves permanent damage in their bodies and in their lives—particularly their marriages.
In response, we have hosted special weeklong retreats in the wilderness of Alaska for law enforcement personnel who have gone through traumatic on-duty experiences. The goal has been to help these officers and spouses reconnect and restore their marriages, while also sharing the hope and peace of Jesus Christ.
Franklin Graham spent time with law enforcement couples at Mystic Lake, Alaska, during one of our weeklong marriage resiliency retreats.
We’ve had an incredible summer of ministry to them, and many officers have made decisions for Christ. Several couples—including those on the verge of divorce before the retreat—renewed their wedding vows at the end of their time at Mystic Lake.
“God saved me. God has revealed what and who He wants me
to be for [my wife],” one attendee shared. “I don’t think I would have had the eyes to see without [this retreat].”
Sharing Christ in the Land of Genghis Kahn
My father, Franklin Graham, will soon be holding a two-day outreach in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. On the whole, Mongolia is considered the most sparsely populated developed nation in the world. Ulaanbaatar, however, is a bustling urban center with 1.6 million people, home to almost half of the entire nation’s citizens.
More than half of the population is Buddhist, while the next largest group (40% of Mongolians) say they are non-religious. Just over 40,000 people—in a nation of 3.4 million—claim to be followers of Jesus Christ.
Will you join us in praying as the Gospel is proclaimed in this formerly communist nation? Pray that decisions made during the Festival will spark a revival among the churches of Ulaanbaatar—and beyond.
My Word Shall Not Return Void
My father is also preparing for a special evangelistic outreach across five states. The God Loves You Tour will make six stops in late September and early October, beginning in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and wrapping up in Rochester, Minnesota. The events will feature music from award-winning bands and a message of hope in Jesus Christ.
During the Christian Life and Witness Course this month, we’re working with local churches to train their congregations on how to share their faith, and God is already bringing opportunities to tell others about His love, weeks before the tour.
A church partner from Rochester shared with us the story of ministering to the delivery man as he unloaded packages of materials that would be used for the course. “Jimmy* shared how he has been hurt by the church,” Nick, the church leader, said. “He told me he is an agnostic.” Rather than shying away from the potentially uncomfortable conversation, Nick leaned into it and shared the hope of Jesus. “It was amazing because this was just supposed to be a time for him to drop off stuff for the [training] and me to pick it up. But instead, it was a moment where God called me to share the Gospel with Jimmy through my testimony and Scripture!” Will you pray that these seeds Nick sowed will take root and bear much fruit in Jimmy’s life?
The Lord is a Stronghold
We live and serve in a broken and hurting world. Whether it’s in the moldy wreckage of Kentucky floods or the distant steppes of Mongolia, so many people are in desperate need of real hope. Will you consider a gift today to help share the Good News of our great God, who is above all things? “The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble” (Psalm 9:9, ESV).
Thank you for joining us in carrying the hope of Jesus into dark and difficult situations.
God Bless,
Will Graham
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
God works through people like you to change the world by the power of the Gospel.
| Your contribution in support of the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team helps chaplains bring comfort in Christ’s Name to hurting communities and broken lives.
| So many people are living without the hope that comes from Jesus Christ. When you send a gift for Evangelistic Crusades, you give people across the globe the opportunity to hear the Gospel message at Crusade events like Franklin Graham Festivals in Mongolia and Italy and Will Graham’s Canada tour.
| The Gospel changes lives—now and for eternity. When you designate a gift for “Where Most Needed,” it is available for immediate ministry opportunities and needs, including the personnel, resources, materials, equipment, and support services vital to the work of evangelism around the world. God works through people like you to change the world by the power of the Gospel.
*Names and photos changed to protect privacy
