How much do you take your marriage and your life for granted? Is it obvious from your attitudes that you are happy in your marriage and that you love life? This was brought home to Mick and I last night as we went to a concert by the Watoto Children’s Choir.
For the first time in ten days Mick was able to stand up and walk a little and so we went to the free concert. The Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda consists of children made orphans through Aids. As they told their stories in between singing and dancing, you realize they have had such hard lives and yet they are full of smiles, gratitude and a love of life. This was evident in their singing and dancing but also when talking to them.
Over the course of several months this choir has been to Hong Kong and China before coming to Australia. After Australia they will head over to New Zealand and Japan. The concerts are free but the Watoto choir has merchandise like CDs, T shirts, coffee, jewelry etc for sale. They also rely heavily on donations to keep it going. Money raised goes towards rescuing more children and providing homes for them. So far Watoto has rescued over 1900 children.
So what is Watoto? They are orphans who have been taken in and cared for and placed in families that consist of a house mother and eight children. Each family lives in a 3 bedroom homes in the village. Some of them, for the first time, are learning what it means to be in a functional and healthy family situation. Within that family they learn about love and respect of others. Love and respect is something all of us need in our marriage relationship and family as well.
The choir tours the world singing songs of hope – that is gospel songs that tell others how much their lives have changed since they became part of Watoto and how much God has done for them.
To be able to go as a couple, and there were many married couples there last night, to hear them and meet them makes it so glaringly obvious how much many of us in the western world have and how much we have to be grateful for.
Children in the Watoto Children’s choir range in age from 8-13. They are a delight to watch and listen to. Because of Watoto, these children have been given hope and a future.
Another Watoto choir will be on its way to USA in September. If you get a chance, go and see them because they are an inspiration. See if it doesn’t make you go back to your own marriage, family and home life, determined to show that same love of life and joy.
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