By Scott Elpers

After plans fell through for the Children of the World International Children’s Choir to perform at a church in the Wichita area, 16 disadvantaged children from Uganda, Nepal and the Philippines were possibly without a place to stay on Sunday night.

That’s when the Clearwater Evangelical Free Church stepped in.

“They called late last week and some of their contacts in Wichita fell through,” said associate pastor Mike Kroeker. “When that happens they said they pray, then they go to Google. Luckily they found us.”

The International Children’s choir is in its 12th year traveling the U.S. The children perform concerts throughout the year and often stay with hosts from local churches they perform at.

The children performed an hour-long concert for a crowd of 120 people at Clearwater Evangelical Free Church last Sunday evening, complete with authentic native costumes and instruments.

“It was a pretty unique experience to have a concert like that in our church,” Kroeker said.

Children of the World International Children’s Choir is composed of orphaned and disadvantaged children from countries all over the globe. The choir travels across the nation on a 10-month tour, presenting its program in churches, schools, and other venues.

Each program includes testimonies from the children’s personal experiences, several songs in both English and native dialects, and a video presentation including footage of the children’s home countries.

“They have been though hardships that we could never imagine, and they all have one thing in common, and that’s hope,” said Children of the World’s Stephen Hart.

The Overflow Tour shares the story of millions of orphaned and disadvantaged children. The choir is composed of children, who participate in World Help’s Child Sponsorship Program.

As part of the Overflow Tour, World Help and the Children of the World tour to raise money to build wells for villages in third world countries.

“These children, and others like them grow up without the basic necessities like water, food and education,” said Nikki Hart, who works with Children of the World with her husband Stephen. “Any little bit of help can go along way.”

Following the concert, Clearwater Evangelical Free Church found places to stay for the performers and raised about $900 for World Help’s cause.

Members of the Children of World International Children’s Choir performed a concert at the Clearwater Evangelical Free Church on Sunday. The event raised more than $900 for water wells at villages in third-world countries.