Nearly 100,000 South Sudanese gathered in sweltering heat this week to hear Rev. Franklin Graham deliver the gospel message.

The two-night "Hope for The New Nation" event was held in the capital city of Juba. The festival featured a 500-person choir that sang for more than an hour.

Event organizers say 6,000 attendees accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Graham's organization, Samaritan's Purse, has worked in South Sudan for more than 20 years, providing relief and other assistance from decades of war and famine. They have helped rebuild more than 500 churches destroyed during war with the North.

Bishop James Alexander said that the churches serve as beacons of hope and serve as witnesses of God's faithfulness to those who are not yet Christians.

"We are building this nation upon the foundation of the Word of God," he said.