Billy Graham on the Reeperbahn

Given our love and passion for the hurting people of the Reeperbahn (Hamburg's notorious Red Light District), we were extremely encouraged the other day to read the following portion of the biography Billy: A Personal Look at Billy Graham, the World's Best-loved Evangelist by Sherwood Eliot Wirt regarding Graham's trip to Hamburg in 1960. We hope it encourages you as well that nothing is impossible even in the darkest of places!

"Of all the nations on the continent of Europe, Germany has probably welcomed Billy Graham with the greatest enthusiasm. The crusades there in 1960 were no exception. After a week in Essen, capital of the Ruhr district and home of the famed Krupp iron and steel works, with 25,000 present on opening night, the team moved on to Hamburg.

The Hamburg week opened with a beautiful dedicatory service in ancient St. Michal's Cathedral, conducted by Bishop Holstein. On the first night the specially erected crusade tent was hopelessly overcrowded; there were more people standing around it than were seated inside. A Die Welt (national German newspaper) reporter described the scene inside the crusade tent:

'The 35,000 are so quiet that one can hear his neighbor breathe. And then something happens which had not been expected in Hamburg. Suddenly the free space between the platform and the front row is filled to capacity. Many men are there, many young men. What is happening inside of them — in their hearts? But this is indeed no one's business. It is said there were 4,000 who had come to the front. In no city, it is said, were there so many. It happened in Hamburg. Does one know his city? Does one know his neighbor?'

The most unusual meeting in Hamburg took place late at night at the entrance to the Reeperbahn, Hamburg's notorious underground section. Ten thousand standees gathered to hear a Billy Graham sermon drawn from theater marquee titles. Beggars, pimps, prostitutes, bar girls, ex-convicts, assorted toughs all stood listening as Billy told them,

'All of you are searching for something. In Hamburg the nights are long, but much longer is the night if there is sin in your heart.' "

Please continue to pray for us that the Lord gives us favor with the owner and manager at BUDDY's bar--for new readers to our blog, BUDDY's is a bar located in the very middle of the Reeperbahn where the women stand, and we are praying to be able to rent out this bar and use it on Sunday mornings where we can share the love of God, His Word, worship and pray.

Thankful for you all,

Buddy, Krista, Jose & Grace