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The man who would save Monaco's soul

Luis Palau knows how to put on a good show.

When he pitches his tent in a city, people come in droves. Recent numbers include 105,000 in Omaha; 140,000 in Tampa; 300,000 in Fort Lauderdale; and 850,000 in his native Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Families who flock to a Luis Palau festival can see professional skateboarders, motocross cyclists and BMX bikers perform gravity-defying stunts; can listen to live pop, rock and country music; can play fairground type games; can have their faces painted...and their souls saved.

For at the heart of all of Palau's city fairs is an evangelical message.

"The reason we do this is simply to say to the city, 'Following Jesus Christ is the most glorious thing;
it is a normal part of life; it is not abnormal to be spiritual. We are family-oriented, we are young, we have a good time, we have meals together, we have fun together — and we get serious about God,'" says Palau, who is often referred to as "the next Billy Graham", a reference to his former mentor which the Argentinian cherishes.

On a recent visit, he joked with those assembled at the Monaco Christian Fellowship that if Jesus were to come to their home to have dinner it would be "better than a visit by Prince Albert," Monaco's sovereign.

For Palau himself, a participant at US Presidential Prayer Breakfasts, it is not unusual to take Jesus, or rather, his message about Jesus, with him to encounters with royalty and heads of state.

He recounted being invited to a banquet in London, at which he taught Princess Alexandra (the Queen's cousin), at her request, how evangelicals pray for salvation. They maintained contact, and when the Princess' husband, Sir Angus Ogilvy, was on his deathbed some years later, Palau visited him to lead him in prayer.

At a 1999 event in Latvia, Palau preached to an audience of 50,000, which included the ex-president Guntis Ulmanis, whose term in office had ended just three months prior. With national news cameras rolling, Ulmanis responded to Palau's invitation to members of the audience to surrender their lives to Christ.

"Many of us have talked to wealthy people whose lives are totally empty and they are so shocked because they think 'I've got the brains, I've got the capacity to make money, I'm successful, I'm revered in the world. Why am I so lonely? Why am I so empty? What's missing?'" Palau says. "But they are just ordinary people.... They need God just like anybody else."

Thus plans are underway to bring a version the Luis Palau festival to Monaco.

Palau acknowledges that in a region which has experienced decades of decline in church attendance, evangelism is no mean undertaking.

"It's almost as difficult as in countries where there is persecution, to be a faithful believer in Monaco, France or Italy," he says. Nevertheless, he adds, he wants to have the joy of leading a few people of the region to Jesus.

"If a revival should break out, who wouldn't want to be here?" Palau says. "It's a long-term dream, but the Lord can do it if he chooses to do it."

ADD YOUR COMMENTS

Comments to date: 11. Page 1 of 2.

pamela llanco, lima peru	Posted at 12:47pm on Tuesday, December 4th, 2007
GOD BROUGHT LUIS PALAU TO MONACO WITH THE PURPOSE OF VISITING THIS COUNTRY AND SHARING JESUS' GOOD NEWS AND HE IS A BLESSING FOR THE PEOPLE OF MONACO AND THE OTHER PEOPLE. GOD BLESS YOU.
Kiki, Ontario	Posted at 1:30pm on Friday, November 2nd, 2007
Bringing God to Monaco...hmmmm...I agree with you Vanessa...he's definitely gonna need a whole lot of luck with those plans.
Deb, USA	Posted at 7:27am on Saturday, October 13th, 2007
Yes to God in Monaco. God is able to do whatever He chooses and if He wants to do something in Monaco and for Monaco then He will do it. Now that I know MCF is there, I will visit Monaco again.
P.K., Nice	Posted at 7:38am on Thursday, October 4th, 2007
Add my prayers too.
Ingrid, Boston	Posted at 8:20am on Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
I'll be praying for you, Luis Palau, and all who put their hand to this work.
M. Miller, Antibes	Posted at 1:03pm on Tuesday, September 25th, 2007
I've been to the Grand Prix on three occasions and what I saw, let's just say it's not taught in Sunday School.
John, Lancaster, PA	Posted at 4:28am on Monday, September 24th, 2007
Blessings on you. It seems that some of those who question the value of witnessing in Monaco forget what Rome, Ephesus, Corinth and the other cities were like when the apostle Paul went to give the gospel and churchs were founded! Monaco is no better or worse. Go for it!
Sonny, Monaco	Posted at 4:02am on Sunday, September 23rd, 2007
I wonder how many people making these comments have actually been to Monaco. Not everyone here is rich and not all rich people are godless. It is precisely those who don't want to hear anything about God that need Him the most. I'll be praying for the success of this endeavour.
Beverly, Location unknown	Posted at 9:47pm on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007
Monaco is a Catholic state. I want to see how they will get past that hurdle.
Germaine, New York, USA	Posted at 9:28pm on Saturday, September 22nd, 2007
Someone needs to sit this pastor down and explain to him the history of Monaco. The place is built on a premise of decadance. It's a waste of time.

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