Lena DiPaolo, Ben Heppner and members of the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, under the Direction of Noel Tredinnick (Director of Music, All Soul's, London) opened the worship with energetic praise. I must say I was impressed by Mr Heppner. I'm not an opera buff, but Heppner's voice is really something and he selected music that was more than accessible. (In fact his last number was a jazzy piece based on "A Mighty Fortress." Cliff Barrows and George Beverly Shea were in good form, and once again I was surprised since GBS is 89 years old, and was in better voice than earlier this year. (Or maybe I'm just warming up to a very charming personality.) GBS, by the way drove up to Ottawa with his wife, from California last week to be here. Shea is a native of Winchester Ontario.
    Billy Graham preached an astonishingly simple message and finished 15 minutes early. No fear of manipulation here. His preaching had a number of slightly uncomfortable pauses as he searched for a word which escaped him for the moment. The flow of the message was sometimes interrupted and his voice was occasionally unclear.
    Having been at the Youth "Go Mad" event earlier this year, I watched this event with a new set of expectations. Paul said something like, "When I came to you it was not with persuasive words or wisdom, but the foolishness of the cross." At "Go Mad" I had expected little response to Ron Hutchcraft's message - it was not wise or persuasive enough - but 1000 of the 6000 youth came forward. So last night I expected a miracle and it happened. when Graham, almost casually, gave the invitation, people started to move: first inquirers, slipping out of their seats, then counsellors falling in behind them. Graham’s patter during the invitation was not so much urging more people to come down as it was giving people time to make their way from the nosebleed section to the floor. This morning the Ottawa Citizen reports 1500 decisions. Experience shows that this will be the lightest night of the mission.
   Rev. John Robertson (Stittsville U.C.) told me that there were only 500 people outside, in front of the Jumbotron screen but 75 of them made decisions. Please continue to pray for this mission, and all that God is doing at this time in Ottawa. I give Him thanks for excellent press coverage, and I pray for the health of the messenger, sufficient counsellors, and adequate follow-up. Of course you can also pray that the people who need to hear this message of hope get out to the Corel Centre and hear it!! (Pray to God for my friends; He knows their names.)

From: Brian Wilkie [SMTP:brian.wilkie@sympatico.ca]
June 26, 1998 9:19 AM