Earlier this summer children attending the Vacation Bible School sponsored by the Morgan Hill United Methodist Church learned about Uganda as part of their mission program. Now they have an opportunity to actually meet children from that African nation.
Their visitors are members of the Mwamba Children’s Choir who are spending a week in Morgan Hill as part of a nationwide tour. After performances on the East Coast, Arizona and Southern California, the children are spending a week in Morgan Hill to present three local concerts.
The choir was started in 2008, and it is composed of children ages 6 to 13. The members sing in eight different languages, mostly Christian songs of hope and inspiration.
The choir’s purpose is to create awareness about orphans and underprivileged children in Uganda. This tour is meant to raise funds and build continuing relationships with potential donors; its goal is to build “a sustainable village for children” to include a school, orphanage, farm and vocational programs.
Uganda is a very poor country in East Africa, home to the headwaters of the River Nile and bordered by the second largest lake in the world, Lake Victoria. Devastated by civil wars and an AIDS epidemic, it is home to many orphans and families living in poverty.
The students perform portions of the Music Changes Lives Tour three times in South Valley, and will gladly accept financial contributions.
• Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 11:30 a.m. during lunch at the Morgan Hill Senior Center, 171 W. Edmundson Ave.
• Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m. during the Share the Bounty Community Meal at the MHUMC fellowship hall, 17175 Monterey St.
• Sunday, Aug. 11 during the 10 a.m. worship service at the MHUMC; this final performance will feature a display of traditional crafts items for sale that were made by the children.
For a quarter-century, the Morgan Hill chapter of a national organization, the United Methodist Women, has held a rummage sale in August. This year doors open Friday, Aug. 16 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and Saturday, Aug. 17 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Profits from this function go to many charitable causes, including:
• La Isla Pacifica, South Valley’s battered women’s shelter
• Reach Out, the ecumenical anti-poverty food program for residents of Morgan Hill and Coyote
• The Morgan Hill Senior Center, which provides economical meals and other services to local senior citizens
• Community Solutions, South Valley’s premier agency for recovery programs, mental health and addiction prevention
• The church’s youth group, to help pay for mission trips to serve the poor.
Community members are invited to donate used goods to support these efforts. Things like kitchenware, household items, clothing, tools, furniture and toys are always in demand. Donations can be dropped off at the church Wednesday, Aug. 14, from 7 to 9 p.m. or Thursday, Aug. 15, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information about the Ugandan choir, visit www.mwambachildrenschoir.com. For information about the local performances or the rummage sale, call the MHUMC at (408) 779-4044.
Chuck Flagg is a retired teacher with a passion for religion. Reach him at [email protected].
