By Oniska Blevins | The Selma Times-Journal

When the Rev. Winston Williams met the Esangalo Children’s Choir on his flight back from a mission trip in Ghana, Africa, he knew he had to invite them to Selma to perform, and he did.

The Ugandan gospel choir has been touring the United States for its “Be Filled Tour” and will be performing in Selma at the School of Discovery, located at 400 Washington St., at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 20.

The choir was founded in 2016 with 20 children from a village in Uganda.

During their acoustic performances, the children quote Bible scriptures and sing in both English and their native language.

They also show video highlights of the village of Eden, and the adults play African musical instruments as they sing.

According to the choir’s website, the tour is a way for the Helping Hands Foreign Missions to raise money and awareness for its work in Uganda.

Williams, who is the pastor of Water Avenue Baptist Church in Selma, said the choir is spending four months in the U.S. singing and touring to raise money for the children in their orphanage.

“They will spend their four months raising enough money to help them in their education and to help sustain the orphanage and to help the other kids who were not able to come,” Williams said.

With passion and the willingness to help those in need, Williams felt it was also necessary to bring the choir to Selma, not only for the advancement of their cause and exposure, but also exposure for the children of Selma.

“They need to see the opportunity that life can bring for serving and as you serve you grow and develop,” Williams said. “You develop vertically among yourself and also horizontally within your community.

The best place to live is a place where people love serving each other.”

Williams said his interest in doing mission work started long ago in his birthplace of Trinidad when missionaries came to speak about faith.

He said he bought in to it, and has since been dedicated to doing mission work all over the world.

“I have always been involved in mission work, and I know the benefits because I have taken 17 trips to about 50 different countries,” he said.

“It gives you a different perspective, that this is not a me, myself and I world. This is our world, and if you’re successful and I helped you be successful, then I am as well.”

For more information on the choir and their future tour dates visit https://www.helpinghandsmissions.org/2018-choir-tour.