Mwangaza in Kentucky, a blog from our friends!

Hi everyone please check out the link to this blog below. This is a beautiful blog written by Shawna Miller. She coordinated our stay in Kentucky and Indiana and the venues there, including our time at the Summit-Christian Alliance for Orphans. This is a glimpse into our time there and how Mwangaza continues to impact lives for the glory of God. I also encourage you to read the responses below, all these words have been such an encouragement and blessing to us as we go out for HIM!

Thanks,
Kathryn

http://www.adoptedindiana.org/memories-of-mwangaza

School, Snakes, and more!

Greetings Faithful Choir Blog Followers!

Today has been a good day. We left out this morning from our last church host to go to a Christian School, and arrived with only a short commute. We were given a tour of the school and got to interact with some of the students in their classes.

One in the choir certainly had a “special” experience with this tour. As we entered one class, I could hear someone say that the class had a live snake in a glass terrarium. The teacher offered to let the choir children hold it, and one brave soul took him up on the offer. This boy even took it a step further, wanting to pick the snake up out of its glass home. I stood there watching him tear out the added environment (which were sticks and a big rock) in order to catch the slithering serpent, and then bring it out. He probably enjoyed it a little too much, as he tried to use it to scare some of his nearby friends. But no harm done, and one other boy also stepped up to touch it.

After the tour of the school, the choir found some time to do schoolwork before lunch, when we were given the opportunity to have lunch with the fifth and sixth graders from the school. It was certainly wonderful seeing these children being so inclusive of the choir, at times frantically flagging them over to a table to sit. There was one instance in particular that sticks out in my mind that happened when one choir member was wondering around with her food. One of the girls from the school motioned her over to sit between herself and another girl already seated, and in a space that was more of a close quarters that you'd see friends using. This is just an example of how sometimes kids “get it” in regards to the Kingdom of God. These young girls were welcoming a sister in the Lord and showing love to her just by willingly and eagerly befriending her. We are certainly blessed to see this frequently with families hosting us, but it's especially great to see a group of school children excitedly welcome others—from across the world—into their space and lives, even if only for a lunch period.

-Seth

The Most Important Lesson from Mwangaza Children

Like I mentioned in my previous post, our Mwangaza children are teaching many of us over here so many things.  But perhaps the most important thing our children are teaching us is how to receive.

Friends, these children will teach you how to receive the kingdom of God. 

Jesus tells us that the way of entering into His kingdom is by receiving. “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Luke 18:17). 

Notice, we do not enter the kingdom of God by analyzing some deep problem and arriving at its solution.  And we do not enter the kingdom of God by working hard to be good enough for God’s approval.  We enter it by receiving. 

If entrance into God’s kingdom depended on studying and analyzing and working to be righteous on our own, then children (like these Mwangaza children) could never enter it.  And neither could we.  But thankfully entering the kingdom of God depends upon receiving something, and therefore children can enter. 

How does a child receive the kingdom of God?  He receives it in simple, humble faith. 

That’s why Jesus holds up children (like the Mwangaza children) as an example to us. 

These children are able to believe and receive Christ without a mind stuffed with self-righteousness and intellectual, emotional baggage.  Yes they are sinners, but often their hearts have yet to be corrupted with preconceived ideas of God and what he should be like.  They don’t have a little box for God to fit in.  They want him bigger than our self-made boxes. 

Charles Spurgeon says that children are “blessed in their ignorance” and that all of us must be delivered from our preconceived notions and “humbly drink in the Word of God” and receive it like children, like these little Mwangaza children. 

So have you?  Have you come to God not trying to give him something but simply to receive something from Him? 

Spurgeon says, “If you want to know what faith in Jesus is, look to the young children who have taken Jesus at His Word, believed in Him, loved Him, and therefore know and are sure they are saved.”  Amen! 

Whether you are a chaperon on the tour like me, or a host family member or someone in the audience during the Mwangaza performances, you will agree with me, the Mwangaza children will teach you what it means to have a perfect relationship with Jesus Christ and how to enjoy God’s free gift of salvation. To God be the glory, for the wonderful gift of these children.

Henry Muguluma