Franklin Graham: God’s Faithfulness in 2023

Kristy Graham, host of On the Ground with Samaritan’s Purse recently talked to Franklin Graham, the president of Samaritan’s Purse. During their conversation, Franklin shared about what he saw the Lord do in and through the ministry in 2023 as well as what is ahead in this new year.

At the beginning of 2023, no one knew what was in store, but the Lord did. Franklin reflected on the many responses that took place around the world and how he saw the faithfulness of God play out firsthand.

When a massive earthquake hit Turkey in February, Samaritan’s Purse responded immediately by sending teams to connect with Christian partners in the country and work through the local church. Samaritan’s Purse set up an Emergency Field Hospital and provided shelters for those displaced after the disaster.

When devastating tornados hit Mississippi in March, volunteers with North American Ministries responded in Jesus’ Name. They worked heartily to clear debris and share the Gospel with local people, but Samaritan’s Purse didn’t stop there. Franklin talked about the mobile home replacement program in which families were gifted brand-new mobile homes free of charge.

“We got families back into homes within months. And these were people that had no place to go.” — Franklin Graham

The ongoing response in Israel has been heavy on Franklin’s heart. He was recently in Israel and saw firsthand the destruction of what happened when Hamas attacked Israel. While there, Franklin listened to people’s stories and encouraged them. He shared a story with Kristy about a woman who lost her husband on that tragic day.

“So, I just prayed for her. And then she hugged me, thanked me, and I said, ‘We're replacing some of the ambulances that were destroyed, and so, I'd like to put your husband's name on one of the ambulances.’ She just started weeping. She said, ‘Thank you.’ So, it's people like this we try to respond to, try to help them, comfort them.” —Franklin Graham

Samaritan’s Purse could not do what we do without our massive network of churches and Christian partners around the world. Franklin shared more about the importance of these partnerships and of having the infrastructure ready to respond at a moment’s notice.

“All of this comes from God. All of this is His. And it's not Samaritan's Purse. It's not mine. It's His. And we respond in His Name. We want to take good care of all this equipment. We want to take care of our team. We want to take care of the people we're helping. But the focus has to be on the Lord Jesus Christ because He's the King of Kings, He's the Lord of Lords, and He is coming back, and He's going to come back soon.” —Franklin Graham

In closing, Franklin shares the Gospel. He encouraged those listening who have not given their life to Christ to pray with him. Anyone who wants to know more about what it means to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior can call the prayer line at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. The phone number is 888-388-2683.

“Every project we do, whether it's a rebuild, when we give the keys to somebody for their mobile home, we explain, ‘Your debt has been paid for this home, but more importantly, through Jesus' blood.’ That salvation message is for everyone, but we have to humble ourselves and accept that.” — Kristy Graham

Pray that in 2024 Samaritan’s Purse staff and volunteers would continue serving with God at the center of it all, leaning on Him for strength and guidance. If you’d like to keep up to date with more stories on the ground, please visit SamaritansPurse.org.