Asante choir to sing at Aurora church

The Asante Children's Choir, which features 23 children from Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, will open a seven-day Chicago-area tour at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20 at Fourth Street United Methodist Church, 551 S. Fourth St. in Aurora.

The public is invited. Admission is free.

Touring the Midwest with their program, "Jericho … Moving Forward," the choir is an outreach of Portland, Ore.-based Asante Ministries.

"Jericho" features the singers' colorful clothing, pounding drums and sweet voices to demonstrate their hope and dream for a brighter future.

Their inspirational stories of resilience have instilled hope in the hearts of all those who have seen them perform.

"Asante" is a Swahili word translated "thank you" in English.

The Asante Children's Choir is made up of children from East Africa, a region recovering from years of civil war and genocide that have claimed millions of lives leaving thousands of children and women as orphans and widows.

The choir is dedicated to spreading love, hope and joy while raising awareness for the desperate plight of orphans and other vulnerable children.

Their colorful clothing, pounding drums and sweet voices demonstrate their hope and dream for a brighter future. Their inspirational stories of resilience have instilled hope in the hearts of all those who have seen them perform.

The children who have been rescued from some of life's most difficult circumstances take pride in expressing gratitude through their music.

Their performances are the true testimonies and living "Thank-You" notes sung to everyone who has invested in their lives giving them great pride and hope for a brighter future.