We’ll appreciate your prayers over next couple of weeks. Team of 16 starts to assemble in Malawi tomorrow for two weeks of Open – Air work and literature distribution. We expect to distribute around Seed Sower 25,000 texts and will preach to literally thousands. Pray for: Spiritual and Physical Stamina, safety, good health and much blessing upon the Word. Follow progress on www.goodnewsmalawi.com/mgo/ (assuming I can find time to post updates) Many Thanks.
We are eagerly anticipating our annual Gospel Outreach effort in Malawi, which is now only a couple of weeks away. Gail and I fly to Johannesburg on 6 August, where I have a conference engagement later that week, and will proceed to Malawi on 10 August, Lord willing.
In previous years our team of volunteers has been based at our rented home in Thondwe, however it is getting much-needed repairs (the roof has leaked for years) and is presently unavailable, so we will be based in guesthouse accommodation in Lilongwe, the capital city.
We have had a couple of brothers pull out at the last minute due to unavoidable personal circumstances (we wish them the Lord’s rich blessing), but we are glad to have a number of believers returning, in some cases for a third (or more) time, together with some new faces, and we will look to the Lord to give us the enablement we need. We have just printed 25,000 Seed Sower texts and around 400,000 assorted Gospel Tracts.
Please pray for:
If you would like to follow the progress of this year’s effort, we will try to post updates to www.goodnewsmalawi.com/mgo
It is very encouraging to be able to report some progress in the literature work in Malawi. We have managed to acquire 3 shipping containers as regional storage / distribution depots, and we will continue to add to their number in the coming months, as we are able. There are increasing opportunities for distribution of literature, concerning which I will write on another occasion.
Wednesday is market day at Thondwe, and also at Dzaone, a small rural settlement about 30 mins from Thondwe on a bumpy dirt road heading south towards the Phalombe plain. We have been visiting Dzaone for a a couple of years and made a return visit there on Wed morning.
After lunch back home we visited the large market at Thondwe, distributing thousands of leaflet packs to the masses of people there. It was encouraging to be joined by a few men who attend Goodson’s regular Bible study at Thondwe.
A highlight of our Malawi Gospel Outreach trips is always a visit to Brother Goodson’s hilltop home, where we enjoy a traditional village meal (more of a banquet, really) and a hold a cottage meeting with friends and neighbours.
En route, we stopped at the small market at Nachikangwala, where some of the girls took the opportunity for an impromptu Children’s meeting with some of the many youngsters there, while the rest were distributing texts. It was a great success.
It’s a bit of a hike to Goodson and Flora’s home, but the scenic view is always spectacular and well worth the effort…
…as was lunch…
…although the ladies definitely need to develop some upper body strength for making nsima/
Our 2017 Summer outreach is now (sadly) a fading memory. Nevertheless we trust that deep, lasting impressions have been made upon many souls, and that we will see the fruit of our labours in eternity, even if not in time.
I must apologise for not updating this blog as we went along, and for being so slow to do this catch-up post. I’ve been asked about it several times and so really must not put it off any longer.
The Lord blessed up greatly, and we were able to distribute a very significant percentage of the 25,000 Texts we had prepared. On top of this, many thousands of people heard the Gospel preached clearly at almost all of the venues we visited for distribution.
Rather than give a blow-by-blow account, I thought I would share a photographic record of our trip, with a few comments here and there.
We remembered the Lord with the small assembly which meets in a rented room at the Blantyre Baptist Academy, followed by lunch at Ryall’s hotel and a run to the airport to collect the remainder of our Canadian visitors.
Brother Gary gave a devotional word and Isaac preached the Gospel.
We like to gently break in our volunteers on the first Monday with a visit to Blantyre market. This is always a lot more civilised than some of the other markets 🙂
We had a busy day! Our first busy market at Mbulumbuzi – almost a catastrophe as we forgot to bring the PA speaker stands, but we improvised in true African style until Gail was able to bring them – she had stayed behind to do a final airport run for Elizabeth who’d been delayed in transit.
After a “picnic” on the bus….
(I know, there’s always one!)
(You’d think butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth!)
…we made our way to the nearby Hospital. We visited a number of wards, singing hymns, distributing some essential hygeine items we had brought, and preaching a short Gospel message before leaving the patients and family members with literature packs.
Then it was off to P.I.M where market day was well advanced, and where the beer had obviously been flowing freely.
As we disembarked from the bus the noise from the market was deafening – music blaring from various sites in competition with each other. It didn’t bode well, but amazingly the Lord overruled and within 60 seconds a power blackout plunged the entire scene into relative silence, allowing us to preach without hindrance using our rechargeable PA system.
We were reminded in morning devotions today that the Lord is before, behind and right there with us in all the circumstances of life.
We are certainly glad of this truth as we take the Gospel to the people of Malawi.
Today was a very full day. After an encouraging open air meeting at Mbulumbuzi we proceeded to Chiradzulu District Hospital where we had the opportunity to address an estimated 300-400 patients and family at several of the wards.
After a quick packed lunch on the bus we made our way to P.I.M. to catch the end of the twice-weekly market there.
Although there were many fewer people than we could have expected to find in the morning, it was still a hive of noisy chaos, with loud music blasting from large speakers on opposing sides of the road. It was going to be tough!
As we began to set up our own, rather meagre (by comparison) speaker system, brother Harold made for the first of the offending shops to request then to accommodate us by turning the volume down a little. He had barely opened his mouth when silence fell upon the whole market – the Lord had blessed us with a blackout. I was reminded of the words “before they call, I will answer”, and of this morning’s promise that He would go before.
Pray that the Lord will also come behind and preserve His word and cause it to bring forth much fruit.
As we set off for Malawi the weather here at home is truly miserable, cold and wet – normal summer service has resumed 🙂
By contrast, the prospect is for brighter days ahead. Reminds me of the Christians great prospect of a never-ending day of glory.
I enjoyed (again) a little verse from the Book of Proverbs this morning, which seems appropriate just now, “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18 NKJV
With only a week left before the team starts to set off for Malawi, two of our number, Gary & Angela Williamson (Toronto) are already en route for Zambia to visit Shawn & Rhonda Markle for a few days before joining us at the end of next week.
Plans are coming together nicely – at the last minute, in typical African fashion. The texts and other literature have arrived safely in Thondwe, the bags finally made it from South Africa (with assistance on the last leg from Brother Emi – thank you!) and the schedule of activities is starting to take shape – you can see the provisional program here.
Please remember us in prayer as we make the final preparations, and for travelling mercies as the team assembles in Malawi over a few days from 2nd-7th August. The Lord has been blessing over the past months, and we are expecting a time of further visitation – please pray it will be so.
It’s always a bit frantic once the activities start, but we will try to post regular updates with photos so you can stay informed.
Stay tuned!
I’ve been in touch with the airline concerning travel plans for this year’s Malawi Gospel Outreach.
I’m delighted to confirm that they have revised their high season timetable so that our planned days fall outside this period.
At time of writing I’m told that return flights from Dublin to Blantyre will be around €875, considerably less than comparable flights from London, and competitive compared with, “instant purchase” fares currently available on the web.
If you are interested in joining us, this price can be locked in on payment of a deposit.
As in previous years, places are limited by our accommodation in Malawi, so please let me know if you are considering joining us, even if your plans are not certain.
If you intend to make your travel plans independently please let us know your proposed itinerary before booking so that we can coordinate airport pickups and drop-offs. Airport days for arrival will most likely be Thurs 3rd, Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th, and for departure Saturday 19th or Tuesday 22nd.
We are really pleased to announce dates for Malawi Gospel Outreach 2017. Subject to final confirmation of flights etc., the main outreach will take place during the two weeks 7-20 August 2017. As in former years, there will be opportunity for any who wish to join the “advance party” from around 3rd August, or to remain behind for a few extra days at the end of the main event.
If you wish to participate you may sign up here: Application Form. (The organisers reserve the right to refuse any application deemed unsuitable at their sole discretion)
If you are not yet ready to sign up, but would like to be kept informed, you can register your interest opposite.
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