We went to church again last night and had a great treat. We didn't really have a service but instead enjoyed a performance by The Ugandan Orphans Choir.
http://www.childcare-intl.org/choir.php
It was amazing. There is just something about AIDS orphans from Africa singing "Jesus loves the little children" that gets the tears going. The kids were so cute and fun to watch. The first half of the show they sang "American" songs, and the last half of the show was songs, drumming, and dancing from Uganda. I was so thrilled that my kids got to see it, and at one point Avery turned to me and said “I like this music better than the music we listen to.” I promised him we would get a CD of African music. Ella just stood on her chair and clapped and clapped. She loved it.
Childcare Worldwide does some amazing things. They care for kids in "villages," where they provide for all of their needs. Many of the kids in these villages are orphaned because of AIDS, but there are also kids in the village because of poverty and their parents inability to take care of them. These villages are set up not only to care for them, but they place an emphasis on educating the kids. They teach them reading and writing but they don't leave it at that. They teach each one of them a trade so these kids can grow up and break the cycle of poverty that they are in. The kids can only be in the choir once because their studies are so important.
One of the singers/chaperones in the choir was a child in a children’s village that was sponsored through Childcare Worldwide. She is now 24 and has a teaching degree from a university. It is her first time to America and she is teaching the kids as they are traveling around. What an amazing testimony to this program! The program also only has a 5% overhead so that means 95% of what you give goes to the children. I think we are going to sponsor a child. It is only $35 a month and it not only gives food, clothing and education to a child....it gives hope. Here is a link to the kids that need a sponsor:
