In a first-ever event, evangelist Franklin Graham preached a message on God’s love Saturday night to thousands of people in Mongolia. More than 17,300 people attended the “Festival of Joy” in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar, and hundreds of people made decisions to follow Jesus Christ.

“Are you broken in your spirit? Are you spiritually empty? Have you wasted your life? Will you come to Him?” Graham, president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) told the crowd. “You need Jesus Christ— He is the only way to God.

The idea for the outreach began 20 years ago when Mongolian church leaders started praying the BGEA would hold an evangelistic event in the country. More than 260 Mongolian local churches worked together to make it an unforgettable weekend and it marks the first time in history the local church has held an event like this.

“We have seen people in many other countries come to these outreaches and put their faith and trust in God’s Son Jesus Christ. This is a blessing, and as Christians in Mongolia, we want to bless the people of our own country by being a part of this opportunity to tell them about God’s great love for them,” said Bayasgalan Lkhagva, pastor of Blessing Rain Church and chairman of the festival.

“Evangelist Franklin Graham has been sharing the Gospel in many parts of the world, and we are looking forward to welcoming him to Ulaanbaatar and seeing how God changes lives through the Festival of Joy,” he told BGEA.

More than three million people live in Mongolia and half reside in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. As CBN News has reported, Christian evangelists have also been working for years to reach remote Mongolian provinces. Franklin Graham’s free two-night event showcased Mongolian culture through music and the arts.