We had the absolute blessing and privilege to have the Watoto Children’s Choir join us on last week! As I reflected on this event, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some of my thoughts about the concert, the organization and some other information about taking further action.
The Watoto Children’s Choir is choir composed of children from Uganda, who because of diseases, poverty and other life situations have become orphans. The choir was founded in 1984 in Kampala by Canadians Pastor Gary and Marylin Skinner when they started Kampala Pentecostal Church. Since then, they have grown considerably and currently have over 3000 children in their care, providing them education, medical care and most importantly love. They also provide job training for women, partner with schools across the country and have begun expanding to other countries in need such as war-torn Sudan.
What struck me about this choir and the kids we met wasn’t just how great the organization has been for Uganda, but how on fire for God these kids are. Even though many, if not all, had stories of poverty and sadness, they exuded a joy and faith in God that was inspiring. I think of the story in the Bible where Jesus instructs us to have faith like a little child, and Watoto was a prime example of what Jesus meant. The kids showed it through the way they talked about God, the way they prayed and the way they sang that God was who they relied on. We heard a moving rendition of No Longer Slaves (Bethel Music) sung by the choir and it was clear they believed every word. We also got to hear a testimony from one young woman who talked of being orphaned, abandoned and sexually abused, only to be saved by Watoto. She proudly told us that this year, she graduated with a bachelors of human resources and was looking forward to all that God had in store for her.
While we encourage you to pray for this ministry, I also want to encourage you to seriously consider how you can partner with this organization in the future. You can sponsor an orphan for just $41 dollars a month, (less than $1.50 each day) and help them see that same faith and future with God.
