Showers of Grace in Vietnam

The Cần Thơ Season of Love Festival was Franklin Graham’s third evangelistic Crusade in Vietnam since 2017, but Christians in the city of Cần Thơ describe it as a first for the nation.

Unlike Franklin’s 2017 Hanoi Festival and his 2023 Festival in Ho Chi Minh City—both of which received government permission just days before the scheduled events—the government granted permission five months in advance for the Cần Thơ Season of Love Festival.

With tears in their eyes, Christians described what a difference that made, as they were able to publicize the event and invite people without wondering if the Festival would actually take place.

“It’s wonderful,” said Pastor Pham Dinh Nhan. “I have served the Lord for 40 years in this country. This is my dream, to have a big Crusade, because we want to see so many Vietnamese people come to Jesus. We tried in the past, but it was very difficult to get permission. … I believe that now is the time that God has answered our prayer for Vietnamese people to come to Jesus.”

Just prior to the Festival, Franklin met in Hanoi with Dr. Nguyễn Hòa Bình, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam, and a delegation that included the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government Committee for Religious Affairs. They discussed Vietnam’s support for religious freedom and the diversity of religions in the country, and the delegation presented Franklin with a Bible that had been translated into one of Vietnam’s tribal languages. “I’m thankful that the government has welcomed me back to preach in the country for the third time,” Franklin said.

The Festival drew people from the entire Mekong Delta region of southwest Vietnam and even reached Phu Quoc Island, which lies about 28 miles from Vietnam’s mainland. Some 400 people on the island watched the first night of the Festival via livestream, with more than 100 responding to the invitation.

“We thank God that through this Festival, many people can hear the Gospel,” said Rev. Nhieu Van Dao, who served as the chair of training, counseling and discipleship for the Festival.

In the weeks prior to the event, Christians were already seeing friends and relatives come to Christ. Rev. Phuoc Nguyen Huu, who served as the arrangements chair for the Festival, shared a story from his church: 

“There were three people who were invited to the Festival by a church member. They came to the church and accepted Christ, and they said they would go back to their village and invite all of their relatives to come to the Festival. They signed up for 10 guests to ride a bus to the meetings—and then they came back and asked for 12 more!”

The church reported later that over the two nights, 16 of the guests invited by those Christians prayed to receive Christ.

During the meetings at Cần Thơ Stadium, Christians were expectant. Using a translation app on her phone, one woman said, “I am here to lead my friends to Jesus.” Throughout the stadium, people stood and sang, worshipping God with abandon. Even on the second evening, when a torrential downpour began just before Franklin preached, God poured out grace as people heard the Gospel and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

A 14-year-old boy went forward to accept Christ on the first evening. “I felt so surprised that this is such a big event here in Cần Thơ,” he said afterward. He explained that he had learned a bit about Jesus in studying the history of western countries, and he had found a Bible online to try to learn more. But this night, he understood the Good News. “God is the God of the universe,” he said, “so as I’ve accepted God in my life, I feel like I have that God in me.”

Another young man who prayed to receive Christ told his friend, “I’m very happy that you invited me because I didn’t know what would happen to me if I died before I knew God.”

And one counselor was able to pray with three of her friends as they put their faith in Christ. “Seeing that they came up and accepted Christ into their lives, I feel so happy; I cannot express it in words,” she said. ©2025 BGEA