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UPDATE (22/4/24): WE REGRET THAT MGO 2024 HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Please complete the form below if you are interested in taking part in MGO 2024

Please ensure you have read the information here before applying.

We are very happy to announce that MGO 2024 will be from 5 – 14 August 2024, God willing.

Space is limited and interest high – so we recommend you sign up as soon as possible.

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Pray

Please pray for our second week of MGO 2023.

Most of the team are leaving today (Monday) for an overnight visit to the National Park at Liwonde. Pray that they have an enjoyable time, and a well-deserved rest.

Activities for the remainder of the week, after the team returns tomorrow include: further open-air work and Seed Sower distribution, Bible Study at Saidi (Wednesday) and a second prison visit on Thursday.

Please continue to pray for safety, stamina and good health for the entire team. Especially pray that as we have planted and watered the seed that the Lord will give the increase.

We praise the Lord for His faithfulness and help during the first week of MGO 2023.

Although much smaller than most previous years, the team still managed to distribute several thousands of Seed Sower texts, and many people listened to the Gospel preached in the open air meetings.

As in former years, the prison visit on Wednesday, and the Children’s Day on Saturday were outstanding highlights.

We arrived at M* prison to the news that they had several suspected Cholera cases. A team from Headquarters was on site to assess the situation and to advise on preventative measures, so our gift of a hygiene pack for each man was particularly timely, and exceedingly welcome. Almost the entire prison complement returned from their work in the fields to listen to the Gospel being preached.

On Saturday, around 300 children were present to listen to the Gospel presentation and to enjoy the activities and games laid on for them. It is humbling to think how little it takes to brighten the lives of these most impoverished children. Pray for them.

Pray

Please remember to pray for the various efforts of the MGO team this week.

We have a variety of activities lined up each morning, with a mix of street preaching and Seed Sower distribution and a visit to one of the nearby prisons. Each afternoon, we have planned to have a Gospel meeting at Saidi. We are looking forward to a big finale on Saturday, when we hope to have all-day Children’s camp at Saidi.

Please pray for safety as we travel – we have already had a minor mishap with the hired minibus. It wasn’t serious, but it reminds us how easily accidents can happen. Please also pray for health & strength of the team members, some of whom are feeling a little ragged after their long journey hear. Finally, please also pray for availability of fuel as the country continues to struggle with chronic fuel shortages.

We thank the Lord that the last of our small team arrived safely in Malawi from USA this afternoon. We are grateful for the sacrifice each one has made to be here.

We plan a slow start on Monday morning, with the main program getting underway with a Gospel meeting at Saidi on Monday afternoon.

Pray

Please pray as we make final preparations for MGO 2023. Over the next week, the team in Malawi will be finalising details of the program of activities, and other necessary arrangements.

As mentioned previously, our team this year is much smaller and has much less experience than previous years, so please pray that the Lord will guide, direct and enable us for the task in hand. MGO has been a great blessing in the past, and we look to the Lord to make his strength perfect in our weakness.

Here at Thondwe we are in the throes of preparing for Malawi Gospel Outreach (MGO) 2023. Ordering texts. Distributing invitations. Booking accommodation. Planning activities… The list goes on.

And in the midst of all the busyness, it’s natural to start wondering if it’s worth all the effort.

Short-term mission work gets a lot of criticism. And let’s be honest, some of that is well deserved. We’ve all heard stories about ‘those people’ who go visit missionaries to ‘help’ and ‘encourage’ them and end up leaving them more worn-out and discouraged than before. Or the enthusiastic but naïve volunteers who end up committing countless cultural taboos and damaging the reputation of the work.

So what about MGO? Is it helpful or harmful? Is it worth the effort?

Well, now that I’ve experienced it from the perspective of someone on the ground, I think I can safely and unequivocally say that it is definitely worth the effort.

The Encouragement from Short Term Missions

For one thing, it is a tremendous encouragement to the local workers.

It can get lonely down here! Of course, we have an amazing team, and we generally enjoy working together. But we miss the varied and frequent fellowship that believers experience in countries with multiple assemblies and regular Bible conferences. So, getting to spend two weeks with a group of believers, fellowshipping in the gospel, singing hymns, and talking about the Lord is a tremendous boost to us!

Not to mention the encouragement of people taking time to come and see what the Lord is doing here. It shows that the interest goes deeper than surface level, and it assures us that there are some who will be praying with a personal knowledge of what is going on.

Extra Manpower from Short Term Missions

The increase in manpower, as simple as that may sound, is also a help. With a team of believers, we are able to do different kinds of outreach than normal. Distributing several thousand texts at the market? This certainly can be done with two or three people, but it takes a lot more time and energy than when you have ten or twenty. Corralling six hundred kids for the day? Perhaps it can be done with only a few adults, but it’s certainly not advisable.

MGO makes a positive impression in the community. I was chatting with the teens in my Bible study group last night about this year’s outreach. The boys were asking about the guys who came and played football with them. Another asked about Bill, who came and helped preach the gospel. And everyone in my neighborhood remembers ‘Royce’ (Lois). Why? Because she took time to try out her Chichewa with the women and be silly with the children. It turns out you can communicate love and genuine care – two things that are often missing here – regardless of a language barrier.

I think I can speak for the visitors too – having once been one myself – and say that it’s also an encouragement for them. While reaching others with the gospel should be the thrust of our life, there is something unique about setting apart an entire week or two for that specific purpose.

It also gives them a better understanding of the work. It strengthens the connection between supporting assemblies and missionaries/workers and leads to more intelligent and informed prayer.

I could go on, but this is already way too long. I’ll end with this: Could it also be that it might be a tool the Lord uses to raise up others for the work here? That’s what happened with me, and we’re praying that might also happen with others.

Of course, no two MGOs are the same. Different people and different activities lead to varied dynamics. So, prayer is needed and appreciated that the Lord will work in and through us all to encourage and be encouraged and unitedly spread the good news about Jesus Christ.

As I anticipated, there has been real interest in MGO 2023. Although we are not fully subscribed, there are limited places remaining.

If you think you may be interested in joining MGO 2023, we strongly recommend that you fill out the application form soon. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you are committed to going – there is still a month or two before we require deposits to be paid.

You can find more information here

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