I’ll never forget my time in Buenos Aires in March, 2008. For nearly a week I watched from my hotel room as the massive festival stage slowly rose above the street below. The venue, Avenida 9 de Julio, was one of the largest in the history of our team. It’s the world’s widest boulevard and runs through the center of the city. I tracked the progress and prayed for the evangelistic festival that would happen here in this major metropolis, a city of more than 13 million inhabitants and home to some of the most powerful people in Argentina and Latin America.

As the festival drew closer the “buzz” in the city grew, and unique evangelistic opportunities came with each passing day. For me, the festival was a dream fulfilled- the result of much prayer and years of hard work.

But for the churches in the area, and for tens of thousands of believers, it was so much more. This was their chance to make a powerful statement before their friends, neighbors, family, and the city as a whole. It was their opportunity to share Jesus Christ on a region-wide scale… their opportunity to let their light shine before men.

Thousands of believers in Argentina prayed about and participated in this unique festival experience. It wasn’t much, but God used it mightily. Through their partnership, the Lord brought 900,000 people out to hear the Good News in person. He used the festival to reach millions more through radio, television, the Internet, and print. For thousands of Christians, this festival was their “stand” (Matthew 5:15), their means of giving light to a dark world.