From slum to stage: Paraguayan students to perform in Steinbach

Steinbach will be home to one of five concerts in Manitoba hosted by Generation Rising, a Canadian Christian charity that builds schools in Latin America and helps children get off the streets and into a classroom so they can build a better life.

The students of La Amistad Christian School in Paraguay will bring the vibrant sights and sounds of their culture to the free evening of music, dance and inspiring testimonies at Hope for All Church on Sept. 27.

The school’s story began in the slums outside Asuncion, Paraguay where Pastor Alfred and his wife ran a small daycare.

One night he was attacked and nearly stabbed to death. He recognized his assailants, young men who had once attended the daycare.

“That’s when I realized a daycare wasn’t enough,” he said. “These children needed long-term education, Christian discipleship, and hope for a different future.”

Donors from across Canada helped build La Amistad Christian School, now one of the top-performing schools in the country.

After over a decade of existence, the musical tour is being launched as a way to say thank you. It features traditional Paraguayan music played on authentic instruments, lively cultural dances and personal stories of how God has been faithful in their lives.

“This tour is more than just a concert,” Generation Rising executive director Rafael Duerksen said. “It’s a celebration of what God has done through the partnership between Canadian donors and the people of Paraguay, and an opportunity for these students to express their gratitude in person.”

Duerksen said it is an extensive tour. It began on Sept. 18 in Ontario, included three concerts and a school visit there, five concerts and two school visits in Manitoba and four concerts and a school visit in B.C. before the tour ends Oct. 6.

Two concerts will be held in Winnipeg with Steinbach, Winkler and Arborg hosting one each.

Duerksen said Steinbach was key in providing some of the first donors and supporters for Generation Rising when they formed in Winnipeg.

“Our supporters in Steinbach are an integral piece of the support network for this school,” he said. “Their financial support and prayers have led to this school growing from very humble beginnings to a school with over 400 students.”

“Generation Rising could not do the work we do without the support from the Steinbach area,” he added. “This includes of course the larger southeast region. I’m thinking Mitchell, Niverville, Grunthal, La Broquerie, etc.”

Audiences can expect to hear Spanish church songs and traditional Paraguayan songs and see traditional Paraguayan polka dances.

“The evening will be a fun and inspirational introduction into Paraguay, its culture, the faith of the students and the amazing work of the La Amistad School,” he said.

The free Steinbach concert takes place at 7 p.m. Sept. 27 at Hope for All Church at 30 McKenzie Avenue.