Across two days of celebration on the weekend thousands of Filipinos gave their lives to Christ. US evangelist Will Graham – son of Billy Graham – preached at the “Greater Tacloban Celebration of Life” events, aiming to spread hope to the typhoon-devastated city.

“I want you to known that God still has a plan and a purpose for you,” Graham told his audience. “God has not forgotten about you.”

The Tacloban event attracted over 14,000 attendees over two days.

As part of his visit to the Philippines, Graham’s eyes were open to the immense impact on the community in Tacloban after the 2013 typhoon. One site that especially caught his eye was a large boat that had been washed onto the shore during the typhoon. “This is just another symbol of what the devastation was,” Graham said. He says he realised that no amount of money, time or effort given by his organisation, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, could compare to the help Jesus could give.

“There’s been a lot of rebuilding going on – a lot of buildings are going up, new roads are going in – yet there’s been no spiritual rebuilding.”

So, in a stadium that usually hosts some of the biggest sporting events in Tacloban Will Graham began to preach the gospel and the hope it could bring.

Will Graham (right) preaching hope found in Jesus.

After concluding his message Graham invited people to make a decision to ask Jesus into their lives. Over the two-day event, 20 per cent of the 14,300 attendees responded to the alter call and were saved.

“In all of my travels, in every culture and country, the desires of the heart are the same,” Graham said. “People want to know that they have a purpose. They want to know that life has meaning. They want to have hope in this world, and hope for eternity.”