Hope for Africa Choir Receives Warm Welcome in North Georgia

7/27/2009

The Hope for Africa Children's Choir from Uganda spent more than two weeks in North Georgia glorifying God through music and raising money for their mission efforts in the East Africa Conference.

With Simpsonwood as their home base, they traveled around the conference, performing at Annual Conference in Athens, Jasper UMC, Douglasville UMC, Athens First UMC,  Ben Hill UMC in Atlanta, Peachtree Road UMC in Atlanta, Greenville UMC, Wesley Chapel UMC in McDonough, Impact UMC in Atlanta, Norcross UMC and Gainesville First UMC.

Some highlights from there visit were:

  • The choir peformed to standing-room-only crowd at Greenville UMC. They (along with the LaGrange District) raised around $2,500 that night. The congregation was so energized by the witness of the children that they decided to use all of their offerings on the following Sunday to donate to the choir. They raised an additional $2,500.
  • The Mayor of McDonough attended performance at Wesley Chapel UMC and gave the choir the key to the city. Afterward a church member cooked a Ugandan feast.
  • Norcross First UMC had manicure stations for the girls at a "fun day."
  • Elberton UMC gave each child a new pair of Nike tennis shoes.
  • The Atlanta-Decatur Oxford District treated the children to a day at Stone Mountain park and a picnic.
  • Dentists from Athens--Matthew and Herman Elder--volunteered to take care of two girl's tooth aches.
  • A doctor from Peachtree Road UMC treated a child's ear infection while at the church.
  • Ben Hill UMC gave the choir an excellent recorded DVD of their performance. The children had such a fun time watching themselves on the bus.
  • Members from Athens First UMC took the choir to a local park and played soccer and volleyball with the children. They then visited the Memorial Park Zoo where the kids enjoyed observing bears, eagles, alligators and deer.
  • The children visited the Martin Luther King Museum in Atlanta.
  • Simpsonwood UMC hosted them for a picnic at Jones Bridge Park.

 --Sybil Davidson

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