The Watoto Children’s Choir returns to Langley for a concert on June 7.
Watoto Children’s Choirs have travelled extensively since 1994, sharing a message of hope for Africa’s orphans and widows.
Starting this past January the Watoto Children’s Choir returned to Canada with Signs & Wonders, a beautiful musical production that celebrates the joy of salvation. The choir will be performing in venues across Canada until July.
This dynamic production boasts a choir comprised of orphans and other vulnerable children. It will present new worship music from Watoto Church in Uganda and invite audiences to experience an encounter with God.
Luke Atabua, age 10, is one of the children who will be travelling with the choir. He was rescued by Baby Watoto in 2009. Like the story of thousands of other children cared for by Watoto, Luke was abandoned on the streets of Kampala. He was brought to Baby Watoto as a malnourished two-year-old. Fortunately, his story did not end there. Today, he is a very well-behaved young boy, with a passion for dance and hopes to accomplish much with his life.
“I am excited to be travelling to Canada in 2018. I cannot wait to share the love of Jesus with the people we sing to and meet. Through Watoto, God changed my life. I have a family, I go to school and I am happy,” says Luke.
Through the power of their testimonies the children share stories of how their lives have been changed, and how they have been called into a life of purpose to transform their communities. Each story declares the miracle of transformation – from darkness to light; from despair to hope; from loss to purpose; from fear to faith.
“This production challenges preconceived ideas about miracles. It demonstrates that each of our daily lives are signs and wonders of God’s work in us. This is evidenced by the miraculous transformation that Jesus works in people who were once lost, but are now found. We see this through the innocence of the child telling of their transformation from their dark past to the light that God has shown upon them,” says James Skinner, who produced and directed this production.
In 1994, Watoto Child Care Ministries was birthed out of Watoto Church. It started with one simple house in Kampala. Here, eight orphans and a widow were given the opportunity to become a new family.
Watoto has grown to become a phenomenal beacon of hope and example of true transformation in Africa. To date, Watoto has provided holistic, residential care for over 4,000 orphaned and vulnerable children (about 3,000 are in current care). This includes former child soldiers and those born to rebel leaders during the civil war.
Some of these have already gone on to become lawyers, teachers, computer scientists, journalists, farmers, doctors, and are impacting society positively as a result.
Watoto Children’s Choirs have travelled extensively since 1994, sharing a message of hope for Africa’s orphans and widows. To date, the choir has toured six continents and performed to enthralled audiences in schools, retirement homes, churches, parliaments, state houses and royal palaces.
Each child in the Watoto Children’s Choir has suffered the loss of one or both parents and now lives in a Watoto village. The experience of travelling on a choir helps the children to develop confidence and boldness, as well as broadening their worldview.
Accompanied by a team of adults, the choir presents Watoto’s vision and mission by sharing personal stories, music and dance. While on the road, the children act as advocates for the millions of other African children who have experienced the same heartbreaking pain and suffering as them.
Signs & Wonders will be presented by the Watoto Children’s Choir in Langley on June 7, 7 p.m. at the United Churches of Langley, 21562 Old Yale Rd.
The full tour schedule can be viewed online at www.watoto.com/app/choir/calendar