|PIC1|Eighteen years after his father, global evangelist Luis Palau, became the first person to openly share the Gospel in a post-Iron Curtain Romania, Andrew Palau brought one of the most ambitious outreaches ever staged in Eastern Europe to Bucharest this past week.

Activities for the BucurestiFest ranged from small gatherings in schools, churches, prisons and senior centers to a massive outdoor concert in the shadow of the People's Palace.

More than 14,500 people heard the Good News during a ten-day campaign that included extreme sports demos, activities for kids and families, and concerts that showcased musical styles ranging from classical to hip-hop to rock.

The Luis Palau Association used the resources of their London-based European offices to support local churches in staging the festival. In a city where evangelical churches are widely considered to be "cults", dozens of congregations and ministries united to take God's Good News to the city of three million.

"When my dad came here in 1990, the people were just emerging from the tyranny of the communist regime and hungry for the Good News of God's love," said Andrew Palau. "This week, we were blessed to meet face-to-face the results of that harvest - people who came to faith through Luis and have since made incredible contributions to the Kingdom."

Indeed, many of the hundreds of volunteers, counsellors and leaders of BucurestiFest first came to faith through Luis Palau's 1990 campaign, according to the association.

Dozens of churches have since been planted throughout Romania, and the outreaches during the festival week extended to every corner of Romanian society. Highlights included presentations of the Gospel at four prisons, including the maximum security Rahova Penitentiary, as well as schools and senior centres, luncheons for women, educators and business/civic leaders, and a classical music concert.

The festival weekend showcased the Livin It® actions sports team; freestyle soccer star Don Magness, British musical artists Band With No Name and Hillsong London, and Romanian musical groups Catacer, Vitamina C, and Proconsul.

The Luis Palaus Assocation said that more than 1,750 documented decisions for Christ had been collected by the end of the week.

Palau returns to the United States this week where he will host "BeachFest with Andrew Palau" in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on June 13 and 14.