'Love Invasion' of Chiapas sees more than 10,000 receive Christ; Festival of Life 2007 attended by some 139,343 people
by Dan Wooding
March 30, 2007
TUXTLA GUTIERREZ, CHIAPAS, MEXICO (ANS) -- A unique love invasion of the once troubled Mexican state of Chiapas by 400 American Christians, who worked alongside some 700 Mexican believers, has seen a total of 10.478 people at all events made commitments for Christ.Called the Festival of Life 2007, the week-long outreach which ended Sunday night, March 25, was led by San Diego pastor, Mike MacIntosh who preached for the final three nights of the festival in a soccer stadium in the capital city of Tuxtla Gutierrez to a total aggregate crowd of 66,000. Some 6,229 responded to the invitation that MacIntosh gave to for people to give their lives to Christ.
A group of well-known Mexican performers were on hand and each brought the crowd to their feet. They included Maria de Sol, who for years has been one of the country's most famous female singers and Fermin IV, who was the country's most notorious rap singer and since given his life to Christ and is now - believe it not - a Calvary Chapel pastor in Mexico City. Others included Ernesto D'alessio, Semilla de Mostaza Mexico, Isai Pinon (ex-Kumbia Kings) and Orquesta Fortaleza. Sarah MacIntosh, a talented American singer, sang each night accompanied by her husband, Jonathan.
Among the volunteers who came to Chiapas were 300 clowns who joined with BMX bike stunt riders and musicians who worked at the 15 Mini-Festivals. There were also 11 medical/dental clinics where 3,000 patients were service and that included 27 surgeries (cleft lip and palate surgeries and hernia repairs). Some 73,343 attended the festivals and clinics.
The Festival of Life is a ministry of Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego and its leaders are now considering many invitations to conduct their next festival, possibly in another Mexican city. They have been running these joyful festivals all over the world for more than 20 years.
