advertisement

Asante Children's Choir returns to Marengo church

Submitted by Asante Ministries International

Asante Ministries International recently announced that the Asante Children's Choir from East Africa will be bringing their "Jericho ... Moving Forward" tour to Marengo for a second time this year.

The choir will perform during a Back-to-School Picnic and Concert for the local community at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 22, at Victory Rock Fellowship Church, 20503 Telegraph St. (Route 176), in Marengo. The concert is free and open to all. For directions, visit www.victoryrockfellowship.com.

On Saturday, Aug. 23, the choir will perform at Geneva Lutheran Church, 301 S. Third St. in Geneva, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. On Aug. 24, they will perform two concerts. They will start at First Christian Church of Aurora, 635 N. Randall Road, from 10 to 11 a.m., then head north to First United Methodist Church, 236 W. Crystal Lake Ave. in Crystal Lake, from 5 to 6 p.m. For a complete schedule, including stops in Illinois, go to www.asantechoir.org.

The choir will perform worship music, African folk songs, drum music and vibrant dance. The choir is made up of children from East Africa, age 7-15. Many of these children are orphans or have parents who are unable to provide for them. The children will be sharing their joy and hope while raising support and awareness for the plight of children in need in East Africa.

The work of Asante began in 1999 in Rwanda, just four years after the genocide that claimed the lives of more than one million Rwandans. The founder, Amon Munyaneza, grew up as a child refugee in Uganda. As he attended university in Butare, Rwanda, he began to support one girl, Naomi, by paying her school fees. Soon after, his friends also started to support children. Today, Asante is supporting more than 2,500 children and running three schools in Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda - countries which have been torn by years of civil war and extreme poverty.

The mission of Asante is to care for orphans, widows and children in need in some of the poorest communities in East Africa. Asante accomplishes this mission by nurturing physical health, providing educational empowerment and providing safe environments for children. Asante's work is supported by local churches, donors and a growing network of volunteers.

"We are so blessed to have this wonderful group of children and adults back in our community. Their stories and their music are simply amazing," said the Rev. Dale Noe, the new Victory Rock Fellowship pastor. "We welcome all of the Northwest Suburbs to attend this event in order to enjoy food and music as well as hear the good news of Jesus Christ!"

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.